Siksa as most important guru

[Guest guest]

Dear Janesvara,

 

I am sorry that I have unnecessarily exacerbated the antagonistic tenor of our

discussion by my polemical response. It also seems that you talk through me

and I do the same to you. Still, since there are vital issues at stake,

Krsnadasa Kaviraja enjoins us to discuss them.

 

> The Bible does not have Srila Prabhupada's purports.

 

All the acaryas have written some *tika* or commentary, as a way of

explanation. By your logic, someone also could reason, "Why do I need

Prabhupada's purports? I have Jiva Gowami's, Visvanatha Cakravarti's, or

Bhaktivinode's?" Aren't they also as good as guru and sadhu?

 

By such logic we thus abridge the philosophy according to our own subjective

experience: "Oh, all ISKCON sadhus and gurus were bogus or certainly not up

to standard, so no need for them. I just need to read. Become a bookworm and

I'll know everything. Bas." Does this sound right?

 

> > There must always be an appropriate balance between GURU, SASTRA AND

SADHU. This is Gaudiya-VAISNAVA PHILOSOPHY. Otherwise, [we] run the risk of

becoming MAYAVADA with an undue emphasis simply on reading books

(viz, "studying Vedanta").

 

> > Without proper association, guidance and confirmation from more advanced

devotees, what is to keep anyone of us from developing perverted and selfishly

motivated interpretations of SP's books?

 

You seem to say that simply by reading Prabhupada's books, this obviates the

need to seek out any other guru or sadhu for guidance and accepting them as

genuine spiritual authority.

 

If you recall, however, this idea of "only accepting Prabhupada" was a bogus

philosophy even during Srila Prabhupada's physical presence, what to speak of

when he is no longer available as the ultimate authority to answer our

inquiries and resolve our quandaries.

 

Are you telling us that all the understanding you need or want to know is that

which is filtered through your own imperfect subjective power -- reading

comprehension?

 

Sincerely,

 

Srila dasa