A new blog of interest to vaisnavas.

[Guest guest]

>"Shyamasundara Dasa" <shyama

><shyama

>A new blog of interest to vaisnavas.

>Sun, 23 May 2004 20:48:35 -0400

>

>A new blog of interest to vaisnavas.

>

>http://siddhanta.com/weblogs/culture/

>ISKCON Cultural Journal

>May 07, 2004

>Welcome!

>Welcome to the ISKCON Cultural Journal, a commentary on the culture, views

>and

>progress of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

>

>Culture is a shared way of life with a common set of beliefs and

>convictions at

>its core. Culture is shared because humans by nature are social creatures.

>"No

>man is an island." What we do affects others--for better or worse.

>Similarly,

>what others do affects us--for better or worse. Culture is a way of life

>because

>more important than achieving goals is habits (mannerisms, tendencies,

>etc.)

>that make it possible to achieve goals and aspirations. If someone desires

>to be

>wealthy but he is not in the habit of saving money, then it is most

>unlikely he

>will never become wealthy. Culture has at its core a set of beliefs and

>convictions that guide the thinking and actions of those who adopt them.

>Without

>a set of beliefs and values, one does not have a way. Without a way, one

>has to

>be content with a conception and mode of life that is barely more developed

>than

>that of just getting by--not unlike lower species.

>

>Culture with regard to ISKCON is something that merits attention and care.

>Why?

>Because ISKCON is in the midst of defining itself--its core beliefs, values

>and

>way of life. To some that this may be the case this may seem surprising.

>After

>all, ISKCON has an extensive set of not only instructions from ISKCON's

>founder,

>Srila Prabhupada, but also a long and venerable disciplic succession to

>draw

>insight and knowledge from. However, none of us are blank slates. We see

>the

>world (including the teachings of acharyas) through eyes, ears, a mind and

>intelligence which deliver to us a special, custom-made flavor of the Truth

>that

>is certainly palatable to each one of us but not necessarily to others.

>Therein

>lies the problem.

>

>Subsequent blogs will take a closer look at ISKCON's cultural issues and

>analyze

>events as they happen.

 

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