Prabhupada’s Legacy is One of Disturbing the Sleeping Dogs 

Although the old adage tells us to “let sleeping dogs lie,” Prabhupada explains the necessity for waking them up.  In his purports to the verse where Krishna tells us not to disturb the minds of the materialists or the ignorant, Krishna advised the devotees to prosecute their duties peacefully, and said they should not feel troubled by persons who have no desire to practice spiritual life.  Prabhupada reminds us, “If you give a good thief instructions, he will just become angry.”  

Krishna tells us in the Бхагавад-гита that only persons who are austere can receive the message of Бхагавад-гита.  In an apparently different mood, Krishna says that whoever distributes the message of Godhead and makes devotees is the dearest servant of the Lord.  Prabhupada clears up this apparent contradiction by telling us that the devotees know Krishna’s inner purpose.  Although Krishna doesn’t want to trouble His devotees by exposing them to harassment, His deepest desire is that the conditioned souls be given a full chance to take to Krishna consciousness.  Actually, they have already had many chances.  Krishna Himself has appeared in His many forms, but still the generations of conditioned souls continue to revolve in the cycle of birth and death, refusing to hear the message of Godhead.  Krishna wants to give them another chance.  Now it is Kali Yuga and the conditions are even more unfavorable for coming to spiritual life.   Krishna and the devotees have to be more accessible, the process has to be easier and shorter.  Despite Krishna’s merciful holy name, which is the only way in this age to attain God consciousness, the devotees are still harassed.  And because of Kali Yuga, people are even more violent in their rebellion against God consciousness. 

Prabhupada knew Krishna’s inner desire.  He woke up the sleeping dogs.  And he wants us to do the same.