Websites from the ISKCON Universe
By Vrajendranandan Das We are pleased to inform you that we have received a very encouraging and inspirational message from the Smt. Hema Malini famous Film Actress and Member of Parliament Lok Sabha New Delhi, Congratulating ISKCON for 50th Anniversary celebration 2016 being observed worldwide. Continue reading "Message of Smt. Hema Malini famous Film Actress and MP of India
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BY TAN SIN CHOW
ORIGINAL SOURCE: THESTAR
BUTTERWORTH - Sanskrit is Greek to most people but for Bhanu Swami Maharaj (pic) the ancient language is a cinch to master.
The Canadian of Japanese descent said the sacred language of Hinduism may seem complicated but it was easier than most languages because it was phonetic-based.
“There are vowels and consonants but you only have to memorise 60. Reading it is easy. It is unlike the character-based Chinese or Japanese languages where you have to remember 6,000 to 10,000 characters,” said the scholar, 67.
However, he said that while Sanskrit words were pronounced exactly as they were written, “it can also be difficult as there are many conjugation and declension of nouns and verbs”.
He has translated 29 books from Sanskrit into English. His significant works involve the Brahma Sutras, Bhaktirasanrta Sindu, Brahma Samhita and the Srimad Bhagavatam from Volume One to 12.
Bhanu Swami, a scholar in Sanskrit and Bengali, spoke of the difficulties in translating the books due to the meaning of certain words.
“One word can have the opposite meaning sometimes. And there is scripture like Brahma Sutras which is particularly difficult because the words are in a condensed form,” he explained.
He said he was deeply influenced by the teachings of Srila A.C. Bhaktidedanta Swami Prahhupad, who came from a long line of spiritual masters in India.
Bhanu Swami, who joined the Hare Krishna movement in India in 1970, has travelled extensively in Europe, Russia, Australia, Malaysia and Japan.
He was a speaker at the Hindu Civilisation and Heritage Exhibition at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya Temple of Devotion and Understanding in Seberang Jaya yesterday.
Talks and the exhibition will go on at the temple until Aug 14.
The exhibition highlights historical records of the Bujang Valley, Kedah Tua, Gangga Negara and Langkasuka; the Hindu history of Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Prambanan (Indonesia), and places in China, Korea, Japan, Australia, North America, South America, Russia, the Vatican and Egypt.
It is organised by the Bhaktivedanta Science Unit of International Society for Krishna Consciousness Malaysia.
The public is welcome to view the exhibition from 9am to 9.30pm on weekdays and from 8.30am to 11pm on weekends. Admission is free.
Pilgrimage to New Vraja Dhāma (Album with photos)
Here are some photos of the wonderful New Vraja Dhama as we wondered here and there loudly chanting, glorifying Rādhe Śyāma and Vraja with 20 Bhakti College students in theology. There was sweet kīrtana, lots of kṛṣṇa-kathā, spontaneous dramas of pastimes, drawing of demons, swimming in the Yamunā. One evening after a full day of parikrama the students requested us to teach them how to make flower garlands and 14 of them were patiently stringing flowers and kept calling out, “this is bliss! this is bliss!” The last day we did a quiz for them to revise what they learned which was also fun. It was an amazing 5 days in the abode of the most beautiful and merciful Rādhā-Śyāmasundara.
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BY FMT REPORTERS
ORIGINAL SOURCE: FREEMALAYSIATODAY
PETALING JAYA - A “Hindu Civilisation & Heritage Exhibition” organised by the Bhaktivedanta Science Unit of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness will showcase the history of Hinduism in Malaysia and around the world.
The exhibition aims to promote an appreciation for Hindu scientific contributions in various fields of study including archaeology besides putting the spotlight on Hindu culture.
Among the attractions at the exhibition will be historical Hindu records of the Bujang Valley, Kedah Tua, Gangga Nagara and Langkasuka in Malaysia as well as that of the world famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Prambanan in Indonesia. There will also be exhibits from China, Korea, Japan and Australia as well as those further away in North America, South America, Russia, the Vatican and Egypt.
Also on display will be exhibits of the various religious teachings that Hindus have professed and practiced through the ages.
