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EDITORIAL   Understanding The Internal Preaching Arrangements Of Krsna BY SIDDHAJANA DASA EDITORIAL, Apr 18 (VNN) — The examples set by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Parivrajakacharya, Paramahamsa Nitya Lila Pravista A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada When Srila Prabhupada arrived in America to fulfill the orders of his spiritual master to preach Krsna consciousness all over the world, it was not actually the beginning of this fulfillment. The fulfillment had begun the moment after he received that divine order of his guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada, and even that event was not the beginning of the fulfillment on further analysis. In fact ordinary persons cannot tell the actual beginning of this divine order. For ordinary understanding, it is at least the first time, where Srila Prabhupada was requested by his spiritual master to preach the cult of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English to western audiences apart from audiences only in India. However, persons who see only that beginning as the actual beginning, have not understood the true beginnings of this divine order at least from the time of Lord Chaitanya, or they have conveniently forgotten His desire to spread Krsna consciousness to every town and village. In order to fully appreciate the preparation of Srila Prabhupada to come to the western countries where atheism and voidism reign supreme, one must not only see Krsna and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada as the only facilitators in helping Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, even though they are the most important personalities in Srila Prabhupada's life. The science of Krsna consciousness teaches us that to understand Krsna, means to understand His various energies, incarnations, associates, devotees, eternal pastimes, entourage etc. In other words the more one realizes Krsna's expansions, His infinitesimal parts and parcels and other energies, the more one understands Krsna. This same principle of understanding Krsna, must be applied in trying to understanding a devotee of Krsna, and specifically how Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada began to fulfill the orders of his spiritual master. This understanding must include as many personalities as much as possible, and especially vaisnavas who actually assisted or facilitated him one way or the other. If one simply says Srila Prabhupada came with no support and started a world movement by himself, and leave out any traces of help or support from some of his loving god brothers and disciples, and even those who seemed not to help, then that person certainly runs the risk of misunderstanding a lifetime of preparation of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Further, a misunderstanding of Krsna's energies, Krsna's disciplic succession, Krsna's expansions, Krsna's incarnations, Krsna's devotees even though insignificant, and Krsna's internal plan to mercifully give Krsna consciousness -the divine knowledge and realization of Himself in all features. Put another way, one simply cuts off his/her fuller realization of Krsna consciousness, if one thinks only of Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada as the only doer in this divine order to spread Krsna consciousness to every town and village in the world. Many times some devotees say "Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada has done it alone". "He has translated many books into English." "He has started many temples and initiated many devotees etc all by himself". "Only his books are needed". "There is no need for another society other than ISKCON because it was started by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada". This type of rhetoric, although sounding like a glorification of Srila Prabhupada, is not a pure and truthful glorification of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. It is not a sacred vaisnava glorification of a spiritual master in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami. To say only this spiritual master has done like this or done like that, even if it appears that way ordinarily speaking, is fanaticism. Of course there is nothing as "ordinarily speaking" in Krsna consciousness. There is however, external and internal lila or pastimes in Krsna consciousness. In the fanatical platform, this type of rhetoric "only", "alone", "ultimate authority" "only his books", is really an offense to the entire disciplic succession, and an offense to all the other devotees who helped in preparing Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and assisted him before or after his preaching in the west. It is an offense to his gurudeva and certainly and offence to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, to say that only Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada has come to the west to preach, and save us. Srila Prabhupada never preached or wrote in such a way as to take personal credit for doing this, without completing a statement with "only by their mercy" "only by your blessings" "it is by your blessings" or "only by His or Her mercy" meaning Sri Sri Radha Krsna, or "we have come to the western countries" or "our gurudeva has ordered us". On very rear occasions would he use singular "I". Even then it should never be taken that only he has did this or that. One may question why this is an offense, when this is exactly what Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada did- he spread Krsna consciousness all over the world and translated many books etc and started many temples and so on. He sat in Times Square alone didn't he? The answer is both yes he did do these things by himself, and no he didn't do these things by himself. The "yes" aspect is partially correct because he did initiate these activities by himself, but to leave out the "no" aspect, is totally incorrect because it is the "no" portion that actually contains the background or inner workings or the internal and somewhat hidden dealings of the help of Krsna and Krsna's various energies, incarnations, disciples, god brothers, friends and so on.Krsna consciousness