The Search for purity 1 The Search for Purity A collection of conversations, letters, and essays regarding purity in Vaisnava institutions compiled by Swami B. A. Paramadvaiti VRINDA Vrindavana Institute for Vaisnava Culture and Studies 2 VRINDA PUBLISHERS PAGE This book is especially compiled for members of the Gaudiya Vaisnava family, disciples of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and those of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Maharaj as well as their respective disciples. They will get the greatest benefit from the historical details clarified here even though it may help scholars or anyone dealing with organized religion to get a better understanding of the vaisnava tradition and religious philosophy. The author herewith declares that this book was written for those who have been personally involved, and that simple observers will not be able to get a clear understanding simply by reading this book. The Search for purity 3 Abbreviations frequently used in this book: SP: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada SSM: His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Deva Maharaj GBC: Governing Body Commission of ISKCON ISKCON: International Society for Krishna Consciousness Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti Address: A.A. 59286 Bogotá, Colombia. Miami: 692 NE 70th ST, Miami, Fla. 33138 Phone: (305) 751- 5958, Fax 7565362 Any reader interested in the subject of this book is invited to correspond with the author, or visit any temple connected with VRINDA. A list of all addresses can be found in the back of this book. The author requests all readers to not withhold this information from anyone. You may republish or distribute it in any way to give relief to those whose full appreciation of all pure devotees hasn't yet flourished ®VRINDA, Vrindavan Institute for Vaisnava Culture and Studies. 4 VRINDA In this special Issue the INDEX Introduction 1. We Left for Purity 2. An Important Message 3. The First Contacts of the GBC With Srila Sridhar Maharaj 4. A Letter of Pradyumna Prabhu to Satsvarupa Goswami 5. Satsvarupa's Presentation of Srila Sridhar Maharaj 6. The Well-Wisher is Rejected 7. An Appeal to Sanity or "Please Change" 8. Srila Sridhar Maharaj Speaks Out 9. SSM Explains How to View the Situation If Your Guru is Not Qualified 10. How to View a Godbrother Who Gives You Gayatri Mantra Diksa 11. Srila Sridhar Maharaj Advises to Discuss the Problems With the GBC 12. Add Insult to Injury 13. Srila Sridhar Maharaj Always Encouraged to Increase the Number of Gurus 14. Srila Sridhar Maharaj Always Defended Our Srila Prabhupada 15. The Guardian of Devotion 16. Why We Left You, 1984 17. Letter to the Vaisnava Journal 18. Letter to the VVR (Vedic Village Review) 19. Invitation to the Debate 20. Some Points Hampering ISKCON's Advancement 21. Please Consider for the Future The Search for purity 5 22. Regarding the Continuation of the Spiritual Succession 23. Srila Prabhupada and Raganuga Bhakti 24. A Few Facts You Should Know 25. A Difficult Lesson to Learn 26. The Universal Principle of Guru 27. Guru-Relative and Absolute 28. Sociological Reflections -(on ISKCON)- 29. Defective Bhakti Seeds 30. Sannyas Ashram Without Challenge 31. Save ISKCON Now!!! 32. 20 Characteristics of Srila Prabhupada's Movement, His Wishes and What Happened 33. Final Words Appendixes Publication List World Vaisnava Association 6 VRINDA DEDICATION This book is dedicated to all our Godbrothers, the disciples of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as well as to all those sincere souls who are trying to serve Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in any of His Transcendental Forms and Names and His Devotees. We pray for the blessings of all the beloved Vaisnava Acaryas in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami. Special thanks we offer to Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Maharaj for the unlimited patience and enlightenment he gave us, to Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj who kindly inspired us with his pure humility and who inspired so many devotees to come together in WVA, and to all those who work hard to preserve the nectar for all relief aspiring souls like ourselves. Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti. The Search for purity 7 INTRODUCTION namah om visnupadaya krsna prestaya bhutale swami sri bhaktivedanta prabhupadaya te nam gurvajñam sirasi-dhariam saktyavesa sva-rupine hare krsneti mantrena pascatya-pracya-tarine visvacarya prabaryaya divya karunya murtaye sri-bhagavata-madhurya-gita-jñana-pradayine gaura-sri-rupa-siddhanta-saraswati nisevine radha krsna-padambhoja-bhrngaya gurave namah I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Taking the order of his guru on his head, he became empowered by Nityananda Prabhu to act as a saktyavesa-avatara. He distributed the Hare Krishna mantra all over the Eastern and Western world, delivering and uplifting all fallen souls. He is the best of millions of jagat-gurus, because he is the personification of divine mercy. He has distributed the sweet nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam and the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gita all over the world. He is constantly engaged in exclusive devotional service to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Rupa Goswami, and Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. I offer my humble obeisances unto Srila Prabhupada, who is like a bumblebee always tasting the nectar of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Govinda. My dear Godbrothers and members of the aspiring Vaisnava Community, Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your feet. The upcoming celebration of Srila Prabhupada's Centennial Festival is a wonderful reason to reflect on the true greatness of our Guru. He was not a charismatic person who expertly maneuvered himself into the front- line by promoting "spiritualized" versions of egotism or sense gratification. Nor did he try to discourage other true masters or traditions. In a very humble way he showed 8 VRINDA how out-standing Krishna Consciousness is by his personal sacrifice and integrity. Nobody, even his "enemies" could deny that he was commanding respect. In his own words he clarified the universality of the acharya principle, which he presented personally in a speech he gave in Bombay on the appearance day of his own spiritual master. "Gentleman, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the acharya is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva or acharyadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else's. There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me and all others." Let us meditate for a moment on these very significant words of Srila Prabhupada. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest preachers this earth-globe had the fortune to be touched by, and still he was describing his function as a general representation of the Supreme mercy of God, coming down to the sincere seekers through his true devotees. Thus Srila Prabhupada gave us the very important lesson not to deny in a sectarian fashion the worship of any spiritual master by his disciples as something inferior to what we were allowed to witness in our relationship with him. Therefore in order to honor the broadness of our guru for the sake of all his disciples and grand-disciples, as well as other devotees of the Lord, we have compiled this documentation. Just as much as Srila Prabhupada's glory has to be recognized by this world for it's own benefit it is necessary for all of us and for the future generations to The Search for purity 9 understand the universality of the acharya principle and thus not deny the happy celebration of all the siksa or diksa disciples of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Srila B.P. Puri Maharaj or any other true follower in their lines to be just as important to them as Srila Prabhupada is to us. Even more so, how happy all vaisnavas should be if there are some trustworthy living representatives of our sampradaya walking amongst us. As history has proven even self-effulgent acharyas are only recognized by some fortunate souls. But at least we should all be very careful to not lend any support to misconceptions regarding the process of how the mercy descends to this world. In the moment of the disappearance of an acharya we find that different words are used to describe the transition to the next phase in their particular institution as well as to describe their spiritual continuity. Terms such as "chosen successor(s)", "gurus authorized by some governing body commission", or even such declarations as "the acharya for this age" shall not confuse us. The previous acharyas have attempted in different ways to secure the continuity of their mission both in legal as well as in spiritual ways. But none of these great souls have thus given any different direction which would contradict the laws of the shastras regarding the guru parampara by limiting the worldwide preaching to one or a few spiritual masters of some particular institution. Whoever propounds such erroneous views, even when they are expressed in words of exclusive devotion to some particular guru, actually offends their guru by presenting him as narrow-minded and non-shastric. Otherwise how would the future generations of the whole world know about our gurus and Mahaprabhu's greatness, if the future gurus were less trustworthy than YOUR guru was? 10 VRINDA Besides that how many disciples can any guru take care off? Who, except Krishna Himself, can adjust to the need of spiritual masters for the searching souls? Somehow this mistake has sneaked into the minds of some unhappy souls and thus their samskara or envy has hindered them to discover the full happy truth of our sampradaya.