PLACE MATS

So the dialogue continues.
I'll stay with it as long as I can.

Tapasya Tyaga
You write: "I do not fault Srila Prabhupada on anything."

A more extreme and unbalanced statement can scarcely be conceived. Surely there is one grain of sand for which Prabhupada may be faulted.

But to accept that proposition destroys his perfection in your calculus. Because even a miniscule error is an error nonetheless and the false veil of perfection is pierced. There can be no return. And once you accept one grain of sand, you are likely to accept two or three. Then you have a beach.

Its better to pedestalize Prabhupada and kick him upstairs beyond all reproach, beyond any critique.

I submit that approach is preposterous 

Please forgive me if I said anything offensive

Meena devi dasi:
You are using some intelligence. Blind following is condemned. That does not mean I don't see. I see. But I don't see faults. I see he has done miracles even in the midst of the most difficult situation. He is such a great devotee we cannot really appreciate properly. There is no fault.

Who was qualified to do anything? What was he to do... wait? he was 70 years old. And unless some one is a pure devotee anyone can fall down at any time.

The people he engaged in service were able to do things. They were not of particularly good character as we all know. But in their worldliness they also knew how to get things done in the material world. Printing, business, management, construction, etc. So he engaged them.

It reminds me of a story about the place mats. One disciple handed Srila Prabhupada a stack of flyers inviting people to a mayavadi presentation... Srila Prabhupada took the stack and held them for minute... like... what is this?... he saw what it was....turned them over and used them as place mats for the disciples to take prasadam. It was like that. Hare Krishna

THE SENTINEL

Intelligence as the sentinel..
Definition:
noun
1. a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.
2. a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack

Jaya and Vijaya we hear were the sentinels stationed at the gate to Vaikuntha. They became falsely proud of the position and offended the Kumaras. Great Vaishnava devotees of the Lord.

For their offenses they were forced to take birth in the material world. They chose three lifetimes as demons inimical to Krishna.

They still had their sentinel nature but now in the material world it was turned against Krishna. Instead of protecting Krishna they now were alert to destroy Krishna.

This is an insight into the what happens when we offend a Pure Devotee. The intelligence becomes contaminated and instead of being alert to always see how to protect Krishna consciousness the intelligence begins to see how to destroy Krishna consciousness.

Like a criminal sometimes has good use of intelligence. But it is misguided.

BIRTH RIGHT AND DEBTS

Taking birth,,,
We don't come into this world with a clean slate.
We are carrying the seeds of karmic reactions from countless lives

We are born into debt
Debts to the parents
Debts to sages who leave teachings for our welfare
Debts to the demigods for supplying the basic needs of the body
Debts to other species, animals, plants, insects...
for all the services and fruits they supply.
Debts to the government
Yes, a lot of debts... just by taking birth

We have have birth rights
We inherit the property of our parents.
We inherit the social status
We have a right to education and training
But the most valuable birth right
is the right to perfect our life.
The right to become Krishna conscious
And return home... back to Godhead.
We just have to claim it.

Dhrtarastra felt cheated out of his birth right
due to his physical limitation of blindness.
The right to become the king.
That was his birth right.
He was the eldest son
and he wanted to pass a kingdom
to his son, Duryadhona.
He felt cheated out of his birth right.
Dhrtarastra and Duryadhona failed to claim
their most valuable birth right.

SECURITY IN THE MATERIAL WORLD

My comment:
How is it possible to find any security in the material world at all? Only safe place is at the Feet of the Lord Who has so mercifully incarnated as His Holy Name. Hare Krishna.......

Devotee Comment:
Indeed yes, and how can there be true happiness when we know it will only be followed by more distress. That is surely enough to curtail any imagined feelings of joy.

My Comment:
It is a matter of keeping the intelligence awake. The sense are in contact all the time with the illusory energy and are ready to engage in sense gratification. The mind is ready to figure out how to do that.. It is the intelligence that has to be awake... The way to do this is the Chant..
Hare Krishna. Where is Krishna?

