The Uttama-adhikari as taught in Purport to NOI 5

[Guest guest]

On 13 Jul 1999, Trivikrama Swami wrote:

> If he had told us to make a program of regularly hearing from his

Godbrothers we sould have certainly done that. I was there with Srila

Prabhupada in the last days, I never heard any such instruction from his lips.

>

> I plan to remain loyal to Srila Prabhupada's instructions and patiently

> expect his mercy. If others think they have a faster way to get back to

> Godhead then what can we say? We are prepared to suffer their ridicule a

thousand times over, but won't budge an inch in our determination to remain

fixed at the lotus feet of our most merciful deliverer, Srila Prabhupada.

 

 

Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my respectful pranams. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga. All

glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Your staunch loyalty to the PRINCIPLE of following Srila Prabhupada's

instructions is certainly commendable. I feel obliged to voice some

apprehensions however.

 

Reportedly, "in those last days" as you phrased it, Srila Prabhupada also

never gave any further instructions on carrying out the process of initiations

after his departure. By your logic, we must therefore concur with the rtvik

conclusion that we should continue with rtvik initiations through posterity.

"Don't change the status quo." Is that right?

 

Do you see where such short-sighted reasoning can lead us, even to someone who

like your goodself who is so sincerely wishing to "remain loyal to Srila

Prabhupada's instructions"?

 

But, regarding rtvikvada, both you know and I know that there are so many

other instructions on this matter in Prabhuapda's books and letters, etc, that

override such a premature conclusion as *rtvikvada*.

 

In the same way, while you personally may not have heard a specific

instruction about taking sadhu-sanga from Gaudiya Matha sadhus, you must also

be aware that there are so many instructions in Prabhupada's books about

hearing and taking guidance from more advanced Vaisnavas, realized souls. Or

do wish to minimize and deny half of our philosophy? Please also consider how

much your personal understanding precludes everyone else's taking any guidance

from anyone in the Gaudiya Math for the rest of posterity (ie, the next 10,000

years)?

 

What if in the next generation (make it a hypothetical future), an empowered

Acarya -- the next prominent link in the guru-parampara -- arises within the

Gaudiya Matha. But with your so-called "loyalty" to Srila Prabhuapda no one in

ISKCON should recognize or acknowledge him. Is this what you are telling all

of us?

 

> I plan to remain loyal to Srila Prabhupada's instructions and patiently

> expect his mercy.

 

Remember the story of the man (told here previously on VAD) who was stranded

on his house after a flood and ended up drowning? Despite three people who

came to warn and help him, he replied, "Oh don't bother helping me, I am

depending on God's mercy." When he died and went to heaven, the man complained

to God that "Why didn't you save me when I was praying to you?" God replied,

"What do you mean, I sent three people to help you and you simply sent them

away each time."

 

Moral: the principle of guru is one. Advanced Vaisnavas are themselves the

manifest mercy of the Lord.

 

C.C. Adi 1.58)

jive saksat nahi tate guru caittya-rupe

siksa-guru haya krsna-mahanta-svarupe

 

"Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He

appears before us as a LIBERATED devotee. Such a spiritual master is no one

other than Krsna Himself."

 

Purpt: It is not possible to directly meet Krsna, the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, but if one becomes a sincere devotee and seriosuly engages in

devotional service, Krsna sends an instructing spiritual master to show him

favor and invoke his dormant propensity for serving the Supreme. The preceptor

appears befor the EXTERNAL SENSES of the fortunate conditioned soul, and at

the same time the devotee is guided from within by the caittya-guru, Krsna,

who is seated as the spiritual master within the heart of the living entity."

 

I respectfully submit that your idea of "loyalty" needs to be reexamined and

broadened. Otherwise, you must agree to the rtvik proposal as simply another

kind of such "loyalty."

 

Respectfully,

 

Srila dasa