# Empowerment and Qualifications for Preaching Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the saṅkīrtana movement. Only one who is strictly following religious principles can be successful in propagating the holy name. --- ## Empowerment by the Lord **Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the holy name:** ![[cc/antya/7/11|The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the saṅkīrtana movement]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/7/11|Antya 7.11]] Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that **unless one is directly empowered by the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become the spiritual master of the entire world (jagad-guru). One cannot become an ācārya simply by mental speculation.... The true ācārya, the spiritual master of the entire world, must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's mercy.** Indeed, he is personally embracing Kṛṣṇa. —Cc. [[cc/antya/7/11|Antya 7.11-13]] Purport --- **The Lord has a special potency by which He spreads the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement:** ![[cc/madhya/19/114#purport|The Caitanya-caritāmṛta states that in this Age of Kali the only spiritual function is to broadcast the holy name of the Lord, but this function can be performed only by one who is actually empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa. The process by which a devotee is thus empowered is called āveśa, or sometimes it is called śaktyāveśa]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/19/114|Madhya 19.114]] Purport A devotee who receives this power from the Lord must be considered very fortunate. **The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading to enlighten people about their real position, their original relationship with Kṛṣṇa. One requires Kṛṣṇa's special power in order to be able to do this.** —Cc. [[cc/madhya/19/114|Madhya 19.114]] Purport --- **In this Age of Kali, real religious propaganda should induce people to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This is possible for someone who is especially empowered by Kṛṣṇa:** ![[cc/madhya/25/9#purport|Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa to fulfill His desire and without being specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of the whole world. He certainly cannot succeed by mental concoction, which is not meant for devotees or religious people. Only an empowered personality can distribute the holy name of the Lord and enjoin all fallen souls to worship Kṛṣṇa. By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the hearts of the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/25/9|Madhya 25.9]] Purport --- **The saṅkīrtana movement can be spread by a person who is especially favored by Lord Kṛṣṇa:** ![[cc/madhya/11/101#purport|The saṅkīrtana movement can be spread by a person who is especially favored by Lord Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana). Without first obtaining the mercy of the Lord, one cannot spread the holy name of the Lord. One who can spread the Lord's name is called labdha-caitanya...The influence of the pure devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such that it can awaken others to become immediately Kṛṣṇa conscious and engage themselves in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/11/101|Madhya 11.101-3]] Purport --- **One must become empowered by Lord Caitanya and request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra:** ![[cc/madhya/7/98#purport|In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One must also request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra. In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaiṣṇavism, showing them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/7/98|Madhya 7.98-101]] Purport --- **One who follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the ācāryas will be able to preach the holy name all over the universe:** ![[cc/adi/7/163#purport|Here it is said that Lord Caitanya made the entire universe thankful to Him for propagating the saṅkīrtana movement with His associates. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has already sanctified the entire universe by His presence five hundred years ago, and therefore anyone who attempts to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sincerely by following in His footsteps and following the instructions of the ācāryas will successfully be able to preach the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the universe]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/163|Ādi 7.163]] Purport --- **Persons who, endowed with the power of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, spread the holy name throughout the world are sometimes called āveśa-avatāras or incarnations:** ![[cc/antya/2/12#purport|Unless one is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one cannot spread the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra throughout the world. Persons who do so are empowered. Therefore they are sometimes called āveśa-avatāras or incarnations, for they are endowed with the power of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/2/12|Antya 2.12-14]] Purport --- ## Strict Following of Religious Principles **Only one who is strictly following religious principles can be successful in propagating the holy name:** Lieutenant Mozee: There are many Christian organizations in the United States that give the holy communion. Why doesn't this work? Why is this not cleansing the heart? Śrīla Prabhupāda: To speak frankly, I find it difficult to find even one real Christian. The so-called Christians do not abide by the Bible's order. One of the ten commandments in the Bible is, "Thou shalt not kill." But where is that Christian who does not kill by eating the flesh of the cow? **The process of chanting the Lord's holy name and distributing prasāda will be effective if carried out by persons who are actually practicing religion. My disciples are trained to strictly follow religious principles, and therefore their chanting of the holy name of God is different from others'.... If you are not a true Christian, then your preaching will not be effective. And because we are strictly following religious principles, our preaching will be effective in spreading God consciousness.** —*The Science of Self-Realization* --- **One should go on chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preaching the chanting of this mantra, tolerating the harassment of envious persons and atheists:** ![[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. This is not new in this present age, for even in the days of yore Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, was harassed by his demoniac father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. 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 --- **When one situated on the platform of love of God chants the holy name loudly, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy name:** **When a devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and to deliver all the people of the world.** The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it gradually establishes its supremacy above everything in the world. The devotee who chants it becomes transcendentally situated in ecstasy and sometimes laughs, cries and dances in his ecstasy. Sometimes the unintelligent put hindrances in the path of chanting this mahā-mantra, but **one who is situated on the platform of love of Godhead chants the holy name loudly for all concerned. As a result, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy names**—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. —*Teachings of Lord Caitanya* --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**