Beware of Kali's agents

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sending this along Jahnu Dvipa Prabhu. I really appreciate

Sivarama Maharaja for being so straighforward in his reply to Hari-dhama's

post. Why is PAMHO sending this kind of stuff to EVERYONE who has a PAMHO

account?

 

Ys TS

 

 

> ---------- Forwarded Message ----------

> Comment 25641 (226 lines) [M1]

> Sivarama Swami

> 05-May-06 03:37 (05:37 +0200)

> Hari-dhama (das) MG (Hindu-Vaisnava Chaplaincy)

> Mukhya (dd) (Ruiselede - BE)

> ICB (ISKCON Communications Benelux)

> ICIC (ISKCON Communications in Croatia)

> ISKCON Communications (in) France

> (ISKCON) UK Communications

> For: (All kinds of) Advertisements

> Reference: Text PAMHO:11517295 by Hari-dhama (das) MG (Hindu-Vaisnava

> Chaplaincy)

> Developing the inner Vaisnava

> ---------------------------

> Respected vaisnavas

> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

> While Hari-dhama Prabhu has been a personal friend of mine for decades, I

> could not let his invitation to Satvatove courses go without a critical

> reply. The following text speaks for itself. Unfortunately, there is a

> trend nowadays to dilute Srila Prabhupada's teachings on pure devotional

> service. I believe these courses are examples of that trend.

> Discriminating Vaisnavas beware.

>

> Your servant

> Sivarama Swami

>

> ------------

>

> A devotee desires at all times to go forward in spiritual life, seeks to

> gain a deeper appreciation for the holy name, and overcome obstacles that

> prevent progress on the path of bhakti. It is natural, therefore, that

> devotees are attracted to courses such as the one being promoted by

> Hari-dhama das, offered by Dhira Govinda's Satvatove Institute. However,

> there are inherent dangers in the naive acceptance that such a course can

> draw out the "inner Vaisnava," and the claim by Hari-dhama das that "there

> are various ways and means in developing as people" is an indication of

> such dangers. Why? The truth is that there are not "various ways" to

> develop as a human being, or more specifically as a Vaisnava. There is

> only one way, and that is via the process of Krishna consciousness,

> sadhana bhakti. And such a process is only successful when conducted under

> the direction of a bonafide spiritual master.

>

> There is no divisive issue surrounding either these courses or the

> existence of Satvatove. It is a much simpler matter, one addressed already

> by Srila Prabhupada: "There is no such thing as a split in ISKCON. There

> is only insincerity, that's all. I chant 16 rounds and follow the

> principles and preach, and you do also. There is no split. Only if one is

> insincere and doesn't follow." Satvatove's foundation is insincerity and a

> self-evident inability by it's founder to follow the process of Krishna

> consciousness as given by Srila Prabhupada and previous acaryas.

> Unfortunately, it has succeeded in attracting some naive devotees who seek

> personal and spiritual advancement.

>

> A Vaisnava doesn't have a hidden--or "inner"--agenda or persona: they are

> identifiable by their qualities, the foremost of which is loyalty to the

> spiritual master. Whatever sprouts from soil starved of this nourishing

> quality is worthless; worse, it has the potential to halt one's spiritual

> progress; worse still, it can harm others. While packaged and delivered in

> a seemingly sattvic manner and cultured style, Satvatove courses are

> devoid of this essential ingredient, and are thus, in the words of Srila

> Sanatana Goswami, milk touched by the lips of a serpent. Srila Prabhupada

> writes, "It is futile to make an external show of good qualities like

> humility and nonviolence while disrespecting the Lord's lotus feet and

> denouncing the process of devotional service. Such so-called good

> qualities may be of some material value, but ultimately they are useless

> and temporary." Claims that the courses are conducted "under the guidance

> of qualified and experienced Vaisnavas" are thus more easily understood

> according to revealed scripture. Devotees are discriminate, and understand

> the qualification of those who would claim they can help one advance on

> the path of bhakti. "One must be a bona fide devotee, and then he can

> preach and impress devotional service upon his listeners." Life experience

> does not replace scriptural injunctions. Nor does qualification on a

> material platform supersede, override, or nullify spiritual qualification,

> which in modern day parlance reduces humility to weakness and

> submissiveness to the order of the spiritual master as evidence that one

> is enjoined not to think. In short, disloyalty to the spiritual master is

> denouncing the process of devotional service, and nothing worthwhile can

> be learned from such a source.

