GBC position paper concerning H.H Narayana Maharaja (part 2/3)

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KEEPING FAITH WITH SRILA PRABHUPADA (Part 2 of 3)

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There are two kinds of sraddha--vaidhi and raganuga. Swamiji gave only

vaidhi-bhakti because at that time it was not appropriate for him to

explain raganuga-bhakti. He had written something of it in his books,

but because most readers were not qualified enough to learn it at that

time, he did not explain it in detail. But by practicing vaidhi-bhakti we

can eventually enter into raganuga-bhakti, which arises from that sraddha

which is full of greed. (p. 13)

 

In a very short time he [srila Prabhupada] accomplished all of this, but

he really wanted to give manjari-bhava, so we shouldn't be satisfied

merely with what we received from him at that time. I feel that if he

were present here today, he would be instructing us on raganuga-bhakti.

(p. 16)

 

Just before Swamiji departed this world . . . he said that since he was

unable to give them [his Western devotees] everything in the short time

he was present here, he wanted me to give them further instruction on

bhakti and to always help them in any way I could. He also asked me to

perform the ceremony to place him into the samadhi. (p. 16)

 

I consider him [srila Prabhupada] my siksa-guru, and he always lives in

the temple of my heart because I had such an intimate friendship with

him. I think that he is always present here with us, and I pray to him

that he will bestow mercy upon us so that we will all enter into

raganuga-bhakti and prema-bhakti in this very lifetime. (p. 17)

 

The higher type of meditation will come in the morning time of sadhana,

when the darkness caused by one's anarthas has completely disappeared. To

reach that stage one must practice numerous varieties of sadhana and

constantly chant nama-sankirtana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one who

desires to be an exclusive devotee must engage in raganuga-bhajana.

Without raganuga, the sentiment of exclusiveness will not come and one's

bhajana will be included within vaidhi-bhakti. Then he will think, "Krsna

is Narayana; there is no special difference between Them. He is also

Ramacandra and Nrsimha." Beyond that he may think that there is no

difference between Dvarakadhisa and Govinda. (pp. 142-143)

 

But at present that light is not lit in our hearts because the connection

is not there. The bulb is in our hearts, and our guru is the one who

makes the connection. The current comes through the medium of those

devotees who practice lobhamayi-bhakti. When the guru presses the switch,

at once the current of bhava begins to flow. (p. 144)

 

These extracts from Narayana Maharaja's book shows further how Narayana

Maharaja's approach toward awakening the higher stages of Krsna

consciousness differs from that given by Srila Prabhupada.

 

Narayana Maharaja stresses the necessity for one to acquire a

raganuga-guru who will "press the switch" to turn on "the current of

bhava." The first question that occurs to a follower of Srila Prabhupada

is this: If having a raganuga-guru is so important a requirement for

achieving spontaneous devotion, why didn't Srila Prabhupada himself

practice raganuga-sadhana under the direction of a rasika guru? Some have

theorized that Prabhupada did not do so because Srila Prabhupada was a

maha-bhagavata, nitya-siddha, saktyavesa-avatara. Hence, he did not need

to do it. But we do.

 

This argument is unsound. By this same principle, Srila Prabhupada should

not have accepted a regular diksa guru either, having had no need to do

so. We know, however, that even liberated souls accept gurus in order to

set an example to ordinary people. Therefore, if accepting a

raganuga-guru were necessary for ordinary people to advance to the higher

stages of Krsna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada himself would have

accepted a raganuga instructing guru. Or if he had received such

instruction from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, he would have mentioned

it and recommended this process to his disciples.

 

If accepting a raganuga guru were really so necessary for our further

advancement, then one would certainly have expected Srila Prabhupada to

mention this vital fact during his last days. He would surely have said

something like this: "My dear disciples, you have grasped the essence of

my preaching mission, and I am very grateful to you for this. But now it

is time for you to advance to the higher stages of Krsna consciousness.

