Spiritual culture

In the past few years "spiritual culture" has become a popular subject of debate. One side proposes that Krsna consciousness should be practiced according to local culture and customs and the other side proposes that vedic culture is the best culture to cultivate krsna consciousness from.

The first group relies heavily on dismissing ritual, dress, musicality, and food as irrelevent or even foreign to vedic heritage and unessential to genuine spiritual practice

The other group fails so heavily to express the true value of "vedic" culture and impact on our psychology that it ends up sounding completely dogmatic.

I actually firstly believe that everything including the adoption of culture and spiritual values is voluntary and thise who wish to worship according to their own taste should be given all freedom to do so. However, I agree with the second group and i hope my explanation for why might shed light on this subject.

Firstly the supreme absolute personality, the basis of reality, and the father of all sciences cultures and religions accepts the form and functions of vedic (or pre muslim/buddhist invasion india) culture as his own.

This means that this is Sri Krsnas personal culture which when properly practiced is, just like his abode(which is also in india, Sri vrndavana dhama) is non-different from the lord himself. When he descends in various avatars he always re-establishes this culture.

The proper knowledge of this rich cultures facets such as music, cooking, tailoring, weeving, dance, art, sculpture, language, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, sociology, architecture are beautifully refined in such a way that one could actually attain self realization via deep focus and immersion on these sciences because they are various cultural manifestations of Sri krsna which express the philosophical and theological perspectives of sanatana dharma.

We are trying to understand and develop the moods and attain nearness to the dearmost associates of Sri Krsna who all dress, eat, dance, and work within the refined aesthetics of vedic culture. Why wouldnt we be willing to adopt a similar culture? What business do we have jumping into vraja dhama in a suite and tie acting like we know better?

The other aspect of the arguement is that people are uncomfortable joining because they think they have to change everything. Well my response is you can delay the point all you want but eventually they will see that what we are asking for is the anihilation of their own ahankara which constitutes their entire self perceptions and attain the abhimana of a servant of the servant of a Young bluish blackish rogue lover of infinite damsels...who just so happens to culitvate vedic culture.

Sooner or later cats out the bag