Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: My Sannyas Report 2006-2007

At the beginning of 2006 I had to stay in Philo, California, because I had many dental appointments. I was undergoing treatment for complete replacement of all of my teeth in surgery and replacement of new dentures. This required traveling from my home to two different dentists three hours away. We had to go see them sometimes twice a week. What with surgery and healing and casting of new teeth, etc., it took months, and I was not able to travel or even eat properly.
Nevertheless, I spent the winter writing and performing my sadhana. My migraine condition has come under control with preventative allopathic medicine, so headaches are now infrequent.
With the dental work completed in the spring and with my health strong enough, I ventured to do some traveling. I attended the New Vrndavan Festival of Inspiration. Indeed, it was a great inspiration for me. I was very well received there by all the devotees in a very heartwarming way. In addition to two long question-and-answer sessions, which I held in the temple room, I gave very short talks — one during a session honoring Bhakti-tirtha Swami and one on another occasion. I had private talks with Bhakti-caru Swami, Radhanatha Swami, and Hrdayananda Goswami. I also attended a seminar held by Hrdayananda Goswami.
Some weeks later I attended the New York City Ratha-yatra. I attended the whole Ratha-yatra Festival, starting with the parade beginning at Columbus Circle. After the parade I spent the whole afternoon with the crowds at Washington Square, Park talking to people constantly until 7:00 pm, when the park closed.
The day after Ratha-yatra I gave a lecture at 26 Second Avenue, where I reminisced about Srila Prabhupada when he spent the summer and fall there in 1966. I spent a couple more days in New York City, meeting with Gunagrahi Maharaja and Jayadvaita Maharaja, visiting Dayananda Prabhu's house, and seeing a play by his wife Nandi-mukhi. I also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in Manhattan.
After my Manhattan stay we drove to Gita-Nagari, where we stayed for several days and I gave several talks. For the benefit of Bhakti-tirtha Swami's disciples I gave a lecture on his excellent qualities, drawing from my own book “Prabhupada Meditations” and dovetailing it to the qualities of Bhakti-tirtha Swami. The next morning I gave a Srimad-Bhagavatam class and again dovetailed it to the disciples of Bhakti-tirtha Swami and how they are now responsible for carrying on his work. That afternoon was the ground-breaking for Bhakti-tirtha Swami's puspa-samadhi, which was attended by many ISKCON dignitaries. I gave a lecture, as did my godbrothers Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, Jayadvaita Swami, Malati Prabhu, and many others. During this time away from California I also visited my doctor and disciple Nitai-Gaurasundara in Tennessee, where I gave the Friday night lecture at a program he has every week in his home. I also gave a lecture at the home of a householder couple, Acarya and Sudevi, who live near Gita-nagari. I also visited another householder family on our way from Gita-Nagari. Fortunately, my health held up during this program of traveling and preaching, which for me was the most strenuous program I had done in several years.
I returned to California and rested for a while, but soon I received a guest, Jayadvaita Swami, who stayed for a week. On July 4th, a couple of days after he left, I left Philo again and visited Giriraja Swami at his home, staying for a week. I then went back to my home, but shortly thereafter traveled again to visit with Saci-suta in upstate New York. At that time I also visited with Kirtana-rasa in Saratoga, New York. Then I visited with my disciple Sastra Dasa in Rehoboth, Delaware. I also attended the Philadelphia Ratha-yatra and then went on to Washington, D.C., to attend a five-day japa retreat facilitated by Sacinandana Maharaja.
After this I left the United States and flew to Mexico, which is to become my new home. I arrived in Leon Airport and traveled to a place called The Hacienda, where about twenty devotees have gathered to form a project. This is where I am now living. We are establishing a health-care project there and a home for Gita-Nagari Press. We intend to turn it into a place for people to visit and serve in Krsna consciousness. I recently held my Vyasa-puja there on December 1st, and thirty devotees visited. The Vyasa-puja was held on a kind of emergency-preparation basis, but the people who came enjoyed it.
The project in Mexico is still a bit like a construction site, but every day it gets more and more like a finished project. In the future we hope we can invite distinguished guests also. Part of the program is to make it a place for godbrothers to come when they are feeling sick; they will be taken care of by caretakers, as I am being taken care of. We are going to build a guesthouse for VIPs to come and rest. We have not completely developed these ideas of how we want to use this place, but it is all part of a vision and part of an ethos that we are developing. This year I have also begun a weekly “radio show,” where by conference call I speak to my disciples for one hour on varied topics of Krsna consciousness.
That is my report for 2006.
For 2007 I have on the top of my list visiting Trinidad in February to celebrate their 25th anniversary of the installation of their Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha. In the spring I intend to repeat my visit to the US northeast and go to many of the same places. But now I have a home base in Mexico, and so I will be coming back here. I hope my health keeps up so I can do all these things as planned.

