Simplistic Answers

[Guest guest]

On 06 Dec 1998, Janesvara Dasa wrote:

Frankly, I am a bit disgusted with much of it and it has

> discouraged me from writing. To argue the points would only fuel the useless

fire. In my opinion, 99% of the debates are regarding the symptoms of the

disease and do not address the need to treat the disease.

> How many times has the cow and bull come up in the posts (you are usually

the only one who brings them into the conversations)? How many times has grain

production come up? How many times has practical discussion of engaging

everyone in varnas for honest employment come up? I think everyone has got way

too much time on their hands and they hover perpetually on the mental plane

looking for solutions to a fundamental problem. Varnasrama-dharma, real

varnasrama-dharma with cows and bulls and grains and hard work, is the only

answer to solve these otherwise symptomatic problems.

 

> We could argue endlessly, but I think if we actually had communities based

on the liberal yet devotional lifestyles and mentalities of Dvaraka in Krsna

book and other references we could all start to become friends once again and

help others when they are down and rely on others when we need help ourselves.

We have to stop worrying about the relative "advancement" of each other and

stop the quibbling and sniping about trifles which can be solved by the bigger

picture. This is not minimize civil rights, but the present methods are only

creating further devisiveness.

 

Respectfully, simply going back to a more primitive form of life will not

prove a panacaea for our psychological, social and spiritual ills. Read the

book "Goodwill" (100 pg short novel) for a vivid expose of the aborted project

of trying to live a virtuous life on the farm without first instilling social

values and sensitive human connections.

 

True, establishing "conscious" communities is the way to go. But how will we

draw the right stock of folk together under a common agenda? Forming viable

communities is not as simple as herding a bunch of cows. Not to minimize your

interests, but simply going back to nature and protecting cows will not happen

without the cooperative efforts of socially and spiritually enlightened souls.

 

A sexist or elitist society can never establish a spiritual culture such as

approaching we what call "Vedic."

 

Our efforts must therefore be comprehensive and address the issues from all

perspectives.

 

Srila dasa