Page 35 - GOTIL (ENG) Sample

Village Life in Bangladesh 3

heart of a Bengali mother. I found the part about being like
9
a Bengali mother difficult. With Anglo-Saxon brusqueness,
I considered Bengalis to be overly sentimental, inefficient,
and devious in their dealings. A plethora of customs and
rituals, and what I perceived as superstitions and fetishes,
seemed to govern every aspect of their lives. This apparent
foolishness was repulsive to the mundane rationalist
deep-seated in my psyche, who I didn’t even know was
there. Only gradually did I stop seeing apparent faults
and come to understand what a great culture I was living
in. By closely associating with Bangladeshis for several
years, I came to appreciate that their outward poverty and
lack of sophistication belies an inner richness that cannot
be acquired by any amount of modern conveniences or
university degrees.
As I came to understand the meaning and utility of Bengali
ways, I accepted and embraced them wholeheartedly.
Considering that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement
is endeavoring to spread Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava culture
throughout the world, I realized how fortunate I was
to be one of the few Western devotees to learn about it
firsthand.

I have visited many holy places and met many cultured,
learned, and saintly individuals, but as a people,
Bangladeshi Hindus are closest to the original Vaiṣṇava
culture. And they observe the customs and etiquette of
Vaiṣṇavism not with ritualistic drudgery, but with joy

9. From a conversation with Śrīla Prabhupāda, 10 August 1977.