Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Gurudeva and Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandraji.
Hare Krishna
Are we not allowed to read books of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur? I understand we MUST read Srila Prabhupada's books and His books hold all the gems, but does that mean that we must disregard the books of the previous Acaryas?
Please forgive me if I have made offense in asking this question.
Your servant
Bhakta David
Replies
HARI BOL
JAI SRILA PRABHUPADA!
PRABHUS AND MATA JI'S!
ACTUALLY, I HAVE READ JAIVA DHARMA ABOUT 12 CHAPTERS. I WANT TO SHARE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE SOME REASONS:
1) BY READING BOOKS OF SRILA PRABHUPADA, WE TRANSFORM FROM ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS TO ATLEAST HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS(IF NOT NEOPHYTE DEVOTEE CONSCIOUSNESS). IF YOU DIRECTLY READ ACHARYAS' BOOKS. IT WILL SEEM AS MYTHOLOGY. BUT THESE DOUBTS ARE CLEARED IN BOOKS BY SRILA PRABHUPADA. HE PROVES AUTHORITY OF VEDAS AND SUPREMACY OF LORD KRSNA. AFTER READING HIS BOOKS, ONE GETS KNOWLEDGE AND QULAIFICATION TO READ DEVOTIONAL BOOKS BY ACHARYAS. IF ONE FORTUNATELY READS AND UNDERSTANDS SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM 1 CANTO OR MORE, ONE UNDERSTANDS SO MUCH ABOUT SPIRITUAL WORLD.
2) JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND BRAHMA SAMHITA BY SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA OR ANY ESSAY BY HIM OR ANY LECTURE. WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND DUE TO COMPLEX ENGLISH AND HIGH LEVEL OF PHILOSOPHY IN HIS WORDS. BUT READ BOOKS BY SRILA PRABHUPADA, WE WILL UNDERTAND SAME POINTS IN SIMPLICITY. ALSO BHAKTIVINODA THAURA'S BOOKS HAVE SANSKRIT TERMS WHICH MATERIALISTS MAY NEVER HAVE READ OR HEARD. SO ITS VERY NECESSARY TO READ BASICS FIRST. ALSO SRILA PRABHUPADA'S BOOKS CONTAIN HIGHER PHILOSOPHY IN KRSNA BOOK, NECTAR OF DEVOTION AND MANY OTHER.
3) MY PERSONAL SUGGESTION: READING JAIVA DHARMA HELPS MUCH. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND HOW IS GAUDIYA VAISHNAVISM ETERNAL IF IT WAS ESTABLISHED OR CREATED 500-700 YEARS AGO? BUT DON'T READ CONFIDENTIAL THINGS OF MADHURYA RASA IF YOU ARE NOT ON HIGH LEVEL. I STOPPED BECAUSE THERE WERE MANY INTIMATE ACTIVITIES DISCUSSED IN JAIVA DHARMA'S LATER CHAPTERS.
I hope it is helpful.
GLORIES TO ACHARYAS, VAISHNAVAS, BHAKTI DEVI, LORD HARI AND ENEGIES
we can read and we read Jaiva Dharma, Harinama Cintamani, Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instructions...all these books of previous acharyas some are with the commentaries of Srila Prabhupada some are not. So after learning Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita we can read why not?
Your servant,
Hare Krsna Mataji
How will we ever fully learn Srimad Bhagavatam? It is so large and so deep. I am actually frightened by It. I love Caitanya Caritamrta (I find it easier to read and very addicting). Bhagavad Gita I have read many times, but still I relish more and more nectar from it and find new things in the purports that I did not realize before.
I received a book of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakurji ( Jaiva Dharma ) from a devotee friend in Queens and I wanted to know if it was proper to read Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakurji's books, so this is why I asked this.
it is true Srimad Bhagavatam is very huge. When we complete one round we have to start again. Srimad Bhagavatam is a Person. With every other time we gain different realizations.
Chaitania Charitaamrita is also very big and little difficult than Srimad Bhagavatam because it is full of philosophy.
Your servant,
You are giving us the essence of all the previous ācāryas' books in your books
Morning Walk -- May 13, 1975, Perth:
Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I remember once I heard a tape where you told us that we should not try to read the books of previous ācāryas.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Amogha: That we should not try to read Bhaktivinoda's books or earlier books of other, all ācāryas. So I was just wondering...
Prabhupāda: I never said that.
Amogha: You didn't say that? Oh.
Prabhupāda: How is that?
Amogha: I thought you said that we should not read the previous ācāryas' books.
Prabhupāda: No, you should read.
Amogha: We should.
Prabhupāda: It is misunderstanding.
Paramahaṁsa: I think maybe he was thinking that there was some things about some of the Gauḍīya Maṭha books.
Prabhupāda: Maybe.
Paramahaṁsa: And sometimes you said that better not to..., better to read your books.
Amogha: When the devotees went to India this year, they said that Acyutānanda Swami very..., chastised them that "You should never... If I catch any of you buying Bhaktisiddhānta's books from Gauḍīya Maṭha then I will take it away," something like this.
Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, that was, the reason was because of, he didn't want the devotees going to Gauḍīya Maṭha. But there's nothing wrong with the idea of studying the previous ācāryas' books.
Prabhupāda: No. Who said? That is wrong. We are following previous ācāryas. I never said that.
Paramahaṁsa: All of your commentaries are coming from the previous ācāryas.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayadharma: But that wouldn't mean that we should keep all the previous ācāryas' books and only read them.
Prabhupāda: That is already there. You first of all assimilate what you have got. You simply pile up books and do not read—what is the use?
Jayadharma: First of all we must read all your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Paramahaṁsa: Practically speaking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are giving us the essence of all the previous ācāryas' books in your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
Jai Srila Prabhupada!
Jai Bhaktivedanta Purports!