The ISKCON leadership just doesn't understand guru-tattva or they would not be requesting ISKCON gurus to submit annual reports.
It's a damn shame they had to butcher the Gaudiya parampara system with these rubber stamp gurus that have to get yearly approval by the GBC committee.
Those people on the inside of ISKCON fighting for positions in the organization have no idea how ridiculous they all look from impartial outside observers.

It would be funny if it wasn't so harmful to the mission of Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.

It's not really funny.
It's just down right ridiculous.

Guruvani pr ... do you even sleep at night? You are maybe the most bitter person I have encountered on the internet.

Please don't let that spoil your peace. At the time of death, the meditations of our life will distract us from the goal.

From the quote you posted guest I have to agree with Guruvani. It's time to stop all the pretense and rear end kissing for old time iskcon leaders when they go so far astray. A fall down by anyone followed by honesty and remorse and repentace is not a cause for ridicule but flagerant abuse of Srila Prabhupada's mission along with abuse of new devotees should be called what it is in a straight forward way for the benefit of others.

Don't want to be subject to ridicule. Then don't pretend to be what you are not and rip off so many. Jesus Christ spoke harshly against those that stood in the doorway to the Kingdom of God and did not enter but only blocked the path for others. Phony gurus certainly fit that description and they need to be pushed aside so others can enter.

GBC is instruction of scriptures, rittvik system so in maya, kanistha, and if still there is no collective nature - their position is even worse

Guruvani speaks as the perfect guru)

GBC is system of sadhu, without it the organization is defective, it will be the concept of materialistic religion where there is no cooperation because there is no advanced understanding.
Such materialistic cult will safely move to disorder because it is not maintained by scriptures. That that is not based on a scripture - is not viable

don't worry about me chumly.
I am quite sure I do more spiritual meditation than you.

On average I spend at least 4 hours a day meditating on shastra.
If I have time I will spend at least 8 hours or 10 hours studying the shastra.

I doubt there is anyone on this forum that meditates on shastra as much as I do.

Last night I was dreaming about Karanadakshayi Vishnu, Garbhodakshayi Vishnu and Ksirodakashayi Vishnu- all three.

so, don't worry about me.
my mind is well focused on spiritual thoughts.

The GBC understanding is not very advanced.
Most of them have a neophyte understanding of shastra and siddhanta.

Most of them don't even read Srila Prabhupada's books anymore.
They are just all absorbed in politics and political intrigue.

A pack of neophytes can't do anything except make a mess out of everything.

Where in shastra is a GBC mandated? I've read the Gita, the first two Cantos of the Bhagavatam, Sri Isopanisad, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, heard dozens of lectures by Srila Prabhpada and not once did I hear that GBC was required...or else.

You have the idea confused with the reality. The concept of an administrative body organized to hold a standards and lead collectively is quite different from the reality of the totalitarian despotism the GBC has turned into.

Srila Prabhupada:
"So Vidura was Yamaräja. Not only he was Yamaräja, ordinary, but he is one of the great authorities. There are twelve authorities mentioned in the çästra. One of them is Yamaräja. Balir vaiyäsakir vayam. This is stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Yamaräja is one of the GBC of Kåñëa. Yes. As we have got twelve GBC’s, similarly Kåñëa has got GBC’s. Now,
svayambhür näradaù çambhuù
kumäraù kapilo manuù
prahlädo janako bhéñmo
balir vaiyäsakir vayam
That twelve men are authorized to preach Kåñëa consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. Therefore we have created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a çüdra. Although Yamaräja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake".

