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Inclusivity.<\/p>\n
Sesa Das: Generally, in speech, writing, and thought, devotees of Krishna do not place much emphasis on bodily identification. The rationale is that avoidance of seeing ourselves and others in terms of the body helps to free our true self, the spirit soul currently encaged within the temporary body, from the constraints and miseries associated with the body, as well as freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest. While I agree with this rationale as a springboard to reviving our spiritual existence, I also understand that it can have alienating consequences for the neophyte devotee who is quickly separated from all that was familiar to him or her. In this writer\u2019s opinion, alienation is not our goal. Rather, in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), including others, caring for them, and bringing them into our fold is both a more effective way to grow our spirituality, and an essential element of our own salvation. <\/p>\n
One of the greatest teachers of the past that continues to inform the teachings and spiritual practices of ISKCON today, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, envisioned inclusivity not alienation based on bodily identification. In 1882 Bhaktivinoda stated in his Sajjana-toshani magazine a coveted vision of universalism and brotherhood across borders and races:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen in England, France, Russia, Prussia, and America all fortunate persons by taking up kholas [drums] and karatalas [cymbals] will take the name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu again and again in their own countries, and raise the waves of sankirtana [congregational singing of Krishna\u2019s names], when will that day come! Oh! When will the day come when the white-skinned British people will speak the glory of Shachinandana [another name of Chaitanya] on one side and on the other and with this call spread their arms to embrace devotees from other countries in brotherhood, when will that day come!<\/p>\n
The world is moving toward inclusivity. If ISKCON\u2019s primary objective remains to spread the chanting of Krishna\u2019s Holy Name in every town and village of the world, then we need to pay attention to where the world is headed.<\/p>\n
Inauguration of Kamala Devi Harris as Vice-President of the United States.<\/p>\n
Being the first is something Kamala Harris probably has done quite often in her life, and a feat she will probably repeat many times over the years to come. During her inauguration ceremony the 3 most important firsts in her life were repeated again and again: First Woman, First Black American, and First Asian American. Talk about inclusivity! Such firsts give literally millions of people around the world the feeling, perhaps for the first time, that they can be achievers, that they belong.<\/p>\n
My story here is that I have two daughters, also born of a Black father and Asian Indian mother. Countless times while they were growing up, I was concerned how they would be accepted. There just were not a lot of similarly composed role models out there. Would they be hampered by their bodily identity; how would they successfully walk the tightrope of two widely different cultural backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Family inclusivity from both sides helped. In their college application essays both girls wrote of their cross-cultural experience of being comfortable enough \u201cin their skin\u201d to move between backyard cookouts and incense filled temples in India. <\/p>\n
By the way, there are also photographs of a young Kamala Harris dressed in a sari during a family trip to South India. Will one of her future firsts be that she becomes the first sitting US Vice President to wear a sari? One of the greatest teachers of the past that continues to inform the teachings and spiritual practices of ISKCON today, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, envisioned inclusivity not alienation based on bodily identification.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-93006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media","tag-nectar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93006","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=93006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93015,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93006\/revisions\/93015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=93006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=93006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=93006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nTo read the complete article please click here: https:\/\/is.gd\/WLIJV1<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![](\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/19684b1cebb219d13127d5722f6b4a12\/0b62f069a0edf1a9-17\/s500x750\/dc951ad117e1735c0b4de354a317cfbc5d85976a.jpg\"\/)
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