Distractive Diversions
The diversity of articles that regularly appear on the Vaishnava Websites reflects the wide variety of interests and expertise found among its broad spectrum of readers. I receive an even more diverse array of subject matter in my email box from devotees on a regular basis. Much of it is just curious stuff, a lot of it is from eccentrics, some of it is tangentially important, but much of the squabbling devotees get bogged down into is often not directly relevant towards Srila Prabhupadas core mission. I see a lot of bickering, brow beating, chest pounding, and finger pointing. Some of it is unfortunately necessary, particularly when some devotees although well intended, begin to promote ideas that are simply not consistent with Srila Prabhuapadas vision for the International Society For Krishna Consciousness. Misguided people, be the with, or without tilaka on their forehead, repeatedly avoid, dodge, obfuscate, or attempt to elude simply and direct questions that would expose their personal agenda, lack of scholarship, or feeble character etc. A universal management principal is that people must be held accountable for their behavior. Therefore the further up the flagpole of leadership one wishes to climb to raise their flag, well…. then that means the more people will be looking up to see your butt, and that’s the way it ought to be. If you wish to lead you better know what you are doing, and you better do it well, otherwise step down.
Yet sometimes I think we become so consumed by the “Issue of the day” that we tend to loose vision of our real mission which is clearly summarized here:
“At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brāhmaṇas. Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brāhmaṇas and take up the work of spiritual progress. The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency.” – SB 7.11.17 p
Srila Prabhupada also specifically wrote to Tamal Krishna maharaja to do this very thing in November of 1974.
“Yes, train up the brahmanas very carefully. Many Indians and foreigners criticize us how we can create brahmanas. They are under the impression that brahmanas are born like horses and asses are born. According to Bhagavad-gita brahmanas are according to guna and karma. So the training of brahmanas should be so nice that people will be forced to accept them as brahmanas by guna, quality, and karma, action.” – Letter to Tamal Krishna Bombay, November 21, 1974.
Everything we do must be focused on this single instruction because this is what is missing in society. We are virtually headless and nobody has a clue about what they are doing. If you need more references to be convinced about our mission in regards to training up Brahmans, this then go here: http://vaniquotes.org/wiki/Creating_brahmanas
Therefore every decision we make as Vaishavas should be balanced against this one questions. If our efforts are not focused towards finding those candidates who have the potential to be trained up as Brahmins then we are misusing our time regardless of how otherwise important it may seem to pound down on a different nail.
Vegan Example
The recent article by Deevamrita Swami
Ocean of Mercy: Bhakti Benefits for Doomed Cows?
is an excellent example of the type of unnecessary deviation I am referring to.
Recently I was discussing with devotees all the controversy that appears to be bubbling up regarding the Vegan diet. Some argue that we must embrace this concept because otherwise we look like hypocrites if we claim to be interested in protecting the Cows. How can we support the horrendous practices of the local milk industry by purchasing their products if we want to protect the cows? There are actually a lot of good answers to that question which I covered in my original 2010 article: The Vegan Threat to Bovine Welfare
( http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8672)
My point now however is even more relevant. Every devotee knows that Prasadam is our secret weapon. It is how we have attracted so many people to come hear what Srila Prabhupada is offering the world. The magic of prasadam has lured in even the most cynical, cunning, critical individuals who would have otherwise never slowed down enough to take us seriously. To consider changing that formula now because the Vegans are getting more militant would be a big mistake and it’s embarrassing that so many people seem to be slipping into this quagmire. Our foremost mission is to find candidates who can be trained up as Brahmins and if serving scrumptious glaubjammans, sweet rice, sandesha, yogurt, and curd subji will help us do that then so be it. The faster we build a brahminical class, the faster ALL the atrocities that are going on can be addressed. Until then, we are simply buying into mundane pressures from conditioned souls who have no clue about what they are doing or why.
The Bigger Picture
Just what are those other atrocities that are tearing society apart? That is exactly what we need the Brahmins to help explain to the public cause nobody is going to like hearing about it. The laws of karma are tough and it will require some very strong quality Vaishnavas to carry that message without caving into the speculative ideas promoted by tofu-chefs, mind-full meditators, feel-good cosmic gurus and sea-weed munching yogis. None of those people will ever change anything regardless of how big of a grin they paste on every morning with their self-affirmations.
In this regard I have put together a very nice chart which has been well received and blessed by the local devotees in the LA area. It is called the Four Laws of Dharma Chart and I am making it available here for anyone who wants to grab it, study it, and share it profusely. This is just one of the four essential preaching charts I have already published. (Several others are currently in the works. Those who are interested in obtaining a high resolution copy of the Four Legs of Dharma chart or, any of the other KC educational tools I have complied, are invited to contact me directly via Facebook. )
Four Legs of Dharma Chart
The Four Legs of Dharma chart outlines the whole focus of our mission. As long as these spiritual principals continue to get violated… we can’t expect ANYTHING to get any better! As devotees we ALL understand this, but try and explain this to the people who are throwing their entire life into alternative, makeshift, patch-job mundane solutions! Nobody wants to be told they wasted years of their life doing some silly social program that can’t possibly change anything in the long run as long as the laws of dharma continue to be violated. What’s even more alarming is that in many cases, the so called “Awsome” programs promoted by these so-called “wonderful human beings” with so-called “Brilliant Alternatives” for solving major world problems simply contribute to making things even worse.
By the grace of Srila Prabhupada we have been properly trained to understand what is really going on. It is because of Srila Prabhupada’s extraordinary teaching; his disciples in particular know what needs to be done. It is our foremost responsibility to educate the public about these cornerstone principals. So the next time you find yourself being desirous to engage in devotional service, measure the effectiveness of that effort against the question: “How much of what I am doing is geared towards attracting candidates to be trained up as Brahmins?” Or: “Am I helping people understand what the laws of dharma are and how significantly they impact the events in our lives?”
c/o mayesvara dasa ACBSP AKA: William g. Roberts MBA /MIS, CCP
mdjagdasa @ gmail.com • March 2013 (805) • 640-0405
