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Article: This Is Not A Book Review

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>

> > >

> > just an observation...can we move on....?

> >

> > Now that you have all pummeled(beaten) this devotee into the

> > ground...has anyone here tried to lovingly correct? Our family business

> > is to uplift others. In the name of carrying the banner of parampara we

> > become part of a greater offense...undermining those around us.

> >

> > Let us at least try to follow Srila Prabhupada's example (if need be)

> > of 'correction' plus the 'nourishment' of others...then our words will

> > truly guide and allow 'more' to ride within the boundaries of his(our)

> > Iskcon.

>

> Maharaja, I find your response naiive, and it also seems hard to believe

> that you are unaware of who this person is, her history of blasphemy, her

> offensiveness towards Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON, and the repeated

> attempts to either explain to her, discuss with her, or any other method,

> all of which have failed.

>

> Your sentiments are noteworthy in some instances. Not all. And definitely

> not this one.

 

There are different levels or kinds of falldowns and we can see that

Prabhupada reacted with devotees' falldowns accordingly.

 

Type #1 -- Sensual weakness: A devotee falls down due to uncontrolled

senses. Can't keep his vows, etc. But heart is still filled with respect and

faith to Srila Prabhupada, previous acaryas, sastra, etc.

 

Type #2 -- Philosophical deviation: Devotee deviates from the sampradayic

teachings. For eg. the Gopi Bhava Club.

 

Type #3 -- Dropout due to lack of faith in (any portion of) sastra (sastra

as presented by the previous acaryas): For instance, devotees leave because

of Srila Prabhupada's statements that they didn't go to the moon or the

Fifth Canto's description of the universe is right.

 

Type #4 -- Criticism of the pure Vaishnava Acaryas of the sampradaya: This

is self-explanatory.

 

Srila Prabhupada was very kind to falldowns of type #1. He tried to get them

back even sometimes. He allowed fallen sannyasis to become grhasthas and

encouraged to continue within ISKCON.

 

With type #2 falldowns, Srila Prabhupada behaved in a very stern and strict

manner as he was with the Gopi Bhava Club. For details, please consult Hari

Sauri Prabhu's diary. There was a time when a speculation that Srila

Prabhupada was Krsna was there and Srila Prabhupada, to quote HH Jayapataka

Maharaja, "drilled" the devotees to find out if they believed in such

speculations. Prabhupada was not very soft-and-sweet in such circumstances.

 

With type #3 falldowns, Srila Prabhupada allowed these devotees to leave

ISKCON. He didn't try to bring them back into ISKCON as far as I understand

or know.

 

With type #4 falldowns, Srila Prabhupada was fierce. When Nitai Das made

some remarks critical of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila

Prabhupada was not "compassionate" in an "uplifting" spirit, etc. He was

furious. He wrote a letter to temple presidents that Nitai has become a

serpent whose association has to be avoided. In other words, he was

excommunicated.

 

Based on such behavior of Srila Prabhupada, we are saying that those pass

critical remarks of Srila Prabhupada should be excommunicated.

 

Ostracization is not a strange or new phenomenon to our Gaudiya Vaishnava

sampradaya. Below I am appending a text which I had sent to devotees, on the

instruction of my spiritual master HH Jayapataka Maharaja, which details how

one devotee was ostracized by none other than Srila Virabhadra, the son of

Lord Nityananda.

 

---

It is about Jayagopala dasa who appears to have been present during the time

of Srila Srinivasacarya. He was ostracized by Srila Nityananda Prabhu's son,

Srila Virabhadra Gosvami Prabhu, an incarnation of Sri Ksirodakasayi Visnu

Himself.

 

Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja had shown me the text from a famous Bengali

Vaisnava encyclopedia Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana (by a Gaudiya Vaisnava

named Haridasa dasa).

 

---

Description of Jayagopala from Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana (Khanda 3):

---

Jayagopala was a kayastha from the village Kandra in Bengal. Having

transgressed the mercy of his spiritual master, he was ostracized by Sri

Virabhadra Gosvami from the Vaisnava society.

 

In Radhadesa, there is a village named Kandra. Sri Mangala and Jnana

dasa lived there. Jayagopala was born in a family of Kayasthas in

that village. Out of false ego due to having obtained a high

education, he became proud and evil-minded. His spiritual master was

a pure devotee of the Lord but because he was illiterate, Jaya

Gopala was ashamed of him. If someone inquired as to who his guru

was, Jaya Gopala would say that his grand-spiritual master

(parama-guru) was his guru. Srila Virabhadra Prabhu brought this up

and ostracized him for having transgressed the mercy given to him.

(Bhakti Ratnakara 14.180-183) [1]

 

The letter sent by the son of Lord Nityananda to Srila Srinivasa Acarya

requesting him to reject Jaya Gopala is appended below:

 

All glories to Sri Gaura and Sri Nityananda!

 

Sri Virabhadradeva, who is certainly to be remembered by Your Grace,

submits herewith the following with a loving embrace:

 

Srila Srinivasacarya! You are Sri Sri Mahaprabhu's potency.

Whereas through one energy of the Lord, transcendental literatures

were published by Srila Rupa Gosvami and others who were the

personified energies of the Lord, through His other energy, the

mahajanas, the Lord is distributing the books in Bengal. Thus I am

submitting news to Your Grace.

 

Jaya Gopala dasa has transgressed My mercy. This has also become

known to the world. Therefore, in this matter, I have forbidden

all of My men to talk with him and so on. Similarly, Your Grace

may also not talk with him and so on. [2]

 

In the Bhakti Ratnakara (14.190-191), it is written:

 

Who does not cry on seeing the qualities of Sri Virabhadra Prabhu?

He ostracized the sinful Jaya Gopala. Everyone came to know about

this and no one would ever speak to him and so on. [3]

 

There is also a description of Jaya Gopala in the 19th Vilasa of Prema

Vilasa.

---

 

Your servant,

Vidvan Gauranga das

 

ENDNOTES:

 

[1] (Bhakti Ratnakara 14.180-183)

raadhadese kaandra naamete graama haya/

tathaa srii-mangala jnaana-daasera aalaya//

tathaai kaayastha jayagopaalera sthiti/

vidyaa-ahankaare taara janmila durmati//

guru vidyaa-hiina - ithe heya atisaya/

jijnaasile parama-guruke guru kaya//

prabhu viirabhadra prakaarete vyakta kaila/

langhila prasaada tenhi - taare tyaaga dila

 

[2] Directly from manuscript? [Patrika 5]

sri-sri-gaura-nityaanandau jayatah. taavadiiyaavasya-smaraniiya-

sri-virabhadradevah premaalingana-puurvakam nivedayati.

 

sriila-sriinivaasaacaarya tvam srii-srii-mahaaprabhoh saktih. Ata eva

ekayaa saktyaa prabhu-sakti-ruupaadi-sriimad-ruupa-gosvaami-dvaara

grantha-prakaasitah. Aparayaa saktya gauda-mandale mahaajana-samsadi

grantha-vistaaram karoti iti bhavato 'ntike madiiya-vaartam

presayaami.

 

jaya-gopala-daasena mat-prasaadollanghanam krtam tac ca jagati viditam

itiiha tena saardham madiiya-janena kenaapy aalaapaadikam na kriyate

mayaapi nisiddham bhavataapi tathaalaapaadikam na kartavyam iti.

 

[3] Bhakti Ratnakara (14.190-191)

prabhu viirabhadra gune kebaa naahi jhure/

karilena tyaaga paapii jayagopaalere//

esakala kathaa haila sarvatra vidita/

aalaapaadi keho naa karaye kadaacit//

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