Answer to Allegations Made Against H.H. Narayana Maharaja

[Guest guest]

I have received several requests to send the article of Jnana Prabhu

therefore I'm posting it here. Since an accusation against a very senior

vaisnava has been posted on this forum I think it's appropriate to post an

answer to the accusation in order to establish some balance.

 

Shouting Like Hell

------

BY JNANA DAS

 

This is a belated response to some points in Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's

letter

to Agrahya Prabhu, concerning Srila Narayana Maharaja. I haven't found it

easy

to write this paper, bearing in mind Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's experience in

Krsna consciousness, and my own lack of the same. He is also my senior

Godbrother. I hope I may be forgiven for any failure on my part to observe

proper etiquette and write in an appropriate way. I understand that he is

trying to serve Srila Prabhupada loyally, and to preserve his movement and

legacy. I simply want to correct the false information in his letter, and

the

false impression that this may have created.

 

The purpose of Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's letter was to assert that Maharaja

is

not actually an advanced Vaishnava. The purpose of this present paper is to

show that the unpleasant accusations in Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's letter

have

unfortunately been made with no substantial evidence whatever. His letter

appears to have been an exercise in character assassination, based on

inaccurate hearsay and rumor. There is a relevant story about a certain

charismatic preacher, whose parishioners were curious to find out the secret

of

his preaching. One day they peeped into his sermon notebook and found that

he

had written a note next to an important point, "Argument very weak here.

Shout

like hell!" Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu seems to have adopted the same policy.

 

True to Our Parampara

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu alleges that Srila Narayana Maharaja is deviating

from

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's line. The single item of evidence

that Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu puts forward to support this very grave

accusation

concerns book distribution. He quotes Srila Prabhupada at length,

establishing

that the production and distribution of books is an important part of the

sankirtan movement established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He then

writes: "Narayana Maharaja, of course, finds a great difference between

preaching activities of the sankirtan movement on the one hand and

activities

of solitary bhajan on the other. He dismisses book distribution as an

inferior

activity".

 

Ravindra Svarupa portrays Srila Narayana Maharaja as a reclusive

bhajananandi,

who pours scorn on those who preach and publish books. The facts totally

contradict this allegation. Maharaja's daily activities are practically the

same as Srila Prabhupada's were. He chants japa, goes for a walk, gives

darsan,

receives guests, gives class, and deals with practical matters to do with

the

Math and a growing movement. In addition to this he dedicates a considerable

portion of his day to writing and translating. He also travels and preaches

for

almost half of the year. He has been leading parikrama parties in Vraja for

half a century. His annual Navadvipa parikrama attracts ten thousand

(10,000)

pilgrims. The senior members of the Math practice impeccable sadhana and

also

preach extensively throughout the country.

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja has been the editor of the Hindi Bhagavata Patraka

journal for over 40 years, sometimes together with Srila Prabhupada. He has

written many commentaries, and has also translated vital devotional texts

from

Sanskrit and Bengali into Hindi. He learned Bengali so that he could

translate

Jaiva Dharma, and his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja

wrote the following appreciation of his effort.

 

"Tridandi Svami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, the highly

competent editor of the Hindi monthly spiritual magazine, Sri Bhagavat

Patrika,

translated this book into Hindi with great effort and published it in the

magazine in a series of articles spanning a period of six years. At the

repeated request of many faithful people, he has now published these

articles

in book forms for the benefit of the Hindi-speaking religious populace. In

this

connection I feel compelled to say that the highly distinguished translator

is

a speaker of Hindi. Although Bengali is not his mother-tongue, he learned

Bengali to be able to study this book. Having obtained thorough mastery of

both

the language and the subject matter, he accepted the difficulty and

substantial

labor of translating it into Hindi. I am very pleased at heart that he has

expertly preserved the rigorous philosophy, the unfathomable analysis of

rasa,

and the lofty and subtle mood of the original book. The Hindi-speaking world

will remain indebted to him for this monumental work. In particular, Srila

Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura will definitely bestow great mercy

on

him for his tireless service."

