In today’s culture that teaches no respect for elders, how can we share spirituality?

Podcast:

Video:

Thank you, Prabhu, for the super excellent class. Now, you know, if you trace back, to Krishna consciousness coming into India, we see that, people who had this culture of being respectful to the elders and, who were trained in that particular way, you know, for them to take up to this process of Krishna consciousness became relatively easier. Not to say that others did not take, but I would just give make just to make the point that, respect was such an important aspect of our cultural upbringing, you know, even say thirty, forty years back. But now, you know, because of this advent of social media and the lack of training to the new generation on this very important aspect of respecting elders, respecting the others when they are, you know, making a particular point, accepting that without really, you know even even you may have a disagreement, but still you be respectful. So this is all a part of the training that, we all got and, you know, we imbibe from our elders.

And unfortunately, this is lacking in this, present day and age. So, moving forward, how do you feel that, you know, the preaching of our Krishna conscious philosophy would need to take in order to, you know, get such people also into the fold of Krishna consciousness. Okay. So the culture of respect is increasingly lost in today’s world. So how can we continue our spiritual outreach in such situations?

Let me start from the opposite perspective that how so while respect is important, sometimes this, the hierarchy of respect can become an obstacle. I was just talking with one devotee scholar. Okay, he is a bhakti yoga scholar And he is appreciative of ISKCON. So he told me that he came to the temple and he liked the philosophy. And he said that this was in America.

And he liked the whole he liked the chanting also. Everything he liked. And he started practicing. And he says, one day he just came and he asked the question, Prabhu, can you explain this? And suddenly the devotee in the next room, literally slapped him.

He said, You are committing an offense. He is not a Prabhu, he is a Maharaj. Now he knew nothing about it. And this devotee was not even discreet in that. He was, like, quite, quite, overt in that.

So he felt that okay, this whole process seems to be very complicated. So I don’t know when I will do what wrong. And he says because of that for six months he stopped coming to the temple. See, so my point is that sometimes the path of the heart, bhakti is the path of the heart. We may put such a power structure and hierarchy within that, and somebody does one thing wrong.

Now, I would say it’s also problem not with the I’m not pronouncing that problem with the culture of respect, but how that culture of respect is to be taught. So this devotee, you are not respecting that Maharaj. He was making a point, but he was not respecting this person when he was speaking that point. So see the irony over there. So you are not respecting, but in that process, I’m not respecting you.

So what happens is the expectation of respect can become a problem. It’s not that there should not be respect. But what does Prabhupad say about humility? Do not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. So my understanding is that it’s not that respect is lost.

No. If you see, even in today’s world, somebody who becomes expert in a particular field, they are respected. It’s not that say, if if you consider social media also, it’s not always true. But if there is a particular video which has got a lot of views, some of them could be artificial, but quite often the content in that video is good. If somebody does music which is good quality, people appreciate it.

I’m not saying that just the number count is necessarily an indicator of quality. I’m not saying that. But quite often, if there is quality, that is also respect respected. But the difference is that with respect to, especially the postmodern or egality in western culture is that respect cannot be assumed. It has to be earned.

And that is a big problem. And so so if you see our movement, wherever there is the hierarchical vertical culture in India, in China, in Russia, in the CIS states, Krishna conscious movement is flourishing. We’re growing. Even in China, although Hinduism itself is not legal, but a lot of people are becoming devotees discreetly. But wherever that egalitarian culture is there, that hierarchical culture is not there, we are not able to reach out to a large number of people.

So why is that? Because we go expecting respect. We assume respect should be there. But respect has to be earned. So, yes.

Should elders be respected? Its traditional culture is that, oh, you know, elders should be respected. But the contemporary attitude is okay. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re intelligent. Doesn’t mean you’re wise.

If you show me your wisdom, then I’ll respect you. So it is not that, respect is not there. But, of course, I’m saying that, yes, it is overall the way respect was given in the past, it has not been given. And disrespect is also very much there. No.

I’m not denying that. But assume that there is no respect at all. It’s not true. Respect has to be earned. It cannot be assumed.

That’s why just because that’s that’s one of the difference I didn’t highlight. The difference between religious organizations and spiritual groups or spiritual people. Just so traditionally, even in India, if somebody is, say, wearing saffron or somebody is, is a leader of a spiritual organization or in some influential position, that will bring some respect. Okay. But in the West, it doesn’t matter.

I’m not by West, I’m not only talking about America. Basically, wherever there is egalitarian kind of culture. Okay. You have some post, I don’t care. Show me your wisdom.

If you have wisdom, then I’ll respect you. So, religious hierarchy will not be respected. But spiritual caliber will be respected. But spiritual caliber, people cannot see that directly. They can see their position in religious hierarchy.

But that will not give them respect. But if somebody actually offers spiritual substance, offers spiritual substance, they will that will be respected. So respect has to be earned. And that is even among see, among teenagers, if you consider, they actually need guidance. But what they feel is that, you know, my parents or my elders are from a completely different generation.

And what they speak doesn’t make any sense to me. So if somebody gives guidance in a way that is sensible, they take it. It’s not that they don’t take it. Unfortunately, the many of the people who make sense to them don’t give good guidance. That is the problem.

But if we can understand their way of thinking and then try to present it in a way that makes sense to them, so respect will have to be earned. Or I think Mark Twain said that when I was 17, my father was a fool. Now I’m 25, and I’m amazed how much my old man has learned in the eight years. So what happened is, by the time he became 25, he also became mature. So he started thinking.

He started appreciating that wisdom. So it takes time. So if I found that if we don’t assume respect, but we act as I answer questions politely, deal with people respect for in a in a respectable way, then respect can be earned. K? Thank you very much.