Sentimentalism vs Sadhu's knife: sewing it up

[Guest guest]

Srila das wrote:

> > In the beginning, Prabhupada's original intention was "we want to

> > AMALGAMATE completely with the Gaudiya Math." (letter 1968) (AMALGAMATE:

> > "combine into one, integrate, etc." Webster's 3rd Intl) Just consider that

> > there might be much to which you are also blind to.

 

I don't know the letter of which you're speaking, but I am familiar with

an oft-quoted letter from 1969. Here's the part that the followers of

HH Narayana Maharaja are often heard to quote:

 

"I am sure if Gaudiya Mission and I combine together, it will be

very nice thing to preach the cult of Lord Caitanya all over the

world."

 

Here's the next sentence in Srila Prabhupada's letter, which is less

often cited by the above individuals:

 

"I can reorganize all the branches of the Gaudiya Math in India,

and if there is any financial question, it will be not difficult

for our society to help in that way also."

As Badrinarayana prabhu notes, "In other words, the basis for

cooperation was to be that Srila Prabhupada, as the one truly

successful worldwide preacher, would 'reorganize all the branches of

the Gaudiya Matha.' It was not that ISKCON would accept the Gaudiya

Matha's leadership and gradually abandon or alter the standards and

philosophical principles given by Srila Prabhupada."

 

I don't see any reason why the same message would not also apply

to this "amalgamate" letter.

 

Yours,

 

Vijay