By Kesava Krsna Dasa
The national flags are flying full mast and those of other nations too. Mounted on cars, taxis and trucks, they flutter in all directions. Large corporate and public buildings display lavish décor all over, as if celebrating Christmas without Santa Claus.
The mass media and TV broadcasters are heightening the anticipation as they countdown to this world spectacle. Wherever one looks and wherever one goes within the cities of South Africa, the unmistakable signs of the Fifa soccer World Cup are visible. Aside from the Olympic Games this soccer extravaganza is the largest, costliest sporting event, and certainly the most widely viewed.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors will converge on this country to support their nations competing for the ultimate prize in football, the World cup. But what does this all mean for devotees of Lord Krishna? Can we learn something from this experience?
Is this the ultimate in Maya (illusion)? Is this evidence to show how strongly attached people are to their places of birth, based on the temporary material body? Should devotees remain cynical of all this crass commercialism that promotes strong bodily affiliations, and shun it?
Whichever way we look at it, anyone practicing Krishna consciousness has to live and function in a world of duality. The same can be said for all followers of religion. Yet while being faithful to a certain religion, people would do well to see where these sporting events benefit our society in areas that religion does not.
Religion generally has a poor image when it comes to worshipping or sharing of beliefs across faith lines; religious people are usually exclusive to their own faiths in their “own” gods. The “beautiful Game,” as one soccer legend called it, has the ability to unite players and supporters of all faiths. It is known here in South Africa which has a very high crime rate, that there is a reduction in certain crimes when say, the national team plays.
On the world stage this simple game of kicking or hitting a spherical object around on a grassy playing field can help reduce built-up political tensions, as we see sometimes on the sub-continent in games of cricket played between India and Pakistan. Matters of religion are not much help in these situations.
So while Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, atheists and agnostics play together as sporting teams, and multi-faith supporters watch them in good spirits, is there any spiritual system that has the same, if not, more power to unite the peoples of the world?
There is one method, but the results of this method are hardly noticeable. In fact it requires deep faith to recognise the results. And for the general public and the mass media these methods are an un-newsworthy set of events, because the philosophy behind it evades usual common sense.
Just like covert military special forces who go into specified areas of the world only known to a few who see the bigger picture, yet the general public knows nothing of their heroics, in the same way, this method actually acts on everybody yet may not show visible signs of influence. For these reasons this method is the most underrated, least reported and unsuspecting story never to be told by the mass media. It is the greatest story never to be told.
People do not realise it, but when a Harinama chanting party joyfully dances along the streets of a neighbourhood, the sacred names of God as chanted via the Hare Krishna mantra actually allows everyone, willingly or unwillingly, to connect with our common father. It is a unification force.
While these huge sporting events confer certain social benefits on a large scale, and unite people with a common language of football, the chanting of Hare Krishna achieves much more unity in many far flung corners of the world simply by letting people hear the divine sounds of Krishna’s names.
It may just be a temporary phenomenon to hear the Hare Krishna mantra perhaps for a few seconds, but the benefits are eternal. It is strange to know this, but the form of religion most recommended for this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as started by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and is the prime benediction for mankind, is also often the least understood, and the least detectable.
Lord Chaitanya knows this method is the answer for all the divisiveness created by human false identity. He knows that real lasting unity can be attained between people of different faiths. And when these Harinamas are expanded to become the famous Ratha-Yatra festivals the unity is even greater.
Just as soccer has been called the “beautiful Game,” if ever an influential commentator, statesman, a leading Christian evangelist, or a learned imam refers to the Ratha-Yatra festival as a ”Beautiful Festival,” in acknowledgement of the power of God or Krishna’s names to unite people, then we’ll know that some understanding of Harinama sankirtana has been achieved.
Ys, Kesava Krsna Dasa – GRS
Thank you, prabhu, for the excellent insights. You mention the word “unity”, people coming together for a common purpose. Even if the purpose is utterly meaningless and benefits no one- to put a ball in a net- because they are unified in the effort, in the celebration, it is liberating. Material life means isolation by the false ego, separateness from others, even in a crowd. Walking down a street full of people, we are more concerned about being bumped by them, than who they are or how they are feeling.
The joy of the game has nothing to do with where the ball went, it comes from sharing what everyone else is experiencing. But after the soccer event, all those who were united in heart and spirit, who for an hour had soared together to the heights of celebration, and commiserated in failure, once again go their separate ways, oblivious again to how each other is feeling, and not even questioning their oblivion. Or, as you pointed out, they may see only cause for difference rather than unity- wearing their cloaks of Muslim, Hindu etc.
