[world-vedic] I Love CHRIST As Much As I Love KRSNA

[Guest guest]

I Love Christ As Much As I Love

Krsna

BY GAURIDASA PANDITA DASA

EDITORIAL, Dec 25

(VNN) — Srila

Prabhupada always preached in a non-sectarian

way and showed his love of God by his

magnanimous works. Srila Prabhupada always

talked about the real meaning of the Holidays and he

especially liked Christmas because so many more books

are distributed every year during the Christmas

marathon. This gives Srila Prabhupada and Krsna great

joy and all of the devotees participating in any way are

getting the mercy of Srila Prabhupada.

I was fortunate to become one of Srila Prabhupada's

personal servant's in May of 1977. Srila Prabhupada

was giving darshan in his new quarters in Juhu beach

when one Indian gentleman began to deride Christianity

and even Christ himself. Srila Prabhupada immediately

stopped him saying, "Please don't talk like that; Christ

is

my Godbrother. I love Christ as much as I love

Krishna!" Srila Prabhupada said that Christ was a pure

devotee who was preaching according to the time and

circumstances.

Srila Prabhupada wrote that we could offer Krishna's

prasadam to a picture of Christ. He also said that Christ

is one of our gurus. It is so nice the way that Srila

Prabhupada preached in such a perfect and

non-fanatical way. He said you don't have to give up

your religion; just follow whatever one you are attracted

to, and add the chanting of the Lord's Holy Names.

Even when Srila Prabhupada had to make some strong

points to a stubborn guest he would do it with such wit

and charm that he would always win over the hearts of

the fortunate people and leave them enlightened and

enlivened.

Srila Prabhupada talked about The position of the

Saktavesa Avatar in Seattle on Oct. 2, 1968 where he

said:

"When you come to the point of understanding that 'I

am not this body, I am spirit soul' then the next stage

will be what is the function of the soul? That function of

soul is Krsna consciousness, working in Krsna

consciousness. So in the present age one has to take

directly to the function of the soul; then other things

will

automatically come. It is not possible at the present

moment that you can go to a secluded place and

peacefully sit there and meditate upon... It is not

possible in this age. It is impossible. If you try

artificially, it will be failure. Therefore you have to

take

this process, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva

kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir

anyatha. In this age of Kali, there is no other

alternative

for self-realization than this chanting Hare Krsna. That

is

the practical, real fact.

Madhudvisa: Is there any way for a Christian to, without

the help of a spiritual master, to reach the spiritual sky

through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying

to follow his teachings?

Prabhupada: I don't follow. Tamal Krsna: Can a

Christian in this age, without a spiritual master, but by

reading the Bible and following Jesus's words, reach

the...

Prabhupada: When you read Bible, you follow spiritual

master. How can you say without? As soon as you read

Bible, that means you are following the instruction of

Lord Jesus Christ, that means you are following spiritual

master. So where is the opportunity of being without

spiritual master?

Madhudvisa: I was referring to a living spiritual

master.

Prabhupada: Spiritual master is not the question of...

Spiritual master is eternal. Spiritual master is eternal.

So

your question is without spiritual master. Without

spiritual master you cannot be, at any stage of your life.

You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual

master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept.

As you say that "by reading Bible," when you read Bible

that means you are following the spiritual master

represented by some priest or some clergyman in the

line of Lord Jesus Christ. So any case, you have to

follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question

without spiritual master. Is that clear?

Madhudvisa: I mean like we couldn't understand the

teachings of the Bhagavad-gita without your help,

without your presentation.

Prabhupada: Similarly you have to understand Bible with

the help of the priest in the church.

ALL GLORIES TO THE PURE DEVOTEES OF THE

LORD!!!

Srila Prabhupada always talked about the importance of

following the words of the spiritual master. The

Christains follow Christ by reading the bible with the

help of a priest etc. In the same way the devotees follow

Srila Prabhupada by reading his books with help from

the senior devotees. Christ and Srila Prabhupada are

both sent by Krishna, sakta-vesa avatars. They can and

will deliver us if we take shelter of them. All glories to

Srila Prabhupada and Jesus Christ the worshipable pure

devotees of the Lord! All glories to Bhaktsidhanta

Sarasvati Thakur whos transcendental disappearance

day is on Christmas this year also. This gives us a great

reason to celebrate. He reasons ill who says that

Vaisnavas die when though art living still in sound. The

Vaisnavas die to live and living try to spread the holy

Name around!

Your servant, Gauridasa Pandita Dasa