A Response to Mr. S.V. Sharma
BY: HARIDAYANANDA DAS GOSWAMI
Feb 04, 2011 — USA (SUN) — O, Mr. S. V. Sharrma, you don't understand a fig of the Krishna consciousness philosophy! Why are you angry at us, the rich ISKCON gurus and sannyasis? You are simply envious of the way Krishna has blessed our devotional service to Him. Or more probably, you must be a Mayavadi!
Krishna says in the Gita that "there is no more dear to Me than the one who teaches the confidential knowledge of bhakti to the devotees" (B.g 18.69-70) So after many years of traveling back and forth preaching Bhagavad-gita, the good Lord has blessed me with large amounts of money offered to me not only from my surrendered disciples, but from my deceased, loving mother. Just in case you didn't know, back in the seventies, when I took sannyasa, nobody told me I should hand over Krishna's bountiful benediction upon me to Prabhupada's mission or any other devotional enterprise. It's my money!
Besides, as Srila Rupa Goswami recommends, I'm saving it to cover any unexpected emergency. Would you be willing to pay my bills when I receive medical treatment in my old age? Of course not! So, keep quiet.
I am more knowledgeable than you; I have a Ph.D degree from the most prestigious
university in the world! Just today, the Sun published the following quote from
our Srila Prabhupada, the dead acarya you proudly referred to in your post. If you
please read it attentively, then you will understand that a real Vaisnava doesn't falsely
renounce material things than can otherwise be properly utilized in devotional
service:
"So phalgu-vairagya and yukta-vairagya. Phalgu-vairagya means inferior renunciation, or false renunciation. And yukta-vairagya means actual renunciation. What is that difference? Prapancikataya buddhya. The Mayavadi philosophers, they are giving up this world as false, maya. Prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah. Just like
sometimes we are criticized because we are using the advantages offered by the
material science. Just like I am using this microphone. So the people may criticize, "If this world is false, the material world is false, then why should I take advantage of this material product?" They expect that those who are spiritualists, they should go to Himalayas, giving up, giving up everything material and meditate in a solitary place, in snow-covered area. But Vaisnava philosophy does not think like that."
So, please stop blaspheming us. As a follower of the Vaisnava cult, you should
have known better.
With best wishes,
Haridayananda das Goswami
