Suspended Acarya

[suchandra]

http://sveta-ray.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A3174B12CE78C460!601.entry

 

There're quite some gurus now that have been "suspended," does that not mean he is de facto a priest? The priest is "suspended from duty due fall down," but this never applies to the acharyas?

ISKCON is establishing that their gurus are priests by default?

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

What was the connection between that link and suspended acharyas? I went to it and it was a story about creation. Maybe I missed something.

 

Is it something to do with Umapati Swami?

[theist]

Same here. Must have missed something.

 

Same problem iskcon has been stuck in for decades. Suspended guru is just the flip side of appointed guru. If the GBC can select guru then they can suspend them also. Guru who is under the control of a religious body like the GBC is no more than ecclesiastical guru or as you say priest serving the religious institution.

 

"Acarya is self effulgent."

[suchandra]

 

What was the connection between that link and suspended acharyas? I went to it and it was a story about creation. Maybe I missed something.

 

Is it something to do with Umapati Swami?

 

theist:Same here. Must have missed something.

 

Same problem iskcon has been stuck in for decades. Suspended guru is just the flip side of appointed guru. If the GBC can select guru then they can suspend them also. Guru who is under the control of a religious body like the GBC is no more than ecclesiastical guru or as you say priest serving the religious institution.

 

"Acarya is self effulgent."

Question is, there're different kind of guru, e.g. husband is also guru, father is also guru, brahmana is guru, ayurveda doctor/astrologer is also guru, teacher of ksatriya is guru, also see ayurveda acarya at http://www.ayurvedaacharya.com/, then there's siksa guru, diksa guru, caitya guru, mantra guru, sastra guru, nama guru, bhajana guru, mahanta guru, etc.etc. In India, primary school teacher is called guru. But are all these different kind of guru the same?

Parampara guru - is not an initiating spiritual master something like the highest level of human consciousness? So, how he can be suspended?

No, pic above is not HH Umapati Swami leaving, but it clearly points out that you can only leave something when you know that something. Without having full knowledge of something you cannot decide to reject it.

[theist]

Yeah the word guru gets used differently. In this case they are ecclesiastical gurus.

[suchandra]

 

Yeah the word guru gets used differently. In this case they are ecclesiastical gurus.

painting of a guru by HH Satsvarupa Goswami

 

Ecclesiastical gurus and non-ecclesiastical gurus, could be that there is presently rather a smooth transition - defined according ones own subjective interpretation.

Just like for many people, health is very important and when getting cured of a severe disease they might consider that doctor as saint or guru. There were many beatifications of e.g. people like Hildegard von Bingen (11th cent.) who discovered lots of medical stuff, naturopathy. Could be also that present understanding is that people don't want to be told what is an ecclesiastical guru and what is a non-ecclesiastical guru. Something like, "we came out of age, don't tell us what is a guru, stop paternalism."

 

Prabhupāda: Anyone who is Krishna conscious, who knows Krishna, he is guru. Otherwise all rascals. Why should you go to a rascal? Immediately you can understand he is guru who has fully surrendered to Krishna. He is guru. Others? They are all rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [bg. 7.15]. Who has not surrendered to Krishna, he is under these four groups: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. They may talk of so much knowledge, but they are rascal fools because they have not surrendered to Krishna. All the Māyāvādīs, they are all rascals. They have not surrendered. This is the test. Why don’t you take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā? He is guru. One who has surrendered to Krishna, one is servant of Krishna, he is guru. That is the test. If you want to select a guru, you have to see “Whether this person is fully surrendered to Krishna?” Then he is guru. Huh? What is the definition of guru given by…? Why don’t you read all these things? Why you remain fools and rascals? Why…? We are following Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. You become a guru. How? Yāre dekha tāre kaha krishna-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That’s a guru. Why don’t you see all these instructions? And you are presenting yourself as following Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Why? Answer. Why you remain fool and rascal? If you want to remain fool and rascal and question, that is not very good. You must know who is guru. And you say, “I do not know who is guru.” Why? Hm? What is the answer? Guru is defined by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are chanting daily, śrī krishna caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī advaita gadādhara śrī… Take their lesson. Otherwise why you are praying, śrī krishna caitanya prabhu nityānanda? You, rather, glorify Hitler or Mussolini. Make them guru. Everything is there. You cannot say that “I do not understand.” Do not understand means you do not take. What is the…? All right?