THE BUCK STOPS HERE

This is from another forum...
Please brace yourself and try to understand that these are the challenges for disciples of Srila Prabhupada. A spiritual master is known by His disciples. We have a problem. People will judge Srila Prabhupada like this. As His disciples and followers we need to understand who He is and what His mission is.

Tapasya Tyaga8:
I read all of his [Srila Prabhupada] books. Maybe I know them better than you. I don't have a quarrel with his books. I have a quarrel with his judgment.

If a Four Star General hand picked his senior leadership after careful evaluation and continually chose extremely substandard soldiers such that the battles would be lost what would we think of this "great" general? A mark of a great general is not merely his knowledge of the martial arts but his judgment of men, character and integrity.

Can you name me one of the eleven "gurus" after Prabhupada left his body that you admire. All of them were highly regarded by Srila Prabhupada. I take it you know what happened to them. I am referring to Kirtananda, Hansadutta, Bhavananda, and the like.

It was not just that his chosen leaders were poor, they were horrendous, a rogues gallery of miscreants and some were probably sociopaths. Some say Prabhupada was poisoned by some of his own hand picked leaders. If so, what could show poorer judgment than choosing your murderer.

Who is perfect? When there is so much objective indicia of imperfection how could we lionze the man "as good as God?"

Is it heresy recognize these flaws? I think not! I think it more likely to be naievete and denial to do otherwise.

I admire and respect Srila Prabhupada. But he was not the only guru worthy of admiration. We are in Kali Yuga. All men and women fall short, even the very best of us.

How old were you when you first came into his orbit? When ideas become fixed in our mind at a young age we tend to adopt them throughout our life. Then confirmation bias kicks in.

When we are real young our parents are godlike. As we grow into young adults we realize they are nit. But often it takes many years of reflection to really recognize how flawed and substandard they may have been. We love them nonetheless realizing our earlier pedestalizing of them was the result of lack of maturity, experience, and cognitive infantilism.

The issue is not that ISKCON is corrup. The issue is Prabhupada's judgment and what that flawed judgment implies. And the issue is us and the human minds' penchant for self deception.

Moreover was it his sense of "ego" that he initiated so many "unqualified disciples" what to speak of unqualified Sannyassis.

Henri Jolicouer (Hanuman Das) was made a Sannyassi at 22 .... REALLY! He spoke on videos about Prabhupada's irresponsibility in making him Sannyasi at that age. Who can disagree?

How many other Sannyasi were banging their female disciples what to speak of being alone with them in a room. Oh! We know their names.

What other Sannyassis were an anally raping children or engaging in homosexual pedophilia with Sanyassis. Kirtanananda? Oh! We know at least some of them. The full scope of spiritual depravity may never be known.

Many of these children committed suicide or were emotionally scarred for life. Can we say that Prabhupada has some responsibility for this.

I am held responsible by the county authorities if I don't mow my grass what to speak of a Guru's (as good as God) responsibility? You cannot pass the blame to the "organization".

THE BUCK STOPS WITH SRILA PRABHUPADA.


Meena devi dasi:
His words... "If I have done anything wrong, it is that I initiated too many unqualified people, but what could I do, it was an emergency." I accept that. 

I agree with you this far... That it is our personal responsibility to use our intelligence. Yes there is idiotic idol worship in ISKCON. I do not fault Srila Prabhupada on anything. He had a mandate. To spread as far and wide as possible the books and the chanting. He had to use whatever Krishna sent to him. In this He has been phenomenally successful. On top of it all He has been able to establish temples all over the world. The actual movement is simply hearing and chanting Hare Krishna but the temple worship is helpful. In Australia after installing Radha Krishna Deities He prayed... the people here may not be able to take care of you properly... please take care of yourself.... He was very bold and wild in a lot of ways. But that was what was needed at the time. This is Lord Chaitanya's movement. So maybe you will have to blame and find fault with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Concerning "sannyasi" He explained in a room conversation that He didn't actually give anyone sannyasi. Just like He created "brahmacarini" for women living in a temple and practicing like brahmacaris. He created something like sannyasi in order to free up some of the more enthusiastic young men from other duties so they could travel and preach. Over time it will all become clear. He has said it will take at least three generations to come up to some sort of reasonable standard. I hope that helps. Hare Krishna..

