Sentimentalism vs Sadhu's knife

[Guest guest]

On 04 Jul 1999, Samba das wrote:

> > So maybe someone can accept a guru from the uttama-adhikary stage but only

on the level of bhava and then the guru may falldown. What to do then,

persecute them for accepting a fallen guru :

> > Your servant, Gokula das.

>

> If we end up with a society that persecutes devotees for having gurus that

fell down, we might as well abandon it. Hopefully that will never come to

pass.

 

> Happily we know though that even if that did happen, nothing can take away

the truths that Srila Prabhupada has given us, and we can be secure in the

knowledge that if if such a thing did happen, Krsna will make arrangements to

take his sincere devotees home.

> Who can fathom the workings of the supreme!

> YS

 

There is a fine line between compassion and sentimentality, the sadhu's knife

or the dacoit's switchblade. We should certainly not persecute the fallen

gurus. I always feel indebted and grateful to Harikesa Swami for his personal

care for me and I revere the outstanding service he has rendered to furthering

Prabhupada's mission. I try not to have any hard feelings towards any of the

fallen zonal acaryas, even where I have been personally affected. At the same

time, while wishing them well, we must repudiate the ignorance that caused

them to fall.

 

The Caitanya-bhagavata explains that if a disciple commits vaisnava-aparadha,

not only does he lose his position in devotional service, but he cause his

guru to fall down as well -- unless that guru is a *maha-bhagavata.*

 

The facts should be known that Harikesa Maharaja was responsible for offending

exalted souls like Srila BR Sridhara Maharaja and Narayan Maharaja as well as

inducing his disciples to do likewise. I had personal experience of this while

in HKS zone. At least in part, HKS fell down by the reaction of sadhu-ninda

from his own disciples against Gaudiya saints.

 

Not to single HKS out, since he was not as bad as some of the others who fell.

There has also existed a general mood of bad-mouthing the Gaudiya Matha which

has hung over ISKCON like a cloud of collective ignorance since Prabhupada's

time.

 

However, particular persons were responsible for promoting this ignorance, and

many of them have unfortunately reaped the results of their offenses, as must

happen to us all. It is not possible to fall away from devotional service in

such a dramatic way as HKS, Bhagavan, Ramesvara, etc did except due to

accumulated offenses at the feet of Vaisnavas -- including senior members of

the Gaudiya Math as well as their own godbrothers and disciples.

 

We should be clear about this and rectify ourselves.

 

Aother point: A guru who needs to be "reformed" was never really a bonafide

guru to begin with -- ie capable of delivering his disciples from illusion and

dispelling their doubts? How can he? Because the disciples cannot truly have

implicit faith in such a non-realized guru. Suc faith is not real.

 

Let's not become sentimental in the name of compassion.

 

Sometimes, it's painful to cut out ignorance, and that is why a sadhu is known

to speak in sharp words.

 

Srila dasa