 

Morning Walk Conversation

with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

February 3, 1976, Māyāpura

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/760203mw.may.htm

[Beggar]

 

painting of a guru by HH Satsvarupa Goswami

 

 

Notice the stick figure over the top of the head of the "guru". He is riding a bicycle, has long hair and an insane smile. The stick figure represents SDG's mind. It wants to fly away and enjoy the material world. But SDG's intellegence is telling him to stay on as a sannyasi, "till the last breath".

On different levels and in different ways all neophyte practitioners have the same conflict. Yet Srila Prabhupada tells us that you can only advance as far as your guru. Oh well, each to their own!

[theist]

 

Immediately you can understand he is guru who has fully surrendered to Krishna. He is guru. -Srila Prabhupada

 

This is what really struck everyone (including me even from my distant perspective) about Srila Prabhupada. We may not have been sure about who this Krishna was but one thing was obvious and that was Srila Prabhupada loved Him without reservation and was intensly devoted to serving Him.

[AncientMariner]

 

Notice the stick figure over the top of the head of the "guru". He is riding a bicycle, has long hair and an insane smile. The stick figure represents SDG's mind. It wants to fly away and enjoy the material world. But SDG's intellegence is telling him to stay on as a sannyasi, "till the last breath".

On different levels and in different ways all neophyte practitioners have the same conflict. Yet Srila Prabhupada tells us that you can only advance as far as your guru. Oh well, each to their own!

 

 

I read in Srimad Bhagavatam that fallen gurus end up incarnating as frogs or monkeys in Vrndivana as the special mercy of the Lord they remember their past lives and they take up devotional service again. Like Maharaja Bharata ended up getting attached a deer and took birth as a deer but remembered his past life and then got reborn as Jada Bharata and then as Jada Bharata he acted like a deaf, dumb madman so that he could avoid the unwanted association of wordly people. I hope SDG can get it back together again but it appears that all the repression of material desires or something has caused him some real psychological stress of some sort but who knows for sure.

[theist]

I always found Satsvarupa das' art to be rather disturbing. Also I noticed there was never much about Krishna included.

 

Notice how the "guru" in the painting is occupying all the space in the picture and waving to the viewer drawing attention to himself. And in the small area where he is supposedly presenting a lesson on Krsna there is nothing.

 

OK, enough of my pop art analysis.

 

When I came to the site displaying his paintings there was commentary by one of his disciples comparing it to Kandinsky. Love is blind they say.

[theist]

Here is a painting by Jadurani devi dasi from the mid seventies. Junior Haridas has left his body and is singing to Lord Caitanya.

 

No weird self promotion or attempted self pyschological diagnosis just presenting Caitanya Katha in a most beautiful and elegant way.

 

[Vedesu]

 

Notice the stick figure over the top of the head of the "guru". He is riding a bicycle, has long hair and an insane smile. The stick figure represents SDG's mind. It wants to fly away and enjoy the material world. But SDG's intellegence is telling him to stay on as a sannyasi, "till the last breath".

 

Interesting observation. Also worthy of note are the handlebars in the shape of a trident, which would symbolize lust, anger, and greed. The L in "Last" is pointing to the rear wheel, which is smaller than the front and sort of pinkish, indicating a keen endeavor to get in touch with one's feminine side. There are no baseball cards on the spokes, which means that the individual has finally transcended the desire to become a major league ballplayer. Either that, or the individual is totally disgusted with the whole steroid/HGH Mitchell Report/Balco scandals which currently plague MLB. I mean, consider the reasons why the war on steroids in baseball has been such an abysmal failure: money, 160-day regular seasons, money, injuries--the kinds that keep you from playing, but more importantly, the kinds that don't but that degrade your performance and put you to shame before your teammates, ESPN, your city, and the kids...we all do it for the kids.

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

Ecclesiastical gurus and non-ecclesiastical gurus

 

The problem is we have ecclesiastical gurus posing as nitya siddha gurus, pretending to be pure devotees and eternally liberated. If they just played their part, who they really are, less people would complain. Take Caru for example. As far as I know he lets people know he is just an ordinary guy acting as a priest. No big show. Maybe that's why you don't hear so many complaints about him, whereas other show men are always getting criticized.

[AncientMariner]

 

Interesting observation. Also worthy of note are the handlebars in the shape of a trident, which would symbolize lust, anger, and greed. The L in "Last" is pointing to the rear wheel, which is smaller than the front and sort of pinkish, indicating a keen endeavor to get in touch with one's feminine side. There are no baseball cards on the spokes, which means that the individual has finally transcended the desire to become a major league ballplayer. Either that, or the individual is totally disgusted with the whole steroid/HGH Mitchell Report/Balco scandals which currently plague MLB. I mean, consider the reasons why the war on steroids in baseball has been such an abysmal failure: money, 160-day regular seasons, money, injuries--the kinds that keep you from playing, but more importantly, the kinds that don't but that degrade your performance and put you to shame before your teammates, ESPN, your city, and the kids...we all do it for the kids.

 

 

Gotta admit that was pretty funny. I remember as a kid I used to have panic attacks because I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to make it as a professional athlete. I did end up playing a lot of very competitive golf and still do sometimes but I gotta admit the role sports plays in our civilization has gotten fairly disgusting and I have begun to lose my addiction to them.

[theist]

 

Interesting observation. Also worthy of note are the handlebars in the shape of a trident, which would symbolize lust, anger, and greed. The L in "Last" is pointing to the rear wheel, which is smaller than the front and sort of pinkish, indicating a keen endeavor to get in touch with one's feminine side. There are no baseball cards on the spokes, which means that the individual has finally transcended the desire to become a major league ballplayer. Either that, or the individual is totally disgusted with the whole steroid/HGH Mitchell Report/Balco scandals which currently plague MLB. I mean, consider the reasons why the war on steroids in baseball has been such an abysmal failure: money, 160-day regular seasons, money, injuries--the kinds that keep you from playing, but more importantly, the kinds that don't but that degrade your performance and put you to shame before your teammates, ESPN, your city, and the kids...we all do it for the kids.

 

Feminine side?....hmmmm...yes I see it. Good eye. It is very important that gurus stay off the juice. Gurus with roid rage...now there is a scary thought.

[bhaktajan]

 

I read in Srimad Bhagavatam that fallen gurus end up incarnating as frogs or monkeys in Vrndivana as the special mercy of the Lord they remember their past lives and they take up devotional service again. . . .

 

Dear FOLKs,

From reading all these pathetic analyses of other people's short-comings here are the alternatives:

 

 

Abandon the path of bhakti and any search for a guru, stop reading the Vedic literatures, stop being a vegetarian, stop chanting the names of Krishna, stop remembering Krishna. I couldn't have done it without the assistance of all these pessimistic postings about these Vaisnava's and their dirty laundry. Just think of the shame of purporting to be enlightened when all they will ever inherit is the reputation of being like our own karmi freinds, family, and extended members of a doomed bunch of nihilistic beasts.

