If the standard was lowered for Western devotees, why dont Indians have to chant more rounds?
Philosophy · asked by user [] · 2007-09-05 · 5 answers
A devotee who left ISKCON to join another devotees group who was also kicked out of ISKCON asked me a question. The question was, if Srila Prabhupada lowered the standard of chanting in order to accomodate the Western devotees, then how come when members in India join ISKCON they dont have to chant more rounds?
Is this just a useless clever question or should I worry about how to answer it? Did he really say Western born devotees couldnt chant as well as devotees born in India? Because the devotee who asked me this question was born in India, and was saying how he was better than Western devotees and this is proof. He joined a group whos leader was also born in India and was well respected in ISKCON when he was a sannyasi until it came out that he had broken sannyasa.
One time, in the same ISKCON temple, one of Srila Prabhupadas godbrothers was there. So I asked him about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and the quotation about if you dont chant sixty four rounds you are considered to be fallen. He laughed and said this was not an order, a hard and fast rule that one must chant sixty four rounds daily, the same way that one must chant sixteen rounds in ISKCON. It was something else.
Is this just a useless clever question or should I worry about how to answer it? Did he really say Western born devotees couldnt chant as well as devotees born in India? Because the devotee who asked me this question was born in India, and was saying how he was better than Western devotees and this is proof. He joined a group whos leader was also born in India and was well respected in ISKCON when he was a sannyasi until it came out that he had broken sannyasa.
One time, in the same ISKCON temple, one of Srila Prabhupadas godbrothers was there. So I asked him about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and the quotation about if you dont chant sixty four rounds you are considered to be fallen. He laughed and said this was not an order, a hard and fast rule that one must chant sixty four rounds daily, the same way that one must chant sixteen rounds in ISKCON. It was something else.
user [33] · 2007-09-05
Puffed up comes to mind.user [19] · 2007-09-06
From what I have seen some hindus can be more fallen than westeners because they know the truth and solution but they dont even care.
Someone compared them to young crows who eat gargage with enthusiasm while old crows are not interested in it because they are tired of it.
user [154] · 2007-09-06
`There is nothing wrong with feeling fallen. But one thing is to feel fallen and another is being fallen.Siddhanta Sarasvati did give different quotas to different people.
Prabhupada did not chant 64 rounds, that does not make him fallen. What a strange interpretation of the quote from SBST!
Prabhupada always corrected people, when they were doing thir vows on the initiation ceremony, "At least sixteen.."
user [150] · 2007-09-06
Was the standard really lowered for just western devotees? Wasnt the standard set by Srila Prabhupada for all ISKCON initiates based on time, place and circumstance? "At least sixteen" as ccd has quoted above is a great reply to anyone who calls into question the standard set for chanting by Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON. Is there any scriptural reference within our sampradaya to support the notion that an Indian body has the capacity to chant more?
user [147] · 2007-09-06
Bhakta Pablo,I heard that Srila Prabhupada said Western bodies are not as good for yoga, but that was referring to hatha yoga. Dont know if it is true. Also when I was in India, I saw devotees whose service it was to chant in the twenty four hour kirtans. There is just no way I could do all that. I had to leave during the Janmastami kirtana a couple of nights ago because of claustrophobia. Same thing happens to me in Mayapura. There are just too many devotees and you cant even move.
But during class sure enough some Indian devotee will come right up and practically sit on my knees and pin me solid between several seated devotees and be content sitting there hearing class. I cant tolerate it. Must be me, not the fact that I am born in a western body.