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Comments Posted By Praghosa

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From a Disused WW 11 Airstrip to a Prasadam Distribution Day Trip A Devotional Day in the Life!

Yes Maharaja I couldn’t agree more regarding Mahasringha prabhu and recognition, hence I wrote;

“So we all set off in the midday sun to link up with Mahasringha prabhu, a veteran distributor of Krsna mercy in the villages around Mayapur”

I guess I should have been more fulsome in my appreciation, so thank you for highlighting this point!

Your servant, Praghosa dasa

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 05.04.2013 @ 06:44

Sivarama Swami’s health update

I sincerely pray for your health and well being Maharaja, you are a real and rare gem of a vaisnava and we all dearly need your association.

You have always been a dear friend and siksa guru to me.

Maharaja, I and all I know, are rooting for you.

Your loving servant, Praghosa dasa

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 30.03.2013 @ 07:14

Women Gurus In Kali Yuga?

As moderator of this site I wish to keep an open mind on this discussion and in particular whatever conclusion is reached, if any. Naturally I have my own thoughts but I want to remain open to changing them as this discussion develops.

One quote that is often used to argue against women ever giving diksa is:

According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru,and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja’s diksa-guru.” (Bhag. 4.12.32 purport)

Even with the above reference, the door is left open as far as the words ’specifically his mother’

In addition we have the following reference:

asvamedham gavalambham
sannyasam pala-paitrkam
devarena sutotpattim
kalau panca vivarjayet

“In this age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of a horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of the order of sannyasa, the offering of oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and a man’s begetting children in his brother’s wife.” (Cc. Adi 17.164)

Now we know that both SBSST, Srila Prabhupada and of course the GBC do not follow this sastric injunction. It is understood that over and above sastra we follow the order of the acarya first and foremost. Our acarya, Srila Prabhupada, waived this particular injunction in deference to the preaching mission.

One question that needs to be answered is - should we also waive the rigid objection to women gurus in deference to the preaching mission? Our acarya Srila Prabhupada seems to indicate such a course of action with many references, in particular this one:

“I want that all of my spiritual sons and DAUGHTERS will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta, so that the family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations. Those possessing the title of Bhaktivedanta will be allowed to INITIATE disciples. Maybe by 1975, all of my disciples will be allowed to INITIATE and increase the numbers of the generations. That is my program” – Letter to Hamsaduta on Jan 3, 1969

Capitals mine for emphasis

Ys Praghosa dasa

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 03.12.2012 @ 17:00

A small step for ISKCON UK, a big step in following Srila Prabhupada’s Instructions

Of course the GBC will still give guidance and of course temples will ‘not be free to do as they please’ if doing as they please is in conflict with Srila Prabhupada’s mission and the statutes of ISKCON.

Still the point is that each ISKCON centre should be separately incorporated and responsible for its day to day functioning, as evidenced by this reference of Srila Prabhupada’s:

“Never mind there may be botheration to register each center, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point”

(SPL to Karandhara, 22nd December, 1972)

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 23.11.2012 @ 18:53

Preaching With Half Humility

Again many students began shouting. Madhudvisa Swami took the microphone. “I can answer if you like. Our movement is not from the United States. If you have some paranoia that everything is coming from the United States, well, that is your hang-up, not mine. [Applause.] And second of all, our spiritual master came to the United States to start this Krsna consciousness movement because he got a free ticket on the boat to go there. If you would have sent him a free ticket, he probably would have come to Australia first. So he is trying to spread love of God. He is not trying to start any kind of political movement. He is trying to spark a revolutionary consciousness. I think you are also interested in revolution. We are interested in revolution also. But we are interested in revolution which will help people to feel peace themselves, whether they are Communists or Marxists or whatever it is you like. We are trying to help people attain happiness whether they are-”
Madhudvisa Swami’s remarks triggered the largest vocal protest yet. The commotion rose as students all over the hall began to shout. There was no possibility of a peaceful philosophical discussion.