A rather enlightening part of the exhibition centres around the many contributions and discoveries of Hindu sages as well as their scriptures in the fields of mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, metallurgy, astronomy, linguistics, architecture and culture.
Part and parcel of the “Hindu Civilisation & Heritage Exhibition” will be a series of talks by experts in various fields, held on the weekends of August 6-7 and 13-14.
Among the speakers will be Japanese Monk and Sanskrit scholar His Holiness Srila Bhanu Swami, who will talk about ‘Science & Vedas’ (Unlocking Secrets of Left Brain-Right Brain); ‘Discovering Soul – The Last Frontier of Science’; and ‘Soul – The Last Frontier of Science.’
Meanwhile Malaysia-born author, V Nadarajan will talk about the Bujang Valley.
Others speakers include Professor Dr Surabala (USM); Dr Sridevi Sriniwass (UM); Dr Suhanya Parthasarathy (UM); Dr Ranjev Hari (UM); His Grace Simheswara Prabhu (ISKCON Regional Secretary); JK Wicky (Cinematographer & Motivator).
The exhibition will be held from 6 to 14 Aug at the Janaky Ramamirtham Hall of Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya Temple of Devotion and Understanding, Lorong Jelawat 4, at Bandar Seberang Jaya. Admission is free.
Those wishing for more information can contact Kalesa @ Lim Kok Chye (019 – 4411 008) or Dr Surash Ramanathan (013 – 435 7649).
By Krishna Monks
Would you care to know a long-forgotten secret, not even guessed at by the greatest thinkers of the modern era? It’s a simple truth that’s been continuously shrouded by the relentless, disquieting whirlwind of madness presently sweeping over the entire world. It’s this: there is no happier lifestyle than that of a celibate monk! Or, more broadly understood, accepting a simple life, beginning with a lifestyle of celibacy, for the purpose of increasing one’s love for God leads to greater happiness. This path can be taken up by any person in any walk of life. Here, however, we will examine some of the benefits of life as a monk. Monks aren’t all quiet and distant. The typical image is that of a person living alone in the forest, or away from the commoners, and having no excitement in his expression. That is one type of monk. But there are various traditions imbued with diverse moods. For example, the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which is being carried forward by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, fosters a mood of joyful song and dance, and colorful festivity, even among its monastic order. Such a disposition reflects the basic understanding that spiritual life is vibrant and celebratory, not staid or stagnant. Continue reading "Be A Monk?
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9th EU Farm Conference in Villa Vrindavana, Florence, Italy.
The farm conferences are bringing together empowered citizens and ...
ISKCON Pakistan JAGANNATH RATH YATRA 2016 & Celebrations of ISKCON GOLDEN JUBILEE (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead. This chanting or devotional service does not depend on any paraphernalia, nor on ones having taken birth in a good family. By humility and meekness one attracts the attention of Krishna. That is the verdict of all the Vedas. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 4.71 purport).
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Bliss Along The Baltic Sea (14 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Summer 2016 has been just like the spiritual world for the 300 members of our festival tour in Poland. From Vedic scriptures we learn that in the spiritual sky, every step is a dance, every word is a song and there’s a festival every day. While sharing such good fortune with others our bliss knows no bounds!
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During my classes on the Ajamila pastime at the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha in Wada, a question that expectedly came up was regarding scriptural proclamations about the glory of the holy name: Are they literal statements that will always be true? Or are they poetic hyperboles?
My understanding is that they reflect literal accounts of what happened in the past — and these extraordinary displays of Krishna’s mercy are meant to inspire our faith in and commitment to the ordinary process of bhakti for acquiring that mercy.
The second chapter of the Bhagavatam’s sixth canto concludes with the declaration that if Ajamila got so much benefit by chanting while referring to his son, how much more will we be benefitted if we chant while referring to the Lord? Vishwanath Chakravarti in his commentary adds three more factors: Ajamila chanted just once, at the time of death and without all that much faith. If we chant daily and chant lifelong and chant faithfully, how much more sure we can be of being benefitted?
That hearers shouldn’t expect the exact event to recur for them is evident from Parikshit Maharaja’s response: After hearing the Ajamila pastime, he didn’t tell Shukadeva Goswami: “No need for me to hear krishna-katha for seven days continuously; I will just chant Narayana when I am about to die.”