 

About two years ago, Srila Narayana Maharaja completed his massive

commentary

on Bhagavad-gita, which includes the commentaries of Srila Visvanatha

Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura. (It was so thick that it

had

to be printed on special Bible paper). The English translation will be

available shortly. Maharaja has just completed a 500-page biography of his

spiritual master, which includes the siddhantic basis for the Gaudiya

Vedanta

Samiti, of which Srila Prabhupada was a co-founder. This publication will

also

shortly be available in English. In the last two years, he and his followers

have produced about 10 new titles in English and printed some 80,000

volumes.

He has given specific instructions to many of his disciples and followers to

distribute his books and Srila Prabhupada's books as well.

 

It is obviously completely false to say that Srila Maharaja is against book

distribution and preaching, and the facts which disprove this statement have

always been readily and openly available. However, this was the only

argument

that Ravindra Svarupa put forward to support his contention that Srila

Maharaja

has deviated from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, and is acting

as

an agent against Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada's mission. This

charge, then, collapses completely.

 

What does Maharaja actually say about book distribution? (After all, this is

the basis of the accusation that Maharaja is deviating from our parampara).

Maharaja does not condemn book distribution as an inferior activity. His

stance

is actually the same as Srila Prabhupada's. He is committed to the

production

and distribution of books, and he also emphasizes that it is not enough to

go

on distributing books without advancing in Krsna consciousness. "Some are

telling that you should always be distributing books and making money for

your

whole life, and this will take you to Goloka Vrindavana in the service of

gopi-prema. This is quite absurd, quite absurd .... They should know that

this book distribution alone will not be sufficient to achieve the final

goal".

However if a devotee is hearing from bona fide authorities and advancing

from

the kanistha to the madhyama stage, then "At that time to distribute books

is

bhakti". [The Essence of all Advice, pp 14-15].

 

Srila Prabhupada also instructed us that book distribution should nourish,

and

not replace, our individual realization of Krsna consciousness. Knowing and

realizing Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta is the prerequisite for effective

preaching. Srila Narayana Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada are in complete

agreement on this point.

 

Not that you just distribute but neglect reading them yourself. Always read

them, especially Krsna book. Every time you have a spare moment, you should

read. This will help you to advance in Krishna consciousness, and will give

you

the ability to convince others also. [Letter to Trai, 72-05-05]

 

Our business is to ourselves become Krsna conscious, advance in spiritual

life,

and to preach to others how they can also take advantage and come to the

perfectional stage of life. [Letter to Jayananda, Trai and Rsabhadeva,

72-05-14]

 

I know Hansaduta is very expert in selling books, but books are not only for

selling but also for reading. Now has the GBC become more than Guru

Maharaja?

As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling and pence. If

the

GBC does not look after spiritual life, that is a defect. All of our

students

will have to become guru, but they are not qualified. That is the

difficulty.

[Letter to Alanatha dasa 11-10-75]

 

I must become first of all devotee; then I shall request others to become

devotee. .... First behave yourself perfectly; then teach others to become

perfect. That is preacher. .... So all these books are there. You see one

sloka. Studying, knowing takes one hour. So there are millions of slokas.

How

much you have to study. So these things are to be noted. This Krsna

consciousness movement means perfection, all around perfection. Then people

will appreciate. [Conversation Geneva 6-5-74]

 

One who is going to bestow divine service, he must know what is divine

service

and how to become divine. Lord Caitanya says, 'apani acari prabhu jivera

sikhaya'. One has to first of all exhibit himself that he is divine. Then he

can, I mean to say, serve others divinely. Physician heal thyself. If a

physician is diseased a patient does not like to go to him. [sB lecture

5-4-68]

 

Babaji Phobia

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has fabricated this false impression that Srila

Narayana Maharaja is against book distribution, and also the scenario which

allegedly caused Maharaja's so-called "deviation". He alleges that Srila

Narayana Maharaja had no rasika shiksha from his Guru Maharaja, and that he

went to a Vrindavana babaji whose influence has caused Maharaja to corrupt

the

mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja is just as bold and uncompromising as Srila

