Will accepting diversity lead to disintegration of standards and chaotic relativism?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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Will diversity, accepting diversity lead to the disintegration of standards, eventually leading to a meaningless chaotic relativism that everything goes. You have your way.
I have my way. Not necessarily. Diversity can lead to the expansion of our understanding of what standards of excellence are.
Just like if you consider, say, let’s consider some sports like cricket. Now, the way West Indies play cricket is different from the way England plays cricket, is different from the way the Indians play, India plays cricket. So all of them play cricket.
The West Indies bring spontaneity, joy and raw talent. Australians bring aggression, Indians bring more like refined talent. And of course, now you could say things are changing.
But the point is that different teams have their different style. And still there is a standard, you know, who, what is a sixer or what is a boundary? Some ballers can be a spin baller, some can be medium pace, some can be fast. But the diversity in bowling does not mean relativity in who is successful bowler is.
A bowler can stop a batsman from taking runs. A bowler can get a batsman out. A bowler can make a batsman defeated, insecure.
All this is success for the bowler. Similarly, so if the world only had fast bowlers, and then now we get, say, not just spinners, but wrist spinners. Then that expands our idea of who or what is a good bowler.
It doesn’t relativize everything by saying that there are no good bowlers at all. So if you understand this point clearly, then we can have diversity and acknowledgement and celebration of diversity that can lead to an expansion and enrichment, enhancing and enriching our idea of understanding what is good. What is excellent? So if we consider a spiritual path, diversity could be in how different devotees analyze and give classes.
Diversity could be in how different devotees stress different points based on their particular background, their mood, their area of emphasis. But they are all glorifying Krishna. Now they may all glorify Krishna in different ways.
And different forms of glorification can have different purposes. So if we consider bowling and cricket. In bowling, some bowler’s success may be in taking wickets.
Some bowler’s success may be in tying down the batsman. So that against other aggressive bowlers, batsman are forced to take risk. And then they take wickets.
They fall. Wickets fall over there. So sometimes a bowler may play a decisive role in a match without taking any wicket at all.
Because the bowler will just tie down the batsman with tidy spells. So similarly, even with respect to speaking about Krishna and glorifying Krishna, some people may directly speak Krishna Katha and Krishna Leela. And in a very devotional way, centered on pastimes, glorify Krishna.
Some people may go into the Acharya’s commentaries. And in a very analytical, shastrically based way, may analyze and establish the glory of Krishna. Some people may go a lot into contemporary analysis.
Analysis of contemporary intellectual trends, cultural trends. And present the relevance of Krishna wisdom, of Gita wisdom that way. And they will obviously not present in exactly the same way as anyone else.
But still they will be presenting. And what they will be presenting will be appreciated. Because they are presenting something which is getting people to come closer to Krishna.
So, there could be an excellent teacher who gets students from kindergarten to level 1. There could be an excellent teacher who gets people from level 9 to level 10. There could be an excellent teacher who gets students from doctorate to post-doctorate level. Now, all these teachers will not be the same.
But each teacher at their level can be excellent. And the excellence is seen not in the content of what they are teaching, not even in the style of what they are teaching. But in the purpose that they are fulfilling.
And even that purpose is progressive. So, a PhD guide success will be measured by how many students graduate from PhD and go further towards a post-doctoral research. Kindergarten students teachers standard will be not how many PhDs are produced.
But how many students actually clear the class. And continue their education. So, if you understand the overall purpose, the overarching purpose, then according to time, place, circumstance, we can understand that amidst diversity in style, amidst diversity in content, amidst diversity in context, there can be one intent and different markers of success at different levels along that intent.
So, ultimately, what unifies is not the external form, but the inner purpose. For all bowlers, the purpose is to help their team to win. For all those who are sharing Krishna consciousness, their purpose is to help people come closer to Krishna at different levels.
So, to the extent we acknowledge that diversity is a very constructive element in helping us move towards Krishna. And it can help different people at different levels to keep taking steps towards Krishna. Now, the danger is that if in the name of diversity, we have total relativity, wherein nobody cares for anything.
So, a bowler says whatever way I bowl, even if I go for runs, even if I don’t take any wickets, still I’m a great bowler. That is not acceptable. So, there are overall parameters of success and different areas may have some similar parameters and some different parameters.
But diversity brings creativity, beauty, vitality, and it expands conceptions of our concept of what is good, what is excellent. And it leads to there being greater life within the tradition. The tradition comes more alive when it incorporates diversity within a healthy unity of purpose.
Thank you.