ISKCON HAS BEEN FORMED FOR THIS PURPOSE

[Guest guest]

Dear Janeswara Prabhu and other devotees,

 

PAMHO. AGTSP. AGTYG.

 

In the introduction of SB,

 

1. First Proposal of Varnasrama by Ramanada Raya. - Lord Caitanya rejects.

2. Second proposal renunciation of fruitive activities "What ever you do, what

ever you eat, Bg (9.27)..."- Lord Caitanya rejects. Prabhupada says only

Varnasrama is *impersonal* conception.

3. Third proposal, Renunciation of Varnasrama and acceptance of only

devotional service.--Lord Caitanya rejects, because all of a sudden one should

not give up his position. Stahne Sthita..

4. Fourth proposal, Attainment of spiritual realisation freed from material

conception of life.--Lord Caitanya rejected, that will create havoc as there

will be some unscrupulous persons, imitating the real spiritualists.

5. Fifth proposal, sincere association of self realised souls and hearing

submissively the transcendental message of the pastimes of the Personality of

Godhead.--This suggestion was welcomed by the Lord. The Lord who is Ajita

becomes jita by one method which is very easy, sravanam and Kirtanam.

 

Here Srila Prabhupada says ISKCON has been formed for this purpose. That is

the fifth proposal. Although there are higher levels of this discussion

between Ramananda Raya and Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada clearly states,

that ISKCON has been formed to execute this fifth proposal.

 

50% of the job was done by Srila Prabupada. He established 108 temples,

started a few farm communities, some schools (Gurukulas), Published and

distributed books, made some devotees etc,, .

 

Srila Prabhupada said that there are many churches in the west, but today they

are empty. Similarly he did not want our temples to be empty only with the TP

and his wife attending mangalarati.

 

What he meant was the other 50% of the job we have to do. (The first 50% he

had established temples). That is we need *devotee* congegations. He did not

want to encourage any of the first 4 proposals above, such as follow only

Varnasrama and thinking I am already a Brahmana (by birth), Ksatriya (son of

Jaipur King, Mysore King, or prince of Wales) etc, or give up Varnasrama and

take up pure devotional service, that is give up his sthana and forgo

responsibilities of taking care of parents, wife children, and simply shave

head wear saffron and join Hare Krishna Temple, whimsicaly without proper

understanding, or just become a life member and give some regular donation for

the temple and say I am following Bg9.27, or some one independently pick up

Srila Prabhupada's books try to directly understand and take those things that

are very convenient to them like take up polygamy, chant a few rounds and

think that they are following Srila Prabhupada and become sahajiyas. Srila

Prabhupada did not want that. He wanted ISKCON to systematically propogate

Bhagavata Dharma with out encouraging the future and new generations, in any

of the first four proposals. He said we must encourage them to continue in

their Varna and Asrama (every one is in some Varna or Asrama in some crude

form) Sthane sthitha, not to whimsically give up Varna and Asrama and take up

pure devotional service, not just give some donation every month become a life

member and stop at that, or become some independant sahajiyas. No. The

remaining 50% of the job will be completed when ISKCON develops temples with

devotee congegations, who will take up to Sravanam and Kirtanam. They will go

to the same office, they will take care of the same wife, children and

parents, but they will chant 16 rounds and try to follow four regulative

principles, attend managlarati at the temple or at home, etc, and preach to

the extant possible. That is where is the remaining 50% of the job. Atleast

if all our life members take up devotional service, chant 16 rounds, rise

early and attend mangalarati at the temple or at home then the remaining 50%

of the job is completed.

 

In our movement we must have devotees following in the footsteps of

Ragunathadasa Goswami, and also have devotees following in the footsteps of

Kurma Brahmana.

 

That is my understanding. With this understanding only I officially joined

ISKCON when I took my Harinama Diksha from HH jayapataka Swami Maharaja last

year in March 99 at Sridama Mayapur.

 

I am still working in the same factory, I am still having the same wife and

two children, I still take care of my parents and grand mother. I have simply

added 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, and the four regulative

principles, and perform mangalarati and evening arati at home, read Srila

Prabhupadas books, participate in the isthagosthi on the COM to get a better

understanding. Try to spread the good message of Lord Caitanya among friends

and relatives or who ever I come in touch with.

 

Please correct me if my above understanding is wrong.

 

I am eternally indebted to my Godbrother, HG Balaram Prasad Das (who is not

here), my Vartmapadarsaka Guru, who was my classmate in college (benchmate),

who persuaded me for 6 months to visit the Hare Krishna temple and finally for

the first time in my life at the age of 31 I visited the Hare Krishna temple

less than 5 years back, in the Centennial year. I have been chanting 16

rounds last 3 and a half years. This is just to introduce myself as some of

the devotees are trying to read in between my lines, and I assure everyone,

there is nothing in between my lines, and request to take all my texts at face

value.

 

I am relatively new to this society, and forgive me for my improper

understanding, and in the association of all the Vaisnavas here I may get some

correct understanding, one day.

 

Seeking the blessings of all the Vaishnavas of the Lord,

 

Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful, wonderful association.

 

Your humble servant,

Bhadra Govinda Das.