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EDITORIAL January 3, 1999 VNN2781 See Related VNN Stories Study Srila Prabhupada's Books BY PAPAHARINI DEVI DASI EDITORIAL, Jan 3 (VNN) — Dear Bhaktin Catherine: Hare Krsna! Thank you for your email giving me the chance to respond to your recent posting on VNN. While I do not know anything about you- other than your recent renunciation of a ritvik initiation, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere regrets that you have experienced association that apparently let you down in the faith department. While I am not a member of the IRG, Ritvik reform, women's ministry, GBC or any other organized body of individuals, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of my spiritual master His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for having such a tremendously difficult heartfelt trauma in finding the best way to place your heart in service at Prabhupada's Lotus Feet. I am deeply sorry that you have had to endure such trying times and confusing philosophical distinctions. I have personally spent the last 21 years, since Prabhupada's disappearance from our mortal view, reconciling my feelings of loss and regret that I did not have the maturity or the knowledge that He wanted all His disciples to come to Vrindaban (this was denied me by GBC authorities) to visit with Him before He departed. I would like to offer a suggestion to you if I may. You have arrived at this particular juncture in time and in your personal journey due to your desire to be the disciple of the best possible spiritual master and because of your love for Krsna. I simply beg you to consider making time in your busy schedule to study cover to cover, all of Srila Prabhupada's books, view any videos of Him, listen to any lecture/conversation tapes you can find, for the next five years minimum, BEFORE you re-address the issue of initiation. I would like to suggest reading the Srimad Bhagavatam- EVERY volume- and hear your spiritual master speaking to you from His transcendental heart. Check out the 3rd canto, volume 4, chapter 25 titled: The Glories of Devotional Service. This chapter has many descriptions of just what are the symptoms of a "sadhu"; how he behaves and what one may benefit by rendering service to such a personality. Truly the whole volume takes apart the current hard science of the material world- by adding the one missing explanation- that within the core nucleus of the moving atom, is the soul. Here are two quotes I read this morning: (Canto 3, v.4, ch. 25, pages 26-28) purport: Mahatma is a synonym of a sadhu. It is said that service to a mahatma, or elevated devotee of the Lord, is dvaram ahur vimukteh, the royal road of liberation. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam (Bhag. 5.5.2). Rendering service to the materialist, or a person engaged only in sense gratification has the opposite effect. If anyone offers service to a gross materialist, or a person engaged only in sense enjoyment, then by association with such a person the door to hell is opened. The same principle is confirmed here. Attachment to a devotee is attachment to the service of the Lord because if one associates with a sadhu, the result will be that the sadhu will teach him how to become a devotee, a worshiper and a sincere servitor of the Lord. If we want to associate with a sadhu, we cannot expect him to give us instructions on how to improve our material condition, but he will give us instructions on how to cut the knot of the contamination of material attraction and how to elevate ourselves in devotional service. That is the result of associating with a sadhu. Kapila Muni first of all instructs that the path of liberation begins with such association. Page 28: What is the difference between an enemy and a friend? It is a difference in behavior. A sadhu behaves with all conditioned souls for their ultimate relief from material entanglement. Therefore, no one can be more friendly than a sadhu in relieving a conditioned soul. A sadhu is calm, and he quietly and peacefully follows the principles of scripture. A sadhu means one who follows the principles of scripture and at the same time is a devotee of the Lord. One who actually follows the principles of scripture must be a devotee of God because all the sastras instruct us to obey the orders of the Personality of Godhead. Sadhu, therefore, means a follower of the scriptural injunctions and a devotee of the Lord. All these characteristics are prominent in a devotee. A devotee develops all the good qualities of the demigods, whereas a non-devotee, even though academically qualified, has no actual good qualifications or good characteristics according to the standard of transcendental realization. Again, since I know nothing about you, I pray you will be very careful to avoid those "sadhus" who, as described above, may be academically qualified, but have no actual good qualifications or good characteristics. These times have been trying for many disciples of Prabhupada. Please do your best to look beyond the ocean of flaws and shortcomings in some of the remaining devotees and place your faith at the feet of Srila Prabhupada. He will inspire your direction. Simply sit down and read His books out loud- to the four walls, and find out what He has to offer you in friendship, shelter and guidance, as described above. Best wishes, Papaharini devi dasi. 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