05/20/98 - 1805

"Morphological Manifestation"?

USA (VNN) - by Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

The World Vaisnava Association received the following letter sent by Sri Jayadvaita Swami, the chief editor of Back to Godhead Magazine. The letter is directed to Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti, the secretary of the WVA-VVRS:

Respected Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances

Best wishes. But to me a "World Vaisnava Association" seems redundant. "World" = "International". "Vaisnava" = "Krsna Conscious." And "Association" = "Society." So your guru maharaja already established a "World Vaisnava Association", namely "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness." Under the circumstances, I am not much inclined to divert energy into a second one. I sympathize with the good purpose you wish to achieve, but I am not attracted to the external morphological manifestation, the Institution. On a personal level, I am always happy to have your company.

Hare Krsna

Your servant
Jayadvaita Swami
(end letter)


This letter is very important. It reflects some of the strong misgivings some devotees have about the World Vaisnava Association, as well as about the nature of individual Vaisnava missions. I am publishing his letter and my answer to him for the sake of helping the reader escape narrow-mindedness and reach a common ground for all Gaudiya Vaisnavas and because my mail does not get through COM:

Dear Jayadvaita Maharaj,
Dandavat Pranams. All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

Maharaj, I was so unhappy to receive your letter. It would be a great loss for the WVA-VVRS (World Vaisnava Association- Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha) not to count on the help of such dedicated souls as your good self.

I would like to present a few points for you to reflect upon and reconsider your decision not to help the common Vaisnava cause presented by the WVA-VVRS.

1. The idea of the WVA-VVRS comes from Srila Rupa and Sanatan Goswami and was brought into formal existence by none other then Srila Jiva Goswami. It has served as a good common platform for the pluralistic manifestation of Sri Guru in many moments of Vaisnava history. Even in the times when these great souls were living in Vrindavan with their respective disciples, they still embodied the spirit of unity in diversity.

I was able to read the paper you sent to Iskcon leaders and was published in Sripad Kundali’s Book Our Mission Three. From your writing I can understand that you are quiet aware of the mistakes made in Iskcon. Personally, I have dedicated my little life, among other things, to correcting the mistakes made by the disciples of Srila Prabhupada in order to uphold the dignity of our spiritual master. Also, in order to overcome the ridiculous conduct that sometimes manifests between neophyte members of one Vaisnava mission and another, I have co-founded the World Vaisnava Association, together with 27 other sannyasies from more then 10 Vaisnava missions.

It was only after three years of work of the World Vaisnava Association that Pujyapada Srila Bhakti Niloy Giri Maharaj, the disciple of Srila Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada, read the statement of purpose of the Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha from one of the old Harmonist Magazines. After this lecture he announced that the World Vaisnava Association was really the reappearance of the Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha. This sabha makes its appearance and then disappears for a while from mundane vision. Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode and Srila Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada did not start the sabha either. They only revived what had been started by the original Goswamis of Vrindavan to protect our sampradaya.

Today, the Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha can only function with a great deal of respect for all other Vaisnavas and the willingness to forgive all offenses done by other members in the past. That alone undoubtedly gives it a difficult start.

2. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada never started anything similar to this effort.

Being disgusted with the fighting going on in the Gaudiya Math between the two groups, many disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, including Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami started their own separate Vaisnava missions. All these missions exist today. Some are larger and some smaller, but all of them together saved the dignity of the teachings of Srila Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada. The same is going on today as many disciples of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami preach in their respective Vaisnava Missions. They manage to do this apart from the narrow-minded attitude of those who cannot see beyond the boundaries of their own mission; those who, in the name of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, have done innumerable injustices and who have declared all those who have been expelled by them or who could not bear the pain of their misrepresentation any more to have “left Srila Prabhupada.”

Beloved brother, you know all to well to what and whom I am referring. Iskcon is another branch of the Gaudiya Math tree. We cannot and should not minimize any Vaisnava’s efforts because he cannot show the numbers of another. Much less do we want to judge Vaisnavas by monetary means.

Srila Prabhupada started a mission, initiated new disciples and opened many temples. Others have also done so, including Srila B.D. Madhava Maharaj, Srila B.P. Kesava Maharaj, Srila B.P. Puri Maharaj, Srila Madusudana Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Sar Maharaj, Srila B.S. Goswami Maharaj, Srila B.S. Ashram Maharaj, Srila B.A. Paramahamsa Maharaj, Srila B.V. Puri Maharaj and many more whose names I cannot remember right now. None of them proposed to represent the common cause of the entire sampradaya. If anyone would have done so without a proper establishment of such a body with due Vaisnava etiquette to the seniors etc., all others would have objected. True, every spiritual master, in one way or another, is a full representative of the parampara before his disciples as long as he gives the proper siddhanta and recognizes the validity of the Bhagavat Parampara.

