The Difference Between Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja and Narayana Maharaja

[Guest guest]

The Difference Between Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja and Narayana Maharaja

 

 

 

 

June 1, CANADA (SUN) — Submitted by a disciple of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja.

 

 

Sometimes some so-called disciples want to falsely promote the idea that Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja instructed his disciples and faithful followers to leave Prabhupada’s ISKCON to join Narayana Mahraja’s camp. Here is an interesting darshan with Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja, given at ISKCON's Krsna Balarama Mandir, (Prabhupada’s Last Founded Project in Bhubaneswar, Orissa) which clearly speaks for itself.

 

Tape 931105 Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India Darshan:

 

 

Prabhupada disciple to Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja: I don't know if what he (Narayana Maharaja) is explaining is actually the highest truth and his disciples don't understand, and I don't understand, or if it’s that he’s changing the teachings that Prabhupada has given us, he’s changing, he’s changing.

 

 

Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja: He (Narayana Maharaja) says, No preaching. Book distribution is karma-misra-bhakti. Narayana Maharaja has said, book distribution is karma-misra-bhakti, preaching is bad. Yes, Narayan Maharaja has said.

 

 

Disciple: In a book?

 

 

Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja: No, what one transcription of his tape said, yes. So preaching, he said to Tamal Krishna, “Give up this preaching. Therefore, Tamal Krishna, that Palace (at Govardana) is there, where Gaura Narayan is staying. “Go there, do bhajan.” Yes, that Narayan Maharaja says. I have the transcription of his tapes, he said to Tamal Krishna and Giriraja, “Give up preaching. Do bhajan.” So? But our activity is preaching. Ours is a preaching mission, yes! Throughout the whole world, (spread) the message of Mahaprabhu. We are gosthy-anandis, not bhajananandis, Do you understand?

 

 

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami says, prana ache ta’r sehetu pracar, he has life therefore he is preaching. His heart bleeds seeing the suffering of the jivas. He goes out, not caring anything for himself. “Let me go out and preach and inculcate Krishna consciousness unto them. Let their suffering be done away with forever.” Yes. This is the heart of a sadhu. Yes. Then he accepts disciples, trains them to continue the preaching mission work, then he retires, then he goes for bhajan. I have asked for this boon, “I’ll go out and preach.” So I have been granted this one. I asked, when Krishna said, “What boon do you want?” I said, “I want this boon, “I’ll go out and preach.” I have been granted. Go out and preach and thereby you’ll achieve the supreme perfection. yes. That boon I have been granted. What shall I say?

 

 

Every individual has his own way. Understand? Yes. All individuals are not the same. Temperament is different. Yes. What is one’s temperament, way, he takes that path. You follow your path, my path is different. I am a preacher. I get rejoicing in preaching, yes, blissfulness in preaching. Yes. There is no language to describe what I get when I preach. Yes. And I have been granted. Yes. I have asked for that. I have been granted. “Yes, granted!” Bhaktivinode Thakur, he was very old you see, his eyelids, some would lift them then he could see. He said, “I want to ride on a horse and go out and preach.” Very, very old, like invalid, but such a spirit is there. Do you understand? This is Bhaktivinode Thakur’s dhara. We follow Bhaktivinode Thakur’s dhara. Yes. Understand? So Narayan Maharaja’s dhara is something. Our dhara, Prabhupada’s dhara is different. So we follow this. This difference is there.

[Guest guest]

I am sick and tired of this site posting articles attacking Srila Narayana Maharja.

 

I can only think the that admins on this site condone such actions.

 

Srila Narayana Maharaja's camp distribute alot of Srila Prabhupada's book, and have an arrangement with BBT to do so.

 

so much for trnad api sunicena......

[Guest guest]

Where in the writings of the Gosvamis is the following idea promoted:

 

"Go out and preach and thereby you’ll achieve the supreme perfection. yes. That boon I have been granted." ?

 

 

I thougth it was Harinama that gave us the highest perfection.

[stonehearted]

It's called sankirtana.

[Guest guest]

So Sripad BV Narayana Maharaja is supposed to have said "give up preaching...do bhajan (instead)".

 

That's hard to believe since his sanga preaches all over the world like other Vaisnavas sangas.

 

Malcolm X famously said: "One should check out things for oneself, as one will be loving peope you should be hating and hating people you should be loving."

 

As Bhativinoda Thakura says: "Truth is truth regardless who is speaking it" and more vaisnavas should check out the facts from ALL parties before posting silly "such and such says" articles.

 

So I'll check out the information for myself and not rely on hearsay.....

[Guest guest]

...otherwise one will be hating....etc

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

I am sick and tired of this site posting articles attacking Srila Narayana Maharja.

I don't see how you consider the posting of a lecture by Gour Govinda Maharaja as attacking Narayana Maharaja.