 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled fare of events:

[as posted on MSN,com 3/30/2008]

 

 

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>After landing in Okinawa, the Caruso family is gathering their overhead baggage when they notice smoke and flames billowing from the engines. What ensues is a race against time as the Carusos and their fellow passengers must escape the plane before it explodes. Miraculously, all 165 passengers and crew are able to evacuate the plane safely.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=147 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Franklin Huddle and his wife are aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight when, shortly after takeoff, hijackers take control of the plane. They force the pilot to keep the plane in the air until it runs out of fuel and he must attempt an emergency landing off the African coast. The plane - carrying 175 people including passengers and crew - cartwheels upon impact and breaks apart in three places. The Huddles, still strapped in their seats, are thrown into the water. They are two of only 48 survivors.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

While attempting a jump, veteran skydiver Andy Judy gets his leg caught on the wheel of the plane. He is stuck, hanging upside down 10,000 feet in the air as the plane travels at speeds around 100 mph. Unable to free himself, he can only dangle helplessly as people on the ground frantically search for ways to save him. Eventually, the small plane runs out of fuel and the pilot is forced to land -- with Andy hitting the ground first. Unbelievably, Andy suffers only minor injuries and skydives again a mere three weeks later.

 

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Pilot Bob Robertson takes off from a Fort Lauderdale airport and almost immediately one of his engines fails. He makes every effort to avoid the offices and cars below as he crashes into the ground. Rescuers arrive on scene to find Bob still sitting in his seat while the rest of the plane has disintegrated around him. His injuries include two broken arms and a compound fracture in his ankle. Nobody on the ground is hurt.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=147 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

World traveler Lisa Paisola is trying to visit her seventh and final continent -- Antarctica. In a Titanic-esque twist of fate, her ship hits not one, but two icebergs forcing Paisola and her fellow passengers and crew to evacuate to small lifeboats. They spend six hours floating on the tumultuous Antarctic Sea before being rescued.

[bhaktajan]

Alla Vita Bellezza:

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=147 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In Atlanta, Ga., Ivers Sims is trapped on a crane 200 feet in the air above a fire raging out of control. His only hope is to be whisked to safety by a fire fighter he's never met, who is hanging by 80 feet of rope below a helicopter being piloted by a crew he's never met. Despite no radio communication, they work like a well-oiled machine and are able to bring Ivers safely to the ground.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Five friends don life jackets, harness themselves together and jump off the 200-foot-high Tampa Skyway Bridge. They are attempting a "pendulum swing" off the massive bridge. At the end of the first soaring swing, their rope snaps and they plunge into the water below -- but not before sailing across the setting sun in dramatic fashion. Although they all survive, their injuries range from broken ribs to broken necks.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

A New Zealand couple and their dog have become marooned at sea. Their boat fast sinking amid crashing waves, a daring helicopter rescue is their only hope. But people come first, and they are rescued thinking their beloved Priscilla the dog will be left behind. But the crew decides to make one last attempt to save Priscilla and are able to pluck her from the waves.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Snowmobiler Trennis Baer is no stranger to the rugged Montana peaks. But when the mountains turn on him, he finds himself caught up in an avalanche, swimming frantically to stay close to the surface. His beacon, which would be used to locate him buried in the snow, is hanging uselessly on a nearby tree. Luckily for Trennis, his hand is above the surface and he is quickly found.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

With over 20,000 jumps beteween them, pro skydivers Michael Holmes and Jonathan King thought they'd seen it all. But a routine jump becomes a struggle for life as Micheal spins out of control under a malfunctioning parachute with Jonathan watching helplessly on. After exhausting all attempts to fix his chute, Michael finally crashes into a blackberry bush. Jonathan lands nearby and upon reaching Michael is shocked to find him alive. Michael suffers minor injuries and jumps again six months later.

..........................................................................................

 

Fallen monks? Furget-about-it!

 

This is what you're craving for, "Real entertainment"

..........................................................................................

 

Thank you for your sponsorship and patronage.

 

WARNING:

Don't try any of things at home--without a guru to show you how.

[Shakti-Fan]

 

 

I am just wondering why everyone went a little crazy after this painting was posted? I guess it is just a rhetorical question.