By the way you are not conversing with an ISKCON clone... 

ABANDONMENT

It is well-known that writing can be a catharsis...

Much of what I share in my blog is a catharsis.

Sometimes I look at something from one angle
then I look at it from another angle. 
Sometimes I see something as good for Krishna consciousness
then later I may see the same thing as not good for Krishna consciousness.
For the last little I have been exploring my "relationship" with ISKCON.
I don't think I am alone in a lot of what I have experienced
and in wanting to get clarity.
So by openly sharing my "soul searching"
someone else may get something of value.

Today I am looking at abandonment..

How to differentiate becoming attached to the spiritual master
who will never abandon the disciple
and becoming attached to an institution run like a business
that may disregard it's members
in favor of the perceived goals of the institution
just like a corporation's main concern is profitability...
Such a corporation will make decisions based on profitability
sometimes with little or no regard for
morality, kindness, personal relationships.

Persons who become attached to an institution
leave themselves vulnerable to abandonment.
Which is what many of Srila Prabhupada's
disciples experienced at His disappearance.

The test now is to become attached
to the spiritual master not simply the institution.
The institution actually has to be conducted like a business.
It was created for that purpose.
A not for profit business.. ISKCON incorporated.

But can anyone ever incorporate a spiritual movement?
No. What is incorporated are the assets.
The land, buildings, temples, bank accounts...

During the Vietnam War the US government
instituted a mandatory draft.
So to protect the young men
who were coming as students of Krishna consciousness
Srila Prabhupada especially incorporated ISKCON.
In that way the movement would be recognized
as a legal entity for religious teachings,
and it's members would be exempt from the draft.

But the person who created the institution
is more than the institution.
For this we have to carefully consider
what the purpose for creating the institution is.

Certainly everything in relationship with Krishna is not material.
The corporation also is certainly not a material entity
although it has legal and political identity.

But the relationship with the corporation
is just like the relationship a person has
with a company.
They can be fired from the company.
They can quit the company.
But the actual loving relationship isn't with a company.

It is with a person.

SHE IS BUT A SHADOW

"I see you. Peek a boo."
Maya devi!!!!!!!
Whispering, "Pssst... over here.""

"No. Leave me alone.
Go away."

"No. I won't go away.
I'll never go away.
I have you forever.
You're mine.
In my clutches
I'll beat you
I'll tear your flesh with sharpened nails
I'll suck your blood
and you will think its pleasure."

"Help! Help! I'm under attack.
Who can help me?"

Where is Krishna?

"You useless intelligence.
Asleep on the couch again.
Wake up, you moron!
This is your service
to be on the alert for Maya.
You know how she likes to seduce the mind.
Don't let her in... even one inch"

"Her only service is to cause trouble.
That's her service. If there is even a slight opening
she will sneak in and before you know it
she's running the show."

"Dear intelligence,
you have to stay awake.
Always hear and chant the glories of Lord Hari."

Maya is the darkness
Lord Hari is the light.
Maya cannot stay in the light.
She is but a shadow.

IF I COULD DO ANYTHING ELSE I WOULD

Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances. 
You are so kind to me. I am your "unincorporated" disciple.
I just love you. 
I can't really do anything to serve your mission.
I'm too crazy.
And it just gets worse.
It seems.. the more I hear and chant the more crazy I get.
Please tolerate me.
I don't want anything.
I just want to hear and chant. 
If I could do anything else I would.

