Hare Krishna all,
PAMHO,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I observed that the majority of ISKCON community is composed of three kind of people.
1. Rich people
2. Highly educated
3. Westners
Rich people- Who have enjoyed all the materialistic pleasures that life has to offer or born rich who are fed up with their own lifestyle and took up spiritual path in search of peace.
Highly educated- These people want to learn more and more. They want to educate themselves to an extent of answering all the questions related to our existence. They have lot of patience and not many material desires and last but not least most of this kind of people have less responsibilities.
Westners - Most of them are not highly educated nor rich but still good at peoples management. They usually don't have any family or any responsibilities. Their requirements are minimum and
they have passion and desire to explore the nature and faith. They have sufficient time to experiment in life and enough money to survive. They can easily attract people with their charm and especially Indians for whom they are like someone who are directly descended from the heaven.
Apart from these people, I don't see many middle class or low class active population in ISKCON. Even if they come to ISKCON they wont stay for long due to many reasons like Family problems, Financial issues etc. It is hard to bring this middle class into ISKCON and make them believe KC philosophy. I am from the middle class and most of the people from our class live with the notion that we already made many compromises in life and its bit hard to accommodate more of it. Some how I got attracted to ISKCON and took that one extra step. I am trying to make everyone Krishna consciousness but they are happy with their system of devotion and don't want to take up KC. Now, I am talking about my own family. I think I need to develop more faith first before convincing others. Anyhow, to what extent birth of a person plays an important role to achieve perfection of life. Like people from certain faith say " We are the chosen one" do we have similar statement in ISKCON?
Your Servant
Aakash
Replies
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Sorry to say this but you are just speaking like a Dr.Frog.Who knows only about his well and don't know anything about ocean.He thinks his well is biggest waterbody.Your conception of ISKCON is very narrow minded.Only 4 kind of people will come to Krishna,
Bg 7.16
janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
Unlike the miscreants, these are adherents of the regulative principles of the scriptures, and they are called su-kṛtinaḥ, or those who obey the rules and regulations of scriptures, the moral and social laws, and are, more or less, devoted to the Supreme Lord. Out of these there are four classes of men – those who are sometimes distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are sometimes inquisitive, and those who are sometimes searching after knowledge of the Absolute Truth. These persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service under different conditions. These are not pure devotees, because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange for devotional service. Pure devotional service is without aspiration and without desire for material profit. The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11) defines pure devotion thus:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”
When these four kinds of persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service and are completely purified by the association of a pure devotee, they also become pure devotees. As far as the miscreants are concerned, for them devotional service is very difficult because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals. But even some of them, by chance, when they come in contact with a pure devotee, also become pure devotees.
Those who are always busy with fruitive activities come to the Lord in material distress and at that time associate with pure devotees and become, in their distress, devotees of the Lord. Those who are simply frustrated also come sometimes to associate with the pure devotees and become inquisitive to know about God. Similarly, when the dry philosophers are frustrated in every field of knowledge, they sometimes want to learn of God, and they come to the Supreme Lord to render devotional service and thus transcend knowledge of the impersonal Brahman and the localized Paramātmā and come to the personal conception of Godhead by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee. On the whole, when the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees. As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, the search for mundane knowledge, etc. So one has to transcend all this before one can come to the stage of pure devotional service.
Bg 7.17
eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham
ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ
Free from all contaminations of material desires, the distressed, the inquisitive, the penniless and the seeker after supreme knowledge can all become pure devotees. But out of them, he who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth and free from all material desires becomes a really pure devotee of the Lord. And of the four orders, the devotee who is in full knowledge and is at the same time engaged in devotional service is, the Lord says, the best. By searching after knowledge one realizes that his self is different from his material body, and when further advanced he comes to the knowledge of impersonal Brahman and Paramātmā. When one is fully purified, he realizes that his constitutional position is to be the eternal servant of God. So by association with pure devotees the inquisitive, the distressed, the seeker after material amelioration and the man in knowledge all become themselves pure. But in the preparatory stage, the man who is in full knowledge of the Supreme Lord and is at the same time executing devotional service is very dear to the Lord. He who is situated in pure knowledge of the transcendence of the Supreme Personality of God is so protected in devotional service that material contamination cannot touch him.
This is Krishna's observation.Krishna's knowledge is perfect.Our knowledge is always imperfect due to imperfect senses and limited knowledge.Krishna's opinion is final.
Hare Krishna,
In one breath you seem to sweep everything with a single stroke.
>>Apart from these people, I don't see many middle class or low class active population in ISKCON. Even if they come to ISKCON they wont stay for long due to many reasons like Family problems, Financial issues etc. It is hard to bring this middle class into ISKCON and make them believe KC philosophy. I am from the middle class and most of the people from our class live with the notion that we already made many compromises in life and its bit hard to accommodate more of it. Some how I got attracted to ISKCON and took that one extra step.
Sorry to say but your observation is very narrow. ISKCON is not an alien organisation it is very much a part of the society where we live and as rightly mentioed by Radha Rasamayi Mataji the congregation also consists of devotees from all existing backgrounds. Krishna bhakti is every individual's entrepreneurship and it depends on his/her priorities set to live in this world. But the decision to take to KC seriously is definitely influenced by the guidance & faith we have developed. Faith increases by regular hearing, chanting, reading, association and visiting holy places.
>> I am trying to make everyone Krishna consciousness but they are happy with their system of devotion and don't want to take up KC.
The inability of people around you in taking up Krishna Counsciousness can have many reasons and definitly not only what you have cited.
>>Now, I am talking about my own family. I think I need to develop more faith first before convincing others.
Yes, you got it right. Also attaract the mercy of Guru & Krishna by serving under guidance of Senior Vaishnavas. After that, when you speak, your words will carry some weight & people will surely give it a serious thought.
Birth ofcourse plays an important role in achieving perfection but it is not a criteria. KC doesn't depend on that.
We are the chosen ones in the sense that we have got the treasure of Harinam distributed freely by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This can be grabbed by anyone irrespective of any background.
Chant Hare Krishna & be Happy.
Please excuse me if any of my words seemed harsh.
Regards,
राधा रसिकराज दास
आध्यात्मिक सुविज्ञ एवं सलाहकार
ISKCON Desire Tree - हिंदी
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Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
ISKCON as an organisation is open to all, irrespective of caste, creed, previous religion and social status.
I am surprised you have not seen anyone from the lower strata or middle class level in ISKCON. It mostly consists of these two only - like how society is composed.
To convince anyone of our philosophy, we need purity of heart and mercy of guru. Our words are as powerful as our level of surrender. The same words are written in the book, said by us and by our present acharyas. Then why is it that when we speak, people look at us with disbelief and do not get convinced. This isthe reason - the more realised we are, the more paramatma will speak through us and the message will appeal to the soul in front of us. It has nothing to do with social status.
To convince family, the way is to do so much sadhana that there is visible difference in our thoughts and behaviour (for the better of course). Then and only then they may take notice. Otherwise, they will simply say - you are wasting your time or that you do enough sadhana for the whole family, let us get on with out lives. It is in fact most difficult to preach to own family. I know of senior devotees in ISKCON whose families are not in ISKCON. You can do your sadhana and pray for your family members.
Please make them have prasadam to the extent possible in the meantime.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi