Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Thanked my guru

Markham, Ontario

Pornography. The topic came up.

A female devotee expressed that before pornography established itself in the world the mood was more chaste, a greater respect for the individual. I told her I couldn't agree more. Pornography has indeed become mainstream and has contributed to sex addictions, broken homes derailing wholesome traditional values and more. It's a big distraction and yet a big industry reaping millions if not billions of dollars annually. At what cost may we ask? It is not likely an industry that will shut down tomorrow until it shuts us down.

I had to look at families which I considered wholesome this evening when visiting two households as part of my pastoral obligations. In each case they were Hindu folks neither orthodox nor too liberal, but strong enough in moral values that you could declare, "Here is something stable." I thought that the sexual passions employed by these folks wear tempered by good old fashioned values. It was so evident in the behaviours of their kids. Most assuredly I could say that the porno-culture was not an issue in these two homes. They are stable families.

I felt safe in their environment not because I'm in the renounced order and am not exposed to the common licentiousness of todays atmosphere. I felt protected because I was respected as an individual. I grew up in the sixties in the era of free love and didn't really partake in it. Thank God! Call me dull.

Back in '96 on my first walk across Canada I completed trekking though the Rockies and was just ready to enter the vast Prairies when I sat at a creek upon a rock to chant a noon mantra. I was miles away from any humans. At the base of the rock was a glossy magazine and as I peered at it I could tell it was a porno magazine. I left it there knowing its not for me to see. It was something I had not ever seen before and I didn't need to be tempted although I was all alone.

I thanked my guru, Srila Prabhupada, internally for providing me with superior literature and superior things to think about.

3 KM