IMMORAL “CRICKET” RELIGION
The recent article “Cricket Fever” (BTG March 2011) by Yugavatara Dasa was really an eye-opener for the cricket maniacs. The influence that cricket has on our minds can be gauged by the way cricket “tsunami” has grappled the entire nation. Everywhere in media circles, trains, lunch tables, office parties there is only one topic to talk about: cricket.
I was amused when some senior professionals from my office who often talk about maintaining morality took leave for a couple of days to go all the way to Nagpur to watch the India-South Africa match. They had to purchase the tickets in black, which are usually sold at exorbitant rates, much higher than regular tickets. I wondered, if cricket is our religion and cricketers our gods, then why does this religion encourage its followers to perform such immoral acts? And why do these “gods of cricket” indulge in match-fixing and other scams that run into crores of rupees? Most of these “gods” hardly contribute to the welfare of the society. They are too busy signing multi-million dollar endorsements for companies that sell alcohol and similar harmful products.
I sincerely urge the BTG team from the bottom of my heart that they continue publishing articles of such dynamic preachers, who can cut the layers of ignorance accumulated in our hearts and mind with the weapon of their enlightening words that nourish our souls with eternal krishna-prema. Thank you very much.
(Aashish Mungekar)
IMPROPER WORDS
Srila Prabhupada’s quotes on “Anxieties” (BTG December 2010) were really nice. He gives so many wonderful and practical solutions to deal with mental problems, the biggest cause of morbidity today all over the world.
In the same issue, I read about Purnacandra Gosvami’s departure from this world, where it was mentioned that he “passed away.” Could we use some more appropriate words for a devotee of Lord Krishna than “passes away” like, for example, “left his body”?
(Prema Rasa Dasa,Belgaum, Karnataka)
Our reply: Thank you for your suggestion. We will be more sensitive next time when reporting someone’s departure from this world.
DELIBERATE MISINTERPRETATIONS
The article “When Vedas are Misinterpreted” (BTG December 2010) rightly states that the Vedas are being misinterpreted by certain people to suit their selfish motives. I would like to highlight that there have been concerted efforts from certain sections of the society to demean the entire Vedas by grossly misinterpreting the facts. Few of the below examples will highlight this gory fact.
1. In one of the judgments on live-in relationship, the honorable judge of the Supreme Court of India justified such relationship by citing the relationship of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani. As per the judge, Krishna and Radharani were in a live-in relationship. It is really a shame that such pious and transcendental relationship was questioned by the judge. Sadly, no one, neither the media nor any political party, opposed it.
2. In another ruling the Supreme Court of India criticized Dronacarya for asking Ekalavya his right thumb. This also showed that the judge was unaware of the truth or was willingly misinterpreting the right facts.
3. A famous painter of India painted obscene pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses, and this was praised by so-called modern secular thinkers as freedom of expression.
Such misinterpretations of the scriptures are continuing in the country unopposed and unabated. It shows that either the people sitting on the higher echelons of the society have very limited knowledge of the religious scriptures or they are purposefully doing it for some ulterior motives.
(Purushottam Kumar,Kolkata, WB)
DEALING WITH OUR KARMA
How can one control his past actions and transform them into something good. (Nisha)
Our reply: Our past actions are finished and therefore out of our control. They have created the situations with which we must live, for example our level of wealth, beauty, and intelligence, as well as the general amount of suffering and happiness we are destined to have in this life.
On the other hand, how we react to those situations creates our future. Our actions can bring upon us more material happiness and distress in our next bodies, or can assure that we will go back to Krishna and never take birth again.
At each moment, we have decisions to make: Will I serve my senses and those of my family and friends? Will I serve Krishna? Will those actions that please others also please Krishna? Will my guru be pleased? Are my actions in line with the recommendations of devotees and the scriptures? Should I do a thing that will apparently make me feel good but cause suffering in the future? We constantly choose our reactions to the circumstances we have already earned. Our choices will bring auspiciousness or inauspiciousness or Krishna consciousness. It is best to put material attachments aside and think in a Krishna conscious way when we decide how to proceed in our lives.
Some people are rich but miserable, proud, addicted to sinful acts, and devoid of spiritual values. Some people are poor but religious and happy. We can make any situation in life good if we choose to react to it in a way that is in line with the instructions of Krishna and His pure devotees.
KIRTANA PRACTICE
In response to “Tone Deaf Bhakta’s” letter in the March/April issue, I would like to let him know that when I was a young devotee in Hamburg, Germany, in the early days of the movement, I was once requested not to lead Sunday-feast kirtanas by one devotee because I couldn’t sing so nicely. I took exception to this, probably due to my neophyte position, and wrote a letter to Srila Prabhupada about it, and he answered that “practice makes perfect.” (In those days we often wrote Srila Prabhupada things that weren’t so important.) I think my kirtana voice has since improved, but that nice instruction by Srila Prabhupada stands.
(Sivananda Dasa, Sandy Ridge, USA)
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