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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A Talk by Giriraj Swami<\/p>\n
December 19, 2005<\/p>\n
San Diego<\/p>\n
We are gathered on the most auspicious occasion of the disappearance anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada, the spiritual master of our Srila Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in Jagannatha Puri as the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who was a magistrate and the superintendent of the Jagannatha temple in Puri. At that time, during the British rule, the position of magistrate was very important, and rare for an Indian to hold. <\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada told us that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was a ray of Vishnu, a liberated soul sent by Krishna. He took birth in the material world for a divine purpose, to assist Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his work and to carry on his mission. Soon after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta\u2019s birth, during the Ratha-yatra, the chariot stopped in front of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura\u2019s house, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati\u2019s mother took him onto the chariot and a garland from Lord Jagannatha fell directly onto him\u2014blessings.<\/p>\n
Later, as a preacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was a great innovator, and seeing the way he conducted his missionary activities, we can better appreciate the line in which Srila Prabhupada came, how Srila Prabhupada continued in the same spirit as his guru maharaja.<\/p>\n
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura taught that one must engage in bhagavata-marga<\/em> and pancaratriki-vidhi<\/em> at the same time. Bhagavata-marga<\/em> means chanting and hearing about the pastimes of the Lord and the devotees as they are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam<\/em>,and pancaratrika-marga<\/em> means Deity worship. The logo of the Gaudiya Matha is a circle with a picture of an arati<\/em> bell and lamp and the caption pancaratrika-marga<\/em> on one side,<\/em> and a mridanga and a printing press, with the caption bhagavata-marga<\/em>, on the other.<\/em> Although, to make steady progress, devotees in general must follow bhagavata-<\/em> and pancaratriki-vidhi<\/em> simultaneously, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta gave more emphasis to bhagavata-marga<\/em>\u2014preaching. He called the printing press the brhat-mrdanga<\/em>and instructed Srila Prabhupada, \u201cIf you ever get money, print books.\u201d Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati gave the highest importance to producing and distributing books.<\/p>\n For Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati\u2019s appearance day celebrations in 1936, Srila Prabhupada wrote a poem and delivered an address at the Bombay Gaudiya Matha. The poem included this verse:<\/p>\n Absolute is sentient Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was most pleased with the couplet and showed it to some of his close disciples. Srila Prabhupada was able to understand his spiritual master\u2019s mission and mood, and so he was given the nickname kavi<\/em>\u2014poet\u2014and, as we know, went on to produce many books establishing Krishna as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and defeating the Mayavadis\u2019 nonsense impersonal speculations. <\/p>\n Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati built a grand temple in Bagh Bazaar in Calcutta, but later he lamented that his disciples hadn\u2019t used the project for the purpose for which it was intended. They had become attached to the opulence and fought over who would occupy which office. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wanted to use the temple to preach, but there is a risk that neophyte devotees would become attached to the opulence and the prestige that came with a big temple and take advantage of the temple for their own personal gain\u2014for power and prestige, money and facility. That is always a risk. Srila Prabhupada, following his spiritual master, also built big temples, and devotees here are working to build a major temple. We should pray to be proper instruments of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, that we not be distracted, and use the temples for the purposes for which they are intended\u2014to practice and preach pure devotional service.<\/p>\n Srila Prabhupada constructed grand temples in select places\u2014Bombay, Vrindavan, and Mayapur\u2014and they have proven to be very successful in attracting people. But what happens to the people once they come? That is our challenge: to actually give them the message of Krishna consciousness, the message of pure devotion, so thatthey surrender to the process of Krishna consciousness and engage in unmotivated devotional service. <\/p>\n Otherwise, people may come, but they will have different mentalities and motives. Some will come just to offer obeisances to the Deities and pray, put some money in the box, and leave feeling good. Many engage in such service or ritual with material motives. They give money in the hope that they will get some return. The famous example in India is the Balaji temple in Tirupati. The Deity, Balaji, has the reputation that however much you give Him, that much more you will get in return. Or, some people go and try to strike a deal with the Deity: \u201cI will give you such and such donationif You give me such and such a result.\u201d<\/p>\n In India there is a joke about this: Before going to play the races, a man went to a temple and prayed to the Deity, \u201cLord, if I win one one hundred thousand rupees, I will give You fifty thousand.