Radhanatha Swami should Apologize to Srila Prabhupada and His Followers
BY: BALAKRSNA DAS
Nov 15, 2011 — USA (SUN) —
"People speaking agreeable words are always easy to find. He (however) who speaks words which, though unpalatable, are (yet) wholesome is difficult to find." (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranyakanda 37.2)
This text is in response to Bhakti Vikasa Swami's letter of apology to Radhanatha Swami recently published on Dandavats. It is certainly true that an apology was owed, but many devotees feel that it is the wrong person who is making the apology, as Bhaktivikasa Swami was in no way offensive, but rather just speaking the truth, unpalatable as it may have been. Radhanatha Swami should be apologizing to the assembled Vaisnavas for his departure from the proper behavior of a representative of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya.
I will give but one example. On the "About" page of Radhanatha Swami's official website, which should explain his connection to the guru parampara and our sampradaya, we find that instead of any mention of his being a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, that he was a protégé of Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama and it was they who inspired him, not Srila Prabhupada. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find any mention of Srila Prabhupada, Lord Krsna, Lord Caitanya or Vaisnavism on Radhanatha's website. Who exactly does Radhanatha Swami represent?
To treat Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya and Shiksha Guru of ISKCON in this way is to my mind, a clear example of guru-aparadha as well as an offence to all loyal followers of Srila Prabhupada. That he placed Mother Teresa, who fed beef to Bengalis, and the Dalai Lama, who is a carnivorous atheist as his mentors, but not Srila Prabhupada, is a mentality that needs to be corrected.
The proper thing is that Radhanatha Swami should first thank Bhaktivikasa Swami for being his real well-wisher, and he should apologize to all sincere followers and disciples of Srila Prabhupada who have been wounded by his treatment of our beloved Prabhupada.
Actually, Bhaktivikasa Swami has done a great service to ISKCON by bringing up all of his concerns, but instead he is the one who is apologizing. (Why?) We pray that he continues to courageously preach and be strong in preserving the mission of our guru-parampara. If at least one disciple of the guru maintains the teachings, then the sampradaya will not be lost. We are thankful that His Holiness is a strong link in the guru-parampara and we are inspired by him to also be the same.
Radhanatha Swami's official web site is now down for "maintenance" (?) but, an archive of his website can be found here on the "Way Back Machine". For further reference, see "Truth or Fiction? Guru Websites Visited.
Your servant,
Balakrsna das
