Thursday, November 28th, 2013
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On the Roads in Cuba
 
Havana, Cuba
 
A man promptly trailed along the street with one of those famous Cuban cigars set in his mouth. I had expected more of this type of image in Cuba. I see few young folks smoking them. They resort more to cigarettes.
 
According to one of our Cuban members here, Raja Guyam, ´´Cubans are not so big on drugs as they are on drinking, and gambling is out of the question. In ’59 it was outlawed and you get penalized quite heavily if found doing so.´´.
 
When we conducted our second initiation on the island on this trip, the candidates who made their vows, have no qualms about abstinence towards gambling and for the most part intoxication. When I looked into the eyes of those initiates as they expressed their commitments, I wished with an optic discharge that they would do well. I said, “Be an inspiration to others.”  Being quite young, Claudia is a young mother to the first Vaishnav baby boy in Cuba and has a good chance to succeed with a supportive husband, who is now in Spain on a scholarship. Alex the other initiate is only 20, with a promising future could easily be swept away given his good looks, so we wish him well. Stay in spiritual company and you are safe.
 
Hayagriva and I, along with two female devotees, took to the charm of streets in Rodas. We compare life here to the villages in India: simple circumstance with modest homes and basic needs being met. Walking in such a neighbourhood is heart-warming.
 
Opportunities to walk came in doses. On the autopista, an eight lane highway, en route to Habana, for washroom breaks I vied to walk a stretch of it. I figured people need to get used to the robes. I’m going to be coming regularly.
 
The final trek was along the Malecon, the sea walk, where the road was actually closed to the traffic. The Atlantic seemed angry with blasts of water spraying over into the several lanes. We kept our distance from these water walls which have the potential to totally knock you out. Danger lurks at every step.
 
Alex is now Adidev. Claudia is Chaitanya Lila. Congratulations!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
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Never Before
 
Rodas, Cuba
 
Never before had such loud thunderclaps fallen on these ears.
 
5 AM was our agreed-upon time for a trek through and beyond the town Rodas, a place we visited last year. Friends from Matanzas had taken what seemed like the day-long bus ride to this place and had now converged for a walk. Cuba and Canadian contingents unit, I guess you could say. In the early wake of dawn Indra, the god of rain, had shown his generous side.
 
Quick! We moved to the nearest shelter and spent a good 2½ hours there in a meaningful chatter of things that were devotional. The young Cuban devotees were eager to hear from Hayagriva and I. At that time we shared what we could as stormy dynamics occupied the space beyond the old Spanish-flavoured edifice we took protection within.
 
Once heavy rains cleared replaced by sprinkle, we headed for the home of our host, Mercedes and her husband who is a Steve Martin look-alike. After a smoothie (Cubans had never heard the term before) we went into further bhakti discussions. (By the way, the smoothie, my concoction, consisted of yogurt, fresh guavas, bananas and a tomato.)
 
The afternoon engagement was held at a local Culture House, a decent facility with an art gallery and a hall equipped with a stage. Electricity wasn’t up to par, it was just not working, period. I spoke more or less in a half-lit/half-dark situation about Vaisnava art culture which was followed by participants chanting. As the term was used before, we are fun addicts, and hopefully not perceived as fanatics.
 
A second public venue for the day was the movie house, a cozy place really, where the spiritually inclined gravitated; about thirty in number. The task at hand was to keep the very young who were present, seniors and all in between, perked-up, so we implemented some improvisation and enactment of the philosophy of the Gita. Volunteers came forward to portray images from the text. To give an example, “Be a lotus” for instance, the message being, “Remain dry in the midst of water or be unaffected by material entanglement”.
 
The meal at the end was novel-spaghetti and sweet potato halava.
 
All is good with our stay in Cuba. Not only did Steve Martin appear to be with us, but a Ray Charles look-alike also participated. No he didn’t play music but he sang with us with Krishna on his mind.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
4 KM

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Relief!
 
Santa Clara, Cuba
 
What a great relief!
 
In Cuba you can approach a person or pass by one on the street and not have to deal with a moat around his castle. I mean to say people here, on the whole, have not yet been burdened by pods and pods or I this or I that I, I, I, I, I,…
 
Yes, I say it’s a consolation, seeing a human being and having it be an eye-to-eye situation, instead of an eye-to-I. There are little or no gadgets. I feel liberated! I feel I’ve reached moksha, nirvana.
 
A small group of us from Canada went on a two block excursion on the street in Santa Clara to test the waters of human interaction. Cuba strikes No.1 on my gauge of personalism. We got such a nice response. There was no bar between us and them. Our kirtan actually was a raft, slow chant with a drum beat to boot. Inquisitive they were.
 
We found the same at Cuba’s renowned “El Mejunje”, a community square in the heart of Santa Clara when Iksvaku, a Cuban-born American, conducted a fire ceremony for three new initiates in Krishna Consciousness. The audience was curious and yet divided. To one side were the managers of the place. Hugged around the small fire pit were committed devotees. The tattered bleachers directly in front of the pit were spiritual seekers. To the other side were young lovers locked in each other arms. To the far right of the pit were the hipsters. I saw these distinct groups yet they all became one during the final chanting session as we “sweat like hogs” in dance under three shady flamboyant trees with three sided graphitized walls.
 
