Initiation (?)

[Guest guest]

Dear Mother Gunamani:

 

Namaste.

 

On 12 May 1999, Gunamani dd wrote:

 

 

> Dear Prabhu is not the fact that Srila Prabhupada accepted you part of his

> personal association?

 

 

Certainly. But, would he not "accept" someone who has "approached" him through

his books which were by far his most important contribution to the Krsna

consciosness movement? Can't Srila Prabhupada deliver a soul to Krsna's lotus

feet if that person is living anywhere and happens to read one of Srila

Prabhupada's books with sincerity? Isn't this why Srila Prabhupada wanted us

to distribute millions and millions of his books?

 

> Srila Prabhupada did not associate very much with

> Srila Bhaktisidhanta, but the few instructions he got he served so seriously

> that the result is amazing. Just one instruction is enough or even one word.

 

 

Cannot that instruction or one word come from Srila Prabhupada's vani/books?

Isn't that why we distribute the books?

 

 

> As for me who came later I can speculate left and right to be accepted by

> Srila Prabhupada but where is my confirmation?

 

 

 

What kind of "confirmation" are you looking for? Some people look for

"recognition" instead of "confirmation". That is not such a good idea. You, I

don't feel, are doing that. Are you not advancing spiritually? Has not Srila

Prabhupada's books been any assistance to you? We shouldn't doubt the potency

of Srila Prabhupada - he can accept billions of disciples - because Krsna

protects His pure devotee. Srila Prabhupada accepts the sinful reactions of

his disciples but remember, even once chanting one Holy Name of the Lord

(offenselessly)relieves one of more sinful reaction than one can incur in a

lifetime. I think Srila Prabhupada chants offenselessly and he chants more

than one Name a day.

 

 

> Even the Goswamis being present with the Lord himself approached a personal

> spiritual master or am I wrong?

 

 

Obviously, there is absolutely nothing wrong with approaching a personal

spiritual master as the Goswamis and many others have. But did not the

Goswamis also "approachnon-livingnon-bodily present" spiritual masters

through reading their books and teachings?

 

If both are there, vapu and vani, take full advantage of both. But vani is

always available and accessible for siksa.

 

Another problem, obviously apparent in ISKCON, is approaching someone who

claims to be a "spiritual master" but does not possess the qualifications. I

have nothing against my Godbrothers becoming gurus. I have many friends in

ISKCON whom I consider my guru because they have given me spiritual

instruction. I have full faith that our Guru Maharaja's program is fully

capable of developing pure devotees and maha-bhagavata gurus even out of low

meat-eating humans born into candala families. They will be fully qualified to

perform diksa ceremonies, in time. The question is when? This could take many

decades of practice. These are very, very high qualifications we are speaking

of. Let's not cheapen them out of an impatient desire to take another name so

we are recognized as the formal member of a religious institution. This will

not benefit us.

 

I was lucky, I happened to "approach" a spiritual master who did not "fall

down" while he was "present" and while I was his practicing disciple. But,

please know that my "approach" to him to the point of initiation was fully

through "non-personalnon-bodily" indirect service and I never asked him one

single direct question and he never gave me one direct, personal instruction.

I had the merciful assistance and guidance of my senior Godbrothers who acted

as my gurus's representative (Ritviks? - officiating priests). Cannot anyone

do the same now?

 

I would be very happy to sponsor someone to Srila Prabhupada for acceptance as

a disciple similar to the way me and thousands of my godbrothers were

disciples. In fact, I have been doing that for several years for a good friend

of mine who is trying to develop his spiritual life. My "sponsoring" would be

through prayer and service that Srila Prabhupada please accept this sincere

person the same way I pray and serve and offer food to Srila Prabhupada's

pictures every morning. Does he not hear my prayers anymore now that he is

"gone"?

 

Krsne matir astu,

Your fallen servant,

Janesvara dasa