THE NINTH OFFENSE

The Ninth offense to chanting of 

the Holy Name of the Lord:

9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the Holy Name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.) NOD 8

Offense: "the act of displeasing or affronting"  Merriam-Webster disctionary

Offending is the exact opposite of pleasing. Devotional service is performed for the pleasure of the Lord. If there is offense then the devotional energy is blocked. 

I wanted to take a closer look at this 9th offense:
to preach the glories of the Holy Name to the faithless.

Here Srila Prabhupada makes a distinction between engaging the faithless in chanting the Holy Name and discussing with the faithless about the glories of the Holy Name. By chanting the Holy name, the faithless become purified enough to be able to discuss and appreciate the potencies of the Holy Name because they are experiencing something wonderful for themselves.

First the chanting then the hearing.

If I try to preach the glories of the Holy Name to a faithless person and commit this offense what will be my experience? 

In order to preach the glories of the Holy Name, I must enter into a heartfelt communication with a faithless person. That means I am opening my heart in order to try to transmit the transcendental message of Love of Godhead. But if their heart is defensive then I will absorb their negativity. I become poisoned. I am open and broadcasting devotional messages and they are faithless and broadcasting material contamination. This is not the setting for “discussing” the glories of the Holy Name. Their heart must be open. 

By chanting the Holy Name, the Holy Name will open their heart. If they can be engaged in hearing and chanting, taking prasadam...gradually as they "experience for themselves" the Mercy of the Holy Name then the desire to hear the glories of the Holy Name discussed arises automatically within their heart. 

So much so that devotees like Srila Rupa goswami who are on the level of pure devotional service pray like this:

I do not know how much nectar the two syllables "Krishna" have produced. When it is chanted, it seems to dance within my mouth. I then desire thousands of mouths. When that name enters my ears, I desire millions of ears. And when the name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and all the senses become paralyzed. Cc. Antya 1.99