Essence in that all creation is organized and the spiritual world also, the God has Own GBC everywhere. And GBC is a system of sadhu, without GBC all will be tumbled down. That GBC sometimes falls, it not disqualification of the system, GBC of Krishna sometimes falls. It is a part of greatness of the Lord, GBC is not the God, therefore it falls. To become faultless is as a matter of fact aspiration to become the God, mayavada, it not our idea. Our idea - that we fall whether or not - all of us equally serve, because this our eternal applicability. Shrila Prabhupada spoke simply to replace member GBC in case of problems and ok

The GBC only makes sense when, as originally set by Prabhupada, is newly elected every three years. The present installed life-long GBC system or so called supervisory board is a system which easily leads to cronyism, has no transparency and thus rather became a dictatorship than a tool to help the devotees.

Prabhupada's GBC. the one he actually elected fell down - the zonal acarya fiasco. Subsequently there really wasn't a GBC to speak of. Where did it come from? It was self-appointed. That is not the system. It is not sastra for GBC to elect gurus. Where in the history of the sampradaya was that done.
Where does guru answer to a GBC? No it is not bona fide. The currrent GBC is bogus.

In lecture, December 8, 1972, Prabhupada explains how to be successful, not by changing things but by following:
"Before me, many swamis went to the Western countries to preach this Bhagavad-gītā. Not a single person became a devotee of Krishna. Not a single person. There is not in the history. And now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, thousands are becoming devotee of Krishna. This is the secret. People give me credit that “Swamiji, you have done wonderful. Nobody could do it.” I am not a wonderful man. Neither I do know anything magic. I have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That’s all. This is the secret. Anyone can do that. You present the thing as it is. Don’t adulterate it. Then it will be accepted. Just like paramānna, ksira. Ksira is very nice food, but if you adulterate it with some grains of sand, it is spoiled. It is spoiled.

So that was being done. Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God, the spiritual science. But it was being adulterated by so many grains of sands. So people could not understand it. We do not present Bhagavad-gītā with some adulteration. Krishna says, bhakto ’si priyo
’si arjuna. Krishna is instructing Arjuna to begin the paramparā system because the paramparā system was supposed to be broken.
People misunderstood. Or some way or other, it was broken. As it is going on now also. So Krishna said that “I shall speak to you this same old philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā again.” “Why unto me?” Why Krishna selected Arjuna? There are many others, learned scholars. Now, Krishna says, bhakto ’si priyo ’si. Kṛṣṇa was a military man, er, Arjuna was a military man. He was not a Vedantist. He was a gṛhastha, not even a sannyāsī. Why Krishna selected to instruct Arjuna as the disciple of the renovated paramparā system? That is also spoken by Krishna: bhakto ’si priyo ’si me, rahasyam etad uttamam: “Because you
are My dear friend, because you are My devotee, you can understand the mysteries of Bhagavad-gītā.” Krishna did not select a so-called Vedantist to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because Arjuna was not a Vedantist. He was a military man. He’s not supposed to become a great philosopher. He was a gṛhastha. But the real qualification is to become a devotee of Krishna. Then one can understand what is Bhagavad-gītā.

GBC belongs to Srila Prabhupada and if one does not follow, he should be replaced simply. The board should be anyhow. There can be a qualification of some of them is not too high, then it is necessary to read Shrila Prabhupada's books and to receive high qualification. Who does not read Prabhupada's book - not GBC, who is necessary to replace him simply with that reads Shrila Prabhupada's books.


There is no community of sadhu mens a religion of third grade, kanishtha. Kanishtha does not cooperate, he thinks: Only me and my guru, which best. I m the best therefore my guru the best.
And why the best is necessary for you? Study from anyone who that that knows about Krishna consciousness. If you the swindler to you can be and is not necessarily necessary the best guru. Can be to you anyone who speaks about Krishna consciousness will approach.
Anyhow advanced guru does not mean the advanced pupil. There are many examples of the advanced guru at which so it is a lot of pupils of swindlers.

Ritviks want a variant of Christianity when circuits of student's continuity are not present, and there is only a priest. But the christianity already is, what for to make one more Christianity from Krishna consciousness? They want to proclaim formally Prabhupada, thus to not be responsible for what or and to correct from his name. It already is in Сhristianity. There ritviks of Jesus Christ only.

Are you saying the GBC should be replaced if it 'does not follow'?
Who would replace it? Who watches the watchers? It all began with bona fide guru. That is what we need. Bona fide guru. Nowhere to be found at the moment.

