Bhaktivinoda Thakur - The Father of the Hare Krsna Movement
Bhaktivinode Thakur understood the potential of Western culture and its technological advancement and used it for preaching Krsna Consciousness. His son Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur und Srila Prabhupada both continued to preach in this mood of adaptation and preservation with flexibility.
Listen here
Historically Bhaktivinoda Thakur is the beginning of the modern Hare Krsna movement. The world changed a lot during the last centuries. There was a renaissance triggered by Lord Caitanya which led to renaissance and globalisation. Columbus tried to go to the Eastern coast of India where Lord Caitanya was when He was 6 years old. Columbus wasn’t aware why he was drawn to India.
Europe came out of the dark ages and entered the renaissance, which was a rebirth of classical Roman and Greek culture, but really it was a rebirth of Vedic culture. Europe became present in India. The world continued to change and it was Bhaktivinoda Thakur who explicitly understood that the world had changed and the need for a modern Hare Krsna movement which was faithful to the principles taught by Lord Caitanya but which was in the modern world and spoke a language which people understood. So he taught and wrote in English. He prayed for a ray of Vishnu which was his son Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswami Thakur. He took giant steps forward, really carrying out the spirit and inspiration of his father.
Prabhupada completely globalized this vision. He was aware of his own vital connection to Bhaktivinoda and carried it out. The India that existed when Bhaktivinoda was born is vanishing now, many people at that time felt it inappropriate to preach in English. The fact that he was educated reminds us of the Goswamis who were highly educated and who were fluent in Sanskrit and Persian, the language of the mleccha rulers. There are resemblances in terms of how Krsna puts His ambassadors in place.
For most people it wasn’t clear how to preach. The idea that one could preach to Europeans was unheard of. Europe at that time was beginning to seduce educated Hindus in a way that Indians have never done. Europe was industrially ascending at that time and inventing the printing press. Before the printing press people were highly dependant on priests. Most people didn’t read and write.
For Indians that European culture with universities, music with symphonies was completely new and fascinating. India has a history of debates, but not universities. So the educated Indians were impressed with logic and argumentation from Europe and Indian intellectuals were being seduced by Western culture. Bhaktivinode Thakur says he was embarrassed by Indian culture.
The Varna system is based on an agrarian society. When sophisticated culture moves in people feel naturally embarrassed. Bhaktivinode Thakur then discovered the Bhagavatam and had an overwhelming experience of discovering the Absolute Truth as he describes it in his own words. He is a dialectical figure.
How did he respond? He became inspired to make the Bhagavatam his dharma but he didn't reject the Western influence. He didn’t see the British as some people just living in India. He didn’t think that all this modern stuff like railways, printing press and education system is going away - there were Indian movements at that time who were thinking this - but at the same time he didn’t change anything of the essence. He commits himself to modern culture with its external means without adopting materialism.
Before Hitler racism was entirely respected. Indians were deeply absorbed in that conviction that they were a master race.
From Q & A: The word brahmacarini is found in the scriptures. Brihaspatis sister was one. What Srila Prabhupada did was completely Vedic, but not necessarily hindu. People criticized that he introduced new things which is not justified. There is a certain flexibility within Vedic culture within boundaries. Srila Prabhupada drew a boundary for us like Laksman for Sita. People who go outside this boundary have trouble. If we stay within the boundaries and are flexible within to do everything within our power to engage people in Krishna Consciousnee and be relevant, we are safe.