Your preaching activities have carried you to the point of

anartha-nivrtti. Very soon some of you shall be coming to the point of

achieving the platform of raganuga bhakti. Unfortunately I will no longer

be present to guide you through this important stage. Therefore you

should look for a living siksa guru who can instruct and guide you in

these important matters." If the matter were so important, why did he not

explicitly mention this? Rather, he said, "Just keep doing as you are

doing, and you will be successful." He did not want us to tamper with the

process he had taught us.

 

Should we accept Narayana Maharaja's appeal to modify significantly our

legacy from Srila Prabhupada? We should first consider the following

remarks by Srila Prabhupada, spoken during a room conversation on August

16, 1976 in Bombay:

 

Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become more than

guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that

'This man should be the next acarya.' But these people, just after his

passing away they began to fight, who shall be acarya. That is the

failure. They never thought, 'Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so

many things, why he did not say that this man should be acarya?' They

wanted to create artificially somebody acarya and everything failed. They

did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to

appoint somebody as acarya, why did he not say? He said so many things,

and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They

declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another man came, then

another, acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person

perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection.

 

This statement makes clear how much importance Srila Prabhupada attached

to remaining faithful to the instructions of the acarya just as he gave

them--neither adding nor subtracting anything. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

Thakura Prabhupada did say to form a GBC to take charge of the mission.

The Gaudiya Matha failed to do so. This is an instance of subtraction.

And naming an acarya to head the mission a case of addition.

 

Srila Prabhupada clearly regarded this as a matter of utmost seriousness.

So if ISKCON leaders have taken to heart the instruction to always be

directed by the order of the spiritual master, it is no wonder that they

hear alarm bells go off when they are told they should now introduce the

concept of special raganuga-sadhana and rasika-guru in ISKCON. They would

be disobeying Srila Prabhupada by adding something to his direct

instructions.

 

We must ask ourselves: Why, during his last days, did Srila Prabhupada

not directly advise his disciples to search for a living raganuga

siksa-guru? He was talking of so many things. What could be more

important than the means to achieve the goal of Krsna consciousness? Why

would he have neglected this important point?

 

Indeed, why didn't he say: "My dear disciples, you have grasped the

essence of my preaching mission and I am grateful to you for this. But it

has taken you only so far. Now, I have asked Sripad Narayana Maharaja to

give you further instructions to take you the rest of the way." Yet Srila

Prabhupada, who was so meticulous in every detail, never instructed us in

this manner. Narayana Maharaja says that Srila Prabhupada asked him to

help us. Even so, had Srila Prabhupada intended anything as consequential

as this, he would certainly have said something to his own disciples.

 

First of all, the prime qualification for anyone to guide ISKCON devotees

is strict fidelity to the order of Srila Prabhupada, who, as we have

seen, restricted concentrated attention upon matters such as Krsna's

conjugal-lila to those utterly free from sexual desire. As we have also

seen, Narayana Maharaja does not observe this restriction. How then can

any follower of Prabhupada take instruction from him? Association with

advanced Vaisnavas is certainly a devotional principle, but such

association cannot help us if it causes us to lose our association with

our most advanced teacher Srila Prabhupada, having discarded his

instructions. Whatever advancement we attain completely depends on our

keeping faith with Srila Prabhupada.

 

In fact, let us spell out completely the consequence of accepting

Narayana Maharja's directions. The implication of Narayana Maharaja's

statements is to set up Narayana Maharaja himself as the next acarya of

ISKCON after Prabhupada. If we reflect upon the extensive interpretation

Narayana Maharaja places upon what he says was a request by Prabhupada

for him to help us, and Narayana Maharaja's belief that introducing

raganuga-sadhana is what Prabhupada would do were he present to complete

his work, the conclusion is hard to avoid. Narayana Maharaja will be the

rasika-guru for ISKCON, appointed, even, by Srila Prabhupada to take over

where Prabhupada left off. The problem with this is that Srila Prabhupada

carefully gave his disciples quite different instructions for the future

of ISKCON, and he held the Gaudiya Matha up as an example to us of

precisely what not to do: "Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they

tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all

direction and never said that 'This man should be the next acarya.' " If

we follow Narayana Maharaja, then we will have exactly recapitulated the

fatal error of the Gaudiya Matha. Narayana Maharaja is hardly the first

sannyasi from the Gaudiya Matha to tempt ISKCON with siren songs

promising to lead us into "more advanced teachings" than Prabhupada

imparted. Keeping faith with Srila Prabhupada, we should continue to

reject firmly any such allurements to disobey his order.