\u201d At the races, he bet on a horse and won fifty thousand, but when he went back to the Deity, he said, \u201cLord, You didn\u2019t trust me. You took Your half first.\u201d People come to do business with the Deity, and sometimes they even try to cheat.<\/p>\n So we have to elevate people. It is a gradual process, we know, but somehow we have to make the effort and, without compromise, give them the message of pure devotion. The first time I was on my own in India, in Madras, I was meeting people and preaching just the way I had seen Srila Prabhupada preach. But then I heard from friends that there was an undercurrent of protest against the way I was preaching. I heard it, and I was surprised, but I didn\u2019t really make any change; I just heard it. Then one of our best friends, in whose home I had stayed for two weeks, said the same thing. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t criticize others,\u201d he told me. \u201cJust say what you want about Krishna consciousness and don\u2019t say anything negative about others. Don\u2019t criticize.\u201d He gave the example of the Gaudiya Matha. \u201cThey have Janmashtami, and thousands of people come,\u201d he said, \u201cbut they don\u2019t criticize like you do. They just present their own activities.\u201d <\/p>\n So, I thought about it. \u201cDoes Srila Prabhupada really want us to be like that, like the Gaudiya Matha?\u201d I asked myself. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d So I kept going. Then another friend, whose brother had offered to sponsor Srila Prabhupada\u2019s program in Madras, said the same basic thing: \u201cAll right, you worship Krishna. You can worship Krishna, but don\u2019t say that Krishna is better than Shiva or Ganesh. You do bhakti. That\u2019s all right, but don\u2019t say that bhakti is better than karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or . . .\u201d <\/p>\n So, I kept getting it. Wherever I went, I was getting it. Finally I considered, \u201cMaybe Krishna is trying to tell me something. Maybe I should listen to what they are saying.\u201d And I made a resolution: \u201cI am just going to present Krishna consciousness. I\u2019m not going to criticize; I am not going to offend people anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n Soon thereafter,I had an appointment with a big industrialist. I showed him the pictures of our activities, showed him the books, took out the life-membership form, explained the benefits, and asked him to sign. \u201cWhat about Shankaracharya?\u201d he asked. \u201cHe is one of the great acharyas of India. You haven\u2019t said anything about him.\u201d So, keeping our friends\u2019 advice in mind, I replied, \u201cYes, he is one of the great acharyas of India.\u201d \u201cBut you haven\u2019t said anything about him,\u201d the man persisted. \u201cWhat about him? What about his teachings?\u201d Trying my best to avoid getting into an argument, I said something vague and general. But he kept pushing, probing. And finally it all came out.I told him that actually Shankaracharya is an incarnation of Shiva. As such, we give him all respect. But he came with a special purpose: to present an imagined, monistic interpretation of the Vedas<\/em> and thus bewilder ignorant people. I took out the Teachings of Lord Caitanya<\/em>\u2014we didn\u2019t have Caitanya-caritamrta<\/em> then\u2014and read the verses from the Padma Purana<\/em> and Shiva Purana<\/em> about Lord Shiva\u2019s taking the form of a brahman, preaching the false doctrine of Mayavada philosophy, which is covered Buddhism, and promoting atheism. Yet Shankara\u2019s ultimate purpose was to bring the Buddhists, who were atheists, to accept the authority of the Vedas<\/em>. It was a strategy. And then Lord Chaitanya came and taught the proper understanding of the Vedas<\/em>.<\/p>\n Things became tense. The gentleman put forward a lot of arguments, and I thought, \u201cI really didn\u2019t want to get into an argument, but somehow I did anyway.\u201d And that was the end of the discussion. Dejected, I put away the pictures, put away the books and membership form, closed my briefcase, and stood to walk out. Just as I was just about to leave, however, he said, \u201cBefore you go, I would like you to see my temple.\u201d I thought, \u201cOh, no. There is going to be a siva-linga<\/em>. He is going to want me to bow down, and if I don\u2019t he is going to be even more offended.\u201d I looked at him, and he looked at me, and I could see that he wasn\u2019t going to take no for an answer. So I said, \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n He escorted me to his temple room, which was quite large, as personal temples go, with an altar facing us on an elevated platform at the opposite en. It was all white marble, and on the altar, much to my happy surprise and relief, were large marble Deities of Radha and Krishna! Boy, was I ever happy to see Them! It had been some time; the Deities at even the Vaishnava temples in Madras were almost all Vishnu. And there was the famous temple of Partha-sarathi, but that was just Krishna alone.<\/p>\n So I was delighted. I offered my obeisances and prayers, and then I looked at our friend with an expression that asked, \u201cWhat is happening here?\u201d He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, \u201cI am a devotee of Krishna, and my whole family are devotees. For many generations, we have been devotees of Krishna. . . . Actually, I was just testing you. And you did not compromise. So I am very pleased, and I will be honored to become your life member.