means to realize the internal arrangements of Krsna and His devotees. There are two aspects of Krsna consciousness. There is the external manifestation and the internal non-manifestation. An advance devotee realizes the two aspects simultaneously. Similarly, there are two aspects of preaching Krsna consciousness. The external preaching arrangement and the internal or non-manifest preaching arrangement. The external level of preaching arrangements prepares one for realizing the internal level of preaching arrangements. This internal level of preaching arrangements, when properly recognized, prepares one to realize the internal non-manifestation of Krsna's pastimes. Only the devotee situated firmly on the middle level, technically called madhyama adhikari can catch a glimpse of the internal level of preaching arrangements. To say that Srila Prabhupada has done all these things by himself without properly understanding the true values of all others, is yet another way to say that he is God. For only God can do everything by Himself without the help of others. Yet the Vedic scripture tells us that God allows His parts and parcels and expansions to do, and to act on behalf of Himself and other devotees. So even God does not do anything by Himself. Therefore the act of propagating that Srila Prabhupada is the "only one to have done this or that and preach in this way or that way", is a concept contrary to the Vedic scriptures' teachings of Krsna and His variegated parts and parcels, and expansions all assisting Him and His devotees. This closed view concept simply ends at the external level of preaching arrangements. This is where some devotees attain only society consciousness, instead of realizing and advancing to the second level of Krsna consciousness, the internal preaching arrangements leading to the internal non-manifestation realizations. This second level is not immediately shown by the bonafide guru to his neophyte disciples. He gives the disciples the chance to develop the external level arrangements, using every thing in the service of Krsna, and by so doing the disciples later become qualified to realize and receive the internal level of Krsna conscious, preaching and arrangements leading to the non-manifest eternal pastimes and realizations. Not everyone can become qualified for this second level. Only the very sincere disciples who do not place any restrictions or ultimate levels on the external preaching in a fanatical way can advance to this realization. There are many quotes found in Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami's books, pointing out the pitfalls of fanaticism found only on the external level preaching arrangements. One should do well to research these advices by his Divine Grace. Here is one such advice. "Prabhupada: There are certain class of men who are simply philosophizing and there are certain class of men who are simply blindly following religious ritualistic process. So Bhagavad-gita is combination of both. That is scientific. You should be religious, but should understand everything philosophically. Otherwise one becomes fanatic, religious fanatic. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is clearly said that caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. You people, you try to understand the gifts of Caitanya Mahaprabhu by your philosophical understanding. Not blindly, philosophically. And vicara karile citte paibe camatkara. If you are actually a wise man, then you'll find it is sublime. And if you simply stick to your own religious ritualistic principles, don't try to understand the philosophy of everything, then you become a fanatic. So we should not become religious fanatics, nor dry mental speculators. Both these classes of men are dangerous. They cannot make any advance. The combination. You should be religious, but try to understand each and every line philosophically. Just like in the Bible there is the statement, "God created this universe." It is a fact. But because modern educated persons have not explained how God created, how the process of creation... These things are explained in the Bhagavata, how the sky became in existence, then the air became in existence, the fire became in existence. There is a process, general graduation. Actually, God has created the world. There is no doubt about it. But because it is not philosophically explained, the modern educated persons, they don't accept." HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada To glorify the spiritual master directly or indirectly, as if he alone is important and all others not so important is an offensive platform and a fanatical one. This same mistake is and was made by Christians with their guru Jesus Christ. They say only he can save everyone and no one else. They say only he is the son of God and no one else. They now say that he is God, misunderstanding the concept that the spiritual master should be worshipped as good as God. That spiritual concept was also taught by Christ when he said "I am the way the truth, and the light, no one comes to the Father but through me." This is the position of the spiritual master and guru of his disciples. This is not a declaration that the spiritual master said that he is God and can do everything by himself. This is offensive and is not proper glorification of a spiritual master. The spiritual master directs one to the Father and the Father Himself directs one to the spiritual master. The Father who is Krsna, says in Bhagavad Gita As It Is " Just surrender to the spiritual master, inquiry from him submissively, render service to him as well, for the self realized soul can impart knowledge of Me unto you for he has seen the truth." One of the chief mistakes that some devotees make and propagate is that no one can gain Krsna consciousness outside of the walls of a particular society or organization, or if he or she does not accept a guru in the line directly coming from Srila Prabhupada. Again such statements belong only to the external preaching arrangements- the first part of the truth. It is true to some extent but not to all extent. Some of these same leaders and devotees also have not properly glorified and accepted other siksa gurus of Srila Prabhupada, who