“To awaken conditioned souls to their eternal position as a servitor of the Lord, preachers meet with many adventures and challenges. Five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya’s movement went through similar trials. To become an ‘employee’ of ISKCON’s Nama Hatta program means to assume a role in the Lord’s transcendental pastimes. That part, however humble it may be, is directly linked to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s eternal sankirtana movement.

Participating in these activities is preparation for being transferred to the Lord’s pastimes in Goloka Vrindavana. By Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy, we do not have to wait until we reach the spiritual world before getting the sublime nectar of the sankirtana movement. We can taste the nectar even while living in this world, simply by following the principles given by Lord Caitanya and thoroughly explained by Srila Prabhupada. The marketplace of the Holy Name is there as a service for everyone.”

“In the Caitanya Caritamrita, Lord Caitanya expressed that He wanted to see everyone receive the mercy of the Holy Name and also the fruit of love of Godhead. But He was concerned that alone He would not be able to reach everyone; thus he ordered everyone to assist Him. “I am the only gardener, ” He said. ” How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute?” (CC Adi 9.34)

Srila Prabhupada established a trademark for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness: “ISKCON”. He stated that ISKCON is a branch of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s tree. When devotees use the trademark ISKCON it is synonymous with “Gauranga” as mentioned by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

The instruction is that preachers should work under the shelter of Lord Caitanya and His bona fide representative. All devotees should understand that we are members Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement and are simply acting on His behalf.

If one does not strictly follow the orders of the previous acaryas, his potency to preach will diminish and ultimately be lost. “Counterfeit goods” signifies the quality of preaching that ultimately produces mixed, or impure bhakti, whereas “Genuine goods” indicates pure devotional service.”

“Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura establishes that all activities must be executed according to the rules and regulations given by the chief trader, Lord Nithyananda Prabhu, or by His representatives at the head office.

Just as Lord Nithyananda setup a system with rules and regulations, Srila Prabhupada founded the worldwide ISKCON movement – with specific rules and regulations, a Governing Body Commission (GBC), temple residents, and so forth – so that the marketing and preaching of the Hare Krishna mantra would progress smoothly and cooperatively in a coordinated manner.

Here it is said that all goods should be received with authorization. Therefore anyone who preaches should be authorized by his spiritual master and the disciplic succession. All Nama Hattas and congregational preachers should be connected to ISKCON, thus always receiving Srila Prabhupada’s blessings. One should not desire to be independent from this society of Krishna’s devotees.“

When we took our Safari to South India we went to the Sri Rangam temple and there we chanted Hare Krsna for the acarya of the Sri Rangam temple, one of the 64 temples of Ramanuja and that’s maybe the most important that he has. Then he said, “You are all incarnations of Andal, an incarnation of Lakshmi who chanted the holy name and said everyone should go with karatals and drums in the street and chant the name of Krsna.” He said, “You are all incarnations or representatives of Andal, you are doing.“

And just recently when we had the Tirupati temple opening, the head acarya was going to come for one day just bless it. But he stayed for all the seven days. When he saw some of the gurukuli devotees leading kirtan, and everybody chanting and dancing and all wearing tilaka, then he made a declaration that, “You are doing what we should be doing. This is what Ramanujacarya did, he made people devotees. We have become expert in all the rituals but we are not making new devotees. But you are making the new devotees.”

Then Radhanath Swami told me that he did a programme in Sri Rangam and the acarya had publicly over television said, “I want to be a member of ISKCON. [Devotees: Haribol!] They are doing what Ramanujacarya told us to do.”

HH Jayapataka Swami
Lecture
March 19th, 2008
Sridham Mayapur