Date: 8/5/2005
Hindus Should Learn From ISKCON Almost everyone knows now what ISKCON is, it is International Society of Krishna Consciousness. They are called Hari Krishna people. This year on the 4th of July, in Washington DC, ISKCON participated in the parade with their authentic Indian chariot. They also had a booth where they gave out more than 8,000 free plates of freshly made, sanctified vegetarian food (called prashadam). Indian dancing, a Hindu play and singing of Bhagan were also performed on the stage. This was printed in the India Post. It makes all of India proud that ISKCON is spreading the Hindu culture. It was disappointing that this kind of news was not reported in India Abroad which is very happy to print anything negative about Hindus as they are a psudo-secular newspaper. ISKCON has more than 500 Temples around the world. All 500 towns and cities where these temples are, they are carrying out these kinds of Indian festivals. We are about 2 million Hindus living in the US and most of us do not do anything when America is celebrating Independence Day. I'll tell you why. Indian civilization and Hindu religion is a wounded civilization. They better wake up and learn something from these young American boys who have accepted Vedic Dharma. It looks like Hindus do not have to have a "silent and not-do-anything" philosophy. Last week, I got the following 2 books by Swami Indradyumna: "Diary of a Traveling Preacher volume 1" and "Diary of a Traveling Preacher volume 5". Once I started reading them, I could not put them down. Swami Indradyumna joined ISKCON when he was a young man. Now he is going to every town and village in Russia and Italy to spread Vedic Dharma or Krishna consciousness. Newsweek recently said ISKCON is the fastest growing religion in Russia. Swami Indradyumna is a Hindu Monk and spreading Hindu religion. More power to him and all of the ISKCON girls and boys. We Hindus should learn from them. I request all of you to read his books and see how they are spreading the word. After 700 years of Islamic rule and 200 of British rule, what has happened to the dynamic Hindu culture? The Hindu society is a wounded society. One American couple came to a Hindu Temple. No one greeted them or smiled at them and they never came back. If a Hindu goes to a Christian Church, someone always shakes their hands and welcomes them. This tells you something. I think ISKCON and their Guru, Prabhupada, are showing us the vision and courage to follow. Bharat J. Gajjar ...............000000000
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