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EDITORIAL January 4, 1999 VNN2788 See Related VNN Stories Srila Prabhupada's "Final Order" About Sridhara Maharaja BY GOPA KUMARA DASA EDITORIAL, Jan 4 (VNN) — Since the article that someone posted of Swami B. V. Tripurari was a reply to a question on his online sanga group and I don't think that Swami B. V. Tripurari follows the VNN, I felt the need to address some glaring mistakes of the "Response to Tripurari Swami" posted by Gauridasa Pandit Dasa. Please note that this in no way tries to be a comprehensive reply to the article. (1) You have misinterpreted what Srila Sridhara Maharaja taught in Guardian of Devotion. Srila Sridhara Maharaja didn't advocate rikvik in the way that you take it. Before he left the world, he had his successor, Govinda Maharaja, initiate on his behalf. Once Srila Sridhara Maharaja left the world, Govinda Maharaja initiated his own disciples, as per the express desire of Sridhara Maharaja, who also commissioned others to initiate their own disciples. (2) Srila Prabhupada didn't say that Srila Sridhara Maharaja should be consulted about the samadhi, he said that Narayana Maharaja should be consulted about the samadhi and that for questions of philosophy his disciples should go to Srila Sridhara Maharaja. (3) Srila Prabhupada did want his disciples to go to Srila Sridhara Maharaja after his departure and that is why the GBC went to him. For a full understanding of this important point, as well as references, please see Swami B.B. Visnu Maharaja's authoritative book on the topic, Our Affectionate Guardians: A Historical Perspective. I think it is available from Mandala Publishing Group (http://www.mandala.org) or the unabridged edition is on the Sri Narasingha Chaitanya Math's Saranagati website at http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/ (4) Just because the Gaudiya Math made some mistakes which Srila Prabhupada commented on doesn't mean that all its members are forever condemned. Compared with the mistakes that were made in ISKCON after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, the Gaudiya Math mistakes are nothing! And by the way, it's not that "the Gaudiya Math" is so eager to instruct ISKCON--since His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, only a few have--only to be viciously attacked. (5) What constitutes ISKCON anyway? Srila Prabhupada invited Srila Sridhara Maharaja in ISKCON several times; the GBC kicked him out. Do you consider yourself in ISKCON? I bet you consider yourself and fellow ritviks to have the true conception of ISKCON, but the GBC kicked you out of ISKCON, right? But you say that a solution to ISKCON problems cannot come from outside of ISKCON. Oh well. As far as I can tell, Tripurari Maharaja had good reason to question the spiritual vision and insight of those on both sides of the ritvik debate: it's not hard to see that leaders of ISKCON haven't been able to understand or fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desires for ISKCON and given the track record of ritvik leaders such as Hamsaduta dasa, whom you cite as a senior devotee, I'm not about to put my faith in the ritvik interpretation of Srila Prabhupada's desires either! I'll put my faith like Tripurari Maharaja does in Srila Sridhara Maharaja's understanding, which is right where Srila Prabhupada sent us. You might quote one or two statements that seem to discourage that conclusion, as you have done in your article, but weigh those statements against the many positive things Srila Prabhupada said about Srila Sridhara Maharaja and their long-standing friendship (they lived together for many years after the incident you mentioned and later Srila Prabhupada said that he wanted to "start an institution with Srila Sridhara Maharaja at the head"--I guess it's not that outrageous after all to ask you to consult him); what to speak of Srila Prabhupada's FINAL ORDER about Srila Sridhara Maharaja... Srila Prabhupada sent us to Srila Sridhara Maharaja for questions of philosophy, and Maharaja has spoken: the ritvik conception is not in line with our philosophy, and since Srila Prabhupada would not suggest something that is apasiddhanta, you obviously misunderstood His Divine Grace. See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET04-2788.html
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