[Kulapavana]

 

The problem is we have ecclesiastical gurus posing as nitya siddha gurus, pretending to be pure devotees and eternally liberated. If they just played their part, who they really are, less people would complain. Take Caru for example. As far as I know he lets people know he is just an ordinary guy acting as a priest. No big show. Maybe that's why you don't hear so many complaints about him, whereas other show men are always getting criticized.

 

Even Srila Prabhupada did not claim he was eternally liberated. That was something his disciples came up with. IMO Bhakti-caru Maharaja simply tries to bridge the ritvik divide.

[theist]

 

I am just wondering why everyone went a little crazy after this painting was posted? I guess it is just a rhetorical question.

Rorshach effect? Maybe we saw some portion of our ownselves in his situation and were frightened into chattering?

 

But then I tend to see everything as a Rorshach test.

 

<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="center">

 

</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

[Shakti-Fan]

<table align="center" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="grey">by Syamarani dasi</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="grey"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="grey">The painting you are viewing is entitled "Seva Kunj."

 

“This picture began in my heart, and it now has manifested outwardly.”

 

 

– Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

A description of the divine philosophy behind this masterpiece has been given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in his commentary on Sri Chaitanya Caritamrta:

 

In Goloka Vrndavana there is an exchange of love known as parakiya-rasa. It is something like the attraction of a married woman for a man other than her husband. In the material world this sort of relationship is most abominable because it is a perverted reflection of the parakiya-rasa in the spiritual world, where it is the highest kind of loving affair. Such feelings between the devotee and the Lord are presented by the influence of yogamaya. The Bhagavad-gita states that devotees of the highest grade are under the care of daiva-maya, or yogamaya. Those who are actually great souls (mahrtmas) are fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, always engaged in the service of the Lord. They are under the care of daivi-prakrti, or yogamaya. Yogamaya creates a situation in which the devotee is prepared to transgress all regulative principles simply to love Krsna. A devotee naturally does not like to transgress the laws of reverence for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but by the influence of yogamaya he is prepared to do anything to love the Supreme Lord better.

 

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila chapter 4: purport by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada)

 

Click here to view more transcendental art.

 

</td></tr></tbody></table>

[theist]

 

The problem is we have ecclesiastical gurus posing as nitya siddha gurus, pretending to be pure devotees and eternally liberated. If they just played their part, who they really are, less people would complain. ...

 

Exactly. It's not the temporary falldowns that is the problem. When some fall downs they enter the world I live 99% of the time so how could I complain. It is the pretense as JNdas has said.

 

Artifically climbing onto the vyasasana is itself the big falldown. The rest, drugs, sex & money are just the details that reveal the pretense, the real falldown.

[AncientMariner]

 

Rorshach effect? Maybe we saw some portion of our ownselves in his situation and were frightened into chattering?

 

But then I tend to see everything as a Rorshach test.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center>

 

 

</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

 

It looks like a cow skull with rabbit ears to me.

[AncientMariner]

 

Dear FOLKs,

From reading all these pathetic analyses of other people's short-comings here are the alternatives:

 

 

Abandon the path of bhakti and any search for a guru, stop reading the Vedic literatures, stop being a vegetarian, stop chanting the names of Krishna, stop remembering Krishna. I couldn't have done it without the assistance of all these pessimistic postings about these Vaisnava's and their dirty laundry. Just think of the shame of purporting to be enlightened when all they will ever inherit is the reputation of being like our own karmi freinds, family, and extended members of a doomed bunch of nihilistic beasts.

