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EDITORIAL April 26, 1999 VNN3699 See Related VNN Stories The Desire To Be With Srila Prabhupada (Part II) BY MAHALAKSMI DASI EDITORIAL, Apr 26 (VNN) — The Disciple Adores His Different Gurus Equally TRANSLATION: "All glories to Cintamani and my initiating spiritual master, Somagiri. All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown...(Krsna-karnamrta) Purport: In the beginning of Krsna-karnamrta, Bilvamangala Thakura has offered his obeisances to his different gurus, and it is to be noted that he has adored them all equally. (emphasis added) The first spiritual master mentioned is Cintamani, who was his instructing spiritual master because she first showed him the spiritual path. Cintamani was a prostitute with whom Bilvamangala was intimate earlier in his life. She gave him the inspiration to begin on the path of devotional service, and because she convinced him to give up material existence to try for perfection by loving Krsna, he has first offered his respects to her. Next he offers his respects to his initiating spiritual master, Somagiri, and then to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was also his instructing spiritual master." Cc. Adi. 1.57 At the time when Srila Prabhupada was on the planet, there was not so much emphasis on the relationship a disciple would have with siksa gurus. However, the instructions are there, and cannot be ignored. A year or so ago, I received a letter from a devotee in Hawaii, who was speaking about his guru. He said, "However, he doesn't encourage people to endlessly go around looking for gurus, nor because their spiritual master has left this world to go look for another spiritual master (and when that one leaves to go look for yet another)". In truth, this is not the correct understanding of our siddhanta. Here is a section of the response given by Mataji Krsna Bhallava, recorded in my newsletter... "When Bhagavan sees that there is sincere desire within us, He will make all arrangements for us to come to Him. Otherwise, if we try to make the necessary arrangements, ourselves, we won't be able to enter into bhajan properly and we will eventually fall down. Therefore Bhagavan makes the arrangement for us, just as we see that he did for Gopa-Kumara in Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta. In the form of caitya-guru in the heart He sees what is necessary and sends the diksa and the siksa guru to us. Who gave Raghunatha dasa Goswami the company of Haridas Thakura? Did Raghunatha dasa Goswami meet him of his own accord? The arrangement was made by Bhagavan, so here we can see how Bhagavan makes the arrangement for a sadhaka to acquire the association of a great personality. Krishna then sent Yadunandana Acarya who was a disciple of Advaita Acarya to become the diksa guru of Raghunatha dasa. Then he went to Panihati where he received darsana of Nityananda Prabhu. Lord Caitanya then instructed him to travel to Vrndavana to meet Svarupa Damodara, a perfected soul For a sadhaka who is especially sincere He will make such an arrangement, but one who is not so eager will not receive such good forture. Raghunatha Dasa Goswami set the example by taking shelter of Sanatana Goswami and Rupa Goswami when he wanted to commit suicide due to not having the Vaisnava sanga of Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, and Gadadhara Pandita, after they left this world. Sanatana and Rupa Goswami saved his life and gave him the spiritual association he was crying for. Association, sadhu-sanga, is the most celebrated means of advancing in Krishna consciousness, it is stated throughout our Vaisnava literature." (Note: I am not publicizing the whereabouts of my newsletter, although it is on the web, because I have not been able to remove the section where I endorse the rittvik philosophy; I have to find someone to train me how to publish to my website). It should be clearly understood that every member of the Krsna Consciousness movement, brought to the West by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is a follower of the six Goswamis. In the beginning of The Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada has put the following prayer, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six gosvamis, namely Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, Sri Jiva Gosvami and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krsna." What is to be understood as the meaning of "worth taking shelter of"? Certainly, in my humble opinion, it must include accepting their understanding of the process of advancing in Krsna Consciousness, which is to take association with advanced Vaisnavas. Indeed, as mentioned above, Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was ready to commit suicide because he had no transcendental association.........we MUST therefore conclude that there is ABSOLUTELY NO OFFENSE if an individual has a diksa guru, but for a variety of reasons, feels that he must receive instruction elsewhere. The Rittviks as the Greatest Imitators Much has been said about kanistha or madhyama gurus within ISKCON imitating a pure devotee, or rather, an uttama-adhikari guru. Definitely, the assembly of devotees are acknowledging this cause of fall down. However, maya has certainly covered all our eyes in not allowing us to see that the imitation which the rittvik philosophy propounds is even more subtle, and hence, harder to root out, and even more dangerous to one's creeper than other types of imitation. It is the state of samadhi, of the topmost uttama-adhikari devotee, which they are propounding that new recruits, newly introduced members of ISKCON, should be imitating. THIS IS IMITATION BECAUSE IT IS ONLY THE MOST HIGHLY ELEVATED DEVOTEE WHO CAN FEEL THE NONMANIFEST PRESENCE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA, OR ANY OTHER DEPARTED VAISNAVA, ON A MOMENT BY MOMENT BASIS. Because many of the disciples of Srila Prabhupada have begun to feel the presence of their guru very strongly, perhaps not at every moment, but slowly gravitating toward that glorious goal, they are attracted to the discussions of his being ALIVE, being EVERYONE'S GURU, etc. AND SRILA PRABHUPADA IS ALIVE, but he is not manifest here for persons to continue accepting diksa from. Those who propound this concept, that even a newly introduced person to Krsna Consciousness can take shelter of Srila Prabhupada as a diksa disciple, are effectively putting such innocent persons on an artificial, imitative platform. Rather than accepting the mood of Raghunatha Goswami, mentioned above, in trying to find a person physically available to guide and strengthen one's devotional creeper, the propounders of rittvik philosophy say one need not follow the example of any of the members of our sampradaya. Instead, accept Srila Prabhupada as diksa guru, thus imitating the Maha bhagavats. Again, this is not the level a neophyte can grasp, it is therefore IMITATION. Only uttama-adhikari devotees are on the level to communicate with, talk with, and receive direct instruction from a departed Vaisnava. I humbly pray that all devotees who have access to preach and influence those who have been contaminated by this appasiddhanta, with great compassion and love, please try to explain the offenses committed by this rittvik philosophy. Respectfully submitted Mahalaksmi Dasi e-mail: hanuman@spiralcomm.net About the Author | Other Stories by this Author See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story | Contact VNN regarding this Story
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