He Takes All Blame Upon Himself
After exchanging letters several times, my beloved spiritual master, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave me the instruction to preach in Singapore. For decades since then, one question was burning in my heart: How can I preach nicely? What should be our motivation when we preach? What is real preaching?
When I went to meet Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in Punjab, the only thing I had in my mind was how I wanted to ask him those questions. Devotees were discussing the latest events in the math. A sevak of Srila Gurudev had left his service, and some devotees were commenting about how that was good because they thought he had done some wrong things.
When I entered his bhajan kutir, another devotee was asking Srila Gurudev why that sevak had left. He replied with genuine humility: "It is not his fault. I have done some wrong, that's why he left."
At that very moment, before I could even ask, my question evaporated. It was answered by this one act of Srila Gurudeva's perfect exemplary conduct. It is one thing to preach Krishna-consciousness and humility, but it is another thing to actually practice it.
While many devotees (although not perfect themselves), were criticizing that sevak who had left, Srila Gurudeva, albeit free from any fault, took all the blame on himself alone.
There and then I had witnessed what Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj had stated: Srila Tirtha Maharaj is the embodiment of the trinad api sunicena verse.
Srila Gurudeva used to say, "Example is better than precept," and he was the living example of this maxim. Mere precept or empty preaching may attract followers, but will not empower their sublime realization. The best way to preach is to become an exemplary devotees who walk the way they talk.
For decades, I have been carrying around this question: what is actual preaching? And without big words, Srila Gurudeva's perfect example answered it in one second.
—Vidyapati Das
When I went to meet Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in Punjab, the only thing I had in my mind was how I wanted to ask him those questions. Devotees were discussing the latest events in the math. A sevak of Srila Gurudev had left his service, and some devotees were commenting about how that was good because they thought he had done some wrong things.
When I entered his bhajan kutir, another devotee was asking Srila Gurudev why that sevak had left. He replied with genuine humility: "It is not his fault. I have done some wrong, that's why he left."
At that very moment, before I could even ask, my question evaporated. It was answered by this one act of Srila Gurudeva's perfect exemplary conduct. It is one thing to preach Krishna-consciousness and humility, but it is another thing to actually practice it.
While many devotees (although not perfect themselves), were criticizing that sevak who had left, Srila Gurudeva, albeit free from any fault, took all the blame on himself alone.
There and then I had witnessed what Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj had stated: Srila Tirtha Maharaj is the embodiment of the trinad api sunicena verse.
Srila Gurudeva used to say, "Example is better than precept," and he was the living example of this maxim. Mere precept or empty preaching may attract followers, but will not empower their sublime realization. The best way to preach is to become an exemplary devotees who walk the way they talk.
For decades, I have been carrying around this question: what is actual preaching? And without big words, Srila Gurudeva's perfect example answered it in one second.
—Vidyapati Das
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