Tattva-viveka
Sankirtan tips
Madhumangala Dasa - April 5, 2007 4:54 am
Jaya Jagannatha!
Haribol. Recently I have been having a difficult time on sankirtan. It's seems like lately I have been encountering mostly people who are absorbed in the lower material modes and things haven't being going too well, they are either non-receptive, indifferent or have taken offence to being approached. I was wondering if anyone had an suggestions or tips on how to approach and engage those in such a condition in Krsna Consciousness discussion. Any ice-breakers?
-Madhumangala
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - April 5, 2007 8:43 am
Hari
Usually I was useless book distributor, and I can not give you some practical tricks, but I remember these few times when sankirtan was magical to me, and everone was taking book 
. I recall three things that happen that times- first - I tried to feel that I really want to help these people, not just to sell them a book, second- I tried very intensly to communicate with their paramatma 
, and three: I prayed to Krsna that my hands be His hands, my tounge be His, and so on, other words, that He uses me as He wants. I didnt manage to have this counciessness too often, but this few times I did it was something I will remember always.
I hope this helps.
Syamasundara - April 5, 2007 11:53 am
I am for sure the least qualified to speak, as the only Sankirtana I know is in the form of congregational chanting. I never preached actively, I am more like a spider at the center of its web. If people come to me and I am given the chance to preach, I start to meditate on my GM's feet, as I don't want to say wrong things, or think that I am the one preaching.
I do remember a talk GM gave in Eugene the morning before some of his newly acquired disciples went to Portland with a camper to distribute books. I had arrived maybe one week before. He said that ultimately the one who is preaching is Krsna, we should step out thinking not that we are going to purify the world, but rather wondering who Krsna is going to send us to teach us something. Like I said, Krsna is the one preaching, and not necessarily always to the others. I've always felt grateful for not belonging to a reality where preaching on the street is also a means of sustenance, because I just don't have that outgoing nature and the pressure of making money would be too polluting for me. In general, though, I think you shouldn't be concerned with what modes these people are in, not even if they take the book or not or make a donation. We are all telepathic to some extent and people will feel if you just want them to take something, no matter how transcendental your intention is, or if your preaching is just an overflow of the joy and perfection you experience thanks to Krsna being in your life. If you stop caring about the result, paradoxically things will start to go better, although there is no good or bad in this. If you have the right consciousness, you will draw realizations also from being ignored or mistreated, and your preaching day will have been as successful, because you brought one jiva (yourself) that much closer to Krsna. Krsna is all attractive, if you let him do the work, by becoming pure and transparent, who can resist him?
It might help you to meditate on how easily Mahaprabhu charmed the Cand Kazi, or Prakasananda Saraswati or Sarvabhauma before you go out.
These are the realizations of a back seat driver, but it's what I would do.
I hope you can get better help from someone else.
Madan Gopal Das - April 5, 2007 7:23 pm
I always like how GM says that the most effective preaching is that which happens from the natural overflow of what we possess. If we are empty, we cannot preach effectively. If we are overflowing, people will be attracted to what we have. The more we have (bhakti), the more we have to give away. So, really the most important thing for preaching is to get bhakti ourselves. When we get some, it will naturally find its way out of us and into others. It cannot be forced... it is contagious.