actually assisted him in his preparation to come to the west. True guru tattva teaches that the guru is one but many and can come in various forms. Some externally manifested, and some non-manifested but are actually there waiting to be properly recognized, when one comes to the position of inquiry of the internal preaching arrangements. Then those un-manifested gurus come to the fore. In this way, along with one's external diksa guru, who also gives siksa, there are other siksa gurus both manifested externally or non-manifested internally, to completely fulfill the obligation of the entire guru parampara. In order to achieve this second level of spiritual realization, one cannot afford to criticize any past, present or future vaisnava devotee of the lord. Why? Because Lord Chaitanya has ordained that all vaisnavas whether they are situated on the pure platform or the developing platform are actually gurus as long as they chant The Mahamantra and accept Lord Krsna as the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead. So gurus are many. It is not just one guru and he has done every thing. That is not actual vaisnava philosophy in its entirety. It is a partial and elementary realization akin to the Christian realization of their spiritual master Christ. It is not a high class of realization, although it is very attractive to neophyte devotees situated in the external preaching arrangements only. There are some siksa gurus of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami, who have been minimized by some devotees of some present day organizations of Krsna consciousness, which were started by either Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami or his siksa guru and sannyas guru and their followers thereof. The minimization of all past and supporting helpers of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are very grave offenses at the Lotus Feet of Lord Chaitanya and to Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. No wander there are many short-sighted devotees who move towards worshipping Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada only as coming to the west to preach Krsna consciousness. They practice a kind of religious fanaticism just like the Christians do. They say Srila Prabhupada is the only way, truth and light and no one comes to the Father but through him. Correct, but still not completely absolute if one leaves out the past siksa gurus and summoned personalities who helped Srila Prabhupada. The present siksa gurus must have this deeper realization in order to help Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. So too, any devotees who may rise up to assist Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, his diksa guru, siksa gurus, indeed the whole guru parampara and his disciples however small that contribution may be. It was and is never a one-man show. The statement "the guru is one but many", is an absolute truth statement, and therefore belongs to the internal category of preaching arrangements by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This internal realization must also be practically installed by the guru and eventually realized by the disciples of such a guru. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami did such acts and installations before departing to the spiritual world. One level was for the external preaching arrangements to go on, and the second level was for the internal preaching arrangements to be recognized by those who were and are qualified to recognize them.This paper tries to point out the installations done by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, for the purpose of achieving the second level of realization of internal preaching arrangements leading to internal non-manifestation pastimes of the Lord Himself. The short-sightedness of some disciples who are only situated on the external preaching arrangements, have done nothing to improve their realizations of the internal preaching arrangements by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. For instance, Srila Prabhupada's other gurus besides Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, i.e. his siksa guru and sannyasa guru, mustalso share in the worship of the guru both externally and internally. Without this proper inclusion and respect, some devotees cannot make advancement in Krsna consciousness beyond the basic level of understanding, i.e. the neophyte position of office seeking, politics and inner envy, jealousy, and fighting by only glorifying Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada as the only guru to come to the west to preach. One may question how is that we must now include such other worship of Srila Prabhupada's siksa and sannyasa gurus. Srila Prabhupada did not put these various gurus of his on his temple alters.He did not tell us that we should do so either. So why should we begin to worship them either externally or internally. It must be remembered that these other siksa gurus of Srila Prabhupada are also his god brothers. Srila Prabhupada was not bound by tradition to put his god brothers who acted as various siksa gurus by his own admittance, on his temple alter so that his disciples may offer puja to them. He was only bound to put his diksa guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's photograph and the chain of gurus leading to Srila Bhaktivinode Takhura. However, certain events took place while Srila Prabhupada was here with his disciples, which concern his other siksa gurus, and which should give rise to the degree of acceptance, installation and worship of the other gurus of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. This worship and acceptance must be done by Srila Prabhupada's disciples and their disciples and their disciples in the future as well, in order to set by example that the guru does not get his knowledge only by way of diksa but also by way of siksa. Why? The siksa gurus of Srila Prabhupada also became prominent in preaching in the west due to their external assistance and by internal arrangement of Lord Chaitanya to help Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. By extension, those siksa gurus' disciples are also authorized to share in the credits of preaching worldwide and all such branches thereof, actually share in the credits as well. It is never the position of the vaisnava guru, to leave out the blessings of past gurus or leave out the blessings to his future representatives whom ever they may be, and not who we believe they should be. By the inner preaching arrangements of the Lord, such personalities will gradually manifest again and again. One of the first events that Srila Prabhupada demonstrated to his disciples, was when his sannyasa guru had passed away. He gave a sermon glorifying his sannyasa guru and had asked for a photo of his sannyasa guru Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja. It is understood that he had asked for his photo, so that he can offer puja to his sannyasa guru. Now if our guru can offer puja to his sannyasa guru, then we should also offer puja to our guru's sannyasa guru as well. Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada does not have to tell us to do this. All pure vaisnavas are worshipable. There has been no real appreciation and guru level worship of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja's, for his influence on our guru and his assistance to him while preparing Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada in offering him sannyas for external preaching purposes to come to the west. Not that Srila Bhaktiprajana is not known by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada's disciples. He is not offered proper respect, puja and worship through his photo on his appearance and disappearance as a pure and great devotee of Lord Krsna, who played a crucial part in the life of our guru. This a missing link in the chain of spiritual masters by Srila Prabhupada's disciples, one which is today causing a haunting experience in the minds of many devotees. The vaisnava guru preaches by example as well as by direct instructions. He does not have to say everything through words. He speaks through actions as well. There is a saying which is quite true even in Krsna conscious philosophy. Actions speak louder than words. Events while Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami was here with us continued to show not everyone of his god brothers were dismissed by him as unsupportive of his efforts in preaching Krsna consciousness in the west. One such god brother was Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaja. He introduced this goswami as his siksa guru and his best friend. Srila Prabhupada said many times that he was one of the best of his god brothers and most supportive of his preaching in the west. Srila Sridhara Maharaja was also invited by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami to come to the west with him. However, it was not to be so by the inner preaching arrangements of the Lord Himself. At least not yet. Srila Prabhupada also gave permission to his disciples to visit Srila Sridhara Maharaja if ever they wanted philosophical help, and this was especially needed after Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada left for the spiritual world. There are a number of letters on file which Srila Prabhupada wrote to his disciples speaking highly of Srila Sridhara Maharaja. However, one such letter was critical of Srila Sridhara Maharaja for his recommendations concerning selection of a GBC and guru for the Gauydia Matha- the place of their spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. Some disciples took that letter to mean that Srila Sridhara Maharaja should not be taken seriously, despite the fact that this is only one letter of the many other favorable letters and conversations Srila Prabhupada had with his disciples, describing the good qualities and the learning of this siksa guru of his. How unfortunate of some of us. Only recently some acknowledgement and apologies were done to the offenses committed at this siksa guru of Srila Prabhupada by some disciples of Srila Prabhupada. This is an example of how there is a difference in understanding the external preaching arrangements and the internal preaching arrangements of the Lord. Therefore it is a good example to learn from. The mere fact that Srila Sridhara Maharaja was the siksa guru of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, should have been sufficient for Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada's disciples to fully accept him as part of the internal preaching arrangements of the Lord. The relationship between Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Sridhara Maharaja was one of equal friendship in spite of the fact that Srila Prabhupada learnt from associating with Srila Sridhara Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada learnt many things of his spiritual master who he only met personally for the most four times. Srila Sridhara Maharaja traveled extensively with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. There were plenty to learn about one's guru from such a knowledgeable disciple. They were god brothers who naturally liked each other. Even though Srila Sridhara Maharaja was senior by birth and by taking sannyasa, he treated Srila Prabhupada as though they were equal in all respects. Srila Sridhara Maharaja did not demand respect and reverence from his younger god brother Srila Prabhupada. He loved Srila Prabhupada very much and in return Srila Prabhupada loved him very much also. The criticism which Srila Prabhupada made of him was actually a demonstration of that love for Srila Sridhara Maharaja. The criticism turned out to be actually correct in terms of the internal preaching arrangements made by the Lord at the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. Srila Sridhara Maharaja later acknowledge the error he committed against that will of his spiritual master. Such is the pastimes of the very advanced stalwart vaisnavas. Still the neophyte disciples of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami went on to disrespect Srila Sridhara Maharaja, criticizing him openly and not offering any guru puja to him either by way of personally doing so or through a photo of his. There was no enmity between Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, for the remark made to his disciple about his siksa guru. The