## Chapter IV The Propagation of the Holy Name ### 1. The Holy Name Should Be Propagated Throughout the World **A devotee should not only chant the holy name, but should preach the chanting of the holy name to others:** **[Īśvara Purī to Lord Caitanya]: "My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing saṅkīrtana in association with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting kṛṣṇa-nāma, for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls."** It is another ambition of the spiritual master to see his disciples not only chant, dance and follow the regulative principles but also preach the *saṅkīrtana *movement to others in order to deliver them, for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on the principle that one should become as perfect as possible in devotional service oneself and also preach the cult for others' benefit. There are two classes of unalloyed devotees—namely, *goṣṭhy*-*ānandīs *and *bhajanānandīs. Bhajanānandi *refers to one who is satisfied to cultivate devotional service for himself, and *goṣṭhyānandī* is one who is not satisfied simply to become perfect himself but wants to see others also take advantage of the holy name of the Lord and advance in spiritual life. The outstanding example is Prahlāda Mahārāja. When he was offered a benediction by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Prahlāda Mahārāja said: > *naivodvije para duratyaya*-*vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya*-*gāyana*-*mahāmṛta*-*magna*-*cittaḥ* śoce tato vimūkha-*cetasa indriyārtha-* māyā-*sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān* **"My dear Lord, I have no problems and want no benediction from You because I am quite satisfied to chant Your holy name. This is sufficient for me because whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. I only lament to see others bereft of Your love. They are rotting in material activities for transient material pleasure and spoiling their lives toiling all day and night simply for sense gratification, with no attachment for love of Godhead. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of *māyā*."* *(*SB** *[[sb/7/9/43|7.9.43]])** Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains in his *Anubhāṣya, *"A person who has attracted the attention of the spiritual master by his sincere service likes to dance and chant with similarly developed Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. The spiritual master authorizes such a devotee to deliver fallen souls in all parts of the world. Those who are not advanced prefer to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *in a solitary place." Such activities constitute, in the language of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, a type of cheating process in the sense that they imitate the activities of exalted personalities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. One should not attempt to imitate such exalted devotees. Rather, everyone should endeavor to preach the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in all parts of the world and thus become successful in spiritual life. One who is not very expert in preaching may chant in a secluded place, avoiding bad association, but for one who is actually advanced, preaching and meeting people who are not engaged in devotional service are not disadvantages. A devotee gives the nondevotees his association but is not affected by their misbehavior. Thus by the activities of a pure devotee even those who are bereft of love of Godhead get a chance to become devotees of the Lord one day. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/92|7.92]]* **One who is advanced in chanting the holy name induces others to chant:** Many fools, not knowing the transcendental nature of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra, *sometimes impede our loudly chanting this *mantra, *yet one who is actually advanced in the furfillment of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *induces others to chant also. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains, *kṛṣṇa*-*śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana: *unless one receives special power of attorney from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot preach the glories of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā*-*mantra. *As devotees propagate the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra, *the general population of the entire world gets the opportunity to understand the glories of the holy name. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/83|7.83]]* **After initiation, the devotee takes very seriously the chanting and spreading of the holy name:** **[Nārada Muni to Śrīla Vyāsadeva]: Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I traveled all over the earth, fully satisfied, humble and unenvious.** The life of a sincere devotee of the Lord is thus explained in a nutshell by Nārada Muni by his personal example. Such a devotee, after his initiation by the Lord or His bona fide representative, takes very seriously chanting of the glories of the Lord and traveling all over the world so that others may also hear the glories of the Lord.... Their only business is to chant and remember the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Lord and, according to personal capacity, to distribute the message for others' welfare without motive of material gain. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/6/26|1.6.26]]* **One must become the servant of the holy name by distributing it to the world:** In the spiritual world the Absolute is always absolute; the name, form, quality and pastimes of the Absolute are all as good as the Absolute Himself. As such, one is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he considers himself an eternal servant of the holy name and in this spirit distributes the holy name to the world. One who chants in that spirit, without offenses, is certainly elevated to the platform of understanding that the holy name and the Personality of Godhead are identical. To associate with the holy name and chant the holy name is to associate with the Personality of Godhead directly. In *Bhakti*-*rasāmṛta*-*sindhu *it is clearly said: *sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ* [*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu*. 