\u201d <\/p>\n We went back to his office, I took out the forms, he took out his checkbook, and he paid the whole amount in one installment and became a life member. But now I was really confused about my preaching. Maybe I hadn\u2019t been doing it wrong after all. But I still wasn\u2019t quite sure. <\/p>\n When I got back to my room, there was a letter from Srila Prabhupada. Receiving any letter from Prabhupada was a great occasion, and when I opened this one, the words jumped right off the page: \u201cThe fact is that I am the only one in India who is openly criticizing not only impersonalism and demigod worship, but everything that falls short of complete surrender to Krishna.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy guru maharaja never compromised in his preaching,\u201d Prabhupada continued, \u201cnor will I, nor should any of my students. We are firmly convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that all others are His part and parcel servants. This we must declare boldly to the whole world, that they should not foolishly dream of world peace unless they are prepared to surrender fully to Krishna as Supreme Lord.\u201d So, I got my answer. <\/p>\n That was Srila Prabhupada\u2019s mood\u2014his guru maharaja\u2019s mood and his mood\u2014and that was the mood he wanted for us. Just before we opened the temple in Juhu, one friend, a most intelligent gentleman, Brijratan Mohatta, said to Srila Prabhupada, \u201cIf you want to get a lot of money in the donation box, you have to start spreading rumors that people who give money to these Deities get good results. They get a lot of benefit from it.\u201d And Srila Prabhupada said, \u201cNo. We don\u2019t make business with our God.\u201d <\/p>\n So, I would say\u2014although it\u2019s hard to imagine, because we know who and what we are\u2014that Srila Prabhupada and his guru maharaja are pleased with our efforts. When Srila Prabhupada and his disciples first arrived in India, we observed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura\u2019s disappearance day in Surat, and Srila Prabhupada began his talk, \u201cThe sunrise and the sunset, both are beautiful. Similarly, both the appearance and the disappearance of a Vaishnava are beautiful. So there is no cause of lamentation.\u201d Then, on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta\u2019s appearance day, in Gorakhpur, Prabhupada wanted a really big celebration. He told the devotees to break the fast at noon but to organize a big function and feast for the evening, and to invite all the people from the Gita Press. So we invited them, and it was a nice occasion. <\/p>\n After the program in the temple, we all went downstairs for the feast, which happened to be full of oil, because in those days in India we couldn\u2019t get cow\u2019s ghee. We could find buffalo ghee, but even that wasn\u2019t the best, and it was somewhat expensive. So, every feast was a mixed occasion of joy and anxiety that we were going to get upset stomachs. Anyway, when we were almost finished with the feast, Nanda Kumar Prabhu, who was Srila Prabhupada\u2019s servant then, came down. In general, when he would remove the plate with Srila Prabhupada\u2019s remnants, he would go into a room and, no matter what had been on the plate before, emerge with three slices of ginger, a little pile of salt, and some lime. And he would say, \u201cDoes anyone want maha-prasada<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n This time when he came down, he didn\u2019t bring much more than that, but he did deliver a message. He told us that Srila Prabhupada had said two things. One was that the feast was so good that he couldn\u2019t control his senses and so heoverate. And the second was, \u201cMy guru maharaja is very pleased with all of you.\u201d So, I think that is true, even now.<\/p>\n One other part of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura\u2019s mission that was taken up by Srila Prabhupada and in turn has come to us is the Mayapur project. The previous acharyas envisioned a Krishna conscious city in Mayapur, with a wonderful temple, and a beginning was made after Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered Lord Chaitanya\u2019s birthplace and built a temple there. And in time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati instructed his disciples to build houses, and there are a few that his grihastha followers built. But the dream of the spiritual city hasn\u2019t yet been fully realized. And then there is the idea of building a wonderful temple\u2014Srila Prabhupada definitely wanted to build a spectacular temple there. <\/p>\n This may just be my own impression or realization, but once, on Navadvipa parikrama<\/em>, we went to Godrumadvipa, across the river from Mayapur, to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura\u2019s house, which also served as a residence for Sarasvati Thakura. Each had a room, and you can see their beds and tables and chairs and other paraphernalia. And at one point, I went out on the balcony of the house and was looking across the river, to Mayapur. It is said that Bhaktivinoda Thakura looked across and had a vision of this wonderful temple and Vedic city. From the same balcony, I saw Srila Prabhupada\u2019s samadhi<\/em>, the dome of Prabhupada\u2019s samadhi<\/em>. Now, the architecture of the puspa-samadhi<\/em> in Mayapur is not exactly Bengali. I even heard one senior devotee comment, \u201cWe should have done it in the same style as the rest of the temples, Bengali style.\u201d But somehow, the impression I got at the time, my intuition, was that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was pleased, because he wanted devotees from all over the world to come to Mayapur and chant and dance together\u2014\u201cHare Krishna! Haribol!\u201d And that architecture, which combined elements of various styles, was the visible manifestation of the fulfillment of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura\u2019s vision and desire that devotees from all over the world should join together in Mayapur in service to Mahaprabhu.