remark was made in the spirit of love for his siksa guru and friend, as well as it was made to fore warn his disciples never to make such mistakes in appointing a guru in an unauthorized way, and outside the desire of the guru of the institution. The desire of the guru is as good as God's desire, and as such it is the external and internal preaching arrangements of the Lord, and should be taken strictly by the disciple. The desire does not always come fully in an official style and documented. This is so especially for the second level of internal preaching arrangements of the Lord being described. This second level is somewhat closer to the real spiritual level, and as such it comes covered over as well. It is covered not by maya energy but by the yogamaya of the Lord Himself. The Lords reserves the right to hide Himself to the insincere. It is therefore not seen by insincere persons, but by those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Such eyes and ears are not the ordinary ones.The inner realizations of the sincere devotees are the actual eyes. The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu describes this internal preaching arrangement platform for devotees as the path of uttama bhakti. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes what is uttama bhakti and when it shall be delivered to a devotee. -The purport is taken from a Bhagavad Gita text of the description of the four types of pious people coming into Krsna consciousness. "Unlike the miscreants, these are adherents of the regulative principles of the scriptures, and they are called sukrtinah, or those who obey the rules and regulations of scriptures, the moral and social laws, and are, more or less, devoted to the Supreme Lord. Out of these there are four classes of men--those who are sometimes distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are sometimes inquisitive, and those who are sometimes searching after knowledge of the Absolute Truth. These persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service under different conditions. These are not pure devotees because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange for devotional service. Pure devotional service is without aspiration and without desire for material profit. The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu defines pure devotion thus: anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama "One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service." - When these four kinds of persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service and are completely purified by the association of a pure devotee, they also become pure devotees. As far as the miscreants are concerned, for them devotional service is very difficult because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals. But even some of them, by chance, when they come in contact with a pure devotee, also become pure devotees. Those who are always busy with fruitive activities come to the Lord in material distress and at that time associate with pure devotees and become, in their distress, devotees of the Lord. Those who are simply frustrated also come sometimes to associate with the pure devotees and become inquisitive to know about God. Similarly, when the dry philosophers are frustrated in every field of knowledge, they sometimes want to learn of God, and they come to the Supreme Lord to render devotional service and thus transcend knowledge of the impersonal Brahman and the localized Paramatma and come to the personal conception of Godhead by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee. On the whole, when the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees. As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, and they search after mundane knowledge, etc. So one has to transcend all this before one can come to the stage of pure devotional service." HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Fruitive activities mean thinking only on the external preaching arrangements and seeing only the existence of externals as proof that one has become advanced. If one thinks this way without seeing the internal preaching arrangements of the Lord, then one is simply still on the level of fruitive activities. There is a further requirement on the part of devotees to begin to realize the internal preaching arrangements of devotional service only by giving up the conditioned thinking, that this is our temple, this is his temple, he started this, I started this, he collected that, she did not collect this and so on. This is not the level of an uttama bhakti practitioner. Mental speculation is also fanatical preaching and giving a one-sided view of the achievements of one's guru. When one does not include the guru's siksa and other gurus, and leaves out the rest of the parampara, all of whom forms part of the internal preaching arrangements of the Lord, one becomes a fanatic. Complete preaching can only be done by devotees adopting the uttama bhakti principles as described. When we are armed with more reminders of the true reasons for coming to Krsna consciousness i.e. to at least begin the path and practice of uttama bhakti and not just the external or superficial reasons just settling for the external preaching arrangements, we will see the installation events relating to Srila Prabhupada's past siksa guru arrangements and how such internal preaching arrangements affect us in many ways. If we do not try to understand them and worship them as good as our guru as well we remain on the neophyte platform and cannot come out from that status. Before any of us came to Krsna consciousness, i.e. disciples of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he obviously had spiritual relationships with his spiritual master, and had spiritual relationships with his god brothers. He did not just descended from Goloka Vrindavan, by passed everyone and came to the west to preach to us. There was a process he had to undergo by also accepting a bonafide spiritual master. That is obvious to us. What is not quite obvious to us are his other relationships with his siksa gurus and disciples of such siksa gurus. Anyone who has given some help, no matter what it is and how small it is to a