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EDITORIAL February 26, 2000 VNN5557 Related VNN Stories Senior Or Senile? BY MALATI DASI EDITORIAL, Feb 26 (VNN) — Dear Praghosa Prabhu, Pray tell me, what makes you so senior? The fact that you joined the institution chronologically prior to the men you are attacking? Surely you know that's bogus. if time is your consideration then dinosaurs are seniors to you and fortunately (for you) they are extinct, right?
Funny that right there, on the same screen where your piece was posted yesterday we found this rather startling passage (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta PRABHUPADA) which, again, leaves no doubt as of what the criterion for seniority among Vaisnavas is: "Gurudeva in human form, which is the best amongst of all living beings, is my only object of worship. Visible worlds are eager to worship him, but a man like me, who is averse to God, is satisfied in thinking Gurudeva to be a perfect man. Human beings, as devotees of that perfect man, are all Vaisnavas. They are manifestations of my Gurudeva in various forms. Positively they are my guru-varga and instructors, negatively they are persons who, at the time of performing Bhajan are very much eager to hear delirium from an abominable wretched person like me." So, you see prabhu, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta believes himself unqualified but you want us to swallow you seniority on the grounds you your calling yourself a "gentleman' and of your claiming you did so much service for you guru. I think you could use further clues: "One who does not admit his own scanty resources or ability can never be able to call upon others wholeheartedly." And: ""In fact, the spiritual master always desires that we should all in harmonious cooperation try to serve the supreme Lord. When he used the word 'we' he did not speak particularly of any one individual. Many people motivated by their selfish interest may declare, "Only I will perform this work for others are not qualified to perform this special task." However, the spiritual master with the most compassionate frame of mind gently encourages us. 'Everybody giving up all malice should please come together and worship the Lord in unity.'" You tell the sannyasis to leave the protection of women to the grhastas. It seems the protection you are talking about is slightly shorter of the meaning of that which Saraswati Thakura offers. Or didn't Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati instituted sannyasa ashram so sannyasis, on their turn, would better help the rest of us (women included) understand the purpose of our lives making thus, in the process, all of us (still women included) truly protect, but particularly men properly equipped so to protect women? Additionally, let me ask you this: Didn't you learn about how to protect your wife and daughters from Srila Prabhupada? And he was a sannyasi, wasn't he? Speaking of sannyasis, how about some Vaisnava manners from you in relation to your sannyasi god brothers? You claim to be their senior; do you recognize them as on a rank above yourself as far as ashram? Your words to and about them have been anything but ethical. Indeed, what you reveal of yourself through your words leads to one inevitable conclusion: the only seniority you might claim over those you addressed are years. But then, that only qualifies one for special discounts at drug stores or bus lines and little more than that, isn't it? So prabhu, don't just brag about it, give us what our lives are so bereft of, BE a senior among us, please! Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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