Should we embrace Vedic culture?

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In a message dated 11/24/99 8:01:13 PM Central Standard Time,

Basu.Ghosh.ACBSP (AT) bbt (DOT) se writes:

 

<< But what about the idealism that this movement was started with? The

idealism that had westerners adopting Indian dress, food, religious

practices, etc.? >>

 

For many, idealism has now become somewhat balanced after seeing what they

are capable of acheiving as well as how they prefer to live.

 

I think some may also feel, rightly or wrongly, that vedic cultural is

external and thus not essetially important. In other words, they may prefer

pants and pizza to dhoties and dokla (or saris and sandesa) and not feel that

it has much of an effect one way or the other on their Krsna consciousness.

 

Now this would make an interesting discussion. How much effect does culture

have on one's spiritual life? Any comments?

 

Aren't we here to "purify", literally "change" our consciousness? And get

rid of the "western ideas" and adopt "real vaishnava culture"? And I'm not

"demanding" perfection in that at all. Just that we ought to adopt it! At

least make the attempt. Isn't that what the KC movement is really about?

 

What I have noticed in my travels is that Iskcon has a different flavor in

different countries. This showed me that cultural conditioning is very deep

and Iskcon absorbs some of the local culture. For example, when I first went

to Italy I saw that chapatis just didn't rate compared to pizza. And I heard

that in Japan the devotees can't live without eating seaweed. Even if we say

that we are meant to adopt the vaisnava culture, for many it will be

difficult or at least there will be certain things they just won't want to

adopt of certain things they won't want to give up. So it really seems that

Iskcon devotees are combining both cultures and devotees individually find a

happy medium, some more on the vedic side and some not.

 

When I produced my first kirtana tape, I used western music with the idea of

making the maha mantra attractive to people that weren't so involved in KC.

And it worked. But at the same time many devotees liked the tape. I wasn't

making the tape for them and never even expected that thye would like it. But

this goes to show that not everyone just wants to hear traditional bengali

kirtans.

 

Now I'm sure there will be some who will rationalize listening to such stuff

employing a similar kind of logic that you have above. But I know & I hope

you understand that if we want to make advancement in KC... we'd have to

give it up eventually. And there are so many more of these types of

analogies... hope you get the point.

 

Your point is well taken but.......

 

Every morning we listen to a rendition of the Brahma Samhita that is

certainly western. The only thing not western are the kartals. Otherwise you

have guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. And somehow Prabhupada liked it. Just

thought I would throw this in for the sake of discussion.

 

I really feel that SP indeed wanted to "supplant" western culture with

"pristine" vedic culture... but when that'd happen... "your guess is a good

as mine"! Till then... Hare Krishna!

 

I think if everyone was adopting vedic culture and it was working for

everyone, I wouldn't have brought this up. I only brought this up because

this is not happening, not because I think western culture is better. Of

course, I would like to add that perhaps everything we think is vedic, is

not. It may be a neo vedic something or other that we just think is vedic.

 

 

Your servant,

 

Mahatma dasa