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| EDITORIAL December 3, 1998 VNN2608 See Related VNN Stories Answer To Monohar Das BY BHAKTA JAN EDITORIAL, Dec 3 (VNN) — Dear Vaisnavas, please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to the genuine Guru-paramparas. All glories to Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda I would like to comment on the article (VNN2554) by Monohar Das from November 25, 1998: Swami B. G. Narasingha wrote: "Ritvik conception is in the apa-sampradaya category or the anti-party section. (...) It is a symptom of Kali-Yuga that many concocted methods of devotional service will emerge but these will not be accepted by the intelligent class of men." Monohar Das in his reply basically repeats again and again that there is no evidence against ritvikism anywhere and that ritvikism is not an apasampradaya. Although I would prefer to hear from the ritvik supporters which sastra supports their doctrine, not practiced in any genuine sampradaya, I hope to present evidence against ritvikism which to my knowledge did not appear in the ritvik debate yet. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura identifies thirteen apasampradayas that split away from the Brahma- Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya after Lord Caitanya's disappearance: aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibheki, smarta, jata-gosani, ativadi, cudadhari and gauranga-nagari. Ritvikism is ideologically closest to Kartabhaja apasampradaya: "In Bangladesh, a new version of the Kartabhaja sect was founded some years back by one Anukul Chandra. He is now dead, but latter-day devotees can be directly initiated by him through preachers known as ritviks. New initiates must agree to follow the principles - be vegetarian once a week and worship no deity other than Anukul Chandra's picture." (Suhotra Swami on apasampradayas, available at http://www.iskcon.org/main/twohk/philo/roots/apasam.htm) >He simply assumes, and expects us to do >the same, that the eternal parampara system is >based on the physical contact of the guru with his >disciple. Yet we see practically that Srila >Prabhupada initiated many devotees without meeting >them. So did Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Sri Jatisekhara Das, disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, recounts his remembrances: "It was only in 1931 or 1932 that another devotee bearing the same name, Puri Maharaja, who was visiting Berhampur, pushed him into taking harernama. He told him that he should get initiated because he was from a Vaisnava family, and even though he wasn't so much inclined he coerced him saying, "Next time I come I'll bring Sarasvati Thakura's japa-mala for you." The system they had if Sarasvati Thakura could not be physically present was that he would chant on the japa-mala, which would then be sent to the aspiring devotee, and in this way they would take harernama from him. When Puri Maharaja was given his japa-mala in this way his name wasn't changed. His name was Narasimha at the time so he became Narasimha Brahmacari." (from the collection of remembrances of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati by his disciples, by Bhakti Vikasa Swami) So the system of initiation without personal presence of the guru is not something new. But it was discontinued after Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's disappearance. >No one has shown any scriptural reference >indicating this ritvik practice is a deviation from >siddhanta. In truth, the parampara message is >transmitted and received via transcendental sound. >It neither depends on the physical contact of the >guru with the dicsiple nor upon a particular >formality of initiation. Sabda-brahma is certainly the real initiator. But it has to come through a guru of a genuine sampradaya: Sriiman naaraayaano brahmaa naarado vyaasa eva ca Sriila madhvaH padmanaabho nRharir maadhavas tathaa puruSottamo brahmaanyo vyaasa-tiirtha-munis tathaa Sriimal lakSmii-patiH Sriimaan maadhavendra-puris tathaa sampradaaya vihiinaa ye mantraaste niSphalaa mataaH ataH kalau bhaviSyanti catvaaraH sampradaayinaH Srii-brahma-rudra-sanakaa vaiSNavaaH kSiti-paavanaaH (Padma Purana, quoted in Sabda-Kalpa-Druma Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionary) That one cannot take initiation from a guru who departed from the planet is clear from the following episode from the life of Ramakrsna das Babaji (previously named Rampratap): "During Rampratap's stay in the cave, Balwant Rao, the elder bother of Madhava Rao, the King of Gwalior, once came and expressed his loyalty to him. It was arranged that Balwant would take spiritual initiation from Krsnacaitanya dasa. But when Krsna caitanya suddenly died, Balwant was initiated by Kesavdeva of Gopinathabag." To disregard one's guru and claim oneself a disciple of one's param-guru is a serious offense. For this Sri Virabhadradeva, son of Sri Nityananda, expelled a devotee named Jayagopala from the Vaisnava community: "Jayagopala was a kayastha from the village Kandra in Bengal. Having transgressed the mercy of his spiritual master, he was ostracized by Sri Virabhadra Gosvami from the Vaisnava society." (a description of Jayagopala from Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana, khanda 3) "In Radhadesa, there is a village named Kandra. Sri Mangala and Jnana dasa lived there. Jayagopala was born in a family of Kayasthas in that village. Out of false ego due to having obtained a high education, he became proud and