His Guidance is Already There!
BY: PRAGHOSA DASA (ACBSP)
Nov 8, NEW YORK CITY (SUN) — After reading the article on Dandavats.com by our Godbrother and GBC representative from Ireland, Praghosa Das, and then reading the comments offered by our Godbrother Rocana dasa on the issue raised, I wanted to offer this simple guidance from our Srila Prabhupada:
Praghosa prabhu asks three important questions:
1. “How can we always know that the decisions we take are the correct ones? That they are pleasing to both guru and Krishna?
2. When a senior devotee falls from the highest standard of spiritual practice and how our society deals with it.
3. But how to do that without disgracing the person involved and what was the example given to us by Srila Prabhupada in this regard?"
These questions countless others, are actually presented and answered by our Srila Prabhupada himself - directly - and for the benefit of all devotees for the next 10,000 years - in his wonderful purports in the Bhagavad Gita. In the 57th Verse of the 18th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, there we find the following**:
“When one acts in Krsna consciousness, he does not act as the master of the world. Just like a servant, one should act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord. A servant has no individual independence. He acts only on the order of the master. A servant acting on behalf of the supreme master is unaffected by profit and loss. He simply discharges his duty faithfully in terms of the order of the Lord. Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Krsna** but when Krsna is not present how should one act? If one acts according to the direction of Krsna in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Krsna, then the result will be the same. The Sanskrit word mat-parah is very important in this verse. It indicates that one has no goal in life save and except acting in Krsna consciousness just to satisfy Krsna. And while working in that way, one should think of Krsna only: "I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Krsna." While acting in such a way, one naturally has to think of Krsna. This is perfect Krsna consciousness. One should, however, note that after doing something whimsically he should not offer the result to the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Krsna consciousness. One should act according to the order of Krsna. This is a very important point. That order of Krsna comes through disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master's order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction, then one's perfection of life in Krsna consciousness is guaranteed”
When we look to the direction of Lord Krsna to Arjuna in the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita Text 30 we find the following:
“Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination”.
And Srila Prabhupada elaborates in his purport by saying:
"Therefore a person who is situated in Krsna consciousness and is engaged with determination in the process of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should be considered to be in the transcendental position, even if by chance or accident he is found to have fallen. The words sadhur eva, "he is saintly," are very emphatic. They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still be considered saintly even if he has accidentally fallen down. And the word mantavyah is still more emphatic. If one does not follow this rule, and derides a devotee for his accidental falldown, then one is disobeying the order of the Supreme Lord. The only qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and exclusively engaged in devotional service.”
When Srila Prabhupada appointed the original 11 men to begin representing him and the simple standards required by all new initiates - 4 regulative principles and 16 rounds and their commitment to cooperate with their Local Temple devotees - he gave both his direct authority to some and denied this same authority to the balance. When one older devotee’s name was suggested as an appointed representative, Srila Prabhupada said “No. Previously we were a little lenient but now we must be very strict”.
So I am certain that anyone who has shown themselves to be weak in their “strict” representation of Srila Prabhupada and his standards in some manner or other - will either be honest enough to admit that to themselves and/or anyone who might still wish to pretend otherwise - and simply excuse themselves from being burdened with any degree of pretension, or in time this “misrepresentation” will become apparent and prove unavoidably obvious and serve to alter their service for them.
There are countless ways in which we can all serve the purpose of Srila Prabhupada. Acting as a simple representative of Srila Prabhupada where it concerns the confirmation of a devotee’s commitment to the simple standards set by Srila Prabhupada in this one aspect of our devotional service is merely one of them.
Srila Prabhupada did his best to ensure that the authority of International Society for Krsna Consciousness would not be jeopardized by the temporary slip ups of his disciples. That is sure. But Lord Krsna has guided us as to how we should look upon anyone of us who has slipped from the standard but shows just as much desire and determination to resume our efforts to become fully pleasing to the Lord by simply doing exactly as Srila Prabhupada has asked us to do in all ways.
Once on a morning walk, Srila Prabhupada was asked, “Srila Prabhupada…is marriage to be considered as a falldown?”
