Prabhupāda Entrusts His Disciples with the Great Tasks of the Preaching Mission
Taking up the mission of spiritual propagation is not a casual endeavor, but a monumental responsibility meant to save suffering humanity. By accepting these great duties with sincerity, the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda actively execute the divine will of the Supreme Lord and secure their own spiritual perfection. Although the work is heavily demanding, those who dedicate their lives to this preaching mission are recognized as the most elevated benefactors of the world.
Declaring War Against Illusion
To preach the absolute truth in a world completely bewildered by materialism is akin to fighting an intense battle against the forces of illusion. When describing this immense difficulty, Śrīla Prabhupāda compares his preaching mission to treating patients in a lunatic asylum who violently refuse their medicine. Despite these severe obstacles, a sincere preacher must boldly face these challenges to deliver real knowledge to the conditioned souls and permanently end their domination over material nature.
- Our task is very heavy because we have declared war against Maya.
- It is just like a lunatic asylum: The patients are running around madly and when the doctor tries to give them treatment, they insist that they are not crazy. Sometimes the patient even strikes the doctor. So our task is like that.
- At every step there is danger, but under the strong grip of maya, we forget this. So the task is very great to give real knowledge, Krsna consciousness, to everyone.
- The first thing is that we have taken very, very responsible task, to finish this so-called lording over this material nature.
The Central Focus of Book Distribution
Out of all the vast projects and responsibilities within the global movement, nothing supersedes the mass printing and distribution of transcendental literature. Because this activity directly fulfills the orders of the disciplic succession, Śrīla Prabhupāda designates book distribution as the absolute most important task for his followers. By simply encouraging the public to read these pure teachings, devotees perform the vital work of elevating humanity to the highest spiritual perfection.
- Our book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Maharaja.
- If they will simply take to reading this transcendental literature we are presenting, the same reading capacity will elevate them to the highest perfection of spiritual life. So this is very important task we are doing.
- First make certain that our distribution is very nice organized. So after your exams you may plunge into this task whole-heartedly and try to enlist the help of all the others and make the project come out very successfully.
- We have taken a very difficult task, to convince people to take to Krsna consciousness. But that is the only benefit, or the supreme goal of life. Krsna personally comes to teach this science.
An Easy Yet Thankless Endeavor
Confronting materialistic persons and exposing their ignorance is naturally offensive to the conditioned mind, making preaching a severely thankless job. While acknowledging this heavy social friction, Śrīla Prabhupāda simultaneously assures his students that their actual duty is incredibly easy. Because devotees never manufacture their own philosophy and simply repeat the exact words of the Supreme Lord, the intellectual burden is entirely lifted from their shoulders.
- Our business is very thankless task. We say any man who is not a devotee, he is rascal. We say generally. It is very harsh word, but we have to use it. As soon as we see that he is not a devotee of Krsna, then he's a rascal.
- Preaching can be a difficult, thankless task, but a preacher must follow the orders of the Supreme Lord and be unafraid of materialistic persons.
- We are simply executing what Vasudeva has spoken. That's all. So our task is very easy, because we haven't got to manufacture, tax our brains, to create something nonsense. No.
- Expertness is you just try to do which is easily performed by you. You don't accept anything heavy task because Krsna does not want that you have to do this heavy task. Whatever you know, you just apply it. You dovetail it in Krsna consciousness.
The Necessity of Pure Cooperation
A global spiritual revolution cannot be sustained by isolated individuals; it demands the unified, expert cooperation of pure-hearted leaders. When entrusting the management of the society to his senior disciples, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that reconciling differences and working together harmoniously is absolutely essential for success. By maintaining personal purity and expertly handling all administrative affairs, these leaders allow the spiritual master to focus entirely on translating transcendental books.
- I am entrusting this huge task to all of you for working together cooperatively for doing something wonderful. I can understand that you are responsible and cool-headed along with the others, so you take the hand in reconciling all differences.
- As GBC member your task is very responsible. You must always keep yourself pure and in this way your preaching work will take effect.
- If the GBC which I have appointed for this task will kindly now assist me in this way, by handling very expertly and with all good consideration all matters of managing, I shall devote my full time to giving you further nice books.
- This task will not be finished without the cooperation of my appointed assistants, the GBC, temple presidents, and sannyasis.
Achieving the Lord's Supreme Favor
Although dedicating one's life to such massive responsibilities involves enduring countless hardships, the ultimate reward far surpasses any temporary difficulty. By eagerly accepting the heavy burden of opening centers and preaching worldwide, the followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda attract the direct, special mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, anyone who sincerely takes up the noble work of delivering conditioned souls is recognized as the dearmost servant of the Lord.
- I am encouraged especially that my householder disciples are carrying out this task of opening centers all over the world. Such position of leadership and organization is regarded as Krishna's special favor upon you.
- Krishna is very kind upon you because he has given you so many responsible tasks. So always think of the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna and you will find no difficulties in executing the tasks allotted to you by Krishna.
- Now you apply yourself to this task very seriously and become learned in all the aspects of our Krsna consciousness philosophy and take this opportunity in this lifetime to go back to Home, back to Godhead. That is my request.
- You will find in Bhagavad-gita that anyone who takes the task of preaching Krsna consciousness is the dearmost devotee of the Lord.
Conclusion
The monumental duties given by the spiritual master test the sincerity, endurance, and cooperative spirit of every disciple. By faithfully executing these tasks without personal ambition, the dedicated followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda guarantee the progressive expansion of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In the process of rescuing the bewildered souls of this world, the preachers themselves become fully purified and eternally situated in the loving service of the Supreme Lord.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Our Tasks (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.