Authorization Required

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Authorization Required by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for his disciples to write transcendental literature.

 

 

 

CC Adi 8.73

 

TRANSLATION

Having received the order of the Vaisnavas but being anxious within my heart, I went to the temple of Madana-mohana in Vrndavana to ask His permission also.

 

PURPORT

A Vaisnava always follows the order of guru and Krsna. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta was written by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami by their mercy. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami considered all the devotees that have been mentioned to be his preceptor gurus, or spiritual masters, and Madana-gopala (Sri Madana-mohana vigraha) is Krsna Himself. Thus he took permission from both of them, and when he received the mercy of both guru and Krsna, he was able to write this great literature, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. This example should be followed. Anyone who attempts to write about Krsna must first take permission from the spiritual master and Krsna. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart, and the spiritual master is His direct external representative. Thus Krsna is situated antar-bahih, within and without. One must first become a pure devotee by following the strict regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily, and when one thinks that he is actually on the Vaisnava platform, he must then take permission from the spiritual master, and that permission must also be confirmed by Krsna from within his heart. Then, if one is very sincere and pure, he can write transcendental literature, either prose or poetry.

 

 

Something to consider.

 

And as far as who is actually advanced enough to call upon the Lord in the Heart at will for audience??

 

 

 

SB 3.5.4 purport

 

The bhakti process, as performed under the regulative principles of vaidhi-bhakti, or devotional service following the prescribed rules and regulations, is defined by the revealed scriptures and confirmed by great acaryas. This practice can help the neophyte devotee to rise to the stage of raga-bhakti, in which the Lord responds from within as the caitya-guru, or the spiritual master as Superconsciousness.

 

 

At the stage of RAGA Bhakti, the lord RESPONDS from within. Thus a direct instruction. (see purport below)

 

This is much different from the DIRECTION each and every living entity receives from Caitya guru throughout their entire sojourn in material existence.

 

We are always being guided and directed by him, even when we don't know it or don't think we are.

 

But to put questions before him and get RESPONSE, clearly and in a way we can understand??

 

We must have risen to the stage of RAGA BHAKTI by strictly following the EXTERNAL orders of Caitya guru through his appearance as the external Spiritual Master, from his voice in person or his voice in his instruction manuals.

 

 

 

SB 4.28.21

 

The Lord is the Supersoul seated in everyone’s heart, and He acts as the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within. However, He gives direct instructions only to the advanced, pure devotees. In the beginning, when a devotee is serious and sincere, the Lord gives him directions from within to approach a bona fide spiritual master. When one is trained by the spiritual master according to the regulative principles of devotional service and is situated on the platform of spontaneous attachment for the Lord (raga-bhakti), the Lord also gives instructions from within. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [bg. 10.10]. This distinct advantage is obtained by a liberated soul. Having attained this stage, King Malayadhvaja was directly in touch with the Supreme Lord and was receiving instructions from Him directly.

 

 

We blindly receive direction to find the external spiritual master.

 

Then when we are both PURE and ADVANCED at least to the stage of RAGA BHAKTI we recieve DIRECT INSTRUCTIONS from within.

 

The transcendental attachment of Raga Bhakti is no small thing. Such a person is so attached to the devotional service of the Lord they actually follow in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vraja, the Ragatmikas, who are deeply absorbed in Krsna.

 

 

 

TLC 13.

 

Devotional service discharged with such attachment is called ragatmika, and deep attachment with deep absorption in the object of love is called ragatmika. Examples of these can be seen in the activities of the residents of Vrajabhumi. One who becomes attracted to Krsna by hearing of such attachment is certainly very fortunate. When one becomes deeply affected by the devotion of the residents of Vrajabhumi and tries to follow in their footsteps, he does not care for the restrictions or regulations of the revealed scriptures. This is the characteristic of one discharging raga-bhakti.

 

 

Hare Krsna

[theist]

Letter to: Jananivasa

—

Boston

December 25, 1969

69-12-25

 

My Dear Jananivasa,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated December 9, 1969 and your kind contribution of $25 to our Book Fund. I was very happy to learn that you are very serious about writing an essay entitled "Krsna Consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age". If you can write this essay successfully, then it will be very great service to our Movement. One of the qualifications of a Vaisnava is that he is poetic. This means that the Vaisnavas are very much enthusiastic to describe on paper the glories of Lord Krsna and Krsna Consciousness. In our Back To Godhead I am very pleased to see that many of our disciples are becoming eager to record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna Consciousness. This eagerness is one of the symptoms that a devotee is making progress in the matter of spiritual purification. So when your article is completed, please send a copy to me, and I shall read it carefully and then submit it to Back To Godhead for consideration of publishing.