By the way the three ladies taking diksha were Maite, on behalf of my godbrother, Jayapataka, is now Madhumati Vishaka. Santa is now Sruti and Nancy is now Nandarani.
 
A regret is that I couldn’t walk much. It was a full-on bus ride to Santa Clara from Matanzas. Only by evening did the opportunity avail itself. People are not so car-dependant here. In some villages, half the transportation is by horse and carriage. What else is different? In Cuban homes, toilets and faucets don’t always work, although rainwater from a tank could suffice. You get used to it.
 
One thing I’m also getting used to, is communicating with human beings that are straight-on, with no device between us. Agreeable! It’s so nice!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM

Our Stories: Come home, all is forgiven!
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

Two devotees who used to come online seem to have disappeared from Mayapur TV!  Maybe they are getting more live association… anyone seen them?  Anyway, here are their stories, which they sent in many moons ago.

Annaanna

 

I first met devotees nearly seven years ago* in Reading, UK.  I remember that I’d seen devotees before on trips to London. They struck me as strange, with their dancing and hippy- looking clothing, so when I saw them in Reading I made a concerted effort to walk around them and gave them sideways looks from afar.

Then one day I was stopped by a devotee.  At the time I was a practising Jew.  I’d converted a few years before and had a solid plan to return to Israel where I’d spent time and become an Orthodox Jew, living a strict religious life in a Jerusalem suburb somewhere.

So I stopped, and smiled warily, ready for the conversion type tactics I’d encountered with Christian missionaries, ready for an argument and to defend my choice of faith.  What I got instead was a smile, and a pleasant conversation about what I believed in and where I was from. I made it clear Krishna wasn’t for me and instead of hell fire and damnation I got another smile and a wish for a nice day.  I walked away surprised.

After that I bumped into devotees on a few other occasions. Once or twice I took a book, remembering that first devotee, flicked through it and read the odd page.  I got something about a blue God, who liked cows and pretty girls.  It confirmed my feeling that those Hare Krishna people were strange, so I put the books in a corner and forgot about them.

Fast forward a few years and I’d given up my ideas of Orthodox Judaism:  too many rules and not enough spirituality – I couldn’t hack it. I still went to Synagogue and taught Hebrew, but I felt myself slowly drifting away.  I started re-exploring the ”alternative” beliefs of my teen years. I went to Buddhist meditation classes, flirted with Wicca, and tried to be a good Jew in between, and wrestled furiously with myself over what I thought I should be believing.

Somewhere along the way I became interested in Hinduism. It seemed to fit in well with my ideas on God so I read and checked out some websites.   The more I read, the more I liked, so one day I decided to check out a temple. By Krishna’s merciful arrangement the nearest and most accessible temple to me was Radha London Isvara in Soho, London.

I’d checked out the website, and knew it belonged to Hare Krishnas. So I went, remembering the encounters of my past, determined to satisfy my interest and nothing more.  Those weird Hare Krishnas were NOT having me!

What I found in the temple was not a cult or a bunch of white hippies trying to be Indians as I had expected, but a place full of light and music, colour and welcoming smiles.   Devotees were friendly and helpful; no conversion tactics, just openness and friendly faces that patiently answered my questions, no matter how challenging they were.    But more than that, I felt like I had come home.  The sights and sounds were strange, but familiar all at the same time. All my concerns melted away:  it felt like a place I could stay forever.

The story really starts there. I left that day in a bubble of happiness.  I felt like I’d been purified.  I swapped my Buddhist mantras for the Maha Mantra and chanted Hare Krishna all the way home, barely able to stop smiling.  Before I went to Londonisvara I’d been a major meat eater, but from that day I couldn’t eat meat anymore; I lost my taste for it completely.

When I got home the first thing I did was dig out the forgotten books I’d taken all those years ago.  Suddenly they went from being reluctantly taken items to things precious beyond words.  I read them, the words and images no longer strange, but life-giving, like water in a desert.

My journey to becoming a devotee hasn’t been without its slip-ups, and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve not chanted for days but I’ve remained vegetarian since that first day and I know I’ll be a devotee for life.

Krishna Consciousness has changed me completely and I feel more peaceful and happy than I ever thought possible. I have real friends, and a philosophy that I don’t have to force myself to believe in.  HDG Prabhupad once said everything to do with Krishna tastes sweet, and I can honestly say it’s true.

I don’t remember the names of those devotees who first smiled and talked so nicely with me, or who gave me a book for just a few pennies, but every time I take out my japa bag, or walk into Londonisvara, I think of them, because without them I would not be a devotee today.

*Will be longer now: not sure how long I’ve had the story! Ed.

 

Jeremejereme

When I was 19, in 1994, I was at art college in Carlisle. I had an interview for university in London but needed to stay somewhere overnight as it was too far for a day trip. My Dad told me he had a colleague whose daughter was a student in London, and somehow persuaded him to ask his daughter if I could stay a night at her home. I went for my interview and met Sam at Euston Station. When we met it was love at first sight and we were married seven days later. After the wedding we went to her flat and she put on a record she was given when she was a small child by a devotee in Germany; her Mum thought it was a Beatles record I believe. It was the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra and we sang it for the rest of the day, not knowing what it was about.

