Siksa guru as personal spiritual guide

[Guest guest]

On 24 Jun 1999, Srila Dasa wrote:

 

 

>

> A couple of points:

> 1) Most of NM's followers are Hindi-speaking. That precludes most senior

devotees instructing to begin with.

>

 

 

I have been told his math offers English classes during the festival season.

 

 

> 2) As much as it could be true, GBC resolutions and their anti-Gaudiya Matha

politiking are the cause. The Westerners followers are extensively instructed

by former ISKCON devotees who have defected de facto or by force due to GBC

policies.

>

 

 

Sounds a little like the two souls philosophy, where all offenses are made by

someone else.

 

 

> 3) NM regularly requests ANYONE who attends his lectures to stand and speak

something.

>

 

That is nice, but not exactly what Mahaniddhi was talking about.

 

 

> 4) Everything is not "all one" or equal for everyone."

> a) In ISKCON, not any Joe or Mary can come and speak either. Particularly,

if you are a Mary. There are all kinds of political -- as opposed

to *spiritual* -- considerations.

>

> b) in terms of the spiritual, in the presence of a more advanced soul, we

are obliged to hear from him rather than to *condesecend* him to our level.

Otherwise, we become guilty of *maryada-vatikrama*, transgressing a superior

personality.

>

 

 

Hopefully, we are not indulging in the idea that my guru is superior to

everyone else. Further, we are not talking about any Mary or Joe, but senior

members of Prabhupada's institution.

 

I would propose that part of the problem here is that many notice a very

severe condenscending attitude by followers of a certain Gaudiya Math, an

attitude many find in stark contrast to standard Vaisnava ettiquete, or even

basic respectable human behaviour.

 

 

> So your egalitarian logic doesn't work here: Devotees in ISKCON and Srila

Narayan Maharaja are not on thew same level, even from a mundane point of

view. NM is not obliged in the same way as we are.

>

> Srila dasa

 

 

Yes, they are not on the same level. Certain followers of one of the parties

seem determined to indulge in a severe case of a holier than thou superiority

complex.

 

ys,

 

Shita

 

 

-- Unfortunately, com seems down, so I suspect our audience is somewhat

restricted.