{"id":6359,"date":"2008-09-02T10:33:04","date_gmt":"2008-09-02T09:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=6359"},"modified":"2008-09-02T10:33:04","modified_gmt":"2008-09-02T09:33:04","slug":"games-animpic-vs-humanpic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=6359","title":{"rendered":"Games : Animpic vs. Humanpic"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sahadeva dasa <\/strong><\/p>\n

A dung beetle lamented, \u201cHow I wish I too was watched and adored by millions but alas, where can I find so many studpid beetles?\u201d
\nAfter Soccer cup couple of years ago, we have just witnessed the great spectacle called Olympics, an event synonymous with human achievement and triumph, an event many wait for.
\nThis is the time to tune in, drop everything else to watch in awe as the exuberant young bodies run, jump, lift and dive and as the news of medal tally pours in. The Olympics stir emotions like no other sporting event as some athletes are heartbroken while others are overjoyed.
\n But organizing an even of such scale is not easy. Great preparations mark the staging of this prestigious global event. Years before the event, architects and planners start racking their brains for erecting an \u2018olympic city\u2019 which boasts of gorgeous stadia for sporting events and various other facilities for distinguished guests, dignitaries and athletes. Foolproof arrangements are made for accomodation, entertainment, medical care and of course, security. Many billions of dollars are spent in this historic endeavor by the hosting country.
\nApart from the host, the participating nations also prepare and groom their athletes for years. Billions are spent in their training and equipments.
\nThe Chinese Olympics was the most expensive sports event in human history, entailing a budget of over $48 billion. London, the next host for 2012 games, admits that it can’t equal the scale and stature of the extravaganza in Beijing because the allocated budget is mere $18 billion.
\nAnd all this to check out who can run faster, who can jump higher, who can swim better and who can punch harder. But animals all around us can accomplish all this much better, without spending billions and without makings gorgeous bombastic arrangements.
\nOlympic motto is \u2018Citius altius fortius\u2019 or faster, higher and stronger. But it should not mean running faster or jumping higher or stronger muscles. A dog can easily outrun the fastest athlete, a kangaroo can jump higher than any athlete can ever imagine and an elephant can lift several weight lifters along with the weights they are struggling to lift.
\nSrila Prabhupada aptly summarizes this in the phrase, bahvarambhe laghu kriya. \u201cYou can make a very high-grade arrangement, but the result is zero… They do not know what is spiritual life, what is ultimate goal. Simply like cats and dogs. The dog jumps over with four legs, and if a man can jump over with four wheels, then that is advance. Just see….again they have made this car, coming from miles away, but the business is fishing. Just see. Bambharambhe laghu-kriya. “Advancement of civilization, we have got car, we are nicely dressed, we are human being, everything…” But what is your business? Fishing. Bambharambhe… Arambha, gorgeous arrangement — the business is the same. The skylark, what is called? Skylark? These birds?… seagulls. They are doing the same business, and after his much advancement of civilization, he is doing the same business. The tiger is also eating flesh and blood, and human being — a scientific slaughterhouse. The same business, but they have got scientific instrument how to cut the throat quickly. This is the advance, advancement of civilization. The dog and cat they are having sex on the open street, and now they are talking of homosex in the school, colleges for education. This is their position. They do not know even what is the standard of human civilization. If you are doing the same business like ordinary animals, then where is the advancement of civilization? (Morning Walk — May 11, 1975, Perth)
\nOne World, One Dream – Countless Hypocrisies
\nThe official motto for the Beijing Olympics was \u2018One World, One Dream.\u2019 Of course restrictions Apply. Tibet Not Included.\u201d
\nAt a recent press conference, a reporter asked the chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee about China\u2019s Olympic slogan, \u201cOne world, one dream.\u201d
\n\u201cAs recently as ten years ago,\u201d said the reporter, \u201cChinese leaders expressed their plans to spread Communism throughout the world by the use of force. How do you respond to critics who believe the \u2018one world\u2019 idea in the Olympic slogan sounds like a plan for world conquest?\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d said the Chinese spokesman. \u201c \u2018One world\u2019 simply refers to the fact that the entire world is gathering together in Beijing for the Olympics. It\u2019s a statement of unity. Any suggestion that China is trying to conquer the world is absurd.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd what about the \u2018one dream\u2019 part of the slogan?\u201d asked the reporter. \u201cWhat is the dream?\u201d
\n\u201cA society founded on Marxist principles, of course,\u201d came the reply.
\nChina announced that during the Olympics, protesters will be allowed to assemble in designated protest areas or, as they\u2019re commonly called in China, jails.
\nThe dream of one world can not be realized by holding Olympics. Olympics will go on and wars will go on. Peace and unity is only possible on spiritual platform as suggested by Sripad Sankara, twelve centuries ago:
\nekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam
\neko devo devaki-putra eva
\neko mantras tasya namani yani
\nkarmapy ekam tasya devasya seva
\n\u201cIn this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. Therefore, ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam: let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world-Bhagavad-gita. Eko devo devaki-putra eva: let there be one God for the whole world-Sri Krsna. Eko mantras tasya namani: and one hymn, one mantra, one prayer — the chanting of His name: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare\/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva: and let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\u201d (Bhagavad-gita Introduction)<\/p>\n

