The Anti-Prabhupada and Karmageddon

[Murali_Mohan_das]

I feel it is my duty to add my not-so-humble opinion when I see the lawyers trying to deceive.

 

Or, to reference a classic Saturday Night Live sketch, "Caveman lawyer", though I am but an ignorant cave-man, without knowledge of fire and tax shelters, I must object, your honor!!

 

 

What whimsy, you don't "buy" my proposition, cannot reasonably state why, yet blurt out your opinion anyway. This upstart tendency is why you are no one to judge, but if you ever got called to jury duty on such a serious issue, I am certain the gravity of truth would weigh upon you nicely.

 

Hare Krsna

[Beggar]

 

All glories to Iskcon.

Hare Krsna

 

<tt>Sri Guru & His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj

Chapt. 7,</tt>

 

We need society only to help us. If our affinity to the society keeps us down, then that should be given up, and we must march on. There is the absolute consideration and the relative consideration. When they come into clash, the relative must be given up, and the absolute should be accepted. If my inner voice, my spiritual conscience decides that this sort of company cannot really help me, then I will be under painful necessity to give them up, and to run towards my destination, wherever my spiritual conscience guides me. Any other course will be hypocrisy, and it will check my real progress. If we are sincere in our attempt, then no one in the world can check us or deceive us; we can only deceive ourselves (na hi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati ) [bg. 6.40]. We must be true to our own selves, and true to the Supreme Lord. We must be sincere.

 

"If our affinity to the society keeps us down, then that should be given up...". Of course this implies that we know what is up and what is down, even on more subtle levels than whether we are chanting our rounds etc. In other words, where should we focus our consciousness and how will this unfold etc? And even if we can parrot, "to always remember Krsna and never forget Him", then how will this appear in are practical lives? And are we moving closer or further from that standard?

[suchandra]

 

<tt>Sri Guru & His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj

Chapt. 7,</tt>

 

 

"If our affinity to the society keeps us down, then that should be given up...". Of course this implies that we know what is up and what is down, even on more subtle levels than whether we are chanting our rounds etc. In other words, where should we focus our consciousness and how will this unfold etc? And even if we can parrot, "to always remember Krsna and never forget Him", then how will this appear in are practical lives? And are we moving closer or further from that standard?

 

well spoken, to serve the Vaishnavas is the actual progress in life!

 

Chowpatty Eclipsed by Outside Workers?

 

December 2, 2007 - 7:45pm — kaunteya

http://namahatta.org/en/node/5822

by Kaunteya Das

The atmosphere in our centers can be adversely affected by untrained hired hands, since ordinary workers usually lack the culture, mood, and practical training to properly represent the sankritana mission. The issue of hiring and training temple workers, especially those who interact with the public, is a most relevant issue for many ISKCON temples, especially those in India.

The Congregational Development Ministry, through its publications and presentations, has consistently praised the Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha Mandir (Chowpatty, Mumbai) as a fine example of temple life and of community-building standards. Their success in attracting people ultimately resulted in their needing outside manpower, since the resident devotees are preoccupied in other important services. I am sure that the temporary situation described below won’t tarnish the Chowpatty project’s reputation or overall performance; its core values and attitudes remain most healthy and spiritually praiseworthy. I would hate to see such a remarkable center somehow influenced by the low caliber of its hired staff.

When my wife and I last visited Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha Mandir, we arrived on a Friday evening. On entering the compound we saw an elderly lady sitting over two chairs (one for the torso and one for her legs). The scene struck me as incongrous with the artistic, columned entrance and the overall solemn, regal, Rajastani-like architecture of the temple. Her demeanor would have been more fitting in a “private courtyard, informal behavior” type of scene. And the fact that she didn’t smile or show any sign of welcoming us certainly didn’t enhance the situation. Although that incident is not fully related to the main topic of this article, it shows that first impressions are impactful and can create lasting impressions. Our temple entrances—not only the architectural design but also the human element—do shape our guests’ perception of the center, and of ISKCON at large.

