What about those outside the disciplic successions?

[leyh]

There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahma, one from Lord Shiva, one from Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumaras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahma is called the Brahma Sampradaya, the succession from Lord Shiva (Sambhu) is called the Rudra Sampradaya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Laksmiji, is called the Sri Sampradaya, and the one from the Kumaras is called the Kumara Sampradaya. One must take shelter of one these four sampradayas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purana it is said, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: "If one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless." In the present day there are many apasampradayas, or sampradayas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the Kumaras or Laksmi. People are misguided by such sampradayas. The sastras say that being initiated in such a sampradaya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.21, purport by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

 

For those great souls from non-Vedic traditions like Jesus Christ Prophet Muhammad who are not linked to the above mentioned disciplic successions, how do we accept them as being representatives of the Lord? It seems to me that by doing so, we would be accepting there are bona-fide representatives of God outside the disciplic successions. Would that not contradict Srila Prabhupada's assertion that to be initiated in a sampradaya not connected with the authorities like Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the Kumaras or Laksmi will never enable one to understand the real religious principles?

 

I am inclined to see the disciplic successions not as mere sectarian tradition but as a formal and informal network of devotees and spiritual knowledge which originated from the great authorities and ultimately the Supreme Lord.

[Gauracandra]

I think one could say there are different levels. Its not that Muslims will go to Vaikuntha, or have the same relationship with God. But truth is truth. If truth is in Christianity or in Islam, it is still truth. But the understanding might not be as developed and so further expansion is needed in order to fully understand the Lord. Again, it is the old time, place, and circumstances argument.

[theist]

to whom we worship. It seems likely that if one is sincere in his worship of any bonefide incarnation he will go to that incarnations abode for further instruction.

 

Merry Christ-mass

[madhav]

If one wants to buy a product or service,

one shops around and picks the best one could get for the price one is willing to pay.

 

The same should be done by each person

who wants to follow a religion or sampradaya.

Instead, what is happening is that parents impose their religion on their children.

 

Hindus and Christioans and some others do give freedom to their children to pick another religion when they grow.

But Islam does not do it. If a Muslim quits Islam, then Koran says the he must be killed. In contrast, Hinduism says that when one is born, one is an animal only.

When some sanskaras are done per vedic procedure, then only one becomes a human being.

 

Hinduism gives full freedom for one to think and act freely. Islam gives no such freedom.

 

So, if any HK wants to worship Mohammed,

the wise thing to do is to study Koran and Hadith and the Hisntory of Islam well first to see if you like it compared to what Krishna says in Gita.

 

Without studying Koran, Hadith, and Islam history in India and else were, it would be very foolish to say Islam is just as good as Hinduism or Christianity.

 

Because of what Hinduism teaches, Hindus have never invadeded others country or caused any genocide. This cannot be said of Islam.

 

So, who wants to follow Islam (Mohammed) after knowing Koran and Hadith?

 

Jai Sri Krishna!

 

[theist]

What about those outside the disciplic successions?

 

 

This comes back to the nature of that disciplic succeesion. What if two individuals come to understand their position as servant God, but one from within a tradition and the other from an apparent outside position?

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Another aspect to this equation is that the four sampradayas only become distinct on earth and in the Kali yuga. In other times and places, there is no rigid distinction.