Regarding Hinduism and Pseudo Gods

[Guest guest]

Dear Mohan Sagar Prabhu,

 

Hare Krishna.

 

Thank you once more for the Sri Ramanujar Video which you so kindly sent me

several years ago.

 

Just a humble point about your previous mail on the above subject matter.

 

I am happy to know of your commitment to Sripad Ramanujacharya.

 

You have mentioned your past experiences by denoting

your acquaintance with virtually every strand of "Hindu Thought".

I would humbly beg you to please never lump ISKCON with other organisations

created by self-styled gurus or mayavadis.

 

ISKCON is not a Sri Vaishnava organisation but a Gaudiya Vaishnava one. This

does not however mean that as a Sri Vaishnava a person should view every

other strand of Vaishnavism as a pseudo religion ! I understand that you may

be merely indicating your past experiences with no ill intention.

Nevertheless, I wish to point out this lumping in tendency. This tendency

can be carried forth by any person be he a Sri Vaishnava, Gaudiya Vaishnava,

Tattvavadi, etc.

 

But I do feel that some sense of distinguishing between proper sampradayic

diversity and apasampradaya (non bona fide self-styled syncretic so-called

sampradayas) is wanted.

 

Would you say that Sripad Madhvacharya is not bona fide as a Vedic teacher

just because you do not belong to his sampradaya ? Certainly no objective

person would ! Philosophical differences may exist but personal credibility

is a question of lakshana as well. To consider someone like sai baba who

calls himself Krishna avatar and presents conclusions totally antithetical

to Vaishnavism as bona fide is another case however.

 

Therefore, please do not even in the name of recount or easy classification

seek to lump ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada with all of these other

personalities. Srila Prabhupada placed so much importance on Lord Krishna

that he did not even place any mention of his personal name upon the

nomenclature of the society that he founded and created as a new extension

of International Vaishnavism. To lump him or his organisation with

self-styled "gurus" pains me. I would certainly not remain silent when this

is being done to my spiritual master, either deliberately or as a result of

an innocent overgeneralising tendency.

 

Please forgive me for any offences committed.

 

Hare Krishna !

 

 

Harijana kinkara,

R. Jai Simman

Singapore