How do we deal with people who find our standard philosophical presentations too simple?
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
First question is that, sometimes when we are giving a discourse at that time, some people feel that this philosophy is too simple, we want something more. And because we do it systematically, then we can't achieve the present that we want. And because of not being satisfied with it, we go on.
Yes, we have a mainstream level of presentation, which is called the general interview. Now, that, we cannot ever have a one-size-fits-all approach. Even the discourse, of course, will be too advanced for say, people who have very little background, or for people who have a very less educated background.
We need some other kind of approach. And people who are more intellectual, they need other approach. So, in general, for example, if we are talking about the scientists, who are reaching, they are reaching scientists and their presentations are much higher level.
So, we can introduce them to some of these books. On my website, somebody asked me this question, if I wanted to study and present Krishnamoorthy's intellectual arguments, which are the books I can read. So, I have given a list of books by Krishnamoorthy's scholars, which can be read, which can be shared.
So, Searching for Myth in India by Jyotindra is a very good book for intelligent people. Very, very sophisticated English and very attractive presentation with a lot of good scientific evidence and logic in that. And similarly, there is Origins magazine, if people are scientific.
And if people are from more of a religious, archaeological, humanities kind of background, which they won't be interested in Origins. But then, there is a book called Essential Hinduism written by Satyaraj Prabhupada. Where he presents Hinduism in a broad way and then still he established Claudio-Venetianism as the richest group of Hinduism.
So, that is something which is especially good for coming from other organizations. Then, often our presentation seems exclusive to them. You are right and we are right and everyone else is wrong.
But it is a more integrated presentation of Claudio-Venetianism. So, apart from that also, we do need more intellectual presentations. So, in general, we may not have the facility to connect them and cultivate them.
That is because we are following a particular system. But at least, we can give them some connection so that they can pursue their interest. And sometimes when they pursue it, it can be more.
So, we can give them some books. We can give them some nonsense. One of the challenges I feel is that, we have the average street distribution or response level of the street.
The discourse is at one level higher. The devotee centers, preaching is at a much higher level. So, through my school, I am trying to create a bridge.
My bridge is definitely not at the level of the devotee centers. They have lot of approach and they have credentials. And they preach to a different kind of audience.
Generally, the audience of the devotee centers and devotee scholars preach to, where the goal is not to make them devotees. Generally, if you go into the community, interacting with scholars, the purpose of that outreach is not so much to convert those people. Because those people will not become converted.
Jai Dharamayur Swamiji, they write books, not to convert the current scholars, but to cultivate the next generation of scholars. What happens? These scholars, when they develop their opinions, they will die with their opinions. But, if they accept our books, and this is also a good scholar, it doesn't really make sense.
So, Dr. Radhakrishnan got a hard line, whereas B.N.K. Sharma is a very prominent Madhava scholar. So, B.N.K. Sharma wrote a book on the history of Vaitha philosophy and literature. So, asset book, something like thousands of pages.
So, Dr. Radhakrishnan wrote a very interesting homework for them. He said, this philosophy is right. He said, Vaitha literature, Vaitha philosophy is also a very important part of Indian history.
But, its history has never been documented till now. So, Dr. B.N.K. Sharma has done a very good service to Indian culture by documenting its history. And then, because of Dr. Radhakrishnan's endorsement, B.N.K. Sharma has become very popular.
He even won some awards also. So, the point is, we may say, what is the use of writing these mental books? It will become a debate. But, that is not the purpose.
Their endorsements and reviews serve a different purpose. When we write books, at one level, it is to make people into devotees. At another level, it is to bring intellectual respectability to the philosophy.
It is to bring the philosophy into the intellectual map of the world. So, like, if you see in the history, where the history of Indian philosophy is taught, now, nobody teaches Gaudiya Vaishnavism. At least, the Brazilians have not been teaching.
So, now, as some devotees have become more and more adept at presenting Gaudiya Vaishnavism. So, these people study philosophy in colleges. Then, after that, I understood, very few have actually become philosophers or practitioners of Hinduism.
But, still, they are getting some education. And, we need to make our presence there also. So, often, one of the problems we face when we find people of intellectual mind is that they don't convert on coming to Hinduism.
And, sometimes, they never convert on coming. And, we feel, then, what is the use of spending so much time? But, I don't like that. If people are intermutual, they will become intermutual in the long run.
They may not become followers of our religion, but they will become intermutual. And, if they have got a good experience of devotees, then they will speak appreciatively. And, that will also give us a good goal.
So, that is also important. So, what? There are devotee scientists who are putting Krishnaparam Sinha on the intellectual map of the world in various places. In various areas of, various sectors of the intellectual world.
So, now, what I am trying to do is, take those presentations and take similar presentations by, say, Christian scientists or other people like that, at that level, and make it intelligible for the devotee community. So, in that sense, we can have different presentations at different levels. And, people can be attracted to Krishna according to their level.
