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Re: ARTICLE : Becoming Hindu
In article <ghenE12yu8.CL@netcom.com>, ganga@bridge.net says...
>
>
>janahan (j.) skandaraniyam <skandar@nortel.ca> wrote in article
><ghenE0unx8.Gv2@netcom.com>...
>> Michael Tandy wrote:
>> Just because my Guru is not a Vaishnavite, and I don't worship
>> Prabhupada and I support the Advaitists and Saivites
>> does not mean I am ill-informed. FYI, back in 1985 I associated
>> with ISKCONites and learnt all about them. I was asked to become
>> one. I refused on the grounds of their philosophies and outlook.
>> But just because I am not an ISKCONite does not mean that I
>> am ill-informed.
Namas te. Excuse me, but I most definitely did NOT say this.
What I said is cut off, below.
>> I would have to agree
>I too associate very much with the ISKCON temple simply because they do
>many great things in spreading the vedic culture - no one can deny that.
>They also are pretty well organized compared to other temples.
>
Why, thank you; you could've fooled me! ;-)
>However, it seems what has happened. Is the close-mindedness they learned
>from Christianity is running off now in to the ISKCON movement. That seems
>very sad, in particularly because Prabhupada himself group up in
>cosmopolitan Calcutta and more importantly in secular INDIA.
"Seems" is the right choice of words in both of these
sentences. I don't know what your sources are regarding
Srila Prabhupada's early life, but they could hardly be
considered "secular" at all. Srila Prabhupada was raised
in a family of pure devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
and he hiomself used to say that everything he did was
based on what he learned from his father. In addition,
Calcutta was much less secular around the turn of the
century than it is now.
Regarding your postulation about Christian influences
upon ISKCON, I can also assure you that if you look into
Srila Prabhupada's life and teachings you will see that he
was apparently much more "closed-minded" than almost any
of his disciples, and he said that he learned his preaching
technique from his own guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura. In smashing unfounded ideas and cheating
pseudo-religious opportunism, Srila Prabhupada was completely
unabashed and direct, even to the point of calling people
rascals and fools to their faces. This isn't new to Hinduism,
nor is it necessarily bad, and as a matter of fact, we see
Lord Krsna do the same thing in the Gita in many places. But
it is definitely arresting--it is intended to be so.
However, that is not to say that Srila Prabhupada, or anyone
in his tradition is necessarily intolerant, and I haven't
personally seen anything in his activities to indicate that
he was. To frankly criticize Maya on the basis of sound sastrik
evidence and to be intolerant of anyone whose ideas differ from
one's own are definitely two different things, and I don't
believe that Srila Prabhupada or most of his followers come
within the latter category.
In which,
>respect and tolerance is highly practiced inparticuarly by HINDUS.
>
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us to feel more humble than a blade
of grass, to be more tolerant than a tree, and to always offer
respect to others without expecting it in return. One who doesn't
take Krsna's instructions very seriously cannot do that.
>Rather than building a gulf between different Hindu sects, ISKCON should
>work to establish bridges. Many times ISKCON representatives have attended
>functions locally, nationally and internationally with other Hindu groups
>and it really impresses me to see the unity. I only pray it will happen on
>a much larger scale.
>
I have no problem with any of this. And I don't believe that
repeating the paramparagata teachings of Bhagavad-gita is in any
way tantamount to creating a gulf between anyone. Krsna offers
mercy to everyone, and we are instructed to offer His mercy to
everyone as well; one cannot be more humble than a blade of grass
while disregarding such an order. But it isn't my doing if anyone
wants to create or maintain a gulf that separates s/he from Krsna
through a willful neglect of His express wishes.
>Some chant Hare Krsna - Some chant Hari Om - Some chante Om Namo Siva; But
>at least we are chanting!
That's OK, people can do whatever they like,
but I'm still going to ask everyone to chant:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
:-)
-m
