SLOPPY MAGAZINE
Your efforts for our magazine are to be appreciated.I am a subscriber of Back to Godhead and a devotee of ISKCON,and would like to share my doubts regarding the contents of the magazine.I generally see the articles are very sloppy,with stories that are mostly personal.You just publish one to two lectures of Srila Prabhupada and give some commentaries on Bhagavad – gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and other avai lable books.There are some more stories and sometimes few socio-economical issues.Now my doubts are:
1. Srila Prabhupada said that Back to Godhead is the backbone of ISKCON.But your articles seem to focus mostly on neophytes.Why?
2. How does your magazine help elevate full-time or serious devotees? Most articles are for new people.There is not much advanced philosophy.
3. I have never seen any article by SrIla Bhatisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura or Bhaktivinoda Thakur,or any other prominent GaudiyaVaisnava acarya.If you see the prominent magazines of the Sri Sampradaya,they highlight more on the teachings of the Alvars,their acaryas,and various,satras like Visnu Purana,Garuda Purana,Upanisads and smrtis.Why don't we do that as well? How will people come to know abour our Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy?
4. How do you compare your magazine with The Harmonist and the Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu?
5. Why do you publish articles by devotees who seem to be on quite a neophyte level (at least their articles show that)?
6. I see that many of your articles repeat quite often.This is sometimes disgusting.The spiritual world is unlimited,and the news from the spiritual world should be unlimited and ever fresh.
As a subscriber,I expect that our magazine should be the best in regards to its content. At least in India we should publish more philosophical articles about our acaryas and their literatures.As we see many people,even after spending many years in ISKCON,do not know about the main associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the literatures of our acaryas.As people find no time to read Caitanya-caritamta,our magazine should help them get this information.If not,I fear that in the coming years our magazine mightbecome like another coffee-table magazine.Sorry to say that!
So kindly forgive me if I am improper in my speech.Your efforts are glorious.This is only because we,as servants of Srila Prabhupada,all understand the importance of Back to Godhead.Srila Prabhupada used to write more philosophical articles in his magazine in the pre-ISKCON era.Prabhupada's words of making Back to Godhead the best in the world do not mean that it should reach each and every person,but that it should help every reader approach Krsna better,or even a single soul back to Godhead.
(Your servant,
Das Krishna Chaitanya)
THOUGHT PROVOKING
I am a regular reader of your beautiful thoughtprovoking articles that give me immense inspiration in material and spiritual life.I take this opportunity to congratulate you all at the editorial board.
I was greatly convinced by the detailed answer to the letter about 'Movie Mania' (April 2008).It was a fitting reply to those people who think of spirituality as abstract and irrelevant.I saw that movie,and it all depends on the eye of the beholder.
In the same issue,Hotel or hospital-take your pick was an absolutely superb article!Hats off to Caitanya Carana Dasa! What a comparison of hotel and hospital worldviews to drive home a point that shock treatment,though not desirable,is essential for ultimate well being.
had studied the works of famous historian Dr.Arnold Toynbee during my graduation.As he correctly said,salvation to mankind is really the Indian way.
(Narendra P. Dalal, Zone Chairperson Lions Club, Bharuch, Gujarat.)