I answer the door and introduce people to our philosophy at the Boston temple. A few days ago, 40,000 people marched by, protesting hate speech. I anticipate many visitors asking my position on this. Therefore, I asked myself: as a representative of ISKCON, what action am I obligated to take against contemporary hate groups?
I considered the fact that laws prohibiting the spread of hateful violence, and protests repudiating hate, are needed to suppress hate but they are not sufficient to actually change a person’s heart.
Following the example of Krishna and the Acharya’s, our primary message encourages people to become free from bodily identification- by developing love for God and all living entities. By narrowly focusing on this message, I go beyond condemning hate; I facilitate a change of heart, and I do the most I possibly can to reduce hate.
If I focus too much on condemning others I will fuel my ego which wants to see itself as morally superior. If I focus too much on praising the anti- haters my ego will tell me I, like them, are praiseworthy. As moral superiority is the basis of hate; I will thus become affected by the very problem I am apposing. I will lose focus on my own need to progress to the level of selfless love- beyond ego gratification.
A person hearing our fundamental message must see that I do not agree with the ideals of white supremacists and neo Nazis. Despite that, some people will accuse me of lacking morality and responsibility for not getting involved in protests and politics (which condemn these groups). This means they do not place enough value on the work ISKCON preachers are doing. They might appreciate me, personally, if succumbed to their pressure to get involved in politics, but how could their success in pressuring me to compromise ever lead them to appreciate Krishna Consciousness? The only result would be my illusory ego gratification
My first obligation is to purify myself, secondly, I am to spread the message that all can overcome hate by seeking the mercy of God. We are egalitarian in that we are willing to help anyone who wants to improve themselves by pursuing this path (whether they are presently haters or anti- haters). By fulfilling this obligation, I fulfill all my obligations to society.
Paramadayala Nityananda Das