In Defense of Gour Govinda Swami
BY: JANESWAR DASA
Oct 31, 2010 — UK (SUN) — In an unpleasant return to the attitude of some of the leaders of Prabhupada's society in the mid-1990s, the last few days have seen a round of attacks on my Guru Maharaja, Srila Gour Govinda Swami, this time on the Sampradaya Sun website.
Rocana prabhu, what I find really unpleasant is not that you disagree with some of the things Srila Gour Govinda Swami has said. That's quite understandable. We all see things differently, even when reading the same books. Nor am I surprised that you don't see Srila Gour Govinda Swami as I, his disciple, do. You are his godbrother, so I wouldn't expect that. Similarly, how many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers held Srila Prabhupada in high esteem? How many supported him? How many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers recognized him as his disciples do? How many saw him as a shaktyvesa-avatar, as we do? Rather so many found fault, many criticised him. How many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers disagreed with things he said, with things he did?
No, history shows clearly that we shouldn't expect godbrothers to recognize the real sadhus amongst them.
What I do find really unpleasant is that - simply because you have a different understanding of the philosophy on one or two issues - you feel the need to attack and disrespect my Guru Maharaja. Where's the amanina manadena? Where's the trnad api sunicena?
Further, as you seem to feel it is ok to disrespect a sadhu by so often referring to him by the name ‘Gour Govinda', ignoring his title ‘Swami', simply because he understands something differently to the way YOU do… (do you see yourself as his guru, to do like that?)… should I now refer to you as simply "Rochana" – dropping the ‘prabhu' or ‘das'? But then I am not so rude.
Now, onward. My dilemma is how I should respond. Should I get into discussing every detail – every point that you raise, or should I simply point out a few general trends, and leave it up to the individual readers to make up their own minds. Ultimately there is little point attempting to reason with those who are already fixed in their opinions and have no real interest in being open minded. And no doubt you will simply twist and juggle what I say anyhow. I've seen it all before.
So, Rocana prabhu, if I may, I'll just briefly address a couple of the points that you raise.
One of the first things that struck me was your statement… "we've all experienced the expertise of Indian preachers, and how they can say things in such a way that it can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the personal position of the listener and their relationship with the speaker" –
Why is this ‘expertise' only found in ‘Indian preachers'?
Is that in all ‘Indian preachers'?
Not from any western preachers?
Straight away - you see the body. Ah he's Indian. Like Srila Sridhar Swami. Like Srila Narayan Maharaja. That's why.
This sounds a little racist to me, (my wife is Indian, I read your statement to her, and she straight away picked up on it, as I did.) You may not intend this, but it certainly comes across like that.
Do I need to point out that Srila Prabhupada and all of the acaryas in our line, well in all lines, are also Indian preachers. Were they also so ‘expert'?
You also boldly declare that… "Gour Govinda states that Prabhupada wrote his books only to be given to persons like mellechas and yavanas" – strange, I didn't read that in the quote you give.
It also isn't something I ever heard from him. Not his mood at all. In fact it was upon receiving a copy of Back to Godhead magazine in Vrndavana, 1974, and finding in it everything he was looking for, that convinced Srila Gour Govinda Swami that the author, Srila Prabhupada, was his eternal spiritual master; he went straight to Srila Prabhupada, fell at his lotus feet and surrendered on the spot. (i.e. he didn't think oh this magazine is for mlecchas, not me.)
As I recall, you will find that in the 1990s, the book parties from Bhubaneswar Temple (at that time under the direction and inspiration of Srila Gour Govinda Swami) were the consistently biggest distributors of Srila Prabhupada's books in India.
Srila Gour Govinda Swami always spoke from Srila Prabhupada's books. He always glorified his books and Srila Prabhupada's teachings. If you could listen to a sample the thousands of his classes that are available, you would notice this. He was totally devoted and sold out to his Guru Maharaja and his orders.
Here is a further example of how dedicated Srila Gour Govinda Swami was to Srila Prabhupada's books - Srila Prabhupada told Srila Gour Govinda Swami to translate his books into the Oriya language (yes, one of those ‘Indian' languages). So every day without fail throughout his life he would translate Srila Prabhupada's books. In fact he wouldn't even eat until he had done this service. Even if he was travelling on a long haul flight he wouldn't eat that day until after he arrived at his destination and had done his service of translating Srila Prabhupada's books. Only then would he eat. This I personally witnessed as his personal servant on several of his overseas preaching tours.
You see, Rocana prabhu, basically you misunderstand him. You are not the only one (but then many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers also misunderstood him…). He would say a good many things on a topic – not necessarily all at the same time! So you come across one or two things he said, but there are so many more things that naturally you haven't heard.
Another example. On the issue of Srila Prabhupada's tapes. Yes my Guru Maharaja emphasised that one has to hear directly from the lips of a pure Vaisnava. He would say how sabdha cannot be held on a gramophone record. This is immediately seized upon by some as a challenge to Srila Prabhupada. Not so.
When Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja would speak publicly he was interested in speaking the general rule, not the exception. This was especially so in the Srimad Bhagavatam class. He was very strict about this. If the exception is emphasised then that eventually becomes the rule. However, he would also say that "Srila Prabhupada can empower anything. If Srila Prabhupada so wishes, then a tape can hold sabdha. He has such power, he is such a personality. But we are not, we cannot do so."
To some such contradictions may be confusing. But then Srila Prabhupada himself sometimes seemed to say contradictory things in his books. A clear example of this is the whole fall/not fall of the jiva issue. There is no doubt that Srila Prabhupada said both things in his books - that we were with Krishna, but then he also says that no one can fall from Vaikuntha (let alone Goloka). Some devotees vehemently declare that if you say ‘no one falls from Vaikuntha' then you are a Mayavadi, (even though Srila Prabhupada himself says this his conclusion). Others will very strongly disagree and argue the opposing point. Both quoting from Srila Prabhupada's books.
Now, at the end of your article you state, "I suggest you not depict Srila Prabhupada as a "jet set worldwide preacher", as Gour Govinda Swami has." This somewhat surprised me, I will admit. I find this nothing short of political posturing. You are putting words into my Guru Maharaja's mouth, words that he would never ever use. He never, ever, even thought in such a mundane fashion. You put such words in his mouth, for what purpose?
Prabhuji, for your information I must say that I personally found your article to be somewhat rude and bigoted. I feel that this is because you believe that your conception, your understanding is rather perfect, and that anyone who differs from your opinion is wrong, and therefore is not to be respected. You are the authority. You are the judge.
Now to Aprakrita prabhu; I would say to your comment… "In my article, I just presented that what he was stating is completely different than what Srila Prabhupada said" – firstly that is your understanding. Personally, I spent much time with Srila Gour Govinda Swami and have a much more rounded complete understanding of his teachings – so I would disagree with you.
However, even if you were correct, we could say that, well Srila Prabhupada certainly changed many things that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja taught (such as ladies living in the Asrama, chanting 16 instead of 64 rounds)- he was very innovative. Why do you not find fault there? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja was also very different from his Gurudeva Srila Gaura Kisora das Babaji Maharaja in his presentation; and so on. Prabhu, they are all individuals, not clones.
Aprakrita prabhu, you also doubt that Srila Gour Govinda Swami is a pure devotee. That's entirely your choice. That's up to you!
However you then continue with your ‘proof' – saying how Srila Gour Govinda Swami made a mistake (in YOUR opinion, by the way), so he can't be a pure devotee. Well many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers thought that Srila Prabhupada was making many mistakes as well. That was their proof that he wasn't a pure devotee. Such personal opinions however mean nothing in the larger scheme of things.
Indeed, could a fault finder not say that Srila Prabhupada's giving Kirtanananda, Bhavananda etc. etc. their big positions was a mistake? - putting such people in positions of power, where they greatly abused and exploited so many devotees. There are such examples of things that Srila Prabhupada did that, if you were so inclined, you could say were mistakes (another example would be the whole gurukula issue). So then according to your logic, you are saying that Srila Prabhupada is not a pure devotee? Of course not!!! (Please understand, I am simply applying your own logic here… I do find any fault with Srila Prabhupada.)
Now, in response to Mahavidya prabhu's offering of his brief time in Bhubaneswar back in the 1990s, and of how he was preached at to accept a living guru by some of my godbrothers; well, what can be said other than sorry about that. I am also very sorry that you still feel so bitter about this event that you have decided to join in with the present assault against my Guru Maharaja.
May I also point out that there are certainly many inexpert preachers in our society, who may mean well, but are often clumsy and speak inappropriately. It is also quite natural for devotees to over zealously present their Gurudeva and his teachings… as do disciples of Srila Prabhupada! (Again I am showing how these criticisms can apply elsewhere.) These devotees should have been more mature, but then shouldn't you, as a senior devotee, also have understood their immature position, and thus not taken them too seriously?
And then to George A. Smith. You very rudely refer to my Guru Maharaja as ‘Gour Govinda' and yet you call Aprakrita ‘das', offering him respect but slighting Srila Gour Govinda Swami. I have no idea who you are. If you are a new devotee, ok you need to learn some manners, but then perhaps you shouldn't be published until you know basic Vaisnava etiquette.
And so back to Rocana prabhu. May I say that by all means disagree with my Guru Maharaja, or any other Vaisnava. That is your choice. But please do so with dignity, respectfully, as you would expect others to deal with you in a similar situation.
Finally - Prabhupada was criticised by his godbrothers and others. So was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati criticised by many. And so was Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Even the Supreme Lord was criticised. Rama was criticised, as was Sitadevi. Lord Krishna was criticised, as was Srimati Radharani. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was criticised.
So it is not at all surprising that you criticise my Guru Maharaja.
Hare Krsna.