Misleading statements

[Guest guest]

> (1)The details of varnasrama

> as mentioned by Manu and Yajnavalkya in their dharma-sastras are certainly

> based on broader principles, but any similarity between the broader

> principles of asuri-varnasrama on which they are based and the principles

> of daivi-varnasrama mentioned in the Bhagavatam is purely coincidental;

 

Manu Smriti teaches us asuri-varnasrama??? That's something new.

Maybe it was invented by some nasty demon, to delude all devotees

from moving into ISKCON temples?

 

> and (2)The literatures of these two sages are completely lacking in any

> reference whatsoever to pure devotional service. They are not at all

> INTENDED to help people avoid behavior that will destroy their devotional

> service, but are fully intended to help people make material advancement

> through karma-kandiya processes of incremental purification.

 

Then why for instance many devotees are implenting "7 Principles"

of Stephen Covey, which are also meant for gaining material success?

I don't believe that devotees will become gross materialists just

by reading Manu smriti. Rather, they will accept all beneficial

what they can find there and will greatly improve their devotional

service by ajusting their lives with God's will.

 

> This Gita quote does not help your point. Krishna is saying that if one is

> studying the sastras but does not know Him, then he has missed the point

> of the sastras. Sure there is some indirect way in which Manu Samhita will

> help one to know Krishna, but it is *most* indirect.

 

Why? Because it says you what are you prescribed duties, which Krishna

said should never be rejected? Ignorance is a bliss, and of course

it's better for pure conscience to not know anything, what reminds

you of your conditioned life, much better to stay in 'transcendental'

state.

 

> > I therefore recommend that a group of senior devotees study these

> > dharma-sastras, and that these devotees act as brahminical advisors in

> > the matter of any sort of attempts to restructure our ISKCON society

> > along the lines of varnashrama dharma.

>

> No harm, provided they understand things properly.

 

Therefore we need a censure council of even more seniour devotees,

which will check their understanding process, right?

 

your servant,

Oleg.