Choosing our rasa with Krishna

[Guruvani]

Sometimes we hear that we already have a rasa with Krishna that we have forgotten due to falling into Maya.

But, here in these two verses we read that we have to choose which relationship we want to have with Krishna by focusing on a particular devotee and always thinking about that servitor and that servitor's loving relationship with Krishna.(raganuga sadhana)

It doesn't say that the guru tells us what our relationship is but that we have to choose which relationship we desire and which devotee we want to be our role model by always thinking of that servitor and the servitor's activities in devotional service.

 

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 22.160

 

kṛṣṇaḿ smaran janaḿ cāsya

preṣṭhaḿ nija-samīhitam

tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau

kuryād vāsaḿ vraje sadā

 

SYNONYMS

kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; smaran — thinking of; janam — a devotee; ca — and; asya — of His; preṣṭham — very dear; nija-samīhitam — chosen by oneself; tat-tat-kathā — to those respective topics; rataḥ — attached; ca — and; asau — that; kuryāt — should do; vāsam — living; vraje — in Vṛndāvana; sadā — always.

 

 

TRANSLATION

"'The devotee should always think of Kṛṣṇa within himself and should choose a very dear devotee who is a servitor of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. One should constantly engage in topics about that servitor and his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and one should live in Vṛndāvana. If one is physically unable to go to Vṛndāvana, he should mentally live there.'

 

 

PURPORT

This verse is also found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.294).

 

 

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 22.161

 

dāsa-sakhā-pitrādi-preyasīra gaṇa

rāga-mārge nija-nija-bhāvera gaṇana

 

SYNONYMS

dāsa — servants; sakhā — friends; pitṛ-ādi — parents; preyasīra gaṇa — conjugal lovers; rāga-mārge — on the path of spontaneous loving service; nija-nija — of one's own choice; bhāvera — of the ecstasy; gaṇana — counting.

 

 

TRANSLATION

"Kṛṣṇa has many types of devotees — some are servants, some are friends, some are parents, and some are conjugal lovers. Devotees who are situated in one of these attitudes of spontaneous love according to their choice are considered to be on the path of spontaneous loving service.

 

As contrasted with the siddha-pranali concept, this is the standard form of raganuga sadhana recommended by Srila Rupa Goswami.

As such, raganuga bhakti appears to be the process of finding the eternal servant of Krishna that we most adore and always thinking of that servitor and that servitor's services to Lord Krishna.

 

This is the authorized and approved process of raganuga sadhana of the Saraswata Gaudiya sampradaya and most of the pure traditional Gaudiya parivars..

[Guruvani]

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 22.154

 

virājantīm abhivyaktāḿ

vraja-vāsi-janādiṣu

rāgātmikām anusṛtā

yā sā rāgānugocyate

 

 

SYNONYMS

virājantīm — shining intensely; abhivyaktām — fully expressed; vraja-vāsi-jana-ādiṣu — among the eternal inhabitants of Vṛndāvana; rāga-ātmikām — devotional service consisting of spontaneous love; anusṛtā — following; yā — which; sā — that; rāga-anugā — devotional service following in the wake of spontaneous love; ucyate — is said.

 

 

TRANSLATION

"'Devotional service in spontaneous love is vividly expressed and manifested by the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Devotional service that accords with their devotional service is called rāgānugā bhakti, or devotional service following in the wake of spontaneous loving service.'

 

 

PURPORT

This verse is also found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.270).

 

[Guruvani]

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 22.159

 

nijābhīṣṭa kṛṣṇa-preṣṭha pācheta' lāgiyā

nirantara sevā kare antarmanā hañā

 

SYNONYMS

nija-abhīṣṭa — one's own choice; kṛṣṇa-preṣṭha — the servitor of Kṛṣṇa; pācheta' lāgiyā — following; nirantara — twenty-four hours a day; sevā — service; kare — executes; antarmanā — within the mind; hañā — being.

 

 

TRANSLATION

"Actually the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are very dear to Kṛṣṇa. If one wants to engage in spontaneous loving service, he must follow the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana and constantly engage in devotional service within his mind.

 

Again, in this verse it repeats "nija-abhīṣṭa — one's own choice".

