TEXAS FAITH 32: Why does fear sell on the campaign trail?

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

By the time this Texas Faith question is posted on Tuesday, voters will be at the polls and the election outcome will be only a few hours away. Americans will soon know who controls one or more houses of Congress. Plus, Texans will know who will serve as their governor for the next four years.
Of course, this was another election during which fear played a big role. Nationally, Democrats tried to scare voters into thinking Republicans were going to mess with their Social Security and Republicans tried to demonize President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In Texas, Republicans tried to scare voters into thinking Bill White was weak on illegal immigrants, while Democrats tried to paint Rick Perry as a man who was in love with power.
Putting aside your own political views, which perhaps lead you to agree with some of these claims, help the rest of us understand why this point:
Why does fear play such a big role in our elections?
For example, is there something deep within our psyches and/or souls that responds to fear, perhaps in a way that we are unaware? Or is it that fear sells and strategists know it? Or is it something else?
I'm sure we'd all like to think elections play to our better angels. But they often don't. Help us understand why.
Read on for some very interesting replies, including ideas about how the brain works.

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas

Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called māyā. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord.
-Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37
To see all the responses from the Texas Faith Panel click here

TEXAS FAITH 31: Should Christians (and other non-Hindus) beware of yoga?

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

Here's what we posed this week to the Texas Faith panel:
The president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Albert Mohler, caused a stir with a recent column decrying the practice of yoga by Christians. He did a follow-up, not backing down, but noting the fierce reaction to his original piece.
Mohler wrote the column after reading Stefanie Syman's book The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America, which describes how yoga has been adapted and secularized here.
Mohler concluded the column this way: "Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a `post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality. Should any Christian willingly risk that?"
If you agree with Mohler, why? If you don't, do you see anything objectionable about how a Hindu spiritual practice has morphed into something quite commercial and secular in this country - including "power yoga" and "hot yoga"? Are there cautions you would give to Westerners who want to borrow from non-Western religious traditions?
Or should everyone, including Al Mohler, just limber up and chill out?
After the jump, you'll find the panelists' responses:

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas

The word yoga and religion have the exact same meaning. Yoga means to connect with God. Our English words "union" and "yoke" come from the Sanskrit root yoga. The Latin root of the word religion, means to re ligare - to reconnect with God. In the Bhagavad Gita, which is the ultimate exposition on all the yoga sciences, Lord Krishna describes, "And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me -- he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."

The branch of yoga that most people are familiar with is the physical and intellectual yoga known as the hatha yoga or ashtanga yoga system. This is an extremely ancient spiritual practice but very few often touch on the actual goal of that yoga or even know of its purpose. Hatha yoga, although very healthy for the body, is meant to bring one to higher level of consciousness, realizing the soul different from the body. One with such a vision does not seek happiness through the temporary body but rather invests their sense of happiness in that which is eternal. According to the ancient Patañjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras & the founder of hatha yoga, one must become surrendered to God before one even begins the practice of asana, physical poses. This form of yoga requires one to live in a secluded place and to observe complete celibacy, and many other yamas and niyamas, or rules and regulations. Therefore this type of yoga was traditional done by monks and renunciates who have completely left family life behind in their old age. It not a generally recommended spiritual practice and in fact, the primary student of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, was never known to take up this practice although he is known as the best student of yoga.

There is the mechanical process of yoga, the process of purifying ones consciousness and mind, elevating ones behavior and mentality so one can ultimately mediate on God. The ultimate outcome of such mediation is the desire to serve God. One can take stairs or one can also take the elevator. Taking the elevator means to start with the natural yoga, the organic yoga of the soul, Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. This is practice of loving God with all one's heart, mind, and soul in service. This is the ultimate recommendation of the Bhagavad Gita. So if those practitioners who are in contact with yoga are brought to that ultimate purpose of service in devotion then that is wonderful; otherwise, it is just gymnastics.
To see all the responses from the Texas Faith Panel click here

TEXAS FAITH 30: Why is there such a lack of religious knowledge?

