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Plain Living and High Thinking

>In answer to your question, this area, Santa Cruz, California, has
>a branch of the Krishna organization, and I've often talked with its
>members, & read some of their books, and I've always substantially
>agreed with what they're saying. To the extent that I've studied them
>& heard them, I agree with the views of the Buddhists & Vedantists
>(I realize that the Krishna organization is Vedantist), on pretty much
>all the issues they discuss.

Yes, we are Guadiya Vaisnavas. But there is a fundamental difference between
Buddhists and Vedantists, although we share many similar beliefs and practices.
Both Buddhism and Vedanta came from India. Buddha appeared about 2,500 years ago
at a time when people in India were giving lip-service to the Vedas but
misinterpreting it to justify meat-eating. They had practically turned every place
into a slaughter house and were using the mention of animal sacrifices in the
Vedas to justify it.

So Lord Buddha, who we accept as an incarnation of Krishna, appeared to set things
in order. Krishna appears or sends His representative any time there are
discrepancies in the following of religious principles and He instructs spiritual
knowledge in a way the people can relate to. If you are going to teach someone you
have to do it in a language they can understand and it has to be possible for them
to follow the instructions... So they mostly were atheists and Buddha mainly
wanted to stop the animal killing, so he rejected the Vedic scriptures, saying, "I
reject any scripture that condones animal killing." He then introduced his
philosophy of ahimsa, non-violence.

Buddha didn't teach about God. Buddhists [although now there are so many groups,
some taking their beliefs from sources other than the original teachings of Lord
Buddha] So Buddhists don't believe in God. The don't see Lord Buddha as different
from them, he has simply realized his "Buddha-nature" and they haven't yet... But
when thy do they will be equal to him.

So it is more-or-less atheistic. Their idea of the after-life is nirvana, or the
"void". They say existence causes pain therefore the solution is non-existence...

All this is in contrast with the Vedanta. There are also two schools within the
Vedanta, personalists [us] and impersonalists [mayavadis]. We accept Krishna as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and our business is to reestablish our lost
relationship with Him. For us the destination is not the void or non-existence,
but the original, eternal and blissful spiritual world of which this material
world is but a perverted reflection.

Everything we see here exists in the spiritual world, but there it is in it's
original pure form and here we see a perverted reflection. So we exist eternally
as individuals and perfection means to reestablish our original eternal
relationship with Krishna and to go back home, back to Godhead...

>
>I've never felt that the Buddhists & Vedantists were mutually
>contradictory; it always seemed to me that they differ only in
>emphasis. But of course I don't claim to be qualified to  speak for
>those groups; their members know a lot more about their differences
>than I do. I'm just saying how it looks to someone who isn't
>educated on the subject.
>
>I can't call myself a Buddhist or Vedantist, because I've never
>been able to actually study & practice either of those to a degree
>that would qualify me to call myself that. Of course the reason
>for that is the familiar one: too wrapped up in various things
>that make that study & practice impossible. Obviously I don't

>intend for it to always be like that. Lately, it's electoral
>reform. You may have seem some of my newsgroup postings about it.
>When someone is into electoral reform, debating, proposing &
>explaining alternative electoral methods, to the degree that I've
>been, that doesn't leave room for _anything_ else. Obviously
>someone could say that I'm rather too involved in politics, but
>I consider it a big project that I'm about to complete soon. I'm
>now completing the writing-up of my work on the various electoral
>method issues. I'm the kind of person who takes on something like
>in a completely dedicated way, to a degree that a person couldn't
>sustain indefinitely, and that few people do at all, and define
>a project, and complete it. And I'm about to complete it. Not that
>I'll then quit all involvement with that subject--but further
>participation will be less involving, more sustainable, more comparable
>to others who work on these issues; it won't be my whole life.

Yes. It's a good quality to be able to accept a project, set goals and compeate
them. Krishna says to be successful in devotional service one must have "resolute
determination".


                          vyavasayatmika buddhir
                             ekeha kuru-nandana
                         bahu-sakha hy anantas ca
                           buddhayo 'vyavasayinam

"Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O
beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-
branched." (Bhagavad-gita 2.41)



>
>So then, that's why I'm not a Vedantist right now. But it's something
>that I intend to take up as soon as I complete this project described
>in the previous paragraph.

I would very strongly recommend you read the books of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. His translations are very respected by the western
scholars and also very readable. He has presented the Vedic texts "as they are".
He hasn't flavored them with his own ideas or interpretations. This is a very
special quality. There are so many translations of the Bhagavad-gita for example,
but most of them are not presenting Krishna's instructions, they present the
authors ideas... But the real benefit lies in Krishna's instructions.

>
>I read the part of your www pages about the plain lifestyle, and
>I began on the section on social organization, and intend to return
>to it, and to check out the rest of the topics.

Thank you. I'd be interested in any comments or questions you have. I have plans
to expand the www pages and put lots of other things on there but I have a problem
with time as well at the moment... But hopefully there will be dome new things in
the next few weeks.

The Varnasrama-dharm, the Vedic social system is the perfect political system. It
recognizes people's intrinsic qualities and engages them accordingly. This modern
system of treating everyone equally has created havoc. Although everyone is equal
spiritually we have different bodies and the bodies have different capabilities
and tendencies. Some people are very intelligent, some are not... Some are good
administrators, some are not. For the proper management of society you need
intelligent administrators as your politicians... You can't expect things to run
smoothly if you just let the people choose their own leaders. The people will
choose the ones who promise them the things they want... But whether they will be
able to deliver the goods? And even if they can is this really in the interest of
the people?

>
>By the way, it's always good to hear the music of the Krishna groups
>when I'm downtown. I bought one of their books last month, & intend

>to read it after the political project. I also got a card describing
>the time & place for regular events, which I intend to check out.

Yes. The chanting is very nice. It's purifying. The name of Krishna and Krishna
are non-different. So hearing the chanting of Krishna's name is associating with
Krishna. Just by hearing the chanting we gradually make spiritual advancement. And
I'm very pleased you already have one of Srila Prabhupada's books... His books are
the most amazing contribution to the world.

Looking forward to hearing from you... Hope you can "wrap up" the politics soon
and get into the Vedanta with just as much "resolute determination"!!
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madhudvisa@krishna.org
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!