New Delhi: “Would a divine man eat fish? Don’t fish have feelings? If Vivekananda ate fish, is he really a divine man,” questioned monk Amogh Lila Das to a gathering of people, asking them not to blindly follow the 19th Century spiritual leader from West Bengal.
The Dwarka vice-president of The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) received tremendous backlash after his skepticism of Vivekananda’s ways went viral.
Late Tuesday, ISKCON released a statement saying they were “pained by his totally inappropriate comments” and banned him for a month.
It also said Das, 43, had “begged for forgiveness” and had taken a “vow to go on prayaschit (atonement) to the hills of Govardhan for a month”.
In the video that went viral, Das is asked about Swami Vivekananda. He says while he respects Vivekananda, and “would prostrate in front of him if he were here right now”, people should question Vivekananda’s teachings on eating fish or reading the Bhagavad Gita.
It looks like Das is a repeat offender. In another clip that surfaced on social media, he is also seen sardonically commenting on Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s teachings.
The famous 19th Century saint was Vivekananda’s guru and had preached, among other things, the mantra “Jato mat, tato path” (There are as many paths to as many opinions).
Das remarked the saying barely holds true, and that all paths do not lead to the same destination.
Das’s Vivekananda comment was severely criticized by West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress. Party secretary Kunal Ghosh reshared the video, and wrote, “We like ISKCON but they need to stop this person. Insulting Vivekananda, Ramakrishna is not tolerable…”
ইস্কন আমাদের প্রিয়। কিন্তু তার এই বাচালের অসভ্যতা বন্ধ করুন তাঁরা। রামকৃষ্ণ, বিবেকানন্দকে অপমান করে এসব কথা বললে বরদাস্ত করা হবে না। অবিলম্বে এই তথাকথিত সন্ন্যাসীর বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা নেওয়া হোক। https://t.co/6eO9rRJVms
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 11, 2023
Who is Amogh Lila Das?
Das was born Ashish Arora to a Punjabi family in Lucknow. He studied to be a software engineer and worked as a corporate. He left his job at 29 and joined ISKCON to follow the path of spirituality.
The monk is popular on social media with a following of over 13,000 on Twitter and one lakh on Instagram. With ISCKON for 12 years, Das introduces himself as a lifestyle coach, motivational strategist, and spiritual activist.
Das is also famous for his videos and interviews, his candid views about spirituality and the Krishna connection. He is especially known among the youth for his preachings regarding love and relationships. In the past he has also appeared on news channels, advocating for the need for a Hindu Rashtra, or a country for Hindus.
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