# The Preacher Should Practice Tolerance *A preacher must be more tolerant than a tree and humbler than grass, for he faces many impediments while delivering the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.* ← Back to [[wiki/compile/preaching-is-the-essence|Preaching Is the Essence]] --- ## Tolerance in Preaching ### Devotees must humbly tolerate opponents while preaching ![[sb/6/4/5#purport|Vaiṣṇavas must meet many opponents while preaching the glories of the Lord, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that they not become angry while preaching...One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly]] —SB [[sb/6/4/5|6.4.5]] Purport --- ### The preacher must practice tolerance in meeting opposing elements ![[sb/3/25/21#purport|While engaged in preaching work he [the sādhu] has to meet with so many opposing elements, and therefore the sādhu, or devotee of the Lord, has to be very tolerant. Someone may ill-treat him because the conditioned souls are not prepared to receive the transcendental knowledge of devotional service...The sādhu has the thankless task of impressing upon them the importance of devotional service. Sometimes devotees are personally attacked with violence. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces, and Lord Caitanya's principal assistant, Nityānanda, was violently attacked by Jagāi and Mādhāi. But still they were tolerant because their mission was to deliver the fallen souls]] —SB [[sb/3/25/21|3.25.21]] Purport --- ### The preacher should tolerate envious persons and go on preaching ![[sb/4/24/67#purport|When one is engaged in devotional service, he is often surrounded by envious people, and often many enemies come to try to defeat him or stop him...The atheists are always prepared to harass a devotee; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu suggested that one be very tolerant of these people. Nonetheless, one has to continue chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preaching the chanting of this mantra because such preaching and chanting constitute the perfection of life]] —SB [[sb/4/24/67|4.24.67]] Purport --- ### The preacher should be humble and tolerate impediments ![[sb/6/5/44#purport|Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one who preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world or all over the universe should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree because a preacher cannot live an easygoing life. Indeed, a preacher must face many impediments. Not only is he sometimes cursed, but sometimes he must also suffer personal injury...This is the duty of a preacher. Lord Jesus Christ even tolerated crucifixion]] —SB [[sb/6/5/44|6.5.44]] Purport --- ### The preacher must tolerate inimical persons ![[sb/6/5/39#purport|We have no business creating enemies, but the process is such that nondevotees will always be inimical toward us. Nevertheless, as stated in the śāstras, a devotee should be both tolerant and merciful. Devotees engaged in preaching should be prepared to be accused by ignorant persons, and yet they must be very merciful to the fallen conditioned souls...Let us continue preaching the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa and not be afraid of enemies. Our only duty is to satisfy the Lord by this preaching, which will be accepted as service by Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa]] —SB [[sb/6/5/39|6.5.39]] Purport --- ### The devotee (preacher) accepts reverses as Kṛṣṇa's mercy ![[sb/3/16/37#purport|When something is arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not be disturbed by it, even if it appears to be a reverse according to his calculation. For example, sometimes we see that a powerful preacher is killed, or sometimes he is put into difficulty, just as Haridāsa Ṭhākura was...Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and Prahlāda Mahārāja was put through so many tribulations...Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhāgavatam's conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord]] —SB [[sb/3/16/37|3.16.37]] Purport --- ### A preacher must tolerate the asuras and make them become devotees > It is the nature of demons to give devotees trouble, just as in the West, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified because he was preaching God consciousness.... Actually everyone in the material world is more or less an *asura,* an atheist. If one preaches, one has to learn to tolerate the *asuras* and speak in such a way that they can also become devotees. —TLK Chapter 15, text 35