Srila Prabhupada and Mr Nair

[leyh 0]

Dear Forum Members:

I really like these words written by Srila Prabhupada in "The Path of Perfection":

"In this material world,all conditioned souls are under illusion.A doctor treats all patients,and although a patient may be delirious and insult the doctor,the doctor does not refuse to treat him.He still administers the medicine that is required. As Lord Jesus Christ said,we should hate the sin, not the sinner. That is a very nice statement,because the sinner is under illusion.He is mad.If we hate him, how can we deliver him? Therefore, those who are advanced devotees, who are really servants of God,do not hate anyone.When Lord Jesus Christ was being crucified,he said,"My God, forgive them.They know not what they do."This is the proper attitude of an advanced devotee.He understands that the conditioned souls cannot be hated,because they have become mad, due to their materialistic way of thinking.In this Krsna consciousness movement, there is no question of hating anyone."

However, I am extremely puzzled when I read,in Srutakirti dasa's "Srila Prabhupada uvaca"that Srila Prabhupada was very happy when a certain Mr Nair died.According to Srutakirti dasa, Srila Prabhupada said:

 

I prayed that Krsna would kill him. He has caused us so much difficulty. I was praying that Krsna would do something to this demon." Then quoting in Sanskrit a sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam. Then translating it into English, he said, "Prahlada Maharaja said, "'Even the sadhu becomes pleased when a snake or scorpion is killed.' Mr. Nair was such a serpent, therefore it is very good."

 

Apparently, this Mr Nair was(according to Srila Prabhupada's words quoted by Srutakirti dasa) "making a great insult to Krsna, that I could not tolerate. He was insulting Krsna. Krsna was there and he tried to kick Krsna off the land. We have money. We can buy property anywhere but Krsna was there at Juhu. Therefore I was determined to have it for the Lord.."

This episoid can be found in Uvaca 98 at

http://hometown.aol.com/vrinda/ppduvaca/uvaca.htm

The reason for my puzzlement is this:if, as Srila Prabhupada says,there is no room for hatred in Krishna Consciousness,then why was he so antagonistic towards that Mr Nair? I do not dare to make any judgement as I do not know the whole story.But shouldn't Srila Prabhupada have been praying for Mr Nair's conversion instead of his death?According to Srutakirti dasa, Srila Prabhupada said:"He was not at all ill but on his last visit he was limping. Then I knew Krsna would kill him. Actually, Krsna has killed him."This means that Srila Prabhupada and Mr Nair had actually met personally.I'm sure there must be some story behind this...some meaning behind Srila Prabhupada's attitude towards Mr Nair.Can anyone please enlighten me? Yours Very Sincerely

 

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 06-16-2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 06-16-2001).]

[Maitreya 0]

Mr.Nair was fortunate that the devotee thought of him at all.There he was trying to cheat the progressive movement of Lord Caitanya and he was checked by Krishna from committing further insults.He was shown mercy.

 

Afterall death is certain in any case.

[leyh 0]

Originally posted by Maitreya:

Mr.Nair was fortunate that the devotee thought of him at all.There he was trying to cheat the progressive movement of Lord Caitanya and he was checked by Krishna from committing further insults.He was shown mercy.

 

Afterall death is certain in any case.

Dear Maitreya:

Isn't a devotee supposed to be a friend of all living entities? Maybe it is indeed Krishna's mercy that Mr Nair died and could not commit anymore offences, but frankly, Srila Prabhupada's antagonistic attitude towards him puzzles me.Instead of wishing for Krishna to kill him, couldn't he have prayed to Krishna to soften the heart of Mr Nair? I do not dare to presume to make judgements on Srila Prabhupada or to appear to be able to know what a spiritual master should and should not do.It is just that I cannot understand why Srila Prabhupada seemed so merciless towards Mr Nair.After all, if "A doctor treats all patients, and although a patient may be delirious and insult the doctor, the doctor does not refuse to treat him." (The Path of Perfection)Mr Nair, in insulting Krishna, was definitely a patient ---a conditioned soul.I've read and heard about how Srila Prabhupada the transcendental doctor treated so many conditioned souls, but in the case of Mr Nair, how is it that the doctor, Srila Prabhupada actually wished for him to die?