 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled fare of events:

[as posted on MSN,com 3/30/2008]

 

 

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>After landing in Okinawa, the Caruso family is gathering their overhead baggage when they notice smoke and flames billowing from the engines. What ensues is a race against time as the Carusos and their fellow passengers must escape the plane before it explodes. Miraculously, all 165 passengers and crew are able to evacuate the plane safely.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=147 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Franklin Huddle and his wife are aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight when, shortly after takeoff, hijackers take control of the plane. They force the pilot to keep the plane in the air until it runs out of fuel and he must attempt an emergency landing off the African coast. The plane - carrying 175 people including passengers and crew - cartwheels upon impact and breaks apart in three places. The Huddles, still strapped in their seats, are thrown into the water. They are two of only 48 survivors.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

While attempting a jump, veteran skydiver Andy Judy gets his leg caught on the wheel of the plane. He is stuck, hanging upside down 10,000 feet in the air as the plane travels at speeds around 100 mph. Unable to free himself, he can only dangle helplessly as people on the ground frantically search for ways to save him. Eventually, the small plane runs out of fuel and the pilot is forced to land -- with Andy hitting the ground first. Unbelievably, Andy suffers only minor injuries and skydives again a mere three weeks later.

 

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=148 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Pilot Bob Robertson takes off from a Fort Lauderdale airport and almost immediately one of his engines fails. He makes every effort to avoid the offices and cars below as he crashes into the ground. Rescuers arrive on scene to find Bob still sitting in his seat while the rest of the plane has disintegrated around him. His injuries include two broken arms and a compound fracture in his ankle. Nobody on the ground is hurt.

 

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=147 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

World traveler Lisa Paisola is trying to visit her seventh and final continent -- Antarctica. In a Titanic-esque twist of fate, her ship hits not one, but two icebergs forcing Paisola and her fellow passengers and crew to evacuate to small lifeboats. They spend six hours floating on the tumultuous Antarctic Sea before being rescued.

 

 

 

Given the history of Iskcon guru problems it does seem to be a legitimate question about what happens to fallen gurus and there does seem to be some infomation in Canto 5. I apologize if I insinuated that SDG is fallen, I have read that he had some problems but you are right it is not proper to engage in such gossip.

 

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, in this way Bharata Mahārāja was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable desire which was manifest in the form of the deer. Due to the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the deer after giving up the association of his own son and family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past karma. The King was so engrossed in petting and maintaining the deer that he fell down from his spiritual activities. In due course of time, insurmountable death, which is compared to a venomous snake that enters the hole created by a mouse, situated itself before him.

 

PURPORT

As will be seen in later verses, Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of death, would be forced to accept the body of a deer due to his attraction for the deer. In this regard, a question may be raised. How can a devotee be affected by his past misconduct and vicious activities? In Brahma-saḿhitā (5.54) it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: "For those engaged in devotional service, bhakti-bhajana, the results of past deeds are indemnified." According to this, Bharata Mahārāja could not be punished for his past misdeeds. The conclusion must be that Mahārāja Bharata purposefully became over-addicted to the deer and neglected his spiritual advancement. To immediately rectify his mistake, for a short time he was awarded the body of a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature devotional service. Although Bharata Mahārāja was awarded the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously happened due to his purposeful mistake. He was very anxious to get out of his deer body, and this indicates that his affection for devotional service was intensified, so much so that he was quickly to attain perfection in a brāhmaṇa body in the next life. It is with this conviction that we declare in our Back to Godhead magazine that devotees like the gosvāmīs living in Vṛndāvana who purposely commit some sinful activity are born in the bodies of dogs, monkeys and tortoises in that holy land. Thus they take on these lower life forms for a short while. and after they give up those animal bodies, they are again promoted to the spiritual world. Such punishment is only for a short period, and it is not due to past karma. It may appear to be due to past karma, but it is offered to rectify the devotee and bring him to pure devotional service.

[theist]

It's a legitemate question and as far as Satsvarupa das goes he has issued public letters confirming his situation so that is not gossip.

 

No need to take pleasure in the fall of anyone nor is there any reason to bury our heads in the sand and pretend we don't see. We leave that to the disciples of such people who hang on to the idea that these ecclesiastical gurus are infallible despite all evidence to the contray.