evil-minded. His spiritual master was a pure devotee of the Lord but because he was illiterate, Jaya Gopala was ashamed of him. If someone inquired as to who his guru was, Jaya Gopala would say that his grand-spiritual master (parama-guru) was his guru. Srila Virabhadra Prabhu brought this up and ostracized him for having transgressed the mercy given to him." (Bhakti-ratnakara 14.180-183) "Who does not cry on seeing the qualities of Sri Virabhadra Prabhu? He ostracized the sinful Jaya Gopala. Everyone came to know about this and no one would ever speak to him and so on." (Bhakti-ratnakara 14.190-191) Similar offense is to approach someone for reinitiation or to reinitiate someone: "One day, Sri Gadadharadeva came to Mahaprabhu and told Him of some difficulty he was having concerning the mantra he received from his guru at the time of initiation. "As a result of telling this mantra to someone I am no longer able to meditate on it properly as I did before. Again You should give me the mantra and thus its clear expression will naturally be reawakened, and my mind can again become calm and happy." "To this Mahaprabhu replied, "Gadadhara, take heed, you are treading on dangerous ground. As you have your guru, to accept the mantra from Me would be an offense to your Gurudeva. It is a fact that this mantra invigorates and sustains our soul, but as long as you have your gurudeva you cannot expect to solve this problem by transgressing his authority in this matter." "However, Gadadhara implored Him, "But he is not here now. In his stead You can do the needful." Mahaprabhu replied, "Your guru is Sri Vidyanidhi. Why are you being unfaithful? Providence can very easily arrange that you meet him again soon." (Pundarika Vidyanidhi Vilasa, part 2) > Most ritvik devotees simply say, "Because Srila > Prabhupada ordered us to initiate on his behalf, we > should do it that way, at least in ISKCON." What is > fascinating about these false arguments are the > extremes that guru-wanna-bees go to avoid this > simple order from Srila Prabhupada, which conveys > the real essence of guru parampara. The words "at least in ISKCON" suggest that this practice is nonexistent in other genuine sampradayas listed in Padma Purana. Isn't it a great aparadha to think that an acarya of Srila Prabhupada's stature would introduce any deviant ideas? As for the real essence of guru-parampara, it is imbued in the "Guru-parampara" song by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (which practically repeats the beginning of the Padma Purana quote above): it is the physical service to the guru (vapuh) and after his disappearance becoming a guru humbly serving his vani and thus becoming a transparent medium for the sabda. >Srila Bhaktisiddhanta said, "One who thinks he is >guru, is garu (or cow)." It is foolish for an >immature devotee to claim that he is the best of >Vaisnavas and thus worthy for the most exalted post >of Spiritual Master. Agreed, the humility is the essence of Vaishnavism, as someone said. This does not mean that one puts the parampara to an end by continuing or introducing the proxy initiation after the guru's physical disappearance. That would be a false humility and great disservice to guru-parampara. To the best of my knowledge no guru in any genuine sampradaya initiated anyone (nor appointed others to initiate anyone) as a disciple of a previous guru. If anyone knows of such example I would like to know it. Guru doesn't have tell each of his disciples personally to become a guru after his (guru's) disappearance. It is an timeless order of Lord Caitanya (yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa, CC Madhya 7.128) as seen from the meeting of Sri Caitanya with Sarangadeva (Saranga dasa Thakura) recorded in Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana: "On one occasion, after reprimanding Devananda Pandita, Lord Gauranga was on His way home, accompanied by Srivasa Pandita, when he came across Sarangadeva. Lord Gauranga asked Sarangadeva why had never initiated any disciples. Sarangadeva replied that he had not found any suitable person. Lord Gauranga blessed him saying, "Whoever you shall choose as a disciple will be most suitable." >It is also an offense to suggest the residents of >Vaikuntha Dham or Goloka Dham sometimes become >offenders and fall down. Such a suggestion is >directly opposed to the cultivation of pure devotion. Then Sanatana Gosvami himself would oppose the cultivation of pure devotion because he wrote in his Brhat-bhagavatamrta (2.6.76) about a jiva (Gopa Kumara) who returned to Krishna: "Having attained me [Sarupa], a friend more dear than life He had not seen for a long time, taking my hand in His lotus hand, asking me wonderful questions, bringing happiness to all the people of Vraja, and walking as gracefully as an elephant, the handsome Lord entered the village of Vraja." As I try to see ISKCON's problems in a realistic way it is clear to me that many structural, managerial, moral and other issues must be rectified. This, however, does not constitute a reason to deviate from the eternal principle of guru-parampara. As our predecessor acaryas, especially A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura, devoted much time and energy to oppose the spread of apasampradayas I felt compelled to write this article as an insignificant service to their lotus feet. Begging to remain your servant, bh. Jan See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9812/ET03-2608.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
