By Dhirasanta dasa Goswami
There are two main defects in this activity, whether they’re done regularly or even occasionally. The first is that this media always includes intoxication, graphic sex life, violence, and gambling. Therefore watching it means to break the regulative principles. What reason do we have that we should go out of our way to observe and watch these activities of Kali-yuga when it’s already difficult enough to stay away from them? So why would I want to bring these things into my own home, to give ideas to children? Answer: because people have material desires and they give into them.
The second defect is that anything you see makes an impression on the heart. So the rampant violence, sex, intoxication, bad language, immoral behavior, fairytale worlds like Spiderman jumping off buildings and flying through the air, these make an impression in the heart, and when they do they become a source of meditation, something to meditate on, because these impressions will come out at a later time. Not only as a reflection of the mind, but something that creates seeds of material desires in the heart and which will also water existing seeds of desire in the heart. So it is a very detrimental practice.
Initiated devotees vow to follow regulative principles. When referring to brahmacaris and sannyasis in this regard, we say that even in the mind if one contemplates these things he is breaking the principles. But while grhasthas might have license, they only have that within their own marriage situation. They don’t have a license to view sexual activities or these other things. So for them to contemplate it, to view it, to enjoy it; it’s all breaking the principles. How then can an initiated devotee do these things with a clear conscience?
And what is the effect of breaking the regulative principles? We commit sin. And by committing sin, we complicate our spiritual lives, entangle ourselves in material existence, and suffer from the results of that sin. Committing sin has an effect on the mind; that is that sinful thoughts linger in the heart. They come up like bubbles from the mud and become the source of other sinful desires, which then become the result of further sinful acts. Ultimately what devotees see on TV and in movies, they’ll end up doing. If they see infidelity, they’ll end up doing it. If they see violence or other activities, they’ll do that. When they become bewildered thinking materialism, egoism, pride in the material body is the ultimate goal in life; they become more body conscious and egotistical.
All these things strangle the creeper of devotional service and make one’s devotional life more or less null and void. Why does a devotee do this? Well, obviously because they’re not doing what they should be doing. One who is not chanting Hare Krishna and hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita without offense and who is not doing them enough will not have enough spiritual strength to resist the social pressure from those who are doing these things. Devotional movies are available and will water our seed of bhakti and give further inspiration and lasting satisfaction to the heart.
Hare Krishna.
Conversely however it can be argued that there are at least two ways to deal with such problems of sex, intoxication, violence etc. If a person is finding it difficult to give up intoxication for example just through abstinence it may well be that over indulgence cures the problem. When i was first coming to Krishna Consciousness i was addicted to intoxication but i made no extraneous effort to quit. I would have failed and that would have been a psychological blow . What the best approach is to do is to replace the lower taste with the higher taste. So i focused fully on chanting the Holy Name in Japa and Kirtana. And my attraction to these lower tastes of intoxication slowly dwindled and disappeared. If one approach does not work there is always another one to consider. So if we give up anything artificially it will always hanker in our hearts.
If we follow a progressive path that naturally disengages the heart and mind then it is a very strong path to follow. So the best path we can follow is to chant the Holy Name whatever else we may be doing externally and the Holy Name will win out because the Holy Name is the highest association. If we put a very cold iron poker into the fire it will eventually take on the qualities of the fire but sometimes it takes time for that result. But dont stop chanting- thats the most important instruction to follow, everything else will follow.
The other point is we cannot avoid violence in this world, it is a natural law. We cannot avoid violence. All we can hope to do is to minimize violence.S.Bhagavatam.3.29.15.
We might extend this argument. If watching a movie in which someone breaks the regulative principles is identical with breaking the regulative principles, then a sannyasi thinking (and sometimes complaining) about other devotees watching movies in which people break the regulative principles is also equal to breaking the principles.
While I don't doubt there is good advice in recommending us to not watch movies, the argumentation in this original article leaves something to be desired.
P.S. Who is Spiderman?
Hare Krishna!
I am entirely unqualified to make any argument in this regard, and because I am excluded from speaking on topics of the Bhagavatam I cannot reference the example of the sage who hid at the bottom of the stream only to notice two fish in the throes of amorous pastimes, but instead I hope you won't mind me quoting the wise words of Brit-pop idler and layabout Damon Albarn:
You're taking the fun out of everything
You're making me run, when I don't wanna think
You're taking the fun out of everything
I don't wanna think at all
There's no other way
There's no other way
All that you can do is watch them play
You're taking the fun out of everything
You're making it clear, when I don't wanna think
You're taking me up, when I don't wanna go up anymore
I'm just watching it all
There's no other way
There's no other way
All that you can do is watch them play
There's no other way
There's no other way
All that you can do is watch them play
– Blur "There's No Other Way" (1991)
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
I have personally gone to watch movies with so called big leaders in iskcon many times we went with the whole temple one time to go watch the life of Brian because it was a (spiritual movies) he's not the messiah he's just a very naughty boy….