Volunteer

Don't manufacture

Other devotees were also present in the garden as we talked. Caranaravindam has discovered that his service as Prabhupada's gardener gives him free access and the ability to be present there whenever Prabhupada is. Prabhupada doesn't mind at all. Another devotee was Svayambhur dasa, an Australian. And we were joined by Vipramukhya dasa, one of the pujaris, who came seeking Prabhupada's blessings because he is setting out tomorrow to open a center in Turkey. So there was a small group this evening, sitting at Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet, in a congenial atmosphere cooled and soothed by the sound of water gently flowing from the lotus fountain, and the nectarean words gently flowing from Srila Prabhupada's lotus lips.

Svayambhur wanted more clarification on what Srila Prabhupada had said about the chanting of nitai-gaura being a deviation. In his mind there was some contradiction, and he put it to Prabhupada to resolve. "Prabhupada, you wrote in the Caitanya-caritamrta that the Caitanya maha-mantra, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda. ... there is no offence to that. And so therefore in the Kali-yuga it is actually more beneficial ..."

Prabhupada repeated his comments made to Harikesa Maharaja. "Offence is that what is spoken by the acaryas, if you do not follow, that is offence. Guror avajna. To chant Gaura-Nitai is no offence. But if our previous gurus have chanted sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita -- why should we go beyond that? That is guror avajna. Even there is no aparadha, because guru, Kaviraja Gosvami, has sung like that and my guru has sung, we should follow that. We should not make any deviation. That is guror avajna, sruti-sastra-nindanam; namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. So it comes to be one of the items of the dasa-vidha-aparadha [ten offences in chanting]. Guror avajna.

"Is it more beneficial for people to hear the Panca-tattva mantra than the Hare Krsna maha-mantra?" Svayambhur asked.

"Oh yes," Prabhupada told us. "You are going to Hare Krsna through Nitai-Gaura. Nitaiyer karuna habe braje radha-krsna pabe." But he added, "The principle is don't try to manufacture. Because you are not experienced, so what nonsense you will manufacture, that will be offensive. Better go on, the simple thing."


- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT