Kishalaya Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Those who try to unjustly criticise AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's works as not complying to Gaudiya philosophy and engage in nitpicking should read the following verse of Bhagavatam. It is a great offence to mimimize the work of a mahaa-bhaagavat who has put his bhagavad-bhaava in every word that he wrote. SB 1.5.11 tad-väg-visargo janatägha-viplavo yasmin prati-çlokam abaddhavaty api nämäny anantasya yaço ’ìkitäni yat çåëvanti gäyanti gåëanti sädhavaù TRANSLATION On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest. -Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishalaya Posted April 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 To add the reason why I posted the above is that I am going through a "raganuga" bhakta's web site which is decrying Prabhupada and BhaktiSiddhanta. Of course the fellow is intelligent that he has already replied to the above objection. However what he says is that the imperfections amount to siddhanta and not just grammatical - in the works of Bhaktivedanta. He just forgot that the siddhanta needed for glorification of the Lord is present in a five year old also. Of course the fellow does not even spare Prabhupada faults of prosody It is because of these so called raganuga bhaktas who considered Prabhupada "a good old fellow who did some good work by builing some temples" that I shoved Krishna consciousness under the carpet. Of course, my fault also. It is only after so long a time, it was only Prabhupada vaani that made my heart beat for Krishna. Yours with due respect, Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 My dear vaisnava, JAI!! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! I agree! It doesn't matter what is going on in my life. Whether I'm stressing over something stupid or not; as I read Srila Prabhupada's purports there is always at least a sentence that directly relates to my situation. I am always inspired by his writting despite the gramatical errors (which I rarely notice anyway). Every sentence Srila Prabhupada wrote and spoke forces one to think of Lord Krsna. He is full of Bhakti and has carried on Lord Caitanya's mission perfectly!! YS, Narayani d.d. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narayanidd Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 Just realized I forgot so sign in:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingentity Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 there in Srila Prabhupada's purports! It is so true - everytime I have a question or I am confused (always!) - I pick up one of Srila Prabhupada's books and there it is! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishalaya Posted April 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 Jaya Jaya Nityaananda Jaya Jaya Gaurachandra I have to add a few more things here. For those who have been associated with Prabhupada's writings in any way, let me ask them -- who introduced Krishna to us? No doubt all of us had heard about Krishna, Vrindaavan, Mahaabhaarat etc. from various sources earlier, but how many of us were moved? Let us now be very truthful with ourselves. The least one can to do is to try to recognise his greatness. Instead some of us in our pursuit of babaji bhajan try to marginalize his position as "I thank him for what I learned from him!" Thank? Just thank and go on to spew nonsense like paramparaa integrity and so on even to the point of saying "sruti smriti puraanaadi pancharaata vidhim vinaa aikaantiki harer bhakti utpaataaiva kalpate". Man this fellow has gone nuts. Babaji bhajan is good. When one has found a way, it is very good, but what is the need to demean the one who brought Krishna to you, just to justify one's own position. Further, there is comparison of Prabhupada with Hitler as the reason is given is that amassing a following is no big deal. The fellow I gather never tried to collect a following, so it was very easy for him to say such a thing is easy. How Hitler would have fared had he tried to further Gauraanga Mahaaprabhu's agenda, that even a child can say. Having a following is no great thing, but having a following for the most secret of the secret knowledge is another. Where Hitler's goal can be easily envisoned in the follower's mind, Gauraanga's goal is uncovered in the heart only with divine potency (yoga maayaa samaavrtaah). The shaastra gives the characteristics of a bhaagavat who has attained bhaava bhakti. One of them being he never wastes time. Prabhupada did not even sleep properly in the night only to complete his translations and purports. Without consulting shaastra how can one dismiss someone as a bhaagavat or not. It is easy for an intelligent person to act like a fool, but it is impossible for a fool to act like an intelligent person. There is great danger falling in bhakti like this. History is full of people who have taken more than one Guru and many a times it is definitely needed, however anybody who says demeaning things for Prabhupada is to be immediately rejected as rascal -- bogus. To accept such persons as Guru is to get a free ticket in the express train to hell. Here people are trying to be a blade of grass to be stepped on by Prabhupada, why because he used all his strength to pull us out of naraka, and give the highest goal of life. And imagine how Krishna will feel when He hears such things about Prabhupada. I bet He will personally take pleasure in kicking such persons out with His left foot. Your servant, Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kishalaya Posted April 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2003 This fellow is a sociologist and IMHO, the effort he has taken to minutely examine the history and sociology of Chaitanya Vaishnavism, if this is his minor effort, then he would probably be in nitya lilaa by now, if his raganuga bhajan is the "major" effort /images/graemlins/laugh.gif However I think I was too harsh on him and had formed opinion in the earlier posts by going only through 1/10th of the material he has placed on his web site. In any case, I still do not agree with his over emphasis on the single spot on the otherwise white cloth. /images/graemlins/frown.gif Where does he find all that time for these things along with adjusting Hari Katha, Raganuga Bhajan, Siddha Pranali etc. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif -Kishalaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 We should never forget and will always be indebted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 Even 1/10th of that person's web site was too much for me as I happened upon by misfortune some years back. I feel fairly certain we are speaking of the same entity. I don't want to enter the same building as anyone who expresses some animosity towards His Divine Grace. I myself have so much enviousness towards Krsna and His devotees. That I acknowledge as a character flaw of mine that must be overcome. The absorbtion of poisonous thoughts and feelings from such a person surely will not help me accomplish my higher attainment. A college degree can be useful in Krsna's service, no doubt, but when such "scholars" use that degree to propulgate offense to a maha-bhagavat then that degree should be seen as a jewel on the head of a venomous snake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 I'm not sure which website you are referring, to but I think I can guess. We had some discussion with some of these babaji fellows late last year. Their criticisms of A.C. Bhaktivedanta are not very well thought out and seem to betray their own lack of scriptural understanding. These criticisms include (1) that the Bhaktivedanta parampara is not bona fide because of lack of formal diksha in some cases, (2) that varnaashrama is foreign to Gaudiiya tradition and thus makes Bhaktivedanta Swami an "innovator" who departed from the "orthodox" party line, (3) that wearing of saffron and other traditions associated with sannyaasa was also not acceptable for Rupanugas, and (4) because of these and other points, Bhaktivedanta Swami's Gaudiiya Vaishnava tradition was not "orthodox," unlike the babajis in India who just sit and do bhajan, who supposedly are "orthodox." It was pointed out to these individuals that even in the Krishna-Brahmaa-Naarada-Vyaasa paramparaa there was an absence of formal diksha, as well as in the Krishna-Arjuna connection along with the Vivasvaan-Manu-Ikshvaaku paramparaa. Their response? Those examples don't count, because apparently the Gaudiiya concept of paramparaa supersedes any existing scriptural concept of paramparaa. It was also pointed out based on references to Puranic evidence that varnaashrama dharma was the means by which ordinary people worship Krishna. Their response? Those scriptures don't matter because the Gosvamis have set the proper standard. It was pointed out based on Narada's example in Srimad Bhagavatam that an aachaarya could temporarily adjust certain regulations for the greater purpose. Their response? They had none. But they insisted that Hari-bhakti Vilas be followed in all respects and regardless of circumstance or else one is not an "orthodox" Gaudiiya Vaishnava. It was pointed out that spreading Krishna-consciousness in the way Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu did, was more indicative of orthodoxy than the color of one's cloth or some other external regulations - based on His own instructions to His devotees in Chaitanya-Charitamrita. Their response? Even babajis who sit in one place and do bhajan are still preaching in a sense. Those who do it as Chaitanya did are no better. When it was pointed out that Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu wore saffron and observed varnaashrama dharma, their response was that He doesn't count because the six Gosvamis have set different standards and all of us should follow those. Like this it goes on and on. They just ignore all scriptures and examples which contradict their position. You can't even take such an "orthodox" paramparaa seriously; it's as if they don't even care that they don't follow any core authoritative texts. Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, etc are conveniently thrown in the dustbin when a perceived conflict with Gosvami-granthas is noted. No attempt is made on their part to wonder if perhaps their understanding of the Gosvamis is flawed in the first place. It seems only right that their "orthodox" tradition has pretty much degenerated into irrelevance. The most vocal proponents of it are those who have mostly had bad experiences with ISKCON or Narayana Maharaj. This in and of itself is telling. One wonders if they just want revenge. It's obviously not the truth they want, because you point that out to them and they just ignore it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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