Eclipses

[Guest guest]

>Please see below From the pages of Jaya Tirtha Caran Prabhu(JPS)'s website

>in Newzealand. Pl kindly go through till the end as quite good info is

>available on eclipses.

 

Bhaktivedanta Sadhana Asrama,

Sri Govardhan, INDIA

 

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

 

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

 

Thank you, Bhadra Govinda Prabhu, for sending the compilation.

 

It is interesting, though, that while strict adherence to different rules

during lunar and solar eclipes is rapidly gaining ground throughout ISKCON,

to the point of shutting down temples for many hours, rescheduling temple

activities like cooking, public aratis and darsans, fasting for three hours

before the beginning of an eclipse and observing the above rules even when

the eclipse is happening half way around the globe, Srila Prabhupada seems

to be paying very little, if any, attention to such strictures in his books,

letters and conversations.

 

It appears that there should have been at least a dozen solar/lunar eclipses

within the 11-year period of Srila Prabhupada's preaching in the West, and

had it been that vitally important for his disciples to observe eclipse

rules as it is claimed here, we could have easily found quite a few

unequivocal instructions of Srila Prabhupada on this matter, as it is the

case with his instructions on ekadasi and Janmastami tithis. But so far, at

least in my eyes, the quotations from Srila Prabhupada's teachings presented

in the above compilation do not seem to be giving much credit to the claim

that the eclipse observances are of such an utter importance for us.

 

As a side remark, when I witnessed - with much surprise and for the first

time after joining in 1991 - a shutdown of one of ISKCON's most prominent

temples in India for a solar eclipse in 1998, it was explained to me by the

need to comply with conservative perceptions of the local public, who would

have otherwise "doubted our authenticity". But as the time goes by, eclipse

observances seem to be sinking in deeper and becoming an integral part of

worship in ISKCON even where and when deference to public opinion is not at

all necessary.

 

Are there any firsthand and clear testimonies from Srila Prabhupada's

disciples and/or his teachings to substantiate the importance of eclipse

observances?

 

Please forgive me if the questions appear improperly challenging - I am just

sincerely inquisitive and am not holding on to any preconceived notion on

the topic. Would be glad to be enlightened.

 

your "eclipsed" servant,

Madana-mohana das