vaisnava, gets the spiritual reward coming to such a person from Krsna Himself. This is elementary knowledge in Krsna consciousness. The principle of "dadati" comes to mind. It is the principle of giving and receiving. It is best illustrated by helping devotees. We help devotees and we get help from Krsna directly. Here is text from Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describing the dadati principle. "The conclusion is that we should always keep company with devotees, observe the regulative devotional principles, follow in the footsteps of the acaryas and in full obedience carry out the orders of the spiritual master. In this way we shall be able to develop our devotional service and dormant Krsna consciousness. The devotee who is neither a neophyte nor a maha-bhagavata (a greatly advanced devotee) but is within the middle status of devotional service is expected to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make friends with the devotees, show favor to the ignorant and reject the jealous and demoniac. In this verse there is brief mention of the process of making loving transactions with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and making friends with the devotees. According to the dadati principle, an advanced devotee is supposed to spend at least fifty percent of his income on the service of the Lord and His devotees." HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Note that Srila Prabhupada points out also the principle of being situated on the middle status of devotional service. It is on that status we must be very keen to observe some things not actually seen by neophyte devotees or devotees who are still motivated by fruitive activities and those inclined to speculate. After pointing out this principle of dadati, we must now consider the friendships Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami had before we came to join with him. Through the arrangement of the friendship of Sridhara Maharaja described above, he came to know Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada decided to eventually leave his household life and take to the renounced order of life. He first approached Srila Sridhara Maharaja for siksa on this. Srila Sridhara Maharaja agreed with him but did not want to give sannyasa himself, because of the very close friendship between the two, and the fact that Sridhara Maharaja had stayed with Srila Prabhupada while he was still a grihastha. Srila Prabhupada and his family were very hospitable to Srila Sridhara Maharaja, therefore Srila Sridhara Maharaja felt himself unfit to give Srila Prabhupada the renounced order of life. He felt he had taken from the household of Srila Prabhupada and now to contribute to giving sannyasa to Srila Prabhupada. The vaisnava's heart is not hard it is soft and sometimes caters for sentimental emotions such as expressed by Srila Sridhara Maharaja. This is why it is not good to encourage sannyasis to stay longer than three days at one's home. Srila Sridhara Maharaja and others used to rent a whole floor from Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada while he was still in married life. So it was Srila Sridhara Maharaja who sent Srila Prabhupada to take sannyasa from a very pure, advanced and first sannyasi vaisnava of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. This was one of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's most trusted sannyasis. From brahmacari Srila Bhaktiparjnana went straight to the sannyasa order. He was a very erudite spiritual scholar and very powerful but at the same time very humble. His physical features were similar to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's own. He joined Srila Bhaktisiddhanta as a very young brahmachari by the name of Vinoda-bihari brahmacari and slept in the same room personally with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He would knock at the door of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in the middle of the night just so that he can spend the rest of the night with his gurudeva. The other devotees sometimes became quite upset at this knocking, but Srila Bhaktisiddhanta would open the door and let him in each time. He could not sleep unless he slept part of the night with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada. It is this personality in the form of Srila Bhaktiprajana Kesava Maharaja who became the sannyasa guru of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada learnt many things again about his gurudeva from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati who was not on the planet by that time. Srila Bhaktiprajnana was initiating disciples into Krsna consciousness. He had one disciple who was already a sannyasi by the name of Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. Although quite young at the time, Narayana Maharaja was helping his guru translate books into Hindi language. He also ran the press for his guru maharaja. When Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada arrived at the temple of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, he was still in the dress of a householder by the name of Abhay Charan de Prabhu. Srila Bhaktiprajnana immediately instructed his sannyasa disciple to have Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami come up front and he sat next to Srila Bhaktiprajnana while he was lecturing. After the class Srila Bhaktiprajnana told his sannyasa disciple that he should give respect to Srila Prabhupada in the same way he gave respect to his guru. This is the vaisnava etiquette. An uncle is as good as the father himself. However, an uncle is not so demanding of a nephew as a father is to his son. So Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada even though senior by age and Krsna consciousness, treated young Narayana Maharaja as though equal friends. Srila Prabhupada was very knowledgeable and experienced in business and also spiritual knowledge, so Srila Prabhupada taught him many things. He Srila Narayana in turn, because he was a sannyasi five years initiated by his guru Maharaja, also taught Srila Prabhupada how to prepare for taking sannyasa. This preparation work was both done by Srila Narayana Maharaja and Srila Kesava