Give Up All Prejudices and Stereotypes

When we approach the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, if we want to fully understand and comprehend them, we must lay aside all prejudices and stereotypes. The modern day society is now legitimatizing more and more sinful activities which are against the progress of the human being towards self-realization and thus rejected by the Vedic culture. With these sinful activities becoming more and more accepted as proper human behavior it is natural that it will be harder for people to accept Srila Prabhupada's teachings in full. Therefore as Srila Prabhupada's representatives we must be prepared to defend the authenticity of his teachings against all the attacks of the materialists.

Lord Gopinath-the Master of the Gopis
ISKCON North Sydney, Australia

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Why Shiva Purana Says Shiva is Supreme?

Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I have not read any Puranas but I do hear from questions being asked that in the Puranas, the presiding deity of that Purana is mentioned as being the Supreme. For example, why is Shiva mentioned as the Supreme in the Shiva Purana?

Thanking you.

Yours humbly,
Kesaven

Answer: Facilitating Those in Lower Modes of Nature

These descriptions are there for those who are in the lower modes of nature so that they can focus on a particular deity and gradually make advancement to the point where they can understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just as the beginning student of arithmetic is taught the rule that you cannot subtract a number from number smaller than itself, but is later on taught that it is possible with the result being a negative number—in a similar way those who are in the lower modes of nature are taught that a particular demigod is the supreme to help them advance on their level even though in the final analysis that demigod is not the supreme person.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari