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Excerpt from the Los Angeles Times Article
Dr. J. F. Staal,
Professor of Philosophy and Near Eastern Languages at UC Berkeley and
an instructor in Indian philosophy, believes that the Krishna sect is
an
authentic Indian religion and that its adherents are sincere. He
attributes the Society's rapid increase in members to the tendency of
today's younger generation to reject organized churchgoing while at the
same time searching for fulfillment of a belief in mysticism.
He points out, however, that persons who turn away from Christianity,
Muhammadanism, and Judaism have usually lost faith with the personal
god of those religions and are looking for a mystical religion without
absolutes.
'These people in the Krishna movement have turned to Hinduism, but,
curiously, it is a cult that is highly personalistic,' Staal said.
'They accept a personal god, Krishna, and Christianity has that. I feel
that they have transferred some of their Christian background to a
Hindu sect.'
He also feels that they spend too much time chanting to develop a
philosophy. On these grounds he and others on the faculty turned down
the request to grant credit for an experimental course in Krishna
consciousness that will be taught during the winter quarter by Hans
Kary, president of the sect's Berkeley temple.
Srila Prabhupada's Letter to the Los Angeles Times
January 14, 1970
Editor
Los Angeles Times
Dear Sir:
With reference to your article in the Los Angeles Times
dated Sunday,
January 11, 1970, under the heading "Krishna Chant," I beg to point out
that the Hindu religion is perfectly based on the personal conception
of God, or Vishnu. The impersonal conception of God is a side issue, or
one of the three features of God. The Absolute Truth is ultimately the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Paramatma conception is the
localized aspect of His omnipresence, and the impersonal conception is
the aspect of His greatness and eternity. But all these combined
together make the Complete Whole.
Dr. J. F. Staal's statement that the Krishna cult is a combination of
Christian and Hindu religion, as if something manufactured by
concoction, is not correct. If Christian, Muhammadan, or Buddhist
religions are personal, that is quite welcome. But the Krishna religion
has been personal from a time long, long ago when Christian,
Muhammadan, and Buddhist religions had not yet come into existence.
According to the Vedic conception, religion is basically made by the
personal God as His laws. Religion cannot be manufactured by man or
anyone except God superior to man. Religion is the law of God only.
Unfortunately, all the svamis who came before me in this country
stressed the impersonal aspect of God, without sufficient knowledge of
God's personal aspect. In the Bhagavad-gita, therefore,
it is said that
only less intelligent persons consider that God is originally
impersonal but assumes a form when He incarnates. The Krishna
philosophy, however, based on the authority of the Vedas,
is that
originally the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
His plenary expansion is present in everyone's heart in His localized
aspect, and the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the transcendental
light and heat distributed everywhere.
In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said that the aim of
the Vedic way
of searching out the Absolute Truth is to find the personal God. One
who is satisfied only with the other aspects of the Absolute Truth,
namely the Paramatma feature or the Brahman feature, is to be
considered possessed of a poor fund of knowledge. Recently we have
published our Sri Ishopanishad, a Vedic literature, and
in this small
booklet we have thoroughly discussed this point.
As far as the Hindu religion is concerned, there are millions of
Krishna temples in India, and there is not a single Hindu who does not
worship Krishna. Therefore, this Krishna consciousness movement is not
a concocted idea. We invite all scholars, philosophers, religionists,
and members of the general public to understand this movement by
critical study. And if one does so seriously, one will understand the
sublime position of this great movement.
The chanting process is also authorized. Professor Staal's feeling of
disgust in the matter of constant chanting of the holy name of Krishna
is a definite proof of his lack of knowledge in this authorized
movement of Krishna consciousness. Instead of turning down the request
to give Kary's course credit, he and all other learned professors of
the University of California at Berkeley should patiently hear about
the truth of this authorized movement so much needed at present in
godless society. [Credit for the course was later established.] This is
the only movement which can save the confused younger generation. I
shall invite all responsible guardians of this country to understand
this transcendental movement and then give us all honest facilities to
spread it for everyone's benefit.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Spiritual Master of the Hare Krsna Movement
The Exchange Between Srila Prabhupada and Dr. Staal
January 23, 1970
Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Dear Swamiji:
Thank you very much for sending me a copy of your letter to the Los
Angeles Times, now also published in the Daily Californian.
