House Program Q&A

Namāma Viṣṇpa daya Kṛṣṇa prashtāya bhutale śrī matāya bhaktivedanta svāmi tī nāmi ne namaste sarasvati deve gouravāni prachārinne nirviśveśa śrūnyavādi paścatiya desha tārinne vāñca kalpātara vyaścā kripaś hindu deva ca kati tanam pavane bhyo vaishnavibhyo namo namaḥa jaya śrī kriṣṇa caitanya prabhuntananda śrī advaita gadāt hara śrī vasā Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare. So, you want me to say what is wrong is you? I am not in the position to say something in this regard, But I can say what I basically said in this program which we just came from, that we can build our congregation in a very spontaneous way. Whoever is attracted, he is attracted and we are happy for those people who are somehow rather attracted. And ultimately it will create a lot of difficulties because we'll have a very diverse crowd. And usually that's what it is done. You know, very spontaneously, you know, we welcome everyone who is coming and we are happy and we give them prasadam and we give lecture. But in the long run, it's a very difficult route to go because the crowd becomes very diverse and people don't have much in common with each other besides Krishna consciousness. Usually, it's not very educated people who come with this sort of policies. Ultimately, it doesn't bring so much satisfaction to the heart. So if we really want to build a congregation, we have to first build up the mechanism of attracting people in the most systematic way like college preaching or whatever. Because if we preach in the colleges, then those people who join, those who don't join, don't join. They are educated people, they are intelligent people, and then they themselves will attract other people. What happens when the crowd is too diverse is that a new person comes and he feels very uncomfortable. in this situation. He doesn't feel that he has a place here. Whereas, you know, we know this birds of feather flock together. If the crowd is more of the same kind, then it attracts more of these people. You know, it's a glory of Vedic culture in the Vedic culture, the society was very strictly stratified. There was hardly any interaction between the stratas, you know, Sudras between the Sudras, Vaishyas with the Vaishyas, Kshatris with the Kshatris. And, you know, there is an advantage of this system because... And, of course, we know that the marriage was also strictly within this strata, in this Svarna, because the value system is the same. You know, of course, people come, they have spiritual understanding somewhat, but still, you know, they bring a lot of their luggage with them, you know, understanding of the values, this and that. And, you know, intelligent people naturally feel themselves not so comfortable when it's too much. And, you know, it's like this, you know, to stratify a little bit, we are, of course, the movement of Lord Chaitanya, he says, But still we know that there are, you know, Narapati and Vaisi and Sudra and Vipra. And when they interact with each other, then it's a very productive interaction. Whereas when there is this interaction of chaotic crowd, it's not very productive. It doesn't have a momentum to build up and so many other problems are there. Yeah. So I'm speaking on my own experience. In Moscow there is a big Yatra with a few thousand people. And it's so difficult to deal with it because it's so chaotic. It's so diversified. And the reason is that there is no clear strategy, reaching strategy, which would attract certain type of people. And, you know, when intelligent people are there, this is the backbone of society, and then they can attract so many other people, and do so many other beautiful things which they do. And as I said, when the similar people associate with each other, there is a lot of synergy generated. They can do a lot because they kind of understand each other and they can make teams and it works. We see the example of this in Chöpati, the whole success of Chöpati Temple is that Raghunamaraj at one point started college preaching. He also said that in the beginning the congregation was a nightmare, because the congregation was suing brahmacharis in court, and brahmacharis were fighting with the congregation. But then when the college preaching started working, then the first one, Bhaktira Samritmaraj, he came. And then he attracted people of the similar caliber. You see just one person how much difference he can make. So if we are talking about the strategy, there has to be a strategy to attract people of some caliber, some class. And, yeah, what else can I say? Otherwise, many Bengali workers are here, no problem. Labourers. Most of our energy goes into managing the chaos. So, my specific question is management. We are now in two areas of sections of society in India. We have not yet touched. One is the youth culture. And the other is, I would call them thought leaders. What we had for this whole feast, I would call them thinkers, thinkers, but then there is a whole higher level whom we have not yet touched. So my question is not as tangible. We have that focus on one side, and on the other side we have these four groups of people to provide those classifications. So the question is, how should we balance this level? Can we start four centers? Let's just make it practical. We already started this soul feast and in the soul feast there is a separate crowd, you