Today is the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada and, after a long pause on my blog, I’d like to post my comment which was submitted to the Dandavats site as a comment to this thread.1
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time that we experienced censorship from the editors…so, we submitted it to the editors of Sampradaya Sun and it was published as How/What to Preach article.
It would be tragic if Maharaja’s message was not available for those who have ears to hear him. This is something we are worried about…2
We fully agree with H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja’s concerns about the direction towards which our movement is heading, and it’s not in his head only. With several devotees around us, we are regularly discussing such issues. Moreover, we do not believe that MDM (Mid-day Meals) is the greatest danger, since there are other issues which Maharaja lightly touched upon in his reply explaining why the lecture was taken off his website.
So, instead of the (GBC E) Committee protecting the movement from such things, they want to control what the brahmanas/sannyasis can/should speak!!
Fortunately, there are (still) devotees in our movement like H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja who are ready to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on how to preach, which is nicely expressed in this Letter to Brahmananda, Calcutta, November 11, 1967:
…Still I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything—men and money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the world Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in these matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always…That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting everything one man’s show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant if there were no man to hear me: The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place…
your servant,
Gour-Gadadhara Dasa