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k1om@world.std.com (Charles M Grandgent) wrote:
>Dear Madhudvisa dasa ,
>Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and
>Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.
>I read your post to alt.religion.vaisnava tonight and found it very
>interesting.
<<>>
>me to Vrindavan once. Currently am a ISKCON Foundation trustee; trying
>to serve Srila Prabhupada in what little I can do. For many years I
>didn't feel I was making any progress in Krsna Consciousness, but by the
>Mercy of the Lord and the Lord's devotees, in the last several years by
>some miracle I am experiencing some tangible progress and am very
>excited by it.
Tangible process means we become a little more attached to Krishna and
a little less attached to Maya. Maya puts up a good fight but if we
decide to become Krishna conscious, if we are determined to follow the
four regulative principles and we always chant at least 16 rounds of
the maha-mantra daily, what can she do? It still might seem difficult
at times but chanting works. Even if it is difficult, even if sometimes
we have problems with the regulative principles, if we keep chanting
Krishna will make the arrangements so we can come to the proper
standard. I'm very convinced about this Hare Krishna chanting!
>So parts of what you say seem to have the ring of truth. I have
>unpleasant recollections about dealings with New Vrindavan during the
>early 80's, and also met some "zonal acaryas" during that time that
>depressed me quite a bit by their apparent attitude. And sorry to say
>some of this seems to persist to today, in some individuals.
It's all true, something of a historical account, but things have
changed now, of course. But it is very difficult now because so many
devotees were disappointed by ISKCON after Prabhupada left the planet.
And the attitudes of many "highly placed" devotees are still much the
same... Now there's no leader and a boat without a captain is rather
unsteady.
>As always, I believe the only sure cure is education ("Godhead is light.
>Nescience is darkenss. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience"),
>so I believe in reading things like Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's
>writings, even though nobody in ISKCON has encouraged me to do so, only
>discouraged me.
No one in ISKCON encouraged you because Srila Prabhupada didn't
encourage us to read Srila Bhaktsiddhanta's books. So the devotees were
telling you the right thing, they were following Srila Prabhupada's
instructions. Many devotees find it difficult to understand why Srila
Prabhupada would have said such a thing but the reason is we make
spiritual advancement by the mercy of our spiritual master, by
pleasing our spiritual master. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
says:
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
"By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of
Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any
advancement. Therefore I should always remember and praise the spiritual
master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful
obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master."
So we make advancement by pleasing our spiritual master, and of course
there are so many books by our spiritual master [His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]. Prabhupada was seeing a tendency among
some of his disciples to neglect reading his books but to be very
enthusiastic about reading so many other books. This is not very good.
Srila Prabhupada wrote his books in such a way to be easily
understandable by us. He has written in very clear and unambigious
language. No one could miss the points he is putting across. However
Bhaktsiddhanta's books were written at a different time, in a different
style and targeted at a different audience. Although both of the
Prabhupada's [Bhaktivedanta Swami and Bhaktsiddhanta Saraswati] books
present the same absolute truth, the same Krishna, in our neophyte
condition we may see some difference. This could be enough to disturb
some devotees faith in their spiritual master. So Prabhupada didn't
encourage us to read any books except his. I personally only read Srila
Prabhupada's books and I feel completely satisfied doing that. I have
read all his books many times now and every time I read them they get
better. I have read the "Nectar of Devotion" so many times now but it's
my favorite book and I don't get sick of it. These books are spiritual,
the more we read them the more realization we get and the more we
appreciate them.
It is not recommend that we study so many different books. If we
seriously study what Srila Prabhupada has given us that is more than
adequate.
Education and sadhu sanga. The only other thing I
>believe strongly in is to not give up hope that the science of Krishna
>Consciousness is real, and that by practicing it and getting the mercy
>of the Lord and his devotees that one can really expect some tangible,
>exciting change in one's consciousness - not imaginary, but real.
Service is also very important. There is really no meaning to our love
for Srila Prabhupada and Krishna unless we do something for them.
Service, engaging our senses in the service of Krishna under the
guidance of the spiritual master is most important. Of course reading
is also most important and we are always hankering after sadhu-sanga...
>So I am interested in your writing.
>What is "What Happened to the Hare Krishna's" (a book?) and what is its
>availability ? What is "Shelter International" ?
>What is your assessment of the current functioning of the GBC ?
>What hopeful signs do you see within ISKCON and which things still
>trouble you ?
It's a book and if you email me with you address I would be happy to
send it to you. "Shelter International" is just me at the moment but
the idea is to develop an organization of devotees dedicated to
fulfilling the desires of Srila Prabhupada...
As far as ISKCON you probably know better than me.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
Madhudvisa dasa
(madhudvisa@krishna.org) /sudarsana
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
Sudarsana Home madhudvisa@krishna.org