<\/p>\n Once, on his way to Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada stopped over in London for some days and personally designed the first building for Mayapur. When he got to Calcutta, he showed us the blueprints and told us about the project. He was so excited and enthusiastic, he was beaming, but he also raised some questions. \u201cWhat if we build this temple and there is flooding?\u201d he asked. \u201cIt could be ruined. Then what?\u201d He suggested, \u201cMaybe we should build it somewhere else, not in Mayapur.\u201d He suggested Birnagar, the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Thakura.<\/p>\n So, Srila Prabhupada was practical. He had ideals, but he was also practical. And what he said had our minds spinning, because all along we had identified the big temple with Mayapur. The way he dealt with us reminded me of Lord Chaitanya with His devotees. Lord Chaitanya would take one position and convince all the devotees of that position. Then He would take the opposite position and convince all the devotees of that<\/em> position. So, it was like that with Srila Prabhupada. Somehow he convinced us that we shouldn\u2019t build the temple in Mayapur, and then he turned the argument around and convinced us we should<\/em> build it in Mayapur. But I think the real lesson\u2014and it was a lesson that he taught us repeatedly\u2014was that we shouldn\u2019t take anything for granted. When we are dealing with the material world, we shouldn\u2019t take anything for granted. He often defined intelligence as the ability to see the same thing from different angles of vision. He wanted us to consider things with our intelligence and be open to different conclusions.<\/p>\n But whatever it would be\u2014wherever it would end up being\u2014he told us very emphatically, \u201cIf you build this temple, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.\u201d It was definitely an encouragement.<\/p>\n Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was also very innovative in his preaching. He had the idea that there should be a boat and that devotees should travel from port to port and spread Krishna consciousness. He had the idea of a theistic exhibition with doll exhibits, which was as progressive then as IMAX or animatronics are now. And he interacted with the Britishers. There are pictures of him wearing a long, double-breasted coat, with long stockings and shoes. He looked like a distinguished Britisher, but with the touches of a dhoti and a turban. And he would ride in a limousine. When I arrived in India in 1970, only the richest people had cars, mainly small Fiats and Ambassadors, and only the very richest had larger, imported cars. So, in 1930 practically no one would have had acar, not even the wealthiest. But Bhaktisiddhanta had a limousine. And he was a sadhu<\/em>! You can see pictures of him in a limousine, very nicely dressed. Sometimes he would entertain important government officers and scholars. There is a picture of him and his disciples receiving Sir John Anderson, the governor of Bengal, in Mayapur, and his disciples were wearing uniforms\u2014dark pants, dark vests, dark jackets, dark turbans, dark shoes and socks, and white shirts with high collars, with chains draped across their vests (perhaps attached to pocket watches). They looked a bit like Christian priests, with elements of Indian princes. Personally, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was extremely austere, but when it came to spreading Krishna consciousness, he was ready to use anything and everything. <\/p>\n By any means, yena tena prakarena<\/em>, somehow or other, we want people to fix their minds on Krishna. Tasmat kenapy upayena manah krsna nivesayet<\/em>: Somehow or other, one must fix the mind on Krishna. Somehow or other. Big temples, big festivals, museums, movies\u2014whatever. Of course, the basics will always be there: kirtan and philosophy and prasada<\/em>. But that is the merciful mood of our acharyas\u2014<\/em>not to be complacent, not to sit in the temple and eat rice and dal and ring the bell. But to go out. To think of ways to somehow or other engage people in Krishna consciousness.<\/p>\n Bhaktivinoda Thakura, then Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, then Srila Prabhupada\u2014we can\u2019t really separate them, their missions. That is our line. And we pray for their mercy that we can be empowered to carry on their mission and really help people\u2014help ourselves and help others.<\/p>\n So, we have a great lineage, and we have a big challenge. But I think we have a lot of good material too. I think we can do it. Srila Prabhupada said, \u201cBy the mercy of my guru maharaja, I did a hundred times more than he did. Similarly, I want you all to do a hundred times more than me.\u201d <\/p>\n Among Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura\u2019s last words were, \u201cI have most probably given many people troubles in the mind. Some of them might have thought about me that I am their enemy because I was obliged to speak the plain truth for service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only for the reason that they may turn their face towards the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. I hope some day or other they may understand me rightly. <\/p>\n \u201cI advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [disciples of Lord Chaitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n Hare Krishna. <\/p>\n
\nThou hast proved,
\nImpersonal calamity
\nThou hast moved.<\/p>\n
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By Giriraj Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n