Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org
Sign in to follow this  
theist

The "Bhakti" business

Rate this topic

Recommended Posts

I bought my whole set of Srimad Bhagavatam off of ebay for about .75 cents a book. Its sounds similar to people running off to college and spending $20,000 a year to get an education they could get at any local library for free or even from just watching Fox News. Then once they get out of college they are so deep in debt they are forced to join the military then they get shipped off to Iraq to fight a war to protect Billionaires.

 

 

"Christianism is Vaisnavism. Anyone who accepts the supremacy of God, he's a Vaisnava." - Prabhupada

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree with guest, before stereotyping all ISKCON temples with one brush stroke, we should think abit and ask which temples are doing this.

It might be a problem with a few ameriacan temples or maybe even a few other countrys, but ISKCON operates in at least 50 countries, and each temple has individual circumstances.

 

The critisism may be valid but speculating on who is doing it where and why is a dangerous business, partial knowledge is dangerous. Some people like chucking bricks with generalisations, whatever turns them on.

 

I think theres more constructive ways to write an article, to establish first where and in what circumstances the problem is occuring.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

vijay, I think his article is fine without trying to be too specific. People can take on the "if the show fits wear it" basis. I doubt the writer wants to spend so much time on that one project.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest guest

No worries. You're a good guy, Theist. Just playing the old devil's advocate. Thanks for all your keen observations. Wishing you the best.

 

Okay, forget the painful or not painful.

How about plain old Gue$t?

;o)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It's hard in our present gross materialistic society to practice karma/bhakti-yoga. The necessities of providing food and shelter for oneself and family while at the same time not feeling your own deeply held principles are being compromised is hard to arrange. I believe this to be one factor in this seminar business.

 

Another factor is that intelligent people are developing novel ways of relating knowledge and trends in pyschology etc. to their practice of Krsna consciousness and preaching while at the same time maybe making a buck or two to maintain themselves.

 

Many have found the traditional ways don't always take off in the west. Even Chinese arts like martial arts have seen this phenomenon. In the past the student would go live with master and serve him and the master would instruct the student. In this society that is so rare it's next to nonexistent so the sudents all pay a set monthly fee show up a few times a week and do their training and leave.

 

Hatha-yoga training is now the same.

 

This approach makes the basics much more accessable so a larger group can get some benefit but at the same time the quality is often really watered down and homogenized.

 

Loss and gain are both seen.

 

Krsna consciousness though is possible to flow among all such changes and adapt to the audience without being compromised in its essence. That takes a very expert teacher I believe.

 

The motive line between wanting to give Krsna consciousness to others and collect door fees is too easily blurred. The same is already there in the traditional setting with some displaying the Deities with an eye to collecting donations.

 

Very risky business when coinage becomes involved. I just think the safest postion is to at least keep the temples as free as possible and as traditional as possible and other efforts should be done separately and independently.

 

Srila Prabhupada even stated that prasadam resteraunts run from a temple must have their separate entrance. That should tell us something.

 

Keep the temples temples, just like Prabhupada laid out. No changes.

 

Not muti-purpose community centers although I like the idea of such centers being established and Krsna conscious. Seminars could be given, vegan cooking and animal rights could be promoted, Krsna conscious viewpoints on the environment etc, wholistic health topics, martial arts and yoga classes and performing arts, it is virtually unlimited.

 

We can be inventive in preaching and preserve the traditional at the same time.

 

But again let's just keep the temples focused on kirtana, sastra classes and worship of the Divine Couple.

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...