Gauranga.org Articles

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.