Rebellion in Purports Not Texts (Verses)

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Hello, Living Soul

BY: CHITRAKETU DAS

 

Mar 14, UK (SUN) —

When we approach doctrines that have been established by ISKCON GBC authority, we have to consider not whether this is sastrically correct, but what political expediency this doctrine serves. Although the early Christians happily believed in reincarnation, their church leaders felt that the doctrine of reincarnation gave believers too much scope and thereby lessened the urgency of the church message. If you don’t actually go straight to hell forever at the end of this life, unless you are redeemed by church intervention, but have the facility of trying again or making further improvement on your spiritual lot in another incarnation, perhaps that would tend to make people lazy about redemption and thus reduce the impact of church propaganda, that they need the church to save their souls. Maybe, even, the sale of official pardons would drop off.

 

What political purpose, then, does the doctrine that the soul falls directly from Vaikuntha serve? Many psychologists believe that all doctrines, being essentially man-made entities, can be explained with regard to motive, pragmatically so to speak, independently of any concern regarding their ontological validity or invalidity. Basically, what that means is: we don’t know where the jiva comes from, and neither does the GBC, but they have their own particular motives for forcing their opinions onto us. I have read Paradise Lost in college and know that Prabhupada was fully aware of its contents, probably having studied it himself, and the account of the fall of man in Genesis is so short it takes only a minute or two to peruse it.

 

Knowing that these concepts underlie our western psyches, no doubt he called up the imagery as well as the vocabulary associated with it in his preaching. It should be noted, however, that although Lucifer falls from Heaven, Adam and Eve fall from an intermediary state between Heaven and Hell (which is Lucifer’s abode), namely the place of innocence known as Eden.

 

Why should it be expedient for the GBC to thump so hard on an issue that, it seems, Prabhupada was ambiguous about, or certainly, may I say, somewhat imprecise about? I think we have all come to realize by now that the GBC is not a body of brahmanas genuinely inquisitive about philosophical conclusions, but rather a class of despots, kshatriyas who are not guided by brahmanas, who are ever ready to impose by force the conclusions they deem expedient. This is so true about the jiva issue, which, it would seem from a purely pragmatic point of view, has no impact on our devotional lives: what does it matter if the soul falls from Vaikuntha or doesn’t? I might add that if it does indeed fall from Vaikuntha, it could only ever do so once, since Lord Krishna promises in the Bhagavad-gita that once you return to that transcendental abode, you never come back here. I suppose it’s a point of fascination, since our philosophy seems to present neat explanations for just about everything else. The problem with neat explanations is that they engender complacency in those who feel that they have encompassed them. Like we know that the soul is an eternal servant of Krishna, that I’m not this body and my life isn’t meant for sense gratification like the hogs and dogs, but is meant for spiritual enquiry leading to liberation (through devotional service), but what a struggle we, or I, have in properly assimilating that!

 

I think that Srila Prabhupada was stressing on the point of Free Will, unlike Calvinists or those who believe in predestination, that everything is already decided and is unchangeable. In this attempt to make this point, he didn’t find it expedient (even Prabhupada has a sense of expedience!) to elaborate further, maybe feeling that it was a difficult area better left alone for now, as he did with other areas such as Raganuga Bhakti, Siddha Pranali and such like. Being extremely immature children in the devotional line (does anyone care to dispute this?), Prabhupada didn’t see fit to teach us the Algebra or higher science for now. “Better that they get the basics right; fill in the details later.”

 

I leave it to your imagination to construe the possible motives of the G.B.C. for forcing their fabricated doctrines upon us, except to add that ironically so many of their members have fallen from Vaikuntha directly, even after enjoying the plenary powers of godhood, after investing themselves with the divine rights of ecclesiastical kings. From right by the altar of God they have fallen, whereas we, their minions, have no doubt materialized out of the non-differentiated brahmajyoti.