In keeping with Chowpatty’s superlative standards, we then received remarkable hospitality from the temple brahmacari appointed to tend visitors; we were given a room with all comforts and offered varieties of prasadam.

Next morning after breakfast, I witnessed hired workers rushing to wash their plates, with the temple president patiently waiting for the mob to subside so that he too could clean his plate and carry on with service. It struck me as odd that brahmanas should wait for sudras. Moreover, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for hired workers to take breakfast after the resident sadhus finished theirs? Wouldn’t that be more in keeping with traditional Indian social standards? The temple president (a brahmacari) had exhibited tolerance and humility, but if those qualities aren’t innate in the hired laborers, then the employees should be disciplined and offered clear instructions on etiquette.

In that same episode, some of those workers unceremoniously pushed my wife away from the sink (although she had waited in line till she reached the tab) on the pretext that “matajis should wash on the other side.” (Interestingly, apparently they had waited till I was no longer on the scene before elbowing my wife away; they had patience enough to wait for me to leave, but not for allowing her to wash her plate).

 

 

 

Then at the shoe stand: proud attitude of the attendant; no smiles. And with their own hands visitors must put their shoes into a canvas bag (but will they wash those hands before going entering the temple?) Wouldn’t it be better that the worker humbly and professionally handle the shoes, along with some gesture of welcome or respect?

Reception room: The receptionist, ostensibly lazy and unwelcoming, was eating a samosa while working. Since I was sitting nearby waiting, I had ample opportunity to observe his lack of customary courtesy or cordiality in dealing with people and phone calls. He was clearly untrained and unprofessional—a cheap guy. The receptionist of any organization may be likened to its face. Unfortunately his was a tamasic face, a face and voice that certainly won’t inspire the average guest to want to come closer and get involved, but rather, might make them feel unwelcome and unwanted—or even guilty, for interrupting his impromptu, uncouth snack.

I spoke with one leader of the temple about the aforementioned experiences, and he was painfully aware that the face being offered to the public was an ugly one; but he didn’t have a ready solution for the problem. Perhaps by now things have already improved, in which case this article might serve as a reminder for preventing such situations elsewhere.

The shoe-stand and the reception lobby (to name two) are among the first places where guests go and have some interaction with representatives of the temple. Poor performance by the workers in these areas might be sorely noticed; deep impressions might be formed; feelings might be hurt. Let’s do our best to prevent that a few untrained, selfish, irresponsible hired hands spoil the atmosphere created by the hard work of so many marvelous devotees.

[sevabhakta]

If our affinity was to a bona fide society, which was HELPING US PROGRESS, and that society was completely taken over and there was no chance to rectify it in its current form, our affinity remains to what was helping us progress.

 

Therefore people in such a situation would naturally find an affinity toward one another, and endeavor to reconvene where they left off and continue to make advancement from there.

 

Then there are the people who were in that society when it went sour, and were not all that gung ho about surrendering to the particular rules and regulations advocated by the Leader to begin with, and they are using the opportunity to justify an emergency speculative endeavor of their own.

 

Good luck to the latter group. Sahajiyism is the highest form of flattery, but not such a direct way to make advancement.

 

I look forward to meeting with those who make up the former group of down to earth honest sadhana bhaktas, and carry on the glorious Iskcon Sankirtana movement, while making the kind of advancement only a regular society can offer to neophyte and madhyama mixed devotees.

 

Hare Krsna

[Taipan]

I prefer the Gita to Revelations. Good vs Evil is old hat. Our Lord will not allow us to destroy life on this planet. Life itself cannot and will not be destroyed. Fear is one of our biggest enemies. Look around....Kali should have got our attention by now. Best we respect Durga or she may get upset again and revert back to Kali. Which Nebula did your book fall out of? Which Nebula gave birth to our sun mother?