By His Holiness Bhakti Purusottama Swami
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is based on congregational preaching. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that people should gather in groups of five or ten and clap hands and chant Hare Krsna. This is the basic principle of congregational preaching; this is the basic principle of Mahaprabhu’s movement.
Congregational preaching programs make it easy for people to follow the process of Krsna consciousness. It doesn’t mean people may compromise the principles of Krsna consciousness. Actually, many of our congregational devotees practice the principles much more seriously than the devotees in the temple.
Temple presidents should not take congregational preaching to be separate from the temple program. I do not believe that our society can develop nicely by just providing some facility to brahmacaris, Sunday programs and life membership. Temple presidents should see how effective congregational preaching is and acknowledge it as one of their main preaching programs.
In Bengal, twelve years ago, it was so difficult for us to hold Nama-hatta festivals, but because we have developed congregational preaching, we are loved by everyone all over Bengal and India. Congregational preaching has many things to contribute to our society. Everybody should work starting with the temple presidents and GBCs. So many different processes can be introduced to reach the people in the congregation.
(Excerpt from the book ‘The Nectar of Congregational Preaching’ by ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry)
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