Sruti Kirti - Prabhupad - Remarriage

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> > And, it is most interesting that SP noted that in the West the men do

> > not understand Dharma, and the women do not understand Chastity. That,

> > he said, is the difficulty here. And those 2 points, I am trying to

> > understand and trying to preach and trying to get others to understand.

> > But it seems so hopeless at times. As Srila Prabhupad himself said, in

> > the West, most just don't understand these things... And few want to

> > even try to learn. But those of us who do want to learn, who do have

> > some understanding, we cannot give up. We are have to carry on, to carry

> > the torch light and keep making progress... That will prove our faith in

> > Krsna.

>

> Are you trying to force every young women who lost their husband to not

> remaried? To wear white? I am not sure if this is what you are saying, but

> if this is so, you just blow my mind!

 

I got the impression that Ameyatma Prabhu, wants us to try to understand

dharma. Maybe once we understand that, we will realise this topic in a

completely different light. Maybe its our lack of understanding this that

gives us knee jerk reactions against the idea.

 

I think it is important to note that Srila Prabhupada does not 'prohibit'

this widow from remarrying, but does suggest (strongly) that it wont

necesarily solve the problem. He is saying that if one can be

transcendental, one can overcome such difficulties, otherwise one will have

to try the material solution, remarriage, and go through whatever comes,

(and hopefullly later one will realise the futility of such material

arrangements).

 

I agree that it sounds very heartless to expect young widowed women to

become renunciates. And I have heard terrible stories of what sometimes

happens to such widows in India, and the exploitation that can occur.

 

But that is the vedic system, and Srila Prabhupada seems to reccomend it.

Maybe if we had actualy begun the process of varnasrama development, we

would have a society that could offer full protection to such widows (them

still having the ultimate choice for their future). As it is now, we cant

offer protection to practicaly anybody. We have gurukulis suing us, we have

poor (as in lack of wealth) untrained householders, who gave their best

years in sankirtan, and who now have to scrabble in the material world to

earn a livlihood. Our society is a mess, and it seems to me to be an 'every

man/woman for him/her self' situation.

 

Srila Prabhupada set a path for us (this story offering just one example of

the dharmic way), and maybe if we had heeded ALL of his instructions,

especialy those for Varnasrama, we could have a situation where widows could

have a fulfilling and positive life of service, in a protected varnasrama

environment.

 

It is really insidious how maya keeps us bound in the illusory world of

familial affection, even though we understand that the relationships we have

in this lifetime, as as transitory as the passing relationships we may make

with people in a busy train station. Relationships which are unlikely to be

ever repeated.

 

It is surely a difficult task to unravel the complexity of dharma. On the

one hand we have to exhibit the material side of compassion, in dealing with

the hurt an aspiring devotee may feel due to material relationships, and on

the other the compassion that helps us realise the trickery of the ilusory

energy, in making us accept fleeting reality as the all in all.

 

I agree with Ameyatma Prabhus key issue, that we seem to have abandoned

Srila Prabhupadas basic teachings on dharma, especialy when it comes to

family life, and such issues have become open dabating points based on

mundane reality. Our society sometimes appears to have become a 'free for

all' of 'I think' (I myself am guilty of this, and some of you will

probabaly dismiss this entire text as sambas 'faulty' thinking) as opposed

to a society where the dharmic law is upheld according to the vision set

down by the acaryas, by ksatrias under the careful advise of independant and

pure brahmanas.

 

Sure we do have to think for ourselves, but we are enjoined to accept the

conclusions of the acaryas also. Life is a complex matrix of situations in

which we are constantly challenged to understand how we are to act according

to higher authority, a great deal of thinking is therefore necesary. Both

have to be there (spiritual authority, and our intelligence to figure out

how to act accordingly).

 

Where is the ksatria to uphold the dharma as enunciated by the acaryas?

Where are the independant realised brahmanas to advise them. Without

varnasrama how can we ever progress?

 

I am still of the opinion that we need the guidance of personaly present,

'in the flesh' pure devotee (as in uttama adhikary, as Srila Prabhupada

does reccomend them to be the best), as the ultimate spiritual authority to

uphold the dharmic conclusions, and to help us understand which of Srila

Prabhupadas teachings apply to whom, under which circumstances (so that we

do not have to endlessly present quotes and counter quotes, ad infintium,

with enflamed passion). Such a person, having possession of Lord Krsna's

favour, and His constant darshan, could dispell all doubts. If enough

devotees prayed for this, maybe such a soul would reveal himself?

Of course it is not that we would all be 'forced' to accept such a person,

and I would not try to 'force' such a person on anyone, nor am I trying to

'force' anyone to accept my conclusion. I personaly feel that this is

needed. Such a person would be the ultimate authority. And rather than

siddhanta having to come under the jurisdiction of a 'voting' process, or

mundane argument, rather we can get it from the indisputable source.

Also of course we can accept Madhyama gurus, and they can be of great

assistance in taking us home, and can answer many of our questions. I guess

the reason Srila Prabhupada reccomends we go for an uttama, is because he

actualy has Krsna, and can personaly deliver us to him without any

hindrance, wheras a madhyama guru, still needs to reach the highest goal,

and may not yet have full realisation of, and association with Krsna.

Finaly at the risk of making this text far too long, I will restate that I

personaly believe we do not have to leave the society of ISKCON (as founded

by Srila Prabhupada in 1966) to find such a pure soul. I beleive that such a

soul or souls can be found amongst the disiples of Srila Prabhupada, or even

amongst his grand disciples. The problem, as Ameyatma prabhu points out (and

as it appears, even Srila Prabhupada lamented), is that many of us are not

ACTUALY interested in dharma or truth (maybe a passing interest?). If that

is the case, why should a pure soul appear?

YS Samba das