Dec 04, 2017 — CANADA (SUN) —
BCS: Now the question comes, now that Ramesvara Maharaja has removed his vyasasana from the temple, what should he do?
SM: Who, Ramesvara Maharaja. I appreciate this to a certain extent that it has become too much so to… as a reaction to that extreme gorgeousness he has taken this path. But guru's special position, asana, that should be there. Not so very splendidly but somewhat respectfully.
DKS: He has one; he has a respectable seat.
SM: Some respectful position must be given to guru, some respectful…
DKS: Yes, he is taking that…
SM: But not too much gorgeous. To much of everything is to break…
DKS: But how are the disciples to view the discrimination. They see here is Srila Prabhupada in a very gorgeous setting and here is their guru in a very…
SM: You see, my mother is most affectionate to me, not my grandmother. This is nature. So one should show maximum respect to his own guru and a little less to his grand-guru, param guru. More respect to own guru than param guru. My guru we see form that link. I shall see my guru link. The link will be in this way. My guru is sure to hold his guru's feet fast. If I hold him, his feet fast, then I am safe. That is the underlying meaning. It is my duty to hold fast the feet of my guru that I may not fall down and it is... I fully know that my gurudeva has held the feet of his guru fast so the chain is unbroken. It is not my lookout to see how my gurudeva is dealing with him. I am confident that my guru is holding fast. The chain comes in this way. All my power should be engaged to see… to hold my guru's feet fast… but if that is vulnerable and that particular chain is vulnerable, __breaks down___, then I shall fall. So in that case, if it is clear that the chain which I have held is vulnerable then of course I shall have to think and to hold any other chain so that I cannot be disconnected from the link coming from upward to this world.
DKS: Now in our Krsna consciousness movement all of the members are reading the books of Srila Prabhupada, only maybe the Brahma Samhita, but in our movement, everyone, even the disciples of these gurus, they are reading Srila Prabhupada's books. So is he in the position of their siksa guru?
SM: You have to hold your Prabhupada very fastly and there is no question there.
DKS: What about the new disciples?
SM: But of the new disciples, if they see they will also hold the feet of their guru. That will be the first consideration. But this… if that unhappy circumstance appears to become fact by his great misfortune, it is of course none to be blamed. He has come to a wrong guru, that is also his fate or karma, his sukriti. He is responsible for that, to come to a false guru. His, not any other, not anyone else. So anyhow, if by the grace of the vaisnava he comes to find that he has done wrong in selection of his guru then he will deviate, he will be indifferent for some time and consult with other vaisnavas, and then he will think of changing his guru. If his clear spiritual conscience urges him, he must accept his inner voice.
DKS: What if someone says, "I want to wait for an uttama-adhikari guru."?
BCS: explains in Bengali
DKS: They read in Srila Prabhupada's books what the position of the spiritual master is and they feel that these men do not meet that standard.
SM: Of course, if he feels in his heart, that wait for an uttama-adhikari guru, he may wait for something in his selection. But selection is agreed and final. So it does not… when it will take some time it may not be discouraged, but if he… when he will select, he must select it well. So time he may take if his conscience asks… says his inner voice asks him to wait, they may wait for some time and see finish all his inquiries, then he will surrender to a particular personage as his guru. The sastra will guide. Sadhu and sastra. Sastra, by sastra select a guru, and a vaisnava helps us understand the meaning of the sastra, both interhelping, sastra and the sadhu help one another. Sastra helps to understand who is sadhu and sadhu helps what is the meaning of the sastra, both interdependent and inter… help.
DKS: Now, Ramesvara Swami is saying that, "I am somewhere between a neophyte and intermediate level devotee." … so one point that Ramesvara Swami is making in this paper, he is saying that "I am like the madhyama-adhikari guru but I'm giving my disciples the uttama-adhikari guru of Srila Prabhupada as siksa guru by reading his books and hearing his lectures. So they have the uttama connection."
SM: Oh… He says that "I recommend my disciples to go to other acarya?"
BCS: Srila Prabhupada. "I am second class guru, madhyama-adhikari guru, but I am taking my disciples, I am giving my disciples the uttama-adhikari guru, that is Srila Prabhupada, through Prabhupada's books and Prabhupada's instructions." So he is trying to link his disciples with Srila Prabhupada.
SM: (pause) If I am to answer this question, I shall have to say that this is a fair and sincere statement, but a little faulty and weak. He should take risk, not only he will confirm his faith in his gurudeva and ask his disciples to carry out his words, but he must dedicate himself totally, taking the risk, what is necessary, only not to show the sastric meaning and other things, and he should also sacrifice himself, even he will have to give his feet for worship, and it will go to Srila Prabhupada. This sort of risk must be taken… The gopis they told Narad,… Krsna once in Dvaraka, He told that, "I have got a severe headache, Narad, and the medicine is the feet dust of the devotee, give feet dust" … "no, no, no … You are God the Absolute. I shall offer feet dust? Please forgive me, excuse me___," Then Narad went to the princesses, Rukmini and others. "Krsna is suffering severely from headache and the feet dust of his devotee will cure it. He has sent me, please give something that will…" No, no, no. What do you say, Narad? Do you want to send us to the hell? That I shall offer feet dust to Krsna who is God Himself, the Absolute? Feet dust? Never, never. You are a devotee; you give your feet dust." And Narad was _____ then he went to Krsna. "Oooh, very severe pain, Narad. Have you got the feet dust?" "No, none is prepared to give feet dust." "Oooh, I am feeling very severe pain. Just go and fetch something from Braja. You go there." Then Narad at once went to, by yoga process, went to Vrindaban and "How Krsna, ___Narad,___ you are coming? How Krsna is living? "Oh, He is at present under severe pain from headache and he wants some feet dust the devotee, that will be all the medicine to cure Him." "Oh, is that so? Then take feet dust; give your feet dust; take my feet dust." Narad was astonished, astounded. "What is this? Do you know what is the result of giving feet dust to Krsna?" "Yes. We are fully conscious what is the "Eternal hell!" "We are prepared for that." So this sort of risk should be taken if one is going to take the position of an acarya. He must risk. No risk, no gain.
BCS: But Maharaja, at the same time, isn't the guru going to accept…
SM: False imitation will also kill… It is risking, and the imitation of risking will not save. The real thing within must be there, at the same time.