I think you
will agree with me that apart from publicity, little is gained by
discussing religious or philosophic issues through interviews and
letters in the press; but allow me to make two brief observations.
First, I know that devotion to Krishna is old (though definitely not as
old as the Vedas) and has never been influenced by Christianity, Islam,
or Judaism (I never referred to Buddhism in this connection). The
differences between the personal and impersonal are relatively vague,
but adopting this distinction for simplicity, I expressed surprise at
seeing people who have grown up in a Western culture which stresses the
personal take to an Indian cult which does the same. I am less
surprised when people who are dissatisfied with Western monotheism take
to an Indian philosophy which stresses an impersonal absolute.
Second, I never expressed nor felt disgust at the chanting of the name
of Krishna. I am not only not irritated at it (like some people), but I
rather like it. But it is an indisputable fact that the Bhagavad-gita
(not to mention the Vedas) does not require such constant
chanting. The Gita deals with quite different subjects,
which I
treat at some length
in my courses on the philosophies of India.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
J. F. Staal
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages
January 30, 1970
J. F. Staal
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages
University of California
Berkeley, California
My dear Professor Staal:
I thank you very much for your kind letter dated January 23, 1970. In
the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not
irritated at the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra (like some
people), but rather like it. This has given me much satisfaction, and I
am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, Back to Godhead,
issue
number 28, in which you will find how the students [at a program at
Ohio State University] liked this chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra,
although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually
this chanting is very pleasing to the heart and is the best means of
infusing spiritual consciousness, or Krishna consciousness, into the
hearts of people in general.
This is the easiest process of spiritual realization and is recommended
in the Vedas. In the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is clearly
stated that it
is only chanting of the holy name of Hari [Krishna] that can save
people from the problems of materialistic existence, and there is no
other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this
age of Kali.
Western culture is monotheistic, but Westerners are being misled by
impersonal Indian speculation. The young people of the West are
frustrated because they are not diligently taught about monotheism.
They are not satisfied with this process of teaching and understanding.
The Krishna consciousness movement is a boon to them, because they are
being really trained to understand Western monotheism under the
authoritative Vedic system. We do not simply theoretically discuss;
rather, we learn by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations.
But I am surprised to see that in the last paragraph of your letter you
say, "It is an indisputable fact that the Bhagavad-gita
(not to mention
the Vedas) does not require such constant chanting." I
think that you
have missed the following verse in the Bhagavad-gita,
apart from many
other similar verses:
satatam
kirtayanto mam
yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
nitya-yukta upasate
(Bg. 9.14)
The engagement
of the great souls, freed from delusion and perfect in their
realization of God, is described here: satatam kirtayanto mam—they
are
always (satatam) chanting (kirtayantah) My glories and—nitya-yukta
upasate—always worshiping Me (Krishna).
So I do not know how you can say "indisputable." And, if you want
references from the Vedas, I can give you many. In the Vedas,
the chief
transcendental vibration omkara is also Krishna. Pranava
omkara is the
divine substance of the Vedas. Following the Vedas
means chanting the
Vedic mantras, and no Vedic mantra is complete without omkara.
In the Mandukya Upanishad, omkara is stated to be
the most auspicious sound
representation of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed again in the
Atharva Veda. Omkara is the sound
representation of the Supreme Lord
and is therefore the principal word in the Vedas. In this
connection,
the Supreme Lord, Krishna, says, pranavah sarva-vedeshu:
"I am the
syllable om in all the Vedic mantras." (Bg. 7.8)
Furthermore, in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter Fifteen, verse 15,
Krishna says,
"I am seated in everyone's heart. By all the Vedas, I am
to be known; I
am the compiler of Vedanta, and I know Veda as it is."
The Supreme
Lord, seated in everyone's heart, is described in both the Mundaka
and Svetasvatara Upanishads: dva suparna sayuja
sakhaya... The Supreme Lord
and the individual soul are sitting in the body like two friendly birds
in a tree. One bird is eating the fruits of the tree, or reactions of
material activities, and the other bird, the Supersoul, is witnessing.