A Humanpics Manifesto
\nHuman society is becoming more and more frivolous and less and less serious. Less and less serious about the higher values in life, about the importance of character and integrity. Whole mood is to take life very lightly and to do your own thing without any standard code of conduct. Trivialities are vying for more and more human attention today.
\nSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say, “There is no scarcity of anything within this world. The only scarcity is of Krsna consciousness.” Enough resources have been provided by God for all the residents of this planet to live happily but there is gross mismanagement as far as distribution is concerned. Lavish spendings in countless frivolous engagments like recently held games would provide one such example.
\nHuman beings should compete as humans so that human qualities can shine forth. Lets have a look at what should be the standard of human excellence. <\/p>\n

Humanpic Events
\nBesides Aquatics, some athletes should compete in event known as \u2018Austerity\u2019 because this is the foremost function of human life. Champions in this category are too numerous to mention and a vedic text known as Srimad Bhagavatam is filled with examples of record holders in this category.
\nHockey is good but better still is hearing about God. By hearing about God, we accomplish the prime purpose of human life. In one humanpic held 5000 years ago, King Pariksit is said to have cornered the gold in this event.
\nGymnastics would go well along with \u2018Glorification of God\u2019 because after all this is what differentiates mankind from dogkind. From Sukadeva Goswami to Srila Prabhupada, thousands have won gold in this series down the ages.
\nIn place of or along with cycling, let there be an event called \u2018care of other life forms\u2019. King Pariksit won the gold medal by protecting an innocent cow from the hands of an unscrupulous low class person.
\nAnother area different countries could possibly compete is \u2018Chanting the holy name\u2019. Haridas Thakura is an all time legend as far as this game is concerned.
\nHow about \u2018Truthfulness\u2019 along side with Table tennis? King Yudhisthir was one such titleholder.
\nIf there is Weightlifting, why not add another event called, keeping \u2018Word of honor\u2019. This game would make an interesting show in this age of lying and deceit. Previous gold medalists we can look upto are Maharaja Dasarath and Bali.
\nOther events could be \u2018Sense control, Remembering God, Renunciation, World welfare, Surrender to God, Humility, Pridelessness, Nonviolence, Tolerance, Simplicity etc. etc.
\nThere could be hundreds of events like this which would be worth competing for by humans and and which would really testify human excellence in its true sense. <\/p>\n

By Sahadeva dasa, Secunderabad, India<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"HareBy Sahadeva dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the time to tune in, drop everything else to watch in awe as the exuberant young bodies run, jump, lift and dive and as the news of medal tally pours in. The Olympics stir emotions like no other sporting event as some athletes are heartbroken while others are overjoyed. <\/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-6359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6359","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=6359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6359\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}