Prabhupada

and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in regard to any type of

deviation

or sahajiya-ism. Some Radha-Kunda babajis are critical of our Gaudiya

acaryas,

and Maharaja regularly challenges them to engage with him in public debate,

but

they are all afraid to do so. Every year on parikrama his lecture in Hindi

and

English rings out on loudspeakers over the whole Radha-kunda area,

condemning

false teachings and practices in the babaji community. Maharaja is respected

and praised throughout the Gaudiya community as a prominent opponent of

false

teachings coming from the babaji community.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu seems to imply that all of Srila Narayana Maharaja's

teachings are apasiddhanta: "What he is now preaching and delivering clearly

comes from outside the line of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He did not

get this from Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, his diksa guru". This

statement

is completely false. In fact, Maharaja has deeply studied the sastras and

the

commentaries of all of our acaryas, and quotes them in all of his preaching

and

teaching. Will Ravindra Svarupa please specify precisely what Maharaja is

teaching and delivering that is outside the line of Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati

Thakura, and that he did not get from his Guru Maharaja?

 

Regarding "rasika shiksha", Maharaja recently pointed out that his spiritual

master gave him Gopala mantra to Gopi-jana Vallabha; Kama gayatri (which is

specifically for raganuga-bhakti in parakiya-rasa); and the sannyasa mantra

(which is for taking exclusive shelter of gopi-bhava). Maharaja also studied

the Gosvami literatures such as Ujjvala-Nilamani under his Guru Maharaja's

guidance. Maharaja concluded, "So what did I not receive from my Guru

Maharaja?"

 

Here, as elsewhere, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has abandoned the attempt to

collect and evaluate evidence. "Whatever it is that Narayana Maharaja is

giving

comes from this babaji. .... I don't know anything about this babaji ...

What

did Narayana Maharaja actually get?" Let's be clear what is happening here.

Ravindra Svarupa has not gathered any information about the identity or

teachings of the devotee from whom Srila Narayana Maharaja is supposed to

have

received shiksha, nor does he know what Maharaja is supposed to have

received

from this devotee. Despite his ignorance of the facts, Ravindra Svarupa

Prabhu

is still prepared to state that this devotee's teachings are false, and that

through his influence Maharaja is corrupting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

Thakura's movement. He has no grounds or justification at all for making

this

very serious accusation. (Let us remember also that the supposed evidence

that

this corruption is taking place -- namely Maharaja's supposed contempt for

book

distribution -- is completely concocted).

 

In his eagerness to portray Srila Narayana Maharaja as a sahajiya, Ravindra

Svarupa Prabhu alleges that Maharaja regularly associates with two kisori

women

behind closed doors. This is a myth. We challenge Ravindra Svarupa to name

any

such women. Maharaja's is not an organization in which so-called leaders can

act questionably without being challenged. Maharaja is and has been

surrounded

by brahmacaris. Godbrothers and sannyasis are constantly coming and going.

Other members of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti and members of the Gaudiya

community at large have not been shy to voice questions or disagreements. In

general, if there were any need for investigation, the Gaudiya community

would

investigate. The fact that there is no investigation means that there is no

cause for concern.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu quotes Srila Prabhupada's condemnation of sahajiyas

who

are only interested in hearing about Krsna's activities with the gopis, and

not

in reading Bhagavad-gita. Ravindra Svarupa uses Srila Prabhupada's statement

to

condemn Maharaja (and also Prabhupada disciples who accept shiksha from him)

on

the false grounds that Maharaja has "no interest" in Bhagavad-gita, and

implies

that this is further proof that Maharaja is a sahajiya. Now, Srila

Prabhupada

does says that sahajiyas emphasize Krsna's pastimes with the gopis, because

they wrongly suppose that they have the qualification for disregarding

Bhagavad-gita. The converse, however, is not true. Srila Prabhupada does not

say that everyone who genuinely prefers to hear about the Vraja pastimes is

necessarily a sahajiya. On the contrary, he elaborately explains in "The

Nectar

of Instruction" that we should come to the point of concentrating on Krsna's

pastimes in Vraja. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains in

Bhakti-Rasamarta-Sindhu-Bindu and Sri Raga-Vartma-Candrika that it is

favorable

and essential for the raganuga sadhaka to give up meditation on Krsna's

Dvaraka-lila.

 

In any case, we have already mentioned that Maharaja has published an

extremely

elaborate and voluminous version of Bhagavad-gita. Why would he take years

to

comment in such detail on a book in which he has no interest? Either he has

interest himself in Bhagavad-gita, or else he is committed to preaching, or

both. In either case, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's allegations are null and

void.