The goal of Vedantic study, therefore, is to know the Supreme Lord,
Krishna. This point is stressed in the Bhagavad-gita,
Chapter Eight,
verse 13, where it is stated that by the mystic yoga process,
ultimately vibrating the sacred syllable om, one attains to His
supreme
spiritual planet. In the Vedanta-sutras, which you have
certainly read,
the Fourth Chapter, adhikarana 4, sutra 22, states
positively, anavrttih sabdat: "By sound vibration one
becomes
liberated." By
devotional service, by understanding well the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, one can go to His abode and never come back again to this
material condition. How is it possible? The answer is, simply by
chanting His name constantly.
This is accepted by the exemplary disciple, Arjuna, who has perfectly
learned the conclusion of spiritual science from the yogeshvara,
the
master of mystic knowledge, Krishna. Recognizing Krishna to be the
Supreme Brahman, Arjuna addresses Him, sthane hrishikesha...:
"The world
becomes joyful hearing Your name, and thus do all become attached to
You." (Bg. 11.36) The process of chanting is herein authorized as the
direct means of contacting the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality
of Godhead. Simply by chanting the holy name Krishna, the soul is
attracted by the Supreme Person, Krishna, to go home, back to Godhead.
In the Narada-pancharatra it is stated that all the Vedic
rituals, mantras, and understanding are compressed into the
eight
words Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Similarly, in
the Kali-santarana Upanishad it is stated that these
sixteen words, Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare
Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, are especially meant for counteracting the
degrading and contaminating influence of this materialistic age of Kali.
All these points are elaborately presented in my book Teachings
of Lord
Chaitanya.
The process of chanting is, therefore, not only the sublime method for
practical perfection of life but the authorized Vedic principle
inaugurated by the greatest Vedic scholar and devotee, Lord Chaitanya
(whom we consider an incarnation of Krishna). We are simply following
in His authorized footsteps.
The scope of the Krishna consciousness movement is universal. The
process for regaining one's original spiritual status of eternal life,
full with bliss and knowledge, is not abstract, dry theorizing.
Spiritual life is not described in the Vedas as
theoretical, dry, or
impersonal. The Vedas aim at the inculcation of pure love
of God only,
and this harmonious conclusion is practically realized by the Krishna
consciousness movement, or by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.
As the goal of spiritual realization is only one, love of God, so the Vedas
stand as a single comprehensive whole in the
matter of
transcendental understanding. Only the incomplete views of various
parties apart from the bona fide Vedic lines of teaching give a
rapturous appearance to the Bhagavad-gita. The
reconciliative factor
adjusting all apparently diverse propositions of the Vedas
is the
essence of the Veda, or Krishna consciousness (love of God).
Thanking you once again,
Yours sincerely,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
February 8, 1970
Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Dear Swamiji:
Thank you very much for your kindness in sending me your long and
interesting letter of January 30, together with the last issue of Back
to Godhead. So far I have had a few discussions with members of
your
society here, but they were not entirely satisfactory from my point of
view. But now I have your much more authoritative letter, whereby the
discussion moves to a higher level.
And yet, I am afraid, you have not convinced me that all the scriptures
you quote prescribe only chanting of the name of Krishna. Let me refer
only to the most important ones.
In the Bhagavad-gita (9.14), kirtayantah need not
mean chanting of the
name of Krishna. It may mean glorifying, chanting, reciting, talking,
and refer to songs, hymns, descriptions, or conversations. The
commentators take it that way. Shankara in his commentary merely
repeats the word, but Anandagiri in his vyakhya classes kirtana
as vedanta-shravanam pranava-japas cha, "listening to
the Vedanta and
muttering om" (that the Vedic om is Krishna is said in
the Bhagavad-gita, where Krishna is also identified with
many other things,
and which is smriti, but not in the Vedas, which
are shruti). Another
commentator, Hanuman, in his Paisacha-bhasya, says that kirtayantah
merely means bhasamanah—"talking [about]."
More important, I think, than the precise meaning of this word, is that
the entire verse does not require that everyone always engage in kirtana,
but merely states that some great souls do so.
This is obvious
from the next verse, which states that anye, "others," engage
in jnana: yajnena... yajanto mam,
"worshiping me...
with the worship of
knowledge." The Bhagavad-gita is broad-minded and
tolerant of a variety
of religious approaches, although it also stresses one aspect above all
others (i.e., sarva-phala-tyaga).*
[*Sarva-phala-tyaga means "renunciation of all the fruits
of one's
work."]
