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EDITORIAL  About the AuthorOther Stories by this Author The Woolen Blanket For A Torn Quilt BY MAHAVEGAVATI DASI EDITORIAL, Jun 1 (VNN) — Submitted for the consideration of the assembled Vaisnavas: The following is from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada's "Caitanya Caritamrita." Madhya Lila 20.36-94 "After daparting from Isana, Sanatan Goswami began traveling alone with a waterpot in his hand. Simply covered with a torn quilt, he thus lost all his anxiety. Walking and walking, Sanatan Goswami finally arrived at a place called Hajipura. That evening he sat down within a garden. "In Hajipura there was a gentleman named Srikanta, who happened to be the husband of Sanatan Goswami's sister. He was engaged there in government service. Srikanta had 300,000 gold coins with him which had been given to him by the emperor for the purchase of horses. Thus Srikanta was buying horses and dispatching them to the emperor. When Srikanta was sitting in an elevated place, he could see Sanatana Goswami. That night he took a servant and went to see Sanatan Goswami. When they met, they had many conversations. Sanatana Goswami told him in detail about his arrest and release. Srikanta then told Sanatana Goswami, 'Stay here for at least two days and dress up like a gentleman. Abandon these dirty garments.' Sanatana Goswami replied, 'I shall not stay here even for a moment. Please help me cross the Ganges. I shall leave immediately.' With great care, Srikanta gave him a woolen blanket and helped him cross the Ganges. Thus Sanatana Goswami departed again. "After a few days, Sanatana Goswami arrived at Varanasi. He was very pleased to hear about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's arrival there. Sanatan Goswami then went to the house of Candrasekhara and sat down by the door. Understanding what was happening, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke to Candrasekhara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, 'There is a devotee at your door. Please call him in.' Going outside, Candrasekhara could not see a Vaisnava at his door. When Candrasekhara informed the Lord that no Vaisnava was at his door, the Lord asked him, 'Is there anyone at your door at all?' Candrasekhara replied, 'There is a Muslim mendicant.' Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately said, 'Please bring him here.' Candrasekhara then spoke to Sanatana Goswami, who was still sitting beside the door. 'O Muslim mendicant, please come in. The Lord is calling you.' Sanatana Goswami was very pleased to hear this order, and he entered Candrasekhara's house. As soon as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Sanatana Goswami in the courtyard, He immediately went up to him with great haste. After embracing him, the Lord was overwhelmed with ecstatic love. "As soon as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu touched Sanatana Goswami, Sanatana was also overwhelmed with ecstatic love. In a falering voice, he said, 'O my Lord, do not touch me.' Shoulder to shoulder, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sanatana Goswami began to cry unlimitedly. Candrasekhara was very astonished to see this. Catching his hand, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took Sanatana Goswami inside and made him sit in an elevated place next to Him. "When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began cleansing Sanatana Goswami's body, with His own transcendental hand, Sanatana Goswami said. 'O my Lord, please do not touch me.' The Lord replied, 'I am touching you just to purify Myself because by the force of your devotional service you can purify the whole universe. "Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage." "Even though a person is a very learned scholar of the Sanskrit Vedic literatures, he is not accepted as My devotee unless he is pure in devotional service. However if he is born in a family of dog-eaters, he is very dear to Me if he is a pure devotee who has no motive to enjoy fruitive activity or mental speculation. Indeed, all respects should be given to him, and whatever he offers should be accepted. Such devotees are as worshipable as I am." "One may be born in a brahmana family and have all twelve brahminical qualities, but if he is not devoted to the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, he is not as good as a chandala who has dedicated his mind, words, activities, wealth and life to the service of the Lord. Simply to take birth in a brahmana family or ot have brahminical qualities is not sufficient. One must become a pure devotee of the Lord. If a sva-paca or chadal is a devotee, he delivers not only himself but his whole family, whereas a brahmana who is not a devotee but simply has brahminical qualifications cannot even purify himself, not to speak of his family."' "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, 'By seeing you, by touching you and by glorifying your transcendental qualities, one can perfect the purpose of all sense activity. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures. "My dear Vaisnava, seeing a person like you is the perfection of one's eyesight. Touching your lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of touch. Glorifying your good qualities is the tongue's real activity, for in the material world it is very difficult to find a pure devotee of the Lord."'... "After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu called Candrasekhara and asked him to take Sanatana Goswami with him. He also asked him to take away Sanatana's present dress. Candrasekhara then made Sanatana Goswami look like a gentleman. He took him to bathe in the Ganges, and afterwards he brought him a new set of clothes. Candrasekhara offered a new set of garments to Sanatana Goswami, but Sanatana did not accept them. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard news of this, he became unlimitedly happy. After bathing at noon, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the house of Tapana Misra for lunch. He took Sanatana Goswami with Him... "When Tapana Misra offered Sanatana Goswami a new cloth, he did not accept it. Instead, he spoke as follows: 'If you want to give me some cloth according to your desire, please give me an old cloth you have used.' When Tapana Misra gave Sanatana Goswami a used dhoti, Sanatana immediately tore it in pieces to make two sets of outer cloth and underwear. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the Maharastriya brahmana to Sanatana, the brahmana immediately invited Sanatana Goswami for full meals. The brahmana said, 'My dear Sanatana, as long as you remain at Kasi, please accept lunch at my place.' Sanatana replied, 'I shall practice the process of madhukari. Why should I accept full meals in the house of a brahmana?' Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt unlimited happiness to observe Sanatana Goswami's strict following of the principles of sannyas. However, He repeatedly glanced at teh woolen blanket Sanatana Goswami was wearing. Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was repeatedly glancing at this valuable woolen blanket, Sanatan Goswami could understnad that the Lord did not approve of it. He then began to consider a way to give it up. "Thinking in this way, Sanatana went to the bank of the Ganges to bathe. while there, he saw that a mendicant from Bengal had washed his quilt and had spread it out to dry. Sanatana Goswami then told the Bengali mendicant, 'My dear brother, please do me a favor. Trade me your quilt for this woolen blanket.' The mendicant replied, 'Sir, you are a respectable gentleman. Why are you joking with me? Why would you trade your valuable blanket for my torn quilt?' Sanatana said, 'I am not joking. I am speaking the truth. Kindly take this blanket in exchange for your torn quilt.' Saying this, Sanatana Goswami exchanged the blanket for the quilt. He then returned to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with the quilt on his shoulder. "When Sanatan Goswami returned, the Lord asked, 'Where is your woolen blanket?' Sanatana Goswami then narrated the whole story to the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, 'I have already deliberately considered this matter. Since Lord Krsna is very merciful, He has nullified your attachment for material things. Why should Krsna allow you to maintain a last bit of material attachment? After vanquishing a disease, a good physician does not allow any of the disease to remain. It is contradictory to practice madhukari and at the same time wear a valuable blanket. One loses his spiritual strength by doing this, and one will also become an object for jokes.' Sanatan Goswami replied, 'The Supreme Personality of Godhead has saved me from the sinful life of material existence. By His desire, my last piece of material attraction is now gone.' Being pleased with Sanatana Goswami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestowed His causeless mercy upon him. By the Lord's mercy, Sanatana Goswami received the spiritual strength to inquire from Him." The Acarya adapts things according to time, place and circumstance. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada had his sannyasis sometimes dress in Western clothes and use cars for their preaching the Krsna consciousness philosophy. My Guru Maharaj, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also made so many adaptations (and concessions) for the spreading of Krsna consciousness as well. Srila Prabhupada wanted His devotees to dress in a way that would be neat, clean, and presentable. Thus, in the Western world, torn quilts, mismatched socks, and things like this would not be acceptable. anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate "One should accept those things for the service of Krsna, not for one's own sense gratification. When things are accepted in this way, that is called proper renunciation." (Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhi 1:2:255) prapancikataya buddhya hari sambandhi vastunan mumuksubhin parityago vairagyam phalgu kathyate "On the other hand, one who renounces things which could be used in the service of Krsna, under the pretext that such things are material, does not practice complete renunciation." (BRS 1:2:256) One can use practically anything in the service and glorification of (bona fide) Guru and Krsna, but it MUST be for Their pleasure, NOT ours. Obviously Srila Prabhupada started many beautiful temples for the glorification of Krsna, and that these temples should be of such a magnitude that they would attract people to come to Krsna. Thus, using opulence for the service of Guru and Krsna is NOT a problem. The problem is HOW that opulence is being used, or rather for WHOM it is being used. To those sannyasis who have taken formal vows to use their body, mind and words in the glorification and service of Guru, Vaisnavas and Krsna, who have purchased for themselves various material amenities (including beautiful houses - some sannyasis being possessed of more than one house - top grade cars, the finest in the line computers; some purchasing a new one every year), are you wearing a "torn quilt" or a "woolen blanket?" The committments of a (real) Tridundi Sannyasi are a VERY SERIOUS matter. In the Varnasrama Dharma system, sannyas is the topmost ashram. Sannyasis are the spiritual teachers of all of the other varnas and ashrams. BG 3.21: When the sannyasis are engaged materially, (using their sannyas for subtle or gross sense gratification), so many devotees will accept that as the "norm" and will follow in their footsteps. (Many devotees already do.) Thus, the deviations of such sannyasis will cause others to follow in their footsteps to deviate as well, and to THINK that such deviations are justified. Tridunda means the dedication of body, mind and speech to the service of Guru and Krsna. There are three Deities residing within that tridunda: Karanadakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and Ksirodakasayi Visnu as witness to the actions, words and mental thoughts of the sannyasi. The "axe" at the top of tridanda, the "jivadanda" represents the axe of knowledge, meant to cut through maya, illusion. It also represents the relationship (sambandha) between the living entity and Krsna. The long danda represents the rod of punishment which can be used by Krsna if the sannyasi should behave improperly, breaking his vows of sannyas, or misusing and abusing his position as a sannyasi. To receive sannyas is a great spiritual privlege. It is an honor and great responsibility. One "officially" holds the weight of the whole disciplic succession on one's head when one takes these serious vows, because he has VOWED to take that responsibility; thus it is one's duty to set the example of proper behavior as a representative of our Guru Varga. Therefore, when so-called sannyasis are using their dunda, lungi and upper cloth simply to fill their pot for the material amenities, they are disgracing the order of sannyas, cheating themselves, (what to speak of cheating others) and doing a DISservice to Guru, Vaisnava, Krsna and humanity in general. One time (in LA), when one devotee was talking to Srila Prabhupada, several sannyasis came walking up. The devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, "Oh Srila Prabhupada, look; the advanced devotees are coming." Srila Prabhupada then replied, "They are NOT the advanced devotees; THIS is the ADVANCED devotee," (Srila Prabhupada pointing to one devotee sweeping.) It is not the external pole in one's hands that Krsna notices, but rather "pole" of surrender and devotion of one's body, mind and words to Him. That "pole" if NOT used for the glorification and service of Guru and Krsna will be used instead to push the sannyasi towards a different destination. I remain your servant, Mahavegavati Dasi Hare Krsna About the Author Other Stories by this AuthorContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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