 

It says that we must think of actual inhabitants of Vrindavan, not theoretical concepts of ourselves as being an associate of Krishna.

 

We have to remember the genuine devotees and think about our favorite role model.

 

Imagining ourselves to be one of the associates is not the authorized process.

We have to follow genuine, authentic residents of Vrindavan.

[Guruvani]

So, those who say that the Saraswata Gaudiyas have no form of raganuga sadhana because they don't accept ekadasa-bhava from a siddha-pranali guru are just fooling themselves and trying to fool others.

[Guruvani]

Somewhere down the line this practice of contemplating the details of the eka-dasa bhava of an authentic resident of Vrindavan got polluted into the concept that this ekadasa bhava is our own description and that we are somehow this eternal servitor of Krishna.

 

This is where the bogus siddha-pranali concept contrasts with authentic raganuga sadhana.

 

In the authentic form of raganuga sadhana the ekadasa bhava of our contemplation is the ekadasa bhava of an eternal associate of Krishna - not our own imaginary ekadasa bhava.

 

So, Srila Prabhupada criticises the idea that we should contemplate that we have now become an eternal associate of Krishna.

 

NOD ch. 16

 

They imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that. This external behavior is not at all according to the regulative principles.

 

The so-called siddha-praṇālī process is followed by the prākṛta-sahajiyā, a pseudosect of so-called Vaiṣṇavas. In the opinion of Rūpa Gosvāmī, such activities are simply disturbances to the standard way of devotional service.

 

The Saraswata parivar accepts the "standard way of devotional service", not this polluted concept of ekadasa bhava of the siddha-pranali cult.

[Shakti-Fan]

sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam

sthapitam yena bhu-tale

svayam rupah kada mahyam

dadati sva-padantikam

When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet? (BG As It Is Intro)

Here, Srila Prabhupada translates abista as desire. Your overall point is makes sense from one angle of vision, but there is always the opposite angle to be seen.

Sri Krsna's Svarupa-sakti

BY SWAMI B.V. TRIPURARI Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari

"When the one comes under the influence of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, bhava dawns in one's heart, and one's life becomes meaningful in the fullest sense of the term."

Q. What is the relationship between the jiva (individual soul) and Krsna's svarupa-sakti, and where does the soul's attraction to a particular relationship with Krsna come from?

A. Sri Krsna's svarupa-sakti is his primary sakti, and thus all other saktis have their origin in it. The svarupa-sakti is constituted of sandhini (eternal existence), samvit (complete spiritual knowledge), and hladini (joy). The jiva-sakti is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti and the maya-sakti (illusory energy) is a distorted manifestation of it. Because the jiva is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti, it exists eternally, can know itself (brahma-jnana), and has the capacity to experience the joy of brahmananda. However, only when the jiva comes in contact with the svarupa-sakti through the guru-parampara can it realize its full potential to exist, know, and be happy. This is a potential that is not present in the maya-sakti, as all manifestations of the maya-sakti, including material knowledge and sense pleasure, are relative and fleeting, the latter ultimately only leading to greater degrees of suffering.

In connection with the svarupa-sakti, the jiva-sakti has the potential to experience an eternal relationship with Krsna, as it is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti. When the jiva-sakti comes in contact with the svarupa-sakti through the guru-parampara, its dormant spiritual potential gradually awakens. This contact is Krsna extending himself to the jiva as he sees fit, which results in the jiva desiring a particular relationship with him in reciprocation. The relationship is inherent and dormant in the jiva in the same way that the capacity to walk is dormant within an infant. The relationship is eternal (krsna prema nitya-siddha) and is not created by the guru. Likewise, it is not created by the disciple though practice. Given the appropriate circumstances and nourishment, an infant will eventually walk; similarly, given the association with and nourishment from Krsna's svarupa-sakti, the jiva will realize its dormant potential to live in love with Sri Krsna.

Through contact with the guru-parampara, faith comes into one's heart.

This faith is the guru's realization, the backing behind his or her chanting of Krsna nama and Krsna mantra, as well as the guru's blessing to chant. This is the seed of bhakti given to the disciple. This seed is like an initial investment in a business idea in which a start-up business realizes its potential through greater capital. With investment from Krsna's svarupa-sakti, the jiva realizes its potential and goes public, and suddenly its shares are worth something.

