Obeisances to all of the sincere Vaisnava servants of Srila Prabhupada.

I have been reading the ongoing dialogue "To Harinam or Not to Harinam."

I have taken note of Prabhu's comments that our ecstatic, glorious Harinams sometimes give many established and somewhat modest people an image that we are a little strange. I have also taken note that in some countries like France and Israel it creates a particularly strong negative (what was called "purifying") response.

I also made note of Bhakta Joe’s comment, "Prabhupada stressed three main activities, distribute books, do Harinam, and distribute prasadam." I would like to underscore that these instructions can be carried out in many different creative ways.

It really seems clear that everyone here in this dialogue really just wants to spread Krsna Consciousness to all the fallen souls. So, maybe there is another solution. Preaching can have many tiers: there’s infantry, but preaching is not just about gloriously shocking people with Lord Krishna’s names. As Her Grace Malati Mataji says, "Surely now you must be doing other things that attract people?"

In that vein, I would like to highlight the following point: We can continue to touch, inspire, disturb, and purify people on the streets with the Holy Names. And we also have other options. We are not really a fledgling movement anymore. We are maturing. We don’t have to only go native, so to speak. We can also continue to take positions as credentialed brahmanas within the societies in which we live. Let the French tomato throwers find a Gita at their chiropractor's office. Let the grumbling Jewish grandmothers chant the holy names at a yoga retreat in Eilat.

Let us be encouraged that if more of us become professors, therapists, teachers, and healers, then all of the seeds that were and are planted through traditional Harinam, prasadam distribution, and book distribution can now be watered so that they sprout. Planting and watering are two separate processes. Simple ecstatic, mind-blowing Harinama is great. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy. But let us also remember to have other cultured offerings where interested people come to us as authorities on the matter of real health, real wisdom, and real spirituality. When we do this, we are also pleasing Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada.

I have seen many students who would have never been able to handle a Harinam chant the holy names with great enthusiasm and regularity in a yoga class. So, as they say, Different strokes for different folks.

Please accept this only as a humble offering intended to increase our sense of possibility and please forgive any offense.

Your aspiring servant,
Ananda dd

© dipika.org April 26, 2003