How do we deal with prejudices

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

The Bhagavad- Gita tells us how the day of all living entities is the

night of the self-realized person. In this age we often have to deal

with prejudices. Sometimes, the so-called "intellectuals" may use their

status among the ignorant society to spread their twisted ideas.

 

About a year ago, when he was on a leave from the army, I found a

booklet in my brothers room titled "Imagine- Johan Lennon and the jews".

"What's this?" I asked. "You can have it" he replied "I'm dune with it".

I don't know where my brother got that book. Probably between guarding

east Jerusalem and studying at the officer training course in some

market in one of the Arab villages. I've read it that same night. The

booklet was not about Krishna Consciousness but the writer mentions the

devotees in the background story. As you'll read it, you'll probably

realize as I did that the meeting he described with the devotees

probably never actually took place. The so-called "intellectual" didn't

even try to study and understand the people he criticizes so harshly,

people he define as a "cult".

 

The writer describes the booklet as "the gist of what I would say to

them [the devotees], if I did". I didn't agree with anything he said

after trashing Krishna Consciousness as well. Lately I found the booklet

on my bookshelf. I've decided to write a counter-booklet to represent to

the writer of this booklet. I've also found English translation of the

booklet in this address: http://www.azure.org.il/7-magen.htm (By now you

should be curious enough to read it yourself).

 

After reading it yourself, I'll be happy to hear any suggestions on

what you think my comment to this essay should include. Since the

booklet is spread among students and young people, I think the spreading

of a counter booklet is very important for the image of Krishna

Consciousness in Israeli public.

 

Yours: Bhakta Omer

Omer

[Guest guest]

I've also found English translation of the

> booklet in this address: http://www.azure.org.il/7-magen.htm (By

now you

> should be curious enough to read it yourself).

>

> After reading it yourself, I'll be happy to hear any suggestions

on

> what you think my comment to this essay should include. Since the

> booklet is spread among students and young people, I think the

spreading

> of a counter booklet is very important for the image of Krishna

> Consciousness in Israeli public.

 

I have a few quick things to say about this:

 

1) The article which this URL links to has nothing to do with Krishna-

consciousness, and is needlessly long to boot.

 

2) As you rightfully pointed out, we have no way of knowing if the

encounter described by the author ever actually took place.

 

3) Some of the people described don't even fit descriptions of

Gaudiya Vaishnava converts - for example the lady in the description

is described indirectly as having shaved her head and wearing saffron

sari. In Vedic culture, women don't generally shave their heads, and

they do not wear saffron.

 

4) The things attributed to the "devotees" in this article sound

rather odd for them to say -- i.e., speaking of oneness, carrying

around a copy of the Rig Veda, flinging terms around like "fascist,"

etc.

 

5) Even if the "devotees" actually said these things, the likelihood

is that they belong to some deviant, non-Gaudiya sect and not to the

Srila Prabhupada paramparaa.

 

6) And even if they were supposedly following Srila Prabhupada, and

they actually said the things that were attributed to them, one

wouldn't want to soil himself by defending them. Coming to the rescue

of bad preaching is simply counter productive.

 

7) The author of this article is probably stuck in a very bodily

conception of life. One can probably infer a "nationalistic" idealism

from the way he asserts his expectations of other Jews. It's doubtful

if such people can understand transcendental philosophy. There are so

many cultures, ideologies, and nations, but birth into some

combination of them is always a matter of karma. As Gaudiya

Vaishnavas, we don't need to have anything to do with people who are

only interested in cultivating more karma. Our audience consists of

the innocent who are sincere but ignorant. It is an offense to preach

the glories of the Holy Name to faithless persons.

 

That being said, I think that this "literature" is probably best not

dignified with a response. If someone wishes to post a response, it

would probably be better off not referring to this imaginary

encounter. Frankly, there was very little of philosophical value

there to begin with.

 

- Krishna