Finally, in the last sutra of the Vedanta-sutra, anavrittih
sabdat..., sabda refers to the scripture or to the
revelation of the Vedas,
as is
clear from the context and from the commentators. Shankara quotes a
number of texts (ending with ity adi-sabdebhyah,
"according to these sabdas") to support this, i.e., to support
the statement
that
"according to the scripture there is no return." He also refers to sabda
in this sutra by saying mantrartha-vadadi...,
"mantras,
descriptions, etc." Vacaspati Misra in the Bhamati
supports this and
clarifies it further by adding that a contrary view is shruti-smriti-virodhah,
"in conflict with the smriti
and the shruti."
Thanking you once again for your kind attention.
Yours very sincerely,
J. F. Staal
February 15, 1970
J. F. Staal
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages
My dear Dr. Staal:
I am very glad to receive your letter dated Sunday, February 8, 1970. I
am very much pleased also to note the contents.
Regarding convincing you that all scriptures prescribe chanting of the
name of Krishna, I can simply present the authority of Lord Chaitanya.
Lord Chaitanya recommended, kirtaniyah sada harih ("Hari,
Krishna, is
constantly to be praised" (Shikshastaka 3)). Similarly,
Madhvacarya
quotes, vede ramayane chaiva harih sarvatra giyate ("Hari
is sung about
everywhere in the Vedas and Ramayana").
Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita
(15.15) the Lord says, vedais cha sarvair aham eva vedyah
("By all the Vedas, I am to be known").
In this way we find all the scriptures aiming at the Supreme Person. In
the Rig Veda (1.22.20) the mantra is om
tad vishnoh paramam padam sada
pashyanti surayah ("The demigods are always looking to that
supreme
abode of Vishnu"). The whole Vedic process, therefore, is to understand
Lord Vishnu, and any scripture is directly or indirectly chanting the
glories of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.
Regarding the Bhagavad-gita, verse 9.14, kirtayantah
certainly means
glorifying, chanting, reciting, and talking, as you have said; but
glorifying, chanting, or reciting about whom? It is certainly Krishna.
The word used in this connection is mam ["Me"]. Therefore, we
do not
disagree when a person glorifies Krishna, as Shukadeva did in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
This is also kirtana. The
highest among all Vedic
literatures is the proper place for such glorification of the Supreme
Lord, Krishna, and this is to be well understood from the verse:
nigama-kalpa-taror
galitam phalam
suka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam
muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah
"O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad-Bhagavatam,
the mature
fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the
lips of Sri Shukadeva Gosvami. Therefore this fruit has become even
more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for
all, including liberated souls." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.3)
It is said that
Maharaja Parikshit attained salvation simply by hearing, and similarly
Shukadeva Gosvami attained salvation simply by chanting. In our
devotional service there are nine different methods for achieving the
same goal, love of Godhead, and the first process is hearing. This
hearing process is called shruti. The next process is chanting.
The
chanting process is smriti. We accept both shruti and smriti
simultaneously. We consider shruti the mother and smriti
the sister,
because a child hears from the mother and then again learns from the
sister by description.
Shruti and smriti are two parallel lines. Srila
Rupa Gosvami therefore
says:
shruti-smriti-puranadi-
pancharatra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
(Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.101)
That is, without
references to shruti, smriti, Puranas, and Pancharatras,
unadulterated
devotional service is never achieved. Therefore, anyone who shows a
devotional ecstasy without reference to the shastras [Vedic
scriptures]
simply creates disturbances. On the other hand, if we simply stick to
the shrutis, then we become veda-vada-ratah,* who
are not very much
appreciated in the Bhagavad-gita.
[*[Bg 2.42] "Engaged in merely mouthing the words of the scriptures,
but not understanding or practicing them."]
Therefore Bhagavad-gita, although smriti, is the
essence of all Vedic
scripture, sarvopanishado gavah.* It is just like a cow
which is
delivering the milk, or the essence of all the Vedas and Upanishads,
and all the acharyas, including Shankaracharya, accept the Bhagavad-gita
as such. Therefore you cannot deny the
authority of the
Bhagavad-gita because it is smriti; that view is shruti-smriti-virodhah,
"in conflict with the smriti
and the shruti,"
as you have correctly said.
