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!
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