A few weeks later, I was busking with my saxophone in Covent Garden, London and two devotees stopped and talked to me. I was immediately attracted to them; it was as if they were from another universe! They gave me a leaflet/ booklet about their philosophy; I did not read it, but enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Feeling it was something special, I kept the booklet and, perhaps 6 or 7 years later, my wife and I finally read it. We then went straight to London and visited the Soho Street temple where we saw the Deities, met devotees and bought lots of books about KC from the gift shop. Several weeks later we visited Bhaktivedanta Manor and discovered that a new programme was starting in Ipswich; as this was near our home at the time, we attended, and had the great pleasure of meeting more wonderful devotees including Kripamoya das.

Sorry the pic is so small.  Ed.

Monday, November 25th, 2013
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Cool Cuba!
 
Matanzas, Cuba
 
It´s winter so water can be rough, like it is today. Hayagriva, my assistant monk and I, consider that the waves on the Atlantic were doable for a swim, but we stayed at the edge. After a fight with the waves and a good attempt at singing mantras simultaneously, we went to dry as the local lifeguard came around only out of curiosity.
 
“Where are you from?”  he asked.
 
“Canada,” said Hayagriva who manages in Spanish. We let people know we are part of a spiritual mission: Krishna Consciousness.
 
This is my fourth trip to Cuba and I can see the family is slowly growing. In Matanzas, the home of Hari Keli has become a regular meeting place for enthusiasts in bhakti yoga. Little has been done to the building repairs and needs. Foreign finance seems to be the way to resolve that problem. Devotees who joined the Salwan family and I, came from Alberta and are offering to help.
 
The greeting of local people, who mostly have converted to vegetarianism and bhakti, was a resounding welcome. Such zeal! They are so genuine in their devotional expression. My dear friend, Iksvaku, is here to do the translation for a class I gave on the lesson number one from the Bhagavad-gita; that is the soul’s persistent journey through various lives.  “If death comes tomorrow, don’t lament. A new body awaits you.”  Several times I used the phrase, “Why Cry?” and the group repeated the message. It was as if they were learning a Sanskrit mantra and some English at the same time. In any event, the message, well, they got it, at least in rational perimeters.
 
Nitai from Edmonton, Canada, has a reputation for bhajan singing and he led a killer kirtan, although his voice could have used some amplification. Folks here just can’t afford to buy or to rent. You’re lucky to earn $15 US or Canadian in a month.
 
To highlight the evening apart from chanting, the youth enacted a drama written by Alberto, a playwright. That sure pulled my heartstrings.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Sunday, November 24th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

From the Heart
 
Varadero, Cuba
 
You see Brits, Germans, Russians but mostly Canadians in Cuba, 87% of tourists. I met a Belgian couple who spoke Flemish. I was surprised I could pick up on some words.
 
My first language was Dutch, akin to Flemish. This couple and others wanted to know, “What group are you with?” Even a smiley Cuban guy, a waiter, wanted to know. I was the only monk in the entire buffet at Memories Resort. I stood out.
 
I like standing out but only for the sake of being a representative for my guru, Srila Prabhupada. Whatever I do, it is on his behalf. At the entrance of the buffet you are greeted by pressed-dressed people who offer a “Hola”. I return a pranams (palms together). They then give a quick spontaneous bow.
 
You fill out a form voluntarily at the dinner table after a meal. They want feedback. Okay! Here it is. Under the section  ”Comments on the beer” I wrote "I don’t drink poison.”  On the resorts entertainment I wrote “I meditate.”  On the buffet food I wrote “please separate meat from the vegetarian items.”
 
I am waiting for my monk assistant, Hayagriva, and his companion, Sahil, an excellent drummer, but while I wait I hit the Atlantic beach and swam its waters. There I caught up sadhana songs, praises to the guru and Krishna. It’s a usual morning session. It’s what I miss when I’m not in the temple ashram. I also walked on the beach, as others were doing. Here I don’t stand out due to swim wear but an obvious white string, a brahmin’s thread, keeps me apart. It’s no fashion statement. It’s my mark as a devotee of the Divine.
 
The family I flew here with is the Salwan’s, a kindly clan from the Punjab, now residents of Canada. We all enjoy a great temperature (in the 20’s) after leaving our first snowfall for the year, in southern Ontario; a fresh white powder blanketing the upper part of Mother Earth. We are fine. We have fun.
 
And manana (tomorrow) we will start our spiritual program together: a reading of sastra (truth teachings), discussion and singing “Hare Krishna”. It might take on a salsa flavour though. As long as it’s from the heart, right?
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Urgent appeal (Food for life) Needs a New Van
→ simple thoughts

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Urgent Appeal

Dear Maharajas/Prabhus,
PAMHO AGTSP,

We are a small project based in London, Matchless Gifts.
We distribute prasad(santified food) to 1,000 people daily, hold festivals,including 26 Rathayatras per year,etc.

We have very little funds available at this moment, our old van is on it’s last legs, a very large number of Prabhupada disciples have signed a letter requesting help on my behalf (thanks to all of you).

We have set up a “just giving” account,

http://www.justgiving.com/feedthepoor

so please help no matter how small or big.

your servant Parasuram Das

Worth a thousand words
- TOVP.org

The TOVP has already received much acclaim and recognition for its grandeur and size. However, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Our staff photographer took a trip to Navadwip and took photos showcasing the view of the temple from across the Ganga. Captured from a distance, these pictures underscore how formidably the super structure stands against the landscape.