Srila Prabhupada instantly shot back “What is the question of falling down - for a fallen fellow?”
In other words - the “evidence” of falldown is merely the evidence of a fallen condition that existed before the external circumstances that put on public display our true condition; like the boil that proves the unhealthy condition of the blood.
We are in this material world! Is this not evidence of our “fallen condition”? Our “relapse” of reinvigorated attraction for Lord Krsna’s all-powerful material energy - which is every bit as capable of alluring our mind and senses as He is Himself - personally - is not only possible, it is guaranteed, since there is only and always just Lord Krsna about us; in the form of His eternal internal potency or His temporary external potency.
Lord Krsna states in Bhagavad Gita directly in the 14th Chapter Text 7:
“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”
Srila Prabhupada elaborates:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead has innumerable energies, and all these energies are divine. Although the living entities are part of His energies and are therefore divine, due to contact with material energy their original superior power is covered. Being thus covered by material energy, one cannot possibly overcome its influence. As previously stated, both the material and spiritual natures, being emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are eternal. The living entities belong to the eternal superior nature of the Lord, but due to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, their illusion is also eternal. The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a certain date in material history. Consequently, his release from the clutches of material nature is very difficult, even though that material nature is an inferior energy, because material energy is ultimately conducted by the supreme will, which the living entity cannot overcome. Inferior, material nature is defined herein as divine nature due to its divine connection and movement by the divine will. Being conducted by divine will, material nature, although inferior, acts so wonderfully in the construction and destruction of the cosmic manifestation. The Vedas confirm this as follows: mayam tu prakrtim vidyan mayinam tu mahesvaram. "Although maya [illusion] is false or temporary, the background of maya is the supreme magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Mahesvara, the supreme controller." (Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.10)
Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself--he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature. Devotional service, or Krsna consciousness, can help one gain such release. Krsna, being the Lord of illusory energy, can order this insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul. He orders this release out of His causeless mercy on the surrendered soul and out of His paternal affection for the living entity, who is originally a beloved son of the Lord. Therefore surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord is the only means to get free from the clutches of the stringent material nature."
The words mam eva are also significant. Mam means unto Krsna (Visnu) only, and not Brahma or Siva. Although Brahma and Siva are greatly elevated and are almost on the level of Visnu, it is not possible for such incarnations of rajo-guna (passion) and tamo-guna (ignorance) to release the conditioned soul from the clutches of maya. In other words, both Brahma and Siva are also under the influence of maya. Only Visnu is the master of maya; therefore He alone can give release to the conditioned soul. The Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8) confirm this in the phrase tam eva viditva. or "Freedom is possible only by understanding Krsna." Even Lord Siva affirms that liberation can be achieved only by the mercy of Visnu. Lord Siva says, mukti-pradata sarvesam visnur eva na samsayah: "There is no doubt that Visnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone."
So once again we revisit Praghosa prabhu’s questions:
1. “How can we always know that the decisions we take are the correct one? That they are pleasing to both guru and Krsna?
The answer - “If one acts according to the direction of Krsna in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Krsna, then the result will be the same”. (BG 18:57)
Falldowns of anyone - so-called senior devotees or anyone else - are to be seen as proof positive that each and every statement by our Parampara, where it concerns the results of our actions, are 100% accurate. Actions in knowledge - which are “authorized” by our Disciplic Succession yield one result and actions in ignorance - unauthorized by our Disciplic Succession - whether deliberate or accidental due to past bad habit - yield completely contrary results that inspire us to take delight in Lord Krsna’s temporary material energy, instead of His eternal blissful Internal Potency. We need not make it more of an issue than that.
So in answer to the second question:
2. “When a senior devotee falls from the highest standard of spiritual practice, how should our Society deal with it?”
The answer - “He should never be publicly derided - IF he or she is unflinchingly and exclusively engaged in devotional service”.
However he should not be authorized to represent Srila Prabhupada in the matter of initiations since Srila Prabhupada stressed that this service requires that our society exercise great strictness in order to protect the authority and reputation of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness.
The Third Question is answered with simple common sense.
3. “But how to do that without disgracing the person involved and what was the example given us in this regard”.
