Culture Matters, What is ISKCON? - Incompatibility with ISKCON

[Guest guest]

I would be very caution is using terms such ‘Hindu’ to associate it with

our Krishna Consciousness Movement (KCM) and any way. In the West, Hindu

religion is looked up (by scholars as well as laypersons), unmistakably,

as a polytheistic religion, and therefore theological inferior to

monotheism. Suggesting that we embrace some of the cultural elements of

Hinduism must be clearly spelled out so as to not have negative

connotations to its polytheistic nature. That is, we must know what do we

mean by such statement, and, more importantly, what specific cultural

values we want incorporate in ISKCON culture. On a personal note, many of

us would have not embraced the KCM had we known that it was a Hindu

movement. Srila Prabhupada never made such a claim, hence his success in

implanting KCM in the minds of Westerners was on the basis on very

monotheistic philosophical platform of establishing Sri Krishna as the

sole Supreme Lord, which is strikingly “un-Hindu”.

 

Before starting another reform (if I may use that word) or a fundamental

change in ISKCON ethos, if we are really serious about this issue, then a

thorough study ought to be conducted about what Hinduism is, or as Krishna-

kirti Prabhu puts it, what “Hindu civilization” actually is. What elements

thereof can be used or incorporated in the KCM, so as to enhance its

applicability? Simply dismissing one civilization or another, in the spur

of the moment, would be counter-productive in our preaching efforts, and

in attempting to reform ISKCON ethos. If the West is bad and Hindu is

good, then Srila Prabhupada would not have bothered coming to the West at

all. His decision to start the KCM in the West must indicate to us, that

he found some very good elements in it. Similarly, his decision to

establish major projects in India (as Bashu Ghosh Prabhu points out) must

also indicate that Prabhupada had inclinations towards Indian culture (but

not necessarily Hindu). Another issues is this: Is Hindu civilization the

same as Indian civilization?

 

Curiously, the adoption of the GBC of the adjective Hindu to refer to the

KCM in the West, is merely a political one. And this was done, in my

opinion, to appease the phobia of Westerners towards India. Lately,

Western thinkers and scholars (especially those in the intelligentsias)

have some respect for Hindu civilization, and “much less for the KCM.”

Indeed a sad situation. Hence, identifying ISKCON academic preaching

efforts with Hinduism, though theological wrong, is a politically

compromise. We should work and preach so that Westerners and Easterners

alike, would come to appreciate the cultural and theological validity of

Krishna Consciousness. There should be a day in which the trend should be

reversed: that KCM would be appreciated and accepted over Hinduism. But

anyway, that’s another matter.

 

I am in agreement with Krishna-kirti Prabhu’s assertion that, after we

have sorted out the bad stuff from both Indian and Western civilizations,

we would end up with “creating new customs”, as he puts it. But again, my

word of caution is to get all the facts straight.

 

Bashu Gosh Prabhu’s assertion that Srila Prabhupada’s specific interest in

having his disciples or members of the KCM spend time in India was “to

learn about the culture,” is indeed debatable. As far as I have read (and

correct me if I am wrong), his purpose in creating major projects in India

was exclusively for preaching to the Indians, and for our (Westerners)

purification by residing in the Holy Dhamas, specifically Vrnadavana Dhama

and Mayapura Dhama. I would assume that to satisfy our curiosity, we would

need to have some specifically identifiable quotes, from Srila Prabhupada,

to substantiate the case that he wanted us to learn Hindu customs, by

residing in the Holy Dhamas, rather than to attain spiritual purification.

With all due respect that it is accrued to Bashu Gosh Prabhu, it is still

doubtful how he infers such a conclusion. It is not enough, as Bashu Gosh

prabhu writes, that “he wanted his disciples to spend time here to learn

about the culture is also not a secret: it is well known.” Today, it may

be a well known assertion or secret; that I can take. But how is it a

fact? Where are Srila Prabhupada’s quotes to substantiate such a secret or

assertion?

As I said, correct me if I am wrong. Thanks for letting vent my humble

opinions!!

Yugala Kishor dasa (Gainesville, FL)