Spreading the Saṅkīrtana Movement by Taking Up God's Mission
Taking up God's mission is the highest call to action for any living entity who has realized the value of human life. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this mission, descending through the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is a global movement of compassion intended to rescue human society from the dead condition of materialism.
The Global Mission of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire was to see the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness reach every corner of the world. He authorized every disciple to take up the responsibility of becoming a teacher and preaching the truth of Kṛṣṇa's instructions to whoever they meet.
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired that on the surface of the globe, as many towns and villages are there, the Krsna consciousness movement should be spread. And everyone, Indian especially, was advised to take up this mission and preach.
- Every student, any disciple, every disciple, especially those who are competent, he requested that - You take up this mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and preach in the Western countries.
- If we take up seriously this movement, every one of us become completely aware of this movement and take this mission as Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "Every one of you, you become a guru," by the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- Those who are servants of Krsna, devotees of Krsna, they should take the mission of Krsna. They should take up the mission of Krsna. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's version - amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa, yare dekha, tare kaha, 'krsna'-upadesa.
The Duty of Those Born in Bhārata-varṣa)
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently highlights the special role of India (Bhārata-varṣa) in this mission. He appeals to the sons of India to fulfill their historical function of providing spiritual leadership to the world, though he also expresses great satisfaction that disciples in the West have stepped forward to carry out this work.
- All Indians should take up this mission and do welfare activity. That is India's special function.
- He (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) asks all Indians to take up His mission: One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India (Bharata-varsa) should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people - CC Adi 9.41.
- The sons of India, those who are Indians, those who are proud of becoming Indian, they should take up this mission - of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- To make people Vaisnava, pure Vaisnava, and to spread the sankirtana movement, this is the mission of Caitanya, and we are trying our best. Actually, it was the duty of the Indians, but fortunately, the Americans have taken up instead of Indians.
Success Through Enthusiasm and Spiritual Faith
The mission of spreading God's message is successful only when carried out with sincerity and firm faith in the spiritual master. Śrīla Prabhupāda encourages his disciples to remain enthusiasm and sober, noting that the potency of their words depends on their own internal spiritual practice.
- Kindly take up the mission of spreading the message of the Lord all over the world with greater and greater enthusiasm. Preaching is our life. But in order to preach one must become firmly fixed in the spiritual practices otherwise his words will not act.
- You should understand that as I have taken up this mission with full faith in my guru maharaja, as you also preach earnestly in the countries of South America, you will do the highest good for others and for yourself as well.
- I am very pleased that you have taken up this mission of spreading the Krsna consciousness movement all over the world.
- I am especially appealing to the GBC men to take this mission of Krishna Consciousness movement very, very soberly and without any inebrieties for advancing the knowledge of how to inject Krishna Consciousness into the dead body of material nature.
A Universal Mission of Healing and Welfare
Ultimately, taking up this mission means providing a solution to all global problems by curing the fundamental disease of ignorance. Following the examples of predecessors and great saints who preached despite persecution, the mission seeks to restore humanity's true spiritual civilization.
- We are taken up this mission, to preach Bhagavad-gita as it is to solve all the problems of the world. That is Aryan civilization. Aryan civilization means following the principles of Bhagavad-gita.
- The Krsna consciousness movement has taken up the mission of curing this disease, but people are not very appreciative because they do not know what this disease is.
- Lord Jesus preached the message of God and I have taken up the same mission, and it would be a good luck for me if I can follow the foot prints of Lord Jesus who preached the message of God in spite of all persecution.
- We took up the mission of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world, under the protection of all the predecessor acaryas, and we find that our humble attempt has been successful.
Conclusion
The mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a sacred trust passed down through the disciplic succession to bring light to a world in darkness. Whether by spreading the saṅkīrtana movement, preaching the truths of the Bhagavad-gītā, or simply making one's own life successful to benefit others, taking up God's mission is the highest expression of human potential. As Śrīla Prabhupāda notes, while five thousand years ago many were unfortunate to not join Kṛṣṇa's mission on the battlefield, the opportunity is once again open for every sincere soul to join this movement and perform the highest good for the entire world.
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 Taking Up God's Mission. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.