During my practice of sadhana-bhakti, we get hope to struggle on through examples of extraordinary mercy such as that bestowed on Ajamila, but we focus on seeking shelter in the ordinary process of bhakti centered on hearing and chanting. And that ordinary-seeming practice will eventually reward the same extraordinary result that Ajamila and other recipients of extraordinary mercy got: elevation, purification and liberation.
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The whole Ecovillage is in a beautiful rustic setting which is natural and comfortable. While being close to nature, amidst greenery that had become all the more verdant due to the profuse rains – it was natural to think of the other nature that is much closer to us all the time – our human nature. And the narrative of Ajamila that appears in the Bhagavatam’s sixth canto is one of the most evocative explorations of the potentials and pitfalls of human nature.
While the story of an upright young man falling to degradation on being exposed to a temptation is sobering, the story’s finale in his being elevated and liberated by the power of the holy name is uplifting.
And that ultimately is the message of supreme hope that bhakti offers us — human nature, despite its many weaknesses, is reformable by the power of God’s grace, a grace that manifests most munificently in the path of bhakti-yoga centered around the chanting of his holy name.
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Praying to the Giver of the Holy Name
The post August 12th, 2016 – Daily Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi has congratulated ISKCON on its 50th anniversary, praising its accomplishments in a way that shows a strong understanding of ISKCON's core message and efforts. We hope its Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada, who always tried to reach the leaders of society, is pleased.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 June 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.57)
A verse from the Mahabharat points out that logic alone remains inconclusive. One philosopher has one interpretation while another philosopher has another interpretation and sometimes there is no end to an argument. It just goes on and on and on, if one tries to establish the truth on basis of argument.
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, tarka-śāstre jaḍa āmi, yaiche lauha-piṇḍa (CC Madhya 6.214) that, “As a result of preoccupying myself with the study of these arguments of logic from various scriptures, my heart became hard like an iron bar.” So this is the result, when everything is based on logic there is no room for the heart.
Later when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya became a vaisnava, he is quoted in the Padyavali, in the book which is compiled by Srila Rupa Goswami, “We are not logicians. We are not great philosphers who have crossed the ocean of Vedanta. We are not expert debaters. We are simply the servants of a rascal cowherd boy.”
So the whole spirit had changed. It is not that the vaisnavas are NOT expert in philosophy but their main interest is not only tattva (philosophy) but there is also rasa (relationship). Without the combination of tattva and rasa, how can transcendental knowledge ever be complete!? If there is only tattva, only philosophy, then where is the heart? Just like it says in the Caitanya Caritamrta, “What is the use of the words of a poet? What is the use of the arrow of a hunter, if it does not pierce the heart and make the head spin?”
So in this way, what is the use of the truth if ultimately the heart is not involved…
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Two weeks ago at Bhaktivedanta Manor, a new garden was dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. Since it was the week in which we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment of ISKCON, I gave the following speech:
If you would please look up and cast your eyes behind me towards this sequoia tree. It’s at least 100 feet high. It was planted here in the 1880s by a gardener who never got to see it the way we can see it today. This tree is one of 183 trees here at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I’d like to think it has its own personality. Certainly it has heard more kirtan than most sequoias.
At sometimes 200 – 300 feet high, the sequoia tree is one of the largest living things in the world and can live for more than three thousand years. A tree like this can produce 250 seeds from every cone. And a mature tree can produce thousands of cones.
Now, the seed of the sequoia is tiny – only 5 millimetres long. Yet inside a tiny seed is everything needed to grow an entire tree. Think of that for a while. An entire tree inside a tiny seed. Something that will live for three thousand years, inside a tiny seed. Inside the cone is a special chemical which only allows the seeds to fall when the moisture level is just right. Inside the seeds there are so many working parts with wonderful names: vacuoles, ribosomes, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. And inside them there is intricate coding – every single detail of the future tree is there.
So within the seed is both the essence of the sequoia tree – the essence that will make it different from all other trees – as well as the specific coding that will form the trunk, branches, twigs and cones, coding that will help the tree to grow, stand tall, and endure for centuries. The essence and the structure – both are needed.
