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EDITORIAL December 12, 1999 VNN5065 Comment on this story The Collapse Of The Modern Consumer Society BY JAGADANANDA DAS (VIA NG) EDITORIAL, Dec 12 (VNN) — "When all this is over, after the collapse of the modern consumer-society, there will be a hard core left in ISKCON, those who stayed united and kept faith in Srila Prabhupada despite all odds, who will help build a new and better world." This paragraph reflects one of the root problems with Iskcon and cults in general. We devotees are misfits in society and we project our failures externally. So we think that society is doomed and, with inflated ideas of our self-worth, that we are the chosen few who will survive and be victorious. This was true of the disenfranchised people who became the early Christians, expecting the coming of the "Kingdom of God" from day to day, just as it is for the Jehovah's Witnesses today, who continue to garner far more recruits than Iskcon despite regularly setting back the dates for the Apocalypse. As Nirvana Blue points out, there is a hypocrisy in our approval of those who are both devotees and materially successful. But it is understandable in view of the above, rather simple psychological analysis. But just as early Christianity matured into a complex, variegated faith, there is a possibility that one day Iskcon and the KCM in general will outgrow its cult status and become mainstream. This will require a little vision, requiring strangely enought, that devotees have to stop seeing themselves as exclusive holders of the Truth. They have to be ready to "water down" the philosophy. There will always be an orthodox or fundamentalist fringe that will be incorrigibly blind to the realities of the world, but KC has to give worth to those who are not committed to a monastic lifestyle. This is, strangely enough, what Prabhupada was talking about when he talked about Varnashrama Dharma, but so few people have managed to understand it, partly because of earlier propaganda about being a Karmi, and partly perhaps because Prabhupada was limited in his vocabulary. Had he used terms like "lay congregation" "vocation" and other terms familiar from Christianity, perhaps we wouldn't have been as confused as the VAD concept made us. As a result, we condemn anyone who does not strictly follow the regulative principles, those who are working "in the world." We even condemn so-called "material welfare work" and other religions rather than adopting a liberal view of God's will operating through all religions. The VAD concept means that all activities can have a value in spiritual life. Self-realization starts with recognizing our own adhikara (sve sve'dhikare ya nistha, sa gunah parikirtitah) and our own work or sva-dharma. There is nothing to be gained by queue-jumping. The kind of full commitment demanded of Krishna consciousness in its pure state is very difficult to maintain. Let us admit it and give value to the misra bhakti that is implied by VAD. At the same time, we should adopt the human values of bhakti: generosity of spirit is the value that is being spoken of in the trinad api verse. Strict following of regulative principles or even so-called "pure devotional service" that is not accompanied by basic human values of generosity, humility, tolerance and love, is false. It is phalgu-vairagya at its worst. If you have seen Nandini Dasi's rather belated comments on Burke Rochford's article in ICJ (http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9912/ET10-5053.html) you will recognize that the Hare Krishna movement is floundering and certainly not achieving its goals of being an open and welcoming organization, a house in which the entire world can live. Your servant, Jagadananda Das Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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