No Rush For A Bestseller

“A human being should be inquisitive to know who he is, what the universe is, what God is, and what the relationship is between himself, God and the material world. Such questions cannot be asked by cats and dogs, but they must arise in the heart of a real human being. Knowledge of these four items-namely, oneself, the universe, God, and their internal relationship-is called sambandha-jnana, or the knowledge of one’s relationship.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 7.146 Purport)

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“Having unfortunately witnessed digital hate to a level never before seen, particularly aimed at people of a specific region, I am wondering why only some aspects of sanatana-dharma culture are prominently known. I guess these aspects are the ones most vulnerable to derision. I know that I should not mind what some anonymous fool on the internet thinks, what they have to say about something they know nothing of, but I have to admit that there is a burning desire inside to fight back.

“For instance, I know that there is nothing which compares to the philosophy passed forward by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is a saint appearing in this world several hundred years ago, but we are still feeling His impact today. Mahaprabhu did not necessarily make up a philosophy. He is not in the category of muni, where he has to necessarily disagree with another commentator in order to be granted a seat at the table of discussion.

“Mahaprabhu reveals that the ultimate truth of understanding life and our role within the largest picture is achintya-bhedabheda-tattva. This is the truth of simultaneous oneness and distinction. The comparison is to the larger force. You can call it God, the Almighty, the sum of nature, or any other preferred term. That other force is superior to us. It is not the same as us, but it is also the same. There is both oneness and difference. This truth is inconceivable to the mind, achintya.

“You have similar versions of this truth explained by saints like Ramanuja and Madhva. These philosophies simply describe the eternal state of affairs. There is nothing new discovered. The rest of the culture flows from this truth, so the philosophical foundation is important to know. The worship of various gods. The origins of the now-degraded caste system. The prioritization of certain animals like the cow. The symbols decorating the forehead, and so on.

“Except that it is the derivatives which are more widely known. The songs. The imagery. The rituals. The practices. Why aren’t the teachings made more prominent? Those teachings surpass anything that philosophers from so-called Western civilization have ever pontificated. Poetry, art, architecture, cuisine, health, psychology, dramatic presentation – these are all of the highest caliber within Vedic culture. Nothing is missing. Shouldn’t more people know that?”

What they know or don’t know is not up to the leaders within such a culture. Even during the time of Mahaprabhu, that golden avatara was sometimes mistakenly considered a sentimentalist, someone who was only interested in dancing and chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

“Lord Chaitanya instructed the mass of people in the sankhya philosophy of achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Chaitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Preface)

It should be understood that traditionally the teachers within sanatana-dharma would not accept simply any student. There were qualifications to be considered, in a manner reflecting the entrance exams and essays necessary to gain admission to institutions of higher learning today. There certainly would not be open discussion on important principles of tattva with the lowest among men. The Sanskrit words mlechchha and yavana are appropriate to this discussion. If someone has no culture, is fine with indiscriminately killing animals to consume their flesh, and is always intoxicated, what will they understand? How can they possibly comprehend even the basics of the science, with the difference between matter and spirit at the foundation?

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

In the past, rishis had so many books at their disposal, and each one could turn into a bestselling publication. But there was never any push to turn a profit or top the sales charts. Rather, the passing forward of the information was reserved for qualified individuals. This is mirrored in the conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, as found in Bhagavad-gita.

एवं परम्परा-प्राप्तम्
इमं राजर्षयो विदुः
स कालेनेह महता
योगो नष्टः परन्तप

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)

In more recent times, followers of Mahaprabhu have made attempts at creating qualified individuals. If major anarthas can be removed, if the intestines are no longer full of animal carcasses blocking proper flow of blood to the brain, then perhaps there will be an interest, an understanding, and also an appreciation of the timeless principles of Vedic culture. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada continues to rescue such fallen individuals, bringing transcendence to them, to show the way back home, back to Godhead.

“It is extremely difficult to convert a mlechchha, or meat-eater, into a devotee of Lord Krishna. Therefore anyone who can do so is situated on the highest level of Vaishnavism.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 7.19 Purport)

In Closing:

Potential for publication a host,
Carrying wisdom of value the most.

But rishis careful to share,
Only if qualified disciples there.

But Mahaprabhu with a different way,
For dancing and chanting to say.

Such that qualifications outside to bring,
Through sound and holy names to sing.