In any area of human life, when someone begins an endeavour – especially one they hope will endure for a long time, they are, in effect, planting a seed. By their aspirations, their vision of the final result, and by their determination, they plant a seed. And, provided the conditions are right, it will grow.
The growth of a spiritual movement, such as ours, depends on the flow of grace from the divine source and the aspirations and channelled energy of the spiritual seeker. It is said that God reaches down to the soul and the soul reaches upwards to God. And where they meet is called the guru.
The interplay between guru and disciple allows for the transmission of intricate spiritual coding. By sincere enquiry and service, by following the compassionate guidance of the guru and making himself a vessel for the guru’s wisdom and grace, the disciple can begin to grow upwards. But through the disciples the guru also grows. His ability to help the world grows as his disciples reach out to others. They multiply his ability to give Krishna. Guru and disciple together make a spiritual movement.
In the case of a tree, in the beginning there is but a small stirring in the soil. But as the years pass the small sapling grows into a magnificent, tall tree with many branches and hundreds of twigs on every branch. In the case of a spiritual movement, inspired followers attract more followers and a small band of disciples grows into a movement. It takes time, and the growth may not always be apparent, but it grows.
From this small seed comes a tree that can grow to three hundred feet and last for thousands of years. With the establishment of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada planted a seed for centuries to come.
50 years ago, our founder and acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada planted a seed. He brought into existence a society whose specific name he chose and whose specific shape he carefully formed. The original group of early followers might have been bemused to learn the name of the organisation typed up on the deeds of incorporation: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON. There were no assets to speak of and with only one room in a back street of New York there was no way it could be described as even the New York State Society for Krishna Consciousness, what to speak of the American Society for Krishna Consciousness. And international? What a preposterous and utopian idea!
Yet with the signing of that document – the planting of the seed for his future organisation – Srila Prabhupada gave all the natural coding for the growth that was to come. The love and gratitude of his disciples, their enthusiasm to do his bidding, and his daily teaching and careful guidance, all formed the perfect setting for growth to take place.
There is an old Irish story of a farmer who looks up from his field towards the nearby road and sees a saintly man walking. “Where are you going, sir?” he asks. “Oh, I’m going to start a religious movement,” replies the saint. Then the farmer sees the devil walking some yards behind and asks him: “Why are you following the saint?” “Oh, I’m going to help him organise his religious movement,” he replies with a grin.
We don’t trust organisations. They can be very tricky things. It’s not always easy for human beings to work together as an organisation – we are all independent and we are needy in so many ways. Yet an organisation is, in effect, nothing more than a living organism- like this tree – but made up of humans. An organism is something alive that contains organs – parts that perform certain functions for the welfare of the whole body. An organisation is an organism where those organs are made up of teams of humans working together.
Now, it is true that sequoia trees, or anthills, or beehives, function much better as living systems than humans do when they try to work together. We just don’t get along like ants or bees, or like the living organism of the tree. A survey conducted by Yale University found that in the 20th century the lifespan of the average S&P Index listed American company fell from 67 years to just 15. So at 50 years old, ISKCON is already bucking the odds by a factor of three.
Our company, ISKCON, is by ordinary calculation a company that should either be struggling or have gone out of business already. Consider the fragility of an organisation that promotes education in spiritual values, pays its members no dividends and depends mainly on voluntary contributions; that extols virtues that most of the world considers vices, and that runs counter to many of the intellectual notions held sacred by the world. Surely such an organisation should have collapsed by now.
Yet against all the odds, and despite some irregularities, Srila Prabhupada’s movement has endured, grown and prospered – and has reached its half century. This is something to be applauded. The secret of ISKCON’s success so far is an open secret: Srila Prabhupada planted the seed and the information content of that seed was very high. Not only the Sanskrit texts and teachings of ancient wisdom, but the careful guidance of how the structure was to grow, flourish and expand. How the members of his movement should work together, and how the resulting movement would spread and sweep up many more people in its embrace.
At the heart of it is the relationship of those early disciples with their master; a special friendship grounded in the sincere exchange of enquiry and revelation. From the master came wisdom so encouraging that it changed their young lives, and they offered grateful service to a person who they knew loved them. It was the oldest of all relationships, the guru-sisya sambandha.