The soccer game is actually a religious experience, for each person has agreed to surrender to what is important for everyone else, and put aside differences. They are no longer men, women, bosses, workers, old people, children- they are one thing only, the supporters of the team. With such barriers broken down, egos collapse, and they feel what the others feel, the instant they feel it.
We can learn from this, that religions, or interpretations of it, that put up barriers between people will actually block religious experience, even if the stated goal was to love God. Krsna consciousness, if properly presented, unites people- it tells people that they are all the same beneath their assumed identity. It even states that religious identity is false- we are not Hindus, Christians etc. To think so, is false religion, a cause of hypocrisy and quarrel. Real religion makes everyone one’s brother, with a common purpose, to serve the Father. Like a soccer game, it brings people together under a common identity and purpose.
Even in our vaisnava communities, if we do not agree to surrender our identity as members of a certain group, or disciples of a certain guru, and if we see others as separate from us, on the basis of these designations, we will certainly block religious experience. Lord Kapiladev, goes far that such a separatist mentality will make one’s worship as fruitless as pouring ghee into ashes.
Just for the sake of discussion…we want to be certain that we do not get caught into the cycle of bhoga-tyaga. It is we who place value on something…by contemplation of the objects of the senses. We may be able to grow from a discussion along these lines, since the world is turning by Krishna’s arrangement.
On another level, everything has its origin in consciousness. Like the proverbial banyan tree with its roots upward and its trunk and branches downward (BG 15.1), we understand that the material plane is based on the spiritual reality, and we are simply seeing a pale and distorted reflection of reality at best.
Those who live in countries where “soccer is king”, may place value on this sport. In other countries, camel races (really!) are important sports. We can dissect these things through to a finer understanding of reality, no doubt.
Finally, the gathering of so many millions of people may make it an ideal opportunity to engage in HariNama Sankirtan. All Glories to the South African bhaktas who may make a grand impression on so many by their sankirtan activities during the world cup programs. Hare Krishna!
Pusta Krishna das
Pusta Krsna wrote: Just for the sake of discussion…we want to be certain that we do not get caught into the cycle of bhoga-tyaga. It is we who place value on something…by contemplation of the objects of the senses.
Curiously, there is nothing particularly beautiful about a ball going in a net, it is not a scene which would attract the eyes of anyone but a person who has decided that it is important. So it appears in this case that the assigning of values precedes the sense contemplation.
A soccer game is a religious or eternal dynamic for a non-religious or temporal end. People come together for a single purpose, to support the team and in doing so put aside their differences, their self-centred goals.
You wrote: On another level, everything has its origin in consciousness. Like the proverbial banyan tree with its roots upward and its trunk and branches downward (BG 15.1), we understand that the material plane is based on the spiritual reality, and we are simply seeing a pale and distorted reflection of reality at best.
I agree. The unity of a game, the feeling of oneness with each other, of being united for a single purpose, is the spiritual dynamic of Goloka. Souls here hanker after that eternal atmosphere of unity, of undivided effort, of having themselves no longer at the centre any more. So in a soccer game, they actually have the kingdom of God, without God. There are others, religious people, who think that they can have God without His kingdom, i.e. attain God, without surrendering to the spiritual dynamic of love and unity, without surrendering selfish goals and aspirations- that may even be disguised as motivated to please the Lord. When we put others spiritual lives before our own, by taking time to listen to their needs, being sensitive to their perceptions, and when we put aside our conceptions of greater and lesser, seeing each other equally important, and non-different from ourselves, when we reach that level of empathy, we have the kingdom of God, with God. We do not have to attain God separately from His energy. This is the reason why we worship Radharani. We can reach Him, through service to the servants of the servants of Radharani, a service that is based not on duty, which is something I perform because I need something, but service that is without calculation, service in friendship and unity. ..
After all what are the soccer fans doing, other than serving their team in friendship and unity, by cheering them on?
