Hare Krishna everyone!!
The Hare Krishna movement is existent to convey to everyone of our eternal nature in the kingdom of God (Vaikuntha) in the company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as opposed to our temporary life full of miseries. To benefit everyone, we make as much propaganda as possible.
The main propaganda work of the Hare Krishna movement is done through book distribution. While out on the road, we meet so many people with diverse conceptions of life. But the Krishna Consciousness philosophy that we have is so potent that there is answer for every single question that they put to us.
Sometimes, people say this (it is quite common): Don't force me into buying a book. Of course, it is up to them to take the book. Even Lord Krishna, after speaking the entire Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, asked him to do as he likes. (Arjuna, being intelligent, followed whatever Lord Krishna has said without reservation.) But although it seems like Lord Krishna is giving us freedom to do whatever we like, it is trickier than we thought it is.
Why is that so? If we carefully observe, we have two options. Either we surrender to Krishna or we do not. One can put forward so many reasons and theories to avoid surrender to Krishna or God. But the principle is the same - to defy God. Actually, because we chose to defy God from time immemorial, we are here in this material world. And no way are we free here. Either we are controlled by Krishna directly or through his material nature. But we cannot be totally independent. Our only independence is to choose between the two types of dependences - either Krishna or Maya (the illusory material nature).
So whenever someone comes up with this statement, we always put the statement back on them, of course in a polite way: "If you ask me not to force you, it is not that you are not forced. How about the force of death? Can you say, 'Don't force me into dying'? So you are forced either way. So why not accept the positive force? By buying this book, you will know of your eternal nature and you can escape this force of death which everyone wants to." This works! Usually, the person ends up buying a book!
Although it appears like we are tricking them, it is actually presenting the facts as they are. As a Brahmana, one is expected to speak the truth. We are not so much into pleasing the general public. We are here to speak the truth in a straightforward way without distortion in order to awaken the people to reality. Which is better - Sweet poison or bitter medicine?
