How can we explain rasa-lila to new people?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
So, if we are talking about Rashtriya to people, you people, and you don't have time to give a elaborate explanation, how should we explain? See, when we are sharing spiritual knowledge, our purpose is to take people one step higher from where they are. So, if they have no knowledge, we give them some knowledge by which they, not just, they feel, they get somewhat, they get some understanding and they feel more open to enquire further. It's not that in one interaction, we are going to transform their lives and take them from ignorance to enlightenment.
It doesn't happen like that. So, in general, we have to find out what is the step from which is best for them to take them, according to their level and according to my capacity. So, let me, you know, Prabhupada himself gave an example.
Once somebody would have asked Prabhupada that, you know, Prabhupada, let me tell the scholars that in the Bhaga, that there was king Ugrasen. He had some billions, millions and millions of bodyguards. So, the Bhagavatam is some astronomical figure.
See, they laugh at us. They say, how could so many people have lived in one city of Dwarka? Where were their homes? Where were their toilets? How would it vanish? Now, Prabhupada could have answered whether Krishna is inconceivable, Krishna can do anything. It's a right answer.
Prabhupada gave a very pragmatic answer. He said, among all the thousands of horses in the Bhagavatam, was that the only thing in the Bhagavatam you found to speak to them? So, we say, one of the offences to the holy name is to instruct faithless people in the gloves of the holy name. Now, one understanding of this offence also is that to instruct people in things that they cannot have lived.
See, everybody is at a particular level. And if you tell them something which at their level is just not believable to them, then that is also an offence. If you tell them what is acceptable for them, one step ahead.
It's like weightlifting. If a weightlifting trainer, if a person is capable to lift, say, 10 kg weight and then gives 50 kg weight, you know, it's going to injure the person. So, like that, we may injure people's faith by giving them things which they are not ready for.
So, the first thing is, when the choice is up to us, we should speak things which click to them. One small thing also clicks, it moves onwards. Now, in the case when people already have misconception, a strong misconception, then at that time, education has two parts to it.
One is creating faith. The other is also creating doubt. Creating doubt in their own preconceptions.
So, for example, if somebody already asks you, why do you worship Krishna? Then you could just turn it around. You could ask the same question to saints who have given up everything. They have no attraction to this world and they are worshipping Krishna.
Why do you think they are worshipping Krishna? Could it be there is something more to Krishna-ji's love than what you are thinking about? Or as you said that, you know, as in that Krishna-ji was 80 years old, how could he have? So, basically, we have to do what we can either in giving understanding or in creating doubts about their preconceptions. So, in some cases, we may not be able to change their misconception completely. So, just give them some food for thought.
If we just come off all out and say that you are wrong, then they become very defensive. And what happens is, they may not also have the capacity, of course. If somebody is having a particular understanding, it takes time to change their understanding.
So, better give them some stimulus for thought. So, if possible, avoid a non-confrontational topic and just take a topic which will elevate them from where they are. But if a confrontational topic comes up and if you don't have the time and the opportunity to actually give a full understanding, then just create some doubt about their preconception.
And leave it at that. And then, you know, I never thought of it this way. They get some question and then they become more open.
And maybe in future interactions, we can be your others. We can get them to, they become more open to understanding Krishna. Prabhupada is a pure devotee, but in the Markini Bhagavad Dharma, what he says is, he says, He says that you can make my words understandable to you.
So, Prabhupada says that by your will, everyone has come out of illusion. And by your will, they can come out of illusion. So, please make my words in such a way, understandable that they come out of illusion.
So, we don't see ourselves as the sources of enlightenment. We see, we see ourselves simply as one agent in people's progress towards enlightenment. So, Krishna, let Krishna speak something through us.
And the same Krishna will guide them to someone else, will speak something over there and they will gradually move on. So, basically, we try to take them one step ahead from where they are. It's a nice answer.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Krishna.
Thank you for coming. We've been asking you for quite a while, Prabhupada.