By Bhakta Nilesh
Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I am wondering why many of ISKCON’s leaders play various types of ball games when Srila Prabhupada stated that playing ball
games is a violation of the fourth regulative principle, no gambling and no sports. I cannot understand what is the future of ISKCON if it’s own leaders are regularly violating this regulative principle. Kindly shed some light on this for me.
The fact that balls games are a violation of the regulative princples is confirmed in the following lecture excerpt from Srila Prabhupada.
“This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication. No meat-eating. Simple. Only Krsna prasadam. Whatever… If you remain in the temple you will get Krsna prasadam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati,
dahl, offer to Krsna and take. Don’t take anything except Krsna prasada. The third… And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life.”
Ref. VedaBase = Initiation Lecture — Los Angeles, December 19, 1968
From the Editor:
One day, Paramahamsa Swami and I accompanied Srila Prabhupada on a car ride. Passing a playground, Srila Prabhupada smiled and said, “I played football there when I was young. I would be the goalie because I was lazy. I didn’t like to run around. That was the position I liked.”
and
Abhay liked to ride his bicycle down the busy Calcutta streets. Although when the soccer club had been formed at school he had requested the position of goalie so that he wouldn’t have to run, he was an avid cyclist. A favorite ride was to go south towards Dalhousie Square, with its large fountains spraying water into the air.
From Aniruddha Das:
Almost everyone requires exercise to maintain good health. Sport is accepted as a means for keeping good health.
Prabhupada himself demonstrated this principle of keeping healthy by taking morning walks and a daily massage.
It is worth noting that Prabhupada mentions “unnecessary sporting” not “no sport”.
Your servant,
Aniruddha Dasa
Srila Prabhupada listed among standard practices for his disciples: “Should not become engaged in frivolous sports” in a notice to all devotees as well as in a letter to Sacisuta dated 5-30-68.
Our ISKCON leaders should be able to tell us which sporting activities are frivolous and which are not. The best exercise just happens to be the most auspicious spiritual activity as well: Sri Harinam Sankirtana, and I am a little late getting out to Times Square for Harinam tonight, so I will make this short.
Srila Prabhupada once wrote to me that we should “chant, dance and become purified.” He also said physical health follows spiritual health. If more devotees get involved in performing public chanting of the Holy Name, by chanting and dancing in ecstasy, they will not only keep themselves physically fit, but they will also please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If our leaders are engaging in frivolous sports, they would be better off putting down their sticky wickets in exchange for mrdangas and karatalas. Let us all work to fulfill the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Your servant,
Locanananda dasa
lfelda@aol.com
It’s also good to have a few normal people that the mass of society can relate to. Not everyone can be strict Sanyasis or Brahmacaris. Cutting loose once in a while and playing some ball, swimming in the ocean or pool is not that sinful. One of the things which bothers me the most about ISKCON is its strict rigidity and inflexibility. Everyone if so damn serious and glum so much of the time. Why would anyone want to join us? No one is ever allowed to have any fun.
Haribol! According to some devotees hatha yoga is no good, and playing ball or other sports is no good either (but wrestling is somewhat OK?). Thus for a “strict” devotee the only form of physical exercise we all know is required to maintain the body would be doing your service or walking while chanting your rounds. That approach combined with a monotonous temple diet seems to have caused a lot of health problems among the devotees, often leading to a much diminished serving ability of the affected persons. Is that really the model of behavior we should promote among the temple devotees? If nothing else, we should promote some hatha yoga exercises to help our devotees keep their bodies in good condition for Krsna’s service for many years to come.
your servant
Kula-pavana das
This is a great photo?
Yes we do need excercise, especially when you are in your 50s. There are very senior devotees who swim regularly, others walk, run, bushwalk. Some join a gym, ride bikes etc. anything to keep the body in good shape so they can serve Krishna with full energy. I am not sure how many devotees in their 50s and 60s would have the stemina to go on Harinam to keep fit, but it’s worth a try, if anything, to keep the soul jumping toward Krishna.
What is more mentally involving and a real concern is when someone who is considered an examplary sadhaka is addicted to watching sport, world cups, olympic games and being an avid reader of the sport page in the paper.
Ys Radhacaran
Obviously Srila Prabhupada discouraged sports as the point of human life is to become KC, and it is a fact if there was more Harinama, even daily so many persons would get some excersice.
In ISKCON over 75% of devotees are not really in that great physical shape as they don’t have any exercise and early death and many diseases is just one of the side effects.
On top of this the daily taken lots of rice, and lots of ghee, sweets, many things with sometimes oils that are not fit to be offered to the Deities, who will be healthy?
The anti health consciousness you find in ISKCON also reflects the lack of preaching and Harinama, and bookdistribution.Because how can you keep preaching if you are not even healthy to go for a long japa walk, what to speak of doing 8 hours book distribution, even 2-3 hours Harinama. I have seen once in NY we went on Harinama and a young mataji only 23 said she was to tired to go back to the temple by Harinama.
Srila Prabhupada also warned not to attract lazies and crazies. The first time my wife visited Boston temple, the matajis put her in the laundry room, without light or anything. She humbly accepted and next day had a panic attack because of being left in this unfriendly environment, with mice on the floor too.
ISKCON is becoming lazy, book distribution is down, and just sitting in the temple and taking care of the congregation and then go and get welfare. Devotees need a healthier diet, and lifestyle and there is no regularly health screening.
After 19 years of brahmacari life in ISKCON, I live outside the temple, I regularly engage in running, ballsports, swimming martial arts etc. and my health has improved 1000%, now I regularly go to the dentist, has healthscreenings etc.
Many persons from India are not health oriented to not be biased that is my clear observations, they try to save money on food and buy cheaper quality brands etc. But for a western devotee this is not acceptabel. Spiritual health comes first, so most of the time I never chant less than 32 rounds daily and often 64 rounds, I read a lot of sastra and Srila Prabhupadas books, worship Salagram Silas and Govardhana Sila daily, but I sure also get my daily exercise.
At least temple devotees should eat more healthy and go swimming ,and do regular Harinamas and bookdistribtuion this will be good for spiritual and physical health.Skipping TV and movies also helps, going to bed early and rising early having mongal artik in your house or at the temple.And maybe taken a nap, and not overeating, even long daily japa walks in fresh air is a good start for better health.
Your servant
Payonidhi das
Srila Prabhupad does not actually say that playing ball is breaking the regulative principles. Prabhupad said no unnecessary sporting.
If we were to say there could be no sports would it mean that the poor gurukulis couldn’t even play, or ride on a swing?
In 73 when we got Bhaktivedanta Manor ,one of Srila Prabhupada’s first requests was that we provide a playground for the children,
I remember installing ,swings,a slide and roundabout on which i had great fun…….
but i think i was expected at some point to grow up.
ys mvdas