Also taken were recent shots of the TOVP nursery. Located at the local Jagannath Mandir, the nursery boasts over 2000 trees. Additional specimens are expected. The trees will be attended and grown until landscaping begins. At this time, the trees will have blossomed and be ready for transplanting.

Some surprise photos submitted to the TOVP office show how the influence of the temple’s design has extended into the native culture. The celebrations for the past Durga Puja had sites marked with elements taken from released drawings.

Whether standing tall and firm in the Mayapur countryside, as a template for mandals or in the foresight to plan luscious gardens, the impact of the TOVP weighs deep. Its prestige marks the power all devotees have to effect change in the name of Mahaprabhu’s movement.

Vyasa Puja Offering 2013
→ Seed of Devotion

Dear Radhanath Swami,

Please accept my respects. All glories to our beloved Srila Prabhupad.

When my mother sits down to play the harp, she brings out her electric tuner and tuning fork. She plucks each and every string and checks the sound against her tuner. A needle swings right or left to gauge when a note is on or off key. My mother then twists each and every knob with her tuning fork, carefully making sure that all of the strings shine as on-key on her tuner.

When all 48 strings have been tuned, my mother then strums her graceful hands across the strings in a waterfall of notes. She can now play and sing all kinds of music - from classical and jazz pieces to my personal favorite, her heartaching rendition of Bhajahu Re Mana.

In a similar way, Radhanath Swami, I get you as such an expert musician of the soul. Each time you sit down to speak, you fold your palms, close your eyes, and crease your brows in prayer. With the tuning fork of your prayers, you adjust your heart to the unshakeable and eternal values and instructions of your beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupad.

Then, when you are tuned, you open your eyes and speak. I have seen you move thousands of people to laughter as well as to tears. You respond to the most cutting questions and challenges with grace. You transform hearts. You transform mine.

I pray that I may follow your example. I pray that I may tune in to your and Srila Prabhupad's values and instructions. I want to be your instrument. Please.

Yet once I am tuned, there is an even higher destiny than being played on my own. In this regard, I once went to a classical music concert. For a full half an hour, my mom and I just listened to the orchestra tune in with each other. It was actually part of the concert! Frankly, I was getting rather bored.

But it was worth it. When at last the concert began, the music created was awe-inspiring.

Similarly, we devotees of Krishna and your disciples are all different instruments. But if we can tune in to each other - even if it's a long or boring or painful process - we can create something so much more powerful than we could ever create on our own. We can create a symphony of love and compassion for God and for the world. This is our highest destiny.

Thank you for being in my life, Radhanath Swami. Thank you for showing by example how to tune in and be a part of this divine symphony.

Sincerely,

In service,

Bhakti lata dasi
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Dedication to devotional service
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.2)

The internal energy is the activity or the energy that pleases Krsna. It is the pleasure potency that has the power to please Krsna. Nothing else can please Krsna. In the interaction with devotees, there is that energy that can please Krsna, if the interaction between the devotees is pure. But if it is based on false ego, it may not always please Krsna. In the exchange with devotees, there are principles that are pleasing to Krsna because devotees are after all appreciating devotion to Krsna, in each other. Isn’t that what we appreciate a devotee for! You know, when we see a devotee who makes a sacrifice in devotional service, we appreciate it.

Dwarka.3_slideshowLast year, I went to this BBT conference and there was this little mataji from Kenya who impressed everyone. She is like, just a tiny Indian mataji, as Indian matajis come!. And she was just standing there in the streets of Nairobi, right there, downtown, in the heart of the African city and all day long distributing books to all these kinds of people.

It’s not soft! Everyone knows that is like; that is serious street life but she is out there and she is doing it. She’s just bubbling with enthusiasm and with determination. She sort of says, “Yes, it’s okay. I have my spot and I stand close to some security guard and he is my friend. I keep my extra books there and at the same time, he keeps an eye on me also.” You know, in this case, she has got it all like under control. She just looks very innocent but totally fixed and determined and like “Bang!” and everyone walks away with a book. She impressed everyone with her dedication.

 

 

Krishna Sees Our Efforts
→ Japa Group

"I am so pleased to note that you are chanting nicely and that Krishna is encouraging you in so many ways. This is the actual position that if we are sincerely chanting our rounds, following the prescribed regulative principles, and avoiding the ten offenses, then very quickly Krishna sees our efforts and He gives all encouragement to such sincere soul."

Letter to Krishna Devi
15 June 1969

Conversion to What: Intolerance or Transcendence?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

This article is a compilation of several conversations between Hindu intellectuals (HI) and ISKCON scholars (IS) on various occasions. To cover the various issues in a systematic way, all these conversations are presented here as one, continuous conversation between two individuals.

HI: An issue of great concern, even alarm, is the rampant conversion done by Christian missionaries.

IS: Let’s understand this issue of conversion from a broader philosophical perspective. The goal of all religions – including Christianity – is to help people develop love of God, to convert people from being materialists to becoming spiritualists.

But different people approach God for different motives, which the Vaishnava saint-scholar Bhaktivinoda Thakura has categorized into four major levels: fear, desire, duty and love.

