The great confusion

[Guest guest]

Narayan Maharaja: “Be careful regarding the bogus rtvik system. These rtviks

have no faith in Krsna, no faith in bhakti, and no faith in scriptures like

the Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Caitanya-caritamrta. They also

have no faith in the guru-parampara, and that is why they cannot give bhakti.

You should give up the idea that the rtviks can help. They can never help you.

They have never even helped themselves, so how can they help others?”*

 

So my question to all of you was if George Harrison is able to bring people to

Krsna Consciousness, should he be regarded as a vaisnava? The answer was -yes.

We both agree. How come then rtviks cannot help others? Do you understand now

what I am trying to say? Devotees are judging other devotees according to

their statues and allegiance: “Tell me what party you belong to and I tell you

if you are good or bad.” Don’t ask about the devotee’s honesty, tolerance,

gentleness, etc. since these qualities are subordinated to and considered in

light of his dedication. A kind of tribal social relation or what made the

varnashram to degenerate into the castes system, I suppose. Example: if

Bramananda (the sannyasi) is found smoking a cigarette, you should offer him

respect, because he is Srila Prabhupada’s man. (2)

 

You may say, dear friend, that Narayana Maharaja talks mainly on Krsna katha;

that a spiritual leader can speak and direct followers on spiritual matters

specifically, without addressing or implying material situations. In that

sense, you declare he is superior. Superior in what? In faith! Next difficulty

is that someone with a strong faith has power over others’ life. He is a guru.

Where does spiritual jurisdiction stop? Difficult to say. Practically,

spiritualists, when let to themselves, overlap their jurisdiction with

indifference. For example, Narayana maharaja wrote: “If anyone has faith in

the Name, thinking that by chanting the Name his life will be successful, and

he is chanting and remembering with this faith, then he has no need to go to

any school, any college, or anywhere else. Has Srila Swami Maharaja told

anywhere that you should go to this bad university or that bad university?

What will be the result? Those who are going will be like historians. They

will not believe in God.”(3)

 

Do you know what it means nowadays to encourage rejecting education from these

institutions? To transcend all material values on the pretext that we have a

higher offer, spiritual? That was my concern when I wrote my Open Letter to

Tripurari Swami, (you can write me to get a copy). There is so much confusion

regarding our whole vaisnava theology in relation to our practical life. We

will appreciate sometimes to hear our spiritual leaders to give us a clearer

understanding of the tenets and implications of our vaisnava philosophy. I am

not speaking about individuals’ philosophy, but of a school of thought.

Because I know that a few but rare devotees are trying to make an effort

towards that end. We are waiting for the results.

 

Narayana Mj.: “They say that in this world there are no pure devotees, and

therefore there are no pure devotees to initiate anyone. This idea is very,

very wrong and it against the principles of bhakti. The rtvik proponents saw

that the devotees in their society were quarreling amongst themselves, and

that there was no suddha-bhakta there. Then, mistaking that those who

quarreled were in the guru-parampara, the rtviks became opposed to the actual

guru-parampara.”

 

How can I find these pure devotees? I am not talking about George Harrison’s

type, although he was also a pure devotee, according to some (4). I am asking

about vaisnavas of the highest category. Narayana Mj. is at the head of an

organization since a very long time now. Do some devotees of a highest

category emerged from his association? If so, do they write sometimes? Are

they travelling? Giving lectures? Can Narayana Maharaja give us some names, so

that we get an opportunity to check out by ourselves?

 

Just imagine, for argument sake, that one, two or three pure devotees only of

this higher class are available in the whole world. Then the ritviks are not

far from the truth: association with the spirit of a pure devotee is what

accounts for. Really; not the physical body. Do you believe that thousands or

millions have to follow constantly these few and rare pure devotees to get

their association? And then, can they get a personal and physical association?

We shall as well as associate with Srila Prabhupada spirit, non-different from

him.

 

But this is not my point. I am saying that the way our transcendental

philosophy is presented brings much confusion and does not dispel the

ignorance of this world, its prime function. We use the scriptures to force

the world to stop sinning. All the countries and religious organizations that

have adopted this path have always failed in an embarrassing way. If you want

to show that Krisna Consciousness is worth trying, another paradigm should be

developed. It should be based on vaisnava love and harmonized with democratic

values.

 

Akhiles

 

(1) A Response To The Rtvik System, By Narayana Maharaja

http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0112/ET17-7047.html

(2) Pritha: “This also brings to mind the story where Prabhupada instructed

the devotees that even if they were to see Brahmananda standing on a street

corner smoking a cigarette, they should offer him all respects.”

Inspiration Newsletter # 49 -

(3) Editorial, Mar 15 (VNN)

(4) “When one is situated on the neophyte platform, one cannot understand the

devotional ingredients of a pure, unalloyed devotee. However, when the novice

engages in devotional service -- especially in Deity worship – and follows the

order of a bona fide spiritual master, he is a pure devotee.” Srila

Prabhupada, Madhya lila 15.105.