Re: Vaishnava vs(?) ISKCON?
Originally Posted by
rteixeirapl
Dear friends,
Hari Om,
Please, do not consider my post as offensive. I'm just a student trying to get knowledge.
From my actual stage of learning sanskrit and comparing translations, I've noticed some different perspectives in Prabhupada books and commentaries that takes ISKCON far away from the real text as it is (the texts are full of interpolations and extrapolations). Some shlokas translated by Prabhupada are completely different from their respective sanskrit correspondents, and the purports are very biased. Sometimes - that is to say, almost everytime, Prabhupada doesn't even give his considerations at the Purport, but at the translation itself, changing the meaning of the words, adding words and even phrases in the translation space, which for me is a aggression to the shastra.
Namaste,
Prabhupada is an acharya of Vedic Dharma and his interpretations are therefore authoritative.
Also, there is no such thing as "truthful translation", because every translation is an interpretation and vice versa.
I have a lot of ISKCON friends and with respect try to talk with them, but unfortunately, they quote paramparā and Prabhupada in defense of the arguments. But I've seen that Prabhupada defending Prabhupada is kind of useless... I'm new to HDF, and my doubts became more intense when I saw that there is a forum for discussions about "God in Hindu Dharma" in the views of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism.. and Hare Krishna. That came to me kind of confirming my thoughts about ISKCON, that they have became kind of a sect that started differentiating from traditional Vaishnavism.
Yes their quote of paramparā and Prabhupada is a valid defence since Prabhupada is an accepted acharya. ISKCON is considered as yet separate from even the rest of Vaishnavism, and that is also okay because ISKCON, imo, is purported to be the implant of Dharma in the western world.
I'm just a student, and humbly would like to ask you about this thought of mine.
a) Is ISKCON considered a traditional Vaishnava group?
After everything is said and done, Vaishnavism imho retains an edge in as being the leader in some sense of Hinduism as a whole in this yuga, and therefore Prabhupada's effort to bring Vaishnavism (and hence the whole of Hinduism following) to the west - a phenomenon otherwise known as ISKCON - is Dharma's very own effort for survival in these bleak times. I think ISKCON has at least to some extent succeeded in this; on the other hand at home in Bengal Dharma has met with ever increased decline and decimation - savants like Prabhupada were visionary enough to know all this decades ago. In the west, on the other hand, thanks largely to infrastructure of ISKCON, today we see that Hindus of all hue are now springing up as a follow - Hanuman, Kali, Shiva, Murugan bhaktas and counting.
b) The separation in HDF is due to what I was already thinking (ISKCON have different perspectives and non-traditional analysis of texts and became kind of a sect for itself, centered in Prabhupada)?
ISKCON is Vasinavaism adaption for the western, so if one is an Indian it is useless to follow ISKCON. But that is my opinion.
c) What do you think about Prabhupada and his translations?
I rate him higher than Vivekananda and Shankaracharya.
Please, I humbly propose not to start a fight, since I believe that everybody that seeks for God, in any sect, system of philosophy or any other way is worthy of respect. I respect Swami Prabhupada, all ISKCON members and devotees, and acknowledge Prabhupada's value.
That is cool.
But, since we are at the forum of the Vaishnava and not at the forum of the Hare Krishna, I'm proposing this topic to know your points of view.
Please, accept my sincere pranam, beforehand apologizing if my words caused any harshness,
R
All the sects and sampradayas of Hinduism are like living entities, and they are full of respect for each other. Outside this circle, there are death cults, but that is another discussion..
P.S.: I am otherwise very critical of Prabhupada and ISKCON, and also the present forms Vasinavism has inherited (mainly in trying to carry more than it can lift).
Things to remember:
1. Life = yajña
2. Depth of Āstika knowledge is directly proportional
to the richness of Sanskrit it is written in
3. Āstika = Bhārata ("east") / Ārya ("west")
4. Varṇa = tripartite division of Vedic polity
5. r = c. x²
where,
r = realisation
constant c = intelligence
variable x = bhakti
Bookmarks