AW: some more quotes

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

>We seem to have a problem with selective quoting.

It seems we have rather often a problem with using quotes to serve our own

purposes.

 

>One thing is clear: Not everyone shares your vision of his vision.

Dear Maharaja, let us please stay respectful towards eachother while

discussing. That would also please Srila Prabhupada.

 

your servant

Sita dd.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/18/2005 4:00:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,

sita.jacob (AT) onlinehome (DOT) de writes:

To develop love of Krishna, we

must also develop love and compassion for His parts and parcels. Over the

years there has often been a lack of compassion, human care and empathy in

our sociaty, as these qulities have often been interpreted to be material.

The abused children and women are perhaps the clearest example of this.

Unless we start in our hearts, to connect with the deep sense of empathy,

compassion and care for others in need, then there will be no question of

spreading anything of Lord Caitanya´s mission, because our society will

continue to fall apart.

 

your servant

Sita dd.

 

PS! This is a very nice qoute by Bhaktivinoda Thakura which you may find

valuable:

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura on Charity

 

"Those who think that devotion to God and kindness to the jivas

are mutually different from each other,

and perform accordingly in their life,

such persons will not be able to follow the devotional culture.

Their performance is only a semblance of devotion.

 

"Therefore, all the types of beneficence to others, like kindness,

friendliness, forgiveness, charity, respect, etc. are included in Bhakti...

Charity of medicines, clothes, food, water, etc.

shelter during adversities, teaching of academic and spiritual education,

etc.

are the activities included in the devotional culture"

(Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Tattva-sutram, 35)

Hare Krsna prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Yes, I think Sita prabhu has a very good point here. I also suspect that part

of the problems of the past were generated from the general IsKcon population

being a bit immature and not very experienced in humility. We found KC or KC

found us and in our relief from the suffering condition of ignorance, the

temptation was great to assume the mantle of Vaisnava while discounting

everything else and everyone else. It is the normal characteristic of neophyte

devotee,

as most of us were at the time. How many middle aged disciples were there

when Srila Prabhupada left the planet? Not many. I personally cringe when I

think

of the harsh way I treated my parents, etc., during that period in my life.

Certainly, there were genuinely humble devotees, many anonymously serving

throughout IsKcon. A few that have been glorified we know about, Visnujana

Swami

and Jayananda prabhu for example. But the general population was very

inexperienced in bhakti and in life for that matter.

 

So in that state of inexperience, when one reads that all good qualities are

automatically exhibited in the person of a Vaisnava, or it is understood that

one who is a Vaisnava has already performed all kinds of sacrifices, etc. and

one is a bit immature, the mental leap from I am a Vaisnava to I have already

performed, I already am, I already have all good qualities is not very far. Or

if we are humble enough to not think that way about ourselves, we do project

those qualities on our leaders, and therefore by reflection take those

assumptions for our soon to be condition as well. In this state one can easily

impose

one's will on others, make callous decisions, etc., all in the name of

bhakti.

 

In that delusional state, I believe the interpretation of the above quote

went along the lines of "if one is engaged in the bhakti process, there is no

need for mundane compassion, charity work, etc., because it is already included

 

and superseded by bhakti". Of course, just as a tiny miscalculation can throw

off the most complex of mathematical solutions, our immature miscalculation

that we were sufficiently devotional to assume that the qualifications of

Vaisnava applied to us, resulted in conditioned, not transcendental solutions

to

almost everything. But the process continues and if we stay the course, there

is

some hope of relief from our stupendous pride and arrogance.

 

As we gain experience and understanding, it becomes more clear just how

little qualified we were and are, for that matter. How great is our good

fortune!

With no qualification to call our own, Srila Prabhupada created our good

fortune. How amazing is that! At that point humility does grace us with its

association, at least from time to time. In that humble state, we do have a

more

compassionate outlook for all kinds of suffering. It is clear how great Srila

Praphupada's mercy is, and how much the general population of living entities

suffers without it. We aspire then to share that mercy with whomever we can. So

 

our goal is not to relieve the mundane suffering, but we are not adverse to

doing that, if it is in our power to do so, because when one is a bit relieved

from mundane suffering, one is more likely to appreciate the mercy of Krsna

consciousness.

 

Just a few thoughts, perhaps that only apply to myself. So if I have offended

the assembly by assuming that I am not the only arrogant wretch, who by some

good fortune was picked up in Srila Prabhupada's caravan, please forgive my

impertinent assumption and limitless offenses. yhs, Kanti dasi