Stunning quote: NEGLECT OR REJECT AN ENVIOUS PERSON IN THE GARB OF A

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NEGLECT OR REJECT AN ENVIOUS PERSON IN THE GARB OF A VAISNAVA

 

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, chadiya vaisnava seva nistara peyeche keba:

unless one serves a Vaisnava, he cannot be delivered. The spiritual master

initiates the disciple to deliver him, and if the disciple executes the order

of the spiritual master and does not offend other Vaisnavas, his path is clear.

Consequently Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested all the Vaisnavas present to

show mercy toward the two brothers, Rupa and Sanatana, who had just been

initiated by the Lord. When a Vaisnava sees that another Vaisnava is a

recipient of the Lord's mercy, he becomes very happy. Vaisnavas are not

envious. If a Vaisnava, by the mercy of the Lord, is empowered by Him to

distribute the Lord's holy name all over the world, other Vaisnavas become very

joyful-that is, if they are truly Vaisnavas. One who is envious of the success

of a Vaisnava is certainly not a Vaisnava himself but is an ordinary, mundane

man. Envy and jealousy are manifested by mundane people, not by Vaisnavas. Why

should a Vaisnava be envious of another Vaisnava who is successful in spreading

the holy name of the Lord? An actual Vaisnava is very pleased to accept another

Vaisnava who is bestowing the Lord's mercy. A mundane person in the dress of a

Vaisnava should not be respected but rejected. This is enjoined in the sastra

(upeksa). The word upeksa means neglect. One should neglect an envious person.

A preacher's duty is to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make

friendships with Vaisnavas, show mercy to the innocent and reject or neglect

those who are envious or jealous. There are many jealous people in the dress of

Vaisnavas in this Krsna consciousness movement, and they should be completely

neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a

Vaisnava. When Narottama dasa Thakura says chadiya vaisnava seva nistara

peyeche keba, he is indicating an actual Vaisnava, not an envious or jealous

person in the dress of a Vaisnava.(Cc Madhya 1.218)

 

This behavior is indicative of real Vaisnavas. When they saw that Rupa and

Sanatana were fortunate enough to receive the mercy of the Lord, they were so

pleased that they all congratulated the two brothers. A jealous person in the

dress of a Vaisnava is not at all happy to see the success of another Vaisnava

in receiving the Lord's mercy. Unfortunately, in this Age of Kali there are

many mundane persons in the dress of Vaisnavas, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

has described them as disciples of Kali. He says, kali-cela. He indicates that

there is another Vaisnava, a pseudo Vaisnava with tilaka on his nose and kanthi

beads around his neck. Such a pseudo Vaisnava associates with money and women

and is jealous of successful Vaisnavas. Although passing for a Vaisnava, his

only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaisnava. Bhaktivinoda Thakura

therefore says that such a pseudo Vaisnava is not a Vaisnava at all but a

disciple of Kali-yuga. A disciple of Kali cannot become an acarya by the

decision of some high court. Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a

Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for

any court judgment. A false acarya may try to override a Vaisnava by a

high-court decision, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a

disciple of Kali-yuga. (Cc Madhya 1.220 purport)

 

[Comment: In the first quote, Prabhupada is clubing an envious person in the

dress of a Vaisnava in the same category as that of envious materialistic

person. And according to the Upadeshamrita, a madhyama adhikari should avoid or

neglect (upeksa) an envious person.]