BTP 73: Readers' Questions

Back To Prabhupada, Issue 73, Vol. 2, 2022, Interactive

Only chanting required

"Maybe you are aware of the _pranayama_ breathing course which is being run by ISKCON UK headquarters' School of Bhakti (and for which they charge a fee). Called "The Art of Breathing", it is advertised as follows: _"The fourth stage in the ancient path of Ashtanga Yoga is the practice of Pranayama, or control of the breath. \[...\] Pranayama serves as an important bridge between the external, active practices of yoga, like asana, and the internal subtle practices that lead us into higher states of consciousness. Broadly, the course looks at several useful Pranayamas, how imbalanced prana can become a cause of "dis-ease" in the body and highlights the benefits of controlled breathing on your health and your practice of Bhakti."_ Is such a course in line with Srila Prabhupada's teachings?" \- Dilip Patel, London, UK

Editor replies:

This is what Srila Prabhupada states regarding practising such kind of breathing exercises:

Devotee (1): "Swamiji, I think she means do you have to do any kind of breathing exercising besides chanting?"
Prabhupada: "No. There is no breathing exercise or gymnastic. No. Nothing. The breathing exercise is there. When you chant Hare Krsna there is breathing. There is nice breathing. Yes?"
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 26/3/68, all emphases in Interactive added)

"You don't have to practice the meditation, samadhi, dhyana, dharana, asana, pranayama, this astanga-yoga. Without practicing astanga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Krsna always; then you become a first-class yogi. It is not our statement; it is Krsna's statement. [...] So our this Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi. Immediately, without any bodily endeavor, mystic exercise. No need. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 13/11/72)

"Here you will find the students, although they are not exercising the bodily asana, pranayama, it is automatically being done, because the mind is the center of all activity. So mind is always engaged in Krsna. That is bhagavata-dharma."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 12/6/68)

Therefore, we can see that Srila Prabhupada discouraged this type of "breathing" practice and did not advise that it had "benefits" for our "practice of Bhakti".

Protection and worshipping Tulasi

"Hare Krsna, Krishnakant _Prabhu_, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for Issue 72 of _BTP_. I thought to respond to [your article about "Vaisnavi _Diksa_ Gurus Cultural Sensitivity Resolution"](/docs/webpages/btp72-Institutionalising-Aeroplane-Tattva.html) because I was personally involved in dealing with Vaisnavis including _brahmacarinis_ and my own teenage daughter around the 1980s to do with their domestic abuse, physically and sexually. I was given this service to deal with these issues because I am a fully qualified naturopath and at the time practising. Would it be possible for you and other senior ISKCON leaders to propose to the GBC because through history these sensitive issues were never properly addressed and most likely happened and could possibly be happening at the present, principally because of the deviating from _[The Final Order](/docs/webpages/tfo.html)_. So, my proposal is that the GBC should accept to initiate Vaisnavis via the _rtvik_ system which would automatically be a safeguard to those GBC voted-in gurus and safeguard the _matajis_ from having to deal with them at all as they would then only deal with Srila Prabhupada. Then not needing female _diksa_ gurus at all. As we know, as far as Lord Sri Krsna is concerned, there is no difference between gender and other living entities, that everyone benefits from Krsna's mercy in the form of the _maha-mantra_, therefore, it is as important to avoid discriminating against _matajis_, Vaisnavis, as they deserve as much respect as _Prabhus_, and probably even more respect as they are so vulnerable to abuse as I have personally experienced in ISKCON. I also have a question you may be able to help me with. At my local temple, the _mataji_ who cares for Srimati Tulasi Devi recently told me that only Rama Tulasi can be used for Deity worship. I had not heard of this before and could not find any information regarding this regulation. Could you tell me if this is the actual fact? Your humble servant," \- Ananta-sesa Dasa, New South Wales, Australia

Editor replies:

1) Your suggestion to protect ladies by ensuring that they only have Srila Prabhupada as their diksa guru is not only good, but also what Srila Prabhupada ordered (as documented in The Final Order). However, he also ordered that everyone, including men, should have the same protection by being Srila Prabhupada's disciples. Unfortunately, the GBC, the majority of whom are themselves GBC voted-in gurus, have not shown any interest in following this order from Srila Prabhupada, but rather have only been committed to perpetuating the system whereby GBC gurus replace Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON's diksa guru.

2) Just as you have stated, we have also not found any recorded instruction wherein Srila Prabhupada states that only Rama Tulasi can be used for Deity worship. Rather, Srila Prabhupada used "Tulasi" for Krsna/Rama Tulasi interchangeably, and also stated that both are the same:

"Goursundar Prabhu informs me that you are head Tulasi gardner at New Nabadwipa. Now ‘Krishna Tulasi' is there also. You surely must be a great devotee. Tulasi devi is growing so profusely there and that is surely to your credit. So continue with this valuable service and become fixed up in Krishna consciousness. [...] And by the grace of Srimati Tulasi Devi surely you will make rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 23/7/71)

"For Krishna Tulasi and Rama Tulasi the worship is the same. There is no difference between Rama and Krishna. Both are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply they are expansions of the same Absolute Truth."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 20/11/71)

Therefore, given that Srila Prabhupada has only told us that "Tulasi" should be used –

"All Visnu-tattva Deities require profusely Tulasi leaves."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 7/4/70)

– and the facts above, that Srila Prabhupada refers to the two Tulasis interchangeably and states that they are non-different:

There is no evidence from Srila Prabhupada to conclude that Deity worship must be restricted to only using Rama Tulasi.

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Please chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare. And be Happy!