Disciples gave their entire youth to Srila Prabhupada. The years normally spent in learning and making a home were sacrificed so that the seed of his divine tree, ISKCON, could be planted. We who enjoy membership of ISKCON today know that without those early disciples and their love for their spiritual master, we would not be here. So today we salute them and we thank them for their life of service. Some of them are gathered here today. We thank you and applaud your gift to us. This garden, this guru-sisya udyana, is dedicated to you and your relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Let this garden always remind us of how you served him, of the divine exchange between guru and disciple, and of the efforts you took to bring us all to Srila Prabhupada, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Los Angeles Rathayatra 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51 Purport)
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Toronto Rathayatra Inspires Second Gen Leadership.
Madhava Smullen: Growing every year in size and popularity under a second generation team, Toronto Rathayatra has inspired younger devotees to take on more and more leadership in their community, and senior devotees to hand more and more to them.
Seventeen years ago, when he was only eighteen, just one second generation devotee, Kevala Bhakti Das, became part of the Rathayatra organization team. Today, the festival is put on by thirty-two younger devotees from high school kids to thirty-somethings, heading up twenty different departments.
This year’s Rathayatra, Toronto’s 44th annual, was the biggest yet. It began with a ‘pre-festival’ on June 26th, giving the public a taster of what to expect three weeks before the parade.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/bpJ0Ux
By Gopiparanadhana Das So, in our material consciousness we think that Krishna is very distant. Even after practicing devotional service for many years. We vaguely perceive the presence of Krishna in His holy name. When we come to the mangal-arati we are vaguely aware that Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are standing there on the altar. Or maybe we spend the whole mangal-arati not giving any attention to Them at all. Anyway. Our material attitude is to think that God is very far away when He isn't very far away. What to speak of His transcendental manifestation in His name and His Deity form? Even in this material creation God is very intimately represent. We are not aware properly of the fact that nothing is simply mechanical in this universe. There is personality and intelligence behind everything. Nothing, nothing is just mechanical. Because there is a demigod controlling every material function of the universe. Continue reading "How to perceive the presence of the Lord
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By Purnacandra Goswami Purnacandra Maharaja would oftentimes keep his firm commitment to substance even at the risk of being unpopular. He was not at all interested in winning some popularity contest. He was interested in preserving that which was passed on to him by his spiritual master. Purnacandra Maharaja didn't need large crowds to be satisfied sharing what he had learned and what he attained in his Krsna Consciousness. He would share his Krsna Consciousness even with a small group of devotees, or even with one devotee. I personally experienced this when we would sit and talk as he would share his realizations with me. This is another one of his qualities I will always remember. I'm sure that many of you who know Purnacandra Maharaja will also remember this quality of his too. Continue reading "Overhaul your Spiritual Life (audio)
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Practicing Love.
When we ask ourselves the question ‘Why do we exist?’ we begin the search for meaning in our lives. If we accept that we exist not just in this life span, but beyond, that question brings us to face the very core of ourselves.
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Rathyatra in Bern, Switzerland (2016) (Album with photos)
Ecstatic Rathyatra festival in Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
Srila Prabhupada: If one chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra without offences, all of one’s sinful actions are surely atoned for immediately, but one should not commit such deeds again, for that is an offence. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.16.14 Purport)
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Talk at youth centre, NIT Rourkela
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Cleanliness is next to Godliness!
Krishna-kripa Das: Dhirashanta Goswami, as part of his japa workshop at the Vaishnava Summer Festival (Baltic), graded devotees’ bead bags on a scale of 1 to 10. Cleanliness counts for a lot. He advises to wash them a minimum of once a week. Mine was not washed since the Czech Padayatra and Polish Festival tour and thus I only got 4 of 10. I shall try to keep the standard of washing once a week from now on. :-)
A Most Amazing Transformation!
I’ve been encouraged by Vijaya Prabhu, Bhrgupati Prabhu, and the Los Angeles Temple President, Svavasa Prabhu, to write this story. I would like to include a name and picture of the main person in the story, but considering the situation, it could be a bit risky. For now I’ll call my friend “Al”.
After the 2016 Orlando shootings due to religious violence, I was having a lot of doubts in my mind. I wasn’t too sure about Islam, and I was considering whether this was truly a bona fide religion. Hearing my doubts, Krishna then sent me the perfect person.