I have arrived here in Boston this past Sunday, and there are nearly one hundred devotees who have come to visit me. The reception at the airport was very nicely arranged, and the local newspapers have commented that this airport has never before witnessed such a nice event. When I arrived at the Boston temple I was asking if you were there too, but Jaya Gopala informed me that you were remaining in Columbus. So as you are serving Krsna nicely in Columbus, that is also very good.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

Any student or disciple should "record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna consciousness." If they want to publish it should first be submitted to one's siksa guru for review. Srila Prabhupada encourages this in the letter above.

 

I see a distinction however in writing a biography about a pure devotee while still a conditioned soul, disciple or not, and the same biographical writing of someone on the level of Svarupa Damodara.

 

We must be honest about our own level of advancement and not try to promote ourselves through the effort as great writers of sastra etc.

 

Writing is a good form for contemplation on Krsna consciousness even if we feel we never do it well enough to show to others. It is a very strengthening excercise for focusing the consciousness on Krsna.

[bhaktatraveler]

 

Letter to: Jananivasa

—

Boston

December 25, 1969

69-12-25

 

My Dear Jananivasa,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated December 9, 1969 and your kind contribution of $25 to our Book Fund. I was very happy to learn that you are very serious about writing an essay entitled "Krsna Consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age". If you can write this essay successfully, then it will be very great service to our Movement. One of the qualifications of a Vaisnava is that he is poetic. This means that the Vaisnavas are very much enthusiastic to describe on paper the glories of Lord Krsna and Krsna Consciousness. In our Back To Godhead I am very pleased to see that many of our disciples are becoming eager to record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna Consciousness. This eagerness is one of the symptoms that a devotee is making progress in the matter of spiritual purification. So when your article is completed, please send a copy to me, and I shall read it carefully and then submit it to Back To Godhead for consideration of publishing.

I have arrived here in Boston this past Sunday, and there are nearly one hundred devotees who have come to visit me. The reception at the airport was very nicely arranged, and the local newspapers have commented that this airport has never before witnessed such a nice event. When I arrived at the Boston temple I was asking if you were there too, but Jaya Gopala informed me that you were remaining in Columbus. So as you are serving Krsna nicely in Columbus, that is also very good.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

Any student or disciple should "record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna consciousness." If they want to publish it should first be submitted to one's siksa guru for review. Srila Prabhupada encourages this in the letter above.

 

I see a distinction however in writing a biography about a pure devotee while still a conditioned soul, disciple or not, and the same biographical writing of someone on the level of Svarupa Damodara.

 

We must be honest about our own level of advancement and not try to promote ourselves through the effort as great writers of sastra etc.

 

Writing is a good form for contemplation on Krsna consciousness even if we feel we never do it well enough to show to others. It is a very strengthening excercise for focusing the consciousness on Krsna.

 

The contention is not that we shouldn't write our thoughts and realizations. It is the writing of transendental literature, like finishing SB after Prabhupada's samadhi. Or the qualification/authorization to translate and give commentary to the works of previous acharyas.

 

An article for BTG is another thing and welcomed as we can see Srila Prabhupada encouraged this. Not the other.

 

Hare Krsna, Caturbahu das Bhakti Raja

[theist]

 

The contention is not that we shouldn't write our thoughts and realizations. It is the writing of transendental literature, like finishing SB after Prabhupada's samadhi. Or the qualification/authorization to translate and give commentary to the works of previous acharyas.

 

An article for BTG is another thing and welcomed as we can see Srila Prabhupada encouraged this. Not the other.

 

Hare Krsna, Caturbahu das Bhakti Raja

 

How is what you said different from what I said.

 

 

by theist Any student or disciple should "record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna consciousness." If they want to publish it should first be submitted to one's siksa guru for review. Srila Prabhupada encourages this in the letter above.

 

I see a distinction however in writing a biography about a pure devotee while still a conditioned soul, disciple or not, and the same biographical writing of someone on the level of Svarupa Damodara.

 

We must be honest about our own level of advancement and not try to promote ourselves through the effort as great writers of sastra etc.

 

Writing is a good form for contemplation on Krsna consciousness even if we feel we never do it well enough to show to others. It is a very strengthening excercise for focusing the consciousness on Krsna.

[Guest guest]

 

How is what you said different from what I said.

 

The original issue which prompted this consideration was not the writing of a biography as Theist suggests...

 

 

I see a distinction however in writing a biography about a pure devotee while still a conditioned soul, disciple or not, and the same biographical writing of someone on the level of Svarupa Damodara.

 

But, as CB pointed out, the self-authorized writing of the Srimad Bhagavatam, crest jewel of the Vedic Puranas, and extremely confidential knowledge of Lord Krsna, while a conditioned soul AND in disobedience of the original author's instructions on how to proceed on the matter.

 

That is the difference.

[theist]

Then there was no need to quote my post.