It is very interesting, actually, the banyan tree analogy, and I am glad you brought it up. A reflection has everything of the semblance of the real thing, without the substance of the real thing. When people come together and unite for a singular purpose, disregarding their differences, whether it be helping the people of Haiti, the victims of 9/11, or even something so frivolous as winning a game, that mode of being focussed on something outside their own centre, in united effort with others, is exactly the dynamic in the spiritual world, but like a reflection, it does not have the substance of the Personality of Godhead. It still fills an eternal need of the soul to engage in a spiritual dynamic- in which bodily designations become meaningless, in which we are all of the same quality, feeling the same emotions, intensely desiring good for another- the victims or the players. At such times, therefore, the atmosphere becomes surcharged with energy…and feelings of elation and well-being, even amidst sadness, are common. The whole thing ends – either with the game, or the end of tragedy- as the impetus is temporary, being based on arrangements of the material energy. When such a spiritual dynamic is enacted towards the Personality of Godhead, however,the bliss is ever increasing, by His spiritual potency, and of course, it has no cause for ever ending.
I don’t think one can brush off the experience of a soccer game as happiness in the modes of nature, as both in ignorance, passion and goodness, one is focussed on oneself, or extended self, family etc. One may argue that the soccer team is an extension of self, of the ego, as are all the supporters of the team. But keep in mind that these are complete strangers with whom one instantly unites and feels acutely empathetic with all their emotional swings- it is more like a radical breakdown of ego barriers than a cultivated extension through means of attachment. Examining how the ego normally extends itself, when a woman meets a man, at first her ego boundaries do not include him, but after many years of marriage, his pains are her pains. But almost everyone in a soccer game are strangers to each other. How suddenly they come to identify with each other. It is an instantaneous crashing of ego boundaries. This proves that when the ego is annihilated, the self continues to exist in an attitude of service, and in feelings of friendship and qualititative oneness with other servants.
We can have a little fun with this blog. Above, Niscala Prabhu (obviously a serious soccer player in his youth) expresses the almost religious aspect of sports. I want to play with this alittle for the sake of some interesting and fun philosophical concepts. Nietzche was a 19th century German philosopher who I read much of in about 1968-9. He was a very egotistical man, no doubt, but had many interesting psychological insights. In one of his books, I believe it was “Thus Spake Zarathustra”, in his descriptions of the overman, a kind of egotist that breaks through his conditioning to achieve what humility might foster (“the way over is the way under”), he has one fun and interesting insight: BOTH THE FOOL AND THE SAGE ARE EQUAL IN EXHAUSTION. When we are tired to the point of exhaustion (running here and there as we do when playing many sports), we find ourselves in a state of exhaustion, perhaps not caring one way or the other about the future consequences of our current actions. So, even though one might possess a fine mind, intellect, and a good fund of knowledge…at the point of exhaustion, it matters little what one has in their store-house. It is interesting that the brahminical culture frowns upon manual labor for one’s livelihood if they are to remain situated in the priesting and learned class. Perhaps, the idea that physical exhaustion strips one of their foundation of wisdom is present in that thinking. Yes, we know that we can do anything physical and dovetail it in the service of Krishna, Bhakti-yoga, but I am trying to focus on this one point, BOTH THE FOOL AND THE SAGE ARE EQUAL IN EXHAUSTION. Thought-provoking.
Pusta Krishna das
I am not sure what Nietzche meant by that, but just to set the record straight, I have never played soccer, never been to a game, and the word “her” would be a better pronoun for me! The reason I wrote about this game was the interesting observation by Kesava Krsna prabhu – that it brings people together, their differences are forgotten about, and everything they fight and kill for, their designations as Iraqis, Americans, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims etc, all these are transcended, not because soccer is in any way a transcendental activity, but because people have found a common identity and purpose. So this is the dynamic in social circles that transcend designation, such as ours – purportedly- and when it is thus experienced, it carries with it, all the elation of a soccer game, the highs and lows, the shared joys, the sharing of all feelings, as in one person. In the dynamic of love between Radha and Krsna, Krsna wants to feel Radha’s emotion, so they become one person- Mahaprabhu. So in love, there is a sharing of feeling, empathy and so on. It need not be romantic love- there are many kinds of love. When one empathizes with a distressed person, that is love. It is there in all the rasas- friends feel the distress of a friend, parents of their children and vice versa. Even a servant can feel joy or distress when his master is joyful or distressed. Sharing of feelings is the basis of any good interpersonal relationship, as it is the basis for being loving. When that happens on a mass scale, the elation one may feel in a good relationship is multiplied manifold. This can happen in our movement as well, and to the extent it does, our movement will be have Joy as a permanent resident. Unlike a soccer game, which is mundane and temporal, relationships between devotees are eternal, when not influenced by the modes of nature, all of which carry the quality of self-centredness.
