The so-called Sports (including soccer) are GAMBLING

[Guest guest]

> :

>

> > So after reading all of the following, why did Abhay Charan De play soccer?

> > Why would his Vaisnava father "allow" him to play?

>

> Well, I gave an answer to that already. Srila Prabhupada told us to follow,

> not imitate, the acaryas.

 

Ooh, good point. Actually, the quote is

 

Those who are neophytes or even a little progressed in devotional service

should

not try to imitate the maha-bhagavata. Rather, they should only follow in his

footsteps. The word anukara means "imitating," and anusara means "trying to

follow

in the footsteps." We should not try to imitate the activities of a

maha-bhagavata

or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Madhya 17.31

 

The point being don't try to artificially act like the great devotees, but

follow

the path that eventually lead them to the high platform they were on. For

example, desiring to be a sannyasa and have a lot of followers may (or, of

course, may not) be simple imitation of Srila Prabhupada, whereas getting

married, raising children, providing for a family, and experiencing the

range

of normal experiences may (or may not) be following in the footsteps.

 

I personally know I am not on the platform that Srila Prabhupada showed to us

during the times we usually think of him, which is to say, after he was 62

and

took sanyasa, so for me to try to live like he did would be imitation. I have

to

look back at his earlier life and try to follow his footsteps. And we know

those

footsteps trod the soccer field.

 

 

 

 

>

>

> Maybe it's best to ask Srila Prabhupada directly why he has told his

disciples

> and also written in his books that a devotee doesn't engage in mundane

sports.

 

Actually, I found no hits on "mundane sport*" in VedaBase.

[Guest guest]

At 11:58 AM 12/19/99 -0500, COM: Kanti (dd) ACBSP (Florida - USA) wrote:

>[Text 2870271 from COM]

>

>In a message dated 12/18/1999 9:20:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>Guru-Krsna.HDG (AT) bbt (DOT) se writes:

>

>> You're probably right. After all, Nero fiddled while Rome burned, so I guess

>> we can play soccer while the rest of the world goes to hell.

>>

>Aren't you getting a bit defensive and carried away here? Most of these guys

>discussing soccer in a positive light are fathers and if you have kids, you

>can't possibly be advocating that parents spend every free moment studying

>books and not take some time out for the kids.

 

Not actually defensive, Mataji--just replying in kind to apparent extreme

forms of personal COMdemnation, which seems to be all too COMmonly the way

in which devotees respond to anyone who dares suggest that devotees should

ever be striving to be more serious than we presently are in our practices

of Krsna consciousness. (I mean, how serious are any of us anyway?)

 

As for engaging children, that is every parent's right and duty, and each of

us will get our just reward from Krsna, according to how well we train our

children--right? Personally, I *appreciate* being reminded of my duty as a

parent to somehow or other instill pure devotion into the heart of my child.

And in that regard, one purport of Bg comes to my mind, in which Srila

Prabhupada says that once begetting children it is then the "duty of every

parent to make his children Krsna conscious." And in SB Fourth Canto he says

that it is the duty of the parent to ensure that this is the *last* birth

that his children take in this material world. Last birth. Anyway, perhaps

an essential aspect of making one child Krsna conscious will be to engage

him in sports, while making another child Krsna conscious will be done by

growing a garden, reading Mahabharata, or even (the *revolutionary* prospect

of) going door to door to distrubute books. (Are our mighty-legged soccer

heros somehow not capable to walk door to door carrying a few of Srila

Prabhupada's books? Of course we don't expect them to do it spontaneously.

That's where we parents are expected to be inspirational and exemplary.)

 

Since this thread is also running on the Varnasrama Development conference,

I'll honestly say that I'm rather surprised that senior devotees are so

adamant to defend a game like soccer *as opposed to* discussing the many

other ways that our children could be practically and happily engaged in the

direct devotional service of helping to establish varnasrama-dharma. In that

regard--before possibly being totally driven out of from this forum--I'll

offer just one humble seed of an idea (which is not mine, but Srila

Prabhhupada's) with regard to a sporting engagement for our kids:

 

Srila Prabhupada said that we should train ksatriyas to fight and kill. So

we *could* be training our children to spar with various weapons, the

martial arts, etc., instead of bringing them to the soccer fields. After

all, it's well understood that the main so-called "thrill" of sports is the

sense of contesting in a battle with the hope for victory. Well, one day it

might again be a *real* battle to defend Krsna's temple, His devotees, Their

Lordships (as it has been in the past). Srila Prabhupada told HH Satsavarupa

M that the day would come when we would be "fired upon." Will our

mighty-legged soccer champions be brave enough to fight back? I hope so. But

if not, will we then regret that we didn't train our young, strong, and

robust offspring in this way? Will us aging "heros" be capable to defend

even ourselves, what to speak of others?

 

But my dear prabhus and matajis, please be merciful and do not fire upon

*me* for what I have written above. I'm just a typical Kali-yuga

weak-hearted and cowardly man who will not be able to meet the challenge of

your attack. Therefore please throw either laksmi or blessings down upon me!

 

--gkd

[Guest guest]

"Prabhu-ball" must be bhogus, because according to Srila Prabhupada's example,

acaryas can only kick a ball with their feet as in soccer/foriegn football,

unless of course they are the goalie -- which might be why Prabhupada played

goal -- so maybe "Prabhu-ball" isn't bhogus after all!

 

Oh, it is all just so confusing! What does the Gaudiya Math have to say about

this?

 

 

 

 

 

On 18 Dec 1999, Ramon Estrada wrote:

 

> In text 2867920 from COM Bhakta Didzis wrote:

>

> > here comes a practical example - last year during his preaching tour in

> > russia Bhaktivaibhava Swami used to play soccer. this was confirmed by

> his

> > personal servant, and he told me that it was a lot of fun.

>

> From a reliable source I learned that Hrdayananda Goswami plays a game

> called "Acarya-ball" which involves taking out all the furniture of a room

> and then hitting a ball against the walls with the hand, similar to

> racketball. When I asked my source about the time spent playing, he said

> "Hours." Who wants to play "Prabhu-ball"?

>

> YS RK Mex

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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