What's the Goal? Parting Shot on Topic of Sports
By Bhojadeva dasa

It seems the debate on whether a devotees' participation in sporting activities is either tolerable, or major Maya, brings into focus the issue of how we relate to each other as devotees; which interestingly enough reveals to some degree our own spiritual status.

His Holiness Danavir Maharaja states in his article that participating in sports means that we are compromising with Maya. This is obviously true. In our quest to "always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna" as requested by Srila Prabhupada as a means to attain the real goal of human life, sporting activities are not a very good fit.

But it is also a given that all conditioned souls are already compromised by Maya's influence, and it's also true that abstaining from sporting activities is probably not the main indication we have cleared the Maya-free zone.

As others have already responded, to make a major campaign out of this issue doesn't seem to be all that pressing, considering the state of the world inside and outside of ISKCON.

I have always felt that a larger concern for the progressive health of our society would be a threat that history would repeat itself, and that our Society would slip into a new type of "caste brahmanism".

In India, (and sometimes in our own temples) one can observe this type of false-ego inspired elitism, which is symptomatic of a "Us and Them (low caste/creepy karmis/fringe devotee)" mentality.

This is certainly the influence of Maya, and is not based on the model of love and compassion which Srila Prabhupada exemplified and showered upon us all.

Brahminical culture has seriously decayed inside and outside of India, with a major downfall being the feeling of divine justification for exploiting and browbeating the "lesser" members of society. A false sense of superiority over the common man, justified by generally misapplied Vedic information, has been the trademark of most of India's "brahmans,” and a slander to the divine origin to the Varnasrama system.

The system is supposed to create harmonious cooperation for the upliftment of the whole society. It is not a license for the topmost members to separate themselves from the rest of society out of a feeling of self-appointed superiority, with the only hope for the lower unfortuanates being to financially subsidies their projects or rituals.

A Krishna-conscious Brahman would ideally function with a loving concern for God and all of His Energies, including the other Jivas.

Harmony should be the natural result, rather petty-minded discord.

Unfortunately, arrogance, mis-information, and unjustified pride have become the emblem of most of today's "caste Brahmans" in India and abroad. I think this is a road none of us want to see our Society go down.

We should all share Danavir Maharaja's focus of being, or becoming serious devotees who are striving to come to the first class Uttama stage. But we should also recognize this usually means evolving from the third class Kanishta platform, which has it's own share of dangers to avoid.

We are aware that a Kanishta devotee piously worships in the temple/church/mosque, but only sees God in that building. He does not really know how to recognize God, or how to properly interact with other pious souls outside of the temple structure.

A symptom of rising to the second-class platform is recognizing and worshiping God, plus recognizing, making friends with, and having respectful relationships with other devotees. In fact Prabhupada has made the very strong statement that unless we evolve from the Kanishta platform to the second-class stage, our third class temple worship is "useless".

If we accept, or teach our newcomers that we should shun those who are "catching butterflies,” "telling jokes" or participating in any type of sport, as being in serious Maya, it may have a more negative effect in the long run, than the activities themselves.

If we judge such activities to indicate serious character flaws, which will have major negative ramifications in attainment of Prema-Bhakti, it may have the reverse effect of creating an elitist mentality, out of proportion to issue involved, or even foster offensive mentally against other Vaishnavas.

Vaishnava and intolerance are usually words that don't go well together.

Of course the Guru has the right and duty instruct his disciples as to Maya's pitfalls. But a disciple should also realize that pride, along with possibly overly harsh judgments of those who are on the path of devotional service should also be "out of bounds" for a devotee. Such attitudes may manifest a far more negative influence on our devotional creeper than a bit of exercise, frivolous or not.

© CHAKRA 27-January-2001

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