See the Fourth of Shankaracharya's meditations.
Regarding Anandagiri's quotation that kirtana means vedanta-shravanam
pranava japas cha ["listening to the Vedanta and
muttering om"], the
knower of Vedanta is Krishna, and He is the compiler of Vedanta.
He is veda-vit and vedanta-krit. So where is there a
greater opportunity for vedanta-shravana than to hear it from
Krishna?
Regarding the next verse, in which it is mentioned that jnana-yajnena...
yajanto mam, the object of
worship is Krishna, as
indicated by mam ["Me"]. The process is described in the Ishopanishad,
mantra 11:
vidyam
chavidyam cha yas
tad vedobhayam saha
avidyaya mrityum tirtva
vidyayamritam asnute
"Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of
transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of
repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality."
The culture of vidya,
or transcendental knowledge, is essential for the
human being,
otherwise the culture of avidya, or nescience, binds him to
conditional
existence on the material platform. Materialistic existence means the
pursuit or culture of sense gratification, and this kind of knowledge
of sense gratification (avidya) means advancement of repeated
birth and
death. Those who are absorbed in such knowledge cannot learn any lesson
from the laws of nature, and they do the same things over repeatedly,
being enamored of the beauty of illusory things. Vidya, or
factual
knowledge, on the other hand, means to know thoroughly the process of
nescient activities while at the same time culturing transcendental
science and thereby undeviatingly following the path of liberation.
Liberation is the enjoyment of the full blessings of immortality. This
immortality is enjoyed in the eternal kingdom of God (sambhuty-amritam
asnute), the region of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
is the
result obtained by worshiping the Supreme Lord, the cause of all
causes, sambhavat. So in this way real knowledge, vidya,
means to
worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna; that is
jnana-yajnena, the worship of knowledge.
This jnana-yajnena... yajanto mam is the perfection of
knowledge, as
stated in the Bhagavad-gita (7.19):
bahunam
janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge
surrenders unto Me [Krishna], knowing Me to be the cause of all causes,
and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."
If one has not
yet come to this conclusion of knowledge and simply indulges in dry
speculation without Krishna, then his hard speculative labor is
something like beating empty husks of grain. The unhulled rice and the
empty husks of rice look very much the same. One who knows how to get
the grain out of the unhulled rice is wise, but one who beats on the
empty husk, thinking to get some result, is simply wasting his labor
uselessly. Similarly, if one studies the Vedas without
finding the goal
of the Vedas, Krishna, he simply wastes his valuable time.
So to cultivate knowledge for worshiping Krishna culminates after many,
many births and deaths when one actually becomes wise. When one becomes
wise in this way, he surrenders to Krishna, recognizing Him at last to
be the cause of all causes and all that is. That sort of great soul is
very rare. So those who have surrendered to Krishna life and soul are
rare sudurlabha mahatmas. They are not ordinary mahatmas.
By the grace of Lord Chaitanya that highest perfectional status of life
is being distributed very freely. The effect is also very encouraging;
otherwise, how are boys and girls without any background of Vedic
culture quickly occupying the posts of rare mahatmas simply by
vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Krishna? And simply on the
basis of this chanting, the majority of them (those who are very
sincere) are steady in devotional service and are not falling down to
the four principles of material sinful life, namely (1) meat-eating,
(2) illicit sexual connection, (3) taking of intoxicants, including
coffee, tea, and tobacco, and (4) gambling. And that is the last sutra
of the Vedanta-sutra, i.e., anavrittih sabdat
["By sound vibration one
becomes liberated"].
One has to learn by the result (phalena parichiyate). Our
students are
ordered to act like this, and they are not falling down. That they are
remaining on the platform of pure spiritual life without hankering to
culture the above principles of avidya, or sense gratification,
is the
test of their proper understanding of the Vedas. They do
not come back
to the material platform, because they are relishing the nectarean
fruit of love of God.