So, there is one devotee who told me that, you know, he, he was, he reads my Gita in the articles simply because he wants to prepare for G.I.D. And, he read those articles, he read those articles, he does not read the Gita for three years. And, initially, he liked the Gita. But, he was not really interested, neither interested in Skaun.
He had some bad experience on Skaun. He said, Skaun is a very conversionist organization. I am just trying to convert, convert, convert.
So, he was not at all interested in Skaun. But, he was very interested in Gita. So, he started reading Gita.
Then, he said, one thing I appreciate about your Gita is this, you never mention Skaun. See, one thing scholars don't like is, they don't, they feel that if you use scripture to promote your institution, you are abusing scripture. Just like scripture, that is one of the, one of the gripes that scholars have in Prabhupada's books.
They say, you use scripture to promote your institution. Now, actually, their institution is based on the scripture only. But, they don't see it like that.
They say, Bhagavad Gita is here, Skaun is here. You teach Bhagavad Gita, don't promote Skaun and Bhagavad Gita. They are the same.
But, what happens, what he said, in Gita daily, I never talk about Skaun. Although, I have to read Krishna's message only. But, what happens is, he came just for that purpose.
And, his attraction to learning English brought him to Krishna. Now, he is 16 already. He has read Gita for 3 years now.
And, he has become a devotee. So, what happens is, I am making this point, that people may become devotees. People may not become devotees also.
But, two things, we should not go to everyone with the agenda of converting them. It may not happen. And, just because somebody doesn't become committed to our standards, that doesn't mean that our teachings will be good.
So, because our intellectuals can try to connect them with some other sources, then they can get some intellectual fulfillment. And, that's how we can move onwards. Vivekananda taught me that, you know, when he is doing his archaeology, there is actually not a Krishna in the archaeology.
But, there comes Gita. And, his goal is not to make people be devotees first. If they become, that's wonderful.
But, his goal is actually to show how Krishna Consciousness has a scientifically credible presentation, where science will start taking about 100% of the problem seriously. They take seriously means, not that they will zero out the problem. But, they will take the intellectual content of it seriously.
So, in general, scholars, intellectuals, Max Müller, his books shaped the study of the meteorology so much. But, his books were not all that influential in real life. And, he writes, you know, one of the last letters he wrote to his wife, he said that, you know, I will not live to see the success of my work.
But, I want to, basically what is it, I want to achieve the Christianization of Hinduism. That means, he is, not exactly, he doesn't use exact words, but that was his strategy. So, what he did was, he appreciated Hindu books quite a few times in many places.
But then, at the end, his idea was, there are flashes of lightning at many places in the Vedic literature. But, overall, studying the Vedic literature is like entering a light of profound darkness. And, the light out of the darkness will come from the shining illumination of the gospel of Jesus.
It's a very, very deliberately thought-out strategy. And, you know, Indians are so naive that they are in the Hindu centers and we call them as Max Müller Bhavan. You know, what he did was, he subverted the Vedic understanding.
But, so, in general, if you are intellectual, you have to be patient with it. So, if we connect them with presentations of Christian consciousness, which are according to intellectual level, even if they don't become devotees, still, they will be appreciated. And, how that will contribute, we can't say.
It will contribute in its own way. I was talking about brainwashing. So, you know, there is one particular scholar, a lady scholar, Diana Hicks, she has written a very nice text, one book on darshan.
She has written, which I used for my native worship book also. So, she gave a testimony, very strong, Anuttama Patwardhan there, when the brainwashing case was going on, her testimony proved to be very valuable. So, she had two devotees.
And, she is a professor from Harvard. And, she is a Christian. So, she is very appreciative of Hinduism in general and of Islam particularly.
So, initially, the devotees had the idea, you know, if somebody starts chanting Hare Krishna, just forget Hare Krishna. But, somehow, she met some sensitive devotees. So, I said, you know, this scholar, let's talk to her, let's explain the philosophy to her.
And, because of those positive impressions about this scholar, later on, when the brainwashing case came up, she told, I have been here. This is, this is a, people are following the Hare Krishna. And, she actually helped other scholars also to give endorsements first.
So, now, she never became a devotee. She did not convert from Christianity to Hinduism. I said, no, not quite.
In that position also, she has been following me. So, we shouldn't define our success or our failure simplistically in terms of only people becoming devotees. And, especially, when we are in the states like the 80s and 90s, most of the people here are going to become influential in future.
So, if they perceive us as having a very conversionist agenda, either you convert to our school, or you don't care for your school. Then, what will happen is, if they don't convert, they will have a negative perception about us. So, even if they don't convert, and they have a positive perception, these are good people.
They are religious, they follow the philosophy, they live the life of principles. I am not going to follow that. But, I like that.
And, that can create a lot of positive influences for us in future. So, that's why, just be patient and connect them with whatever is needed at their level. And, even if we can't cultivate them, at least connect them and leave it at that.
Connect them with something which is compatible with their intellectual needs. And, leave it at that. If they are sincere enough, Krishnamurti Savarini, then we don't move onwards.