My Spiritual Master was Not an Ordinary Person
BY: PARASURAM DAS
Sep 24, UK (SUN) — The enduring historical position of the one person who took Krishna consciousness around the entire world is unique. It was a one-off event in history, and one man did it. That singular historical and epoch-making event can never be created by anyone else. The time has come and gone. Srila Prabhupada was that person, and for as long as people talk about the single-handed transplantation of an entire religious culture to every major city on the Earth they will talk of him. He was the one who did it.
Perhaps I am naive, but I tend to think that Srila Prabhupada's actions were not a matter of fortunate coincidence or historical accident. I believe that he was selected by Lord Krishna as the perfect pure devotee for the immense task. Being selected and then personally guided by Lord Krishna, the things he said, and the way that he taught and fashioned his followers was also part of his being a divine instrument. Such a devotee of Krishna, who is personally guided by Him at every moment, was talked about many centuries before he arrived. I am reminded of a conversation between Sri Krishna and Ganga Devi which foretold the coming of just such a personality upon the Earth:
"On behalf of the sacred rivers (Yamuna, Kaveri, Godavari, Sindhu, Saravati and Narmada), Ganga Devi says, “Lord Krishna, we see that Your pastimes are ending and that people are becoming more materialistic. After You leave, all the sinful people of Kali-yuga will take bath in our waters, and we will become overwhelmed with sinful reactions.”
Lord Krishna smiled and replied, “Be patient. After 5,000 years My mantra upasaka (worshiper of the holy name) will appear and spread the chanting of the holy name everywhere. Not only in India but all over the world people will chant ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ By this chanting the whole world will become eka varna (one class or designation), namely, hari-bhaktas, devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Because the devotees of Hari are pure, anyone who contacts them will become purified of sinful reactions. These pure devotees will visit India and purify you of your sinful reactions by bathing in your sacred waters. The period of worldwide chanting of Hare Krishna will continue for 10,000 years.
“After that the devotees will see Kali’s full force overtake the world. At that time, you sacred rivers should hide under the earth, as Sarasvati has already done, and wait for the next Satya-yuga.” - The Brahma-vaivarta Purana
The Caitanya-Mangala says that Lord Caitanya also foretold the appearance of an empowered devotee to spread chanting worldwide: “I want to flood the whole world with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood India with harinama-sankirtana. My senapati bhakta (commander in chief) will come, preach in distant countries and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Krishna.”
It is often seen throughout history that others make claims for themselves based upon the achievements of others who came before them. The fact that BV Narayana Maharaja has gradually regressed from being Srila Prabhupada's 'siksha disciple' to someone who routinely calls into question - in public and amongst juniors - Srila Prabhupada's statements on many things; and that, in his frustration at not being accorded equal standing as His Divine Grace, has gone from being ISKCON's 'well-wisher' to someone who says: "ISKCON must be smashed" and to a disciple: "Remember, ISKCON is our enemy" proves the adage that history repeats itself.
The fact that he, unlike Srila Prabhupada, cannot actually attract people to become committed followers who lovingly serve the divine mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, means that he is now flooding the world with cheap followers who make no commitment to the standard disciplines recommended by sacred scripture. More than this, that he is coming between husband and wife, parent and child in his quest for more and more of these followers. There is a difference between 'diksha' as offered by Srila Prabhupada and 'encouragement' and the difference is the guru's ability to inspire factual dedication in the life of the disciple.
Had Srila Prabhupada wished to collect many thousands of such uncommitted followers he could have done so. But it is highly unlikely that there would ever have been a worldwide Hare Krishna movement which BV Narayana now wants to 'smash.'
I feel that we have been far too tolerant, for far too long. Perhaps we in ISKCON wish to make amends for our inappropriate dealings with our Gaudiya elders in the past. Perhaps we feel that humility and tolerance will always triumph. I, for one, think that things have gone on for long enough. In just the last few months I have either been informed of, or personally witnessed, the following:
“Shyamarani” / Jadurani complaining to the temple president of Bhaktivedanta manor of Parasurama’s offensiveness towards Narayana Maharaja. And that Narayana Maharaja is the successor acharya to Srila Prabhupada.
Three weeks ago a follower of BVNM came to the London temple and said, in a conversation: "Srila Prabhupada has been dead for 30 years - get over it!"
Another choice quote from a disciple of BVNM: “Before Srila Prabhupada met Narayan Maharaja, he was a Grihamedhi”
Every congregational devotee in England has been canvassed to attend meetings and other events. Children have been 'initiated' without their father's knowledge (some as young as 12), and we have tolerated.
His followers even disrupt Srila Prabhupadas Vyasa puja with their: 'I thank Srila Prabhupada for introducing me to Srila Narayana Maharaja' rhetoric. At least we should give Srila Prabhupada one day of the year.
The constant mantra is that Srila Prabhupada asked BVNM to care for his disciples, and that by this logic this means that our movement should be guided exclusively by him. The disciples of BVNM even erected a huge billboard directly opposite our Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindavan to propagate this monstrous distortion. Local Prabhupada disciple Smara Hari Das was there in the room when Narayana Maharaja was asked by Srila Prabhupada to help his devotees. When asked how the mission will go on after Prabhupada leaves, Srila Prabhupada did not say “you run the mission”. He asked him to help his disciples. Smara Hari told me that Srila Prabhupada would constantly ask everyone to help him and Narayana Maharaja was just another.
To get back to Kula prabhu’s story about Chandra Shekhar. In 1966 Narayana Maharaj had not attacked Srila Prabhupad as we can see on the video. And Srila Prabhupada acted perfectly by making his disciple apologise. I myself have never claimed not to be offensive. But when I see hundreds of ex-ISKCON devotees laughing at Srila Prabhupada, it makes me cry. If I went into a Christian church and said “Jesus died 2000 years ago, get over it.” Would you expect to get away with it? And trick his disciples into following someone else?
For the next 10,000 years it is Srila Prabhupada who will be followed as the one who gave the path of attaining Vrindavan to the whole world.
