In the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya 7.128), Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu orders us: “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land”.

In the next verse, the Lord continues:

kabhu na badhibe tomara visaya-taranga
punarapi ei thani pabe mora sanga”

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further advised the brahmana Kurma, “If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company.” (CC Madhya 7.129)

Srila Prabhupada wrote a very beautiful purport for this verse:

“This is an opportunity for everyone. If one simply follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of His representative, and chants the Hare Krsna mantra, teaching everyone as far as possible the same principle, the contamination of the materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It does not matter whether one lives in a holy place like Vrndavana, Navadvipa or Jagannatha Puri or in the midst of European cities, where the materialistic way of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Vrndavana and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Krsna consciousness”.

A little later, in the same chapter, the Lord gives a similar instruction to the brahmana Vasudeva, who used to live in the same village. Vasudeva Vipra was suffering from leprosy, but by embracing him, Lord Caitanya simultaneously cured his disease and severed all his material attachments: 

krsna upadesi’ kara jivera nistara
acirate krsna toma karibena angikara”

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also advised Vasudeva to preach about Krsna and thus liberated living entities. As a result, Krsna would very soon accept him as His devotee.” (CC Madhya 7.148)

Purport: Although Vasudeva Vipra was a leper and had suffered greatly, still, after Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cured him He instructed him to preach Krsna consciousness. Indeed, the only return the Lord wanted was that Vasudeva preach the instructions of Krsna and liberate all human beings. That is the process of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Each and every member of this Society was rescued from a very abominable condition, but now they are engaged in preaching the cult of Krsna consciousness. They are not only cured of the disease called materialism but are also living a very happy life. Everyone accepts them as great devotees of Krsna, and their qualities are manifest in their very faces. If one wants to be recognized as a devotee by Krsna, he should take to preaching work, following the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then one will undoubtedly attain the lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya, Lord Krsna Himself, without delay.

From this, we can understand that Krsna consciousness is a very great opportunity. Just by following Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by practicing the principles of Krsna consciousness and teaching others, we can keep ourselves in a spiritual environment, even while living in a materialistic metropolis. By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we don’t even need to be very eloquent or vastly proficient in the philosophy in order to preach, simply by distributing books we can do our part.

We understand that sankirtana means two things: harinama and book distribution. Both things are important and, in one sense, they are non-different, being on the transcendental plane. Yet, there is a difference in how the transcendental vibration expands from these two practices. When we do harinama, we chant for a few hours but eventually get tired. Even a very inspired kirtaniya has limits of endurance. At the same time, even with amplification, his voice can be heard for a limited distance, maybe a hundred or two hundred meters, but not much more. The books, on the other hand, chant continuously, 24 hours a day. That’s why it’s called brhat mrdanga: millions and millions of books chanting hari-katha 24 hours a day, in all corners of the world.

“According to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one can become a rupanuga devotee.” (CC Madhya 19.132 purport)

Our goal as devotees is to achieve Krsna prema, to join Krsna’s pastimes in Goloka Vrindavana. However, this is normally a very high and difficult goal. In the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, we get the information that even extraordinarily exalted devotees like Narada and Uddhava, aspire to join Krsna’s pastimes there. The only real way for us is through the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who is easily satisfied when someone spreads Krsna consciousness.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure. (CC Adi 9.50)

Purport: This attitude of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very important for persons engaged in the Hare Krsna movement of Krsna consciousness. In every center of our institution, ISKCON, we have arranged for a love feast every Sunday, and when we actually see people come to our center, chant, dance, take prasadam, become jubilant and purchase books, we know that certainly Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities, and He is very pleased and satisfied. Therefore the members of ISKCON must increase this movement more and more, according to the principles that we are presently trying to execute. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, thus being pleased, will smilingly glance upon them, bestowing His favor, and the movement will be successful.

Srila Prabhupada put so much emphasis on book distribution, and usually we take this in the sense of spreading the movement and helping others. However, HH Tamal Krsna Goswami on one of his classes shares his realization about how book distribution is not just for the benefit of others, but for ourselves. He explains that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to preach so we could advance, get rid of our anarthas, develop humility and compassion, and attract the mercy of the previous acaryas. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to distribute books for our own sake, for our own advancement. As Maharaja writes in his book, Servant of the Servant:

“As we dropped off the remaining men at various locations around the city I appreciated more than ever before the great mercy of sankirtana. Though I had preached under a variety of circumstances in numerous countries around the world, this particular style of sankirtana — going out on one’s own and distributing Prabhupada’s books — seemed to be the most difficult of all. And because of this difficulty, the reward was that much greater. The added austerity increases the exchange between Lord Caitanya and His servant, because book distribution forces the devotee to take complete shelter of the Lord and of his spiritual master. And this total dependence was the greatest guarantee of Krsna’s protection, because Krsna gives special consideration to those who risk the most. Just as front-line soldiers receive the greatest attention in time of war, so the soldiers of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana army were recipients of His special mercy. If anyone took complete shelter of sankirtana, then Lord Caitanya would be prepared to sell Himself out to such a devotee.” (HH Tamal Krsna Maharaja, Servant of the Servant, ch. 15)

This point is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (8.7.44):

tapyante loka-tapena
sadhavah prayaso janah
paramaradhanam tad dhi
purusasyakhilatmanah

It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the point that distributing Krsna consciousness is the ultimate welfare activity. When someone accepts this mission, despite any inconveniences, he becomes the recipient of the Lord’s mercy.

“One should endeavor for that which is never obtained by wandering up and down the universe as a result of the reactions of karma. What is that? One should endeavor to become Krsna conscious. If one tries to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world, he should be understood to be performing the best welfare activity. The Lord is automatically very pleased with him. If the Lord is pleased with him, what is left for him to achieve? If one has been recognized by the Lord, even if he does not ask the Lord for anything, the Lord, who is within everyone, supplies him whatever he wants. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]). Again, as stated here, tapyante loka-tapena sadhavah prayaso janah. The best welfare activity is raising people to the platform of Krsna consciousness, since the conditioned souls are suffering only for want of Krsna consciousness.” (SB 8.7.44 purport)

Srila Prabhupada once said that we can’t imagine how much reciprocation from the parampara we get by distributing these books. By distributing books and preaching we can satisfy and get the mercy of all our disciplic succession, up to Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, and if they are satisfied with our efforts, they will give us at the time of death whatever is missing for us to go back to Godhead. Without their mercy, by sadhana alone, this can take many lifetimes. 

“So I am so much pleased upon all of the boys and girls in Los Angeles and all over the world who are understanding and appreciating this unique quality of our transcendental literature and voluntarily they are going out to distribute despite all circumstances of difficulty. By this effort alone they are assured to go back to home, back to Godhead.” (Srila Prabhupada, letter to Ramesvara, January 9 1973)