Cricket World Cup

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Dear Dhira Krsna Prabhu,

 

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Bhakta

vigna-vinasa Nrsimhadeva ki-jaya!

 

 

> >Though I know next to nothing about Cricket I am in India now and the

> >country is under the spell of World Cup fever.

> >

> >Anyway, my prediction is that India will win the World Cup this year.

> >

> >Shyama

 

You wrote:

 

>

> So even Shyama was wrong in his prediction. India lost.

>

> Maybe devotees would better not engage in predicting games of chance.

> Others may put their money on it, based on such predictions. Is that what

> vaisnavas are supposed to do?

>

> Your servant,

> Dhira Krsna dasa

 

This is the risk that astrologers take when making public predictions; that

on occasion, hopefully rarely, the predictions will go wrong. I have

outlined in a separate text "When Predictions Go Wrong" more on this matter.

 

I take your remark "EVEN Shyama was wrong" as tacit recognition of the fact

that many times in the past I was right. For example:

 

1) I was right when I said that Russia would not enter the conflict in

Kosovo as a combatant when others were predicting WW III.

 

2) That Y2K would be a non-issue while others were making Dooms Day

predictions such as the following from the "Apocalypse 1999? (Are you

ready?)" forum (this is not an astrological prediction but I know plenty of

those abounded on this and other forums) I am blocking out the names to save

these people from embarrassment. This text will sound funny now but people

were deadly serious about it then:

 

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

 

Text PAMHO:1696175 (42 lines)

XYZ

18-Sep-98 01:03 -0400

Cc: Apocalypse 1999? (Are you ready?) [16]

"Doom's Day" predictions & preparation suggestions

---------------------------

XYZ wrote:

 

> Our rural communities are a preparation for that. But I wonder what can we

> do in an totally urban area, where we have no chance of growing food and,

> despite beeing devotees, share the same life-style of karmis (supermarket,

> computers, cars, buildings etc.).

 

What we can do is move to the countryside. But better to do that before

there is no more fuel, the phones stop working, the gas is cut off, the

electric light is off, the water is turned off, the banks are closed, and

the shops are shut.

 

> What I can think of is:

> - forming groups to address the matter and prepare (obvious);

 

Different places have different situations, needs and possibilities. What is

locally feasible somewhere might not be feasible elsewhere.

 

> - get some land;

> - stock long-lasting food like grains, canned-food etc.;

> - leave as little money as possible in the bank;

> - don't invest in risky things like stocks (perhaps gold is good - this is

> vedic);

> - have all your computer data printed in case computers fail;

> - go for portable non-computer-dependent alternative energy sources like

> wind, solar power etc (install in your land);

> - survival and other useful courses like first-aid, basic building

> techniques, camping and so on (and buy the items needed for these); -

 

I would add at least two things:

 

-get prepared to defend your community.

 

-store seeds (non-hybrid obviously).

 

 

> We can build a common list and put it on the web and/or file area.

 

It would be interesting to hear from those who are already taking

precautions.

 

your servant, ABC das

(Text PAMHO:1696175) ------

 

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

 

3) Debunking the many "end of world predictions" associated with various

eclipses and "alignments of planets" that would get many people including

devotees into a state of hysteria.

 

4) Predicting that India and Pakistan would not go Nuclear because of the

Kargill incident.

 

5) And, of course last May when India and Pakistan where actually on the

brink Nuclear War and countries were calling back diplomats from embassies

and multinational corporations were shutting down offices and recalling

staff. I predicted that there would be no nuclear war; there would be little

loss of life, that India would win a diplomatic victory and that the whole

thing would be over in four weeks. All of which took place in exactly the

time span predicted.

 

What I noticed is that with the exception of Amoghalila Prabhu no one ever

congratulated me or acknowledged that my previous predictions were accurate.

Yet now that I have made a mistake it is quickly pointed out. Why this

incongruous behavior?

 

Regarding your further comments:

 

> Maybe devotees would better not engage in predicting games of chance.

> Others may put their money on it, based on such predictions. Is that what

> vaisnavas are supposed to do?

 

At least on this side of the ocean sports are not considered games of

chance. That title is relegated to games like roulette, dice, card games,

slot machines, etc. But when it comes to gambling people will gamble on

everything including who will win an election, stock market trends and the

outcome of a war. Some would even call what the USA has recently done in

Iraq as a huge gamble-a gamble not just of money but also of lives.

 

Since I do not gamble nor do I associate with gamblers I do not look at

everything as a betting opportunity--atmavat manyate jagat "as I am so I

think the world to be." Hence I never even considered that people would

gamble based on what I said. If they do that is their problem not mine.

 

I see no problem in predicting the outcome of sporting events-which to some

extent resemble warfare-as a good practice for predicting on the more deadly

pursuits of mankind. Sporting events take place more frequently than wars

and are less bloody but nonetheless a contest of wills on the playing field

rather than the battlefield. However, now that you have mentioned it I can

see that there are foolish people who will wager money based on such a

prediction coming from a reliable source. So in the future I will practice

in silence and not publish my results.

 

Yours in the service of my eternal master Srila Prabhupada

 

 

Shyamasundara Dasa