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Screening a Speaker by Suresh Vyas   The Vedic associations could use below form to screen a speaker for their congregation. The form could be tailored, re-worded, or improved to make it better.   From:   The Governing Body of any Vedic Association   To:       A Preacher or speaker who requests to get an audience   Dear Speaker,   When a speaker asks us the leaders of a Vedic association to allow him/her to speak to our Vedic congregation, we feel between a rock and a hard place. On one hand we do not want to say no a Vedic speaker who may be an advanced gyani, yogi, bhakta, tyaagi, swami or sanyaasi, but we may not know the background of the speaker. On the other hand we do not know if what a speaker will say could offend our congregation. We do not want our congregation offended by a speaker. Additionally, the standard a Vedic association uses to select or de-select a speaker determines the quality of the Vedic association. So to maintain some quality in selection, we humbly request you the following if we allow you to speak to our congregation.   A speaker, especially a Vedic preacher, should have a guru in a bona fide sampradayic paramparaa beginning from, say, Sri Shankaracharya, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Nimbarkacharya, Sri Madhvacharya, Sri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu, or Sri Vallabhacharya. So, please let us know: Your Guru’s Name ___________________________________________ Your Sampradaaya’s Name ____________________________________   We request you to please do not say ‘all the religions are same,’ because there is no scriptural, historical, or archeological evidence to support it. The Gita and the Koran, for example, have opposite messages. When the Vedas said that all paths lead to the same god, the words ‘all paths’ meant (and means) all the Vedic paths, because at that time thousands of years ago there was no religion existing other than the Vedic dharma (meaning sanaatana dharma or varnaasrama dharma.)   We request you to please do not speak low of any Vedic scripture, god, goddess, aachaarya, or saint. Specifically, please do not use the word demigod or demigoddess, for any Vedic god or goddess. Use the word Deva or Devi instead, as is used in Gita.   We request you say or speak what is in the Vedic scriptures like Gita, Upanishads, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Srimad Bhagavatam, etc., and do not speak something concocted in mind and pass it on as a Vedic message. asto maa sat gamaya (O God lead us from untruth to the truth.) is the guiding Vedic mantra of many associations.   We request you to please do not disrespect any genuine Vedic guru, sadhu or shastra.   As the global Vedic community needs to unite to protect the global Vedic interests in the current times, we request you to say something to unite us, and not say that could cause disunity. Your speech to make the Vedic people proud of the Vedic dharma and culture is most welcome.   As it is very clear from Bhagavad Gita that ahimsa is not an absolute principle in Vedic dharma, we request you to please do not preach that it is an absolute principle. For that reason it does not serve the Vedic interests to glorify those leaders who have preached (or are preaching) that ahimsa is an absolute principle.   We request you to please do not say that there is no need for gurus or temples. For a serious saadhak Gita and the Vedas do recommend to have a good guru. tad viddhi praNipaatena pari prashnena sevayaa, says krishna in Gita. Our Vedic country Bharat has thousands of ancient temples. Those ancestors who built them and used them were not foolish in making and using the temples for the spiritual advancement of the whole Vedic society.   We request please provide your brief introduction here.                             We request your signature here to indicate your concurrence.   Name (Print) __________________________________________________________   Signature ____________________________________________________________   Date ___________________, Place _______________________________________   Thanks. Namaskaar! Jai Sri Krishna!