Sarva-phala-tyaga ["renunciation of all the fruits
of one's work"] is
explained in the Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself in the
words sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja:
"Give up everything
and simply surrender unto Me [Krishna]." The Hare Krishna mantra
means
"O Supreme Energy of Krishna and O Lord Krishna, please engage me in
Your eternal service." So we have given up everything and are simply
engaged in the service of the Lord. What Krishna orders us to do is our
only engagement. We have given up all resultant actions of karma,
jnana, and yoga; and that is the stage of pure
devotional service, bhaktir uttama.
Yours sincerely,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
February 25, 1970
Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Founder-Acharya
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Dear Swamiji:
Thank you very much for your very interesting letter of February 15,
1970, with enclosure.
I am afraid that whenever you quote a passage purporting to show that
only the chanting of the name Krishna is required, I can quote another
one which requires something else, adding, yadi sloko 'pi pramanam,
ayam api shlokah pramanam bhavitum arhati: "If mere verses are
authoritative, this verse also ought to be regarded as authoritative."
And there may be no end to this in the foreseeable future, as Patanjali
also says, mahan hi sabdasya prayoga-visayah: "For vast is the
domain
for the use of words."
Yours very sincerely,
J. F. Staal
April 24, 1970
Dear Dr. Staal:
I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter dated February 25,
1970. I am sorry that I could not reply to your letter earlier because
I was a little busy in the matter of purchasing a new church estate at
the above address. We have secured a very nice place for a separate
temple, lecture room, my quarters, and the devotees' residential
quarters, all together in a nice place with all the modern amenities.
I beg to request you to visit this place at your convenience, and if
you kindly let me know a day before, my students will be very glad to
receive you properly.
Regarding our correspondence, actually this quotation and
counter-quotation cannot solve the problem. In a court both the learned
lawyers quote from law books, but that is not the solution to the case.
The determination of the case is the judgment of the presiding judge.
So argument cannot bring us to a conclusion.
The scriptural quotations are sometimes contradictory, and every
philosopher has a different opinion, because without putting forward a
different thesis, no one can become a famous philosopher. It is
therefore difficult to arrive at the right conclusion. The conclusion
is, as above mentioned, to accept the judgment of authority. We follow
the authority of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is nondifferent from
Krishna, and His version according to Vedic scripture is that in this
age this chanting is the only solution for all problems of life. And
that is actually being shown by practical experience.
Recently there was a big procession of our students in Berkeley on the
Advent Day of Lord Chaitanya, and the public has remarked as follows:
"This crowd of men is not like others, who assemble to break windows
and create havoc." This is also confirmed by the police in the
following words: "Members of the Krishna consciousness movement
cooperated fully with the police, and their efforts to maintain
peaceful order throughout the parade were so successful that only
minimal police involvement was required."
Similarly, in Detroit there was a big peace march, and our men were
appreciated as "angels" in the crowd. So this Krishna consciousness
movement is actually needed at the present moment as the panacea for
all kinds of problems in human society.
Other quotations will not act very appreciably at this time. In a
drugstore there may be many medicines, and all may be genuine, but what
is required is that an experienced physician prescribe medicine for a
particular patient. We cannot say in this case, "This is also medicine,
and this is also medicine." No. The medicine which is effective for a
particular person is the medicine for him—phalena parichiyate.
Yours very sincerely,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Final Note by Srila Prabhupada
In a court of
justice two lawyers put forward their respective relevant
arguments taken from the authorized law books to decide a point, but it
is up to the judge to decide the case in favor of one of the litigants.
When the opposing lawyers put forward their arguments, both of them are
legal and bona fide, but the judgment is given as to which argument is
applicable to the particular case.
Lord Chaitanya gives His judgment on the authority of shastras
that the
chanting of the holy names of the Lord is the only means to elevate one
to the transcendental platform, and actually we can see it is
effective. Each and every one of our students who has seriously taken
to this process may be examined individually, and any impartial judge
will find it easy to see that they have advanced in their
transcendental realization further than any philosophers, religionists,
yogis, karmis, etc.
We have to accept everything favorable to the circumstances. Rejection
of other methods in a particular circumstance does not mean that the
rejected ones are not bona fide. But for the time being, taking into
consideration the age, time, and object, methods are sometimes rejected
even though bona fide. We have to test everything by its practical
result. By such a test, in this age the constant chanting of the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra undoubtedly proves very effective.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