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

A recent survey by the Pew Forum for Religion & Public Life offered up some counter-intuitive findings. Among them, agnostics and atheists scored the highest of all respondents to the survey of religious knowledge. Not far behind were Jews and Mormons, so it wasn't that no faith tradition scored well on the 32-question quiz. But the findings did show that Protestants and Catholics particularly lacked a good understanding of religion in general. Mainline Protestants, for example, averaged correct answers only about half the time. The same was true for white Catholics
No one who teaches theology, leads a house of worship, or takes their faith seriously can like the numbers in that poll, even if your own tradition did okay. In general, the report shows a lack of religious knowledge among quite a few people of faith.
So, here's this week's question:
Although there are some exceptions, a wide of range of people of faith apparently don't possess a deep knowledge about religion in general. Why is this?
Read on for the answers from a wide range of our panel.

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas

Krishna describes in the Bhagavad Gita in Chapter 7 verse 16 that there four types of people who approach God. Those who are in distress, those who seek economic gain, those who are interested in expanding their knowledge, and those who are searching after the truth. Krishna also states that is quite rare for someone to sincerely seek God. "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." (BG 7.3) So it is even more rare for someone to have deep understanding of God.

The ancient sages of the east know the modern age as the age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. This particular ages was predicted in ancient Vedic texts such as the Srimad Bhagavatam describe, "Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. Beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation." (SB 12.2.6)

Love requires the element of choice and as there is love in the Kingdom of God, birth in this material world the other choice. Therefore this world is a playground for those who are avoiding God, however in this current age materialism is heightened and thus it rare to find anyone with deep understanding of God.
To see all the responses from the Texas Faith Panel click here

Where was God in Japan?

Whenever tragedy strikes and innocents and children are harmed the natural question arises.  Where was God?  If there is is a God how can there be tragedy?  Is God capable but unaware?  Is God unaware but capable?  Or is God compassionate at all?  Such questions should be addressed rather than pushed aside in an effort to protect blind faith.

When I was young boy I had a sister who although born completely healthy, had suffered some hospital caused complication and nearly died.  However her survival was short lived as the complications caused brain damage and her tiny body was only able to endure two more years.  This all took place I think when I was about 11 years old. 
Events such as these, wherein someone who has yet to even commit any harm is harmed, brings up the question.  What is the justice of God? Also known as Theodicy.   A major catastrophe does not need to be in effect for the question to arise, anyone can see the apparent differences in wealth, health, peace, faith and intelligence that a human is faced with right from birth.  Some born healthy some not.  Some born wealthy some one.  Some born in a religious social setting and some in places where the concept of God does not exist.
What is God’s responsibility?  A provider has a natural responsibility for his dependents.  Even a store manager is held accountable for the behavior of his employees.  So when one of God’s prime employees, Mother Nature, kicks our butt, who do we go to for accountability?
This question of accountability has plagued various religions.  As so far I have not seen any tradition that accept the born soul paradigm, the idea that the soul is born with body,  deal with this question in a satisfactory way.  However the Bhakti tradition, the ancient Vedic tradition from India gives a clear picture as to why a person may suffer even before they have done any sin.  The concept of reincarnation takes into account that we all have lived many many lives and also have a great stock of karma, reactions, good and bad, from our previous lives.   According to the Bhakti tradition God is the perfect protector.  No one can enjoy or suffer anything that is not within their destiny due to previous deeds.  And although someone be placed in lands or circumstances with people of similar karmic debts, such as the reaction of a airplane crash or earthquake, there is no value judgment.  Much unlike the recent Youtube video of young religious fanatic who prayed for atheist to suffer, the Vaishnava, or true theist is pained at others suffering and pleased at other happiness.   The devotee of the Lord, the Vaishnava, understands without judgment that they themselves have stocks of debts as well.  Anyone who is in this world has debts from their previous lives.  Therefore the compassionate devotees, and the Lord Himself, do not condemn but rather are ever diligent to help souls from suffering. 

