Saturday, May 9th, 2009

The Culture of Wimps

Moundsville, W. Virginia

With a mud slide as obstacle course at my favorite walking route, I am restricted to walk the perimeter of the pond. It’s okay. However, the life of a monk is not always so simple. One can be very much in demand. It can be hard to have some time to yourself. Passersby seek attention, a glance, a blessing, words of advice. One is then obliged to reciprocate which takes time.

Sometimes individuals wish to share opinions. One very respectable gentleman at the “Festival of Inspiration” offered to say that the world is producing a culture of wimps. Apparently in the states some schools are looking to cancel physical education. Certain psychologists say it is too competitive and harmful to young people. The matter is being seriously considered. “Competition helps individuals learn to lose from time to time and that defeat establishes humility,” said the supporter of athletics.

I’m most inclined to agree. It is necessary to prepare our youth for the tough world. It is a sure sign of the times that any slight provocation can cause a weak person to cower and be unable to stand up to press forward. What to speak of resisting the sex drive and all kinds of drives originating from the other senses. We wonder if the words training and discipline will become obsolete. It doesn’t seem right that humans should turn into mush. Powder is the next stage.

Srila Prabhupada, our guru, encouraged competition and saw it as an asset for young men and women. He encouraged competition to engender the co-operative spirit among team players.

One highlight of the day was a presentation made by Ramesvara, a staunch member in the seventies, who made an exit for a time but has recently returned to the circle of devotees. He detailed an amazing historical event of when seventeen hard bound books were mandated to be published or printed as hard bound masterpieces including new plates or pictures for each volume. All this was to be completed in an unprecedented eight weeks. This was to be executed at the request of our guru. He was training our people at the publishing house to be strong and vigilant and to know what it is to be under pressure.

Pressure is inevitable and it comes to us uninvited. When first hearing of our guru’s request to speed up the publishing of the book Caitanya Caritamrta on the life and teachings of Chaitanya, the publisher remarked that it was impossible.

Prabhupada remarked, “Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary.”

4 Km