 

Yet some may still wonder how we will reach the higher stages of Krsna

consciousness if we do not practice raganuga-sadhana under the guidance

of someone like Narayana Maharaja. Prabhupada has assured us that if we

are conscientious in following the program he has meticulously laid out

for us, we can have all confidence of complete success. In a

Bhagavad-gita lecture given in Los Angeles on November 27, 1968, Srila

Prabhupada gave this answer to a disciple who inquired about developing

gopi-bhava:

 

So first of all you have to come out from this conditioned life. Then the

question of serving gopi will come. Don't be at the present moment, very

eager to serve gopi. Just try to get out of your conditional life. Then

time will come when you'll be able to serve gopi. . . . But Krsna gives

us opportunities to accept service in this arca-marga. Just like we keep

the Deity of Krsna, offer prasada under regulation, under principle. So

we have to make advance in this way, this chanting, hearing, and

worshipping in the temple, arati, offering prasada. In this way, as we

make advance, then automatically Krsna will reveal to you and you'll

understand your position, how you have to . . . .Gopis means who are

always, constantly engaged in the service of the Lord. So that eternal

relationship will be revealed. So we have to wait for that. Immediately

we cannot imitate serving gopis. That's a good idea that you shall serve

gopi, but it will take time. Not immediately. Immediately we have to

follow the rules and regulations and routine work.

 

This is only one out of many similar statements to be found by searching

the Prabhupada FOLIO database under the words "automatically reveal." The

indication consistently given by Srila Prabhupada is that by

conscientiously performing the routine activities of devotional service,

we will eventually come out of the conditioned stage of life, and then

Krsna will automatically reveal internally our real position, while

externally we continue to follow the same routine practices that brought

us to the liberated stage. Does this process require patience? Yes it

does, but it is better to be patient than to become involved in an

artificial, and ultimately self-defeating, attempt to jump-start the

process, running the risk of deluding oneself about one's actual state of

advancement.

 

Srila Prabhupada wrote to Satsvarupa on March 21, 1967, with this

counsel:

 

For ourselves when we are in perfect stage of devotional service, we can

know our eternal relation with Krishna and as such one of the associates

of Lord Krishna becomes our ideal leader. This acceptance of leadership

by one of the eternal associates of the Lord is not artificial. Do not

therefore try it at present. It will be automatically revealed to you in

proper time.

 

Here are some other remarks by Srila Prabhupada during a garden

conversation in New Vrndavana on June 23, 1976:

 

First of all try to rectify it, then talk of svarupa. Where is your

svarupa? Simply wasting time. A man is diseased, he's thinking, "When I

shall be cured I shall eat, go to this hotel, I shall eat like this."

First of all cure, then talk of eating this and that. Svarupa, when you

are cured, that is svarupa. So long you are not cured, what is the use of

talking svarupa? First business is cure yourself. Anartha-nivrtti, that

is anartha-nivrtti. Then svarupa will come.

