Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 There is much discussion nowadays about what constitutes diksha, the process of disciplic succession and the principles of srota parampara. Srota parampara is the process of passing on spiritual knowledge of the sruti, the authorized scriptures and teachings of the acharyas, from guru to disciple. We also know this srota parampara as the Bhagavat parampara. The Bhagavat parampara was revealed by the Goswamis of Vrindavan and established on the principles and authority of Srimad Bhagavatam. What we don’t hear much about in the discussions is a less known form of srota pantha that occurs in the realm of thought. Ultimately, sounds convey a conception. The sound means something. The sound transfers a thought. The transferal of conception and thought via sound vibration and language is known as srota pantha - the process of hearing from authorities. The ideal of srota parampara goes beyond the realm of mental speculation. Hearing from self-realized souls who have accepted the process of srota pantha and thus attained self-realization is the direct and perfect basis of Bhakti-yoga. When these self-realized souls speak their realizations and present sruti in different languages and cultures, their words and instructions become as good as sruti. After all, sruti is just the teachings and revelations of the Vedic sages. When modern self-realized sages formulate religious systems in new languages and modern societies, their instructions, principles and guidelines are then as good as sruti or any ancient religious system. The ancient sages had no monopoly on sruti. Modern sages and self-realized devotees who have also attained to the platform beyond mental speculation and have drunk the pure waters of the great wellspring of the absolute truth must then also preach, teach and establish religious systems that are practical for different cultures and different societies according to their own time in history. The books of Srila Prabhupada and his purports, as well as his letters and other authorized documents are no less important or relevant than the Vedic scriptures and the Gaudiya canon. These words, teachings, principles and instructions of Srila Prabhupada are actually living sruti that have manifested in the English language and the whole western society. Because these teachings and instructions have been given by a contemporary acharya and adapted to modern time, place and circumstance, they are actually more relevant, more important and more effective than the sruti of ancient sages from thousands of years ago. Now, this process of srota parampara is generally understood as direct aural reception of the sruti at the feet of the guru. However, there is another form of srota parampara in the form of written texts in various languages. As the spoken word is simply a verbal process for transmitting thought, so also is the written words formed by the Alphabet. Ultimately, sound and text perform the same function of transmitting thoughts, ideas, instructions and conceptions. The spoken word is really no better or no different than the written word in that they both serve the same purpose of transmitting thought. The spoken word is no more powerful or effective than the written word. Otherwise, the sruti would never have been put down in the written form, nor would all the great acharyas have taken so much trouble to write the vast canon of spiritual literatures. 5000 years ago Srila Vyasadeva put the sruti down in writing in the form of text. If this were not a viable form of srota parampara, then he would not have taken the trouble. Understanding this principle, Srila Prabhupada initiated many disciples via letter, tape recording and photocopy text of the mantras. This is why the new devotees coming to Krishna consciousness through the books of Srila Prabhupada have all the same access and opportunity as the original members of ISKCON. The original members of ISKCON have no monopoly on Srila Prabhupada or his teachings, blessings and mercy. New devotees coming to Krishna consciousness can many times actually surpass some of the original members of ISKCON in spiritual realization depending on how deep and how serious they take to the books and teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Sometimes we hear some of the original members of ISKCON refer to Srila Prabhupada as “my gurudeva” or “my spiritual master” as they preach their own message to their own disciples, as if to presume that Srila Prabhupada is not the gurudeva or spiritual master of new devotees coming to Krishna consciousness. It’s as if these original members of ISKCON are claiming to have some monopoly on access and service to Srila Prabhupada - that all the newcomers to Krishna consciousness cannot accept Srila Prabhupada as their Lord and Savior. However, Srila Prabhupada explains in his own writings: “Accepting the thoughts of exalted authorities through disciplic succession is certainly much easier than the method of mental speculation, by which one tries to invent some means to understand the absolute truth. The best process is to accept the instructions of the previous acharyas and follow them” [sB canto 7,ch. 9 text 18 purport] The books of Srila Prabhupada are a vast compilation of the thoughts and instructions of Srila Prabhupada and so many great devotees, sages and acharyas. Through the written word, these great self-realized souls can impart their most intimate thoughts and instructions in a manner no less useful and effective than the spoken word. The original members of ISKCON have no monopoly on hearing directly from Srila Prabhupada. We have his books, his tapes, his letters, his documents and videos that perform the function of srota pantha. The attempt to deny the newcomers to Krishna consciousness the right to accept Srila Prabhupada as their Lord and Savior, if they so desire, is the greatest atrocity of the Krishna consciousness movement. If aural reception were the only process and the only resource for acquiring spiritual knowledge through the srota parampara, then we would not have the books, tapes and videos of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada offered his books to the whole world and it is a shameless disgrace that the new devotees that Srila Prabhupada is still making all over the world through his books are now being told that Srila Prabhupada is not their guru and that they must accept some formal initiation from someone who claims to have a monopoly on discipleship to Srila Prabhupada. By reading the books of Srila Prabhupada we are intimately associating with him in the realm of thought. That association is actually more intimate and more effective than the physical association that the original members of ISKCON shared. Thus, this attempt to deprive newcomers to Krishna consciousness the same recognition as disciples of Srila Prabhupada that the original members of ISKCO had is most unfair and most deplorable. Srila Prabhupada set-up a process by which all the devotees that he was making around the world through his books could become initiated as his disciples in ISKCON. That really did not have to change after he left his body. Leaving his body did not mean that he was leaving ISKCON. Why does leaving his body have to equate with leaving ISKCON? He is still very much alive in ISKCON though his books, his murti, his disciples and his tapes and videos - even his spiritual presence. With the written word, the books of Srila Prabhupada, you can still hear him loud and clear in your heart. This is where we want to meet him anyway. We want to associate with Srila Prabhupada in the realm of though with our heart and mind. There is no higher and no better way to have direct association with Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Greatly said! Prabhupada is the One! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin5 Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 This article comes from the Sampradaya Sun (http://harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/06-06/editorials389.htm). Anyone who wants to reply to this, it would be best to do so, in a thoughtful way, by submitting a reply to the Sun, which they can publish. We recently had a number of threads on initiations, ritvik and otherwise, which can lead to devotees insulting or offending each other. As moderators we don't have the time or inclination to moderate such a discussion in an open forum where anyone can post as guest. Anyone who wants to respond to this article, we feel it would be best to send your well thought out reply to the Sun http://harekrsna.com/sun/submit.htm directly. (As an added note, since we have just recently closed the three or four threads on initations, ritvik or otherwise, any new threads started on these topics will be removed.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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