Battling The News
I feel a strong need to express something, and it is not easy to express because I am talking, directing, it to devotees and devotee lifestyle. Others may not appreciate it, or maybe they will. Therefore, I will do my best to make it so all can. My best is not perfect. :)
Years ago when I was young and a very strict [hopefully still kindhearted :) ] devotee, I heard that the Pope died. This was sad, but not our path. When someone continues to be a mleccha we do not make them our leader, though we do not become hardhearted either. Our leader is Prabhupada, who has shown by his lifestyle and actions that he is a pure devotee.
My point in the above, is that I was surprised at that time to see an initiated disciple crying her eyes out over this. Hmmm Maybe she was brought up Catholic, I don't know. But especially back then, we were taught how to recognize a pure devotee, and to put our attachment there. So, it startled me. I felt devotees should know who to attach themselves to, or at least when it came to this depth. [Don't worry, I was still compassionate toward her].
Over time I saw more and more devotees becoming too attached to, hmmmm for example, a temple president. One temple where I was temporarily staying, it's president had women looking up to him. This was ridiculous & not how other temples were run. He would hold meetings, and they all would gather around him. I refused to go to those meetings. [Probably why I was not too popular :) ]. One day a lady walking out of one of them, with a tray in her hand. She walked over to me and said: "Want some remnants of so-and-so das/temple president?" I was startled. We never take 'remnants' of anyone except the pure devotee Srila Prabhupada, or God/Krishna Himself. Therefore, I said no. Yeah, I was on their list now. ha
More recently we have seen the death of an internet famed Christian Politian. You know who I'm talking about so I'm not going to include his name, the same way I did not include the temple presidents name. So, the day I heard of the murder, I was startled. I felt so sad for his shortened life, for his wife, children, how he would not see them grow up, and so on.
Running into a few of his vid shorts on youtube, tho did not agree with everything he said, I found some of it very good. I agreed with his take on abortion and appreciated some of the points he made. I agreed that many who are gay have a mental imbalance - and agreed with him that a diagnosis would be a good idea. [Not saying all need a dx]. But then I read he endorsed putting homosexuals to death. What, wait, did I really read that? Oh yes I did, and google will show it to be true. Along with black women not having brain processing power to be taken seriously, black pilots may not be qualified, can't stand the word 'empathy,' and so much more. Yet this morning I got a fb friend request from a devotee who had his pic up with his wife, and was supportive. sigh
No one should have celebrated his death. Hopefully they will have a change of heart. It's not all or none. Sure, we like he is promoting some aspects of religiosity- but we need to keep our eyes open and stop letting glitter and sparkly blind us. Some such persons [this means others too] can speak very eloquently, yet not be at the spiritual level of which they are trying to come across. We still should feel sorry he was killed, can even send a Vaishnava prayer up for him if you are attached, or even if not attached [he sure could use it], BUT we should not jump on the bandwagon of making him saintly.
I have seen devotees do this before, when a politician wanted to hang a Biblical quote in all public schools. Devotees were gung-ho for it, and I admit, initially I liked the idea. What changed my mind? When I realized him, and other leaders like him, if given enough power, will ultimately not be accepting of us.
Do not think you will be able to do Harinama anymore, and god forbid, distribute Prabhupada's books. No. Other paths like Buddhism, Judiasm, Janism, and certainly Hinduism, will be blocked. Maybe even punished. If given enough power to control, they will outlaw us. So please, do not attach yourself to these persons.
But I am not here to focus on any one person, politician, or any of the above. I want to know why, when we as devotees, have the "rare" good fortune to have come across the pure devotee jagat guru Srila Prabhupada, who has promised to take us back to Home, back to Godhead - why are so many devotees glorifying this latest man?
And it will not end there. In a year or more when a new spiritual person becomes popular, it will happen again. Don't get me wrong. We are human and all of us, myself included, will appreciate the good in them. But I do not plan on spending much time with them via videos or reading about them. My prayer for you is that you too do not waste too many life airs on those who can not help your soul get back to Krishna.
Ok, I'm getting off my soapbox now. :) You don't have to agree with me, but no fighting. We have all ready seen what that leads to.
Peace,
Hare Krishna.
RELATED POSTS:
Catholic, Protestant, and Hare Krishna
Dwarka Underwater [Yes, Krishna & His history is real!]
