What is the Gauranga Dharma...

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

One mentions that the Pancha Tattva has been replaced by a composition written by Mahatmaji Gaurakrishnananda. This is not a mantra, nor was it ever intended to be a mantra, it is simply a bhanjana, nothing more. To state that it is is completely in error. Where is the evidence that Swamiji Gaurangapada or any of his leaders are propigating "jaya nityananda jaya gauranga hare krishna nitai gauranga" as a replacement of the Pancha Tattva mantra? No where in the Gauranga Dharma site, not in his letters nor lectures has Swamiji Gaurangapada, nor his leaders ever taught that this bhanjan be a replacement of any of the traditional prayers of the Vaisnavas.

 

 

First, no one has said the Pancatattva has been "replaced", what has been stated is that his appointed "Guru for Argentina" (certainly a high post requiring spiritual maturity and discipline) has concocted a chant similar to "Nitai Gaur Radhe Shyam Hare Krishna Hare Rama". It is not a scripturally based chant, it is a mental concoction.

 

Srila Prabhupada's instruction is crystal clear on this matter: "Do not concoct chants". They may be very nice poetry, they may sound wonderful in kirtan, but it is not the right of neophytes to concoct chants about the Lord. Please See Srila Prabhupada's following instruction on this matter:

 

 

The Panca-tattva is a very important factor in understanding Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are sahajiyas who, not knowing the importance of the Panca-tattva, concoct their own slogans, such as bhaja nitai gaura, radhe syama, japa hare krishna hare rama or sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda hare krishna hare rama sri-radhe govinda. Such chants may be good poetry, but they cannot help us to go forward in devotional service. In such chants there are also many discrepancies, which need not be discussed here. Strictly speaking, when chanting the names of the Panca-tattva, one should fully offer his obeisances: sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra without offense.

 

 

The concocted chant is made by one of the leaders of Gauranga Dharma, (the "Guru for Argentina and World Parliament of Religions"), and the chant was found on the Gauranga Dharma website at the following link:

 

http://www.gaurangadharma.org/blessing3.html

 

Oddly enough, this page has disappeared and there is now a "page not found error". Does this mean someone there accepts it was a concoction and bogus chant?

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Here is a definitive conversation where Srila Prabhupada rejects changing the sadhana to chanting Gaura-Nitai:

 

Caranaravindam: Prabhupada, you wrote in the Caitanya-caritamrita that the Caitanya maha-mantra, sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda, there is no offense to that. And so therefore in the Kali-yuga it is actually more beneficial...

 

Prabhupada: Offense is that what is spoken by the acaryas, if you do not follow, that is offense. Guror avajna. That is offense. To chant Gaura-Nitai is no offense. But if our previous gurus have chanted sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita—why should we go beyond that? That is guror avajna. Even there is no aparadha, because guru, Kaviraja Gosvami, has sung like that and my guru has sung, we should follow that. We should not make any deviation. That is guror avajna sruti-sastra-nindanam. Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. So it comes to be one of the items of the dasa-vidha-aparadha. Guror avajna.

 

Caranaravindam: Should we consider that it’s more beneficial for people to hear bhaja sri-krishna-caitanya...

 

Prabhupada: Why? There is already... Why should you go here and there? There is already sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda. Why you are so anxious to go out of it?

 

Caranaravindam: No, I’m saying is it more beneficial for people to hear that mantra than the Hare Krishna mantra. Is it more beneficial for people to hear the Panca-tattva mantra than the Hare Krishna maha-mantra?

 

Prabhupada: Oh yes. You are going to Hare Krishna through Nitai-Gaura. Nitaiyer karuna habe braje radha-krishna pabe. The principle is don’t try to manufacture. Because you are not experienced. So what nonsense you will manufacture, that will be offensive. Better go on, the simple thing.

 

Akshayananda: I know one devotee that chants Panca-tattva mantra...

 

Prabhupada: Let them chant whatever. We shall chant like this, Panca-tattva—sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda. I’ve explained that. Five features of Lord Caitanya.

 

Akshayananda: He chants that mantra on his beads.

 

Prabhupada: Who?

 

Akshayananda: That boy Richard in Radha-kunda.

 

Prabhupada: Rascal. That is his bad association. Therefore I say don’t follow these so-called Radha-kunda babajis. Nara-kunda babaji. And they smoke bidi. I have seen. Richard is still there?

We believe these words of Srila Prabhupada are a final, definitive statement regarding this topic of altering the sadhana to chanting the names of Gaura Nitai. Please read through this quote carefully and decide for yourselves if "Gauranga Dharma" is Srila Prabhupada's teaching.

 

Srila Prabhupada's personal example was to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra. Srila Prabhupada's direct instruction to his disciples was to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra. Srila Prabhupada did not chant these Gauranga Nityananda mantras as a sadhana and neither has he instructed any of his disciples to do so. As shown in the above quote, to manufacture a new sadhana against the instructions of the guru is an offense to the holy name (guror avajna, one of the 10 offenses to the holy name).

 

You decide for yourself whether you think it was actually Srila Prabhupada's "second phase plan" to establish this new Gaurangaism, or whether he intended his followers to continue his example and continue to follow his direct teachings.