 

Shouldn't he be entitled to his own say, especially since the followers of Narayana Maharaja openly claim Gour Govinda Maharaja wanted all his disciples to go to Narayana Maharaja.

[Guest guest]

 

Shouldn't he be entitled to his own say, especially since the followers of Narayana Maharaja openly claim Gour Govinda Maharaja wanted all his disciples to go to Narayana Maharaja.

 

Again...this is hearsay. Some followers of Sripad Narayana Mahraja may say this, not all.

 

Secondly, I know a few Gaura Govinda Maharaja disciples who tell me that they were perosnally told by this great Vaisnava acaraya to go to Sripad Narayana Mahraja. I doubt that he told All of his disciples to go to Sripad Narayana Maharaja. I do believe that he may have told some of them.

 

Now these disciples who tell me that they were told to go to Sripad Narayana Maharaja, or either liars or telling the truth. It's up to each of us to decide the merit of their claims without prejudice.

 

Yes Jndas, I do agree the original poster is entilted to his say, but I do question his motivation.

 

I have to agree with Guest who has noticed the numerous attacks on Sripda Narayana Maharaja on this site.

 

Here's a thought for you, what if the articles were attacks on Srila Prabhupada? I imagine that there would be a hue and cry if the articles were posted.

 

The fundamental question that needs to be asked is:

 

Is Sripad Narayana Maharaja a vaisnava or not?

 

Of course he is, and as as a result he must be respected as ALL vaisnavas should be.

 

Since most people on here are claim to be followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, lets remember his great instruction:

 

 

"Preaching without proper conduct falls within the category of karma, mundane activity. Without criticizing the nature of others, one should correct one's self. This is my personal instruction.

 

Do allwho preach do so with proper conduct? If not, then according to our great acarya, it is karma..

 

But more importantly, is the last part of this great instruction:

 

Without criticizing the nature of others, one should correct one's self. This is my personal instruction.

[Guest guest]

Narayan Maharaj is rarely mentioned here and when he is its usually positively by one of his disciples. One post here is made of a lecture by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj (which was posted on the Sun and copied here). Why not post some nice lectures by Narayan Maharaj?

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

I have to agree with Guest who has noticed the numerous attacks on Sripda Narayana Maharaja on this site.

Stop pretending there are other guests posting in this thread. They are all you with the exception of the original poster. It is against the rules here to glorify your own posts while posing as a different person.

[Kulapavana]

 

I am sick and tired of this site posting articles attacking Srila Narayana Maharja...

 

the article posted here is most certainly NOT an attack on Srila Narayana Maharaja. GG Swami merely shows the difference in approach, at least in his view:

 

"Every individual has his own way. Understand? Yes. All individuals are not the same. Temperament is different. Yes. What is one’s temperament, way, he takes that path. You follow your path, my path is different. I am a preacher. I get rejoicing in preaching, yes, blissfulness in preaching. Yes. There is no language to describe what I get when I preach. Yes. And I have been granted. Yes. I have asked for that. I have been granted. “Yes, granted!” Bhaktivinode Thakur, he was very old you see, his eyelids, some would lift them then he could see. He said, “I want to ride on a horse and go out and preach.” Very, very old, like invalid, but such a spirit is there. Do you understand? This is Bhaktivinode Thakur’s dhara. We follow Bhaktivinode Thakur’s dhara. Yes. Understand? So Narayan Maharaja’s dhara is something. Our dhara, Prabhupada’s dhara is different. So we follow this. This difference is there."

 

is his view of NM valid? that is another matter. but it is NOT an attack.

[Guest guest]

I disagree that the original post is not an attack against Sripad Narayana Maharaja.

 

Sripad Gaura Govinda is not attacking Sripad Narayana Maharaja, but since the article appeared on Sampradaya Sun, it is being used by that site as an attack since the views held by many at the Sun site are anti GM. One only has to go to that site and read the anti GM views posted there....

[theist]

 

Stop pretending there are other guests posting in this thread. They are all you with the exception of the original poster. It is against the rules here to glorify your own posts while posing as a different person.

 

Another one. Just like the fan of the Iskcon gurus who voted a hundred times on the last poll. Different camp same mentality.

[theist]

 

is his view of NM valid? that is another matter. but it is NOT an attack.-Kulapavana

 

Maybe someone can address this point with Narayana Maharaja's teaching on the subject of preaching.

 

 

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[Guest guest]

moderator's note: post deleated

[Kulapavana]

<TABLE class=tborder cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR title="Post 948162" vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 align=middle width=125>Guest</TD><TD class=alt1>From the evidence, Sir Narayana Maharaja is very opinionated and outspoken... </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

the same can be said about Srila Prabhupada... so what?

 

please, dont turn this subject into another Vaishnava bashing, as it does not help anybody

[Legioss]

 

Again...this is hearsay. Some followers of Sripad Narayana Mahraja may say this, not all.

 

Where does Sripad Narayana Maharaja specifically make it clear that these "some followers" are clearly wrong?

[Guest guest]

Sir, with all due respect you took that quote out of context, without which your charge of Vaisnava bashing might actually be legitimate.

 

We are all being outspoken and opinionated here, which is hardly an issue.

 

The issue was what he was opinionated and outspoken about, which I qualifed by saying that he "is very opinionated and outspoken in contrary terms to not only Instructions... and what he wrote in his books as well."

 

Where some might easily construe that Mr. Narayana was Vaisnava Bashing.

 

So to be balanced, at the end of my post I offered legitimate reasons why he may have done so according to his position, yet claim to be confused about the effectiveness given the prominence of Bhakti Tirtha Swami in Vaisnava Cirlces.

 

Please withdraw your charge that I am bashing Vaisnavas.

[Kulapavana]

 

 

Please withdraw your charge that I am bashing Vaisnavas.

 

Bala Das

 

It is not a charge. It is just my wish, that a discussion about differences in mood of prominent and respected Vaishnavas be done in the mood of mutual respect and humility. I do understand the context of your post but some people might easily take it the wrong way.

[Guest guest]

That is a fine wish, and as this topic is controversial, it begs that we are cautious in uncovering the truth. What Naryayan Maharaj said seemed more than a result of a different mood. They were serious charges, and I wondered if anyone had more information than I as to their validity. That is what I thought a discussion forum was for.

 

So in the context of bringing up a very public conversation where Sri Narayan Maharaj said what he said, my care was evident as I offered possible explanations to show why a teacher may say things like that in the spirit of inspiring discussion.

 

Some people will take anything the wrong way, and that should not stop anyone from speaking, especially when simply repeating the words of a revered Spiritual Teacher.

 

And you begged me not to turn "this' into a Vaisnava bashing, which certainly implies you thought that was my intention from what I had just said.

 

I believe it is unfair in this case to label me a villain.

[Kulapavana]

 

What Naryayan Maharaj said seemed more than a result of a different mood. They were serious charges, and I wondered if anyone had more information than I as to their validity. That is what I thought a discussion forum was for.

 

even in this statement you are not just inquiring about facts. the way you describe his presumed words ("more than a result of a different mood. They were serious charges") sounds quite accusatory to me, and therefore I pleaded for a respectful atmosphere for such discussions. if you are offended by my words, please accept my sincere apologies and dandabats... vanca kalpataru...

 

I am not a disciple of NM but I respect him immensly as a great Vaishnava who helps thousands of people in their devotional lives. In my book that actually stands for something.

 

Srila Prabhupada is my spiritual master but I will always call for respect of all real Vaishnavas, even if they happen to disagree with my guru on some points of his teachings.

[Guest guest]

vaisnavebhyo namo namah

 

By the fact that he spoke these words and it is recorded on DVD, I am searching for the deeper reasons why.

 

To state that I accuse him of saying so is accurate. Yet I do not attribute any malice or poor motivation, did I?

 

I honestly believe he was misinformed and was misquoting your spiritual master, and the evidence of him cultivating Bhakti Tirtha Swami seems to be in support of that. And if he was simply misinformed someone who knows him should immediately correct him respectfully, because that is, in my opinion, a grave ignorance to accuse A.C. Bhaktivedanta of.

 

But if A.C. Bhaktivedanta did say such things, it would be nice to know. You can understand why I wouldn't just take someone elses word for it considering how they fly in the face of basic tenets of mercy.

 

I was hoping that perhaps someone who is more initmate with A.C. Bhaktivedanta's teaching than I could illuminate?

 

Either way, this video and its transcript have made its way around the internet a bit and IT IS REAL. These things need to be clarified because the actual charges that Sri Narayan Maharaj as to what your Spiritual Master taught are there, and as you can see very confusing to me.

 

People seem rather level headed on this forum and I thought I could get some feedback.

 

The post was deleted already, and there was no untruth written nor accusation of wrong doing at all in its tenor. Just questioning. No disrespect.

 

What to do?

[SishirSaha]

I strongly disagree with Narayana Maharaja's so called preaching. But it is important to recognize that he has a right to preach in his own style, which is certainly different from Srila Prabhupada's style. One emphasizes gopi bhava, the other emphasizes book distribution and street sankirtan. So I see no fault in somebody posting this article where Srila Gour Govinda Swami speaks out about Narayana Maharaja's preaching style. As a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada it was necessary for him to speak out, even if it meant that he was challenging other senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada such as Giriraja Swami and Tamal Krishna Goswami (or Narayana Maharaja).

[madhavachari]

focus on differences?

 

aum shaanti