Rotting for Want of It
A couple people have mentioned the last line of my last post: “We’re not just ripe for it, we’re rotting for want of it!”
When I wrote it, I knew that I didn’t dream it up on my own, but I couldn’t remember where I had heard it. So with a bit of The Google, I found it.
It’s a historical quote from the era of the American Revolution. However, where I heard it was from the musical 1776 (which is about the times building up to the Revolution).
In the movie, Joseph Hughes says “We’re not yet ripe for Independence.” Stephen Hopkins replies, “Not ripe? Hell, we’re rotting for want of it!”
While the movie gave the line to Hopkins, historically, the quote was said by John Witherspoon from New Jersey.
So now you know, the colonists of early America were rotting for want of revolution. Just as we devotees are rotting for want of real spiritual guidance.
I wonder, how long will we rot before a revolution of our own.
Related posts:
11/21/2008 at 6:00 am
I’m not at all rotting for want of spiritual guidance. I receive plenty of it from all the senior Vaisnavas around me.
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11/21/2008 at 5:17 pm
Then I’m quite envious.
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11/22/2008 at 1:05 pm
I have to agree with urukrama.
I personally DO find that I am in a community of caring and advanced devotees who are providing adequate spiritual guidance. But I am completely aware that ISKCON is made up of community with varying strength, and some communities within the wider ISKCON community may be lacking in that particular area.
Another thing I have also seen is that sometimes adequate spiritual guidance IS available, but not taken advantage of by all the devotees in the specific community.
The Global ISKCON is kaleidoscope of sorts. I don’t think you can really make a comment like this and expect it to apply to all ISKCON centres in the world; though it may be 100% accurate in some areas, in others it is so far from the truth.
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11/22/2008 at 3:27 pm
Again, I’m glad that you both are doing well in that area. Different places throughout ISKCON are obviously going to be different. But ISKCON, as an organization… I just don’t see it heading in the right direction. Maybe I’m wrong. Actually, I really do hope I’m wrong.
I don’t expect my comment to apply to all of ISKCON. Hell, I hope it *doesn’t* apply to all of ISKCON.
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