know, which not necessarily mixes with the rest of the crowd. So yeah, that's the way to do it, you know, gather special programs for them in a separate place and don't mix them because the mixture does not help. I think one thing I just wanted to ask, many times devotees want to get into serious study of books and go in a very educational way, learning the books and part and part and part in the agenda of the way. So many times those devotees we see get absorbed into management and the whole life goes that So, is it okay to kind of, I'm not looking at political study, but sometimes it helps to give the management of somebody else and focus on this? It's just common sense. You know, everyone has his own unique contribution. and if somebody who is capable of studying, teach, is engaged in management, it's okay. He can, to a certain extent, can do it, but he's never completely good at it. And the main contribution which he can make, he doesn't make, because he is too preoccupied with these hassles and anxieties of the management. So better to empower people who can manage. That's the secret. You know, this is two most important types of people in the society. Teachers and managers, right? I don't want to call them brahmanas and kshatris, but you understand whom I mean. So, there are no brahmanas, there are no kshatris. but people of some managerial administrative type and people of Brahminical type. If the Brahminical people are engaged not according to their nature and try to do this, The people who can manage easily, they feel disempowered, and they look down at those poor Brahminical people who are trying their best to manage. And they don't appreciate what they're doing, and ultimately it destroys the most important element of the society, because the most important element of the society is the respect of administrative class towards Brahminical class. If the relationships are established properly, if the people who are very easily can manage other people, respect and take advice and appreciate the input of Brahminical people, then everything works. But if they don't appreciate, if the Brahminical people or teachers or whatever, they don't really show the proper example, then everything goes to hell. Literally, everything goes to hell because of this one reason. And the people who are teachers, they can see the bigger picture. People who have this very strong nature of administrators, they know how to make things work, but they don't see the bigger picture. and when they become in charge when the teachers and Brahminical class is not really doing what they are supposed to do then they easily can take reins within their hands and they will do something nice very nice working mechanism But ultimately it will not be successful because of the limitation of their vision, natural limitation of their vision. They will do good mechanisms without proper direction. So that's the problem. and I've seen how it sometimes works. You know, when these people become in charge, it's a very good machine, you know, sometimes even, you know, making devotee machine, this and that, but it's ultimately headless. It doesn't head in the proper direction. Because of the natural limitation, you know, by nature they see certain things which brahmanas don't see but they don't see things which brahmanas see and it becomes very black and white sort of system or situation so therefore Krishna two times in Bhagavad Gita he says it's better to do your own duty even imperfectly rather than do something which is not according to nature. And I am speaking myself because most of my life I was doing something which I was not supposed to do. Oh, sorry. Sorry to ask my question. I don't know whether I am framing this question completely or correctly, but please help me address my question. The thing is in Kerala, it's my personal experience. Probably in this room, I am one among the Keralites who born in Kerala, grew up in Kerala and born to Krishna consciousness inside Kerala. Because everyone else got Krishna consciousness outside Kerala. So one of the what you call. So my question is, in my family and everyone, technically they call me mad and radical for to some other culture. Because even though Krishna consciousness comes, the way we put our Tila, the way we put our Doti and the kinds of bhajans we sing, I mean in Trivandram and all they are calling the Bengalis. I mean, this kind of devotee says Bengalis. I mean, the public, the social side of things, they are noting the social side. I mean, it's a practical fact. admit that only a few of us have barely one handful of devotees in this entire congregation where still like 24 hours they are not having that courage to display the white feminism on 24 hours because from the social standpoint it's totally built as a different culture altogether so my question is what sort of a cultural adjustment we can make permitted because Philip Ropas said, unchanging principles and adjustable details. So what exactly is the cultural adjustment we can take so that we don't dilute the whole thing and we can abstract the topic? I mean, I... I think the question goes little deeper than you presented. You know, all these things are details, you're right. But first and foremost we have to learn how to present Krishna consciousness as a science, not as a specific culture, not as a religion as such, but as a