Feb. 3, 2010 Dear …………, Greetings, On Feb. 1st, 2010 you wrote: “To Dhira Govinda: If I accept one guru and after his physical departure I mainly rely on associating with him through his instructions, who corrects me when I make mistakes? And does it mean that after 30 years or so of practicing … Read more
Definitions
1. I meditate upon Lord Sri Krsna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes… (Srila Vyasadeva; Srimad-Bhagavatam [SB] 1.1.1).
2. Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others (Srila Prabhupada; Bhagavad-gita [Bg] 10.4 purport [pp]).
3. If one does not know what is honesty, how can he be honest? But if you know what is honesty, then you can be honest (Srila Prabhupada; Perfect Questions Perfect Answers [PQPA] p. 55).
4. You must know the order of God. And if you follow that, then that is honesty (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 56).
5. Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself that are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong (Sri Isopanisad, mantra 1).
6. If I know that everything belongs to Krsna, I will not use anything without His permission. That is honesty. And that is knowledge (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 58).
7. Even if you drink a glass of water without knowing to whom it belongs, you are a thief. So you may think, “I am honest,” but actually you are a thief. You must remember Krsna, “Oh Krsna, it is Your creation, so kindly allow me to drink.” Therefore a devotee always thinks of Krsna. In all activities he thinks, “Oh, it is Krsna’s.” This is honesty. So without Krsna consciousness everyone is a rascal, a thief, a rogue and a robber (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 61).
Krishna consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture? This question is increasingly being asked not only by devotees but also by spiritual seekers of all shades and colours and even by so called ordinary people. The media has also shown some interest recently. This important question needs to be answered especially in the light of the … Read more
(Early Notes Toward a Rhetoric of Consciousness).
When I was teaching in gurukulas, the students would occasionally find out that another child didn’t like one sort of food or another and would tease them: “Eww—you don’t like mangoes? That means you don’t like Prabhupada and Krishna!” These eight- or nine-year-olds were probably joking, or half joking, to the extent that kids are capable. But when adults insist in the rudest language that other devotees who don’t share their opinions on one detail or another regarding devotional practice or association are faithless, or even demons, they are not joking. And it’s not funny.
Rather, they are simply demonstrating a narrow-minded attitude and cramped thinking discouraged by Srila Prabhupada himself. Unfortunately, we see a great deal of such narrow-mindedness in discussions among devotees over the course of our association, both face to face and in online discourse. I have found it to be perhaps the most discouraging, most corrosive attitude among devotees. I believe it would immeasurably improve the quality of devotee association, and perhaps even the devotees’ preaching efforts, if, rather than seeing other devotees of Krishna in such a pinched, miserly way, we tried instead to imbibe and exhibit the kind of broad, generous vision of others that Srila Prabhupada himself exemplified.
July 10, 1975, it was a beautiful summer day. Although i was an exuberant twenty-year-old, i had no qualms about staying indoors on this occasion. I was being initiated into the ancient tradition of Krsna consciousness by my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna … Read more
Recently I was somewhat belittled by a godbrother for my strong preaching of vegetarianism, engaging in animal rescue, and teaching of yoga, rather than engaging “purely” in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and doing (in his words) “direct preaching”. Having also seen such comments before in articles posted by devotees, I wanted to bring forward … Read more
9/11 from the Bhagavad-gita perspective. A talk by Devamrita Swami.
Dear Sivarama Swami,
Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I hope you don’t mind my writing to you. I have never written to a spiritual master before. You don’t know me. My name is Bhaktin Dora and I live in Pecs (Hungary). I’m 14 years old, and I live at home with my mother and older sister.
In 1992 I went to the Hare Krishna Festival with a friend. I was not very interested, but I enjoyed the chanting and dancing at the end. After it was over I bought a book, The Science of Self-Realization. I don’t know why; generally I never read. I think it was because of the chanting.
I took the book home and cannot remember what happened to it. One day my mother found it and was very angry with me. She thought that I was reading this kind of thing. You see, our family members are very strict Catholics. They thought Krishna consciousness was some kind of “brainwashing”. Actually I wasn’t reading the book; I had forgotten all about it. Somehow it just “appeared.” Anyway, my mother was going to throw it away.
Something’s happening here;
What it is ain’t exactly clear.
There’s a man with a sneer over there,
He’s tellin’ me I got to beware.
Those lyrics, adapted from the 60’s song of social change “For What It’s Worth” sung by Buffalo Springfield, describe the cloud of change that has descended upon much of ISKCON today. There is a New Ethic engulfing the Society, one that was never part and parcel of the original purpose of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s intention when he founded ISKCON. Look around you. It would seem that those disciples who are incapable of understanding what they are supposed to be doing have borrowed wholesale from the very society that they are supposed to have rejected.
And the New Ethic in ISKCON is political correctness. Political correctness, as it is bandied about at offices in Silicon Valley or Berlin, is a form of mayavada because it is a harsh social code that is utterly lacking in discrimination, or viveka. In the world we are supposed to have left behind, impersonal political correctness is enforced all over the Kali-controlled media. Today’s media of radio, TV and I=Internet ignores the fact that America is “bringing democracy and freedom” to the world by a current bombing campaign that is slaughtering millions of Muslims in six countries, because murdering innocent civilians is apparently politically correct. Rather than reveal bombing raids, the media will spend its days focusing upon a sign at a sports game that “unfairly charactererizes” or “stereotypes” a minority. Or an off-color joke told by some celebrity.
A government-controlled media that covers-up wholesale slaughter of millions while lamenting this or that “minority” is obviously using that section of society as a pawn for its own ends. Which “minority” it is does not matter, it is a convenient ploy. What matters is that you fall into line and march in tune with the totalitarian drummer. The Thought Police are everywhere: it doesn’t matter if entire cities are wiped out in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya; you’d better watch what goes on in your head. Similarly, ISKCON today encourages such absence of discrimination because it is easier to create a personality cult around a central body than to have independent and thoughtful brahmanas.
We provide Spiritual Counseling and Consultancy Services. The service is based on the ancient Vedic tradition and the teachings of Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. It is provided by mature, qualified and experienced devotees. One to one, group sessions or Skype sessions can be arranged. Direction can also be provided via email or phone. … Read more
