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Madyam Gurus
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Subject: Madyam Gurus
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From: Nathan
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Date: Mon Jan 22 11:47:49 1996
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Message-Id: id709
Dear Nathan,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Your words are a very welcome relief. I accept Srila Prabhupada's description of
what a guru is completely and I also can't understand how any "follower" of Srila
Prabhupada could misunderstand... I was in London when Bhagavan fell down and it
just so happened that, while everyone else was lamenting, I came across part of a
Nectar of Instruction. It was just the back part, (from page 58 on) I read it and
couldn't believe it. How amazing I thought, here's the answer, this guy was never
qualified anyhow. So I tried to share my discovery with some of the other devotees
but they were not interested at all.
But I saw the fall of Bhagavan, Bhavananda, Ramesvara, etc. and I thought, "Surely
these guys will learn the lesson now." Everyone can see there is nothing to be
gained by falsely accepting the position of guru for name, fame, profit, adoration
and distinction... The GBC will have to accept the truth now. Only a pure devotee
will do. Of course Srila Prabhupada says a madhyam can initiate but that it will
be very difficult for anyone to make spiritual advancement under such unqualified
guidance, therefore one MUST take shelter of an uttama-adikari pure devotee...
(sorry it is not the exact quote -- I do not have NOI with me)... So there are
devotees that will say "Srila Prabhupada said a madhyam can initiate... but they
will neglect to mention the rest...
Personally I took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1989. I feel completely
protected and have a real relationship with Srila Prabhupada through his vani, his
instructions. He said there are two ways to associate with the spiritual master,
by physical association and by following his instructions. Of the two vani, or
following his instructions is more important. So all of Srila Prabhupada's
instructions are in his books, we just have to surrender to him and read his books
and follow the instructions he gives us in that way. It is real, direct personal
association. Srila Prabhupada didn't die. He continues to live in sound.
Of course ISKCON will not say that Srila Prabhupada is dead. But they will
certainly say you can't take initiation from Srila Prabhupada any more, you have
to have a "living guru". So although they won't come out and say it directly --
they are saying Srila Prabhupada is not a "living guru" -- therefore they are
calling Prabhupada a "dead guru". This is a great offense and their attempt at
killing Prabhupada and taking his position themselves and turning his preaching
organization, ISKCON, into an organization of mundane people all after money, sex,
fame, profit, adoration and distinction will not succeed.
We should continue to seriously follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions: rise
before 4:00am each morning, chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-
mantra daily, follow the four regulative principles, and preach. Tell everyone we
meet something about Krishna. Try to get some of Srila Prabhupada's books [if the
BBT will sell them to you...] and distribute them to people to give Srila
Prabhupada the opportunity to preach to them. He is personally present in his
books, reading Srila Prabhupada's books is direct association with Srila
Prabhupada and as Prabhupada is not speaking on his own authority, he is just
presenting Krishna's words as they have descended to him through the disciplic
succession, so the readers of Prabhupada's books are also directly associating
with Krishna. It is much better than our preaching! Srila Prabhupada once wrote to
Bhagavan, "What will you three minutes of preaching do? If he reads just one verse
his life will be changed". There is great potency in these books. When people read
them they will understand the miserable, temporary nature of this material world,
the transcendentally blissful nature of the spiritual world and the process by
which they can go back home, back to Godhead -- chanting:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
I have written a small booklet, "What Happened to the Hare Krishna's?", you may
have seen it, it is on the www at:
http://www.prg.apc.org/~shelter/archive/msg00089.html
If you don't have access to the web you can email me your "snail-mail" address and
I can send you a copy.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Your servant
Madhudvisa dasa
>Dear Madhudvisa Swami
>
>Please understand that when a translucent or opaque element is placed in
>the succession of Pure Transparent Via Media, that from the perspective
>of a person peeing up through the Sampradaya, the light transmission of
>the cloudy lens is all that he will be able to see. For this Reason
>Srila prabhupada emphasized emphatically that the bona fide Spirityal
>Master MUST be the Uttama Adhikari. All other references to guru,
>spiritual master etc refer in an obvious manner to the Shiksa guru who
>can really be anyone who purely transfers transcendental information to
>others even though possibly a rascal himself.
>
>At this persent time, foolish and misguided persons are attempting to
>establish that the guru can be Madyam or Kanistha Adhikari, although on
>page 58 of the NOI Srila Prabhupada emphasizes THREE TIMES to the
>contrary while pointing out that such gurus teaching will be
>INSUFFICIENT to advance their deciples in a significant or meaningul
>way.
>
>Since there was a gap of at least thirty years between the last
>initiation by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja and the first inititions in
>the West by Sril Prabhupada, and since Srila Prabhupada stated that "not
>one of his godbrothers was qualified to become Guru-Acharya" that it
>must be accepted by all Vaishnavas that there will be periodic gaps in
>the availability of genuine bona-fide Spiritual Masters, and that that
>there is nothing gained by erecting a "Golden Calf" in the iterim.
>
>Since all success is guaranteed by Following Srila Prabhupada Himself,
>Just as (Srila Prabhupada states) one can find "Guru" in the Bible by
>following the teachings of the Bible where Jesus is represented
>eternally, we should be patient and not be eager to artificially attempt
>to follow the footsteps of Romaharshana in the forest of Naimasharanya!
>
>Please feel free to reply to the following e mail:
>
>
>
>
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Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!