Whether to criticize the Dharmadhvaji (pretender) or not?

[Guest guest]

>Bhaktivinoda warns that the worst of the asat sangis, the

>hypocritically devout, "wears the clothes of a devotee to accomplish

>materialistic ends. He is a person who has no devotion or attachment in the

>heart but makes a show of it externally." These illuminating words mean the

>dharmadvaji has the external appearance of a Vaisnava, but lacks the

>aforementioned essential internal symptom. Thus it is not a safe stance to

>accept that all that glitters is gold.

>

>This indeed poses a serious practical problem for the aspiring devotee.

>What if in our attempt to "play it safe", we contact a dharmadvaji?

>Bhaktivinoda even mentions that in Kali Yuga most people fall into this

>category so it is not an unlikely proposal. Actually, it's safe to assume

>we will. So when we do, and owing to donning Vaisnava-colored glasses, we

>engage in the six loving exchanges with him/her, we are sure to be

>infected. Hitopadesa explains, just as when a cloth is put in a solution of

>dye it takes on the same color, so a person becomes colored by the company

>he keeps. Thus Bhaktivinoda warns, "One should give up the association of

>dharmadvajis, the hypocritically devout, with special care.

 

This is a good point for discussion. Here Bhaktivinode Thakura (also in Hari

naam cintamani) says that one has to discriminate between a dharmadhvaji (a

pretender in the guise of a devotee) and thus avoid the association of the

dharmadhvaji. Criticism is not necessarily required for discrimination. When

one feels within his mind that a particular person is a dharmadhvaji, one

can get it confirmed from the senior advanced vaisnavas and thus avoid his

association. BVT says that not discriminating between a dharmadhvaji & a

pure devotee is actually an offense at the lotus feet of the pure devotee.

Ofcourse if the dharmadhvaji himself is criticizing other vaisnavas then he

should be immediately removed from the society of the vaisnavas.

 

If a person takes up devotional service with pretense and with ulterior

motives, he should be given chance to become purified if he has an attitude

of surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a person requires the mercy

of the advanced devotees who are free from pretense.

 

"PLAY IT SAFE" ACCORDING TO MAHAMAHOPADHYAYA SRILA VISVANATHA CHAKRAVARTI

THAKURA IN HIS BOOK MADHURYA KADAMBINI (THIRD NECTAR SHOWER)

 

(very important)

 

***One should not think that the offense of sadhu-ninda discriminates

between types of Vaishnavas. A person cannot minimize his offense by

pointing out some defect in the devotee whom he has offended.****

 

Sadhu-ninda does not refer only to criticize one who is fully qualified with

the virtues mentioned in the sastra (SB 11.11.29). In answer Padma Purana

says: SARVACARA VIVARJITAH SATHADHIYO VRATYA JAGADVANCAKAH... (Brahma

Khanda 25.9-10), even a person of bad character, devoid of proper behaviour,

a cheater, a reprobate, a hypocrite, a pretender, an outcaste, devoid of

samsakaras and full of worldly desires, if he surrenders to the Lord, he

must be considered a sadhu and he must not be criticized, nor barred from

being accepted as a vaisnava devotee, nor can their devotion be deprecated.

Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami never used to hear even about the criticism of

some dharmadhvaji saying that they are all engaged in the service of the

Lord according to their capacity.

 

So already in the conditioned state we are very much inclined towards

Vaisnava aparadha, we need to very cautious in this regard. And if one is in

a management position (authority over the other devotees) especially in a

Vaisnava society like ours, one has to very very careful to never loose the

attitude from his heart of actually being the servant of all the Vaisnavas

whom he is taking care of. Because sadhu-ninda is so powerful that it leads

to a material conception of even the spiritual activities one is performing.

 

ke te 'paradha viprendra

namno bhagavatah krtah

vinighnanti nrnam krtyam

prakrtam hyanayanti hi (from BRS quoted from PP, Brahma Khanda 25.14)

 

Oh foremost of the brahmanas, what are the offenses against the name of the

Lord that cancel the results of all one's pios works and lead to a material

conception even of spiritual topics?

 

In other words repeatedly hearing & chanting the Lord's name, qualities, and

so on should give prema, serving the sacred tirthas should bestow

perfection, and repeatedly tasting ghee, milk and other kinds of Lord's

prasadam should destroy desires for sense enjoyment. So what are these grave

offenses that cancel these fruits and cause all these spiritually potent

activities to appear material? This very startling & unnerving question is

being raised. If this is so, does it follow that a person who commits

Vaisnava aparadha becomes averse to the Lord and thus cannot even take

shelter of guru or perform other devotional service? This is true.

 

Anyway one can go on & on about Vaisnava aparadha. Hare Krishna.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana dasa br.

 

p.S. ENGAGING IN SADHU-NINDA & NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE DECEMBER BOOK

MARATHON IS HIGHLY INJURIOUS TO SPIRITUAL LIFE.