THE SNAKES ON GOVARDHANA HILL

I am blissfully engaged in chanting and hearing, 
reading and recording.
Maya devi comes in different ways to distract.
One way is bad association.
Not that the person is bad, 
They are who they are
What is bad is taking their association
Listening to them
Their ignorance is poison.
I am recognizing earlier now
the poison givers.
The snakes on Govardhana Hill.

SPLOOSH

I get a little extra mercy, a little more of a taste... 
and I go mad. 

The taste is there. I've got it. 
Krishna... Krishna... Krishna... then sploosh... 
it's only a memory 

The present moment comes crashing in
and it's rough and unfriendly...

EASY ACCESS

More Chills..
Society and Institution.
Much of the political and social unrest in the world today
is being related to the world wide transnational corporations.
The model has replaced nations and governments
and the control is economic... gaining control of resources and assets.
Corporations are well suited to being able to do this.
Kali has found a foothold in the transnational corporation model...

ISKCON is also incorporated. Not the "society of devotees" but the institution of ISKCON. There is a difference.
No wonder there are so many problems.
Kali can easily exert his influence in the corporation model.
It is a product of the Kali yuga,

But what can be done?
Srila Prabhupada created the corporation of ISKCON in order to protect the assets of the spiritual movement (devotees, land, buildings, funds) from the materialistic corporations... disguised as governments.

But a corporation is an easy access for the agents of Kali.....

CLOUDED AREA OF UNDERSTANDING

Devotee Comment:
At the end of the day don't loose your self in society or institution. I feel there always needs be an amount of self reliance and observation if something goes wrong you still have your self. pranams

My Reply:
Yes. We are currently looking more into society and institution. How to understand the position and function of the institution within a society and in relationship to the individuals.

This is a clouded area of understanding for many devotees. They tend to go to the extremes and argue who is right. As if it were an either or issue.
Pro institution there's nothing else....
against the other side...
no institution... institution is maya.

SOCIETY AND INSTITUTION

"Now we have to make our organization regularly a spiritual institution so that we may be recognized, and our students may be freed from this draft board requisition." (Room Conversation -- April 27, 1969, Boston)

Society.....Institution..
How to see Srila Prabhupada's use of these concepts... words...

There is a condition described as "institutionalized" which is very different from "socialized" or "civilized"

An institution more closely resembles a corporation. It is actually ISKCON incorporated non profit. This gives the body of the institution a legal identity.

As in the above sentence quoted from a room conversation, Srila Prabhupada incorporated the society .....as a way to protect it's members from the legal action of the government draft. So the pure spiritual movement took on a political identity, a corporate identity, a business identity......

But this is not the actual society of devotees....The actual society of devotees cannot be incorporated, politicized or transact as a business. The actual society of devotees is spiritual. as per the message of Godhead embodied in the incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

We need to understand the position and function of the institution.... ISKCON.... that has been incorporated "within the society of devotees."

All glories to the great acarya Srila Prabhupada.

CHILLS ON THIS ONE

Chills on this one...
The glories of the Lord are unlimited.
The devotees of the Lord are unlimited
They are all singing the glories of the Lord 
according to their own loving mood
Unlimitedly...
The ocean of bliss..
Can you hear it?
The sound of Hare Krishna...

A NAME ISN'T A PERSON!

What! Are you crazy?
Attached to a Name?
A Name isn't a person.
You can't have a relationship with a Name..
Where did you get this crazy idea?
You've been listening to
Those Hare Krishna Acharyas haven't you?
They've put these ideas in your head.
You've lost your sense.

Ha Ha... You make me laugh.
the ecstasy is so great
and I am only tasting
barely a drop of the ocean of bliss
that is the Mahamantra.
If only I could hear more
If only I could chant more
Will I live long enough to hear from
all the great devotee Vaishnava acaryas?
Who are an ocean of bliss themselves.
Embodiments of devotion to the Holy Names.