 

Here’s an excerpt from Paradise Lost. Satan descends onto Earth to begin his attempt to seduce innocent man to his side:

 

• "O For that warning voice, which he who saw the Apocalypse, heard cry in Heaven aloud, then when the Dragon, put to second rout, came furious down to be revenged on men, woe to the inhabitants on Earth! that now, while time was, our first-Parents had been warned the coming of their secret foe, and escaped haply so escaped his mortal snare; for now Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down, the Tempter ere the Accuser of mankind, to wreck on innocent frail man his loss of that first battle, and his flight to Hell: yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold, far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast, begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth now rolling, boils in his tumultuous breast, and like a devilish engine back recoils upon himself; horror and doubt distract his troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir the Hell within him, for within him Hell he brings, and round about him, nor from Hell one step no more than from himself can fly by change of place: Now conscience wakes despair that slumbered, wakes the bitter memory of what he was, what is, and what must be worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad, sometimes towards Heaven and the full-blazing Sun, which now sat high in his meridian tower: then much revolving, thus in sighs began:
  
  
  “O thou that with surpassing glory crowned, lookst from thy sole dominion like the god of this new world; at whose sight all the stars hide their diminished heads; to thee I call, but with no friendly voice, and add thy name, O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams that bring to my remembrance from what state I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; till pride and worse ambition threw me down warring in Heaven against Heaven’s matchless King: Ah wherefore! he deserved no such return from me, whom he created what I was in that bright eminence, and with his good upbraided none; nor was his service hard. What could be less than to afford him praise, the easiest recompense, and pay him thanks, how due! yet all his good proved ill in me, and wrought but malice; lifted up so high I disdained subjection, and thought one step higher would set me highest, and in a moment quit the debt immense of endless gratitude, so burdensome, still paying, still to owe; forgetful what from him I still received, and understood not that a grateful mind by owing owes not, but still pays, at once endebted and discharged; what burden then?
  
  
  O had his powerful destiny ordained me some inferior angel, I had stood then happy; no unbounded hope had raised ambition. Yet why not? Some other power as great might have aspired, and me though mean drawn to his part; but other powers as great fell not, but stand unshaken, from within or from without, to all temptations armed. Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand? Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse, but Heaven's free love dealt equally to all? Be then his love accursed, since love or hate, to me alike, it deals eternal woe. Nay cursed be thou; since against his thy will chose freely what it now so justly rues. Me miserable! Which way shall I fly infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell; and in the lowest deep a lower deep still threatening to devour me opens wide, to which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven. O then at last relent: is there no place left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; and that word disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame among the Spirits beneath, whom I seduced with other promises and other vaunts than to submit, boasting I could subdue the Omnipotent. Aye me, they little know how dearly I abide that boast so vain, under what torments inwardly I groan:
  
  
  While they adore me on the throne of Hell, with diadem and sceptre high advanced the lower still I fall, only supreme in misery; such joy ambition finds. But say I could repent and could obtain by act of grace my former state; how soon would height recall high thoughts, how soon unsay what feigned submission swore: ease would recant vows made in pain, as violent and void. For never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have peirced so deep: which would but lead me to a worse relapse and heavier fall: so should I purchase dear short intermission bought with double smart. This knows my punisher; therefore as far from granting he, as I from begging peace: All hope excluded thus, behold instead of us outcast, exiled, his new delight, mankind created, and for him this world. So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, farewell remorse: all good to me is lost; evil be thou my good; by thee at least divided empire with Heaven's King I hold by thee, and more than half perhaps will reign; as man ere long, and this new world shall know.”
  
  

 

Prabhupada uses words like “rebellious” often in his preaching style, words which strangely occur nowhere in the Vedas. The living soul is defined as being victimised by avidya, or as being bahir-mukha, externally directed, namely away from antaryami, but never is the jiva described as being rebellious as such. Not being a widely read scholar, I stand to be corrected, but no verse or sloka that I know of describes the soul as rebellious: fallen, yes, foolish, yes, entrapped, illusioned, etc. but the idea of rebellion occurs in Prabupada’s purports, not in the texts themselves. Why should that be? You have to ask Prabhupada! I think it is not an unintelligent supposition to assume that Prabhupada has been appealing to our psychological archetypes.

