Narasimha das Replies to Rocana dasa

November 15, 2003

Dear Rocana,

Hare Krishna. Jai Prabhupada.

Yasoda Nandan and Puranjan have already answered your challenges point by point. I may do so also, eventually. It's really not a priority for me. You fail to raise even one valid philosophical point about diksa, iniations, or the proper way of preaching and following Prabhupada. Rather you seem more interested in creating some controversy.

As far as we are concerned, we simply want to accept the system for iniations that Srila Prabhupada personally implemented and instructed. WE feel this is the best position. We are not interested in endless debates with those who reject Srila Prabhupada's example and specific instructions in this regard. I am sorry you were offended by what I wrote to you so far. Those who know my writing thought I was very restrained, under the circumstances. I find it hard to be polite to such persons as yourself who are diehard advocates of the idea that any neophyte preacher-guru wanabe can disobey Srila Prabhupada's specific directions regarding initiations in iskcon. Although some people suggest that Lord Caitanya gave some blanket authorization for everyone to become gurus by preaching, there is difference between a simple preacher and a Vaisnava Acarya who is worshipped like Hari.

Yasoda was very kind in his repy to you so far. If I take the trouble to repy to you at length, it won't be quite so tactful. I see many defects in almost every one of your statements, most of which avoid any conclusion of guru, sastra, and sadhu but sound rather like mundane academia and gossip-- in other words, not very serious philosophical arguments.

Regarding debate: It is only possible for serious followers of Vedic culture. I have repeatedly noticed in our numerous discusssions with persons like yourself, that they have a very hard time sticking to Vedic siddhanta or even common sense logic, and thus they constantly bring irrevelant ideas, like suggesting that ritviks are wrong because they have a siddhanta similar to Christians. This is just one example of false logic you and the gbc employ. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly condemned the Christians, not for following Christ or worshipping him exclusively, but for deliberately ignoriing some of his instructions, as the gbc and others are doing as a matter policy. Not only are they ingoring but campaigning viciously against these instructions, lying and even blaspheming by suggesting that mahabhagavatas are ordinary men who make mistakes, offer incomplete instructions, or are sometimes vague regarding their intentions, ect. ect.

The other problem with dishonest persons bred of the gbc is that they create the classic straw man by defeating arguments never made by the opposite party. I saw many examples of this in your letter. Either you are dishonest or you have not bothered to carefully study "The Prabhuapada Book", which clearly and exhaustively deleniates the philosophy of Krishna consciousness with much sastric evidence. So if you want to debate me personally, I suggest we meet in the deep forest and settle matters one on one. Otherwise we need some impartial executive authority present to despense justice after the debate. The loser is usually obligated to surrender to the victor and become his bonded servant or disciple. Or alternatively, he may accept suicide or execution. At least in South India, as recently as a hundred years ago, people took siddhanta and false preachers quite seriously. In Vedic culture there were serious consequences for preaching against siddhanta, or the order of the Acarya. Today, however, we have invented freedom of speech and freedom to go to hell in the express lane.

Sincerely,

Narasimha das