  1. Fear: Some people fear, “If I disobey God, then He may punish me for my wrongdoings. So better let me pacify Him by my worship.” This sort of worship is certainly better than atheism, but it is based on a very negative conception of God as a stern judge, as a cosmic punisher.
  2. Desire: Some people reason, “There are so many things I want; if I pray to God, perhaps He will give them to me.” Here the conception of God is more positive, as a potent desire-fulfiller, but still the relationship is highly utilitarian, being based on give-and-take rather than love. Srila Prabhupada would say that if we go to God to ask for bread, that shows our love for bread more than our love for God.
  3. Duty: Some people reason, “God has already given me so much – life, body, health, food, clothing, shelter. It is my duty to go periodically to worship and thank Him.” Here the relationship is somewhat steady being based on gratitude for what has already been given and not on greed for what one wants to receive. Still, over time, duty can become a burden. Moreover, the focus in this level is still on what God has done for me, not on God Himself.
  4. Love: This is the purest level of approaching God, where a person feels, “My dear Lord, You are the supreme object of my love; I have been offering my love to so many people and things, but that has never made me happy. Now I simply want to love and serve You eternally and I do not want anything material in return for my service; I simply wish to love You and to be loved by You. Just as a parent takes care of the child without the child having to ask his parents, similarly, I know that You will take care of me. I will accept whatever is Your plan for me and keep serving You no matter what happens in my material life.” It is only this pure love that can satisfy our hearts fully, for love is our greatest and deepest need.

Conversions are fruitful only if they raise a person’s level of approaching God by offering deep spiritual understanding or experience. Modern Christianity operates largely on the platforms of fear and desire – despite the fact that Jesus explicitly emphasized the commandment to love God as the supreme commandment. It appears to many observers that the conversions done by Christian missionaries today are primarily on the same two levels – fear of eternal damnation and desire for material gain. More often than not, all that happens by such materially-motivated conversions is that the converts change from being Hindu materialists to becoming Christian materialists.

HI: But this conversion often makes a huge difference to the convert’s attitude toward his original culture. Whereas he was earlier appreciative of – or at least neutral to –Indian culture, he now becomes hostile to it. And often this hostility is fostered by some Christian missionaries who decry Indic rituals and traditions as demoniac. Sometimes the convert has to “prove” his conversion by publicly disowning his past forms of worship, by breaking or burning the pictures of Hindu gods or even spitting or stamping on them.

IS: This is very unfortunate and distressing to hear about...To place this in proper perspective, let’s discuss the three categories into which modern thinkers have classified the various religious paths: exclusivist, pluralist and inclusivist.

Followers of the exclusivist path claim that their way is the only exclusive way to God. They further claim that all those who don’t accept their path are destined to go to hell – forever. So they become intolerant to all other paths and believe that they are “saving” people by converting them to their path, no matter what the means. Religious exclusivity sometimes degenerates into fundamentalist violence. This further puts off intelligent people, who are already skeptical of the claim to exclusivity. After all, if God is unlimited, why should one particular religion have monopoly on the path to God?

HI (nodding): Most Christian missionaries are highly exclusivist. Hindu culture, on the other hand, has historically been more broad-minded.

IS: Yes. The second category is pluralism. Pluralism is the notion that there are many paths to God. Nowadays, this notion is sometimes expanded to say that there are as many paths to God as there are people. While this notion seems to promote religious tolerance, it often breeds spiritual impotence.

HI (startled): Impotence?

IS: A religious system can be compared to a university meant to train students in knowledge and love of God. The claim to exclusivism is like the claim of a medical student that his college is the only college that can produce doctors. This is obviously a fanatical and fallacious claim. The claim to pluralism, on the other hand, is like the claim that any building anywhere can produce doctors.  In the name of pluralism, Hinduism today has become such a hodgepodge that most Hindus today have very little idea of what paths and goals their scriptures teach. Consequently, when confronted with Christian missionary criticism of Hinduism, many Hindus are unable to defend their beliefs and practices.

HI (thoughtfully): I had never thought of the effects of pluralism in that way … I can’t say that I agree entirely with what you say; I will have to think about it…But what was the third category you mentioned?

IS: Inclusivism.  This teaches that there are not many paths, but basically one path with many levels on it. The path to become a doctor is essentially one: to study the medical subjects and learn the relevant skills. There may be different universities to teach medicine and they may teach in slightly different ways, but that doesn’t mean we unthinkingly accept every building everywhere as a medical college.  Unfortunately, this – an uncritical acceptance of all paths – is what has happened in India. Consequently, although religion is a big part of life in India, it has largely become reduced to a social and cultural affair that provides a break from the daily routine and has become devoid of spiritual potency.

HI: What exactly do you mean by spiritual potency?

IS: Spiritual potency of religion means it ability to deliver non-material or spiritual happiness. The Srimad Bhagavatam declares bhakti pareshanubhava viraktir anyatra ca (11.2.42) “Bhakti delivers experience of the transcendental Supreme Lord, an experience which is so satisfying, so enriching that it makes one detached from all other experiences.” The ultimate purpose of all religion is to enable people to experience the divine happiness of loving God and thus become detached from selfish, materialistic pleasures. The Vedic scriptures give clear, specific and powerful practices to help us experience this spiritual happiness. But when all paths are considered equal without evaluating their effects, then the potent Vedic path gets obscured in a medley of diluted and perverted paths. Consequently, many Indians, who follow one of these pseudo-religious paths, experience hardly any deep, spiritual happiness. So, when they are tempted to follow another path that offers tangible material benefits, they see no reason to desist.