Similarly, with hearing, chanting, and so on (sravanadi), one's consciousness is purified (suddha citte), and one's relationship with Krsna begins to manifest (karaye udaya). When the one comes under the influence of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, bhava dawns in one's heart, and one's life becomes meaningful in the fullest sense of the term.

Q. When we say that souls have an inherent relationship with Krsna does this mean that Krsna has already decided who will be a gopi or gopa in the spiritual world?

A. We cannot say that Sri Krsna does not know how he would like to accept service from us, and in consideration of this we can say that our svarupa is inherent and already determined. However, what is inherent in the jiva is only its potential to experience its eternal svarupa. The svarupa itself, which is constituted of svarupa-sakti, is in a dormant condition within the svarupa sakti.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta describes the jivatma as cit-kana, a particle of knowledge/consciousness, cit-kana jiva, kiran-kana sama. It also describes the soul's eternal nature or dharma to be servitude/love, jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa. Caitanya-caritamrta also states that the svarupa of the jiva in prema eternally exists in a dormant condition and is awakened through bhakti, krsna prema nitya siddha sadhya kabhu naya sravanadi suddha-citte karaye udaya. Thakura Bhaktivinoda also explains the inherent nature of one's svarupa in this way. He writes that one's svarupa is inherent within the soul inasmuch as the jiva has the potential to love and service is its nitya-dharma.

In his Tattva-sutra he writes that while the jiva soul is constituted of knowledge, its eternal nature or inclination is to love. This eternal inclination of the jiva is perfected when it is reposed in Sri Krsna, the perfect object of love, resulting in the awakening of one's svarupa.

Thus one's svarupa eternally exists and is realized by sravanam (hearing), kirtanam (chanting), and smaranam (remembering) under the guidance of the guru. The guru's service is to identify our svarupa as it begins to manifest through natural attraction. The direct culture of one's svarupa, however, is something that pertains more to higher stages of devotion, such as ruci, asakti, and bhava. In these stages it is cultivated directly, as the indirect work of cleansing the heart has for the most part been completed by the time these stages have been attained. Thus although one's svarupa is eternally existing, it is also cultivated and desired or longed for at some point. First there is submission, and then there is longing. Submission is more applicable to sadhana-bhakti, and longing is more applicable to bhava-bhakti.

Commenting on vandanam (offering prayers) in Sri Rupa's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Jiva Goswami writes, "Prayers that have the purpose of firming the mind and senses in devotional service are known as samprarthana. Such prayers are characteristic of those who have not attained bhava. On the other hand, expressions of a desire for one's specific personal service are known as lalasa. These are characteristic of those who have attained bhava."

When Krsna's svarupa-sakti dawns in the heart of a devotee, he or she develops from sadhana-bhakti to bhava-bhakti. Rupa Goswami describes bhava-bhakti as "the ingress of suddha sattva, the ray of the sun of prema." When this ray shines in the heart of a sadhaka, he or she becomes a devotee proper. Such a devotee knows and experiences his or her svarupa, whether it is that of a gopi or a gopa.

Further information on this subject can be found in the following Sanga: Meditation on Siddha Deha

Questions or comments may be submitted at the Q&A Forum http://www.swami.org/sanga/ or email sangaeditor@swami.org.

 

[Guruvani]

This verse here says that the "svarupa" of the jiva is 1/10,000th the size of the tip of a hair.

Thus, concept that the svarupa of the jiva is a spiritual form in Goloka that we have forgotten about is not the message of this verse.

 

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 19.139

 

keśāgra-śateka-bhāga punaḥ śatāḿśa kari

tāra sama sūkṣma jīvera 'svarūpa' vicāri

 

SYNONYMS

keśa-agra — from the tip of a hair; śata-eka — one hundred; bhāga — divisions; punaḥ — again; śata-aḿśa — one hundred divisions; kari — making; tāra sama — equal to that; sūkṣma — very fine; jīvera — of the living entity; svarūpa — the actual form; vicāri — I consider.

 

 

TRANSLATION

"The length and breadth of the living entity is described as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair. This is the original subtle nature of the living entity.

 

[theist]

 

Q. When we say that souls have an inherent relationship with Krsna does this mean that Krsna has already decided who will be a gopi or gopa in the spiritual world?

