Parrotlike Perfection - The Art of Repeating Krishna's Words

When we think of a great philosopher, we usually imagine someone with a fertile brain who invents new concepts. Śrīla Prabhupāda, however, challenged this modern definition of intelligence. He taught that since the human mind is imperfect and prone to mistakes, any philosophy "manufactured" by the brain is useless. The only way to speak the Absolute Truth is to repeat it exactly as it has been handed down.

"I Don't Manufacture"

Śrīla Prabhupāda often used the term "parrotlike" to describe his preaching. In ordinary language, this implies a lack of understanding, but in spiritual terms, it implies perfect transmission.

• Go and speak what Krsna says. That's all. You have nothing to manufacture... We are very safe because we don't manufacture. We simply repeat, parrotlike, what Krsna has said.
• Krsna consciousness movement means we are not manufacturing anything by our fertile brain. No. We don't create anything.

He explained that this method provides safety. If one repeats the perfect words of Kṛṣṇa, the message remains perfect, regardless of the messenger's personal flaws.

• The man who is spreading, he is imperfect... But we are not spreading the imperfect knowledge because we are simply spreading what Krsna has said.

The Postman Principle

Śrīla Prabhupāda viewed himself simply as a peon or a postman delivering a letter. A postman does not edit the letter; he simply hands it over.

• I am not saying anything which is not given by my Guru Maharaja. I am simply repeating what I have learned from him.
• I went to your country with this word only. I did not show you any magic... I simply repeat the same thing, that, Here is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Repetition for Emphasis

Just as a mother must repeatedly tell a child not to touch fire, Śrīla Prabhupāda found it necessary to repeat the basic instructions of spiritual life over and over again to save his disciples.

• I repeatedly say this. So unless we understand that I or you, we are not this body, there is no question of spiritual understanding.
• Unless everyone of us sticks to the regulative principles of chanting, there is no other alternative than fall-down. That is a fact. I repeatedly say this.

Conclusion

By engaging his tongue in "repeating the same words without any change," Śrīla Prabhupāda proved that one does not need to be a magician to change the world; one simply needs to be a faithful servant of the Truth.

• Even though I (Prabhupada) am a fool number one, I become guru, because I am repeating what Krsna has said... Everyone can become guru if he simply repeats what Krsna has said, that's all.

Dive Deeper into Srila Prabhupada's Vani

Srila Prabhupada lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category My Repeating (Prabhupada). We invite you to click this link to study the complete compilation and experience Srila Prabhupada's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.