He has failed in his attempt to establish that Srila Narayana Maharaja is a

sahajiya. In fact, Maharaja is transmitting the teachings of his Guru

Maharaja,

of Srila Prabhupada, of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and of all

our

acaryas in the line of Rupa Gosvami. Therefore he is not a sahajiya, and

Srila

Prabhupada's statement, which Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu quotes, simply does

not

apply to Srila Narayana Maharaja.

 

Whatever Maharaja's personal taste and mood may be, he is helping devotees

on a

more general level of Krsna consciousness by lecturing regularly on the

basic

issues of Krsna consciousness such as the process of surrender (saranagati).

We

have seen him enthusiastically enjoying productions of Nrsinghadeva dramas,

and

joining in celebrations of Nrsingha-Caturdasi.

 

False Accusations

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has accused Srila Narayana Maharaja of deviating

from

the teachings of our parampara, and of breaking sannyasa principles. What

more

serious accusation can one make against a senior sannyasi, preacher and guru

in

our Gaudiya line? These allegations are clearly false, and there was no

legitimate reason or justification for making them in the first place.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu states that Srila Narayana Maharaja privately

belittles

Srila Prabhupada. I have been observing Maharaja closely for two and a half

years, and talking to other Godbrothers and Godsisters' and I can say that

this

statement is completely untrue. What is the actual evidence to the contrary?

I

have seen that Maharaja always has nothing but praise for Srila Prabhupada

and

his achievements, of which Maharaja is deeply proud. Other Prabhupada

disciples

say the same. In my own case, Maharaja has always insisted that my

relationship

with Srila Prabhupada is deeper and more important than my relationship with

him, and is the platform on which everything rests. It is particularly

significant to me that Maharaja's most advanced shiksha disciples also

express

a very deep and unreserved faith in Srila Prabhupada, and show great respect

and affection for his disciples as well.

 

Ravindra Svarupa gives an example of a conversation in which Maharaja

supposedly minimized Srila Prabhupada's explanation of the Invocation of Sri

Isopanisad. Ravindra Svarupa falsely puts words into Maharaja's mouth when

he

writes that Maharaja "was telling me Prabhupada was in error in his books".

If

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu had respectfully asked for an explanation of the

contradiction, he would have found out that Maharaja was not speculating his

own version or dismissing Srila Prabhupada's purports. Rather, his

presentation

was directly from Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana's commentary on Sri

Isopanisad.

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu says that this presentation was "weird". Thus, in an

attempt to minimize Srila Narayana Maharaja, he inadvertently criticises

Srila

Baladeva Vidyabhusana. When we were very new devotees it was, perhaps,

appropriate to accept Srila Prabhupada's instructions as the last and only

words on Krishna consciousness. As we mature, we come to accept that Srila

Prabhupada has appeared in the context of our sampradaya and the present

Gaudiya community, whose members may from time to time emphasize different

aspects of siddhanta and practice. Srila Prabhupada writes that such

disagreements between pure devotees are on the transcendental platform.

There

is a danger that immature devotees, being unable to reconcile such apparent

contradictions, may choose to take sides, and may commit offences to one

Vaisnava in the name of following another.

 

Obviously we should be faithful to Srila Prabhupada's instructions. However,

we

should avoid making a cult of superficial interpretations. We may take our

own

incomplete and superficial interpretations as absolute, and reject any

apparent

contradictions as absolutely wrong and even irrational. In that case, we

will

mislead ourselves and others.

 

Correcting some more false statements

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja does not aggressively target ISKCON congregations.

Rather, he visits those places where he is invited and where local devotees

make arrangements for him to speak. After all, Srila Prabhupada personally

requested Srila Narayana Maharaja to help his disciples. Maharaja has often

re-affirmed his desire to help Srila Prabhupada's disciples who have become

thirsty and/or weak over the years. Maharaja sees them suffering. He goes

where

they beg him to come. How can he not try to help them?