HI: Interesting. In connection with our discussion on three categories of paths, I want to point out a peculiar feature of Indian “secularism”. Despite the overtly exclusivist claims of Christian missionaries, the Indian government and media pamper them in the name of secularism. Secularism should basically imply governmental impartiality toward all religions. In countries like USA, secularism means that minority-religions get the freedom to practice their beliefs and they democratically get a voice in the polity according to their sizes. And the majority-religion in USA – protestant Christianity – gets a respectable place and influence according to its electoral strength. But in India, due to vote bank politics, secularism is abused to provide special facilitation for minority-religions and impose special restriction on the majority religion. For example, today, in India, legally it is far easier to start a Christian church or a Christian missionary school then it is to start a Hindu temple or a Hindu missionary school. Or, here’s an even more egregious example: when Muslims want to go for Haj, the government makes special arrangements and even subsidizes their pilgrimage fare. But when Hindus want to go on pilgrimage to Badrinath, the government offers no such facility.

 

What makes the whole issue worse is the prejudiced media portrayal by the western media and the westernized Indian media. Historically, not many countries have been as hospitable to other cultures as India, thanks to the Hindu culture of welcoming and respecting guests as representatives of God. For example,

  • India is the country that gave asylum to the Christians who were persecuted in Syria in Antioch and Damascus even in the fourth century. They have been living here peacefully till this date.
  • India gave asylum to the Persians when they had to flee Persia due to fear of the Arabian invaders. These Zoroastrians who took asylum in the Gujarat area are all leading prosperous and fearless lives till this date.
  • When the Jews sought asylum in India after being driven out of their land, they were taken care of by India. This was not the case with several countries in the West where the Jews were persecuted.
  • After the conquest of Tibet by China, the persecuted Buddhists under the Dalai Lama generously accommodated by India in McLeod Ganja in the Himachal Pradesh, where they live peacefully even today.

So, minorities have always been given protection and facility to live in India, thanks to the Hindu ethos of tolerance. But when Hindus try to protect their legitimate interests from the extreme and fundamentalist activities of some Christian missionaries, the media immediately brands the tolerant Hindus as intolerant and the fundamentalist minorities as helpless victims. It is sad that these situations have led to violent conflicts; violence in the name of religion is unfortunate and regrettable. But the sponsoring of culturally-destructive conversion is a form of extremism that inflames violence on both sides. It is high time that the media set the record straight by reporting both sides of the story fairly.

IS: This governmental and media antipathy is aided by the intellectual lethargy of Indians in understanding their own national legacy. Indians don’t protest against attacks on their culture because they don’t realize the value of what they are losing. In academic studies of religion, there is the concept of religious capital, which refers to the degree of mastery of and attachment to a particular religious culture. A businessman may readily give up his present business if he has not invested much capital in it, if he is not getting much returns out of it and if a new business offers better prospects. Similarly, a person will change his religion – his religious business – if he has not invested much thoughts and emotions into it (his capital), if he is not getting an understanding of life or a sense of peace, joy and belonging by it (his returns) and if he gets material benefits by changing to another religion (his better prospects). So it is important for Indian spiritual leaders to create religious capital among Indians by giving them spiritual knowledge and experience. Otherwise, most Indians will not oppose conversion or, worse still, may even get converted themselves for better material prospects.

HI: Well, sometimes the idea of better prospects is just a sham. Some missionaries claim to be faith-healers and proclaim that they can cure all those who convert. Many sick Hindu peasants, being unable to afford medical expenses, get lured, but the magic healing never happens. Their suffering only gets compounded: due to the delay in taking medical treatment, they disease worsens, thus necessitating further expenditure. And they simultaneously undergo wrenching mental trauma and social alienation due to the whole conversion melodrama. Many such incidents are described the documentary Bad Manna by the Scandinavian Pia Skov, who, incidentally, is herself a Christian disillusioned with the missionary malpractices.

IS: Such practices are certainly devious – and they underscore what I was saying earlier: the urgent necessity for philosophical education among Indians. You see, many people have a primitive, tribal “we-they” mindset. They see existence as a perpetual battle between “we” versus “they”, where “they” refers to their rivals or enemies. When religious zeal becomes superimposed on this tribal mentality, then the battle takes the form of “the good we” versus “the evil they”, where “they” includes all those who don’t follow “our true religion”. Once religious conversion gets rationalized as a battle against evil, or perhaps a “saving” from the evil, then the missionaries become blinded to their own evil deeds, for they feel their “noble” ends justify any means – no matter how evil.

Sometimes, Hindus may also succumb to the same “we-they” mindset in reverse, where all Christians become “the evil they”. To save us from this tribal mindset, the Vedic scriptures teach a profound and practical philosophy that engenders universal consciousness. They state all living beings are the beloved children of one God and so, spiritually, we are all one family, as celebrated in the famous Vedic aphorism vasudhaiva kutumbakam. The Vedic texts proclaim that all people are intrinsically, spiritually good. If they are presently acting in evil ways, that is due to the illusion that covers their spiritual goodness. The Vedic texts further supply us rational, objective parameters to assess the extent of the illusion that covers a person. Equipped with these parameters, we can objectively categorize people without falling prey to the “we-they” mindset.

