Back in the Holy Land!
It is our greatest good fortune to be back here in the holy land of India, the favorite place of Lord Krishna in this universe and the home of countless great sages over many thousands and thousands of years. Coming in for a landing in at the New Delhi airport was a wonderful feeling of returning to my spiritual motherland. I am delighted that I will be absorbed here in Krishna consciousness for the next 5 five weeks.
We are starting off our pilgrimage here in the capital, New Delhi, where I will be giving a series of lectures as follows:
5th September: Steria (India) Limited, Sector - 135, Noida.
3 to 4 PM. Lecture to Steria Employees on "Stress-free Success".
6th September: ISKCON Temple, Noida.
8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture
6th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi
3 to 4 PM. Lecture in Brahmacari Ashram: "Vaisnava Aparadha."
7th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi.
8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture followed by Initiation ceremony.
7th September: ISKCON Girls Forum, Noida.
4 to 6 PM. Lecture: "Search for Happiness."
And then on Monday 8 September we will head out to Sri Vrindavan, the ultimate abode. We will be staying there for an entire month.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
ISKCON New Delhi East of Kailash Temple
We are starting off our pilgrimage here in the capital, New Delhi, where I will be giving a series of lectures as follows:
5th September: Steria (India) Limited, Sector - 135, Noida.
3 to 4 PM. Lecture to Steria Employees on "Stress-free Success".
6th September: ISKCON Temple, Noida.
8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture
6th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi
3 to 4 PM. Lecture in Brahmacari Ashram: "Vaisnava Aparadha."
7th September: ISKCON Temple, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, Delhi.
8 AM. Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture followed by Initiation ceremony.
7th September: ISKCON Girls Forum, Noida.
4 to 6 PM. Lecture: "Search for Happiness."
And then on Monday 8 September we will head out to Sri Vrindavan, the ultimate abode. We will be staying there for an entire month.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
ISKCON New Delhi East of Kailash Temple
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:
Question: Are We Broad-Minded or Narrow-Minded?
Hare Krishna Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to unto you and Srila Prabhupada.
The outside world constantly talks about being broad-minded. Spiritual seekers are often stamped as being very narrow-minded. I would like to know from you the true scriptural meaning of being broad-minded. Does it mean accepting everything and not criticizing anyone's actions? In the material world, people often say they are open and that they accept everything. But actually they are closed to just yet another opinion.
Kindly requesting your clarity on this as I'm confused between simultaneously being broad-minded and strict with principles.
Your aspiring servant,
Divyapriya
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to unto you and Srila Prabhupada.
The outside world constantly talks about being broad-minded. Spiritual seekers are often stamped as being very narrow-minded. I would like to know from you the true scriptural meaning of being broad-minded. Does it mean accepting everything and not criticizing anyone's actions? In the material world, people often say they are open and that they accept everything. But actually they are closed to just yet another opinion.
Kindly requesting your clarity on this as I'm confused between simultaneously being broad-minded and strict with principles.
Your aspiring servant,
Divyapriya
Answer: Only the Knower of Krishna is Truly Broadminded
Broad-minded means to have perfect understanding of everything. This state of consciousness is achieved by who one knows Krishna. Therefore the broad-minded person is the one who knows Krishna and the narrow-minded person is the one who does not know Krishna. This is confirmed in the Mundaka Upanisad 1.3 as follows:
yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati
"One who knows Krishna knows everything."
If someone claims to be broad-minded but they reject Krishna, their claim to broad-mindedness is false. It is not that by accepting Krishna one becomes narrow-minded. Rather it is just the opposite. One does not become truly broad-minded until he accepts Krishna.
Strict principles are for the neophyte devotees to help them get free from the disease of material sense gratification and achieve the perfectional broad-minded stage of Krishna consciousness. This is like being on a strict diet while one is recovering from a disease. These strict principles of sadhana bhakti are required to help one achieve the broad-minded platform of Krishna consciousness. The liberated souls are on the platform of spontaneous love. Although they follow strict principles to set the proper example for the neophytes, they do not require to be under strict principles for they are fully cured from the material disease.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati
"One who knows Krishna knows everything."
If someone claims to be broad-minded but they reject Krishna, their claim to broad-mindedness is false. It is not that by accepting Krishna one becomes narrow-minded. Rather it is just the opposite. One does not become truly broad-minded until he accepts Krishna.
Strict principles are for the neophyte devotees to help them get free from the disease of material sense gratification and achieve the perfectional broad-minded stage of Krishna consciousness. This is like being on a strict diet while one is recovering from a disease. These strict principles of sadhana bhakti are required to help one achieve the broad-minded platform of Krishna consciousness. The liberated souls are on the platform of spontaneous love. Although they follow strict principles to set the proper example for the neophytes, they do not require to be under strict principles for they are fully cured from the material disease.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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