A. We cannot say that Sri Krsna does not know how he would like to accept service from us, and in consideration of this we can say that our svarupa is inherent and already determined. However, what is inherent in the jiva is only its potential to experience its eternal svarupa. The svarupa itself, which is constituted of svarupa-sakti, is in a dormant condition within the svarupa sakti.

 

I still don't get it. I am sure the answer is right before my face and I just can't see it. "We cannot say" but what can we say? Does Krsna choose? Does the atomic soul choose? Or at that level is the choice somehow the combined will of Krsna and the jiva?

[Guruvani]

Tripurari Maharaja has a habit of preaching from memory without citing exacting specific references which then places him as the source or authority for knowledge.

Personally, I think that intricate details of siddhanta should always be presented with exacting shastric references.

 

Preaching off the top of the head can be very hazardous as well as questionable when intricate issues of siddhanta are in question.

 

Because Tripurari Maharaja presents himself as a guru, he tries to retain as much authority as possible by leaving out exacting references to his conclusions.

I am a little skeptical of this approach.

I put credibility to siddhanta that is presented with proper shastric reference, not the shooting-from-hip approach of Tripurari Maharaja.

 

He proposes that everyone should just trust him that he has all the siddhanta put to memory, but when dealing with esoteric or intricate siddhanta I don't accept such a presentation, even though I do admire Tripurari Maharaja.

[Guruvani]

 

I still don't get it. I am sure the answer is right before my face and I just can't see it. "We cannot say" but what can we say? Does Krsna choose? Does the atomic soul choose? Or at that level is the choice somehow the combined will of Krsna and the jiva?

It seems quite obvious in the teachings of Srila Rupa Goswami and shastra that the devotee finds within himself a role model in Vrindavan and then aspires to emulate that devotee, follow in that devotee's mood and thus attain to a position similar to that devotee.

 

It is spelled out quite conclusively in the writings of Srila Rupa Goswami.

 

But, in the preaching field as we have seen quite definitively in the preaching of Srila Prabhupada that depending upon time and circumstance lesser or greater details are given by the preacher.

 

Generally, preaching means canvassing, so "preaching" is most often dealing with fundamentals and not so much the intricate details that we find in the writings of the Goswamis and Srimad Bhagavatam.

[Guruvani]

NOD ch.16

 

The story of the sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya can be explained as follows. When Lord Rāmacandra was residing in Daṇḍakāraṇya, the sages who were engaged in devotional service there became attracted by His beauty and immediately thought of the gopīs at Vṛndāvana, who enjoyed conjugal loving affection with Kṛṣṇa. In this instance it is clear that the sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya desired conjugal love in the manner of the gopīs, although they were well aware of the Supreme Lord as both Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra. They knew that although Rāmacandra was an ideal king and could not accept more than one wife, Lord Kṛṣṇa, being the full-fledged Personality of Godhead, could fulfill the desires of all of them in Vṛndāvana. These sages also concluded that the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa is more attractive than that of Lord Rāmacandra, and so they prayed to become gopīs in their future lives to be associated with Kṛṣṇa.

Lord Rāmacandra remained silent, and His silence shows that He accepted the prayers of the sages. Thus they were blessed by Lord Rāmacandra to have association with Lord Kṛṣṇa in their future lives. As a result of this benediction, they all took birth as women in the wombs of gopīs at Gokula, and as they had desired in their previous lives, they enjoyed the company of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who was present at that time in Gokula Vṛndāvana. The perfection of their human form of life was thus achieved by their generating a transcendental sentiment to share conjugal love with Lord Kṛṣṇa.

 

The sages of Dandakranaya didn't get any ekadasa bhava assignment from a siddha-pranali guru.

They simply had a conjugal attraction to Lord Rama and as such in their next lives they took birth as gopis in Vrindavan.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Where's your shastric support for the below statement?

 

 

 

Tripurari Maharaja has a habit of preaching from memory without citing exacting specific references which then places him as the source or authority for knowledge.

Personally, I think that intricate details of siddhanta should always be presented with exacting shastric references.

 

Preaching off the top of the head can be very hazardous as well as questionable when intricate issues of siddhanta are in question.