I think that much of the elation in this sort of thing is a recognition by the soul on the unconscious level, of our qualitative oneness. In material life, with mundane vision, we see only difference, or we may try to find qualitative oneness in such ideas as nationality, but this is still based on duality- my nation, not yours. All of this dissolves when one finds a common identity and purpose. It is what we hanker after- the non-dual atmosphere of the spiritual world- and whenever we find even the palest, most limited reflection of it here, we feel we have come home.
Dear Niscala dd, Dandavats and Hare Krishna. Please first let me apologize for not knowing that you are not a man, but a woman, and an excellent preacher and philosopher no doubt. I really enjoyed your writings in this series, as they are very thought provoking and Radha-Krishna seeking. The wonderful nature of your discussion is how you see the illusory activity (lacking Krishna consciousness) and draw the reader toward your obvious intention of seeking Krishna. It is the quality of a bhakta that their hearts are always drawn to bhakti, tasting the “honey in thg jar rather than licking the outside of the closed jar”. It is really genuinely enthusing to read your writing.
With regard to Nietzche, two things: first the issue that exhaustion has a way of leveling the playing field when it comes to intellectual pursuits. When one is physically tired, the intellect is more dull. This is the same issue as regards the practice of brahmacharya or celibacy. Srila Prabhupad once said that Gandhi defeated the entire British empire in India because of his power which Srila Prabhupad attributed to Gandhi’s practice of celibacy.
Second issue is the existential one. Nietzsche was part of the intellectual existentialist movement of the 19th. century. His ideas (“a man must know that he wants and what he wants”, “the way over is the way under”, etc.) are founded on the prime idea of existentialism that one should try to CHOOSE what they want to do, rather than let external forces choose for them. This is of course not rooted in transcendental understanding, but the ideal of spiritual discrimination might be analogous to choosing one’s path. There are some small bits of truth in many things that we encounter, but as you have so clearly defined, it is like the Kingdom of God without God. The art of yoga is seeing the ultimate connection of everything with Krishna…Om Purnam adah purnam idam…
It is interesting that we can take nearly anything that we encounter and draw Krishna consciousness out of it. This is the mercy of Srila Prabhupad who taught us not to be blind followers.
Hare Krishna
Pusta Krishna das
thank you prabhu for the kind words, and for elaborating on the Nietzche quote and drawing from it wisdom which can be used to further our faith in Krsna consciousness. This is the effect when I come accross writings from so-called non-vaisnavas that confim the vedic understanding of reality- it deepens my faith further. I don’t think that faith is just something you have or do not have- even if you have it, you need to work on it to make it stronger, drawing realizations from all sources- I think that is why Prabhupada said all departments of knowledge should be used in the Lord’s service -“then they are hari-bhajan”.
Nietzche seems to confirm Krsna’s statements that people are swept helplessly along by the modes of nature -external forces. Nietzche may have regarded “external forces” as such things as popular opinion and approval from family, but on examination, it is not opinion and approval per se that push us, but our desires in relation to these external forces- the desire for fame and prestige, which are symptoms of the mode of passion. These desires are separate from who we are. When we realize that we are not our desires, but something, a mode of nature, is pushing us in this way, the disidentification coming from the realization, immediately places us in a position to overcome it.
Nietzche observed that people are influenced by these external forces , but they do not have to be that way, and again this is in concurrence with Krsna. When Arjuna complained to Krsna that his mind was as helpless as a leaf blown by the wind, Krsna replied that he could control it- by determination and practice. And He explained the influence of the modes so that Arjuna could disidentify with his desires- the first step in determination.
The problem is that people do not realize that they are not making independent decisions- that they are dictated to by the modes of nature. When they even become aware of this situation, they can be determined to act freely. This is exactly the psychoanalytical discovery- that becoming aware of something, helps one to become free of it. However it is fallacious to regard social judgment as the culprite, as saints exist alongside social judgment and are not influenced. It is how the modes of nature influence us to regard public opinion as important- to place value on it. Then through the mode of ignorance or illusion, we understand ourselves and value ourselves through other’s opinions and judgments of us… false ego.
Nice observations from Pusta Krishna Prabhu and Niscala Mataji.
We can learn from these social unity events. Though they are ultimately self-centred, they speak in favour of the atheistic creed. If masses of people can join together like this for a common cause, who needs religion?