The devotees’ greatest concern became getting Prabhupada out of the hall unharmed. Prabhupada rose from his vyasasana and, escorted by his disciples, left by a side exit. A large crowd of students had gathered outside the door as Prabhupada emerged, but he entered his waiting car without incident. As he rode slowly through a cluster of students a girl kicked at the car with her booted foot. And as the devotees were getting into their vans students threw stones. Finally, as the devotees drove off the campus, they had to pass under an elevated walkway where some waiting students threw black paint down onto the vans.

Riding in his car, Prabhupada was mostly silent, but he seemed disgusted. He said that in the future, he would only give lectures in classes where he was invited; no more wide-open lectures.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SPL 44: Let There Be a Temple

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 07.11.2012 @ 02:46

Srila Prabhupada: “That’s all right. You are Christian. We are Krsnian. It is practically the same thing.” (Laughter and applause.)
Student: “I have one other question. I believe Jesus is coming back, and not Krsna. What are you guys going to do when you see Jesus?” (Laughter)
Srila Prabhupada: “When he is coming, welcome. We shall welcome. It is very good news that Jesus is coming.”
Student: “Jesus had no reputation. He wore sandals and was crucified between two thieves. And your spirituality is on a Rolls Royce and a padded seat, and you’re all into money-you Krsnas, you want money.”
Srila Prabhupada: “I don’t want money.”
Student: “And you say violence is violence, that’s what you believe. Jesus turned the other cheek, and he expected his followers to.” (Applause.)
Srila Prabhupada: “This Krsna consciousness movement is not a sentimental religious system. It is science and philosophy.” Prabhupada explained that understanding the science of God was transcendental to Christianity or Hinduism. The real goal was to learn to love God.
Second student: “I have a question about Krishnamurti. Krishnamurti stresses that when you are speaking in the Western world, you should speak and present yourself as a Westerner, not as an Indian or as you would speak in India. Instead of sitting on a raised dais and dressing in the robes of a monk, Krishnamurti would say dress in Western clothes and sit on a chair. What is your opinion of this?”
Srila Prabhupada: “Actually a God conscious person is neither a Westerner nor Easterner. So anywhere the devotee goes, as they receive him, he accepts. These devotees have arranged a raised seat, so I have accepted the raised seat. If they wanted me to sit down on the floor, I would have gladly accepted. I have no objection to this or that. But as devotees receive and give honor, that is good for them, because actually we should honor the Supreme Lord God and His representative. Nowadays it is different. Students are not learning to honor. But that is not actually the system. According to the Vedic system, the representative of God must be honored as God.”
Another student (loudly): “Do you consider your movement the major form of enlightenment emanating from the United States today? What particular role does your movement play in the White House psychological warfare department? Will you be coming to our Fourth of July demonstration against the United States this year and take up the real political issues?”

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 07.11.2012 @ 02:44

Srila Prabhupada’s engagement at La Trobe University in Melbourne was like a repeat of the unpleasant incident with the radicals at La Salle Pleyel in Paris. It was, again, a large, free-admission audience of students, and again the disciples had prepared Prabhupada a standard vyasasana. Devotees held a kirtana onstage and introduced Srila Prabhupada, who began speaking very basically about the distinction between the soul and the body and about how this education is required for all people. But after no more than ten minutes, a young man in the audience stood up and began to shout profanities at Srila Prabhupada. “And how do you explain your Rolls Royce?” he added.

The audience, which had been quiet until the interruption, now became noisy and restless. Three of Srila Prabhupada’s more aggressive disciples left the front row and went to the back, where the man was shouting. Meanwhile Srila Prabhupada stopped speaking and sat tolerantly, waiting. The shouting stopped, and he began again. “As I was explaining, in material life we have been changing from one body to another. This is not a very good condition of life. Nobody wants to die, but he is forced to die.”

After five minutes, the abusive language again broke out. This time Srila Prabhupada’s three disciples pushed the shouters out the back door. In the fight, one of the students pulled a knife from his boot, but a devotee disarmed him.