 

Maharaja visits Houston, not to spite Tamal Krishna Maharaja (as Ravindra

Svarupa suggests), but because he has an active congregation there, who also

arrange for Maharaja's medical check-up. Contrary to Ravindra Svarupa's

statements, Maharaja does not dwell on "the supposed evils of the GBC" in

"lecture after lecture". However, the GBC have prepared video tapes and

computer-controlled multi media presentations to try to discredit Srila

Narayana Maharaja and his followers. In Hawaii, the GBC sannyasi making a

presentation said, "Those who follow Narayana Maharaja may find themselves

taking birth in Vrindavana". Then he added something to the effect that "but

it

may be in a family like this" and a picture of a group of monkeys came up on

the screen. (This is from an eye-witness account).

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu asserts: "After all, Narayana Maharaja is claiming

that

he is Srila Prabhupada's direct successor. All in ISKCON are urged to

acknowledge him as our authorized spiritual master". This is inaccurate

hearsay. Some of Maharaja's zealous followers may have suggested this, but

Maharaja has never done so. It appears that Ravindra Svarupa is afraid that

Maharaja would be like another zonal acarya, but on a global scale. The

truth

is that Maharaja is not interested in controlling other people's lives.

"Your

Prabhupada was so expert in management, but I don't think I did it even in

previous lifetimes". Maharaja actually wants to continue with his spiritual

study and practice, and to help others to continue with theirs. No one is

compelled to accept guidance and instructions.

 

Differences

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu and the GBC have said that it is not possible to

take

shiksha from Srila Narayana Maharaja because there are differences between

what

he says and what Srila Prabhupada has said. But we also find major

differences

between Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and his spiritual master

(who'

for example, forbade him to go to Calcutta to preach). There are differences

between the practices in Srila Prabhupada's mission and in that of his

spiritual master. Many senior devotees maintain that there are also

significant

differences between Srila Prabhupada's instructions and the practices

promoted

by the GBC. In fact, it is practically impossible to find any instance of

"non-difference" between members of our guru parampara.

 

Srila Prabhupada and Srila Narayana Maharaja

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada first met in Calcutta in 1947.

Maharaja was serving Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, and noticed the

respect that his Guru Maharaja showed to Srila Prabhupada, and himself

served

Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada, for his part, seems to have regarded

Maharaja as a disciple from the very first, even though Maharaja was staying

with his Guru Maharaja at the time. On September 28th, 1966 Srila Prabhupada

wrote (in Bengali) to Maharaja, "Our relationship is certainly based on

spontaneous love .... From the first time I saw you I have been your

constant

well-wisher. At his first sight of me Srila [bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati]

Prabhupada also saw me with such love. It was in my very first darsana of

Srila

Prabhupada that I learned how to love". This is but one indication of the

very

close and intimate connection between them.

 

On the day that Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa, it was Srila Narayana

Maharaja

who made the sannyasa danda, applied tilak on 12 parts of Srila Prabhupada's

body with his own hand, and performed the actual ceremony under Srila Bhakti

Prajnana Kesava Maharaja's direction. Devotees who were staying in the Math

at

the time recall that when Srila Prabhupada stayed there he was very grave in

his dealings, but he would visit Srila Narayana Maharaja in his room and

they

would laugh and joke together.

 

Srila Prabhupada's first letter from the States to India was to Maharaja.

Maharaja would go to great trouble buying karatalas, mrdangas and Deities

and

sending them to Srila Prabhupada. He regularly sent large shipments of books

by

freight and used to go to Delhi to carry out Srila Prabhupada's banking

business. Maharaja was the only person to meet Srila Prabhupada and his

disciples at Delhi airport when he returned the first time to recuperate,

and

he had such faith in Srila Prabhupada that he didn't hesitate to respect

prasadam that Srila Prabhupada's Western disciples had cooked and offered.

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja was one of the last people that Srila Prabhupada

spoke

to before entering Krsna's eternal pastimes. During their conversations,

Srila

Prabhupada asked Maharaja to help look after his disciples after his

departure.

