Sam Udra
said:
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| Yes I remember that party. Independents for Godly Government. Didn't some devotees later go on and get elected in Hawaii? Babhru, you helped them?? Can you tell us more. I had heard this but never from one who was working with them. I think one devotee on Maui became very successful and did a lot of good there. And one in Honolulu was working for the Prosecutors office for a long time and battling organized crime in Hawaii. This new party could be something to watch. Devotees should get involved. Especially in America where the NEOCONSERVATIVES are gaining so much power. They are really a lot like Nazis and there needs to be a viable party to counteract them. |
Sam Udra
said:
| Really great news. I will support such a party. |
jagganatha dasi
said:
| This is very good to hear Babhru - is Independents for Godly Government still going? It would be wonderful to know more about a Spiritual Master who would endorse such progressive and compassionate action by his devotees. |
Sam Udra
said:
| Yes I would like it if more of our achraryas were open and got involved in politics and encouraged their followers to be bold and fearless carrying the name of Krishna into the political arena. I heard Srila Prabhupada once said when we can wear tilok openly then we will be successful. I am glad to hear this party is giving Vaishnavism a good name. What is not needed is just more politicians, telling lies and doing all kinds of dirty tricks to get into office. The Vaishnavas should be more dignified and not act like politicians. The Vaishnavas should be completely honest and any acharya who backed thems life should be an open book, any acharya who backed such an endeavor should be ready to face the public scrutiny, so such an acharya would have to have a spotless record.. What we don’t need is cheating and acting like politicians in the name of Krishna Con. The NEOCONSERVATIVE movement needs to be countered by a progressive party that preached love and compassion, not hatred in the name of Krishna. We don't need ultra-conservative fundamentalist ideas in such a Vaishnava political platform. Just openness and honesty is needed. I would support any politician who openly glorified Krishna and the Maha Mantra. This could give a lot of dignity to the sampradaya. |
Sam Udra
said:
| Any Vaishnava party should imbibe love and compassion for all. I think it would be a grave mistake to try to woo the ultra right conservative Christian movement of the west that looks more and more like a type of Nazi movement and has been to a large degree responsible for the war in Iraq and has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Every educated person in the west who is not brainwashed by the propaganda media here knows the war is not about terrorism but is about controlling Mother Earth and her resources. From the very beginning the war in Iraq and America's role should be boldly rejected along with the neoconservative movement that is paving the way for globalization. |
Babhru
said:
| Back in '76, Siddhasvarupananda personally suggested that I move from the Big Island to Maui to help with the party. We were friends from our brahmachari days, and he knew that I was a writer who was interested in political ideas. I had collected many signatures here on the Big Island to help get the party registered and on the ballot. I moved to Maui and helped with the writing of press releases and other things. No, Independents for Godly Government was only around for the 1976 election. However, as Sam Udra pointed out, some of those involved did later become successfully involved in politics here in Hawaii. One was elected to the Maui County Council, although he later became distracted by the allures of material life. One was very involved in things on Oahu, and I hear that he's still politically active somewhere. Many devotees are now involved in politics here and elsewhere, and quite a few have been elected to office, but their inclination is more conservative than many of us might expect. Still, they're very active and focused on making connections with others interested in the sort of values-based efforts they favor. I would like to see Vaishnavas organize in a way that many of us would see as more progressive. I think that having both progressive and "traditional-values" Vaishnavas involved would benefit society greatly. |
Krishnachandra das
said:
| I think it is a very good sign that Vaishnavas worldwide will unify and get involved in the governmental process. This age of Kali Yuga, Lord Caitanya has mercifully appeared to the fallen souls of the world. We, as aspiring Vaishnavas, should make ourselves known to the world as we are, openly and with gusto, in all levels of society -- to always serve Lord Caitanya's sankirtan movement. Serve Sri Sri Radha Krishna and the spirit souls of the world, and never give in to corruption or influence peddling. Set a good example for the world, coupled with letting the world know exactly who we are. Then everyone will truly know Sri Sri Radha Krishna. Vancha kalpa tarubhyas ca krpa sindhu bya eva ca. Patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah. |
Sam Udra
said:
| Well said Krishnachandra, the Vaishnavas will be under the microscope if we gain any type of popularity in the political field. There can be nothing there to cast a bad light on Mahaprabhus movement. Plain honesty about who we are, what our goals are and how we want to go about making change will resonate in many peoples hearts and win them over regardless of their religious persuasion. I have been reading the Manifesto of this new party and am very very impressed. This could very well be the start of something very good and the cause of wider acceptance of Mahaprabhus movement. |
Devarsirat das
said:
| This is all good and important, but one has to be extreeeeeeeeeeemly alert and cautious whom to let to be a member of such political party. Why? By promoting high standards, saintly behaviour,noble character and so on, the members of such a party making themselfes extremly vulnerable to strickt observation from other opposing parties which will use any sidestep, any contradictory behaviour from the vaisnavas and use this to cause mistrust and diversion everywhere. People will think yeah yeah just another one of these so called ethical groups ....and behind the sceene they do the opposite from what they preach..... There are incredible stumbeling blocks to be overcome in terms of trust and whom to allow to represent such parties, because those representatives must be beyond suspicion and can not have shady backgrounds in any way, if they do it will come out because the opposing parties will do their research and any elememts against the principles preached will be exposed and exployted without mercy. You should be especially carefull not to employ anyone who has a link to those things happened in the schools and otherwise, like that famous person who has a role of an adviser in one of our mayor temples close to the mayapure gurukula. Something like that will immedeately overshadow everything and put any sincerity into question. |
Gopal das
said:
| I am a little sceptical that it is of great benefit for rupanugas to get too much involved in politics (remember, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami gave up politics for the sake of bhakti). There may be some benefit for society, but one should not forget that politics is generally not a field of high thinking, rather it would be inevitable for one that his consciousness would be pulled down to a pretty low level. One will become engaged in material matters, and though he may think he does it for Krishna, in the best case it will remain karma-misra-bhakti. To become pure means to gradually withdraw from material dealings, and scriptures say that real bhakti will not start before our heart has become pure. So it is my strong conviction that if one has taken to vaishnavism, involving in politics is more a step back than improving vaishnavism. Also if I read texts of our great saints and acharyas, I can hardly found support to get involved in politics, rather the opposit seems true... |
Gopal das
said:
| ...If one thinks he can run a political party without mixing with other parties (and this would be necessary to preserve ones pureness) - no, not possible. Our concern is to please Krishna - and ultimately that means to develop our very personal service in the land of bhakti - Goloka Vrindavan. Otherwise - think of what happened to the catholic church - for many centuries they were leading forces in politics, and what remained is a philosophy of arbitrariness, bereft of pureness. This danger I see, and it would pain my heart to see Vaishnavas driving into this path. |
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