Those who want to limit the parampara to their pancharatrik function as diksa gurus even monopolize the right to represent the truth or their guru by some ecclesiastic system. This was strongly rejected by Srila Jiva Goswami and by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. As a matter of fact, Gurus or the Bhagavat Parampara are self-effulgent. They were never, nor could they ever be appointed. If any type of appointment is done in any Vaisnava mission it is only to appoint a pancharatrik Guru for the continuation of the mission and the deity worship. Such appointed Guru may well be a qualified soul in the Bhagavat Parampara, but if he does not even recognize the Bhagavat Parampara or insults other Vaisnava Gurus, be they Pancharatrik or Bhagavat Gurus, he certainly disqualifies himself as a spiritual master. He is also subjected to the reactions of Vaisnava Aparadha which, as we know, is a fatal danger. The same takes place if a Guru wants to restrict his godbrothers in their missionary development which is such an important part of the service of a disciple to his Guru.

3. You propose that Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada already started a World Vaisnava Association. This is not a game of words. We are looking for substance. How can you even think of such a thing when the Iskcon Law book prohibits visiting Gaudiya Math temples, writing letters to Gaudiya Math devotees, talking to Gaudiya Math Devotees, and reading Gaudiya Math books, if doing such “offensive” activities risks being expelled from Iskcon.
Maybe you do not think very much about the feelings of those who hear of these Iskcon laws. Our Sannyas and Siksa Gurus are considered bad association by Iskcon standards. Yet, simultaneously, we are expected to all join Iskcon’s “World Vaisnava Association”.

Please Maharaj, give me a brake. I miss all of you, that is true. I hate to be an outcast and be denied the credit of being called a follower of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada inside Iskcon.
But, if that is my situation, only because I rejected abuse and lies, only because I wanted to preach honestly and in accordance with my heart's demands, then unfortunately this will be my credit.
Surely, the Supreme Controller Sri Krishna wanted to discredit a big bureaucratic mission and spread his devotees to all nooks and corners of the world. Otherwise, why would history have gone this way, and why would saintly persons like yourself ignore such a simple topic as the need of a real Vaisnava unity beyond the concerns of ANY particular Vaisnava mission.

As far as I am concerned, I will not give up trying to recover my Godbrothers and becoming real friends as well. All of you do gigantic services. So much energy and talent is there in Iskcon. But, due to these sectarian aspects, any impartial observer would describe Iskcon’s position within the Gaudiya Sampradaya to be an institutional cult. Since Srila Prabhupada is not here now to speak for himself, the institution has made him into an icon, a hero, and the institution founded by him beyond reproach. Critics from inside or outside are simply declared to be prostitutes and traitors.
Then you publish such statements in Back to Godhead magazine, as “We want to unite all Godbrothers.- We ask to be forgiven for our introductions of the Zonal Guru concept (which is still practiced within Iskcon in newer versions.)- We will forgive all the offenses made by those who have left Iskcon” etc.

Sorry Maharaj, does all this really make sense to you?
If we, being faithful to our spiritual master and to the vision of all previous Acaryas, would join together to really make a World Vaisnava Association happen, it would be a powerful instrument to fight irreligion and impersonalism. At the present, we do not even have real friendships among us, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

The Internet has also become a most ridiculous fighting field of name-calling to further the damage done to the sacred memory of our spiritual masters. Even the aggressive ritvik proponents would be satisfied if they could understand the true position of the Pancheratrik Guru and the most important Bhagavat Parampara Guru, of which Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is, undoubtedly, an outstanding one.

Come on Jayadvaita Maharaj, come on dear brothers like Hridayananda Maharaj, Jayapataka Maharaj, Harikesh Maharaj and many others. Have you forgotten that this process is to learn how to cry and how to ask forgiveness; how to eliminate our own faults and how to offer relief to the suffering Vaisnava communities? Where are the stalwarts of yesterday? Did they represent Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada when they insulted Pujyapada Srila Sridhar Maharaj and then left devotional life altogether?
What do we loose if we publicly recognize our mistakes and join together with all other Vaisnavas who are eager to do so now? Will we be credited by ignoring this effort?

If you say that I should give the example first then I will take advantage of this public letter to ask all of you humbly falling at your feet to please forgive me for any and all possible offenses I have done to you, either knowingly or unknowingly, either directly or indirectly, either in mind, speech or action. Please forgive me and kindly grant me your capable help to serve my spiritual master and all Vaisnavas to their full satisfaction.

Please do not ask me to come back to Iskcon and to only serve the few of you who are still managing Iskcon. I am too ambitious for that. I want to serve all Vaisnavas inside and outside of Iskcon. I want to serve the Vaisnavas of all Sampradayas and those who have not even discovered yet that they are also Vaisnavas. I want to see the world, to take notice with honor that the Vaisnavas have supplied a new way of understanding love and serving God, which really offers positive solutions for the present world. It pains me to see that our spiritual master’s mission is considered anything less then a forum of searchers for the highest truth.

Let us come together. This is only possible in a forum which has been accepted by all acaryas to be a common ground for the common interest of all in equal proportion. If we are going to meet there, it has to be without diplomacy or indifference. It must be heart to heart, with tears in our eyes. We shall not look at the numbers of anyone’s achievements. We shall just compete in Trinad api sahisnuna.

