{"id":4906,"date":"2007-12-09T21:20:19","date_gmt":"2007-12-09T20:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=4906"},"modified":"2007-12-09T21:20:19","modified_gmt":"2007-12-09T20:20:19","slug":"part-2-what-the-college-students-really-thought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=4906","title":{"rendered":"Part 2 What the College Students Really Thought"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sankirtana Das (ACBSP)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Global Leadership Students,<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed reading all of the papers. They were thoughtful and candid, and even humorous at times. I\u2019d like to address a few of the points that cropped up in your reflections on your visit to New Vrindaban. I\u2019ll try to keep my responses brief.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cI still think the events of the 80\u2019s and 90\u2019s were beyond creepy, but I don\u2019t think they define the religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you. Yes, the Movement allowed a lot of dumb and illegal things to go on. It is unfortunate and embarrassing. We were very na\u00efve. Prabhupada had asked the devotees not to do anything that would embarrass the Movement. Most of these things happened in the 80\u2019s and were brought to light in the 90\u2019s. I think that devotees are working to right the wrongs and give people a better understanding of the Movement, but it will take a while.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cOne must remember that the Hare Krishnas follow Vedic law, and as such, their ideas on women\u2019s roles in society are not exactly up to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

There has been, and perhaps still is, some confusion about the role of women because of the contradictory quotes found in Prabhupada\u2019s writings. I think the role of women in the Movement has greatly improved since the 70\u2019s. I don\u2019t know what the official ISKCON position is or if there is one. I think Prabhupada himself broke the mold, so to speak, because he was the first to give brahman initation to women, making them priests. This was never done before.<\/p>\n

Here in NV: the GBC rep is a woman; the temple had a woman president for a time; women sit on the executive and managerial boards; they give classes; the two gift shops, the health food store, and the thrift shop are all managed by women. I know several women who also successfully manage their own businesses outside the temple environment. In the devotee marriages that I know, the husband and wife view themselves as equals and share responsibilities of the household. Friendships and conversations do exist between men and women.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cThe devotees say you are \u2018not your material body\u2019 and \u2018gender really is irrelevant,\u2019 then why must men and women separate for kirtans?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the temple and in the presence of the monks, the women\u2019s behavior is an indication of modesty, and should not be confused with being subservient. The Vedic understanding is that men have an obligation to protect the women, and women have an obligation to protect the men. Of course that \u201cprotection\u201d should not be abusive, obsessive or paranoiac. But mutual protection is necessary to curb the tendency for promiscuous behavior which is blatant in the culture at large.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cI could not understand why such a peaceful group of people would base so much of what they believe around stories of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Krishna tradition is by nature peaceful, but it is not against violence per se. The Mahabharata and The Ramayana both describe monumental battles. Both books chronicle the victory of good (dharma) over bad (adharma). Krishna (God) actually treats everyone as a friend. So if someone approaches Him to fight, He will accommodate that person. If someone comes for enlightenment, He\u2019ll enlighten. In whatever way you want, Krishna will reciprocate. Krishna\u2019s activities are like a movie or a dramatic play. The drama creates some tension and conflict to get our attention, and the author will use that as a means to provide us with some food for thought.<\/p>\n

Same student continues: \u201cI felt the same way when I went to the farm for cow protection. (he protects the cows but his dog kills groundhogs).\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vedic injunctions allow one to use violence to protect one\u2019s family, home and property. Balabhadra, in charge of that project, uses a dog to protect his garden from other animals. At our house, my wife tried having a vegetable garden but it was ravaged by deer and groundhogs. She gave up after two years. But Balabhadra\u2019s lifestyle is more dependent on the land, and for him a vegetable garden is vital. The dog is their family\u2019s assistant and is acknowledged as such. As everyone knows, living and working in the material world is not an easy proposition. So devotees have to utilize their intelligence in applying the Vedic understanding to their particular situation.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cIt (the slaying of Ravana) reminded me of something out of Lord Of The Flies or the KKK burning of the cross.\u201d<\/p>\n

The festival in question commemorates the slaying of Ravana by Sri Rama in the pastime of The Ramayana. The burning of the effigy of Ravana celebrates the victory of good over evil. A devotee relishes this event somewhat in the same way Bob Dylan, in his song Masters of War, relishes the death and burial of a wicked man:<\/p>\n

Let me ask you one question
\nIs your money that good
\nWill it buy you forgiveness
\nDo you think that it could
\nI think you will find
\nWhen your death takes its toll
\nAll the money you made
\nWill never buy back your soul
\nAnd I hope that you die
\nAnd your death’ll come soon
\nI will follow your casket
\nIn the pale afternoon
\nAnd I’ll watch while you’re lowered
\nDown to your deathbed
\nAnd I’ll stand o’er your grave’
\nTil I’m sure that you’re dead<\/p>\n

The main difference is that a devotee doesn\u2019t really hate or condemn anyone. While seeing Ravana burn, a devotee prays that the sinful elements in his own heart will also be burned up and destroyed. A devotee knows that even a wicked man like Ravana, who was chastised by God, is ultimately benefited and purified. So it\u2019s totally inappropriate to compare the festival of the slaying of Ravana to Lord Of The Flies or the KKK burning of the cross, which are acts of fear and hatred.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cThe Krishna lifestyle provided stability to the unstable, spirituality to the skeptic, and love to the lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t disagree with this statement. I also like the way it\u2019s put; its rhythm and balance. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains that the material nature is endlessly mutable. We are eternal beings seeking happiness in a temporary realm. It\u2019s a paradoxical situation. Before I joined the devotees, I was perplexed as to why people struggled so hard to get ahead. I thought, \u201cEven if you\u2019re successful, so what? Is that it?\u201d When I was 20, I sat with a 40ish year old friend in a bar. He was lamenting. He was the editor and publisher of a magazine and he was hoping to be rich and established by 40. He was still struggling. He felt that providence had passed him by and that he was over the hill.<\/p>\n

People are desperate to get wealth, sex and fame. Sometimes they compromise whatever principles they have to achieve their goals. But even if you are successful and become rich and famous, the material world is not necessarily going to deliver the happiness you want. There\u2019s a certain allurement to material nature, and the conditioned living being is enamored by the prospects, but they can (and often will) vanish in an instant. It\u2019s no surprise that when people begin to understand the dynamics of the material nature they feel a sense of instability. And yes, Krishna provides stability to the unstable.<\/p>\n

Student: \u201cIn Judaism one is not supposed to worship anything other than God (and not the statues of Prabhupada and the deities) which may be why I had such a hard time with these two practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

I think the hardest thing to understand about Krishna Consciousness is Deity worship. It was for me. But if you look at any religious tradition there is a point where the \u2018spiritual\u2019 spills into the \u2018material.\u2019 In every religion the church, mosque, and temple (even though made of bricks and timber) is a sacred place or a house of God. The Jews pray at the Wailing Wall. They leave notes there for God. Also, in Juadaism the Torah is kept on the alter. And just as the devotees adorn the Deities of Radha and Krishna with crowns and elaborate dress, in many synagogues the Torah is also adorned with a crown and wrapped in beautiful cloth. And when the Torah is paraded through the congregation everyone wants to kiss the cloth in great reverence, and sometimes they even get on their knees. Some one may look at this and wonder \u201cWhat are these people doing? It\u2019s just a scroll with some ink on it, wrapped in a piece of cloth!\u201d But the devotees won\u2019t say that this activity is wrong. Actually, it is correct. This is the claim of the Hare Krishnas (as stated in Gita and Bhagavatam) \u2013 that God is non different then His scripture, His temple, His name and His form. God is manifested in the material realm through these, and by serving these manifestations of God, one serves God directly. Thus, the Deities, etc, are revered and worshiped.<\/p>\n

As for the spiritual master, that person is an ambassador of God. When an ambassador goes to a foreign place, he brings the presence of his own country with him. And the way that ambassador is treated and honored is an indication of what the people think of the country (and its leadership) from which he comes. In such a mood is Srila Prabhupada honored and worshiped.<\/p>\n

In closing, I would add that Krishna Consciousness is very deep. You can\u2019t understand everything over night. It\u2019s an ever unfolding adventure and a journey. It\u2019s like going down a wild river or crossing over a mountain range. Don\u2019t let it pass you by so easily. Devotees who have been around for 30 and 40 years are still learning. Lord Brahma, the creator of this universe who has been around millions upon millions of years, still can\u2019t fathom the full extent of Krishna\u2019s personality and powers. If you are inclined, I simply suggest that for this coming year you take some time and continue to study Prabhupada\u2019s books, especially Bhagavad Gita. And chant and meditate upon the Name. Hare Krishna.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"HareBy Sankirtana Das (ACBSP)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me ask you one question, Is your money that good, Will it buy you forgiveness, Do you think that it could, I think you will find, When your death takes its toll, All the money you made, Will never buy back your soul<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4906","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4906\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}