Aiding the poor, hungry victims of the Orissa cyclone

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

 

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I write as the communications director and a simple Vaishnava. I am not a

scholar, nor do I have mastery of Folio to engage in an extensive search of

Srila Prabhupada's writings on any particular topic. But, since Bhaktarupa

has asked for a communications perspective, I will offer some thoughts. I'm

rushing to the American Academy of Religion Convention in Boston in a couple

hours, so I will just share a few thoughts here, and don't have time to

present a complete communications analysis.

 

The most important thing as I see it, is that Srila Prabhupada said we have

to understand things in Krishna consciousness with a cool head. Or, in other

words, we should use our common sense also in Krishna's service.

 

We do not exist in a vacumn. If we wish to actually bring about a change in

the world, a change in people's consciousness, we need to develop

relationships with those around us.

 

For example, we see that Srila Prabhupada criticized the United Nations in

lectures and his books, pointing out its limitations and failures in

bringing about peace. Yet, when devotees were invited to an event at the UN,

Srila Prabhupada was pleased to attend and cultivate the important contacts

that could be made there. Srila Prabhupada also criticized modern

governments, yet he was always prepared to meet important people and win

their respect for the Krishna Consciousness movement. He criticized "mundane

scholars", yet was very happy to have scholars write appreciations for his

books.

 

He pointing out to all of us with great conviction that mundane

accomplishments and systems are not the all in all. Yet, he also taught us

to use everything in Krishna's service, and to not be impersonal, or to

think that other's opinions and ideas don't matter.

 

Srila Prabhupada was a great opportunitist. When there was an opportunity to

spread KC at the Grateful Dead concert--as bizarre as that was--he took it.

There are countless examples. We also see that Srila Prabhupada adjusted

things for time place and circumstance and that he adopted different plans

and often changed them as he went according to what worked for Krishna.

 

The most important factor though, is that Srila Prabhupada never, ever,

deviated from the essential principles of Krishna Consciousness, although

even his god-brothers criticized his application of those principles.

 

Similarly, we have to use our God given intelligence to see how we can

spread KC, and introduce Krishna Consciousness in these times, without

changing the essential principles Srila Prabhupada taught us. Specifics may

change. Problems with the gurukula system, for example, led to our revamping

our understanding of that. During Srila Prabhupada's physical presence the

stress was on the temple devotees. Times have changed and we now are

adjusting to a growth of the congregation and what that means for the

future.

 

As Vaishnavas we advocate compassion for all living beings. It is one of the

great qualities of saintly people. Compassion doesn't mean just for the

soul, because we all have bodily needs too. (Ignorance of that fact leads to

fanatacism and sets the stage for abusive management and impersonalism.)

 

A king, father, guru, husband, mother is concerned about the spiritual AND

material needs of their dependants. As saintly people, we must not be

insensitive to other's suffering. As Vaishnavas, through prasadam

distribution, we can relieve suffering for both the temporary and eternal

needs. How could we sit in the middle of the kind of devastation that has

hit Orissa and not do everything within our power to help? And, does not the

response of compassion win the hearts of the people of Orissa for Krishna?

 

We are now a large international organization. People expect us to take

leadership. They will not respect us if we do not take responsibility to

lead, if we shy away from our capacity to assist others.

 

We are social beings. If we are trying to stop cow slaughter, should we not

work with others who are capable of stopping that slaughter? If we want to

promote God consciousness, should we not befriend those dedicated to those

same principles? If we can work in conjuction with other organizations that

can provide funding, material support, government sanction so that we can

increase our prasadam distribution 10 or 100 fold should we not do do?

 

We should remember the story of Srila Prabhupada's godbrother: when informed

that Srila Prabhupada had renegotiated the costs of printing the

godbrother's magazine so that twice as many copies could be printed for the

same price, he told Prabhupada not to bother. Basically, he told Prabhupada

to stop meddling and go away. Prabhupada's vision was how to increase the

impact of Krishna consciousness through practical action (decreasing the

publising cost), but the godbrother didn't get it. He was satisfied to

preach in his small way, not "straining his brain" to increase the

effectiveness of his preaching.

 

The principle is to bring people to Krishna. The principle is to distribute

prasada to as many people as possible. The principle is to attract people to

ISKCON. The principle is to develop friendly and mutually beneficial

relationships with key people and organizations. The principle is ALSO to

not foolishly think that just feeding people will solve the ultimate

problems of birth and death.

 

We must be broadminded enough to see that we can maintain the principles of

Krishna consciousness, and simultanteously expand the network of cooperation

with others. I don't see it as a contradiction, anymore than I see Srila

Prabhupada's crossing the ocean, or attending the Mantra Rock concert, as a

contradiction.

 

Your servant,

Anuttama dasa