Madhudvisa: Is there any way for a Christian to, without the help of a Spiritual Master, to reach the spiritual sky through believing the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?

Srila Prabhupada: I don't follow.

Tamal Krsna: Can a Christian in this age, without a Spiritual Master, but by reading the Bible, and following Jesus's words, reach the...

Srila Prabhupada: When you read the Bible, you follow Spiritual Master. How can you say without? As soon as you read the Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ, that means that you are following Spiritual Master. So where is the opportunity of being without Spiritual Master?

Madhudvisa: I was referring to a living Spiritual Master.

Srila Prabhupada: Spiritual Master is not question of...Spiritual Master is eternal. Spiritual Master is eternal...So your question is 'without Spiritual Master'. Without Spiritual Master you cannot be at any stage of your life. You may accept this Spiritual Master or that Spiritual Master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. As you say that "by reading Bible", when you read Bible that means you are following the Spiritual Master represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ.
(SP Lecture, 2/10/68, Seattle )

"The conduct of Shri Krishna is two fold i.e., eternal and occasional. In Goloka, eternal conduct and astakaliya leela exists at all times. In Bhauma Vrndavana that astakaliya leela is mixed up with occasional leela. Going from Vraja and coming back and killing Asuras are occasional leela. Such work is inevitable on the part of the aspirant while he lives in this material world. Occasional leela is in existence at Goloka in a negative way. Only in this world has that been practically exhibited. For the aspirants, occasional leela which are adverse to the eternal leela have been reflected for the instruction of the devotees, aspirants will hope that those leelas will destroy their own evil.

Occasional leelas are:

(1) Killing of Putana- Putana is a deceitful Guru, teaching enjoyment and salvation. So crafty sadhus who are fond of these represent Putana-tattva. For showing mercy to His pure devotees, child Krishna kills Putana to safeguard His new born feeling in their hearts. (Sri Caitanya Shikshamritam p. 242.)



Putana

The following essay was printed in the January l932 edition of The Harmonist, or Sree Sajjanatoshani

The first act of New-born Infant Krishna recorded by the Bhagabatam is the slaying of the demoness Putana.

The demoness Putana was deputed by King Kansa to kill all the newborn babies of the realm of Brag where the Divine sage Nard that his would-be slayer had been recently born informed him. Meanwhile Sherrie Krishna had been born in Kansa's prison and had been conveyed by His father Versed to the house of His foster parents Nana and Yasoda in Braja during the night of His advent. The guards of the prison had failed to detect the movements of Vasudeb who had returned to his prison with the new-born daughter of Yosoda with whom he had exchanged His own Boy without the knowledge of Yadosa herself. Vasudeb had carried Krishna in his arms across the flooded Yamaha lashed into fury by the tempestuous water of that moon-less night. He had waded on foot the deep waters which had been turned into yawning whirlpools by the fury of the tempest. The iron chains, bolts and locks of the barred gates of the prison had opened of their own accord on the approach of Vasudeb carrying Krishna to the home of His foster parents. The daughter of Yasoda was thereupon duly reported to King Kansa as the new-born-dreaded eighth issue of Devaki. The King rushed into the prison-cell on receipt of the tidings for which he had been waiting through long years of sleepless nights.

He was at first willing to spare the life of the baby as the prophecy was to the effect that he would be killed by a male child, eighth issue of Vasudev and Devaki But he thought of being relieved of all possible doubts on the point by putting to death the new-born girl. As, however, King Kansa was on the point of dashing the baby on the block she escaped from the grip of the King and disclosing herself as the Deluding Energy of Godhead as she remained visible for a short time in mid-sky, assured the King of the certainty of the birth of his future slayer but dissuading him form the fruitless attempt of avoiding his fate by the cruel murder of innocent infants. Saying this Mahamaya disappeared from the view of the astounded King. Kansa was subsequently informed by the sage Narada that his future slayer must have been born among the denizens of Brag and that he was mindful of his safety he should lose no time in taking drastic measures for nipping the danger in the bud. This advice was relished by the blood-thirsty coward and he has accordingly deputed the demoness Putana to kill by an unsuspected process all the new-born infants of the surrounding country.