 

Because Tripurari Maharaja presents himself as a guru, he tries to retain as much authority as possible by leaving out exacting references to his conclusions.

I am a little skeptical of this approach.

I put credibility to siddhanta that is presented with proper shastric reference, not the shooting-from-hip approach of Tripurari Maharaja.

 

He proposes that everyone should just trust him that he has all the siddhanta put to memory, but when dealing with esoteric or intricate siddhanta I don't accept such a presentation, even though I do admire Tripurari Maharaja.

[Guruvani]

 

Where's your shastric support for the below statement?

 

You don't need shastric support for opinions!!

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

You don't need shastric support for opinions!!

 

Oh yeah. I see the "I think that" in there now!

 

Of course, it's always nice to run across shastric support for our opinions (even after the fact).

[Guruvani]

 

Oh yeah. I see the "I think that" in there now!

 

Of course, it's always nice to run across shastric support for our opinions (even after the fact).

 

Do you have shastric evidence that there is a nose on your face?

 

Nope...... so..... obviously...... you have no nose!!!!

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Ah, but the Shadow (Rahu?) nose.

 

 

Do you have shastric evidence that there is a nose on your face?

 

Nope...... so..... obviously...... you have no nose!!!!

[stonehearted]

 

Tripurari Maharaja has a habit of preaching from memory without citing exacting specific references which then places him as the source or authority for knowledge.

. . .

I am a little skeptical of this approach.

I put credibility to siddhanta that is presented with proper shastric reference, not the shooting-from-hip approach of Tripurari Maharaja.

 

He proposes that everyone should just trust him that he has all the siddhanta put to memory, but when dealing with esoteric or intricate siddhanta I don't accept such a presentation, even though I do admire Tripurari Maharaja.

I don't think that's his express purpose; neither do I consider his approach shooting from the hip. Srila Prabhupada doesn't always cite sources, either. My experience is that if you ask Maharaja, he'll always tell you where to find something. I think it's helpful to cite sources, but that's my style, coming from an academic background. If you read his books (I have in mind especially his Aesthetic Vedanta and Siksastakam), he cites his sources very frequently. His footnotes and endnotes are quite extensive. Those Sanga Q & A notes are less formal.

[Guruvani]

 

Those Sanga Q & A notes are less formal.

 

Yep, that is why I am not too excited about his Q & A section of his web site.

 

When we get into controversial and contentious points of siddhanta, you can't really be authoritative without citing shastric reference, in my humble opinion.

 

Maybe you can mezmerize your flock with that style of preaching, but outside of the camp it doesn't carry much weight.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Really, it all depends on the audience. If one is speaking to newcomers, quoting a bunch of Sanskrit is often not endearing.

 

In general, even if quoting shastra, it's better to speak from the heart and from one's own realizations (as confirmed by sadhu and shastra), isn't it?

 

 

Yep, that is why I am not too excited about his Q & A section of his web site.

 

When we get into controversial and contentious points of siddhanta, you can't really be authoritative without citing shastric reference, in my humble opinion.

 

Maybe you can mezmerize your flock with that style of preaching, but outside of the camp it doesn't carry much weight.

[Guruvani]

 

Really, it all depends on the audience. If one is speaking to newcomers, quoting a bunch of Sanskrit is often not endearing.

 

The topics in the article of T Swami in question were far from elementary concepts for newcomers.

 

Did you even bother to read the article?

It doesn't appear so.

 

He was talking some fairly sophisticated concepts that certainly are over the heads of any newcomer.

 

That was my whole point.

He was dealing with concepts and issues that are strategic to defending the Saraswata Gaudiya school from outsider criticism.

 

You can't preach on that level without citing shastric references as far as I am concerned.

 

Because Maharaja pontificates in isolation and doesn't battle it out on forums like some of us do, he is prone to take himself a little too seriously.

 

In forum debates you can't preach from a high horse.

You have get down in the trenches and fight on the strength of shastra.

[Vigraha]

I believe everyone already knows the many quotes from Srila Prabhupada on this subject matter. The correct understanding is All of Krishna’s marginal ‘sparks’ have the same perpetual bodily features like Krishna – sat-cit-ananda-vigraha.

