BRAINWASH
This topic was chosen to write, as very recently, a good
friend of mine used this nine letter word to me that I can easily be
brainwashed in religious faith on Lord Krishna, by someone close to me. It was
during an informal workshop like sharing of thoughts between five of us in that
group. The topic was voluntarily or involuntarily hurting others feelings. My
friend’s involuntary comment on my faith, still I believe that it is an
involuntary one, as above, critically registered in my mind and would like to
explore how I affect others feelings involuntarily, as definitely I am not a
person to hurt others by words or deeds voluntarily. I am conscious on that.
Let it be. I am on it to correct myself.
Coming to brainwash, it indicates pressurizing someone into
adopting radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible
means! It may be a process to abandon their beliefs in favor of another set of
beliefs! This is what different dictionary says. But is it a fact? May be,
according to person to person it varies.
So, according to me it is a MYTH. Brainwashing seems to only
be applied to groups we disapprove of. We don’t say that soldiers are
brainwashed to kill other people: that’s basic training.
I am disheartened by how casually the word ‘brainwashing’
gets thrown around by learned people. I reject the idea of brainwashing. There
seems to be no way to have a healthy conversation about brainwashing; you
either accept it or you don’t. We make decisions and choices more or less
freely. So I don’t take my friend’s comment as a hurting one, but everyone
needs to understand that a Krishna devotee cannot be brainwashed.
My faith in Krishna Consciousness has not come due to
brainwash of my mind by someone. ISKCON doesn’t convince or don’t brainwash
anyone. It is not possible to brainwash or convince anyone to accept the
philosophy or Lord Krishna is the Supreme God. We should use our intelligence
to understand every word which ISKCON revealing.
Someone who had self-realized only can raise himself to the
next higher stage of God realization. It is difficult to understand the
activities of ISKCON with blind eyes, unless one follows the important four
regulative principles( No Meat Eating, No Gambling, No Intoxications and No
Illicit Relationships) and regularly chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Hare
Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare.
ISKCON Spiritual Masters are not a hypnotic or mystic. Basic
aim is to establish love for Godhead. As Srila Prabhupada said,” No matter
which religion you belong to, if you love God, then you are perfect”. ISKCON
devotees follow their Spiritual Master’s words and Acharya’s teachings at
higher level.They can able to penetrate their pure knowledge to any fallen or
conditioned soul and even save the suffering soul from material world.
On the mirror if there is dust, you cannot see your face
very nicely. If you wipe the mirror very nicely, you can see yourself in the
mirror. Like that chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is the process of
wiping out the dust accumulated in the mirror of our mind.
From birth we have been brainwashed to believe countless
things. ISKCON didn’t brainwash us; we came to them brainwashed. They are only
trying to untangle the residual complications and contradictions that
brainwashing left in us.
Why people are not ready to read Bhagavad Gita As It Is by
Srila Prabhuda and find out themselves what is said in that Divine Song of Lord
Krishna to Arjuna, with more clarity from the purport given in detail.
There is nothing in
the brain to wash, as it is a fleshy part of our body and we need to cleanse or
wash the mind accumulated with dirt like many misconception from the wrong
persons or books with wrong personal interpretations.
Bhagavad Gita is the only book that is enough
for us to lead a peaceful life, and no other book can be compared to it to
bring peace within us. If we have inner peace, we can spread peace around us.
Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy and not to worry on ‘brainwash’.
