Footnoting Srila Prabhupada's Personal ecstacies

[Guest guest]

One solution might be

> to keep Prabhupada's books exactly as they were

> published when he was present, but then to put in

> footnotes explaining what the editors think was

> really meant. In that way, everyone could be

> satisfied. What do you think of this? Hoping you

> are well, Your servant,

>

 

 

 

>

Yes, everyone would be satisfied, except perhaps Srila Prabhupada. The words

of our beloved guru are complete in themselves, and the ideas are being

dictated by Lord Krsna, through the succession of pure devotees, though each

link may explain the identical ideas through their own words. This

unadulterated message is trickling down from the spiritual world and when it

is attentively heard by the sincere and submissive devotee, that sound

vibration acts to purify the heart. It is not an academic exercise like some

are suggesting in various camps.

 

If future generations are to qualify themselves to understand this great

science as perfectly spoken by our beloved teacher, then the requirement is

not that we try to change the message to suit them, but that they simply

become submissive. Then the words as spoken by Srila Prabhupada will act on

their hearts, and Krsna, being pleases within the hearts of such sincere

inquirers, will bless him with genuine understanding, and he will progress on

the path back to Godhead.

 

Let the words of the pure devotee stand on their own transcendental merit and

let others come up to their standard, rather than making a foolhardy attempt

at smoothing the words over so as not to disturb anyone in the material world.

 

 

 

In all due respect to the Vaisnavas, I suggest that this idea of disciples

(still themselves struggling to understand this great science) interpreting

Srila Prabhupada's text and explaining in footnotes what these editing

disciples 'think was really meant' indicates that we are forgetting this real

process of transcendental transmission of Krsna's message, or do not really

believe it, or want to rely instead on academic scholarship, intellectual

rational, or sometimes speculation.

 

We want to add footnotes so that our organization can gradually become more

politically correct, or compatible with current social thinking, or avoid

embarrassing those who have invested too much of their time in promoting

feminism, etc. These statement that Srila Prabhupada made concerning women,

for instance, seem to the modern thinker to be sexist. But to the faithful

disciple, there is no scope for daring to think about a pure devotee in terms

that indicate that he is just another ordinary man. To make sexist statements

means that the author is influenced by sexism, by material conditioning, or

ignorance.

 

Anyone that will characterize Srila Prabhupada in this light has never

understood the meaning of being a cent percent unalloyed devotee of Krsna nor

understood this process of receiving the perfect message of Krsna

consciousness through submissive hearing. The pure devotee guru is nothing

less than the external manifestation of

Krsna(Paramatma)--as good as Krsna Himself. He cannot make mistakes, since his

every act is empowered by and dictated by Krsna, to Whom he has completely

surrendered. For such a devotee, the material influence has completely

vanished, without a trace.

 

But we CAN make mistakes, because we are always subject to the four defects.

But Srila Prabhupada is not, and a disciple should always "present himself as

a great fool when approaching the [pure devotee] guru". Better we act as

menial servants and just distribute the books and leave the results to Krsna.

With Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, empowering fully a completely

surrendered devotee to write His message, there will be only success and

victory. Our job is just to be his servants and distribute these perfect

literatures. Certainly, menial servants and fools like ourselves cannot

improve on these books, that are none different from Krsna Himself.

 

If we want to be successful in our efforts to become Krsna consciousness, we

must abandon all these notions that we change Srila Prabupada's books, as if

he was influenced by some conditioning from some Scottish College, or was

materially sexist, etc. And, if it is not already too late, we have to abandon

the association of anyone who would minimize the transcendental status of

Srila Prabhupada., I remain the servant to the vaisnavas, Mahananda dasa