One of our dear Senior Godbrothers’s names was proffered to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada as potential “officiating acharya” and Srila Prabhupada simply declined to provide his authorization. He said previously he was lenient but now he had to be more careful. The reasons are obvious to all but the dull headed. Srila Prabhupada did not allow it to go further than that. We should do likewise.
When we slip - we disgrace ourselves but unless one who slips from the standard, stubbornly resists acting honestly by stepping aside gracefully - there is no need to make it a public issue that could make it hard for us to seek and procure our restoration in simple devotional service. Kindness, good will and gentility on the part of the devotees of Srila Prabhupada, will always be evident, where they encounter honest effort by any of us if we have slipped in our efforts to please him. That is the example set by Srila Prabhupada in countless “moments” he provided us while gently helping us in our gradual progress in Krsna Consciousness. We have all seen that famous picture of Srila Prabhupada with his incredibly gleeful smile as he played with the child Saraswati. Her innocent interaction with His Divine Grace was obviously very pleasing to him. The efforts of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and grand disciples to “get it right” in his service - will meet with success and failure and in our attempt - he is likewise affectionately smiling on our efforts no doubt.
He said when asked about his “successor” he quipped “My success is already there”!
That “success” was all his disciples - who left everything but the “useable” of their past and committed themselves to work for his purpose; the purpose of the whole Parampara.
We may fail - but failure is the pillar of success and our concern is really only the “success” desired for us by Srila Prabhupada.
How to deal with our failures and/or how to turn them into newfound success - is clearly explained by Srila Prabhupada in his Bhaktivedanta Purports and demonstrated by all of his exemplary actions during his wonderful stay with us. We need only discuss them amongst ourselves and take full shelter of their guidance.
Simple - Scientific - Sublime
Calling attention to specific examples of anyone’s “falldowns” - while addressing the central issue raised by Praghosa Das “How to deal with falldowns in general and especially where it concerns devotees who have very responsible positions in Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON mission” takes on the characteristic of “piling on”. I have my whistle handy and I am blowing it. Praghosa prabhu asked a legitimate question which has been characterized as basically being deceptive and/or “lying” to himself; that he asks these questions in order to further “rationalize” any lingering allegiance he may hold for someone who has slipped from the standard. Even if these and other motives prefix the questions by Praghosa das - there is little to be gained by raising his motives for asking them.
A more helpful way to discuss it is as regards the “principles” of forgiveness and restoration. Every single devotee who comes to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s service is incredibly important and enormously important to Srila Prabhupada and his efforts. When we consider the principles of forgiveness and restoration - we can do so according to the science of Krsna Consciousness and Srila Prabhupada's many examples. It is not cheap of course - but it is certainly desired by Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada wrote those famous purports in the 8th Canto dealing with Gajendra the elephant and the vicious crocodile - during a serious setback for Srila Prabhupada when one of his GBC/Sannyasis honestly admitted to Srila Prabhupada that his “sannyasa” had fallen on the rocks of sex desire and his ability to lead the devotees had been completely nullified. Srila Prabhupada was not pleased with that situation however he asked this devotee to accept a legitimate wife and continue serving Srila Prabhupada’s preaching efforts. This devotee did so demonstrating that he was not as concerned with being “disgraced” for his falling from the standard as he dreaded the disgrace of renouncing his willingness to serve Srila Prabhupada - no matter what his external status. That is the wonderful history that we remember from that incident. And the purports Srila Prabhupada left the world that instruct us to fight maya from a natural position of secure strength - as a brahmacari, sannyasi, or grhasta - if that position can further solidify our usefulness in the service of our Spiritual Master and Krsna.
WHY Praghosa prabhu raised the issue is not our concern and it is not relevant to the questions. Making THAT the issue distracts.
What is relevant - are the questions themselves and the answers to them - are easily found within the GUIDANCE OF LORD KRSNA HIMSELF - ensconced within the Bhaktivedanta Purports of our Srila Prabhupada and his delightfully perfect examples of how to act upon them while he resided here with us.
With Respect,
Praghosa Das (ACBSP) NYC
