Spiritual progress requires surrendering to a guru; preaching demands creating favorable conditions from unfavorable circumstances through sincere example.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Nava-yauvana: Many people, when they see the devotees, they are confused, and they think that the devotees are engaged in some kind of ritualistic activity, that the chanting and practices of devotees are ritualistic, and they compare it to their own rituals and they don't see any distinction. So they see it as sectarian. Prabhupāda: What they want? Ātreya Ṛṣi: Some of them are not sincere, so they simply want to find fault. But those who are sincere can be encouraged to... Nava-yauvana: They are all wanting material things. Like in Bhagavad-gītā, there is the verse, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ [Bg 2.45].
Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna to rise above the scriptures, the flowery words of the Vedas. Prabhupāda: Well, they are not concerned with the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot quote from Bhagavad-gītā to instruct these rascals. You have to talk with them with common sense. Their charge is...
What is their charge? That you are engaged in ritualistic ceremonies? Nava-yauvana: Yes. Prabhupāda: So what they want us to do? If you don't want me to do this, then you must say what you want me to do. Is it not right?
Suppose I am chanting. If you don't want me to chant, then what do you want me to do, the next question will be. Jñānagamya: They want us to engage in sense gratification like they are engaged. That is what they want. Prabhupāda: Want..., we want that, if you want me to do like you, then I want you to do like me. If you want me to accept your proposal, why you'll not accept my proposal? Jñānagamya: Because if I think that sense gratification is better, then I want... Prabhupāda: That's all right.
You think sense gratification is better, I think sense gratification is bad. Jñānagamya: How can we tell the difference? How can we know which is better? Prabhupāda: No, there is difference. Why you want me to do like you? Then I shall want you to do like me. Jñānagamya: I say it because I want you to enjoy sense gratification. Prabhupāda: No, I am not going to accept you.
Because you are not accepting my principles, so why shall I accept your principles? Jñānagamya: But your principle is austere, it's not nice. Prabhupāda: So that you say. Jñānagamya: That's what they say. Prabhupāda: They say, but we say you are bad, that you are enjoying simply sense gratification. Jñānagamya: They say what is wrong?
Prabhupāda: No, what is wrong to us? It is your judgment that we are wrong. So my judgment you are wrong. Who will decide who is right?