(These historical details are recounted in "Srila Prabhupada's Letters from

America to Srila Narayana Maharaja", Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja: My

Siksa Guru and Priya Bandhu" and "Their Lasting Relation"). Srila Prabhupada

specifically requested Maharaja to put him in samadhi. Ravindra Svarupa

Prabhu

wants us to suppose that Srila Prabhupada was simply making arrangements for

his "funeral" (as if a maha-bhagavata needs a funeral), and is cynical about

any deeper significance that Maharaja's followers see in this. It is a fact,

though, that putting the acarya into samadhi is a duty or privilege which is

reserved for the foremost disciple. Even in Hindu civil law, the person who

sets light to the funeral pyre has a special claim to the estate. I am

mentioning this only to show the intimate link between Srila Prabhupada and

Srila Narayana Maharaja. It is not in any way meant as evidence that

Maharaja

is the "next acarya" of ISKCON.

 

Seeing the world in one's own image

 

Unfortunately, in relation to Maharaja and his followers, Ravindra Svarupa

Prabhu has failed to gather and evaluate sound evidence, or to present fair

conclusions in a detached way. Instead, he paints a picture of an irrational

and sinister cult which is maintained by charisma, by crooked and deceptive

talking, and by the eerie corruption of the intelligence of unreasoning and

sentimental followers. He depicts the leader as aggressive, vengeful,

belligerent, devoid of any consistent rationale, and totally adrift from

guru,

shastra and sadhu. All this is quite without evidence. Many devotees are

wondering how he could have written such a letter. After all, he is a senior

devotee who is well educated and cultured. He has written so much about

Krsna

consciousness, and in particular helped to initiate the reforms in the early

80's. What's actually happening here? Here's a suggestion.

 

In his letter, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu claims to have examined Srila

Narayana

Maharaja and found weeds which kill the true creeper of bhakti. He then

quotes

from Srila Prabhupada's purport to C.C. M.l. 19.159: "A pure devotee can

distinguish between the bhakti-lata creeper and a mundane creeper, and he is

very alert to distinguish them and keep them apart". In other words,

Ravindra

Svarupa Prabhu first portrays Srila Narayana Maharaja as a corrupt and

devious

neophyte, and then goes on to imply that he (Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu) is the

"pure devotee" (these are Srila Prabhupada's words that he is quoting) who

can

alert the rest of the devotee community to the danger.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu would have us believe that he is expert in

scriptural

analysis and qualified to condemn Srila Narayana Maharaja. The facts do not

at

all support this scenario. On the contrary, his allegations against Maharaja

have collapsed one by one. He has not given any proper evidence to support

his

accusations or to justify his abusive language.

 

The fact is that Srila Narayana Maharaja is a highly respected member of the

Gaudiya community. He has been chanting at least 64 rounds (and at times

many

more) daily for many decades. He has been studying and practising Krishna

consciousness for a whole generation longer than we have been struggling

with

our 16 rounds and our fratricidal wars. He comes from a sinless background

in

an elevated brahminical family, and has associated with and served many or

most

of the elevated Vaishnavas in the Gaudiya community. From these

considerations

alone, there is a serious possibility that Maharaja's Krishna consciousness

is

in another dimension from our own. Further, Srila Prabhupada had a long and

affectionate relationship with him, and states in the letter quoted above

that

he instantly recognized his relationship with Maharaja in the same way that

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura recognized Srila Prabhupada.

 

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's presentation does nothing whatever to disprove the

objective fact that Srila Narayana Maharaja is a highly qualified devotee.

However, his letter does expose his own shortcomings directly. He has not

been

truthful or responsible in his accusations against Srila Narayana Maharaja,

and

he has needlessly blasphemed a senior Vaishnava. It is as if he was so

convinced of the truth of his own wishful thinking that he did not even

bother

to verify his evidence and arguments.

 

It is significant that Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu is himself guilty of many of

the

faults that he has unsuccessfully tried to point out in Maharaja.

 

** He accuses Srila Narayana Maharaja and his followers of calling ISKCON a

"kanistha organization". But Ravindra Svarupa himself used the phrase to

describe ISKCON in the early 80's. In fact, I understood that it was he who

actually coined it). ** He complains that Maharaja has called Srila

Prabhupada

"a mere vaidhi-guru", but Maharaja has from the first maintained that Srila

Prabhupada came to give raganuga bhakti as well as vaidhi-bhakti. It is the

GBC

spokesmen who have maintained that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to stick only

to

the regulated practices of vaidhi bhakti. ** Ravindra Svarupa accuses

Maharaja

of belligerence, but it is the GBC who have condemned, rejected and banned

Maharaja. It is they who are making video tapes and computer-driven

multi-media

presentations condemning Maharaja, not the other way round. ** Ravindra

Svarupa

states that Maharaja is deliberately crooked and deceptive, and that his

followers are "acolytes of the higher crookedness" (i.e. trainee liars); but

Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's letter is full of unfounded and untruthful

statements

about Maharaja's conduct and attitudes.

