I recently got the following letter from a devotee commenting on an article from Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja that was posted on our website: www.gopaljiu.org
My reply comes at the end.
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Please accept my humble obeisances. ALL GLORIES TO SRILA PRABHUPADA!
First of all, I would like to express my appreciation for your website and thought-provoking articles which it contains.
I read Prabhupada's Mission excerpted from chapters 12 and 13 of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja's book MY REVERED SPIRITUAL MASTER. In the article, he expressed deep nistha for his Gurudeva--which I understand to be the cornerstone of bhakti. He wrote that if one chooses to leave ISKCON then they will never please Srila Prabhupada. Yes, Prabhupada established ISKCON with mlecchas and yavanas like me. That he performed a miracle there can be no doubt. That miracle was possible because Srila Prabhupada is a nitya-siddha devotee. It was his purity and potency which carried ISKCON. I saw first hand what happened after he left. I respect Prabhpada's sincere disciples who believe in his mission and Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja is in a class by himself.
When the present day leaders of ISKCON commit offense against mahatmas like Srila Narayana Maharaja--it is time for a line to be drawn. Is the institution in and of itself all important or is it the purity that exists within? When external boundaries rise out of ignorance and the need to control is paramount, isn't it time to center ourselves on the Truth as it is given to us by our acaryas and leave politics aside? I would appreciate hearing your take on this.
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REPLY:
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Thanks for your kind and thoughtful text.
The first thing is that I think it is important for us to remember our purpose: We didn't come to join or merge with an institution. We came as individuals to get bhakti and develop personal relationships with guru and Krishna. The institution of the guru in and of itself is not bhakti, nor is it a person. It's a seva-sanga project of one's guru. We may consider the guru's car to be non-different from him, but we don't pray to it or ask it for advice. Its connection to guru is of spirit of purpose.
If the guru instructs a disciple to render a particular service, whether the venue is heaven or hell, the sincere disciple goes there. Mere membership in an organization does not mean that the constituents share the moods or understandings of all the various members.
Consider Bhishmadev -- he was on the wrong side! He was serving and supporting Duryodhan. Howevever, his association was apara-vicara or an apparent consideration. In tattva, Bhishma was only externally associating with the kauravas. In his heart he was with Krishna and the Pandavas. However, he accepted and maintained his position with the kauravas due to etiquette and the understanding that it was the Lord's desire that he do so.
Association and service take place in the field of the heart. Whether the external territory we find ourselves serving in is a battlefield or a temple, as enjoined by Sri Srimad Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharaja we consider our environment to be friendly.
It seems that basically all sadhu-vaishnavas stress faithfulness to their seva-sanga-institution. I have seen this several times in your respected Guru Maharaja, Srila BV Narayan Maharaja. I have heard a number of times about him telling devotees not to go to leave his seva-sanga to go to other groups. On one occasion in 1999, I had the good fortune to be present in a class he gave at the Kesavaji Gaudiya Math on Srila Jiva Goswami's disappearance day (or appearance?). In that lecture he told the devotees, "After I leave this world, don't go here and there. As westerners, I know this is your nature. But you should stay here."
As far as ISKCON goes, personally I don't see it as either better or worse than any other vaishnava seva-sanga. The only difference for me is that it is the seva-sanga of my gurudeva and my param-gurudeva. Yes, there are some unpleasant people in the society -- even ones who sometimes do vaishnava-ninda. ISKCON preaches daily to new people -- even butchers, prostitutes, pimps, and thieves. Some of them join. Some of them even become leaders. Not all of them become pure immediately. Sadly, some of them are even envious and offensive of devotees.
For myself however, I don't associate with such people. If I find someone acting in an envious way towards vaishnavas in *any* group I practice upeksa, neglect of them -- whether they are in ISKCON or in the Gaudiya Math or in any other vaishnava-sanga.
In the end day we will be known by our qualities, not by our institutional affiliation. My revered spiritual master stressed loyalty to ISKCON not out of mundane sectarianism. He did so because for us to attain sudha-bhakti we need to become nistha to our individual gurudeva's.
Within ISKCON things were hardly materially perfect for him. He sometimes suffered obstacles and even harsh opposition within Srila Prabhupada society. However, he told us many times that Srila Prabhupada had instructed him to stay in the society and to, "Tolerate, tolerate, tolerate, cooperate." My spiritual master once told us, "If they want me to leave ISKCON they will have to cut off my head."
He taught us by his words and his example that if we want bhakti we should be faithful and fixed in service to our guru and our gurudeva's seva-sanga.
I hope that this is some help for you and that all is well for your bhajan and seva.
Vaishnava kripa prarthi,
Madhavananda Das
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