OBSERVATIONS ON THE VRINDAVANA ISSUE - HUMILITY & AGGRESSION

[Guest guest]

Mother Madhusudani Radha writes:

 

> I find it shocking that anyone pushed anyone else away from the deities in

> front of both the deities and Srila Prabhupada. If that's not

> "manhandling" I don't know what is.

 

Krishna Kirti wrote:

 

>Last night, my wife called up her sister, who lives in Vrindavan, witnessed

>the "beating" incident, and who is married to Mukundadatta Prabhu, the

>head-pujari.

>

>According to my sister-in-law, what happened is as follows:

>

>With regard to men offering their obeisances in front of Sri Sri

>Radha-Syamasundara--particularly sannyasis, it was decided beforehand by

>temple authorities that the ladies in front of Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundara

>should move back to let them offer their obeisances, and afterwords they

>may

>come forward as usual. The ladies were informed of this.

>

>However, the women were not cooperating, they would not move for the

>sannyasis and brahmacaris to offer their obeisances. So, apparently, this

>non-cooperation went on for some few days.

>

>Then on that "fateful morning", some senior men in the temple (temple

>commander, Aindra Prabhu, and some others) joined their hands and formed a

>human chain to prevent the mothers from standing where the sannyasis were

>offering their obeisances.

>

>The mothers became upset and started pushing, trying to break the chain.

>The so-called "beating" incident was when Parvati Mataji almost succeded in

>breaking through the chain, and the temple commander (a brahmacari) grabbed

>her hand to prevent her from moving forward. According to my

>sister-in-law,

>nothing more than this happened. There were no "beatings", "gang-rapes",

>etc.

 

As we can see from above, if it was manhandling from the men's side then it

was unwarranted aggression from the mothers involved.

 

I personally do not think it is an oppressive rule for the mothers to stand

behind till the ghee wick is offered. Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to stand

at Garuda Stambha behind everyone else and take darshan of Lord Jagannatha

in great humility. Namacharya Haridasa Thakura never forcibly tried to enter

the Jagannatha temple demanding darshan. Infact he felt that he was

completely unqualified to have His darshan and thought that it was as a

reaction for his past sinful activites. And the Lord was so merciful that He

was allowing him to stay in Puri Dhama so that he can darshan of Lord

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Narhari Chakravarti also cleansed the temple grounds

from outside and saw the Lord from afar but felt himself unqualified to go

near the Deities and engage in Their direct service.

 

The mothers could have questioned the temple decision in the proper forum

but they could also have accepted the decision of the management as the

mercy of the Lord, so that they can stay behind and increase their feelings

of humility towards the Lord. Like when Haridasa Thakura was not allowed to

enter the Jagannatha temple, his humility increased even more and that

quality of humility attracted Lord Jagannatha in the form of Lord Caitanya

to go and bring him some mahaprasada everyday. The conclusion is that we can

attract the Lord by aggression & not humility.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana das

[Guest guest]

>> I find it shocking that anyone pushed anyone else away from the deities in

>> front of both the deities and Srila Prabhupada.

 

Nayana-ranjana prabhu replied:

>As we can see from above, if it was manhandling from the men's side then it

>was unwarranted aggression from the mothers involved.

 

???

 

All I said above is that I find it shocking that *anyone* pushed *anyone*

away from the deities.

 

Are you disagreeing?

 

Your statement above sounds like something I'd expect from a 1st grade

student on the playground, not from a grown, caring devotee of the Lord.

How disappointing.

 

Ys,

Madhusudani dasi

ps. please remove Chakra from future correspondence. Only articles should

be submitted there.

[Guest guest]

>All I said above is that I find it shocking that *anyone* pushed *anyone*

>away from the deities.

>

PAMHO AGTSP. Please remove me (cshannon (AT) mdo (DOT) net) from this discussion.

 

ys KKdas

[Guest guest]

On 17 Nov 1999, Madhusudani Radha wrote:

 

>

> Your statement above sounds like something I'd expect from a 1st grade

> student on the playground, not from a grown, caring devotee of the Lord. How

disappointing.

>

>

 

Yes, it seems no matter how right one may be, might still does not might right

when offering obeisances to the Deities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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