The Gaudiya Math Split Post 1937, Finn Madsen

[Guruvani 0]

Beggar Purana 2.7.19 (purport)

 

 

Once Maha Yogi Maharaj was doing some research and showed me several books that he had borrowed from The Gaudiya Mission's library coming through Vasudeva Prabhu. He had been sent there directly under the order of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. I said, "wow, why would he send you to a sahajiya math?" Mahayogi repied, "Oh, I had the same question too, for Srila Sridhar Maharaj". I said, "What did he say". Mahayogi said that Srila Sridhar Maharaj told that, he should not worry about bad association for, "they are gradually becoming rectified".

[Beggar 0]

What I wrote about what Maha Yogi told me was not Puranic like because I know full well that he could have heard Srila Sridhar Maharaj wrongly, exaggerated or many things. That's one of the reasons I threw it out into cyberspace. Sure enough Muralidhar clarified it with his own story.

[Guruvani 0]

 

What I wrote about what Maha Yogi told me was not Puranic like because I know full well that he could have heard Srila Sridhar Maharaj wrongly, exaggerated or many things. That's one of the reasons I threw it out into cyberspace. Sure enough Muralidhar clarified it with his own story.

 

I often wondered what ever happened to "MahayogiMaharaja".

Do you have any info on what ever became of him?

 

He was quite a bright guy.

He was always smiling and laughing.

 

I remember I picked him up at the airport the day he came to San Jose from Los Angeles as "Mukundamala das".

[Beggar 0]

The last thing that I heard is that he lives in Mexico with his Mexican wife and his mother. By now this information is about 10 years old. There is a book, "How Mahaskogi terrorized the San Jose Temple", by Alwarnath das. Makes a good read.

[Guruvani 0]

 

The last thing that I heard is that he lives in Mexico with his Mexican wife and his mother. By now this information is about 10 years old. There is a book, "How Mahaskogi terrorized the San Jose Temple", by Alwarnath das. Makes a good read.

Back in them days I also had designs on taking sannyasa.

I asked Sudhir Maharaja if I could take sannyasa from him, but he said he couldn't do that but that he would recommend me to Sridhar Maharaja and all I had to do with get to Navadvip and with his recommendation I could have taken sannyasa from Sridhar Maharaja.

 

But, when I saw these guys like Mahayogi, Parivrajaka, and some others going to the Matha and whining and complaining and loitering there till Sridhar Maharaja finally gave them sannyasa to get rid of them, I decided I didn't want to be another one of these sorry sannyasis.

 

Eventually, I fell out with Sudhir Maharaja because of his closed door meetings with Bhakta Priya dasi.

I saw the temple going the wrong direction and i decided I had my fill of institutional living and I moved into the basement of Jagadananda's house and got a job driving cab in silicon valley.

 

the rest is history....

 

Jagadanananda was one of the dearest friends I ever had in the movement.

Damn, I miss him more than about any devotee friend I ever had.

Pavitra Sevan?

Man, I loved that guy too.

 

I wonder what ever happened to Pavitra Sevan.

 

I know he got hooked-up with that one female devotee, but it doesn't appear they stayed together.

 

Maybe he eventually had to go back to Honduras over visa issues?

[Beggar 0]

Pavitra Sevan was in UK for a while, now? Jagadananda is back in CA and I've heard that he is a big whip in the Govinda Maharaj party. Bhatka Priya is a big real estate person. Off to work.

[Guest guest]

 

Finn Madsen should have looked into things a bit deeper than this.

 

WVA is a political group - they have given a stamp of approval to the Bagh Bazaar institution and other groups with sinful leaders. Why does Paramadvaiti Swami regard Anantavasudeva and his descendents as a proper sampradaya and not a sahajiya sampradaya?

 

I wish somebody could give me an answer to that.

 

 

I think one can understand the reason and motive by the quote of Mahayogi Mj

 

("Oh, I had the same question too, for Srila Sridhar Maharaj". I said, "What did he say". Mahayogi said that Srila Sridhar Maharaj told that, he should not worry about bad association for, "they are gradually becoming rectified".)