Freedom from suffering comes from bhakti, spiritual life.  Not only does bhakti destroy reactions to karmas of the past and destroys the desire for a materialistic life for future but also in the very present it reduced and eliminates suffering allowing the soul to experience itself on the spiritual platform.  
As Jesus, while being taken to be nailed to the cross told the crying women on the street. “Women of Jerusalem, stop crying for me. Instead, cry for yourselves and for your children,”  For such a pure devotee and yogi does not suffer the pains of the body. 

We all suffer only due to our own misdeeds and the Lord can free us completely from all suffering immediately in as much we give up the propensity to sin and exploitation. 
Hare Krishna

Texas Faith 29: What religion stories should the media focus on?

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

I'm pleased to announce the participation of two new panelists: Dr. James Denison and interfaith proponent and blogger Mike Ghouse.  They will join our team as we move into our third year. Over the next few weeks, we will add a few more panelists, but today I want to welcome Jim and Mike.
Jim long served as pastor at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. He now is president of the Center for Informed Faith and is a distinguished adjunct professor of religion at Dallas Baptist University. He also is a theologian in residence for Texas Baptists.
Mike presides over the Foundation for Pluralism, is active in the World Muslim Congress and blogs regularly at various sites. He also has been a city commissioner in Carrollton, Texas and serves on the board of the Dallas Peace Center.
You can read more about them on our website later this week. Meanwhile, I know Wayne Slater, Sam Hodges and I look forward to their participation.
Now, onto this week's question:
There has plenty of criticism of the media for the amount of attention paid to Terry Jones, the pastor of the 50-member Florida church who had been planning a Quran-burning until he was talked out of it. Colin Powell typified the questioning of the media when he wondered on ABC's "The View" last week how a guy like Pastor Jones could end up commanding so much attention from the press.
That's a fair question, so let's turn the tables this week, which comes a few days after the anniversary of 9/11. Here's the question for discussion;
If you were a media baron, an editor or a television or radio producer, what religiously-based stories would you focus on?
Read on for numerous responses from out Texas Faith panelists, many of which conclude that
"sensationalism sells."
NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas

So much effort is put into producing the media's products. How much money does it take to run a newspaper press, a news station, and a radio show? However, at 10 a.m. when the paper has been read, what is its value? It is simply fit for the bottom of the bird cage.
Who records the TV news station to see it for a second time?
Therefore the Vedic truth compares the literatures that do not touch on eternal topics, such as God, to a garbage dump. (*SB 1.5.10) Whereas factual spiritual literature brings about a change of heart (*SB 1.5.11)
"According toNîti-úâstra(civic laws) one should not speak an unpalatable truth to cause distress to others. Distress comes upon us in its own way by the laws of nature, so one should not aggravate it by propaganda." -Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.13 PURPORT
Everyone naturally suffers from the threefold miseries: ones produced of the body & mind, ones from other living entities, and ones from the environment itself. Spiritual literature affords a means to extricate ones consciousness out of such suffering to experiencing reality at a transcendentally pleasurable level.
As a hungry bird in acage is not pleased by the polishing of the cage so similarly the hungry heart is not satisfied with literature devoid of God. (*SB 1.5.12)
Therefore I would focus on those news events, such as Radhanath Swami's new book The Journey Home, that bring about a change of heart and a relief from the sufferings of this material world.
Hare Krishna :)
Your humble servant,
Nityananda Chandra Das
To see all the responses from the Texas Faith Panel click here

ISKCON Member Opens Council Briefing With Sanskrit Verse

Last year I was invited again to do the invocation prayer for the City Council of Dallas on behalf of Mayor Tom Leppert.  You can see the previous years invocation here.  

Subway Japa

Currently in New York with my wife and kids visiting family. Riding
hours on the subway provides plenty of time for japa meditation. As I was catching the 4 train down to the Wednesday night program at the Brooklyn temple, the person sitting across from me looked at me with a smile. He pulled out his rosary and started chanting his japa. While riding back while chanting with my eyes closed I heard a voice ask something. Opening my eyes at first I did not know what was the
question that the man across from me was asking. He asked again,
"Does your card have the mantra on it?" I told him "Why yes" he took one and got off the train. I continued to chant and a few stops later another voice asked, "Could I trouble you for a card a well?"
Hare Krishna