1.2.234]*. *The holy name becomes manifest when one engages in the service of the holy name. This service in a submissive attitude begins with one's tongue. *Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: *one must engage his tongue in the service of the holy name. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this principle. We try to engage all the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the service of the holy name. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/8/16|8.16]]* **A true Vaiṣṇava bestows the priceless gift of the mahā-mantra upon society:** *Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano*-*rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ* [SB [[sb/5/18/12|5.18.12]]]*. *One who has developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness will manifest all the good qualities of the demigods. Indeed, it is stated, *vāñchā*-*kalpatarubhyaś ca krpā*-*sindhubhya eva ca: *a Vaiṣṇava or devotee of Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of mercy to others. He gives the greatest gift to society, for society is in dire need of God consciousness. A Vaiṣṇava bestows the priceless gift of the *mahā-mantra, *Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Simply by chanting this *mantra, *one can remain in a liberated state. *— Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Matchless Gift* **The true ācārya presents Kṛṣṇa to everyone by preaching the holy name throughout the world:** One cannot become an *ācārya *simply by mental speculation. The true *ācārya *presents Kṛṣṇa to everyone by preaching the holy name of the Lord throughout the world. Thus the conditioned souls, purified by chanting the holy name, are liberated from the blazing fire of material existence. In this way, spiritual benefit grows increasingly full, like the waxing moon in the sky.... Since he is understood to be the most advanced devotee, he is called *paramahaṁsa*-*ṭhākura. Ṭhākura *is a title of honor offered to the *paramahaṁsa. *Therefore one who acts as an *ācārya, *directly presenting Lord Kṛṣṇa by spreading His name and fame, is also to be called *paramahaṁsa*-*ṭhākura.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/7/12|7.12]]* **Lord Caitanya predicted that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra would be chanted in every town and village in the world:** This method [*hari-kīrtana*] is recommended in the scriptures, and it was given to us by Caitanya Mahāprabhu five hundred years ago. He appeared in a town which is known as Navadvīpa. It is about sixty miles north of Calcutta. People still go there. We have a temple center there. It is also a sacred place of pilgrimage. Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared there, and He started this mass *saṅkīrtana *movement, which is conducted without discrimination. He predicted that this *saṅkīrtana *movement would be spread all over the world and that the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *would be chanted in every village and town on the surface of the globe. *— Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System* **All devotees should combine to distribute the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world:** **[Lord Caitanya to His devotees]: "I am the only gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute? It would certainly be a very laborious task to pick the fruits and distribute them alone, and still I suspect that some would receive them and others would not. Therefore I order every man within this universe to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere."** Here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu indicates that the distribution of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *should be performed by combined forces. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He laments, "How can I act alone? How can I alone pick the fruit and distribute it all over the world?" This indicates that all classes of devotees should combine to distribute the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā*-*mantra *without consideration of the time, place or situation. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/9/34|9.34-36]]* **Even if one is not wealthy, he can act for the highest welfare of human society and please the Supreme Lord by preaching the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to everyone:** **[Lord Caitanya to His devotees]: "I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers that I wish to utilize to achieve piety in My life."** In performing welfare activities for human society, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presents Himself as being not very rich, thus indicating that a man need not be rich or opulent to act for the welfare of humanity. Sometimes rich men are very proud that they can perform beneficial activities for human society whereas others cannot. A practical example is that when there is a scarcity of food in India on account of meager rainfall, some members of the richer class very proudly distribute foodstuffs, making huge arrangements with the help of the government, as if merely by such activities people will be benefited. Suppose there were no food grains. How would the rich men distribute food? Production of grains is completely in the hands of God. If there were no rain, there would be no grains, and these so-called rich men would be unable to distribute grains to the people. The real purpose of life, therefore, is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes in his *Bhakti-rasāmṛta*-*sindhu *that devotional service is so exalted that it is beneficial and auspicious for every man. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also declared that to propagate the *bhakti *cult of devotional service in human society, one does not need to be very rich. Anyone can do it and thus render the highest benefit to humanity if he knows the art. