Fw: Proposal for discussion of Prasthaana Traya and Gaudiya Vedanta ..

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Narasimhan Prabhu

 

Hare Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

 

Thank you for your mail

 

It is certainly nice hearing from you.

I do sincerely wish I could have more personal association with you to discuss these matters.

 

I fully agree with what you have said. This is why I suggested a closed forum.

Many of us have the eagerness to have all the literature we have brought to synthesis

and presented in an epistemologically and methodologically cogent manner.

This is for our internal understanding, not for declaring war on some other sampradaya.

 

In fact, we have the broadest vision amongst all the lines accepting the spiritual position

of the earlier Acharyas and the valid position of the siddhanta they have presented.

However, when a question is asked in a Vedantic manner, for our understanding alone,

we need to answer with proper shastric maturity. For that, all the evidence has to be

presented in a manner that is systematic.

 

Srila Prabhupada's purports are vast and cover many topics and issues. If we could

undertake the saara or the essence of these purports and also understand what our

Poorvacharyas have said and presented, it will be good for our own understanding,

if not for anything else.

 

When someone poses a challenge, it is not our business to be in rajo guna and argue

with him just to convince or defeat him. As for me, when a question is posed to which

I do not have sufficient materials to reply with, then I'd want to go and find out what

the acharyas in my line have said on this matter. Thus far, nothing much has been done

to present a cogent catechism that can present our sampradaya's answers to the Vedantic

questions in the English language.

 

This is why I proposed a list. It is not my intention to convert because being rightfully

situated in their bona fide parampara they will attain perfection. But it is more for our

own understanding so that devotees are not found lacking when they are challenged.

They can speak with clarity, depth and surety.

 

This is my desire.

 

Also, when our spiritual master's teachings are villified in an open forum, it is our duty

to defend with proper evidence from the tradition and from the prasthaana traya.

we cannot say "srila prabhupada said ..." in this regard because the whole contestation

is on the validity of what he has said or written.

 

it is true that our sadhana must be the focus but when doubts arise, we must work

to clear them. As Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami says in the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta (paraphrased),

doubts are not problems but rather they give us a chance to grow and develop if we approach

them with the proper mood. So, if we do this properly, I am sure that the end product will be

a more fruitful and fresher understanding of our appreciation of Srila Prabhupada's gifts to us.

 

The problem is not with the enquiry but with the lack of proper etiquette and mood in the enquiry

that renders the entire effort a problem in the end. If we can be cautious about

the weeds, to proceed

on the path to realising the beauty of the garden of literature we have would not be a problem.

This is precisely why I suggested that we have very respected senior devotees to guide us and

facilitate the discussions and efforts.

 

Since you have already undertaken considerable time to research, it would be

very beneficial for your

goodself to share with all the devotees on the list what you have found present in our body of

literature in this regard.

 

Gaudiya Vaishnavism has faced many different circumstances in its preaching

history. In every situation

and catering to every type of audience, it has stood its ground well. We should

humbly carry on this culture.

Criticism will always be there but our body of devotees need something to help

them understand in a mature

way the replies that we can present from our Acharyas. That is more of my

concern. We need to be able to

have the confidence that we have shastra-based replies to questions posed. This

is part of our own development

as devotees as well.

 

 

This is my humble request.

 

Thanking yourself in advance and begging forgiveness for offences,

 

 

 

your servant

r. jai simman

singapore