 

and by the following story written by Paramadvaiti Maharaja in his new book (Sato Vrtteh):

 

Judas, the Opponent Rendering Service

 

Some devotees once asked Çréla Çrédhara Mahäräja what he thought about a certain antagonist, who had given trouble to the movement of the Vaiñëavas. His response was absolutely amazing. He asked whether we knew Judas, the man who betrayed Jesus Christ and delivered him to the Romans. Everyone looked at him and wondered what importance this Biblical episode had in relation to their question. Çrédhara Mahäräja said that while Jesus wore a crown of thorns carrying the cross on his shoulders to the crucifixion ground, there was a crowd of people watching. Jesus all of a sudden stopped and looked into the crowd. He looked right into the eyes of Judas, who was standing in the back. He looked for a long time, then lowered his head and proceeded. What did Judas do at this moment? He threw away all the money he had gotten for betraying Jesus and hanged himself. Çrédhara Mahäräja asked what Judas had seen in the eyes of Jesus that made him throw away the money and hang himself. What made him change his mind? He had seen gratefulness in the eyes of Jesus. “O Judas, you did the most difficult of all services: the antagonist service - the traitor service! You will be known in the world’s history as Judas, the betrayer” That was too much for Judas to handle; he could not live with that burden.

 

Then, Çréla Çrédhara Mahäräja looked at us and said, “Sometimes there are antagonists in this world, troublemakers, and offenders. But in one way or another, they all fulfill a purpose. They all serve some higher meaning of the Lord’s plan. We should not try and figure it out. If somebody was a famous devotee, then falls down and simply lives as an ordinary person, a sense gratifier, it´s hard to conceive of anything worse. That is such a chastisement! Çré Kåñëa says to Arjuna that having once been glorified, infamy is worse than death. So these devotees have done a great service by showing that vaiñëava-aparädha is very dangerous (an offense at the feet of a Vaiñëava is never tolerated by Kåñëa, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 4.21.37).

[muralidhar_das 0]

This is amazing. I was listening to that talk about Judas only yesterday

[Guruvani 0]

 

third paragraph

 

 

Kunja Babu (KVV) or (Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaj) was far more than a manager within the Gaudiya Math.

 

This misunderstanding of the position of Kunja Baju is quite surprising.

 

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada had this written on the surface of the temple about him

 

"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

 

• The main pillar in the great temple of the Sri Gaudiya Math.
  
• The life-breath of the Sri Gaudiya Math’s institution of Service and the main cause for its flourishment.
  
• The original architect in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s creation.
  
• The principal minister for the awakening and development of Sri Jagabandhu’s service attitude.
  
• The central jewel in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s jewelled necklace of devotees.
  
• The very personification of Sri Guru-seva (serving temper) and the prestha-murtti of (dearest to) Sri Guru.
  
• The main pillar to fulfill the wish of Sri Guru.
  
• The foremost teacher of service to Sri Guru and the most tolerant servitor.
  
• The servitor of the servitors of Sri guru, who invites the world for service to Sri Hari and Sri guru.
  
• The greatest friend of the Gaudiyas."

 

 

Some of these "compliments" are actually a little insulting if you really think about it.

For example "the greatest friend of the Gaudiyas"?

Really, "friend of the Gaudiyas?"

 

Notice how it designates him as friend of the Gaudiyas.

 

Being a friend of the Gaudiyas is not such a big praise.

 

"Friend of the Gaudiyas" is like someone who is NOT a Gaudiya but who is friendly with them.

 

"Servitor of the servitors of Sri Guru?"

 

In other words he has been permanently prohibited from being guru and has been instructed to "serve the servitors of guru".

 

So, he is supposed to serve those who are the real servitors of Sri Guru.

 

Really, I read this "praise" as like a bold prediction that he is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

Use your imagination.