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes the part of a gardener because although a gardener is naturally not a very rich man, he has some fruits and flowers. Any man can collect some fruits and flowers and satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service, as recommended in *Bhagavad*-*gītā:* *patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam* aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ (*Bg*. [[bg/9/26|9.26]]) One cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by his riches, wealth or opulent position, but anyone can collect a little fruit or flower and offer it to the Lord. The Lord says that if one brings such an offering in devotion, He will accept it and eat it. When Kṛṣṇa eats, the entire world becomes satisfied. There is the story in the *Mahābhārata *illustrating how by Kṛṣṇa's eating, the sixty thousand disciples of Durvāsā Muni were all satisfied. Therefore it is a fact that if by our life (*prāṇaiḥ*)*, *by our wealth (*arthaiḥ*)*, *by our intelligence (*dhiyā*)* *or by our words (*vācā*)* *we can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally the entire world will become happy. Therefore our main duty is to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by our actions, our money and our words. This is very simple. Even if one does not have money, he can preach the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *to everyone. One can go everywhere, to every home, and request everyone to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra. *Thus the entire world situation will become very happy and peaceful. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/9/44|9.44]]* **In this age, saintly persons should help the general populace not by political action, but by chanting the mahā-mantra:** Saintly persons are not interested in political matters, yet they are always thinking of the welfare of the people in general. Consequently they sometimes have to come down to the political field and take steps to correct the misguided government or royalty. However, in Kali-yuga, saintly persons are not as powerful as they previously were. They used to be able to burn any sinful man to ashes by virtue of their spiritual prowess. Now saintly persons have no such power due to the influence of the Age of Kali. Indeed, the *brāhmaṇas *do not even have the power to perform sacrifices in which animals are put into a fire to attain a new life. Under these circumstances, instead of actively taking part in politics, saintly persons should engage in chanting the *mahā-mantra, *Hare Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of Lord Caitanya, by simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā*-*mantra, *the general populace can derive all benefits without political implications. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/14/12|4.14.12]]* **The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa should be vigorously propagated all over the world because it gives tremendous benefit:** The process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be very vigorously propagated all over the world. Simply by seeing the Deity or simply by joining in chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *people will derive tremendous benefit. If one performs *kīrtana, *chanting, one will be able to think of Kṛṣṇa. One may think, "I danced for two hours and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is the meaning of this?" This is *smaraṇa, *thinking of Kṛṣṇa. One may even think, "I foolishly chanted 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa' for two hours." But that also is *smaraṇa.* *— Teachings of Queen Kuntī* **Distributing and receiving the holy name as an example of the devotional principle of giving and receiving charity:** By chanting the holy names of the Lord we can actually convert many people throughout the world to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Contributing or distributing the holy name of the Lord is a sublime example of contributing or giving charity (the *dadāti *principle). By the same token, one must also follow the *pratigṛhṇāti *principle and be willing and ready to receive the transcendental gift. *— The Nectar of Instruction Text 4* **One should go on chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preaching the chanting of this mantra, tolerating the harassment of envious persons and atheists:** > tṛṇad api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi [[cc/adi/17/31|17.31]]] 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. One should chant and preach about the urgency of making this life perfect in all respects. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/24/67|4.24.67]]* **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* ### 2. The Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement and the Propagation of the Holy Name **Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda distributed the mahā-mantra freely in the West:** **Among His own associates, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu laughingly said, "I came here to sell My emotional ecstatic love. Although I came to Vārāṇasī to sell My goods, there were no customers, and it appeared necessary for Me to carry them back to My own country. All of you were feeling unhappy that no one was purchasing My goods and that I would have to carry them away. Therefore, by your will only, I have distributed them without charging."** When we began distributing the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the Western countries, a similar thing happened. In the beginning we were very disappointed for at least one year because no one came forth to help this movement, but by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, some young boys joined this movement in 1966. Of course we distributed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *without bargaining or selling. As a result, this movement has spread all over the world, with the assistance of European and American boys and girls. We therefore pray for all the blessings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon all the devotees in the Western world who are spreading this movement. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/25/168|25.168-70]]* **The saṅkīrtana movement was begun in the West when Śrīla Prabhupāda began to chant in Tompkins Square Park in New York in 1966:** Lord Caitanya predicted: > pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma [*CB Antya-khaṇḍa* 4.126] **"In all the villages and towns all over the world, everywhere, this *saṅkīrtana *movement will be preached."** This is His prediction. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, this movement is already introduced in the Western countries, beginning from New York. Our *saṅkīrtana *movement was first introduced in New York in 1966. At that time I came and began to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *in Tompkins Square. I was chanting there for three hours with a small *mṛdaṅga* (drum), and these American boys assembled and gradually joined, and so it is increasing. First of all it was started in a New York storefront, 26 Second Avenue, then we started our branches in San Francisco, Montreal, Boston, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Columbus. We now [1970] have twenty-four branches, including one in London and one in Hamburg. In London they are all American boys and girls, and they are preaching. They are not *sannyāsīs, *nor are they Vedāntists, nor Hindus, nor Indians, but they have taken this movement very seriously. Even in the London *Times *there was an article headlined, "Kṛṣṇa Chant Startles London." So we have many in the movement now. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **In pursuance of the order of Lord Caitanya, ISKCON is trying to introduce the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa throughout the world:** [Lord Caitanya] started this mass *saṅkīrtana *movement, which is conducted without discrimination. He predicted that this *saṅkīrtana *movement would be spread all over the world and that the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *would be chanted in every village and town on the surface of the globe. In pursuance of the order of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, following in His footsteps, we are trying to introduce this *saṅkīrtana *movement, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and it is proving very successful everywhere. I am preaching especially in foreign countries, all over Europe, America, Japan, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, etc. I have introduced this *saṅkīrtana *movement, and now we have centers around the world. All eighty centers are being received with great enthusiasm. I have not imported these boys and girls from India, but they are taking this movement very seriously because it appeals to the soul directly. *— Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System* **The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is distributing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:** **In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu contributed the greatest benefit to the people of East Bengal by initiating them into ***hari-nāma***, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and making them learned scholars by educating them.** Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is distributing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and inducing people all over the world to chant. We are giving people an immense treasury of transcendental literature, translated into all the important languages of the world, and by the grace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu this literature is selling profusely, and people are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* with great delight. This is the preaching process of the Caitanya cult. Since the Lord wanted this cult preached all over the world, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is acting in a humble way so that the vision of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu may be fulfilled all over the world, especially in the Western countries. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/16/19|16.19]]* **Lord Caitanya's request to chant the holy name is now extended to everyone in the world through the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement:** **Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then glanced with mercy at the Muhammadan governor. Giving him assurance, He asked him to chant the holy names Kṛṣṇa and Hari.** It is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that He advises everyone—even *caṇḍālas, mlecchas *and *yavanas*—to chant the holy name of the Lord. In other words, one who has taken to chanting the holy names Kṛṣṇa and Hari has already received Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. The Lord's request to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is now extended to everyone in the world through this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Whoever follows Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instructions will certainly be purified. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā [[cc/madhya/16/187|16.187]]* **The members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa for their own benefit and for the benefit of all fallen souls:** **[Śukadeva Gosvāmī to King Parīkṣit]: The seven musical notes—ṣa, ṛ, gā, ma, pa, dha and ni—are used in musical instruments, but originally they come from the Sāma Veda. The great sage Nārada vibrates sounds describing the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. By such transcendental vibrations, such as Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he fixes his mind at the lotus feet of the Lord. Thus he directly perceives Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. After delivering the Haryaśvas, Nārada Muni continued traveling throughout the planetary systems, his mind always fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.** Lord Brahmā is the *guru *of Nārada Muni, who is the *guru *of Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva is the *guru *of Madhvācārya. Thus the Gauḍīya-Madhva-sampradāya is in the disciplic succession from Nārada Muni. The members of this disciplic succession—in other words, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni by chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛsṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. They should go everywhere to deliver the fallen souls by vibrating the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *and the instructions of *Bhagavad*-*gītā, Śrīmad*-*Bhagavatam *and *Caitanya-caritāmṛta*. That will please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can spiritually advance if one actually follows the instructions of Nārada Muni. If one pleases Nārada Muni, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hṛṣīkeśa, is also pleased (*yasya prasādād bhagavat*-*prasādaḥ*)* .* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/5/22|6.5.22]]* **So that the minds of the people in general may be cleansed, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is chiefly engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra all over the world:** Material existence is caused by dirty things within the mind. If one can cleanse his mind, he immediately comes to his original position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus his life becomes successful. Therefore all the great saints in the devotional line very strongly recommend the process of hearing. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to give everyone a chance to hear Kṛṣṇa's holy name, for simply by hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, one becomes purified (*ceto*-*darpaṇa*-*mārjanam* [Cc Antya [[cc/antya/20/12|20.12]]]). Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is chiefly engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* all over the world. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/18/11|5.18.11]]* **The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for propagating the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra:** In order to get freed from the material disease, one must take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for creating an atmosphere in which people can take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. One must begin with faith, and when this faith is increased by chanting, a person can become a member of the Society. *— The Nectar of Instruction Text 7* **The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply requesting people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa:** Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply requesting people, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." There was a cartoon in some newspaper that depicted an old lady and her husband sitting face to face. The lady is requesting her husband, "Chant, chant, chant." And the husband is answering, "Can't, can't, can't." So in this same way, we are requesting everyone, "Please chant, chant, chant." But they are replying, "Can't, can't, can't." This is their misfortune. Still, it is our duty to make all such unfortunate creatures fortunate. That is our mission. Therefore we go into the street and chant. Although they say, "Can't," we go on chanting. *— Teachings of Queen Kuntī* **The devotees publicly preach the importance of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra:** However one is situated, one should have the determination to go out and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That endeavor should at least be there, and one who so attempts to preach renders the best service to the Lord. Despite opposition, one should attempt to elevate people to the highest standard of self-realization. One who has actually seen the truth, who is in the trance of self-realization, cannot just sit idly. He must come out. Rāmānujācārya, for instance, declared the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *publicly. He did not distribute it secretly for some fee. Recently, an Indian *yogī* came to America to give some "private *mantra*." But if a *mantra *has any power, why should it be private? If a *mantra* is powerful, why should it not be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of it? We are saying that this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā*-*mantra *can save everyone, and we are therefore distributing it publicly, free of charge.... The devotees are preaching without charge, declaring in the streets, parks, and everywhere, "Here! Here is the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra. *Come on, take it!" *— The Path of Perfection* **It is a preacher's duty to induce the nondevotees to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra:** **From that moment when the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs heard the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra from the Lord, their minds changed, and on the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they too chanted, "Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!" always. Thus Lord Caitanya excused all the offenses of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and very mercifully blessed them with kṛṣṇa-nāma.** Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the mercy incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is addressed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as *mahā*-*vadānyāvatāra, *or the most magnanimous incarnation. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also says, *karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau: *it is only by His mercy that He has descended in this Age of Kali. Here this is exemplified. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like to see Māyāvādī *sannyāsīs*** **because He thought of them as offenders to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but here He excuses them (*tāṅ*-*sabāra kṣami' aparādha*)*. *This is an example in preaching. *Āpani ācari' bhakti*-*śikhāimu sabāre.* Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us that those whom preachers meet are almost all offenders who are opposed to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but it is a preacher's duty to convince them of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and then induce them to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra. *Our propagation of the *saṅkīrtana *movement is continuing, despite many opponents, and people are taking this chanting process even in remote parts of the world like Africa. By inducing the offenders to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu exemplified the success of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We should follow very respectfully in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, and there is no doubt that we shall be successful in our attempts. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/149|7.149-50]]* **The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to give the proper medicine for the conditioned souls—the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra:** The word *dharma *means "duty." Although the word *dharma* is often translated as "religion" and religion is generally defined as a kind of faith, *dharma *is not in fact a kind of faith. *Dharma *means one's actual constitutional duty. It is one's duty to know the needs of the soul, but unfortunately we have no information of the soul and are simply busy supplying the necessities for bodily comfort. Bodily comfort, however, is not enough. Suppose a man is very comfortably situated. Does it mean he will not die? Of course not. We speak of a struggle for existence and survival of the fittest, but bodily comforts alone cannot enable anyone to exist or survive permanently. Therefore, taking care of the body only is called *dharmasya glāniḥ, *or pollution of one's duty. One must know the necessities of the body and also the necessities of the soul. The real necessity in life is to supply the comforts of the soul, and the soul cannot be comforted by material adjustments. Because the soul is a different identity, the soul must be given spiritual food, and that spiritual food is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one is diseased, he must be given the proper diet and the proper medicine. Both are required. If he is simply given medicine but not a proper diet, the treatment will not be very successful. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to give both the proper medicine and the proper diet for the soul. The diet is *kṛṣṇa*-*prasāda, *food that has first been offered to Kṛṣṇa, and the medicine is the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra.* *— Teachings of Queen Kuntī* **The medicine of the mahā-mantra is delivering thousands of Jagāis and Madhāis:** Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings: *hari hari viphale janama goṅāinu: *"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Why? > *manuṣya*-*janama pāiyā, rādhā*-*kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu* **"Because I have received the human form of life, which is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, yet I have simply wasted my time by not taking advantage of this opportunity. I have done everything but worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I have taken poison knowingly."** When one takes poison knowingly, he commits suicide, and not taking advantage of the human form is something like that. If we do not understand Kṛṣṇa in this life, we are knowingly taking poison. This material life is just like a blazing forest fire. Eating, sleeping, enjoying sex and defending are the main material activities. When we are engaged simply in these things, our hearts are always burning as if we had taken poison. How can we be cured? > *golokera prema*-*dhana, hari*-*nāma*-*saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāya* **"My dear Lord, You have given us the medicine of *hari*-*nāma-saṅkīrtana, *the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, I have no attraction for Your holy names."** It is also stated: > *vrajendra*-*nandana jei, śacī*-*suta hoilo sei, balarāma hoilo nitāi* **"Kṛṣṇa has now come as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of Mother Śacī. And Balarāma has come as Lord Nityānanda."** What is Their business? They are delivering all kinds of sinful men simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And what is the evidence of this? The evidence is that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the sinful Jagāi and Madhāi. At the present moment everyone is like Jagāi and Madhāi, for everyone is intoxicated and mad after sex. Now, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thousands of Jagāis and Madhāis are being delivered. It is this active medicine, this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra, *that is doing it. It is the perfect *yoga *system. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti* **The holy name is so powerful that even today, wherever ISKCON preachers go, people begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa:** **As previously stated, all the residents of the villages visited by Lord Caitanya became Vaiṣṇavas and began to chant Hari and Kṛṣṇa. In this way, in all the villages visited by the Lord, everyone became a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee.** The holy names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari, or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa* mahā-mantra, *are so spiritually powerful that even today, as our preachers go to remote parts of the world, people immediately begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There cannot be anyone who can compare to Him or His potencies. However, because we are following in His footsteps and are also chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra, *the effect is almost as potent as during the time of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our preachers mainly belong to European and American countries, yet by the grace of Lord Caitanya they have tremendous success wherever they go to open branches. Indeed, everywhere people are very seriously chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/9/7-8|9.7-8]]* **Wherever they go, devotees infuse the place with Kṛṣṇa consciousness by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa:** When devotees meet in a place where there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no harm, for they take the opportunity to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and infuse the place with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This opportunity should always be taken. It is not that one should close himself up in a room and chant alone. The great sage Nārada is a spaceman who travels all over the universe. Although he can dwell in the most elevated planets, he sometimes goes to hell and preaches there. That is the beauty of a servant of God—he is always acting out of love for Kṛṣṇa and His parts and parcels. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the best means for infusing spiritual consciousnesṣ into people's hearts:** My dear Professor Staal: I thank you very much for your kind letter dated January 23, 1970. In the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not irritated at the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *(like some people), but rather like it. This has given me much satisfaction, and I am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, *Back to Godhead, *issue number 28, in which you will find how the students [at a program at Ohio State University] liked this chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra, *although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually this chanting is very pleasing to the heart and is the best means of infusing spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into the hearts of people in general. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **Unlike some modern so-called yogīs, we do not keep the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra a "secret" or charge money for it:** One who has actually seen the truth, who is in the trance of self-realization, cannot just sit idly. He must come out. Rāmānujācārya, for instance, declared the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *publicly. He did not distribute it secretly for some fee. Recently, an Indian *yogī *came to America to give some "private *mantra*." But if a *mantra *has any power, why should it be private? If a *mantra* is powerful, why should it not be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of it? We are saying that this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *can save everyone, and we are therefore distributing it publicly, free of charge. But in this age, people are so foolish that they are not prepared to accept it. Rather, they hanker after some secret *mantra *and therefore pay some *"yogī*" thirty-five dollars or whatever for some "private *mantra*." This is because people want to be cheated. But the devotees are preaching without charge, declaring in the streets, parks, and everywhere, "Here! Here is the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra. *Come on, take it!" But under the spell of *māyā, *illusion, people are thinking, "Oh, this is not good." But if you charge something and bluff and cheat people, they will follow you. *— The Path of Perfection* **ISKCON has established its spiritual communities to give everyone a chance to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra:** "Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become liberated and go back to Godhead." This is practical and authorized, and one can also test himself to see how he is advancing simply by chanting. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not something new, something that we have introduced or manufactured. It is authorized on the Vedic principles, authorized by *ācāryas *like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and others. And the method is very simple; there is no loss. We are not charging anything, we are not asking for fees and giving the people some secret *mantra *and promising them that within six months they will become God. No. This is open for everyone—children, women, girls, boys, old people—everyone can chant and see the results. To further this end we not only are establishing New Vṛndāvana, our farm project in West Virginia, but we are establishing other spiritual communities, such as New Navadvīpa and New Jagannātha Purī. *— The Science of Self-Realization* ### 3. Only One Empowered by the Lord Can Propagate the Holy Name **Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the holy name:** **[Vallabha Bhaṭṭa to Lord Caitanya]: "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. You have spread the saṅkīrtana movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is evident that You have been empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa. There is no question about it. You have manifested the holy name of Kṛṣṇa throughout the entire world. Anyone who sees You is immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa."** 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 *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/7/11|7.11-13]]* *Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate* [Cc Madhya 13.65, [[cc/madhya/13/65|purport]]]. The Supreme Lord has multipotencies, which the Lord bestows on His fortunate devotees. The Lord has a special potency by which He spreads the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is also explained in *Caitanya*-*caritāmṛta *(*Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/7/11|7.11]]). *Kṛṣṇa*-*śakti vinā* *nahe tāra pravartana: *"One cannot spread the holy name of Kṛṣṇa without being specifically empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa." 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. People forget their relationship with Kṛṣṇa and work under the spell of *māyā *life after life, transmigrating from one body to another. This is the process of material existence. The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, personally descends to teach people that their position in the material world is a mistaken one. The Lord again comes as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to induce people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord also empowers a special devotee to teach people their constitutional position. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/114|19.114]]* 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. No one can do this without being especially favored by Kṛṣṇa.... Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments: "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. Not only that, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Kṛṣṇa's effulgence throughout the world. Such an *ācārya, *or spiritual master, should be considered nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa—that is, he should be considered the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa's potency. Such a personality is *kṛṣṇāliṅgita*-*vigraha*—that is,* *he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Such a person is above the considerations of the *varṇāśrama *institution. He is the *guru *or spiritual master for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the *mahā-bhagavata *stage, and a *paramahaṁsa*-*ṭhākura, *a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as *paramahaṁsa *or *ṭhākura*." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/25/9|25.9]]* **[King Pratāparudra and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya]: The king said, "According to evidence given in revealed scriptures, it is concluded that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Why, then, are learned scholars sometimes indifferent to Him?" Bhaṭṭācārya replied, "Only a person who has received but a small fraction of mercy from the Lord can understand that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. No one else can. If the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not bestowed upon a person—regardless of how learned a scholar that person may be and regardless of his seeing or listening—he cannot accept the Lord as the Supreme Personality of Godhead."