Racial profiling in ISKCON

[Paramananda das]

Racial profiling in ISKCON

dandavat pranams

All glories to Sri Guru Gauranga,Gandharvika Giridhari

Jaya Srila Prabhupada

Before coming to ISKCON I never racially profiled anyone ,it seems so low class.But Devamrta Swami, Harikesa,and Dhanudhara Swami ,Hrdayananda Maharaja ,Nava Yogindra    Swami    racially profiles devotees.

I can understand that they have internal issues to do so.But having been insulted  in the past for having taken birth in Denmark and Hrdyananda Maharaja insulted my Gurudeva in 2001 in New Vrindavana for being Indian and thus a thief:

I like to point out the following verse SB 2.4.18:

http://vedabase.net/sb/2/4/18/en

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ

SYNONYMS

kirāta—a province of old Bhārata; hūṇa—part of Germany and Russia; āndhra—a province of southern India; pulinda—the Greeks; pulkaśāḥ—another province; ābhīra—part of old Sind; śumbhāḥ—another province; yavanāḥ—the Turks; khasa-ādayaḥ—the Mongolian province; ye—even those; anye—others; ca—also; pāpāḥ—addicted to sinful acts; yat—whose; apāśraya-āśrayāḥ—having taken shelter of the devotees of the Lord; śudhyanti—at once purified; tasmai—unto Him; prabhaviṣṇave—unto the powerful Viṣṇu; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport: " The Vaiṣṇava never accepts another Vaiṣṇava on the basis of birthright, just as he never thinks of the Deity of the Lord in a temple as an idol. And to remove all doubts in this connection, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has invoked the blessings of the Lord, who is all-powerful (prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ). As the all-powerful Lord accepts the humble service of His devotee in devotional activities of the arcana, His form as the worshipable Deity in the temple, similarly the body of a pure Vaiṣṇava changes transcendentally at once when he gives himself up to the service of the Lord and is trained by a qualified Vaiṣṇava. The injunction of Vaiṣṇava regulation in this connection runs as follows: arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor nāmni śabda-sāmānya-buddhiḥ, etc. "One should not consider the Deity of the Lord as worshiped in the temple to be an idol, nor should one consider the authorized spiritual master an ordinary man. Nor should one consider a pure Vaiṣṇava to belong to a particular caste, etc." (Padma Purāṇa) The conclusion is that the Lord, being all-powerful, can, under any and every circumstance, accept anyone from any part of the world, either personally or through His bona fide manifestation as the spiritual master. Lord Caitanya accepted many devotees from communities other than the varṇāśramites, and He Himself declared, to teach us, that He does not belong to any caste or social order of life, but that He is the eternal servant of the servant of the Lord who maintains the damsels of Vṛndāvana (Lord Kṛṣṇa) (CC Madhya 13.80). That is the way of self-realization."

Srila Narayana Maharaja has given a very nice lecture on this subject:

http://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-discourses-mainmenu-61/24...

The Nectar of Instruction 6

dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś ca doṣair

na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta janasya paśyet

gańgāmbhasāḿ na khalu budbuda-phena-pańkair

brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nīra-dharmaiḥ

SYNONYMS

dṛṣṭaiḥ — seen by ordinary vision; svabhāva-janitaiḥ — born of one's own nature; vapuṣaḥ — of the body; ca — and; doṣaiḥ — by the faults; na — not; prākṛtatvam — the state of being material; iha — in this world; bhakta janasya — of a pure devotee; paśyet — one should see; gańgā-ambhasām — of the Ganges waters; na — not; khalu — certainly; budbuda-phena-pańkaiḥ — by bubbles, foam and mud; brahma-dravatvam — the transcendental nature; apagacchati — is spoiled; nīra-dharmaiḥ — the characteristics of water.

TRANSLATION

Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.

http://vedabase.net/noi/6/en

 

So yes I have seen how devotees among leaders in ISKCON born in US looks down on anyone born outside of USA, this is lowclass degraded and offensive.I could never understood antisemetic behavior before I came to USA, because there is some jewish persons that racailly profile others as inferior than they, and there is persons racially profiling them.

