Srila Prabhupada is changing Gaudiya tradition?

[Guest guest]

Hare KRSNA,

 

> He said it so you can follow. He is acarya. Whatever acarya says is

> perfect for following. Who is fit to interpret the acarya's words, besides

> Krishna?

 

The question is not whether SP said something or not, but whether he had set

it as a compulsory standard. It makes difference. Also didn't Srila

Prabhupada condemn the blind following? We aren't to interpret the acarya's

words but to understand them in a proper perspective.

 

> Prabhupada hardly cared a fig for what "most groups" did.

 

....if they did something obviously wrong.

 

> Almost to a man

> his godbrothers were envious of his accomplishments. As far as "historical

> and philosophical reasons", others have to follow but acarya means that he

> can create fresh tradition if he sees fit.

> If he (Prabhupada) would have

> stuck to tradition there would never be a Hare Krishna movement as we know

> it. There would be no women in the mission, no rathyatras all over the

> world, etc., etc.

 

Sorry it's difficult to agree with all parts of your statement.

 

In order to understand why our acaryas had made any changes, first of all we

must understand how they followed the tradition otherwise there is a chance

to end up in irrational dogmatic thinking like most of the Christians

today..

 

Gaudiya-vaisnava tradition had been REPRESENTED to us by Srila Prabhupada.

He never changed the principles of our sampradaya but he had adjusted the

details. He and Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati did it always with SOUND REFERENCE

to the tradition. In BRS Srila Rupa Goswami gives the principle of

yukta-vairagya and Srila Prabhupada had REVIVED this principle which was

neglected or forgotten over the years - hence we have the ISKCON as it is.

 

As for the peacock feathers, what they have to do with the worldwide Ratha

Yatras and women in the mission?

 

This question doesn't demand a statement that Srila Prabhupada had changed

the tradition as the both parties had agreed that "no feathers" and

"feathers" way of decorating Mahaprabhu are acceptable. Aren't they?

 

Funny. What would be Srila Prabhupada's reaction if he learned that this

"feathers" question would be so much debated as it was a principal change he

had made?!

 

 

Your servant

Visista dasa

[Guest guest]

Well, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur began changing the Gaudiya tradition when he introduced Brahminical initiation and thus the varnashram system into Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

 

Srila Saraswati Goswami began the process of bringing Gaudiya Vaishnavism into the modern world by giving it a social structure derived from the Vedic varnashram system.

 

However, this was never done before by Lord Caitanya or any of the immediate followers of Lord Caitanya.

 

Therefore, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is not considered as representing the traditional culture of the Gaudiyas.

 

ISKCON is even a further advance over the innovations of Srila Saraswati Thakur, but based upon the basic system devised by Saraswati Thakur.