QUESTION BY AGNOSTIC SCIENTIST

Question by agnostic scientist:

But can you ACTUALLY prove to me that Krishna exists...no you can't? So they are just theories based on theories. I never said there isn't a God per se...I just stated that you can't deny the fact that God might not exist...what if when we die we are just food for the worms?

My reply:

The body will become food for worms regardless of what I believe... or burnt to ashes.. etc. The body is always changing and eventually it will perish.

I am not the body. I am the conscious living entity who resides within this energy field... made of material energy. Two different types of energy here. Material energy and conscious energy.
Thinking in terms of energy fields helps sometimes. A conscious energy field enclosed by a non conscious energy field and identifying with the enclosure. There is the gross enclosure and also a subtle enclosure. The enclosure energy fields are divided into 8 basic strata according to density, ranging from super dense to ultra subtle.

The conscious energy field is so enmeshed within the 8 layers of non conscious layers that they cannot perceive their own conscious existence apart from the layers.

There is a source for both the conscious energy fields and the non conscious energy fields. That source is the super conscious living entity who is not in any way contained by the non conscious energy.  So that super conscious being has full consciousness of all the energy fields.
Since consciousness is not a material energy it cannot be tested or perceived by material means. It is not material. It can only be perceived by consciousness. The science for that is based on hearing transcendental sound from a pure source. A source that is in full consciousness of the super conscious being.

Hearing... that is why devotees chant Hare Krishna and hear from Bhagavad gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. It goes beyond the limitations of the mind and senses... right to the source of consciousness. Hope that helps. Hare Krishna...

CONSCIOUS CHOICE

Different types of intelligence.

Sometimes it is necessary to get the same lesson over and over. Can't move on until we pass the test. It can be very painful. Especially if we know intellectually but circumstances test us. "This time it is different."

If that happens enough... those of us with 4th class intelligence at some point are able to get up enough strength to answer.... "But that's what you said last time... and the time before that.. and the time before that..." And we can make a conscious choice.

If it isn't the best choice then we can at least be prepared to accept the consequences and then maybe we can learn from that. The secret to success is to make a... conscious choice. Even if it's the "wrong" choice. Just sharing my life and hard times...Hare Krishna

BIT A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BEAD BAG

Those early days in the early 70's in Boston at the Brighton temple were really magical. Maybe I can find some photos of Radha gopiballava from then. Radha's face was decorated to looked an awful lot like Marilyn Monroe. The way Her face was painted. Very red lips...and She had a purse She carried. I've never seen that since.

The flowers for the altar were extra ordinary. They weren't store bought or commercially grown. My service was to go around the neighborhood door to door and beg for flowers for Krishna. I looked like a Nun or something and after a while I even had a wheel barrow. So the Deities had whatever was in season. In spring... flowering cherry tree blossoms, in summer zinnias, whatever was growing in the area. Vines, lilacs, forsythia, petunias, marigolds, roses....

One day I wandered a pretty far distance away in search of new territory. There was an empty lot over grown with all sorts of plants. There was also a significant number of small wild sunflowers.... the jackpot. It was a vacant lot. In I went wading through brambles and small bushes.

There were houses around the lot and one house quite a distance away had a large German shepherd chained up on the landing to the back boor. He didn't like me being there for sure. He was barking his head off. But hey, he was chained up.. so go ahead and bark.

He snapped the chain. In a furry and rage charged at me like a locomotive. He must have been running 40 mph straight for me all I could see were very large sharp teeth headed my way. There was no way to protect myself. I just stood there with my hand in my bead bag. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

He lunged at me and bit a hole in the bottom of the bead bag.

Luckily two young men were walking past and saw the situation. They rescued me and chased the dog away who was getting ready for another bite of "something."

The owner came out, apologized and took his dog home.

NOT EVEN FOR KRISHNA

I learned a lesson the hard way...early on as a new devotee in the early 70's.