[Gauracandra 1]

I think it has to be remembered that this was one of the biggest battles that Srila Prabhupada had ever had to fight. Mr. Nair repeatedly and continually tried to cheat and keep the property and allocated funds. If I remember correctly he had even double or triple sold the property to several others. A doctor might prescribe death for someone terminally ill, if it means it will save that individual future pain. This Mr. Nair was commiting so many offenses that to continue to do so would simply bring on future karmic consequences. It must be remembered that anger is not by itself contrary to spiritual practice. For instance, if I saw a man assault a devotee lady (or any lady for that matter), you had better believe I would not stand by peacefully and understand his anger. I would, with whatever limited strength I have, fight on behalf of that woman. Lord Nrsimhadev was the personification of anger and destroyed the demon father of Prahlad Maharaj. Srila Prabhupada tried and tried over and over again and dealt entirely fairly with Mr. Nair. He probably didn't literally pray for him to die, but when he did saw it as Krsna's mercy to let this project go forward. These are my views.

 

Gauracandra

 

[This message has been edited by Gauracandra (edited 06-16-2001).]

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Isn't a devotee supposed to be a friend of all living entities?

Sometimes Krishna protects us from life, sometimes he protects us from death. Those with a conditioned view tend to only value protection from death.

[amanpeter 0]

Originally posted by jndas:

Sometimes Krishna protects us from life, sometimes he protects us from death. Those with a conditioned view tend to only value protection from death.

Good point, prabhu!

[leyh 0]

Dear Forum Members:

In uvaca 98, Srutakirti dasa says, regarding the Srila Prabhupada v.s Mr Nair episoid:"It is a very long story which will be the subject of a book by Giriraja Maharaja." Has the book been published? Has anyone read it?I am really curious about this battle between Srila Prabhupada and Mr Nair.

I think Gauracandra has a point when he writes:"This Mr. Nair was commiting so many offenses that to continue to do so would simply bring on future karmic consequences." Maybe Srila Prabhupada saw Mr Nair's death as a form of mercy killing to prevent him from becoming even more fallen.

jndas, could you kindly elaborate on what you meant when you wrote:"Sometimes Krishna protects us from life, sometimes he protects us from death." Are there any examples, from Vedic literatures, of Krishna protecting a person from life? Yours Very Sincerely.

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 06-16-2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 06-16-2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by leyh (edited 06-16-2001).]

[shvu 1]

 

Anyone can die at any time. If x was causing trouble to y, and y was hating x, then x's death will certainly be good news to y.

 

Forget all the fancy talk of think_good_to_all_under_all_circumstances. Such talk exists only in stories and does not work in reality. This is real life, and this is not how human beings are. A person does not change by beginning to wear saffron. He is still the same person inside with all the usual fears, desires, envy, anger etc.

 

Did Prabhupada ever say that he was a extra-ordinary human who was free from anger and spite? If he said something to this effect, then one can raise such a doubt. But if he did not claim so, how can others assume that he should have never hated anyone?

 

Cheers

 

[Guest guest]

The Germans have an excellent word that describes "taking pleasure in your enemy's misfortune": schadenfreude

 

It is a truly unique and satisfying feeling.....

[Maitreya 0]

So for the go-kharas, these two-handed and two hands, two legs, go-kharas, for them this Krsna consciousness movement is being pushed on. So that the go-kharas may kindly come and hear Bhagavad-gétä and see how the Deity is being worshiped, how Kåñëa is recognized as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By seeing only, by sitting only, by hearing only, they’ll come. This is the chance. It is not idol worship, nonsensical. It is worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. But one has to learn the art and the science about it. Therefore we are opening all over the world different centers so that these go-kharas can take advantage of this movement.

Otherwise why in this old age...? What is the use of fighting with Mr. Nair and take this land? Because we are anxious to open centers; people, the go-khara people may come and take advantage of it. That is our mission. We don’t want that they remain go-kharas and lose the chance of this human body. Our mission is very big. The best welfare work.SP Bg lecture Bombay Oct. 25 1973

 

Nair wanted to contest and cheat Krishna but Krishna is the greatest game player.He simply reclaimed his life air.Check mate.

 

 

MC

 

[This message has been edited by Maitreya (edited 06-17-2001).]

[ethos 0]

Another great thread!

 

I can't really ad anything to this, but it occurs to me that everyone practically has enemies. Every Vedic figure I can remember has had enemies - and often killed them.

 

Now Prabhupada didn't personally conspire to attack Mr. Nair nor did he attempt to enlist his army of servants to do so.

 

He simply made his case before the supreme judge and a sentence was handed down. Krsna made good on his warning of the "elephant offense."