Re: ISKCON vs. "Mainstream" Hinduism
Hari Om
~~~~~
Originally Posted by
ScottMalaysia
They seem so to me. For a start, they require a strict vegetarian diet, which also forbids eggs, onions and garlic. My girlfriend's family are Hindus, and they aren't vegetarian most of the time(they are now, because their uncle died and they have to be vegetarian for 16 days). I've heard of many Hindus being vegetarian, but what's with the onions and garlic?
Secondly, ISKCON requires their devotees to chant 16 rounds of japa meditation of the Hare Krishna mantra each day. While Lord Caitanya encouraged chanting, he never specified the exact amount that must be done each day. This is a bit extreme for working people. ISKCON also discourages its followers from accumulating wealth.
Thirdly, and this is the most extreme thing I have come across, ISKCON prohibits sexual relations between a husband and wife except for procreation on one night a month, after chanting the mantra for a few hours. Sex for pleasure or growing closer to your spouse is forbidden.
Namaste SM (ScottMalaysia)
IMHO opinion a few points offered does not sound extreme to me, again my eyes and my experiences.
Veggie diet - onions and garlic in many circles are considered rajasic and some say tamasic in nature. Too over stimulating or dulling depending how you look at it. Yet the the onion and garlic thing is not veggie related but has to do with a certain school, belief or philosophy one may be following. Some do not eat mushrooms and turnips also. So whats the deal? It boils down to the following:
Sattvic foods are thought to contribute to making a person serene, enlightened, healthy, and long-lived.. Sattvic foods include rice, wheat, ghee, most legumes, some other vegetables, milk and milk products (except cheeses made from rennet). Rennet comes from the stomach of animals.
Rajasic foods are believed to contribute to a person becoming aggressive, greedy, passionate and desiring of power. Warriors were encouraged to eat these foods. Rajasic foods are some meats, eggs, and foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, rich and/or spicy.
Tamasic foods when used for pleasure and in excess can contribute to lust, malice, confusion, slothfulness, and dullness. These foods are garlic, pickled, preserved, stale, or rotten foods and alcohol or drugs.
Eggs is the beginning of life, so one avoids eggs as a veggie.
Chanting 16 rounds - I cannot say if it is or is not excessive - I would ask what is the final result? How does the ISKCON sadhu act afterwords? Uplifting, closer to his Lord, etc? if this is the case 16 rounds may be the magic number for this to occur. The sadhu should graviate to this naturally as a joy to do ... if it is drudgery as if one has to do this a chore, then it needs to be reconsidered.
Regarding "discourages its followers from accumulating wealth" - I can see the logic here. Yet for me I do not see this making the person extreme of a zealot... I think of the sannyasin as an example - is it for every one? nope. Is this what the ISKCON group is trying to produce? I am not sure.
Sex for pleasure vs. procreation. My thought on this is , its the choice of the people involved.
So what is 'extreme' or over-zealous (for me)? I think of those sects that induce pain ( physical or mental) on themselves - this can be in our outside Sanatana Dharma. The logic of 'I am not this body' makes sense, yet self-abuse to me is not conducive to spiritual unfoldment why? Your attention is on the pain, or pain avoidance, or time taping and bandaging oneself after the self-conflagration occurs!. Actions that are extreme, and over-doing it from that standpoint ( hot coal walking, barbs into the skin, etc etc).
So where does one turn to say what is balanced or not? I would look to the Bhagavad Gita, Chapt 6.17-18, Krsna says the following:
Yoga indeed is not for him who eats too much nor for him who does not eat at all, O Arjuna; it is not for him who is too much given to sleep not yet for him who keeps awake.
For him who is moderate in food and recreation, moderate of effort of actions, moderate in sleep and waking, for him is the Yoga which destroys sorrow.
...just some thoughts.
pranams,
Last edited by yajvan; 05 December 2007 at 05:36 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
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