Perhaps the secular system of things is the projected answer to the problems of squabbling religionists? Keep religion out. The “New World Order,” that envisions a oneness of political, social, and hopefully, religious unity is already mooted.
The Brotherhood of Freemasonry for instance is comprised of multi-faith members. Their knack for unity lies in avoiding religious discussions during their Lodge gatherings.
We Hare Krishna’s are different, right? We are not a religion as such. Yet, if we preach in ways reminiscent of evangelism, causing people to identify us as another religion, then we fall into the stereotypical mould – how are we different?
Within this age of instant communications people expect to be informed as such. Perhaps these mass events in sports and entertainment can be subject to more subliminal types of preaching.
For instance, on one major website I often see small captions – these appear to be akin to what we read in Srila Prabhupada’s books – saying, “You are not the clothes you wear. You are not your name.” This is intriguing for an average person. If people click on the caption they are led to another website belonging to Scientology and their store of books. Quite imaginative. Fair play to them for thinking modern.
During these times of secularisation we need to let people identify us as distinct from the usual religious mix. We are above religious confrontation and other issues that count in favour of atheism. But to highlight the difference we have to adapt, and somehow tap in to these mass events of human fervour and material joy.
Imaging if book distribution used the web as the Dianetics people do, I’m quite sure we’ll reach out to many people who hate to be accosted on the street, a bus, a train, and so on. Those types of people also want what we offer, but would rather be discreet about it.
So here is something for us – Discreet book distribution.
Ys, Kesava Krsna Dasa.
Kesava Krsna wrote: We can learn from these social unity events. Though they are ultimately self-centred, they speak in favour of the atheistic creed. If masses of people can join together like this for a common cause, who needs religion?
To extend the experience. One can preach to soccer fans- its like a game that never ends. That feeling of elation does not come from a ball going in a net. If it did, no one would go to a game, they would watch it at home. The bulk part of the elation comes from sharing feelings- this is called rasa. The problem with rasa in this material world, is it is temporary- the game lasts an hour and a half, then people go their separate ways, or they may celebrate for a day or two. Maybe a week, if they’re in Brazil. Or they may lament. So that is another problem with rasa in the material world- it is limited by duality- contingencies, circumstances. But if the object of rasa is God, then there is no duality or limit.
This is real religion- breaking down barriers between people, by recognizing their oneness. In general, religion has been used to divide people, and this happens in soccer games too, when the object is not unity but division- our team against yours. If the attention is united with ones team, rather than divided against the other team, the elation is there. If it is too much divided against the other team, the feeling of elation is tainted with anger, even violence. From this we can learn that soccer is not about balls and nets, but the spiritual identity of all the souls there. The same with religion. Religion that recognizes God’s existence, while ignoring His presence in all souls, is separatist religion that does not lead one to God at all, but the preformance of empty rituals. This is explained by Lord Kapiladeva in the 3rd canto, SB.
Kesava Krsna has made some good suggestions about preaching by capturing people’s interest when they browse on the internet, rather than facing them off in the street, where they might feel threatened or not be in the mood for discussion. I think his ideas are very good, worth looking into.
It is very nice to see Keshava Krishna Prabhu brainstorming how to get Krishna consciousness into the popular consciousness. To temper this however, we must be aware that Krishna Himself has said in the Bhagavad Gita that the bhakta is truly very rare indeed…sa mahatma su durlabha. And, we do not want to be so attached to the results, rather preaching as a matter of duty to one’s Gurudeva. If Krishna will send someone, then we will try to inject something of what we have learned.
We need not be fearful of being identified as a religion, even though it is more properly identified as a spiritual culture, God centric. However one wants to see us, we can accept if they will give attention to Sri Krishna Nama. We do not want to become the “self realization fellowship”, a mayavadi concept. We believe that there is a Creator, while most forms of Buddhism do not believe in a Creator, and neither do they believe in the existence of the soul.
Just let us try to remain Parampara, no matter what happens, and preserve the teachings that have been passed on to us without alteration. Hare Krishna.
By the way, this World Cup thing begins tomorrow, and I hope that the South African devotees will have a joyous time doing Sankirtan amongst the many visitors of the world who will come to Johannesburg. I can still remember Srila Prabhupad sitting outside on a chair on the lawn in front of our Yeoville Temple in 1975 like it was yesterday!.
Pusta Krishna das
Pusta Krishna das