It was my service to go around the neighborhood, this was Brighton outside Boston, and ask the neighbors for flowers. It was a neighborhood where the old temple was. People were very nice. They would come out of their houses with scissors and cut the flowers for me to take to the temple. It was really a sweet sankirtan service. I had BTG's and sometimes prasadam cookies or cakes. Very sweet service.

One house had really great roses growing all over a fence that bordered on the public sidewalk. The people in the house said no. People very rarely did that. Two old women. Very snippy.

I started to collect some roses from the part of their bushes that grew over the top of the fence onto the public sidewalk. They came running out of the house mad as hornets. Took the large 1/2 bushel wooden basket with the days collected flowers in it and tossed it over my head. It was weird. The flowers meant for Krishna's feet they poured over my head. Very weird. But I got it.

Those roses were their quota. I had no right to take them without their consent. Not even for Krishna.

WHERE DID WE FALL FROM?

When we fell where did we fall from?
Some argue the souls come from the brahmajyoti and have never been in a spiritual planet.
This statement by Srila Prabhupada says differently.

Gauragopala Dasa

14 hrs · 

Srila Prabhupada - 'The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition.

FROGS AND MOSQUITOES

This is the way they do things. Bound by the laws of karma. Do something not in Krishna consciousness (kill the frogs)... then there is a reaction..(increase in mosquitoes).. the materialist's solution is not to stop killing the frogs... but to keep killing the frogs and but add on doing something to curb the mosquitoes. There will be a reaction for that and then they simply add on something else on and on... this is what happens birth after birth after birth... I didn't enjoy fully in that body, I still want to try again...maybe I will enjoy perfectly in this other body, again and again..

Narayan Higgins

15 hrs · 

Heres some hilarious food for thought...

Hawaii Island has spent millions on coqui frog eradication....yet these little frogs eat mosquitos .... the carriers of dengue fever. Now they are planning on spending millions to curb mosquito populations with toxic poisons...whilst still spending money on coqui frog eradication....

methinks God and nature already solved this problem..

‪#‎GovernmentallyChallenged‬

GULLIBLE?

Comment:
Was he [Srila Prabhupada] gullible to let go the future of innocent children and the future of the movement in hand of these Hippies [GBC and "gurus"]?

My reply:
He may have lost His life in His efforts to spread Krishna consciousness. There is evidence that He may have been poisoned by these people. I wouldn't say "gullible." An emergency is an emergency. Whoever stepped forward was "deputized"... so to speak. The seeds of Krishna culture have been planted outside India... it will take some time to pull the weeds.

BRIGHT IDEA

Edison and the light bulb......
That must be where this popular illustration comes from... someone having a "bright idea".......

Edison "knew" he was being directed by God in the matter of electric light. How great is that. I think the internet and Facebook have been developed in the same way. Directed by Krishna.

Steve Jobs had some idea of where his empowerment was coming from. At least at the end of his life he spoke in such a way that showed some transcendental realization. He appreciated Krishna prasadam which he would eat in his student days.

Steve Jobs was an adviser to Mark Zuckerberg and at one point advised Mark to go to India and visit a specific temple there for inspiration how to develop Facebook. Which Mark did. Would really like to know which temple that was. If anyone knows please say.

RISK REWARD..

Comment:
God can't be proven either, it's just a theory. That being said Mr Hawking is one of the greatest minds of our time. A pure brilliant mind

My reply:
If you accept Hawking is right what is your profit? Nothing. When your body dies that's it. You don't exist anymore. If you accept Krishna is right what do gain? Freedom from birth, death, old age and disease and access to the spiritual world. Even without considering "proof" even just as a gamble... with Hawkins you definitely lose with Krishna the possibility is there for tremendous gain. Risk reward is definitely in favor of Krishna.

FOOLS AND RASCALS

Devarsirat Das: The symptom of a materialistic atheist are that he won't accept being controlled. He blames his dilemma on God by saying there is no God.

