Bhakti & Social Media | feat. Swami Padmanabha (VIDEO)

[PADA: Social media is a blessing and a curse, agreed. We are in a very hyped up environment -- often due to social medias. One lady recently told me she was going to some ISKCON programs, and she got fed up with them because "it was a Hindu-show boat." 

Then -- she went to an independent outside kirtan group, but as soon as the kirtan ended -- the devotees were discussing mundane politics, Q-anon type theories, a variety of assorted other conspiracy ideas, and there was a lot of arguing and haggling over these issues. 

Obviously, they are not very conscious of Krishna. Never mind not all the devotees at the independent kirtan program agree on who is going to be the current acharya -- maybe Srila Prabhupada, maybe ISKCON gurus, maybe Gaudiya Matha folks, etc. 

So the maharaja says we should de-tox from social medias, which is feeding some of these problems. Agreed. At the same time, there are a lot of benefits to the internet, which has helped us expose the GBC's program on a big scale. A blessing and a curse. Anyway, the Maharaja has previously tried to explain the Narayan Maharaja idea, that we were never with Krishna -- and we originated in Brahma-jyoti. Ummm, nope. 

Srila Prabhupada - ” So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krishna? Why not become Krishna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could be come the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking”.

Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t Krishna protect us from that desire?

Srila Prabhupada - “He’s protecting. He says, “You rascal, don’t desire. Surrender unto Me.” But you are rascal; you do not do this”.

Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?

Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?”

July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C

So this is the real explanation, and they don't agree with it.

In sum, social media is a problem, but the real problem is -- we are falling into illusion due to many causes, and on many levels, because we are not very fixed on Krishna. And when they say the goal is to be retired in Vrndavana when we get old, that is not working out for most folks because -- they cannot work with the GBC's gurus. 

And the Narayan Maharaja program in Vrndavana has many critics, from the other followers of NM themselves. It is also interesting that Nama Rasa interviews folks from ISKCON's guru's competition, but he avoids interviewing our folks? The people who openly oppose Srila Prabhupada's ideas are welcome, we aren't? ys pd] 

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