 

Srila Prabhupada often explained the principle of atmavan manyate jagat: we

falsely identify good or bad qualities in others, when they are actually

present in ourselves. A deaf man thinks everyone else is deaf, and Bharata

Maharaja thought the little deer was as noble as he was. That is to say, if

I

accuse someone of a fault of which they are actually innocent, it may well

be

that the fault is present in myself.

 

Let's provisionally accept Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu's scenario of the weeds

and

the devotional creeper. Now let's ask ourselves, "Which of these two

devotees

is the qualified Vaishnava, and which has the weeds?" Can it be that the

faults

and weeds that Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has tried to find in Srila Narayana

Maharaja are actually present in himself?

 

Discussing the real issues

 

This is not the first time that spokesmen for the GBC have launched such an

attack on Maharaja. However, they have consistently failed to show that

Srila

Narayana Maharaja is materially motivated. Those who are trying to find some

help in their Krsna consciousness may consider the following train of

thought:

If there are real objections to accepting guidance from Maharaja, why do GBC

spokesmen consistently put forward false objections? Can this mean that the

objections are not, in fact, substantial?

 

There are certainly real issues to discuss in relation to Srila Narayana

Maharaja. For instance, Do we actually need help to understand Srila

Prabhupada's teachings and mission, and is it acceptable to do so? What can

we

gain by looking for guidance from someone outside the movement? What are the

real criteria which will help us to decide whether Maharaja (or any other

Vaisnava) is or is not a suitable helper and guide? What is a shiksha guru?

What is the relationship between shiksa guru and diksa guru? How does one

develop a relationship with one while remaining chaste to the other? To what

extent can we insist that diksa and shiksa guru say exactly the same thing?

Is

it possible for disciples of Srila Prabhupada to have friendly relations

with

members of the Gaudiya Math, and if so, how?

 

Association and Guidance

 

Many devotees have concluded that we do need help to understand Srila

Prabhupada's teachings and mission. In Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.13.4, we read:

 

Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long

time

MUST hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and

activities

of pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the

lotus

feet of the Personality of Godhead, who awards His devotees liberation.

(emphasis added)

 

Srila Prabhupada comments in his purport to this verse:

 

Transcendental students are those who undergo great penance in being trained

by

hearing the Vedas from a bona fide spiritual master. Not only must they hear

about the activities of the Lord, but they must also hear about the

transcendental qualities of the devotees who are constantly thinking of the

lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. A pure devotee of the Lord

cannot

be separated from the lotus feet of the Lord for even a moment. .... Worship

of

the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord. It is therefore the

duty

of the transcendental students to hear of pure devotees, as explained by

similar devotees of the Lord, because one cannot explain about the Lord or

His

devotee unless one happens to be a pure devotee himself.

 

Here Srila Prabhupada clearly says that only a pure devotee is competent to

explain the activities of another pure devotee, and he defines a pure

devotee

as someone who "cannot be separated from the lotus feet of the Lord for even

a

moment". That is to say, only devotees of this calibre can understand Srila

Prabhupada's activities and mission and explain them to others. It is

significant that Srila Prabhupada says we must hear from the mouths of pure

devotees about the character and activities of other pure devotees. He is

emphasizing association with devotees who are physically present.

 

It is beyond the scope of this paper to show that Srila Narayana Maharaja is

such a pure devotee. However, the objections that Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu

has

made are clearly insubstantial.

 

I realize that we are touching on very sensitive issues here: guru-tattva,

shiksha and association with Vaisnavas from other Gaudiya associations.

These

issues do not relate only to Srila Narayana Maharaja, and they are not going

to

go away. When mature and responsible devotees can discuss them truthfully,

respectfully and positively, we will be able to bring fresh strength to

Srila

Prabhupada's movement and family, and to co-operate in pushing on with his

glorious mission.

 

end of the article