Enzombied souls, segued to soccer

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"COM: Guru-Krsna (das) HDG (Alachua, FL - USA)" wrote:

 

>

>

> But there's a nagging little example or two which come directly from our

> sastra Srimad-Bhagavatam. Prahada Maharaja, a mahajana, was preaching to his

> classmates *not* to waste time in play. Narada Muni tells that as boy he did

> not waste time in sports. Pariksit Maharaja is described similarly. These

> are examples to be glorified, not condemned. Do you agree?

 

Agree certainly. Let's look at the one you educing.

 

He recommended, "My dear friends..." Prahlada Maharaja was five years old boy

and he was preaching Krsna consciousness in his classroom. When the teachers

are

out he would preach Krsna consciousness. When friends would request, "My dear

Prahlada, just play. This is tiffin hour," so he said, "No, no, no, no. My dear

friends," kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha. "Immediately. We are

now

young boys. This is the time to learn." Kaumara. Kaumara means between five to

ten years. This is the time. Dharman bhagavatan iha. Why? Now durlabham manusam

janma: "Don't think that your life is guaranteed. We can die at any moment.

Better understand the science of God in this early age." This is Prahlada

Maharaja's recommendation.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976

 

So what stands out here? Prahlada was in a school where the science of God was

NOT taught. so only for some short time, the teachers would leave the boys

alone, an hour to eat lunch from their tiffins and to play. So the

instruction

there was that in that extreme circumstance, play time needed to be sacrificed

to have at least some exposure to higher topics. This is an instruction not

given in opposition to all play, but to play in that specific circumstance.

 

So if the science of God is being played, does this still hold?

 

 

There were many gardens near the Gundica temple, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

and

His devotees used to perform the pastimes of Vrndavana in each of them. In the

lake named Indradyumna, He sported in the water.

The Lord personally splashed all the devotees with water, and the devotees,

surrounding Him on all sides, also splashed the Lord.

While in the water they sometimes formed one circle and sometimes many circles,

and while in the water they used to play cymbals and imitate the croaking of

frogs.

Sometimes two would pair off to fight in the water. One would emerge victorious

and the other defeated, and the Lord would watch all this fun.

The first sporting took place between Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu, who

threw water upon each other. Advaita Acarya was defeated, and He later began to

rebuke Nityananda Prabhu, calling Him ill names.

Svarupa Damodara and Vidyanidhi also threw water upon each other, and Murari

Gupta and Vasudeva Datta also sported in that way.

Another duel took place between Srivasa Thakura and Gadadhara Pandita, and yet

another between Raghava Pandita and Vakresvara Pandita. Thus they all engaged

in

throwing water.

Indeed, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya engaged in water sports with Sri Ramananda

Raya,

and they both lost their gravity and became like children.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the exuberance of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and

Ramananda Raya, He smiled and spoke to Gopinatha Acarya.

"Tell the Bhattacarya and Ramananda Raya to stop their childish play because

they are both learned scholars and very grave and great personalities."

Gopinatha Acarya replied, "I believe that one drop of the ocean of Your great

mercy has swelled up upon them.

"A drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains like Sumeru and

Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little hills by comparison, it is no

wonder that they are being drowned in the ocean of Your mercy.

"Logic is like a dry oil cake from which all the oil has been extracted. The

Bhattacarya passed his life in eating such dry cakes, but now You have made him

drink the nectar of transcendental pastimes. It is certainly Your great mercy

upon him."

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Madhya 14.75-87

 

So although study of the science of God is recommended, from the above

example, we see that that can also go out of balance too much in the other

direction.

 

 

 

Can we ever be expected to completely deny sporting?

 

 

Srila Prabhupada writes, "When no more trees were available, Dvivida took help

from the hills and threw large pieces of stone, like rainfall, upon the body of

Balarama. Lord Balarama, in a great sporting mood, began to smash those big

pieces of stone into mere pebbles." Even today there are many sports wherein

people enjoy striking a ball or similar object with a stick or bat. This

sporting propensity exists originally in the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

who

playfully (lilaya) pulverized the deadly boulders hurled at Him by the powerful

Dvivida.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.67.23

 

Apparently not, as we are part and parcel of Krsna, therefore sporting is

archetypal.

 

So yes, we need to avoid frivolous and idle sports, but we can also use

sports

in Krsna's service. We know wrestling and swimming are vaisnava sports beyond

question. Of the organised teamwork sports, I believe soccer, with it's

minimal paraphanelia requirements, is the best choice. (Although I am also

partial to lacrosse)