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EDITORIAL March 22, 2000 VNN5732 Comment on this story The Need For Rational Discussion BY NISCALA DD EDITORIAL, Mar 22 (VNN) — Dear Mahavegavati Prabhu, As you know from our private correspondence, I am full of sympathy for you about your dealings with Bhakti Tirtha Swami. As for the women's ministry, I don't know them personally, but the funny thing is when a certain GBC Minister heard our farm manager had attacked me and smashed up my vehicle, he told me that he had contacted Sudharma from the women's ministry about it and that I could expect a reply. I was surprised that she never sent me a letter expressing concern. I never bothered to chase it up to find out why, maybe Sudharma could shed some light now, anyway? About your article to Madhusudhani Radha, as a friend though a younger devotee, I hope you don't mind me giving you advice which may help you find justice and ultimately reform, which is at the heart of the matter. You are saying that her failure to print up your article was due to political motivation, personal ambition and viciousness, which may or may not be true- this is an assumption. There could be other causes, some of which spring to mind is that the whole of Chakra is not unbiased, that MRdd is acting under pressure from others, that Chakra did not want to pursue the issue, the list goes on... Neither can your assumptions be backed up by her saying false things about you, which may be due to other causes such as misinformation. You have made various assumptions in your analysis and these work against your case. Plus, you are dealing with too many issues to accomplish anything... For example, bringing in the Srimad Bhagavatam- whether to take it allegorically or literally, or whether the descriptions of the planets etc are literally true or not - is a totally separate issue. Some say it is blasphemy to say it is allegory, the opponents say it is allegorical or that the details are inconsequential, because the essence is rasa: sambhanda, abhideya and prayojana. Another example you gave- Srila Prabhupada. Some say he is a pure devotee, therefore perfect in every respect; others say he is a pure devotee, possessor of pure devotion, despite all SEEMING imperfections. After all, Srila Prabhupada said: "I am not perfect. None of us claim to be perfect; we have so many faults. But because we don't speak anything beyond Krsna's teachings, our teaching is therefore perfect" (Consciousness: The Missing Link, p.13-14) So whether this is pure humility, or humility plus some truth, or just truth is surely up for rational discussion. And whether we decide one way or the other, does not condemn us as blasphemers, no? To say that MRdd's choosing not to print up your article in Chakra, is related to how she views Srila Prabhupada's position, is like saying one's short-sightedness is related to one's pimples. They could be related if MRdd is actually blasphemous i.e. spreading false rumours about Srila Prabhupada, presenting false facts. Then such blasphemy would harden her heart in other matters and there would be correlation, like pimples and boils both being related to blood impurities. But from what I've read she even understands Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee, but just not perfect in every respect, which tallies with Srila Prabhupada's own analysis of himself! I don't see how this is blasphemy to tell you the truth, and so I fail to understand how this is related to the issue. But even if it is, you would do better to address the issues that stand in your way of getting justice, and simply ask her "Why you did not post my version?" You might find a perfectly reasonable explanation- even an apology. If not, if the explanation does not tally, you can just deal with it point by point. Let us keep our discussions straightforward, to the point and based on facts, not assumptions. Neither should we bring in issues such as how much faith we have personally in Prabhupada, faith cannot be forced down our throat, and yet Prabhupada has so many wonderful qualities that what is the need for forcing it? Rather than condemn, simply let Dhyana Kunda who had the original doubt, read some of the diaries and memoires of the servants of Srila Prabhupada... who could upon reading such pastimes, fail to appreciate his sublime qualities? Then such people will easily see that yes, there are pock marks, but a moon is a moon. Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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