The Power of a Nice Example in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
Śrīla Prabhupāda possessed the unparalleled ability to take the most profound, transcendental truths of Vedic literature and present them in a way that anyone could understand. He frequently did this by offering a "nice example." Instead of relying on the theoretical knowledge favored by the jñānīs and impersonalists, Śrīla Prabhupāda used everyday observable phenomena—like the sun, the changing of a physical body, or a red-hot iron rod—to practically illustrate the science of God. However, the power of a nice example in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not limited to philosophical analogies. Śrīla Prabhupāda heavily emphasized that the most powerful preaching tool is the personal behavior of a devotee. By studying the lives of great historical Vaiṣṇavas and by strictly following the regulative principles themselves, devotees are instructed to become living examples of the philosophy they preach.
Philosophical Analogies: Illuminating the Absolute
Understanding the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His energies, or the soul and the Supersoul, can be difficult for the conditioned mind. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully cuts through confusion by providing perfect, logical comparisons from nature.
- God can expand Himself as God unlimitedly, still He remains the same. There is another nice example. Just like you take one candle and you lit up another candle, you lit up another candle, and millions of candle, but this candle remains the same powerful.
- There is a nice example regarding the sun and the sunshine. The sun, by its sunshine, is spread all over the universe, and all the planets rest on the sunshine. But all the planets are different from the sun planet.
- The difference between atma and Paramatma is that the atma, or the soul, is present only in a particular body, whereas the Paramatma is present everywhere. In this connection, the example of the sun is very nice.
- A very nice example is given herein (BG 18.48). Although fire is pure, still there is smoke. Yet smoke does not make the fire impure. Even though there is smoke in the fire, fire is still considered to be the purest of all elements.
Explaining the Mechanics of Material Illusion
To help us break free from bodily identification and the entanglement of māyā, Śrīla Prabhupāda provides very clear examples of how the material energy operates, how the body changes, and how devotional service immediately dissipates sinful reactions.
- Very nice example. We are changing bodies. When you were born, there was no beard - clean shaved or no hair. So that body has changed. It is not the same body. In which body you came out of the womb of your mother, that was a small body.
- Old man means my body is different - old body. Your body is different. So Krsna giving this very nice example: As the baby is changed into a boy, a boy is changed into a youth, a youth is changed into old man, so this changing is going on.
- The example given in this verse (in SB 2.1.39) very nicely is that of the dreaming man. The dreaming man creates many things in his dream, and thus he himself becomes the entangled seer of the dream and is also affected by the consequences.
- By always being in Krsna consciousness, one can get out of all sinful reactions. How? Niharam iva bhaskarah. Niharam means dews. You have seen in this season, so many dews are on the grass. As soon as there is sunrise, everything finished. It is very nice example.
- Pariksit Maharaja is giving very nice example, kusjara-saucavat: just like cleansing the body of an elephant. It cleanses very nicely, that's all right, but as soon as come out of the water it will cover the whole body with dust.
Great Personalities as the Perfect Standard
Vedic history is filled with great souls who practically demonstrated how to live perfectly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By citing their behavior, Śrīla Prabhupāda shows us exactly how to dovetail our senses and tolerate the dualities of the material world.
- Ambarisa Maharaja, he set very nice example by engaging his mind always on the Lotus Feet of Krishna, and talking always about him. We should follow the same example.
- Arjuna is very nice example, that he dovetailed; he dovetailed his consciousness with Krsna. He did not want to fight, but after hearing Bhagavad-gita he dovetailed his senses. One has to fight with senses. Non-sense cannot fight.
- One who is, who are sages, their duty is they always forgive any enemy. Just like you have got very nice example, Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified, but he forgave all the persons who were engaged in crucifying him.
- A very nice example of this obligatory behavior was manifested when Sudama Vipra went to Krsna's palace.
The Instruction to Lead by Example
To his disciples and leaders within his society, Śrīla Prabhupāda was absolutely uncompromising on the principle that a good example is better than precept. A preacher's potency comes not just from their words, but from the strictness of their own spiritual practice.
- I am depending on you as one of my elder disciples to set a nice example for the others to follow. This is very much wanted. You must become ideal in all respects.
- Continue executing your Krsna Conscious activities, chanting 16 rounds, studying our books, going on sankirtana, worshiping the deity, & in this way you will become advanced. As you are senior devotee you must set a nice example for the others to follow.
- New devotees must all be trained nicely how to render devotional service by chanting 16 offenseless rounds daily and following the 4 regulative principles. Kindly set a nice example yourself for everyone and in this way make your lives perfect in full Krsna consciousness.
- You must set nice example for the others by following very rigidly the regulative principles, such as chanting 16 rounds on the beads, reading the books, getting up to attend mangala aratrika, etc. In this way everyone shall be encouraged.
- I am glad to hear that you are now concentrating on improving the regulative life of the temple rather than so much advertising with brochures. This is very nice; this is what I want. A good example is better than precept.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda's use of a "nice example" serves to bridge the gap between the infinite and the finite. By utilizing perfect analogies, he allows our conditioned intelligence to grasp the unlimited nature of God and His energies. However, the ultimate perfection of understanding these examples is to become one ourselves. By transforming our character through the chanting of the holy names and the strict adherence to the regulative principles, we act as a beacon of light in a dark world. When we dovetail our lives in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our very existence becomes the most powerful preaching, setting a nice example that will inspire others to return back home, back to Godhead.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Nice Example. We invite you to click this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.