science. Science is universal. Religions or cultures, they are very ethnically colored. They are not universal. So, yeah, we may have some external signs of belonging to a different culture, but nevertheless, if we present Krishna consciousness as a science, it will not have this reaction of, you know, you are mad, you switch to another culture, you this and that, that because, as I said, science is universal. It's universally accepted. Of course, initial reaction of people will be still the same, you know, they will judge according to your external appearance, but, you know, if they hear you speak, then they can appreciate that this is just something external. You know, like communism is not really, you know, native Kerala culture. Still, it came here and established here very strongly. Why? Because they presented some things which they presented as a truth. And then people adopted it. You know, people adopted this, you know, you know, Hammer and Sickle, and Lenin, and this and that. And this is a completely different culture. Right? But still they adopted it. Why? Because, you know, it answered their questions. They asked questions, why there is so much, you know, unevenness in the society, everyone is, you know, it gave some answers which they were looking for. And now people have so many answers, questions, and they are looking for the answers. If we give them answers which satisfy them, that's not a problem, you know. Instead of hammer and sickle, they will have Tilak on their flag. That's not a big deal. Yeah, yeah. You know, culture is not a problem. But if we only present Krishna consciousness as a sectarian culture, then of course we will have very limited area of success and influence. But if we really, you know, I would say boldly, I wanted to say aggressively, I don't like this word, but if we boldly preach Krishna consciousness as a science, I don't see a problem. You know, in Russia there is one outreach preacher. And he has his style of preaching, and it may not be 100% accurate from the Shastri point of view. But because he has such a strong face in the Vedic culture, when he speaks, people may not understand anything which he is talking about, but the impression which they have, he is talking the truth. He is presenting the truth, and they started listening more and more. Actually, you know, most of the devotees in Russia are coming from this one person. And many people criticize him, he is this, he is that, he is not doing it sastri-kli, he is watering down. You know, some of these criticisms may be correct, no problem, but still, because he is so dedicated to Srila Prabhupada internally, and because he is presenting it in a very clever, intelligent way, speaking about some universal truths, and people can relate to this. Then it's not a problem. They started, you know, Vediculture, okay, great, Vediculture, let's do Vediculture. And they started looking for the solutions which he intimates or explains. So it's very much a question of the style of presentation which we do. I have some questions. I told you about the Congregational Development Ministry and we are trying to uplift the raksha and the world stars to practice the theme. So, I would like to record some videos and have some questions. There is video already being recorded. Okay, yeah. I will just ask the questions. So I have like three different categories. One is like for the upcoming Dhamudar month, then the next is for youth preaching and the third part is Russian preaching, your experience with Russian preaching. So the first section, for someone who is observing Kartik for the first time, what are some simple yet powerful practices that they can adopt to make the most of the sacred month? And then how can the devotees maintain their focus and enthusiasm for increased devotional activities during the entire Kartik? This Sivalava Prabhu in Dubai has a great success with these Dhammadharmas just by teaching them to offer lamp. It's such a simple ritual, but at the same time it's very mystical kind of ritual. Everyone can offer something personally and in this way some personal relationship is being established. So that's a very good way, you know, by offering something, people start their spiritual journey. So, yeah. Therefore, Krishna says, give me one fruit or one leaf or little water or one guillem, and I will accept it. Are you going to advise this for the existing purasdhas that you would... Yes, especially, you know, if I'm talking about people of Indian traditional background, for them it's kind of easy, understandable, and it's a mystical kind of feeling, you know, you do something and you offer it to the Lord, and if you teach them how to feel inside, You know that this is actually the light of knowledge which you want to reflect yourself by offering this lamp. Yes, so what's the second question? I'll go to the youth section. So, in today's fast-paced and distracted world, how can young people stay connected to spirituality and remain focused on their personal growth? And how can young devotees effectively deal with peer pressure and societal expectations that often push them away from practicing working? I just was talking with Gopal Guru, Goura Prabhu, I never remember the sequence. exactly on this topic. I think the starting point for young people and for children is to establish in them the proper identity or the pride that