** 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 *in the words of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. The *labdha*-*caitanya* is one who has actually awakened his original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. 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. In this way the descendants of pure devotees increase, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes much pleasure in seeing the increase of His devotees. The word *sumedhasaḥ *means "sharply intelligent." When one's intelligence is sharp, he can increase the interests of common men in loving Caitanya Mahāprabhu and through Him in loving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Those not interested in understanding Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are simply material in their attempts at professional chanting and dancing for money, despite their supposed artistry. If one does not have full faith in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he cannot properly chant and dance in the *saṅkīrtana *movement. Artificial chanting and dancing may be due to sentiments or sentimental agītātion, but this cannot help one advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... The same principles can be applied to demoniac persons, even though they be in the *sampradāya *of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Without receiving the Lord's special power, one cannot preach His glories all over the world. Even though one may celebrate himself as a learned follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and even though one may attempt to preach the holy name of the Lord all over the world, if he is not favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he will find fault with the pure devotee and will not be able to understand how a preacher is empowered by Lord Caitanya. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/11/101|11.101-3]]* **One must become empowered by Lord Caitanya and request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra:** **Whoever heard Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chant, "Hari, Hari," also chanted the holy name of Lord Hari and Kṛṣṇa. In this way, they all followed the Lord, very eager to see Him. After some time, the Lord would embrace these people and bid them to return home, after investing them with spiritual potency. Being thus empowered, they would return to their own villages, always chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and sometimes laughing, crying and dancing. These empowered people used to request everyone and anyone—whomever they saw—to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. In this way all the villagers would also become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** In his *Amṛta*-*pravāha*-*bhāṣya,* Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that this spiritual potency is the essence of the pleasure potency and the eternity potency. By these two potencies, one is empowered with devotional service. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, or His representative, the unalloyed devotee, can mercifully bestow these combined potencies upon any man. Being thus endowed with such potencies, one can become an unalloyed devotee of the Lord. Anyone favored by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was empowered with this *bhakti*-*śakti. *Thus the Lord's followers were able to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness by divine grace.... 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/7/98|7.98-101]]* **One who follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the ācāryas will be able to preach the holy name all over the universe:** **Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates of the Pañca-tattva distributed the holy name of the Lord to invoke love of Godhead throughout the universe, and thus the entire universe was thankful.** 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/163|7.163]]* **Persons who, endowed with the power of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, spread the holy name throughout the world are sometimes called āveśa-avatāras or incarnations:** **Thus by direct meetings, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the three worlds. Some people, however, could not go and were entangled in material activities. To deliver people in regions throughout the universe who could not meet Him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally entered the bodies of pure devotees. Thus He empowered living beings [His pure devotees] by manifesting in them so much of His own devotion that people in all other countries became devotees by seeing them.** As stated in *Caitanya*-*caritāmṛta *(*Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/7/11|7.11]]): > *kali*-*kālera dharma-kṛṣṇa*-*nāma*-*saṅkīrtana kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana* 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/2/12|2.12-14]]* **Only one who is empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa (āveśa or śaktyāveśa) can broadcast the holy name throughout the world:** **Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestows His causeless mercy upon His devotees in three features: His own direct appearance [sākṣāt], His prowess within someone He empowers [āveśa], and His manifestation [avirbhāva].** There are many hundreds and thousands of devotees of Lord Caitanya among whom there are no special symptoms, but when a devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu functions with specific prowess, he displays the feature called *āveśa.... *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.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/10/56|10.56]], [[cc/adi/10/59|59]]* ### 4. Only One Who Is Strictly Following Religious Principles Can Propagate the Holy Name **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'. Theirs is not simply a rubber-stamped position. They have realized the purifying power of the holy name through practice.... 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*