By Lokarama Dasa
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My
service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one
another and conversing about Me.”
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā 10.9
“Śravaṇam means hearing from the authority and again repeat it. This is our
business, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ — about Viṣṇu, not for any politician or any
other man. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, about Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So that is success.
Hear and repeat, hear and repeat. You haven't got to manufacture. Any one of
us, simply if you reproduce the purport which I have given in the Bhāgavata, you
become a good speaker.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, Conversation with disciples, Los Angeles, June 20, 1975
In this document we will briefly explore three principles to guide us in serving Krishna by
speaking about Him, as well as some additional “pro tips.”
1. Be your spiritual master’s mouthpiece.
Krishna is the best at everything. He’s the best dancer, the best comedian, the best
lover, and the best orator. Krishna has already given the best teachings in the form of
the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. If we plainly and sincerely present the
message of these books, as we’ve received it from our spiritual masters, Krishna will be
pleased with us.
If we think we have something “new” to offer to the table, an original angle, or a deeper,
more sophisticated understanding than what our ācāryas have already given, then we’re
in for trouble!
2. Share your realizations and experiences in bhakti.
The goal of sadhana-bhakti — which includes hearing and chanting Krishna’s names,
talking about His pastimes in His various incarnations, discussing His teachings, etc. —
is to awaken love, prema. Prema is but the mature fruit of śraddha, faith. So our efforts
in Krishna-katha are simply meant to nourish and strengthen our faith and the faith of
our fellow bhaktas. This is the sole aim of Krishna-katha.
Krishna-katha is not enhanced by any kind of scholarly presentation or fancy rhetorical
style. All we can do is humbly share what we have understood about Krishna and the
process of bhakti-yoga.
Sometimes the mode of presentation will help the audience receive the message. A
doctor may insert medicine into a sweetball so that a child will take it. However, the
sweetball does nothing to enhance the efficacy of the medicine. Similarly, the potency
of Krishna-katha will act regardless of the style in which it is presented.
3. Empathize with yourself and your audience
Krishna manifests to the receptive hearer, one who desires to know Him as He is. As
servants of Krishna-katha, we must be genuinely interested in the spiritual welfare of
ourselves and others. If we ourselves are not eager to meet Krishna in His katha, then
we can hardly hope our speaking will arouse much eagerness in the hearts of our
audience.
If you care about your audience then Krishna will speak to them from within your heart.
The most appropriate phrases, anecdotes, verses, and so on will appear on your tongue
as if by magic.
Additional Tips
● Smile.
● Be yourself.
● Dress to impress.
● Wear tilaka.
● Have a few notes prepared.
● Have a “take home” for your audience, a thought or feeling you’d like to leave
them with.
● Leave about 50% of the allotted time for reflections from the audience and Q&A.
● Speak to the level of understanding of your audience, and a little higher.
● Keep a prayerful mood before, during, and after.
In Conclusion
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try
to liberate everyone in this land.” (CC Madhya-līla, 7.128). Every Vaiṣṇava is a natural
preacher. They enjoy talking of Krishna, thinking of Krishna, and being with Krishna’s
devotees. Their character is a living advertisement for the bhakti path. Don’t worry
about giving a good class; just try to be a good devotee. If you can be a faithful and
humble disciple of your spiritual masters, your Krishna-katha will be first-class.