Preface to Nectar of Instruction

[Guest guest]

Haribol!

 

I would like to add my views on the NOI Preface as

follows:

 

"The Krsna consciousness movement is conducted under

the supervision of Srila Rupa Gosvami."

 

In my view, I find it interesting that Srila

Prabhupada chose to start his translation of the

"essential instructions" with THESE words. This means

that whatever activities are carried out by ISKCON,

the deity worship, the cow protection programs, the

farms, etc, all are being carried out by the causeless

mercy and supervision of Srila Rupa Goswami. For Srila

Prabhupada to honour Srila Rupa Goswami so highly in

the very first sentence only goes to show the latter's

importance in ISKCON society.

 

"Therefore Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung:

 

'rupa-raghunatha-pade ha-ibe akuti

kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti

 

'When I am eager to understand the literature given by

the Gosvamis, then I shall be able to understand the

transcendental loving affairs of Radha and Krsna.'"

 

This verse by Srila Narottama das Thakura exemplifies

the yearning for the jiva to *understand* the loving

affairs of Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna. Not just

aspire to join in, or observe, but simply to

UNDERSTAND. What a humble attitude, to think ourselves

not worthy of joining in the eternal pastimes, but

simply to just aspire to understand them. Such

yearning and the pain of separation from Radha and

Krishna are a hallmark of Srila Narottama das

Thakura's writings.

As Sripada Gour Govinda Swami once said, "if we do not

cry for Krishna, we cannot get Him."

 

"As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind Him the eight

verses known as Siksastaka, Rupa Gosvami gave us

Upadesamrta so that we may become pure Vaisnavas."

 

And what very nice books they are! These two books,

the Siksastaka and the Upadesamrita, are indeed the

essential books that every Vaishnava would do well to

read, assimilate and fully understand, as they indeed

contain all the profound truths about Gaudiya

Vaishnavism within their sutras.

 

"One must promote himself to the platform of goodness,

sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa

Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make

further progress will be revealed."

 

As one other devotee commented, a material quality is

still material, and so we must raise ourselves to the

platform of satva at least so that instructions for

further progress are "automatically" revealed?

 

"A follower of the Krsna consciousness movement should

become a perfect gosvami. Vaisnavas are generally

known as gosvamis. In Vrndavana, this is the title by

which the director of each temple is known. One who

wants to become a perfect devotee of Krsna must become

a gosvami."

 

In these sentences, Srila Prabhupada outlines his

expectations for each and every one of us. Far from

regarding the title of Goswami as "hereditary" or

"administrative", or even for those who are of the

same spiritual calibre as the Six Goswamis, Srila

Prabhupada wishes that we all should be goswamis. By

the next few sentences we can see the definition of

goswami:

 

"Go means "the senses," and svami means "the master."

Unless one controls his senses and mind, one cannot

become a gosvami. To achieve the highest success in

life by becoming a gosvami and then a pure devotee of

the Lord, one must follow the instructions known as

Upadesamrta, which have been given by Srila Rupa

Gosvami."

 

So here, Srila Prabhupada writes that we should all

learn to control our mind and senses, as they are most

often deluded by the transient objects of this

material world. How do we do this? The answer is

further elaborated by Srila Rupa Goswami in a more

advanced text, the Nectar of Devotion, in which he

states that "sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, namnam eva

sphuraty adah"; an obtuse transaltion of which would

be 'by service of the tongue, the glories of the Holy

Name will be revealed.'

Through eating prasadam and through chanting of the

Hare Krishna Mahamantra, we can purify our senses,

master them and become real goswamis.

 

"One should follow these instructions very strictly.

Then it will be easier to make one's life successful.

Hare Krsna."

 

As one other devotee said, and I agree fully, that we

should follow these instructions not just strictly,

but VERY strictly.

 

Now I would like to ask a few questions. One devotee

wrote:

 

"I would probably say instead that devotees in Lord

Chaitanya's line consider that the transcedental

pastimes of the Lord in maadhurya rasa are the

sweetest goal of devotional service. It's not the case

that all Gaudiya Vaishnavas must endeavor for this,

however. Our philosophy seems sufficiently broad to

accomodate devotees who worship in other moods of

devotion, and as a matter of policy we offer all such

devotees the higest respect and service."

 

Now I would like to ask HOW does the philosophy of

Gaudiya Vaishnavism accomodate devotees who worship in

other moods of devotion? More specifically, what

"other moods" are we discussing here? The other rasas,

dasya sakhya and vatsalya? If so, then I wonder how

devotees of these moods are accomodated in a

philosophy that preaches madhurya rasa to be the

sweetest rasa? Also, we must also acknowledge the fact

that madhurya rasa is also the HIGHEST rasa as

revealed by Lord Chaitanya.

 

This does not mean that the other rasas are

invalidated, but we must remember that several

writings of past acharyas such as Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura state that, for example, santa-rasa leads to a

place in the Brahman effulgence (probably) and

dasya-rasa ensures a place in Vaikuntha under the

service of Lord Vishnu.

 

It seems that Gaudiya Vaishnavism is somewhat

goal-oriented, as all the past acharyas seem to be in

full agreement with Mahaprabhu's assertion that the

loving affairs of Radha and Krishna are the supreme

sweetest thing conceivable, and that it is a great

honour to achieve entrance into these pastimes.

 

So please clarify my question as to how Gaudiya

Vaishnavism is broad enough to accomodate other rasas?

 

In service of Gaura-Nitai,

 

Sanjay

 

=====

"Radha-Krishna prana mora jugala-kisora, jivane marane gati aro nahi mora."

 

"The divine couple, Sri Radha and Krsna, are my life and soul. In life or death

I have no other refuge but Them."

 

-- Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

 

 

 

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