Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Humility means not to follow the instructions of guru?

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: May 5th, 1976Bhurijana dasa and his wife, Jagattarini dasi, have been traveling with us since Melbourne. They have been somewhat disassociated with mainstream ISKCON for the last couple of years, having preferred association with Siddha-svarupa's followers. Nevertheless, they have always remained loyal to, and in regular contact with, Srila Prabhupada. They are now on their way to Laguna Beach where Bhurijana prabhu has been offered the post of temple president. In Fiji Prabhupada talked with them about their attachment to Siddha-svarupa and his position in relation to ISKCON. Now Siddha-svarupa is here and they are still somewhat confused about Srila Prabhupada's real opinion of him. So today the two of them sought a definitive statement.Jagattarini arrived as Prabhupada

relaxed out on the sun deck. Prabhupada's directive to her was clear: he wanted them within ISKCON and not with Siddha-svarupa. However, due to her emotional attachment to Siddha-svarupa it was difficult for her to accept and she began to cry. When Prabhupada asked her what she found so appealing about Siddha-svarupa, she said she felt his instructions and classes were clearer and his leadership more inspiring.When Bhurijana arrived Prabhupada was as forthright as possible. "Why you are inclined to follow Siddha-svarupa, your wife and you? What is special attraction? Your wife said that their instruction is very clear, so what is the distinction between clear and ambiguous? What do you find ambiguous and what do you find clear?"Bhurijana said he felt Siddha's followers had more introspection about humility.Srila Prabhupada however, countered him. "Humility means not to follow the instructions of guru? Humble, but if you do not follow your spiritual

master's instruction, if you follow others, then where is the humbleness? Your wife says that what Siddha-svarupa says it is very clear and what others say is not so clear. What is that clear? What is not clear?"Bhurijana said he felt they put more emphasis on chanting Hare Krsna. But when Prabhupada asked if anyone was telling them not to chant, he conceded, "No." There was some back-and-forth but Bhurijana didn't seem able to offer any real difference between the two groups. He finally admitted, "I think there is no point of difference.""Then why do you say 'We find these instructions more clear?'" Prabhupada asked, exposing the contradiction.His gentle probing opened up Bhurijana's heart, who finally bared the real source of his misgivings. "For myself, I know I was off-track, and I know that in my heart I built up an enmity toward your disciples, thinking by their distributing books they were making people angry at Krsna and ... ""That

is real point. That is the real point," Prabhupada rejoined, obviously glad to get to the essence of the matter.Bhurijana told him about an experience in Hong Kong when some Indian life members actually yelled at him, telling him that the devotees' attempts in Australia to distribute books on the street were making people angry at Krsna.Pusta Krsna Swami confirmed that Siddha-svarupa's main objection was this; that because of ISKCON's strong emphasis on preaching and book distribution the mass of people have a bad impression of Krsna.Bhurijana thought it wasn't so much the selling of books, but the collecting of funds which gave the impression that ISKCON was merely a moneymaking organization. That sometimes the devotees don't sell books, they just collect funds.Pusta Krsna pointed out that over 500,000 books were being distributed each year.Srila Prabhupada kept this as his focus; money collecting was a separate issue. His

instruction was to distribute books and he wanted to know what the defect was. "So if they sell books, so that is making Krsna unpopular?" he asked Bhurijana."But one must learn to be a good book salesman, I think," Bhurijana answered."But selling book, Krsna, does it mean that the booksellers are creating unpopular opinion? Does it mean?""Automatically, no," Bhurijana conceded."When you say that they are making enemies because they are pushing this, what is wrong there? Actually, I can so far understand that you do not like to sell books, or you cannot sell books."Bhurijana then admitted he had never really tried.Prabhupada told him it was his own mentality that was faulty. "Those who are selling books, you think of them as not very advanced.""I don't think they can do it for a very long time if they are not advanced.""But actually they are doing," Prabhupada pointed out. "So why do you say they cannot

continue long?"Bhurijana raised the objection that sometimes the devotees were not straightforward in their dealings with the public. So much of the collecting was only for money and not for selling books.Pusta Krsna pointed out that regardless of this, Prabhupada's instruction was to sell books."But all the devotees want to hear is Prabhupada also says 'by hook or by crook.'" Bhurijana objected.Pusta replied that sometimes, in order to interest a person in a book, the devotees may approach them on their own level of interest, or simply on a philanthropic level.Cont'd- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 2" by HG Hari Sauri das prabhujiCHANT HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE AND BE HAPPY Your humble servant radhabhava gaur das

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