I belong to this great culture. You know, because if the identity is established properly, and how you establish identity? You establish identity by explaining everyone has this inner desire to belong to something greater. because by belonging to something greater or great, you know, we elevate ourselves. Our understanding of us becomes also more pronounced and more great. So, you know, I think for a long time that's exactly what British did. They destroyed the self-esteem of Hindu people. by hiring all these pandits who started saying that this is, you know, fictitious story from Puranas, starting, you know, giving some interpretations according to, you know, it cannot be that long, this and that, completely demolished the self-esteem of Hindu society. And then other people came like Brahma Samaj, and they added upon this by rejecting a huge part of Vedic culture. So, or Arya Samaj, all these people, that's what they did. And the first thing which has to be done, if the young person is proud, I belong to this culture, and if this is very firmly established within his heart, No peer pressure can destroy this. Because the foundation of our life is ego. And ego means the sense of belonging. I belong to this. And if he understands that this is something great. We have the great literature. We have great science behind us. We have greatest, you know, oldest culture which is there. We have so many great saints. If this is established, everything else will follow this. So I think that's the first point. And then if this is established, naturally he will start looking for the association with similarly minded people. or start converting other people into this phase rather than succumb to the pressure of their peers. They only succumb to the pressure of their peers because of this Hinabawa, because of this inferiority complex. You know, they are progressive, they are advanced, they are using these fonts and this and that. and that. You know, if this is established there, which is, of course, it's already established in the minds of people. This is the advanced civilization. America is advanced country. In this advanced country, 50% of population take drugs, antidepressant drugs. So literally, 50% of population is mad, crazy, because depression is psychiatric disease. So 50% of this great advanced civilization is completely mad people with so many problems. But, you know, you ask anyone, America is great. You know, he thinks that it's really advanced. India is great. And he doesn't understand this. He doesn't understand, you know, how great is the culture in which he happened to be born. So you should start with this. Establish this firmly, this identity, that this is a very amazing, unique and great culture and I have the privilege to be a part of this culture. So can you please share some experiences that you had when you were teaching in Russia? And also do you know about the ongoing situation like with regards to the teaching, like the world? I've not been to Russia since 22, so already three years I was not there. Last time I was in 22 in Russia. 22? No, in 21. But I just told that there is a lot of initiatives of the devotees who preach Krishna consciousness in a non-sectarian way. Who present Krishna consciousness as a science with different degrees of success. they have their own strong points and weak points. I mean, I'm not a great propounder or advocate of this kind of preaching. I know the downside of this kind of preaching. But still, it has a great potential. If we learn how to present Krishna consciousness as a vital science which can solve the problem relevant or very acute problem of people. on every level, on the family level, on the raising children level, on the health level, on the social level, on the economic level. If we present Krishna consciousness in this way, then so many people will want to join. Whether their motivation is 100% right or not, that remains to be seen. But they will join and that's the key of success in Russian preaching because there are many people who themselves understood the value of Krishna consciousness and this universal value and universal nature of Krishna consciousness and started preaching it in a similar way to other people. You know, it's not without a reason that people go to Dubai and become devotees in Dubai or Muscat or Emirates, because it has an advantage. They go to another culture, they see the problems of another culture, supposedly materially very advanced, and they can look back into their own culture and appreciate it better. So, and yeah, and that's basically the key of success of Prabhupada's preaching, because he was presenting Krishna consciousness in a very universal way. And that's the first purpose of ISKCON according to Siva Prabhupada, you know, to present Krishna consciousness in such a way that it will solve the problems of the humanity. And it will remove the quarrels and fighting and everything else, and the rivalry between people. Yes? How is the distribution situation? Oh, it's going on despite the war and everything else. You know, Narešvar Prabhu knows better. He's just from Moscow. But it's going on full speed. Badra Purnim, everything else. We do everything which the rest of the school is doing. And December Marathon and everything. It's going on. Millions of books. You know, that's probably around 20 million books was distributed