Prabhupada’s Believability 

Prabhupada had a lot of ammunition.  He had good reasoning power and good arguments.  He had personal saintliness and a mystical connection with the Supreme.  He had the ancient and great Vaisnava tradition behind him.  He was from India and spoke of many acaryas who also accepted Krishna consciousness.  He said that what he was preaching was the same thing that Christ and Buddha taught.  So, if one went against him, he went against all the Vishnu incarnations, all the God-teachers and sages of renunciation and lovers of the Supreme.  He frankly said that the truth is beyond our senses; we should accept it and be humble.

Prabhupada said that what he was teaching would bring freedom from anxiety.  This was wanted.  Swamiji himself appeared to be free of anxiety and he was “fixed.”  He said that anyone could do it just by chanting Hare Krishna. 

One time while Swamiji was lecturing about life on higher planets, he added, “I am not just saying this, but I am convinced.”  Other times he would say, “Rest assured.”  Or, “Take it from me.”  He was willing to teach on that basis also.  He was saying in effect, “I know what I’m talking about.  I realize this.  It is a fact, so please take it and accept it from me.  If you chant Hare Krishna, you will understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  All these things will become revealed to you.  Take it from me, there are higher planets.  Just because you can’t understand it and you cannot touch it with your senses, that does not mean that it does not exist.”