HI (thoughtfully): This “we-they” mentality you are talking about is a deep point… What are the rational parameters by which people are categorized?

IS: The Bhagavad-gita analyzes all material existence in terms of the three modes of material nature: mode of goodness (sattva-guna), mode of passion (rajo-guna) and mode of ignorance (tamo-guna). The modes are subtle, psychic forces that shape the interaction between consciousness and matter. Those affected by the mode of goodness are characterized by knowledge, thoughtfulness and satisfaction; those affected by the mode of passion, by cravings for pleasure, power and prestige; and those affected by the mode of ignorance, by laziness, intoxication and violence. Higher than all these three modes is transcendence, where people can see, with enlightened vision, their loving relationship with all living beings. The more people are infected by passion and ignorance, the more they act in evil ways that harm themselves and others. The more they are permeated by goodness and transcendence, the more they act in good ways that uplift themselves and others.

Note how the Vedic classification is not based on any religious labels, but is based on objective criterion and has universal application. Now, Christians, like all other human beings, are situated across the spectrum of these three modes; some in goodness, some in passion and some in ignorance. According to this analysis, the devious conversion tactics are used by Christians in the lower modes of passion and ignorance. And just as we find these devious tactics distasteful, so do Christians in the mode of goodness. That’s why even some Christians have expressed concern over the means used to convert people.

HI (catching on): I had heard of the modes earlier, but had never thought that they could be applied to understand this situation in this way. Not only are such conversions done by those in the lower modes, but they are also targeted at those in the modes of passion and ignorance, who don’t care to discern spiritual truth on one hand and who want quick material gains on the other.

IS (nodding): Yes. But such conversions don’t do anything to change the modes of a person. Various religions are essentially like different universities meant to change people’s qualities from evil to good. Just as an engineering student does not become an engineer merely by entering into a college, no person becomes “saved” just by stamping himself as belonging to a particular religion. He will be saved only when he diligently practices the spiritual disciplines taught by his religion and changes his qualities and desires. Unfortunately, not understanding or practicing the essence of their own religion, superficial religionists imagine that they are “saving” others from evil by converting them, while they are yet to save themselves from the evil qualities that have gripped them.

HI (wryly): I think we have to pray: may God save India from these “saviors”!

IS: But God has given us the means to save ourselves and everyone else – Indians and non-Indians alike.

HI: What is that means?

IS: The spiritual philosophy given in the Vedic scriptures is so comprehensive, coherent and cogent that it can withstand and counter all possible criticisms and dialectically establish itself as offering the best understanding of life and its purpose. And the Vedic spiritual practices like chanting of the holy names can easily and effectively give people a taste of transcendence by which they will no longer be attracted by cheap material allurements. We need to systematically and vigorously share the Vedic principles and practices with as many people as possible. In fact, Srila Prabhupada did exactly that – and was able to attract thousands of people from all over the world to follow Vedic culture.

HI: Yes, I have seen that ISKCON has a lot of foreign devotees. It’s almost like ISKCON is doing a reverse-conversion by getting Western people from Christian and other backgrounds to adopt Indian culture.

IS: Yes, but this conversion is a conversion that goes far beyond the change of religious denomination, cultural lifestyle or social affiliation. It is a fundamental change of consciousness, a change of core desires and ambitions from material to spiritual, a change from being a selfish exploiter to becoming a selfless servant of God and all His children. And that is the change that all religions – including Christianity – are ultimately meant to bring. Indeed, this is the only change that can bring real, lasting happiness, individually and collectively. People are being increasingly plundered of this wealth of inner happiness, by the common enemy of all religions: atheistic materialism. That’s why, in the 1950s Srila Prabhupada make a fervent appeal for united action to the leaders of the world’s religions: ‘Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and the members of the other sects that have convincing faith in the authority of God must not sit idly now and silently watch the rapid growth of a Godless civilization. There is the supreme will of God, and no nation or society can live in peace and prosperity without acceptance of this vital truth.’

Instead of worrying about people converting from one form of materialism to another, let’s look inward to understand and practice the deep spiritual essence of our religious tradition and then look outward to share that essence with others. Then and then alone will our efforts make a real difference in the world.

 

 

 

346. Helping
→ 9 Days, 8 Nights

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Today a bird at the temple was helped by some visiting guests.

A fishing twine had badly gotten entangled around the birds feet. So bad that it had sliced into its small tender feet. It’s been there for some time from the looks of it and the bird must have been in constant pain.

Probably the bird realized that its other bird friends would not be able to help. Taking a chance, it decided to put its full faith in the humans gathered at the temple and flew down. Luckily, a few of the guests amongst a hundred at the temple didn’t ignore it.

They saw the problem and immediately about 6 of them came nearer to the bird. One of them gently grabbed it around the wings while another knew exactly what to do. Almost 30 mins passed where each and every sharp plastic twine was removed by the man like an experienced surgeon. The bird was patient and bearing the pain. It knew very well that we were trying to help.

Once all removed, the bird was placed on the ground. We all stood back. Then with so much grace, the wings came out and it took off to the roof of the temple. And from there it looked down upon us – “Thank you”, it seemed to say.

