{"id":28658,"date":"2016-06-18T13:39:01","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T11:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dandavats.tumblr.com\/post\/146104568306"},"modified":"2017-01-26T18:52:11","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T17:52:11","slug":"unity-in-diversity-suresvara-prabhu-when-another-gbc-man-wrote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=28658","title":{"rendered":"Unity in Diversity.\nSuresvara Prabhu: When another GBC man wrote…"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Unity in Diversity.
\nSuresvara Prabhu: When another GBC man wrote to inform Prabhupada of more dissension in the ranks, Prabhupada was philosophical: Material nature means dissension and disagreement\u2026 . But, for this Krishna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreement, even though there are varieties of engagements. In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement.
\nDifferent individuals have different ways of engaging material nature in devotional service. The agreement that harmonizes the \u201cvarieties of engagements\u201d is their shared purpose, to please K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.
\nThe materialist \u2026 cannot come into agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krishna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is called unity in diversity.
\nTo illustrate, Prabhupada sometimes gave the example of concentric circles.
\nNo matter how many circles we draw, if they all share the same center, they never clash. In the same way, if pleasing Krishna is at the center of our intentions, we\u2019ll be able to \u201cagree to disagree\u201d and continue working cooperatively to serve the Lord even when differences arise.
\nPrabhupada knew this would be an ongoing challenge:
\nI am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity. But, if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful. (Letter, October 18, 1973)
\nOn March 16, 1976, in the holy land of Sridham Mayapur, along the Ganges\u2019s green expanse, dozens of young Americans have crowded into Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s room at ISKCON\u2019s international headquarters. He thanks them for cooperating to profusely distribute his books for the benefit of suffering humanity.
\nLord Caitanya Mahaprabhu \u2013 He is God Himself, Krishna Himself \u2013 He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise, alone what could I do? Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krishna. And therefore cooperation is a very important thing \u2026 Nobody should think that, \u201cI have got so great ability. I can do.\u201d No. It is simply by cooperation we can do a very big thing. \u201cUnited we stand, divided we fall.\u201d Sankirtana. Sankirtana means many men combined together, chanting. That is sankirtana. Otherwise kirtana. Sankirtana means many, many combined together. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Unity in Diversity.
\nSuresvara Prabhu: When another GBC man wrote to inform Prabhupada of more dissension in the ranks, Prabhupada was philosophical: Material nature means dissension and disagreement… . But, for this Krishna consciousness movement its success will depend on agreement, even though there are varieties of engagements. In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world there are varieties, but there is agreement.
\nDifferent individuals have different ways of engaging material nature in devotional service. The agreement that harmonizes the “varieties of engagements” is their shared purpose, to please Kṛṣṇa.
\nThe materialist … cannot come into agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krishna in the center, then there will be agreement in varieties. This is called unity in diversity.
\nTo illustrate, Prabhupada sometimes gave the example of concentric circles.
\nNo matter how many circles we draw, if they all share the same center, they never clash. In the same way, if pleasing Krishna is at the center of our intentions, we’ll be able to “agree to disagree” and continue working cooperatively to serve the Lord even when differences arise.
\nPrabhupada knew this would be an ongoing challenge:
\nI am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. With all GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity. But, if we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful. (Letter, October 18, 1973)
\nOn March 16, 1976, in the holy land of Sridham Mayapur, along the Ganges’s green expanse, dozens of young Americans have crowded into Prabhupāda’s room at ISKCON’s international headquarters. He thanks them for cooperating to profusely distribute his books for the benefit of suffering humanity.
\nLord Caitanya Mahaprabhu – He is God Himself, Krishna Himself – He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise, alone what could I do? Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krishna. And therefore cooperation is a very important thing … Nobody should think that, “I have got so great ability. I can do.” No. It is simply by cooperation we can do a very big thing. “United we stand, divided we fall.” Sankirtana. Sankirtana means many men combined together, chanting. That is sankirtana. Otherwise kirtana. Sankirtana means many, many combined together. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28658"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38885,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28658\/revisions\/38885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}