The demoness Putana accordingly made her appearance in Braja and presented herself in the home of Yasoda during the absence of Nanda who was then in Mathura to pay the tribute due from him to King Kansa. The demoness has assumed the form of a most beautiful matron with a most benignant aspect as she approached the couch where Infant Krishna had been put to sleep by Yasoda. Yasoda noticed the unknown female as she entered the house, but did not suspect any foul play. She accordingly watched the new-comer without any anxiety as she made her way to the couch of the Baby, took Him up in her arms and offered her breast to the Infant to give Him to suck. But the nipples of Putana's breast has been tipped with the deadliest poison.

The infant Krishna was aware of the intention of the demoness and took hold of the breast of the monster with His supple Arms. The grip of the Infant was so terribly severe that it was enough to drive the demoness to despair of her life as she was convulsed by the mortal agony of the pressure of Krishna's little Hands. The Infant then applied His lips to the breast of Putana and sucked away her life in an instant. The terrible monster bellowing with pain was compelled to disclose her own huge, loathsome demoniac form as she fell lifeless on the ground covering with her hideous carcass a long distance with Infant Krishna still clinging to her poisoned nipples.

Accordingly the first act of the milkmaids, who with Yasoda rushed to the spot, was to snatch the Infant Krishna from the breast of the terrible demoness. Then they all marveled how the Baby could escape unhurt from the clutches of the demoness. They attributed the safety of the Infant to the mercy of the gods who are especially kind to the helpless. The affrighted milkmaids invoked the help of all the gods and goddesses for their continued protection of the Infant.

Meanwhile, Putana was saved by her service to Krishna for having offered Him the suck of her poisoned breast. The author of the Bhagabatam is careful to mention that the good fortune of the demoness equaled that of Yasoda in as much as her breast had been sucked by Krishna. Putana, therefore, attained to the eternal status of the foster-mothers of the Supreme Lord in the Realm of the Absolute.

The above narrative of the Bhagabatam embodies a most important moral for the seekers of the Absolute. Butbefore offering the interpretations of the texts favored by the former Acharyas I would like to draw the attention of the reader to certain possible misconceptions regarding the nature of the interpretations about to be offered.

The transcendental meaning of the words cannot be conveyed to the senses of the conditioned soul so long as he does not agree to follow the method of submissive listening to the transcendental sound appearing on the lips of the pure devotee. There is a definite line of succession of the bonafide teachers of the truth. The bonafide teacher should be available sooner or later to the real seeker of the Truth. The bonafide Acarya is not recognizable by the hypocrites and atheists who do not really want to serve Godhead. So long therefore, as the bonafide teacher does not manifest his appearance to the pure cognitive essence of the seeker of the Absolute Truth it is necessary for the candidate for spiritual enlightenment to concentrate on self-examination to be able to avoid harboring any lurking traces of insincerity. The words of the sadhu are also available, by his causeless mercy, for bearing the efforts of such candidates, for finding out their own insincerity.

It is by overlooking or deliberately neglecting to undergo this preliminary training for obtaining access to the transcendental meaning of all words that the literal interpretationists who follow the ordinary lexicographical meaning of the words of the scriptures fail to understand the necessity of never deviating from the interpretations offered by the self-realized souls to whom the transcendental meaning of the words is available. Those empiricists who, while following the lexicographical and syntactical method of the literal interpretationists, do not scruple to read their own meanings into the texts under the impression that the scriptures and the products of the human brain liable to every form of error and, therefore, fit to be corrected by the equally erring caprices of other hypothetical thinkers on the ground of allegations of error that cannot be proved, are disposed to think that the interpretations offered by the Acharyas are not scrupulously faithful to the texts and offer allegorical explanations for supporting their own sectarian views.

These possible misunderstandings are stated to invite the attention of the reader to their bearing on the following interpretation of the narrative of Putana based on the exposition of the former Acaryas heard from the lips of the bonafide teacher of the Absolute. The interpretation is not offered as a literal lexicographical explanation nor as an allegory concocted in the light of empiric knowledge of the past history of the race and may accordingly be accepted as such. Shree Krishna manifests His Eternal birth in the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations. King Kansa is the typical aggressive empiricist. He is ever on the look-out for the Appearance of the Truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to grow up. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the transcendental. He is disposed to think that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy under the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is and can be no really dividing line between the material and the spiritual. He is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of the scriptures by persons whoa re like-minded with himself. This included all the lexicographical interpreters. The lexicographical interpretation is upheld by Kansa as the real scientific explanation of the Scriptures and one that is perfectly in keeping with his dread of an aversion of the transcendental. These lexicographical interpreters are employed by Kansa in purring down the first suspected appearance of any genuine faith in the transcendental. King Kansa knows very well that if the faith in the transcendental is once allowed to grow it is sure to upset all his empiric prospects. There is historical ground for such misgivings.