 

The marginal potency or sparks emanating from the whole categorically means individual bodily personalities emanating and surrounding Krishna’s Personal bodily form that IS their eternal 'svarupa' without beginning or end. Although ones 'rasa' with Krishna can change in the Goloka or Vaikuntha.

 

The marginal living entities connection to Krishna is compared to a fire (Krishna) from whence those individual sparks (marginal bodily living entities) come from. Another comparrison is the Sun (Krishna) from whence the Sunrays (marginal bodily living entities) emanate and perpetually surround Krishna however, these analogies are only metaphors, allegories, figures of speech. Krishna is certainly not a blazing fire or a bright Sun in His Ultimate Bodily Form and neither are the marginal bodily individuals impersonal sparks emanating from that blazing fire or Sun in their full potential.

 

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is often referred to as the energetic, while His marginal servants are known as the marginal bodily personalities in their oeiginal position however, in both cases the original and ultimate appearance of both Krishna (energetic) and His marginal potency (energies) are ORIGINALY individual bodily Krishna Conscious personalities.

 

The Master (Krishna) and servant (marginal individuals in their full expression is called nitya-siddha svarupa eternal devotee’s of Krishna) that serve in an atmosphere beyond mundane mahat-tattva time and space. Every marginal living entity also has a secondary consciousness manifested simply by choice that is called the nitya-baddha consciousness that only can temporarily exist 'embodied' within the mahat-tattva or material creation.

 

In other words every living entity (marginal potency) has an original perpetual devotional bodily form that is eternally serving Krishna in unlimited pastimes within either Goloka-Vrndavana or Vaikuntha, even if they have temporarily entered the mahat-tattva in their dreaming (nitya-baddha) state.

[Guruvani]

This topic is for shastrically supported concepts, not concocted speculations and manufactured theories.

If you can't support your statements with sound shastric evidence, then go haunt another topic.

[halavapada]

 

Tripurari Maharaja has a habit of preaching from memory without citing exacting specific references which then places him as the source or authority for knowledge.

That is exactly his role, he is a spiritual teacher, and a source of knowledge, of which there are 3 - guru, sadhu and sastra.

 

 

Because Tripurari Maharaja presents himself as a guru, he tries to retain as much authority as possible by leaving out exacting references to his conclusions.

This is entirely your opinion, your conjecture about his motivation, and it comes off as critical even though you say you have some respect for him. You did not ask him the question, so if he answers someone else with his own intelligence informed by sastra (qualification of madhyama and uttama bhaktas) why pick it apart? Why not check for yourself and see if he's right? Find the source yourself... And really, it is not at all unprecedented for a sadhu who has consumed and internalized a large amount of siddhanta to speak the siddhanta without reference. I'm sure you do it all the time. It is a diversion to make this topic about your issue with his style of presentation.

[Guruvani]

 

That is exactly his role, he is a spiritual teacher, and a source of knowledge, of which there are 3 - guru, sadhu and sastra.

 

 

This is entirely your opinion, your conjecture about his motivation, and it comes off as critical even though you say you have some respect for him. You did not ask him the question, so if he answers someone else with his own intelligence informed by sastra (qualification of madhyama and uttama bhaktas) why pick it apart? Why not check for yourself and see if he's right? Find the source yourself... And really, it is not at all unprecedented for a sadhu who has consumed and internalized a large amount of siddhanta to speak the siddhanta without reference. I'm sure you do it all the time. It is a diversion to make this topic about your issue with his style of presentation.

 

Like I said already, when preaching to the flock you can get away will kinds of things.

When preaching on the internet, you need to have all your marbles in one bag.

 

I just don't care much for the guru mentality of keeping oneself as unaccountable to shastra, keeping the flock stupid to shastra and posing as Mr. Answer man.

 

I debate on the internet.

I don't have the luxury of pontificating from an ivory tower of prestige and position.

I have to prove my points with shastra.

The people I debate aren't shastra challenged, so debating as an authority unto myself doesn't amount to a fig in today's internet discussions.

 

The saffron elite have a tendency to get a little full of themselves.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

Did you even bother to read the article?

It doesn't appear so.

 

I did read the quote. I found it interesting and not all that alarming.

 

Your statement struck me as being a general one, so my reply was a general reply.