 

Looking up “rebellion” in my Veda base, this is the only text I found with the word in it:

 

• In the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhrgupati] annihilated the administrative class [ksatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brahmanas [the intelligent class].
  
  
  PURPORT
  
  
  The ksatriyas, or the administrative class of men, are expected to rule the planet by the direction of the intelligent class of men, who give direction to the rulers in terms of the standard sastras, or the books of revealed knowledge. The rulers carry on the administration according to that direction. Whenever there is disobedience on the part of the ksatriyas, or the administrative class, against the orders of the learned and intelligent brahmanas, the administrators are removed by force from their posts, and arrangement is made for better administration.
  
  

 

OM TAT SAT

 

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Seeker

BY: JAGABANDHU DASA

 

Mar 14, FORT WHITE, FLORIDA (SUN) —

Lord Krishna encourages all souls for all time to learn the Truth by approaching a self-realized soul, who may then act as a Spiritual Master and thereby impart Transcendental Wisdom to the sincere seeker. The Supreme Lord also particularly encourages the sincere seeker with the Transcendental Information that He will guide them from within to the capable tutelage of such a Teacher. This is the eternal system of genuine transference of actual Divine Knowledge -- sincere seekers becoming positively influenced to implement personal individual internal transformation by the capable guidance and learned lessons of self-realized souls who may teach their pupils how to follow the Lord of the Heart from within themselves. Regardless of apparent external ecclesiastical affiliation.

 

For a materially conditioned jiva, the first priority is to genuinely become a sincere seeker, and the Supreme Lord promises His Perfect Internal Guidance. Really, believing the Supreme Lord's promise requires True Faith on the part of the real soul-searcher. If I am not a sincere seeker, the Lord will not lead me to a Real Teacher.

 

Throughout all the Scriptures and expressions of the great spiritual thinkers of antiquity, primary emphasis is placed on actual internal understanding/self-realization of Divine Love and not on achieving a formal/official connection with someone who might be self-realized. And the Scriptures are replete with descriptions of the symptoms and behavior of the genuinely self-realized so that sincere seekers may not be deceived by the mundane antics of false teachers and their sycophantic flocks. Such pseudo-spiritual leadership is an insult to all sincere seekers for all time and should be considered in the same manner as a false sampradaya. A great offense to the True Preceptorial Lineage.

 

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Flawlessly Immortalizes Real Krishna Consciousness in His Eight Beautiful Precepts wherein in He emphasizes the Holy Name, sincere humility and Ultimate Divine Love. His Self-Effulgent Sincere Succession are naturally consumed with the realization of this essential wisdom which They are then able to convey without pretense to sincere seekers of perpetuity. However, actual self-realization remains a voluntary subjective internal process dependant upon the student as the real Teacher cannot force genuine Transcendental understanding upon the hopeful worthy recipient. Because of individual liberty and free will. Same as it ever was.

 

Please consider the Beautiful Super-excellent commentary by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on Sri Chaitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, Chapter 15, Verse 111, as follows:

 

• "Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur comments that serving Vaishnavas is most important for householders. Whether a Vaishnava is properly initiated is not a subject for consideration. One may be initiated and yet contaminated by the Mayavada philosophy, but a person who chants the Holy Name of the Lord offenselessly will not be so contaminated. A properly initiated Vaishnava may be imperfect, but one who chants the Holy Name of the Lord offenselessly is all-perfect. Although he may apparently be a neophyte, he still has to be considered a pure unalloyed Vaishnava. It is the duty of the householder to offer respects to such an unalloyed Vaishnava. This is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction."
  
  

 

As ever, the only solution to the problem of spiritual leadership is for actual self-realized souls to unofficially manifest Themselves in order to circumvent the apparent plethora of ideological delusions and confusions, or to borrow from the vernacular of Srila Saraswati Thakur, as he so boldly expresses in his gorgeous treatise on "Organized Religion":

 

• "The effective silencing of the whole race of pseudo-teachers of religion is the first clear indication of the Appearance of the Absolute on the mundane plane. The bona-fide teacher of the Absolute, heralds the Advent of Krishna by his uncompromising campaign against the pseudo-teachers of religion."