But, if we do not make such an effort what will be the panorama?
A. People will leave Iskcon just like they have been doing, and will be rejected by Iskcon because they find other friends in the Sampradaya.
B. Since all Missions started after the Gaudiya Math brake up are constitutionally the same; including Iskcon, Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti etc. it would be an inappropriate audacity of any mission to expect other missions to join them. We have to understand that, ontologically, every disciple sees his spiritual master as the representative of God and thus feels no need to give special recognition to another spiritual master above his own only because of that spiritual master’s greater preaching results.

To propose to him that he should do so will insult him and, out of loyalty to the dignity of his Guru, he will naturally defeat that proposal.

Everyone naturally wants to see his Guru as the best, but that is not possible in a forum which does not give equal recognition by Vaisnava traditional standards to all members, Acaryas and preachers. We have to recognize and respect their respective feelings, which are the most cherished substantial ingredients of their sraddha.

A permanent Forum with many different Committees such as the WVA-VVRS can only exist and function with volunteer participation of representatives of all interested Vaisnava missions.

C. In order to back up mistakes of the past, the same mistakes are repeated and enlarged in the future.

If what we do in Krishna Consciousness is divine then it is just as divine when anyone else does it in another mission. If we have no clear statement to that effect and teach our men how to properly interrelate with other such Vaisnavas our own members must gradually loose faith in their own process. It becomes the breeding ground of abuse and misconception. WE HAVE TO STOP THAT. BETTER NOW THEN LATER.

D. Our lack of unity will further discredit the vision of Vaisnavism as a world religion. It will further the advancement of impersonalism and voidism. It will endanger our preachers position in a world which increasingly cracks down on minority personality cults and everything they may consider competition and to weak to defend itself.

E. Vaisnavas of simple pure nature will go on meeting each other all over the world and will become confused over the fact that their great pure leaders cannot recognize other Vaisnavas in other missions. This again leads to exodus from Iskcon, more anti-propaganda, more resentment, further exodus, written condemnations, Vaisnava Aparadhas, less happiness in Krishna Consciousness, Istagostis about the other so called Vaisnavas, lists of Vaisnava books to be prohibited, confiscated, even burned, further exodus, new laws against the enemies, further exaggeration of “our Guru is the only real one” philosophy, double standards, more confusion, further exodus, expelling and persecution of insider enemies, don’t trust anyone policy, loss of capable leaders, abuse by opportunistic people to get rid of good devotees by using the witch hunt atmosphere on them, further exodus (if you would like, I could go on for an entire page) etc. It becomes like the Iskcon picture of the fall from Goloka.
Are people really running away from Iskcon to enjoy Maya? No. They go only to join other Vaisnavas; to get up early chant Hare Krishna, have Sadhu Sangha and do lots of service. How can you explain that? Were they traitors? Did they meet a demon who destroyed their faith in the only mission which could save him on earth?

F. Speaking bad about each other’s missions naturally will accompany us, in writing, speaking, Internet forums or, even worse, in aggressive encounters.

After I met you in the 98 meeting in the Samadhi, I wanted to take darshan of the deities. I only go to Iskcon temples once a year on the disappearance day of our spiritual master. Danavir Maharaj was standing in front of the Mandir passing out a big magazine against Srila Narayana Maharaj. He is some kind of minister in Iskcon. He immediately reproached me aggressively in front of a few new devotees. “You just come here to steal our devotees, just get out from here. You have given up Prabhupada, so you have no right to even come here.” I was invited by letter from Jayapataka Maharaj.
After some sweet words of mine explaining the reason of my presence there, he cooled down and did not object to my taking darshan of the deities. The students who were accompanying me were surely surprised by the mood in Iskcon noting that the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust had recently sponsored a meeting for Sarasvat Gaudiya Unity.

Dear Brother, is that the temple of understanding you want to build there? I admit, I am outspoken. Maybe that is wrong. But I have found traces of that mood in my spiritual masters as well. If we must die for the truth, is that an unworthy death?

I don’t want to paint myself as some kind of martyr. I am just trying everything to reach your heart. American Vaisnavas, Indian Vaisnavas, Colombian Vaisnavas, male Vaisnavas, female Vaisnavas, Iskcon Vaisnavas, Gaudiya Math Vaisnavas: We will always be a little different as long as we are in these bodies, but we are all the same in so many ways. Actually, we are all in need of the same Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu to give us all his divine mercy.

In conclusion, I beg you to transmit this letter and my begging for forgiveness to all my Godbrothers and Godsisters in Iskcon. Since we cannot send anything to COM through the filters and censorship, I hope that you may give me the benefit of the doubt that my intentions are genuine and even if you do not want to help the WVA-
VVRS personally, to at least keep me in a dear spot of your heart and present us in Iskcon as we are.

I fall at your feet in the name of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. All Glories to the Bhagavat Parampara and to all those who serve that Parampara from wherever they may be situated.

Your fallen servant,
Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti
Written on the 4-18-98 Logrono, Spain