 

Here Prabhupada's statement clearly reveals the fundamental difference

between his approach and Narayana Maharaja's. Narayana Maharaja's

approach directs you to talk about your svarupa and its activities,

before the svarupa is attained, in order for you to reach it. Srila

Prabhupada indicates another process: "Where is your svarupa?" He

demands sarcastically. "Don't talk unnecessarily. First of all come to

svarupa, then talk of svarupa." It would be hard for him to be any

clearer. Prabhupada goes on to say:

 

So what is the use of talking utopian? First business is anartha-nivrttih

syat. Adau sraddha tathah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya tato

anartha-nivrttih syat. You adopt this means that you have got full faith

that "Krsna consciousness will save me." Then you live with devotees who

are similarly determined. Then you execute devotional service. Then

anartha-nivrttih syat, you'll be free from all these.... These are the

stages. There is.... Up to anartha-nivrtti, you have to struggle very

hard with determination, and then automatically everything will come.

 

The following exchange is taken from a room conversation in Bombay on

April 25, 1977:

 

Prabhupada: "Svarupa-siddhi means when he is actually liberated, he

understands what is his relationship with Krsna. That is svarupa-siddhi.

Sakhya... So that is far away. Unless... If he's such a fool, then where

is svarupa-siddhi?" Tamala Krsna: "So that realization doesn't come by

some initiation from some babaji." Prabhupada: "That automatically comes

when there..., he is liberated, not before."

 

Anyone who researches the matter carefully will find that Srila

Prabhupada constantly teaches that the higher stages of Krsna

consciousness--understanding of one's svarupa and rasa, meeting one's

eternal guide, etc.--are all matters that will be automatically revealed

to us if we steadfastly practice Krsna consciousness exactly as we have

been instructed by him. The automatic realization will come "when we are

in the perfect stage of devotional service."

 

However, someone might propose that one necessary element included within

that "automatic revelation" will be to discover, by divine revelation, a

specialist raganuga-guru and to practice raganuga-sadhana under his

supervision. This interpretation of Prabhupada's statements cannot be

accepted. Not only does it add something that Srila Prabhupada does not

explicitly say, what it adds contradicts the direct, dictionary meaning

of Srila Prabhupada's expression "automatically revealed." The Oxford

English Dictionary gives the root sense of "automatic" as "self-acting,

having the power of motion or action within itself."

 

Srila Prabhupada did not say that in the non-liberated stage some special

practice of raganuga-sadhana under a raganuga-guru was needed to disclose

one's svarupa and rasa. He simply said practice the routine principles

conscientiously until you come to the liberated stage and then everything

will be automatically revealed. We should be faithful to this instruction

of Srila Prabhupada and take seriously his warning that one who teaches

differently from him cannot be a proper siksa-guru for us.

 

The extracts taken from Narayana Maharaja's book reveal what has become a

general theme of Narayana Maharaja's preaching: First, that Srila

Prabhupada's mission was incomplete, and second, that Narayana Maharaja

is the chosen person to complete it. While everyone in ISKCON has heard

that Srila Prabhupada remarked that his mission was only fifty percent

complete, the completion he called for was not raganuga-sadhana bhakti,

but rather the establishment of varnasrama dharma, which wide-spread

preaching would make necessary. He did not expect that raganuga bhakti

would become the focus of practices and teachings different from those

he had already given us. Srila Prabhupada followed perfectly the example

of his Guru Maharaja Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura by

demonstrating that potent preaching in itself is the preeminent symptom

of advanced Krsna consciousness. Enthusiasm in preaching not is merely a

qualification for something higher. Enthusiastic preaching is itself the

very symptom of that higher stage.

 

Srila Prabhupada and his Guru Maharaja both taught by their own example

that purification from anarthas as well as taste for Krishna-katha are

achieved and exhibited through spreading the sankirtana movement. This

was far more significant to these two most recent acaryas than attempts

to "cultivate the mood of the Brijbasis." To put it in another way, in

his unflagging potency to preach, Srila Prabhupada revealed the symptoms

of a real Brijbasi, a real rasika Vaisnava. He showed us what a real

rasika Brijbasi does in this world, in India as well as in the West: bold

preaching of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Yet Narayana Maharaja says in private that he has no taste for

Bhagavad-gita, no attraction for Puri or Dvaraka, no interest in Rama or

Narasingha. In India, one often hears gurus use such statement as an

encoded way of disclosing their high level of advancement. In the first

place, whatever Narayana Maharaja's level may be, what example does such

talk set for his followers, who inevitably come to know and repeat his

views? In the second place, Srila Prabhupada always evinced a genuine

taste for Bhagavad-gita. We should understand that Srila Prabhupada was

situated on the most extraordinary level of spontaneous devotion, one

that expressed itself in his preaching Bhagavad-gita with unflagging

enthusiasm and relish. We wonder whether Narayana Maharaja has

appreciated that.

