You may have a misunderstanding about who is a spiritual authority. The GBC
Body, for instance, was made the ultimate managerial authority by Srila
Prabhupada, not the ultimate spiritual authority. Its role was defined by Prabhupada
as making sure everything going on in his Society is on the basis of the triple
authority, guru-sastra-sadhu. Prabhupada called it the watchdog of ISKCON.
It is a fact that you have to confirm your understanding with your authorities, but
make sure you accept the right persons as authorities. Everyone is advised to study
the Vaisnava philosophy from all angles of vision. Srila Prabhupada said to
surrender with one’s intelligence, not to surrender one’s intelligence. He never
encouraged blind faith, blind following. Pariprasna, asking questions, is part of the
process of acceptance of authority. Philosophical debate is healthy. Srila
Prabhupada recommended it to strengthen one’s mind and faith, mature one’s
understanding, etc. To discuss guru-tattva is of paramount importance. Of course,
we have to try to do it in the most detached and dispassionate way possible, but if
Sri Guru-Tattva by Swami BV Suddhadvaiti 50
some people get impassioned while speaking about it, passion shouldn’t be a reason
to reject the whole thing. You have to be careful, though, of being offensive, or too
skeptical, or to fall into faultfinding. This process is eternal, and a qualified guru,
although rare, is always available. Pray and cry for it.
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Replies
Basic thing Krishna wants us to be HUMBLE Bramharpan Prabhu.
When we approach Krishna directly we will create pride and that happened even by Gopis and in that moment only Krishna left their association and stayed only with top most Gopi Srimati Radharani.
It is as like tree. When tree grows one branch takes beginning from the main stable then from that branch comes out other small branches, from smaller branches again smaller branches...in this way they create very big, strong and beautiful tree.
In spiritual life the mood of servant of servants is the most prominent thing. Whoever have more humble state of mind that one feels more ecstasy in life.
As like manjaris. They even do not serve to Krishna but they relish the higher taste which taste Srimati Radharani Herself.
Your servant,
hare krsna pr pamho agtsp
regarding recommendation, a guru has many disciples but there are very few intimate disciples who serve him personally and guru has full faith on them. many new devotees they can't approach guru directly so the guru tells his intimate disciples to see these new devotees sadhna and service attitude. he observes and reports to the guru and if the guru feels that he is fit to be initiated and is seriously trying to follow the abcd of KC then he initiates him in the service of krsna by giving him instruction. and the serious disciple tries to follow the instructions and serve the guru to the best of his capacity.
we have to see it in that prospective, or you prove yourself a serious devotee then krsna will see and you will attract the guru's attention. that is the process.
ys
One question I had but never found a satisfying answer.
in one of the lectures in mayapup Prabhuji said in answer to importance of initiation.
"Even your book Libraries asks for recommendation", so what's the problem in believing that without the recommendation of pure devotee krishna won't accept you. that was a public lecture so not enough option of counter question.
Even Prabhupada also initiate devotees on the background of recommendation of other devotees.
Now this Material Library and our Employers asks for recommendations because they don't know us.
But who knows us more than we know our selves, for him what's the need of recommendation. I have hard in bhagbatam near by Dhurav Maharaja pastime Krishna said without initiation he doesn't accepts anybody.
Now my question is what is the reason behind this feature of Krishna? (e.g. 1) Krishna don't wants us to go in vain because he loves us. 2) He suggests to practice under a Pure Devotee because he can see the truth and instruct us what we need. Like this what is the reason for Recommendation)
hare krsna pr
pamho agtsp
also i would like to quote Aindra pr
“Please don’t be distracted by the superfluous pursuits. Our human lives are very very short. Moreover the current of world affairs are extremely precarious. The urgency is paramount. If we actually want to become an empowered representatives of His Divine grace, then let us please boil down the milk making it thick and sweet by seriously concentrating our endeavors, focusing our attention as much as possible on the essence that of what our Srila Prabhupada is ultimately all about.”
"Will we be left with our gas-tanks empty, our book-bags empty, our piggy banks empty, our minds empty, our hearts empty, our lives empty, and our mouths empty - having never gained a tangible taste or attachment of the congregational chanting of the Holy Name? Will such a fate ever force us to finally acknowledge (by default) the sublime shelter of hari-nama-sankirtana? All of our computers will have long since crashed. No more e-mail! No more Internet! No more television! No more printing press! No more newspapers! Damn, man. None of our mp3 players and iPods will sing for us anymore! You mean we'll have to do it ourselves? We may have to close the temples. We may lose our cozy ashrama habitats. We may have to live - and die - under the trees! But despite the extreme miseries of life, we must never desist from our determination to chant the Holy Name of Krishna, though we are hardly able."
