Prabhupada encouraged competition but that sometimes led to ego and power struggle – how to understand?

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Transcript

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Shila Prabhupada encouraged competition of course it was transcendental but he encouraged it quite fiercely and later on devotees took it in a negative way going into pratishtha and that is going on today sometimes even at the level of GBCs so how do we deal with this the nature of the human mind is to select those things which agree with its preconceived notions usually that is the way we work for example if I see a hundred things here, I will look at those things which, if I have a particular stand, if I have come into this temple thinking that this temple is mismanaged then there will be a hundred things right in the temple but my eyes will go and see what is it that is wrong and I will highlight on that so like that we all come with particular worldviews, particular backgrounds to Krishna Consciousness and even when we read Shila Prabhupada’s books even when we study shastra often we catch on to things that gel with our previous worldview, of course bhakti changes our worldview dramatically but within that foundational change we hold on to those things which we can hold on to, so for example if someone has come from a very confrontationalist, radical, revolutionary background then all of Prabhupada’s statements, fools, rascals this, that, they are the most attractive soundbites, that’s what jumps out from Prabhupada’s books on the other hand if somebody has come from a more sensitive culture refined background then they will be attracted to Prabhupada’s Janaduta song, Prabhupada is saying I am helpless Krishna make me a puppet, make me dance in your hands, so what happens is based on our particular, we could say philosophically, our moods of material nature we check, we focus on those instructions of the spiritual master which gel with our worldview so there are clearly when Prabhupada was asked what pleases you the most, devotees thought that it will save the Christian mission but he said if you love Krishna that will please me the most, there is also that well-known letter of Prabhupada where he said now we have enough devotees, we should now start boiling the milk, but more or less that was neglected, so this is not to blame anyone in particular but if you look at that time which was there Prabhupada prominently preached on time of the counterculture and there was the youthful passion at that time which naturally got attracted to the competition the competitive aspect which was there in Prabhupada’s teachings and the other aspect which focused more on inner purification, which focused more on we could say cooperation one of the last instructions that Prabhupada gave is you can show your love for me by how you cooperate so if we just focus on the competition aspect that Prabhupada talked about and neglect the cooperation aspect neglect the other aspect of humility and tolerance and other things then that is largely we are more or less perpetuating our world view within the scope of Shastra and then it becomes that it’s like I have a particular understanding of things scripture is giving a particular understanding at the very least I should be in the intersection of the two what is my understanding and what is scripture saying if we are in the intersection at least we are in somewhat safe zone but from there gradually our Arthas will drag us out so where competition for Krishna’s sake is what that we want to distribute a lot of books but then we want others also to distribute a lot of books and ultimately by that Krishna’s message gets spread far and wide but that is within the realm of devotional service but actually in Ananda Vrindavan Shampo when Radharani goes away with Krishna there is a very beautiful explanation given normally we think that that the Gopis became proud and that’s why Krishna went away from him but Ananda Vrindavan Shampo described that it was very different motivation was there that when all the Gopis were dancing with Krishna at that time the Gopis thought that among all of us Radharani is the most special so they actually manifested something that seemed like pride so that Krishna would leave them and Krishna would go away secretly with Radharani and Radharani later on it seems that she became proud when they were deep in the forest at that time Radharani said that Krishna now you carry me I am very tired so then Krishna said that I don’t have a palanquin over here so you come right on my back and then Krishna disappeared in anger so it seems that Radharani also became proud and left Radharani also so this is actually the whole external understanding of the past the inner understanding is that when Krishna was alone with Radharani at that time initially Radharani was very happy yes Krishna is with me alone but then she started thinking what will be the plight of Lalita, Vishakha and others when they are without Krishna how can I enjoy Krishna when they are deprived of Krishna and Krishna was taking her deep into the forest rapidly so Radharani thought that let me slow Krishna down and that’s why she said to Krishna Krishna I am very tired so she thought that if we slow down then other gopis will catch up with us and then Krishna can be with all of them so the point is that sometimes in scripture also we may see competition but that competition is very different that it is all centered on pleasing Krishna on actually relishing Krishna together but we take up the competition in the rajasic sense so that’s why we often the problem comes when yes we will naturally be attracted towards those things which make sense to us but when there are things in scripture which are talking about central devotional principles which don’t make sense to us or which do not make sense or which don’t appeal to us so for example somebody in a very competitive mode or wanting to do a lot and achieve big things then the teachings of purification sadhana and strict practice, humility they may not appeal but they also need to be practiced so over a period of time as we expose ourselves to the devotional culture more and more that whatever was a sort of a unidimensional focus earlier it broadens and gradually we become more and more balanced and holistic in our bhakti practice so usually the destructive competition that happens that happens because of a selective focus within the acharya’s teachings but as our focus becomes broader that’s why hearing from many devotees and hearing from devotees from different backgrounds different upbringing, different mindsets that helps often to broaden our perspectives also and the destructive competition can be avoided if our understanding of bhakti becomes more holistic. Does that address the question? Thank you.