 

This "praise" of Kunja babu is not really what it appears to be a first glance.

 

If you fill in between the lines, it can get quite revealing.

[Guruvani 0]

Since Srila Saraswati Thakur in his later days was very disgusted with the politics and bickering of his disciples over who was what in the bricks and mortar mission, it is obvious that he just wanted to give the brick and mortar to Kunja Babu knowing that the most all the others would have to leave and go preach to make their own ways.

 

Giving Kunja Babu the bricks and mortar is not really such a great compliment.

In some ways, it is saying that bricks and mortar are all that he will inherit from the acharya.

[Guruvani 0]

Think about it......

If your guru called you a "friend of the Gaudiyas", wouldn't you be devastated? The idea is to become a Gaudiya, not a friend of the Gaudiyas.

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

 

Think about it......

If your guru called you a "friend of the Gaudiyas", wouldn't you be devastated? The idea is to become a Gaudiya, not a friend of the Gaudiyas.

 

How about servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant?

 

What an insult, eh?

[muralidhar_das 0]

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada ordered that these words be inscribed on the wall of Bagh Bazaar Gaudiya Math.

 

 

 

"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

• The main pillar in the great temple of the Sri Gaudiya Math.
  
• The life-breath of the Sri Gaudiya Math’s institution of Service and the main cause for its flourishment.
  
• The original architect in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s creation.
  
• The central jewel in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s jewelled necklace of devotees.

 

Kshamabuddhi you may not like to hear that Saraswati Thakura had these words inscribed on the wall but that is what happened.

Kunjabihari Prabhu is:

The life-breath of the Sri Gaudiya Math’s institution of Service and the main cause for its flourishment.

These are the words of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

Your own Guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, even he had enough respect to go and ask Kunja Prabhu (Bhaktivilasa Tirtha) to give him sannyasa. To say that Kunja Babu was merely a manager, as Masden does, is pure ignorance.

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura said to Kunja Babu that he is eternally connected to him and that in Vraja Leela this Kunja Babu is "Bimala Manjari".

25 years ago I realized it was wrong to say anything bad about this exalted devotee, Kunjabihari das Vidyabhusasa, and I've never been swayed even once since then to rejoin the camp of people who abuse him.

[Guruvani 0]

 

How about servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant?

 

What an insult, eh?

 

The fact is, that inheriting the bricks and mortar is in many ways a curse.

Especially, in the Gaudiya Matha, we can be sure that Srila Saraswati Thakur knew there was going to be conflict or in his own words "there will be a fire" after his passing.

 

In spiritual life, the bricks and morter is not what you want to inherit from your guru.

 

If the truth underneath the facade were revealed, we would see that in giving Kunja Babu the bricks and mortar he protecting his other disciples from the curse and encouraging them to go out and preach and make their ways.

 

The idea that Kunja Babu got the bricks and mortar because he was most dear to Srila Saraswati Thakur is patently ridiculous.

[Guruvani 0]

 

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada ordered that these words be inscribed on the wall of Bagh Bazaar Gaudiya Math.

 

 

Kshamabuddhi you may not like to hear that Saraswati Thakura had these words inscribed on the wall but that is what happened.

Kunjabihari Prabhu is:

 

These are the words of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

 

In other words he was saying "you, all my other disciples get the hell out of this bricks and mortar and spread the mission of Mahaprabhu, I am not allowing you to destroy the mission of Mahaprabhu over these buildings that you will be fighting over".

 

He was saying "it's not about the buildings, go out and sacrifice and serve and please Mahaprabhu with your missionary activities"

 

Kunja babu was the scapegoat.

If somebody had to be cursed with inheriting the buildings it would have to be him because he had been taking money from the mission for years and he deserved the punishment.

[muralidhar_das 0]

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"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

• The central jewel in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s jewelled necklace of devotees.

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[Guruvani 0]

 

The life-breath of the Sri Gaudiya Math’s institution of Service and the main cause for its flourishment.

 

If you believe that Muralidhara, you are sad.