— HG Aindra Das
hare krsna pamho
agtsp
regarding initiation it is very important, actually we have to serve krsna under guidance of our diksha guru we can't approach krsna directly. he teaches us how to serve krsna and connect us to the guru parampara our sampradaya and ultimately to krsna.
also it is one of the offenses against holy name to not be initiated.
ie to disobey the orders of spiritual master.
we can't be whimsical and we should try to be strict to our sadhna and services and not be critical or comparing of other devotees, gurus, godbrothers ,godbrothers of our guru or any new neophyte devotee, unless we are an authority we should be neutral.
we should be respectful to our seniors, freindly with equals and compassionate for those below us as Srila Rupa Goswami says in NOI.
one thing to be remembered always is to attain prema bhakti for krsna , if we have this goal in mind then we would never have that judging or fault finding mentality, everything other subservient to it seems petty.
ys
Dear KA Prabhu and Ashwani Kumar Prabhu, please do not get angry to each other! We are all insignificant servants of Guru and Krishna. And it is painful to Them to see Their children fighting with each other.
As like in our family i was practicing Krishna Consciousness but my sister was fanatic Muslim and usually we used to fight with each other on the matter of religion. And make our mom to cry...so what was the use??? Now i understand that we just decreased my mom's life with all those stresses.
So what is the use?
KA Prabhu, as You know ISKCON means International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is a society it is a big family which Srila Prabhupada created with grate efforts and prayers to Krishna and after this how WE WILL DARE TO THAT IT IS ONLY AN ORGANIZATION AS LIKE OTHER???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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before coming to Krishna Consciousness i used feel myself lonely, even though being child, even though being with my family...but only when i started to associate with Devotees i felt what is the love of mother, father, friends. And how will someone dare to say that it is only organization? It is a big family and how is it possible in one family one takes care of him.herself only???? On the place of helping to each other???
In order to rule this family we need kshatriyas, vaishnyas, sudras and brahmanas. GBC is acting like kshatriyas. They give protection and make sure that everyone is obeying to the laws of Shastras.
Guru Maharajas and all other preachers are acting like brahmanas by giving knowledge to others and guiding them in their lives, vaishyas take care of cows, land, do business. Shudras also do many things. So it is not intelligent to think critically about GBC or some other parts of the whole body - family.
It may seem that sometime GBC is strict but that strictness is needed only for our own benefit.
And also there will be failures in one of us, i mean some us may fall due to offenses but it doeas not mean that the process is weak. It is our own weakness only. And if someone falls on the place of criticizing him.her intelligent and compassionate one will try to help him to come back again.
What is the USE OH WHAT IS THE USE OF scratching already bleeding skin????
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And about selecting Guru.
We have to use our intelligence here also. We should not select a Guru even in ISKCON blindly. But be sincere and pray to Krishna to show us our right Guru.
And as Ashwani Kumar Prabhu told our Guru is that who inspires us to chant and serve to Krishna.
AND WHO TOLD THAT WITHOUT INITIATION WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO GODHEAD???????????????????????????????????????????????
At the time of initiation bona fide Guru promises to take us to Spiritual world and disciple vows to follow his instructions. Without Diksha Guru we are not able to go to Krishna, not possible.
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And Ashwani Kumar Prabhu, please do not discuss openly personal life of KA Prabhu or any other Devotees here! Please forgive me to say this one but it is painful. We have to respect each person and respect their personal life.
Your servant,
no no I never feel bad on this Issues, this is totally fine.
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada,
Dear Bramharpan Prabhuji, to live under the same roof with Devotees is a very difficult task it is true but it is the only way of becoming free from our anarthas.
At this stage we are like unformed jewel stones but when that stone is found by jewelery person he crashes stones with each other and makes them smooth then only giving proper, cute shape puts into the gold or silver jewelry.
In this way Krishna also is a Jewelry Person and He knows how to crash us and with whom to crash us.
If we see in others one bad quality and get angry for that it means Krishna is showing us our own quality and it is a signal that we have to remove it from our heart. No need to think critically about that Devotee, it is a signal to us.
One won't be able to chant and do proper sadhana only if one is offended Devotees. When we offend Devotees our spiritual life will be destroyed.
And only way is to beg forgiveness from those Devotees whom we criticized. No one else can not help us even Lord Krishna Himself can not help us to remove that offense, but if we just go that Devotee and sincerely ask for forgiveness then our heart will be melted and we will be gifted by humility.
Your servant,
in satya yuga in order to achieve perfection we needed to have 4 qualities like:
1. austerity,
2. cleanliness
3. compassion
4. sincerity
in Treta yuga they are decreased to 3 with no austerity
in Dvapara yuga to 2 without compassion
in kali to 1 with no cleanliness.
And only way is if we just be at least sincere we will have equal chance to achieve the goal of life.
Whenever there are problems with Devotees, with juniors, seniors, equals, no matter we have to find way and to explain our feeling. We have to open our heart and explain that some situations we did not liked in others' actions and how we can correct it or how to react to them. Rather than discussing it with others.
Your servant,
At least In Engineering collages and Science collages ISKCON Shouldn't try to preach. they are not suppose to preach people having Scientific Background Prabhupada made BI for them.
I Believe Preaching Like this is against Prabhupada's Instructions. I myself have seen how new boys react when they hear against science.
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