I was approached by a man in his thirties named Al, from Saudi Arabia, while distributing books at a book table. We spoke for about thirty minutes, and he was asking intelligent questions. He wasn’t challenging at all, and seemed very inquisitive. He ended up taking nine big books, and gave me a hundred-dollar donation. I was really impressed.
Two days later, he came to our Govinda’s restaurant with his Muslim friends, and we all had lunch together. I was really amazed to see how Krishna was clearing my doubts in such a mystical and perfect way. It doesn’t end there.
Recently, during the 2016 Los Angeles Rathayatra festival, Al dressed in a dhoti and kurta that he purchased there. He had a bag in his hand, along with all his old clothes, and said he “feels free now.” I couldn’t believe it. We had a great time connecting, and I introduced him to the BBT Trustee for the Far East and Middle East, Satyanarayan Prabhu. They got along great, and Al took more books in his own language.
Al will be going back to Saudi Arabia within a month. He was just here completing his masters degree at a university. He just messaged me today after the festival, and thanked me for such a wonderful time. He specifically said:
“The Rathayatra parade was a great and beautiful journey. I’m sure those excellent moments will carry my soul forever. ”
Krishna is amazing.
Jaya Caitanya Dasa
Harinam bliss in Prague, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Absolute Truth is Sri Krsna, and loving devotion to Sri Krsna in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.” (CC Adi-lila 1.96)
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By Syamanandi Dasi Woodstock is not for us. It is not for the devotees; it is not for the volunteers. It is not for our own spiritual advancement; it is not for our immersion in Krishna consciousness. It's not. Krishna's Village of Peace at Woodstock is wholly and entirely for the benefit of those who attend. It is about the hundreds of thousands of young adults who walk through our site. It is for the hundreds of thousands of people who relish the hot prasadam, who dance in the kirtan tent, who ask questions they didn't know they had as they explore Vedic philosophy, Srila Prabhupada’s, astrology, yoga, and Indian culture. It is about their exposure to Krishna. It is about awakening in them their innate desire to know the Lord and to say his Holy Names and to sing his glories. Every day I was there, I felt insanely blessed to be in the presence of such exalted souls, souls who had traveled so far over multiple lifetimes to arrive here and experience and interact with Krishna consciousness in such an innocent, ecstatic way. The looks on their faces as they chanted the mantra for the first time, the way they danced with abandon, and their pure inquisitiveness were all incredibly inspiring. Their appreciation and love for Krishna increased my own, tenfold. And that is the most amazing thing about Woodstock. Continue reading "My experience at this year’s Woodstock Festival in Poland
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Responding to the Swami’s Call
The recent incident in Gujarat of what has been called “cow vigilantism” has attracted widespread condemnation. While cows are immensely sacred for us, the followers of the Vedic tradition, most people in today’s world don’t share this sentiment. In fact, many find our caring for cows so incomprehensible that the term “holy cow” has come to be used as an informal expression of astonishment or disbelief. In an increasingly post-modern world, trying to impose one’s values on others backfires badly, even if those values are valid and valuable.
I am reminded of how the tide turned decisively against the pro-life group in the the battle against the legalization of abortion. While many consider the US court decision in the Roe vs Wade case the defining defeat in this battle, the loss therein was largely legal. In the public eye, the battle was lost when some Christian extremists killed some doctors who regularly performed abortions. By that abortion vigilantism, the anti-abortion campaign came to be associated with right-wing religion. Totally drowned out were the strong philosophical and even scientific arguments supporting the fact that the embryo is essentially human and deserves the human right to life.
Tragically, the movement for cow protection in India seems to be headed towards similar alienation, with the many financial and social benefits of cow protection not even being considered amidst the fear and furore about right-wing religion.
Nowadays, attempting any form of imposition is almost certain to backfire — spreading awareness about the rationale for cow protection is the only feasible way ahead.
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Growing every year in size and popularity under a second generation team, Toronto Rathayatra has inspired younger devotees to take on more and more leadership in their community, and senior devotees to hand more and more to them. Today, the festival is put on by thirty-two younger devotees from high school kids to thirty-somethings, heading up twenty different departments.