 

In summary, Srila Prabhupada stressed that we need not add any extraneous

endeavor to what he has given us to realize our relationship with

Krishna; at the proper time, guru and Krsna will reveal it to us. In the

meantime we should steadfastly continue rendering sincere service to the

lotus feet of our spiritual master and his mission. When our hearts are

thereby purified, everything will be revealed. At all times, we should

behave strictly according to the principles of vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti. Any

other example will simply create confusion both for others as well as for

ourselves.

 

We know, nevertheless, that the Krsna consciousness movement of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu is ultimately meant to bestow the highest love for Radha and

Krsna. Is there nothing special ISKCON devotees can do before liberation

to become qualified for the higher stages of Krsna consciousness?

 

In this regard, Srila Prabhupada always emphasized the great potency of

the basic program of Krsna consciousness: chanting the Holy Names and

preaching. By preaching and chanting the Holy Names we get the mercy of

Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas which enables us to achieve the

highest perfection. This basic program is nonetheless quite special. In

Krsna consciousness the means and the end are the same, and the "basic

program" of chanting Hare Krsna is in fact direct association of

Radha-Krsna. The special nature and potency of our basic program becomes

progressively manifest the more the quality of our engagement improves.

The more we take pains to avoid offenses in chanting and the more we

become energetic in broadcasting Krsna's message everywhere, the more we

become eligible for higher development in spontaneous devotion. As Srila

Prabhupada said, "The way to develop the gopis' love for Krsna is to

spread Krsna consciousness all over the world."

 

What is the mood of the gopis? They were prepared to do anything,

sacrifice anything, to please Krsna. Since Krsna is most pleased when

His devotee is pleased, we should therefore work selflessly to please

Krsna's dearmost devotee and representative--Srila Prabhupada. Since

Krsna and Srila Prabhupada are especially satisfied by preaching, we

should preach selflessly and tirelessly as Srila Prabhupada himself did.

 

Absorbed in the ecstatic emotions of Srimati Radharani, Lord Caitanya

prayed, "I do not mind My personal distress. I only wish for the

happiness of Krsna, for His happiness is the goal of My life"

(Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 20.52). In the purport to this verse, Srila

Prabhupada explains the selflessness of a devotee:

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that the devotee does not

care about his own happiness and distress; he is simply interested in

seeing that Krsna is happy, and for that purpose he engages in various

activities. . . . Others who are materialistic, however, who are very

proud of material wealth and have no spiritual knowledge, like the

prakrta-sayajiyas, regard their own happiness as the aim of life.

 

Srila Prabhupada sees the exemplification of this selflessness in the

activity of preaching:

 

Sometimes the representatives of the Lord engaged in preaching work meet

various so-called difficulties. This was exhibited by Lord Nityananda

when He delivered the two fallen souls Jagai and Madhai, and similarly

Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by the non-believers. But such

difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees in preaching

because in such activities, although apparently very severe, the devotees

of the Lord feel transcendental pleasure because the Lord is satisfied. .

.. . There is no self-interest in such service. . . . Pure devotees like

Narada and Nityananda Prabhu take up the order of the spiritual master as

the sustenance of life. They do not mind what becomes of the future of

their lives. (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.8.6, purport)

 

There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked

their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. . . . Now we can

imagine how merciful Krsna is to those engaged in His service, risking

everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach

the supreme planet after leaving the body. (Bhagavad-gita 11.55, purport)