Guest guest Posted March 3, 2002 Report Share Posted March 3, 2002 > I'm not about to join Gaudiya Matha, and I'm pretty cautious > about inter-institutional association, on a practical level (mostly > due to the ISKCON's historical experience with this, which has > invariably been negative); however, at the same time, I don't see > anything in Prabhupada's books explicitly prohibiting devotees from > hearing non-ISKCON Gaudiya Vaisnavas who inspire them. His > circumstantial instructions are another thing. I've always wondered > how that policy can be so vehemently enforced in light of this lack. Hari Sauri prabhu said something in that regard on the Srila Prabhupada Said conference. It was a reply to Bhakti Vikash swami. Since it was posted in a public conference I see no harm in repeating it here. "I recorded Srila Prabhupada for over a year and some of the conversations were quite intimate but he never once asked me to turn the tape off. He was fully conscious of the fact that we were recording everything. There were some things Srila Prabhupada said that he made clear were not for general hearing and I have not repeated them in my Diary. But personally I agree that all the recorded information should be available to his own disciples, if they are in good standing and if they have a proper purpose in accessing the information even if they are of a confidential nature. The BBT has enforced on the Archives a standard of censorship that prevents them from even publishing the names of disciples who might be subject to criticism. I am against this type of censorship. I don't believe the BBT Trustees have the moral or spiritual right to prevent Srila Prabhupada's own disciples from accessing his words. These criticizms were meant for the edification of his disciples in order to make distinctions on what he approved of, and what standards he wanted, and what he did not approve of and what standards he didn't like. It is important for us to know what they are. He was especially critical of some of his godbrothers because he wanted to make it clear to us as the inheritors of his preaching mandate where his godbrothers had gone wrong in terms of fulfilling Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's desires. It is quite wrong to prevent Srila Prabhupada's disciples from having access to that kind of information. Srila Prabhupada's vision was long term, surcharged with experience and transcendental. Our's is not and we require his comments for guidance. A prime example of this is the way that some of our leaders were dealing with Narayana Maharaja in the early 90s. Because he was the flavor of the month I was personally criticised for putting into print in my Diary Srila Prabhupada's criticisms of his godbrothers. Several GBCs in Vrindavan banned the distribution of my books because they felt them offensive to the Gaudiya Matha people. But whose words were they finding offensive? -- Srila Prabhupada's! And of course, after a few years and the loss of many ISKCON devotees to various Gaudiya Matha camps, Srila Prabhupada's words are all the more relevent, having being proved true by our own unfortunate experiences and our avoidance of Srila Prabhupada's advice. Anyway there is a lot that could be said on this topic but these are my general comments which I hope are of some help." Your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2002 Report Share Posted March 4, 2002 > So, you just take a break, and get yourself > refreshed again... No kidding. > You are in no position to offer advice or instruction. No kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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