Its a really hard thing to accept when we are in such a physical dilemma, that we are entirely responsible ourselves. In moments of ignorance we have caused pain and suffering to others and now we reap the results. Oh we are so good, so charitable, so kind so innocent and yet everyday we condone all the activities in slaughterhouses so we can eat the flesh of innocent animals.

Who knows what we have done in previous life's? and yet we continue with such activities as if it is nothing and when we receive the reactions, we blame God we like to point fingers...its him not me...I never hurt anybody. But our suffering is no accident.

We see the laws of nature working and say there is no law maker. We absolutely refuse to surrender and insist to carry on as usual. We want to be free to do whatever we want, even enjoy at the expense of other life's and not be punished either. We want our pudding and eat it. What can you do?

My reply:
Well said, earning the conditioned soul the titles of "fools and rascals"

BIRTH WAS NEVER A FACTOR FOR BHAKTI

Devotee comment:
Birth was never a factor for bhakti. Not in past yugas, and not now. Krishna says so himself in BG. People who know this and still want to become brahmanas just for "title and thread" do so only because of ego.

My reply:
Yes.. not for bhakti. But for smooth running of society there must be those who have brahminical character. Cows and brahmans are very important for human civilization. This quality of brahman in the human being was supported by people taking birth in brahmincal families.

Krishna has several things to accomplish when He incarnates. One is to establish religious principles. The tendency is for the senses to run wild unregulated. To check this for the smooth running of society and to prepare people for bhakti the 4 varnas and ashramas are there. Bringing people up through the modes of nature through working according to their natures as a matter of duty. Until the stage of suddha sattva is reached...pure goodness and then access to supersoul and devotional service is there.

Hardly any of this gradual progressing is possible in this Age.
There are no brahmans, everyone is born sudra.
So the recommendation is to chant the Maha mantra.

But it makes sense to me to trace these things out.
My appreciation for Krishna increases.

RENOUNCED FRIENDS

Okay. All my renounced friends. Those of us who live our lives in solitude. Who drink the nectar of peace and quiet in a solitary place and practice hearing and chanting with determination subduing the mind and awakening the intelligence in preparation for the time of death which can come at any moment. Oh, My Lord Krishna. You have made access to You so easy by Your Holy Names.

The big holidays are here in the Western world. It is getting darker and colder and people want to huddle together to eat and drink. During the warm months people are very active outdoors, going here and there. But now they want to clump together, eat and drink and cheer each other up. Families... Families... Families. Family members that haven't seen each other all year now want to get together in the cold and dark and eat and drink.

What are my plans for Thanksgiving?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

What are my plans for Black Friday?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

What are my plans for Christmas?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

What are my plans for New Years?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

What are my plans for the spring?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

What are my plans for the warm summer months?
Hear and chant. Read and record.

"Oh. But you're missing it. You're missing life. Don't you feel lonely?

"No. I'm swimming in an ocean of bliss. I'm "never" alone. And the association is simply divine.

Have a great holiday everyone. May Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu bless you and your families.

Hare Krishna.

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF IT...

The problem of racial prejudice is coming from the connection between family lines meant for facilitating the castes of society and losing sight of the goal... the quality of work. Not simply because someone looks different.

In the beginning of creation Lord Brahma created the varnas so that they would perpetuate themselves through the generations by birth. "By birth" was to help facilitate the varnas.

Intermarriages (not racial intermarriages) but caste intermarriages over time destroyed the lines.. What to speak of the Battle of Kurksetra when all the Kshatriya kings were destroyed.  

"By birth" in a family extends to the large family... the community, and then to those of the same physical features in a culture. And then it is all about "race"....

There is some basis for bloodlines. That's what makes it so deep-rooted. The fear and prejudice has some basis. But a clear understanding of that basis is missing. "By birth" and family blood lines are meant only to play a supporting role for stabilizing the castes. 

The higher principle regardless of family line (or race in it's extended form..) is..The quality. The character. The person.