Krishna Consciousness is not
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Imported quote 15958 There is a misconception that the Krsna consciousness movement represents the Hindu religion. In fact, however, Krsna consciousness is in no way a faith or religion that seeks to defeat other faiths or religions. Rather, it is an essential cultural movement for the entire human society and does not consider any particular sectarian faith. This cultural movement is especially meant to educate people in how they can love God.
(More...) Sometimes Indians both inside and outside of India think that we are preaching the Hindu religion, but actually we are not. One will not find the word "Hindu" in Bhagavad-gita. Indeed, there is no such word as "Hindu" in the entire Vedic literature. This word has been introduced by the Muslims from provinces next to India, such as Afghanistan, Balochistan and Persia. There is a river called "Sindhu" bordering the northwestern provinces of India, and since the Muslims there could not pronounce "Sindhu" properly, instead they called the river "Hindu," and the inhabitants of this tract of land they called "Hindus." In India, according to the Vedic language, the Europeans are called mlecchas or yavanas. Similarly, "Hindu" is a name given by the Muslims.
(More...) The ultimate goal of this movement is to educate people in how to love God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu approves the conclusion that the highest perfection of human life is to learn how to love God. The Krsna consciousness movement has nothing to do with the Hindu religion or any system of religion. No Christian gentleman will be interested in changing his faith from Christian to Hindu. Similarly, no Hindu gentleman of culture will be ready to change to the Christian faith. Such changing is for men who have no particular social status. But everyone will be interested in understanding the philosophy and science of God and taking it seriously. One should clearly understand that the Krsna consciousness movement is not preaching the so-called Hindu religion. We are giving a spiritual culture that can solve all the problems of life, and therefore it is being accepted all over the world.
(More...) Imported quote 16074 You may call the Vedas Hindu, but Hindu is a foreign name. We are not Hindus. Our real identification is varnasrama. Varnasrama denotes the followers of the Vedas, those who accept the human society in eight divisions of varna and asrama. There are four divisions of society and four divisions of spiritual life. This is called varnasrama. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, "These divisions are there everywhere, because they are created by God." The divisions of society are brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra. Brahmana refers to the very intelligent class of men, those who know what is Brahman. Similarly, the ksatriyas, the administrator group, are the next intelligent class of men. Then the vaisyas, the mercantile group. These natural classifications are found everywhere. This is the Vedic principle, and we accept it. Vedic principles are accepted as axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake. That is acceptance. For instance, in India, cow dung is accepted as pure, and yet cow dung is the stool of an animal. In one place you'll find the Vedic injunction that if you touch stool, you have to take a bath immediately. But in another place it is said that the stool of a cow is pure. If you smear cow dung in an impure place that place becomes pure. With our ordinary sense we can argue, "This is contradictory." Actually, it is contradictory from the ordinary point of view, but it is not false. It is fact. In Calcutta, a very prominent scientist and doctor analyzed cow dung and found that it contains all antiseptic properties.
(More...) Imported quote 16257 Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram from Melbourne dated December 26, 1972, and I have replied it by my cable as follows: "Immediately send c/o Bombay three tickets, February 1st, Calcutta Australasia, remaining entire February." So you may do the needful and send the three airline tickets for myself, Srutakirti, and Syamasundara here to my above-mentioned Bombay address, or wire them to the airlines office directly in Bombay city. The airlines office in Bombay may notify Syamasundara at 362963. My plan is to remain here in Bombay until January 23rd for holding our second Hare Krishna Festival in the Cross Maidan. I think last time you were one of the leaders of that first Hare Krsna Festival, so you know how much important occasion that will be. Already there are many banners all over the city advertising this movement as the world's greatest spiritual culture movement. We had just completed our pandal program at Ahmedabad, and it was also very very successful. From Bombay we shall fly to Calcutta for about nine days' time and we may give some programs there also. So I want to proceed from Calcutta to Australia or wherever you suggest on that side. We shall be able to leave on February 1st morning. And you may arrange the program in Australia and New Zealand for the duration of February month. Around the 1st March I shall have to return to Mayapur for holding our celebration of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance day in early March. So you may plan in that way. I have heard from Siddha Svarupa that Tusta Krsna and his wife Krsna Tulasi are now fine and living in Krsna Consciousness on some farm in Australia. And he has assured me that things are going all right in New Zealand, and I have got one letter from the new president there at Auckland, and it appears that everything will go on nicely. But I think you should go there once and see how the things are going on just to the proper standard. Tusta Krsna is such intelligent boy and capable worker, and I had thought that without him the whole thing would collapse, but whether that is actually the case? Anyway, you may give me report as you see it. And you may also go to that farm in Australia where Siddha Svarupa is living with the others of his disciples and give me report also how the things are going on there, whether our standard is being maintained, like that. I know there has been some controversy within the Society about the actual position of our Siddha Svarupa. But I think he is a very nice boy and he has understood our philosophy just to the point, so I have every faith that he will manage all right. Recently, I had sent one letter to reply Tusta Krsna's questions about Siddha Svarupa, namely, that Siddha Svarupa may be pure devotee, but so all of you are also pure devotees. There is no question that Siddha Svarupa is only pure devotee and no one else is pure devotee. All of my disciples, as soon as they surrender themselves to Krsna, they become pure devotees actually. If you see Tusta there you may see also the copy of my letter to get the right idea. These things must be cleared up or there may be danger of split within our ranks. Try to keep the whole situation in unified condition, but if Siddha Svarupa and his disciples are living there separately and peacefully, I have no objection, so long there is no controversy or ill feelings between their camp and yours. You may initiate some program to integrate the two camps by sending some of our own strong men there to assist. And if they get that land as gift, it should be in the name of International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Now I am so much looking forward to seeing all of you, my beloved disciples, there again in near future, so kindly make all arrangements as you know best. I think you wanted me to stop in Djakarta first, so that is all right, but if there is too much strenuous traveling program, that will not be favorable. Better stop in fewer places and have first class programs there, but I am simply at your mercy and I have only the protection of Krsna in all circumstances; therefore, whatever you make me to do, that I am prepared. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher,
(More...)A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Imported quote 20287 Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of June 3, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding Mataji Syamadevi's temple in Leicester, your version is all right, and I am not very interested to establish a Hindu temple. Perhaps you know from the very beginning I never described my movement as Hindu religion. Religion means the bona fide process by which we understand God and the first class religion is that which teaches people to develop love for God. To know or accept the authority of God is one thing, but to love God is another. Generally, people are interested in material comforts and they make God as the supplying agent. This kind of devotion is not purified. It is contaminated by material desires, but when one is elevated to the position of giving everything to God out of love and affection, that is the first class position. We are teaching this philosophy in the name of Krishna Consciousness, and it is applicable to all sober persons. The Bhagavat principle is that because we can be happy simply by developing our dormant love of God, this is our first business.
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