The atmosphere inside the auditorium was tense, and many people were talking loudly. Some got up to leave. Madhudvisa Swami, taking the microphone, pleaded with the students to remain calm and continue hearing from Srila Prabhupada. Some students in the audience seemed on the verge of violence, and the devotees feared for Prabhupada’s safety. But Prabhupada was willing to continue. He called for questions.

Student: “I am a Christian, and I would like to know what is your opinion of Jesus Christ.”
Srila Prabhupada: “We respect Jesus Christ as you do, because he is representative of God, son of God. We are also speaking of God, so we respect him with our greatest veneration.”
Question: “You are a son of Jesus too?”
Srila Prabhupada: “Yes, I am a servant of Jesus. I don’t say I am Jesus.”
Question: “I want to know if you have the power of Jesus?”
Srila Prabhupada: “No, I have no power of Jesus.”
Question: “Well, I’ve got the power of Jesus! [Laughter.] Because I’m a Christian.”

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 07.11.2012 @ 02:42

Physiognomy of a Pure Devotee

We are closing comments on this article for obvious reasons.

Will there be need for moderation in the spiritual world…

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 13.11.2012 @ 19:24

Money is the Honey (when used in Krsna’s service; managing money in Iskcon)

“What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, therefore there are divisions of varnasrama: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra; brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, it is advised that no-one take sannyasa … From this we can understand that, in this age, the sannyasa asrama is forbidden because people are not strong. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed us an example in taking sannyasa at the age of twenty-four years, but even Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya advised Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be extremely careful because He had taken sannyasa at an early age. For preaching, we give young boys sannyasa, but actually it is being experienced that they are not fit for sannyasa.
There is no harm, however, if one thinks that he is unfit for sannyasa; if he is very much agitated sexually, he should go to the asrama where sex is allowed, namely the grhastha asrama. That one has been found to be weak in one place, does not mean that he should stop fighting the crocodile of maya. One should take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, as we shall see Gajendra do, and at the same time one can be a grhastha if he is satisfied with sexual indulgence.
There is no need to give up the fight. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore recommended: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. One may stay in whichever asrama is suitable for him; it is not essential that one takes sannyasa. If one is sexually agitated, he can enter the grhastha asrama. But one must continue fighting. For one who is not in a transcendental position, to take sannyasa artificially is not a very great credit. If sannyasa is not suitable, one may enter the grhastha asrama and fight maya with great strength. But one should not give up the fighting and go away.”

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 22.10.2012 @ 11:21

Yes Srila Prabhupada set the bar very high, particularly for leaders. Hence there is no doubt about the standard we have to rise to due to that special mercy of His Divine Grace.

Of course as Srila Prabhupada said so many times, Krsna consciousness is a gradual process and that is no doubt applicable for leaders to. Also as previously discussed there are two types of perfection, those who are actually liberated and those who are on the path of liberation. For those who are on the path of liberation there may be occasional mistakes as elaborately explained in the api cet su-duracaro verse. In the purport to that verse Srila Prabhupada explains:

“one fully engaged in the devotional service of the Lord is sometimes found engaged in abominable activities, these activities should be considered to be like the spots that resemble the mark of a rabbit on the moon. Such spots do not become an impediment to the diffusion of moonlight. Similarly, the accidental fall down of a devotee from the path of saintly character does not make him abominable”

Additionally it is explained at length throughout the Bhaktivedanta purports that the motives of devotees and non devotees are very different and hence have to be judged (and dealt with) differently.

I think the following words of Srila Prabhupada explain very nicely the reasons why some of our leaders in the past (and maybe presently too), faced the problems that they did and the solution to those problems. You get a real sense from Srila Prabhupada throughout the whole issue that generated his below thoughts, that he was so appreciative of the sacrifice his leaders made, while knowing well they were not perfect, as well as all of them not being properly situated. So yes we all look forward to the day when we have perfect leaders, in the meantime we can mediate both on the appreciation Srila Prabhupada had for his less than perfect leaders and the compassionate way he dealt with them when they ran into difficulty.

Continued:

Comment Posted By Praghosa On 22.10.2012 @ 11:19