Accordingly if the empiric domination is to be preserved intact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in right earnest. King Kansa acting on this transitional fear is never slow to take the scientific precaution of debuting empiric teachers of the scriptures backed by the resources of Dictionary and Grammar and all empiric subtleties to put down, by the show of spacious arguments based on hypothetical principles, the true interpretation of the eternal religion revealed by the scriptures. Kansa is strongly persuaded that the faith in the transcendental can be effectively put down by empiricism if prompt and decisive measures are adopted at the very outset. He attributes the failures of atheism in the past to the neglect of the adoption of such measures before the theistic fallacy has time to spread among the fanatical masses.

But Kansa is found to count without his host. When Krishna is born He is found to be able to upset all sinister designs against those who are apprised by Himself of His Advent. The apparently causeless faith displayed by persons irrespective of age, sex and condition may confound all rabid empiricists who are on principle averse to the Absolute Truth Whose Appearance is utterly incompatible with the domination of empiricism. But no adverse efforts of the empiricists, whose rule seems till then to be perfectly well-established over the minds of the deluded souls of this world, can dissuade any person from exclusively following the Truth when He actually manifests His birth in the pure cognitive essence of His soul.

Putana is the layer of all infants. The baby, when he or she comes out of the mother's womb, falls at once into the clutches of the pseudo-teachers of religion. These teacher are successful in forestalling the attempts of the good preceptor whose help is never sought by the atheists of this world at the baptisms of their children. This is ensured by the arrangements of all the established churches of the world. They have been successful only in supplying watchful Putanas for effecting the spiritual destruction of persons from the moment of their birth with the co-operation of their worldly parents. No human contrivance can prevent these Putanas from obtaining possession of the pulpits. This is due to the general prevalence of atheistic disposition in the people of this world. The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest forms of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are bound to recoil.

It is not from any deliberate opposition to the ordained clergy that these observations are made. The original purpose of the established churches of the world may not be always objectionable. But no stable religious arrangement for instructing the masses has yet been successful. The supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya in pursuance of the teaching of the scriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternal religion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is necessary for controlling the inherent worldliness of conditioned souls. But no mechanical regulation has any value even for such a purpose. The bonafide teacher of the religion is neither any product nor the favorer of any mechanical system. In his hands no system has likewise the chance of degenerating is not a lifeless arrangement. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spirit of doctrine or liturgy.

The idea of an organized church in an intelligible form, indeed, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dykes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmistakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bonafide spiritual teacher. The people of this world understand preventive systems, they can have no idea of the unprevented positive eternal life. Neither can there be any earthly contrivance for the permanent preservation of the life eternal on this mundane plane on the popular scale.

Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to the amelioration of the worldly state in any worldly sense from the worldly success of any really spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons of the mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion. the Putanas, whose congenial function is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspected appearance. But the real theistic disposition can never be stifled even by the efforts of those Putanas. The Putanas have power only over the atheists. It is a thankless but salutary task which they perform for the benefit of their willing victims.

But as soon as the theistic disposition proper makes its appearance in the pure cognitive essence of the awakened soul the Putanas are decisively silences at the very earliest stage of their encounter with new-born Krishna. The would-be slayer is herself slain. This is the reward of the negative services that the Putanas unwittingly render to the cause of theism by strangling all hypocritical demonstrations against their own hypocrisy But Putana does not at all like to receive her reward in the only form which involves the total destruction of her wrong personality. King Kansa also does not like to lose the service of the most trusted of his agents. The effective silencing of the whole race of the pseudo-teachers of religion is the very first clear indication of the Appearance of the Absolute on the mundane plane. The bonafide teacher of the Absolute heralds the Advent of Krishna by his uncompromising campaign against the pseudo-teachers of religion.