 

Everyone knows that Srila Saraswati Thakur was the life-breath of the Gaudiya Matha and that Kunja Babu was the most controversial over his taking money from the Matha to put relatives through law school.

 

The guy was guaranteed to be at the heart of the Gaudiya Matha melt down and Srila Saraswati Thakur knew it well.

 

"Give the bricks to Kunja Babu and dispatch the rest to go out and preach the message of Mahaprabhu"

[Guruvani 0]

 

"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

• The central jewel in the Sri Gaudiya Math’s jewelled necklace of devotees.

 

Here Srila Saraswati Thakur is revealing how Kunja babu thought.

He is revealing that Kunja Babu thought he was the central jewel, when we know that really Srila Saraswati Thakur was the central jewel.

 

Do you remember the old adage that too much praise is actually an insult.

 

Srila Sarasawati Thakur praised Kunja Baba to the point that we can see that it was actually being sarcastic.

[stonehearted 0]

The reports are consistent that, when asked of Tirtha Maharaja's fate after his passing away, Srila Prabhupada replied something to the effect that he had certainly gone back to Godhead because he worked so hard to preserve their Guru Maharaja's vision. Does anyone have a different version?

[Guruvani 0]

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Sukadeva 11/14/73:

 

 

Bhakti Vilas Tirtha is very much antagonistic to our society and he has no clear conception of devotional service.

[Guruvani 0]

 

The reports are consistent that, when asked of Tirtha Maharaja's fate after his passing away, Srila Prabhupada replied something to the effect that he had certainly gone back to Godhead because he worked so hard to preserve their Guru Maharaja's vision. Does anyone have a different version?

 

Srila Prabhupada's Room Conversation in Bombay 1/8/77:

 

That Tirtha Maharaja, unnecessarily he was envious, whole life fighting, fighting, fighting in the court and died. Simply planning.

[Guruvani 0]

Srila Prabhupada's Room Conversation in Vrindaban 5/24/77:

 

 

"If somebody thinks, 'Oh, here is a snake with jewel. Let me embrace him, no, no, no, it is very ferocious. Even it is jewel there, it is ferocious. Similarly, these people are envious. Although they have become so-called Vaisnava, they are ferocious. They have not acquired the qualification of Vaisnava.

[muralidhar_das 0]

 

Quote:

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The life-breath of the Sri Gaudiya Math’s institution of Service and the main cause for its flourishment.

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If you believe that Muralidhara, you are sad.

 

 

Yes I do believe this statement made by Srila Saraswati Thakura

[Guruvani 0]

 

 

"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

 

• The principal minister for the awakening and development of Sri Jagabandhu’s service attitude.

 

 

We know that this remark is an insult in disguise because really everybody knows that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Srila Gaura Kisora das Babaji were the real moving forces behind the mission and movement of Srila Saraswati Thakur.

 

For Srila Saraswati Thakur to write something like this about Kunja Babu we can only see it as a stern warning about the mindset and the mood of Kunja Babu.

 

Kunja Babu thought he was the minister behind the awakening and development of Sri Jagabandhu's service attitude.

That was his over-exaggerated opinion of himself.

 

Such a claim is patently false and a red flag to be sure.

[Guruvani 0]

 

"The secretary of the Sri Gaudiya Math, Sripada Kunjabihari Vidyabhusasa is

 

Srila Saraswati Thakur also relegated Kunja Babu to a permanent status as "secretary of Sri Gaudiya Matha" which was another way of saying that he can never be the acharya or guru, because he has been assigned the permanent post as secretary.

 

What is extremely conspicuous by it's absence is any hint that Kunja Babu can ever become successor acharya.

 

In fact, the long list of "praises" by Srila Saraswati Thakur was in essence saying that Kunja Babu can be everything BUT acharya of Sri Gaudiya Matha.

 

"secretary" was the rank that Srila Saraswati Thakur limited Kunja Babu too.

 

Secretary to the bricks and mortar.