However in all cultures there is sayings about being stingy like a Scotchman  and especially a jew, in Africa in many countries if someone is not generous he is described as "Judas" the jewish disciple of Jesus Christ that had his Guru killed for   silver coins.

Are there such a thing as some jewish persons being overly attached to wealth for sure..In ISKCON we have seen this also though we have tried to just overlook such a fault that in the sannyasa asrama  some jewish Swamis has overcollected wealth. But the is not only a symptom for certain jewish Swamis ,but a general disease described in the Srimad Bhagavatam that sannyasis in Kali yuga will be overly attached to wealth. (not that this is a lisence,it is a bad quality)

Many devotees have sadly not carefully studied the 12 Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam..

 

Seeing Narayana Maraja as a lowclass indian looking for money was certainly a huge vaisna apradha, and I confronted Hrdayananda maharaja about this in 2001 , and asked him to give up his envy of such a senior vaisnava that chanted Hare Krishna before he was born.

I am not interested to defend myself from the many times I have been looked down for being born in Denmark.

If however we act outside what is accepted vaisnava behvior ,then low birth is remembered but in Kali yuga ,hardly  one person is born in a good family.And we see sometimes even those born in devotee families are addicted to sins and do not take to bhakti with determination.

Lord Balarama remembered Romaharsana Suta's being born in a lesser family, but then immidiatly placed his son   Suta Goswami as the speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam for the sages of Naimisaranya.

Birth is not a disqualification ,sastra says everyone is born a sudra..Janmana jayate sudra

janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah veda-pathad bhaved vipro brahma janatiti brahmanah

“By birth one is a sudra  , by the purificatory process one becomes a dvija   , by study of the Vedas one becomes a vipra, and one who knows Brahman is a brahmana.”

Recently I called some devotees that   mistreated  and even murdered other devotees as for "sons of bitches".

I do not take this back as they anger me, as does pseudo devotees that have molested children and harmed children.

It is not a nice subject, but ISKCON leaders should be warned if you do call other devotees for derogatory names, there will be reactiones.ISKCON should not be based on might makes right ,but on love..and seeing vaisnavas as their bodies garanties one a place in hell.

but Api ced sudaracaro is not a licence to steal money or have illicit sex  ..etc

http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Bhagavatam/577.html

Actually the name of this class is offensive and not given by Prabhupada: "Every Dog Has His  Pride"

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das

Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13].

http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Walks/MW106.html

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.10

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaḿ variṣṭham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇaḿ punāti sa kulaḿ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

SYNONYMS

viprāt — than a brāhmaṇa; dvi-ṣaṭ-guṇa-yutāt — qualified with twelve brahminical qualities; aravinda-nābha — Lord Viṣṇu, who has a lotus growing from His navel; pāda-aravinda — to the lotus feet of the Lord; vimukhāt — not interested in devotional service; śva-pacam — one born in a low family, or a dog-eater; variṣṭham — more glorious; manye — I consider; tat-arpita — surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord; manaḥ — his mind; vacana — words; īhita — every endeavor; artha — wealth; prāṇam — and life; punāti — purifies; saḥ — he (the devotee); kulam — his family; na — not; tu — but; bhūrimānaḥ — one who falsely thinks himself to be in a prestigious position.

TRANSLATION

If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything — mind, words, activities, wealth and life — to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.

PURPORT

Here is a statement by Prahlāda Mahārāja, one of the twelve authorities, regarding the distinction between a devotee and a brāhmaṇa expert in karma-kāṇḍa, or Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. There are four varṇas and four āśramas, which divide human society, but the central principle is to become a first-class pure devotee. It is said in the Hari-bhakti — sudhodaya:

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya

jātiḥ śāstraḿ japas tapaḥ

aprāṇasyaiva dehasya

maṇḍanaḿ loka-rañjanam

"If one is born in a high family like that of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya but is not a devotee of the Lord, all his good qualifications as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya are null and void. Indeed, they are considered decorations of a dead body."

