How to Stay Sane

As Kali, the predominant deity of this Kali yuga age, upgrades his modus operanti regime for a while before putting everybody to sleep again, the need to protect and maintain one's sanity becomes even more evident.

In a society where not even one's sexual, god-given bodily identity is accepted and is put in question, in a society where those who should listen dare to speak and those of the most autocratic, fashistic nature preach humanitarian oneness and global equality (shall we better call it CONTROL?) Staying sane is an absolute need.

As Mr. Goebells used to say, “Truth and reality are defined according to the needs of the given time.” Such demoniac doctrine is the general guideline of any demoniac government. Relativism can be found everywhere, except when it comes to hearing those who question it. Then suddenly, the most liberal globalists become fierce dictators and try to eliminate such voices with any possible means.

Its age of hypocrisy and quarell, and especially those who dare to accept ANY kind of authority, understanding it to be given responsibility, get immediately attacked by ruthless pseudo-humanists with any possibility of rational argument. There is no way to apply rationality in the presence of those who are envious or simply foolish.
The propaganda tools of main stream media are becoming more and more primitive. The leaders of society don't even try to lie in any sophisticated way; they simply get used to the pasivity of people in general, who often know them to be fools and criminals, but who gave up to resist their oppression and retired to a regime of plain day-to-day survival.

What to say to those who dare to speak about anything beyond the plain level of eating, sleeping, mating, and fighting that dominates the animalistic society of today? They will be defined as escapists at best and lunatics at worst. Such voices seem to be “impractical” for the common man, for whom spiritual alternatives are a mystery. Not understanding the root of the evil, people try to oppose the evil by temporary measures, only creating more evil. Evil cannot be “voted out.” It has to be eliminated, as demonstrated on the battle field of Kuruksetra.

Once again, opening the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam, we find amazing information on how to stay sane in an ocean of lunacy. Especially those who oppose lunacy will be attacked immediately (as seen in the ISKCON Society of today), as the one who points to the problem will be defined as the problem. The one who points to lunacy will be defined as a lunatic.

Srimad Bhagavatam warns:

nāsac-chāstreṣu sajjeta
nopajīveta jīvikām
vāda-vādāṁs tyajet tarkān
pakṣaṁ kaṁca na saṁśrayet

Literature that is a useless waste of time — in other words, literature without spiritual benefit — should be rejected. One should not become a professional teacher as a means of earning one’s livelihood, nor should one indulge in arguments and counterarguments. Nor should one take shelter of any cause or faction.

Srila Prabhupada becomes very specific in his purport to this sloka:

A person desiring to advance in spiritual understanding should be extremely careful to avoid reading ordinary literature. The world is full of ordinary literature that creates unnecessary agitation in the mind. Such literature, including newspapers, dramas, novels and magazines, is factually not meant for advancement in spiritual knowledge. Indeed, it has been described as a place of enjoyment for crows (tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham). Anyone advancing in spiritual knowledge must reject such literature. Furthermore, one should not concern oneself with the conclusions of various logicians or philosophers. Of course, those who preach sometimes need to argue with the contentions of opponents, but as much as possible one should avoid an argumentative attitude. In this connection, Śrīla Madhvācārya says:

aprayojana-pakṣaṁ na saṁśrayet

nāprayojana-pakṣī syān
na vṛthā śiṣya-bandha-kṛt
na codāsīnaḥ śāstrāṇi
na viruddhāni cābhyaset

na vyākhyayopajīveta
na niṣiddhān samācaret
evam-bhūto yatir yāti
tad-eka-śaraṇo harim

“There is no need to take shelter of unnecessary literature or concern oneself with many so-called philosophers and thinkers who are useless for spiritual advancement. Nor should one accept a disciple for the sake of fashion or popularity. One should be callous to these so-called śāstras, neither opposing nor favoring them, and one should not earn one’s livelihood by taking money for explaining śāstra. A sannyāsī must always be neutral and seek the means to advance in spiritual life, taking full shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.13.7

Coming to the point of sannyasi, the ultimate brahminical leader of society, the next sloka in the most specific way defines the life style and the duties of such a leader.

na śiṣyān anubadhnīta
granthān naivābhyased bahūn
na vyākhyām upayuñjīta
nārambhān ārabhet kvacit

A sannyāsī must not present allurements of material benefits to gather many disciples, nor should he unnecessarily read many books or give discourses as a means of livelihood. He must never attempt to increase material opulences unnecessarily.

In his usual direct and uncompromising way, Srila Prabhupada attacks the so-called spiritual leaders of today:

So-called svāmīs and yogīs generally make disciples by alluring them with material benefits. There are many so-called gurus who attract disciples by promising to cure their diseases or increase their material opulence by manufacturing gold. These are lucrative allurements for unintelligent men. A sannyāsī is prohibited from making disciples through such material allurements. Sannyāsīs sometimes indulge in material opulence by unnecessarily constructing many temples and monasteries, but actually such endeavors should be avoided. Temples and monasteries should be constructed for the preaching of spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not to provide free hotels for persons who are useful for neither material nor spiritual purposes. Temples and monasteries should be strictly off limits to worthless clubs of crazy men. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we welcome everyone who agrees at least to follow the movement’s regulative principles — no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. In the temples and monasteries, gatherings of unnecessary, rejected, lazy fellows should be strictly disallowed. The temples and monasteries should be used exclusively by devotees who are serious about spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains the word ārambhān as meaning maṭhādi-vyāpārān, which means “attempts to construct temples and monasteries.” The first business of the sannyāsī is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, facilities are available, then he may construct temples and monasteries to give shelter to the serious students of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise such temples and monasteries are not needed.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.13.8

As we see today clearly, temples without any preaching effect become simply a burden, and even by no means should they be closed. They are often places where kanistha adhikaris fight for dominance or where vaisya types try to turn the temples into some sort of profitable business operation. In India, collecting waste funds from religious congregations is likely to make temples very appealing to people looking for profit, name, and fame. Such temples, even temporarily profitable, are doomed places, ultimately repulsing those who seek spiritual inspiration based on purity of purpose and not on so-called pragmatic business enterprise spirit.

In regards to Srila Prabhupadas warning that the temple shouldn't become “lunatic asylums," being a 25-year-old temple president myself, I often used to organise the temple “like a sankirtan van without wheels” :-) I again and again found proof that purity of purpose is a better investment than momentary gain and final doom of the facility. Even deities present turn into mere stone statues if they don't find the preaching atmosphere they were instaled in, and the place becomes an empty building where, besides a few associal desperados, we find more deities on the altar as temple residents in the temple.

The only way to repair and truly rejuvenate such a place is to bring the original preaching spirit back, a spirit Srila Prabhupada brought back to us and taught us to live by.

As he writes in a letter to Damodar Prabhu on December 3, 1971:

So it is a very good sign that people are coming and of their own accord giving everything, that is the proof of your powerful preaching work. If we simply remain pure and become very convinced of this Krishna philosophy, any sane man will agree with us when we speak. And if we are determined to please Krishna with our routine work despite all kinds of economic handicaps, He will provide all relief. Just see. If preaching is strong, management will be strong. That is the rule.

I'm especially pleased to hear that your distribution of our books and magazines has increased. Go on in this way, increasing more and more. Each time someone reads some solid information about Krishna his life becomes changed in some way. These literatures are the solid ground upon which our preaching stands, so I want that they should be available to everyone, as many as possible. So please try for this.

Then there are those who believe that preaching to “important persons in society” is the priority. But that's for the next article.