AIDS

[Guest guest]

At 7:49 -0800 12/14/98, COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)

wrote:

 

>It was an indirect preaching of the 4 regulative principles,

>basically, especially no sex or drugs.

 

>What I literally did was go into laundermats and check cashing places and put

>up bulletin boards with a variety of information on them, especially talking

>about what practices were dangerous. It was places were people would be

>congregating, bored, and maybe actually read the info.

 

Yes, if we go in with the right attitude, we can have a big impact on

people through HIV/AIDS prevention. As long as we are genuinely concerned

and caring, we can encourage them to follow the 4 regs (or at least getting

closer) in the context of health promotion. If we are open about being

devotees, it is also a nice opportunity to show that we are concerned

citizens and human beings.

 

It is, however, crucial that we don't come across as condemning, critical

and holier-than-thou. That would turn people off immediately, not just to

our prevention message, but also to Lord Caitanya's movement (if we did

this openly as devotees).

 

Another opportunity may be to work with those already infected, especially

when they are in the terminal stages of their disease. Many people look to

get some meaning out of their lives at that point and are very open to

spirituality. New age groups have taken over a large corner of this

"market". We have a sound philosophy and message and should be able to do

even better. What a wonderful gift to those who are dying, afraid and

looking for meaning in their lives and who may be open to learning that

their diagnosis is in fact an opportunity to prepare for a better birth (or

even no more births).

 

Other areas of health promotion/disease prevention lend themselves to both

indirect and direct preaching too. Before AIDS, I was working in the area

of cardiovascular risk reduction, helping people to stop smoking, stop

drinking, eat less meat, and exercise more.

 

Yes, you may have to make some compromises when working in these settings

(e.g. I couldn't tell the teens that they *had to* be celibate and I

couldn't tell the heart patients that it was sinful to eat meat), but there

are so many positive aspects of this work too, that it can be a very

rewarding way of making a living.

 

Ys,

Madhusudani dasi

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Another opportunity may be to work with those already infected, especially

> when they are in the terminal stages of their disease. Many people look to

> get some meaning out of their lives at that point and are very open to

> spirituality. New age groups have taken over a large corner of this

> "market". We have a sound philosophy and message and should be able to do

> even better. What a wonderful gift to those who are dying, afraid and

> looking for meaning in their lives and who may be open to learning that

> their diagnosis is in fact an opportunity to prepare for a better birth (or

> even no more birth

 

Actually, once in NV, we were going to open an AIDS hospice. The building had

been set aside, a nice large one , down by Wheeling Creek, beautiful

setting.

There was this guy,Brother Michael, who had been involved with over 80 people

passing over from AIDS in their terminal care. He was suffering burnout and

came

to NV. He helped out with the terminal care when Samba (ACBSP) left.

 

He had drawn up a nice plan for the building, when the local sheriff found out

and

went on a campaign to stop it, with lots of very public threats etc,

certainly

not the peaceful, country atmosphere that was intended, so eventually the

idea

was scrapped, and Brother Michael moved on. This was before AIDS awareness

really

hit this area and it still had a lot of paranoia surrounding it.