1. Preaching Dilemma

    Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? Sometimes we find a dilemma in preaching, in the sense that if we preach very vigorously we invoke the attention of the authorities. That is to say, if we were to preach a little less vigorously, there might be less objection, but then again there would be the less benefit because we would not be preaching as vigorously. So it's very hard to know sometimes just how forcefully to preach.

    Prabhupada: No, we are not to satisfy the authorities. We have to satisfy Krsna. Just like Arjuna, he wanted to satisfy his family members, but Krsna did not like that. Then He preached him Bhagavad-gita, and then Arjuna agreed, "Yes. Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]." So it is the duty of the devotee to satisfy Krsna, not the public.

    Brahmananda: In our Back to Godhead magazine now the tendency is that they're not mentioning Krsna's name so much. They're not putting the picture of Krsna. They're not putting the pictures of the devotees. They're stressing on the, like, simple, natural life in order to please the public.

    Prabhupada: No. Why this is going on?

    Satsvarupa: Probably because of this reasoning, that… They use this phrase, that "We have to make Krsna consciousness more conventional, and with the shaved heads and the pictures of Krsna, people won't like it." So they've taken to this description of simple life — vague talk of spiritual life, reincarnation, meditation.

    Tripurari: Seems like a compromise.

    Tamala Krsna: People are speaking about our movement now. Many people say to us that "You are selling out, compromising your position." And they…

    Prabhupada: This should be stopped, immediately.

    Conversation — February 17, 1977, Mayapur