There is much to learn from the experience of this bird. When we are entangled in the sharp and fine thread of life and you realise that your fellow friends and relatives cannot help you out any longer, you must take a chance and with full faith descend upon the kind and sincere spiritualists. When you surrender your wings of desire to them, they will gently and gradually remove the old and severely embedded twines – greed, envy, ego, anger, illusion and madness. You just need to be patient and bear the pain of losing these old qualities and attachments. Once all taken, the gentle teachers of life will let you back on the ground to take your new flight back home, back to Godhead. And we must not forget to say “Thank You” all the way to the top .


Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – July 2nd, 1976.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Srila Prabhupada at the Bahulaban Temple.

Srila Prabhupada at the Bahulaban Temple.

Srila Prabhupada Visits New Vrindaban – July 2nd, 1976.

Excerpt from Hari Sauri’s Trancendental Diary.

Prabhupada didn’t take his walk, but he did give a final class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.19, a beautiful verse which indicates the natural bond between the Supreme Lord and the living beings.

“My dear sons of demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord.”

Srila Prabhupada stated that our relationship with the Lord is the most natural thing. Even though it may appear that we are separated from Him, he said, actually we are not; He is so kind He is residing within our hearts, just waiting for the moment when we will turn to Him. Prabhupada described the ease with which we can worship Krsna and develop our relationship with Him through the simple process of hearing.

“Just like the children, they are also hearing about Krsna. Don’t think it is going in vain. Because they are hearing, it will have some effect. They are human child. Even the mosquitoes or small germs who are within this boundary of temple, because they are hearing Hare Krsna mantra, it will never go in vain. It is so nice.”

Prabhupada said that although our hearts are filled with the dirt of material desires, Krsna within can cleanse away the contamination. We only have to perform some simple service. “Just like maha-prasadam, not eating — the exact term is seva. Krsna has sent him maha-prasadam. So by taking it, it is seva, it is service to Krsna. Krsna likes it, that you take the prasadam. Therefore it is seva. The service begins from the tongue. Not with the hand but with the tongue. If you simply chant Hare Krsna, this is seva, and if you take prasadam, then your business begins immediately. And if you simply continue this seva, then Krsna will reveal Himself and gradually He will give you intelligence how you can make advance to go back to home, back to Godhead.”

He cited the example of Yamunacarya who realized the prone position of the soul in the material world. “He’s praying, ‘My dear Lord, I am loitering in this material world without any guardian. So when the time will come that I shall be jolly always that ‘There is my guardian, Krsna.’ Everyone in this material world, is anatha — means without any protection. We are thinking, ‘My family, my wife, my children, my society men, my nation will give me protection.’ No. Nobody can give you protection. It is false hope. Just like the birds, when they fly in the sky, everyone has to take his own care. Nobody can help anyone. One can help only in Krsna consciousness. Not in the material way. Nobody can help. This is called destiny. I have given that example that in our country Mahatma Gandhi, he was a big man, he was in the meeting. In your country also, President Kennedy. So nobody could help him when he was killed. So this is the position. What is destined, it must happen. Nobody can help us. That’s a fact.

“Therefore our real business is: do not be bothered about things which are destined. Let us take advantage of this human form of life, to endeavor for making Krsna consciousness fulfilled.”

He said that we simply have to surrender. No one is a master, we are all servants, but now we are serving our lusty desires. “Lusty desires are so strong, I do not want to do it but it is forcing. In this way, we are being forced to serve the senses. So one who is in Krsna consciousness, he understands that ‘I have become servant of my senses. Unfortunately, these senses are not satisfied. I am still servant. So there is no profit. So why not become Krsna’s servant.’ This is good intelligence. Simply change the position. Instead of becoming servant of the senses, agree to become servant of Krsna.”

It was pointless, he said, to serve anyone other than Krsna, because no one will be grateful. “We have got the experience that Mahatma Gandhi, he served whole life. Still, he was killed by his countrymen. So you may go on giving service in the material world, but nobody will be satisfied. So this service is useless. Turn to the service of Krsna immediately. If I am trained up to become a faithful servant, just become a faithful servant of Krsna, then your business is complete. There is no question of learning, much endeavor. We are already accustomed to give service. Simply turn it toward Krsna and your life is successful. Thank you very much.”

The devotees held one last rousing kirtana, the gurukula boys dancing with delight in front, and Srila Prabhupada gave everyone the opportunity to render some more service by passing out cookies.

* * *

After a quiet day Srila Prabhupada was driven in the late afternoon to the Pittsburgh airport to embark on the next stage of his tour. Before we left we brought Vana dasa, the owner of the house, in for a very brief darsana with Srila Prabhupada. To his credit, he was reluctant to come before his spiritual master because he has not been following the principles for quite some time. Prabhupada appreciated his embarrassment and also his willingness to make his house available for his stay. He thanked him and gave him a garland and a few words of encouragement.

The devotees gave Prabhupada a worthy send off, not at the house, but outside the temple. They gathered in the middle of the road and showered flowers as the car slowed to a halt. One stepped forward and offered him a beautiful cake and another devotee presented him with a check. Kirtanananda Swami, who did not travel with us, gave him several thousand dollars daksi’a. Then to loud cries of “Jaya Prabhupada!” we pulled away to drive to Pittsburgh.