>

> In his Bhagavatam purports--in what could have been written specifically

> for this present situation--Srila Prabhupada writes: "One should not,

> therefore, become victim of these unauthorised advertisements by some

> bogus representative of Vedic knowledge. Ardent hearing from the bonafide

> master is the only way of receiving transcendental knowledge and there is

> no other medical performances or mysticism for miraculous effect. The

> process is simple and only the sincere party can achieve the desired

> result." The founder of Satvatove has disqualified himself by rejecting

> Srila Prabhupada's teachings and embracing ritvikvada, and by his repeated

> entreaties to the GBC to reopen the Poison Theory case, claiming that it's

> "unresolved status" is an indication of disqualification among GBC and

> ISKCON management.

>

> As far as ISKCON leaders attending Satvatove courses, this is a misnomer.

> Prior to understanding that Dhira Govinda's courses were in fact a ruse to

> promote his ritvik-vada philosophy, some ISKCON devotees--including

> leaders--attended the courses. That ISKCON's leaders are keen to embrace

> processes constructed on the basis Srila Prabhupada's teachings is a sign

> of healthy leadership, and one that many devotees appreciated and

> emulated. However, it wasn't long before the truth was realized: Dr. David

> was the proverbial Wolf in sheep's clothing. Since then, it is clear to

> ISKCON's leaders that Dhira Govinda's courses are an attempt to introduce

> ritvikvada philosophy into ISKCON, and to lure naive devotees from the

> shelter of Srila Prabhupada and their diksa gurus, all of whom, according

> to the doctrines of ritvikvada, are irrelevant, irreligious, and

> apsiddhantic.

>

> Haridhama das writes: "These seminars were recently conducted with great

> success in Vrndavan and Mayapur."

>

> This is incorrect. The terms "Vrindavan and Mayapur," when used amongst

> ISKCON devotees and on ISKCON forums, imply ISKCON Mayapur and ISKCON

> Vrindavan. These courses were not conducted on ISKCON property. The

> "Mayapur" seminars were not held in Mayapur at all, in fact, but some

> miles away, across the river, in a rented public hall, and attended by

> mostly disenchanted ex-ISKCON devotees and members of other maths. It is

> noted that while denouncing ISKCON, it's founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada,

> it's leadership, and it's members, these promoters find it neecessary to

> utilize ISKCON's property, temple, restaurants, and festivals, where the

> greatest number of Vaisnavas gather regularly. The same attempts were made

> in Vrindavan to promote these courses, and extensive campaigning was

> carried out at the MVT, where management put a stop to soliciting by one

> particularly aggressive person. Therefore, to state that these courses

> were conducted in Vrindavan and Mayapur is incorrect.

>

> Devotees are uniting to protect ISKCON in Kazaksthan: it's property, it's

> reputation, it's future, it's devotees. In the same way, ISKCON needs to

> be protected from those who would harm or oppose Srila Prabhupada, his

> teachings, his legacy, and his devotees, some of whom are liable to

> succumb to philosophical attacks. We are obliged to Srila Prabhupada to

> keep the wolves from the door...

> ----------

>

>

>

> *Dear Respected Vaisnavas

> *

> *Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. May

> *this meet you well.

> *

> *Srila Prabhupada makes reference throughout his writing how the Vaisnava

> *must develop internally, by means of daily sadhana, in order to become a

> *better devotee so that we can better serve one another, the guru, ISKCON,

> *and ultimately Lord Krsna.

> *

> *There are various ways and means in developing as people. A better person

> *makes a better devotee. I decided to address issues which prohibited me

> *from becoming a better person, issues which held me back from diving

> deeper *into my sadhana. These are issues related to my past experiences

> which *inhibited me from flourishing as an abundant, progressive,

> effective and *happy person and devotee.

> *

> *The Satvatove Institute, www.Satvatove.org under the guidance of

> qualified *and experienced Vaisnavas, are offering devotees and others

> unique *opportunities to undergo life transformational training and

> experience. *These seminars have been conducted across the globe, attended

> by several *ISKCON leaders and devotees.

> *

> *I invite you to consider attending one of these seminars. Please

> *communicate directly with the person listed under each of the upcoming

> *seminars. See list far below.

> *

> *You may also want to write to me directly should you have any further

> *questions about these seminars. I am also happy to share with you

> *quotations from those ISKCON leaders and devotees who have attended it in

> *the past. You may also be interested to read related research papers on,

> *"Vaiñëava Life Skills/Personal Transformation Seminars and the Process of

> *Kåñëa Consciousness"; etc.

> *

> *These seminars were recently conducted with great success in Vrndavan and

> *Mayapur.

> *

> *Your servant.

> *

> *Hari-dhama dasa/Henry T. Dom.