so far in Russia. and considering the fact that there is hardly 100, 120 million people in Russia. So it's just practically in every home there is some Prabhupada book. And you know, sometimes these books, they sit on the shelf for dozens of years, and then at one point the children of the family, the kid or somebody else, just picks up the book, starts reading it and becomes a devotee like this. I know many of the stories, somebody said, you know, signs of self-realization was there on my shelf and I never read it, and then I opened it at one point because internet was not working or something like this. and I read it the whole night and you know, the next morning he's ready to shave up and do this. I have a small question regarding sadhana. So, There is an intense desire to follow the complete package of sadhana as given by Srinya Prabhupada as in read everyday, chant 16 rounds, take prasadam, wake up early in the morning, the basic things. But many times it is not possible to follow every aspect of it. Therefore, the mind instigates me to follow none of it. So, what is the bare minimum I should really adhere to, with an intention of getting to the point of following it? Bare minimum is to get up early and chant 16 rounds. That's the bare minimum. And even if this minimum you cannot do, then you can sometimes give up getting up early. But 16 rounds you have to do. But getting up early is very important because then your mind is more sattvic and the whole day is more sattvic. Otherwise you are more passionate and this passion will drive your mind crazy and take it away. So the bare minimum is this, just chanting mantras, and then you can hear a little bit when you are driving or whatever, some lecture. But try to chant in the morning, if you cannot do 16 rounds in the morning, at least 8 rounds in the morning and then something during the day. But it's important to maintain this minimum. You know, somebody told me that I should chant 16 rounds, and I didn't understand why 16. I didn't know who is Krishna, but since that day, I'm chanting 16 rounds, and I never miss a day when I didn't chant the 16 rounds. Even though in the beginning it took me four hours to chant 16 rounds. I remember this. That was very difficult. But still, you know, somehow rather I took it too hard and I never missed a day. Never. Maybe couple of days I chanted 14 rounds, at least 12 rounds, but even this was very rare. So just this minimum, everything else will come. Impersonalism is very widely seen in Kerala, all over Kerala. So what should be about taking strategy towards such things? Because recently we had Sri Krishna Jalmashtri festival when the chief guest who addressed the field of speech was actually speaking on an impersonal blueprint. So it's our audience but he is speaking in a personal group. So actually I learned from Acharya's in his talk, like many books, he says that, we are supposed to, even Krupa says that, we should actually confront them by group. Now for these official functions of course we shouldn't confront. We should sing whom we invite to give the keynote address. But, you know, it's almost impossible to deal with these people because they are already programmed in a very specific way. And they are not really open to hear anything else. And they will tell you all kinds of rubbish. So I wouldn't waste my time trying to really preach to them too much. If they are interested, if they ask questions, if they have something, but if you try to defeat them, even if you defeat them, they will just go out and say, oh yeah, this is ridiculous. and they will just brush it out. You know, and they will think that they defeated. You know, it's like, you know, the debate between the atheist and the person who believes in God. They speak, they give so many arguments, and then the debate is over and everyone, you know, atheist remains the atheist, and religious person remains the religion person, and nothing changed. What's the use? Of course, if there is a big audience, they can maybe sway this way or that way. But as far as them are concerned, it's very difficult unless you are powerful like Srila Prabhupada. I remember once Shankaracharya, I think he was one of the Shankaracharyas, he came to Moscow. I think Shingeri Shankaracharya, I don't remember exactly. There was this yatra arranged by Vishwa Hindu Parishat. They were traveling all over the world and they came to our temple, to Iskong temple. And he wanted to address the crowd, so I selected certain people, a few devotees, took them in a separate room and he started speaking and he gave a beautiful speech. He spoke about Sukadev Goswami, how he was attracted by the verses of Srimad Bhagavatam. He was quoting Barhapidam, Natavaramapu, Harnaioh Karnikaram, Vibratvasam, Kanaka Kapisham. He was beautifully explained this story, quoted all the verses from Srimad Bhagavatam. It was so nice. Everyone was completely in bliss and then the lecture was finished and we came out and he said you know what your Prabhupada he cheated you you're Christian by your culture and by your bringings and you naturally believe in one God so therefore he came to the West and he said there is only one God Krishna but we know and he knew that there are many gods. He cheated you. So there is no point to argue with such people. Yes, it is. Okay. We are very thankful and grateful to you. Thank you.