In this verse Prahlāda Mahārāja speaks of the vipras, the learned brāhmaṇas. The learned brāhmaṇa is considered best among the divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, but a devotee born in a low caṇḍāla family is better than such brāhmaṇas, not to speak of the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and others. A devotee is better than anyone, for he is in the transcendental position on the Brahman platform.

māḿ ca yo vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." (Bg. 14.26) The twelve qualities of a first-class brāhmaṇa, as stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta, are as follows:

jñānaḿ ca satyaḿ ca damaḥ śrutaḿ ca

hy amātsaryaḿ hrīs titikṣānasūyā

yajñaś ca dānaḿ ca dhṛtiḥ śamaś ca

mahā-vratā dvādaśa brāhmaṇasya

The European and American devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are sometimes accepted as brāhmaṇas, but the so-called caste brāhmaṇas are very much envious of them. In answer to such envy, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that one who has been born in a brāhmaṇa family but is falsely proud of his prestigious position cannot even purify himself, not to speak of his family, whereas if a caṇḍāla, a lowborn person, is a devotee and has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, he can purify his entire family. We have had actual experience of how Americans and Europeans, because of their full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, have purified their whole families, so much so that a mother of a devotee, at the time of her death, inquired about Kṛṣṇa with her last breath. Therefore it is theoretically true and has been practically proven that a devotee can give the best service to his family, his community, his society and his nation. The foolish accuse a devotee of following the principle of escapism, but actually the fact is that a devotee is the right person to elevate his family. A devotee engages everything in the service of the Lord, and therefore he is always exalted.

[Paramananda das]

Navayogendra Swami stated that western devotees can not be vaisnavas, but Srila Prabhupada never said so, I wonder what he is doing in ISKCON if he thinks this way?

arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor nāmni śabda-sāmānya-buddhiḥ

[Paramananda das]

I once asked navayogendra Maharaja  in Seattle"" Maharaja why are you angry with indian devotees when they do not give you enough money?

he was chastising them give me more money

so when I questioned I was asked to leave the temple

by the descision of Harivilasa

I think the GBC should have asked him to apologize to me

both of them

[Paramananda das]

correction and addition:

Are there such a thing as some jewish persons being overly attached to wealth for sure..In ISKCON as well as in Gaudiya math we have seen this also though we have tried to just overlook such a fault that in the sannyasa asrama  some   Swamis has overcollected wealth. But this is not only a symptom for certain jewish Swamis ,but a general disease described in the Srimad Bhagavatam that sannyasis in Kali yuga will be overly attached to wealth. (not that this is a lisence,it is a bad quality)

Many devotees have sadly not carefully studied the 12 Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam..

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam12.3.33

avratā baṭavo 'śaucā

bhikṣavaś ca kuṭumbinaḥ

tapasvino grāma-vāsā

nyāsino 'tyartha-lolupāḥ

SYNONYMS

avratāḥ — failing to execute their vows; baṭavaḥ — the brahmacārīs; aśaucāḥ — unclean; bhikṣavaḥ — prone to begging; ca — and; kuṭumbinaḥ — the householders; tapasvinaḥ — those who have gone to the forest for austerities; grāma-vāsāḥ — village residents; nyāsinaḥ — the sannyāsīs; atyartha-lolupāḥ — excessively greedy for wealth.

TRANSLATION

The brahmacārīs will fail to execute their vows and become generally unclean, the householders will become beggars, the vānaprasthas will live in the villages, and the sannyāsīs will become greedy for wealth.

SB 12.2.1: Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, O King, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the age of Kali.

SB 12.2.2: In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power.

SB 12.2.3: Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brāhmaṇa just by his wearing a thread.

SB 12.2.4: A person's spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person's propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.

SB 12.2.5: A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has merely taken a bath.

SB 12.3.24: In the age of Kali only one fourth of the religious principles remains. That last remnant will continuously be decreased by the ever-increasing principles of irreligion and will finally be destroyed.

SB 12.3.25: In the Kali age people tend to be greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and they fight one another without good reason. Unfortunate and obsessed with material desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all śūdras and barbarians.

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8946&paged=4