Missing pieces

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Missing pieces...

 

Samba Prabhu wrote:

I have also been thinking along these lines. The problem appears to me that

the leaders have been too preoccupied with big big 'preaching' failing to

realise that looking after devotees, and valuing each devotees input whether

it be sudric or brahminical, is equally 'preaching'.

 

Thankyou Samba, I particularly appreciate the words "looking after" and

"valuing". Pity you can't use italics on these coms.

There is a negative connotation in the word sudra, in the minds of many

devotees. We prefer to think that we are elevated vaisnavas from the time we

first join up and put on neck beads. Sometimes we are told that, with a

result being we look down upon the karmis with a holier than thou attitude.

The fact is though we are actually coming from mlecca families (most of us)

and Krsna consciousness is a GRADUAL process. It is a very elevated platform

,to be a sudra, or rather to ACT as a sudra for krsna. We should let them

know this -that you are not suddha-bhakta, you are sudra-bhakta, which is a

humble, pure platform of service to the other varnas. Very fortunate, you

can serve the whole vaisnava community, make incredible amount of

advancement. Srila Prabhupada was once asked a tricky question, it was after

a discussion on varnasrama:

"And are you a first-class man?"

He replied, "No I am fifth-class, servant of the other classes"

We tend to think laterally in material consciousness, but bhakti is

transcendental to classification. Even in the spiritual world, Srila

Prabhupada did not accept that the gopis were better than the cowherd boys,

he said "Oh, so Krsna's head is better than His foot?"

So its not that the brahmana devotees are better at bhakti than the sudras,

if they think that way they will become proud, and the sudras by hearing

them will not like their leadership. First thing is, we are vaisnavas, or

servants of the vaisnavas, but this varnasrama is the ideal way to organize

society according to work and nature. Practically, it can solve a lot of

problems facing Iskcon, especially the farms...

 

 

Now that Prabhupadas instructions on varnasrama and farm community are

available in one excellent format,

 

What format is that? Are you referring to Hare Krsna dasi's book?

 

.... hopefully our members will be able to see

very clearly where we have gone wrong.

 

Yes, I imbibed that from Gopinatha, too, that where we have followed or not

followed, accordingly we have experienced success or failure. There are many

examples.

 

In essence you have identified the

problem very well.

 

Actually, it was Gopinatha Acarya who identified it for me.

 

The question is will our illustrious leaders take note?

 

Well, I don't have much of the sort of experience with leaders that would

inspire much hope, but it would be really unfair to lump them all in. It

would be nice though, if devotees were made aware of what Srila Prabhupada's

instructions were, so that they could insist they be carried out. I think

Hare Krsna dasi's book will be the complete overview, Gopinatha Acarya is

also doing one just on Srila Prabhupada's conversations, focusing in on

those instructions that we are not aware of and are consequently neglecting,

much to our detriment... ultimately its to the detriment of the world... so

to come back on track to Prabhupada's not just lip-service but his vani, is

about the best para-upakara we can do...

 

Your Servant

Niscala

 

 

 

 

 

 

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