Maharaja. So Srila Prabhupada lived at his sannyasa guru's matha for some time and learnt the life of a sannyasi first hand by living with these two sannyasis. Srila Prabhupada therefore continued his inquiry from Srila Bhaktiprajnana Maharaja on all topics when ever they came up. Srila Prabhupada was served constantly by Srila Narayana Maharaja. He helped him with very detail things such as meals, blankets, doing the printing business, as Srila Prabhupada had already begun his English translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam, something unheard of before in the vaisnava community. Srila Prabhupada would practice to give classes in English from his translated Srimad Bhagavatam books. Srila Bhaktiprajana would also listen attentively and shake his head in total agreement of Srila Prabhupada's purports. And so this internal and unseen lila continued until the time came to actually take sannyasa. It was Srila Narayana who showed Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada how to wear and tie his sannyasa cloth, and made his first danda or staff for him, and showed him how to wrap his staff when one became old and worn out. Srila Bhaktiprajnana duly initiated Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada along with another elderly vaisnava on the same day. Srila Narayana Maharaja was instructed to perform the fire sacrifice by his guru in order to complete the process of initiation. We must remember that both Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja and his disciple Narayana Maharaja new that Srila Prabhupada was very seriously preparing himself to come to the west and they gave him all facility. In this way they both form part of the internal preaching arrangement of coming to the west to preach. The same principle is there for Srila Sridhara Maharaja who also knew the seriousness of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada to come to the western world to deliver the fallen souls here. Taken right up to Lord Chaitanya, every bonafide devotee helped to spread Krsna consciousness in the whole world. This was always the mission of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and continues to be that way even today. The fortunate position is that it has been brought by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, but not by himself, but by everyone in the chain of disciplic succession and the entire world who helped him achieved that unique status. The vaisnava guru is really a universal preacher of Krsna consciousness what to speak of the world. We also cannot disrespect vaisnavas who do not actively spread Krsna consciousness throughout the world as Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami did. Not everyone can do this global preaching, but it never means only "our Srila Prabhupada can do it". Such rhetoric by some devotees are signs that they are still situated on the neophyte platform, a platform we are instructed by truly advanced vaisnavas to give up. For this platform will not do in the world preaching of the internal preaching arrangements set by the Lord Himself. For it is a platform where fall downs can take place easily and has taken place easily. Understanding the principle of internal preaching arrangements made by the Lord, we can take a look at the present situation of other vaisnavas now coming to the west to preach in the "domains" of the western preachers. According to the type of lens one has on, whether it is kanistha adhikari lens or madhyama adhikari lens, we can now determine what to do and how to act in Krsna consciousness worldwide preaching. The reminder is that the kanistha adhikari can see only the external preaching arrangements right before his material eyes. He can only see the domain, the temple, the land, the facilities, the money collected on western streets and the articles bought in market places to offer to the Lord in the temple room. If someone steps on such grounds somehow, whether that someone is a great vaisnava who has helped Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta, or a devotee from another branch of the Gaudia vaisnava, the neophyte stamps his feet like an angry child and says things like "how dear you come to our domain to preach, don't you know that you are trespassing and you do not know this philosophy, for if you knew you would have come long before now, and our guru would have surely told us about you." "You are merely trying to take something from us including our disciples." "You are not authorized to come here and preach, because the GBC did not authorize you to do this at all." "You are a thief and a liar in the garb of a devotee." " Srila Prabhupada does not know you at all". "You are saying the wrong things and doing the wrong things where our guru did not say like this at all". Without the proper adhikari of madhyama- the middle status, a neophyte cannot help but think like this.Because he is simply trying to protect the external preaching arrangements without knowing about the internal preaching arrangements. He/she does not have the patience to do the research in philosophy and connect the teachings to his guru, and also to make the internal preaching arrangement connections, with the continuance of the international world preaching started by Lord Chaitanya Himself in a long term basis. The neophyte does not think what will be the effect of his preaching in the distant future. There are even sannyasis who are voicing such neophyte sentiments and misunderstandings. They are dressed in the garb of the uttama adhikari but react like the kanistha materialistic devotee. This is going on under the name of worldwide preaching. This is not worldwide Krsna conscious preaching, this is sectarianism and zonal preaching arrangements. Now with the lens of the madhyama adhikari we can see with a stronger view of this status of the unseen arrangements made by the Lord Himself for preaching worldwide and in a non-sectarian, non-racial, and non-zonal way. The world is anxiously awaiting this type of Krsna conscious movement. We have seen that Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami had serious relationships with two vaisnava and siksa gurus he took help from and were very dear to him and he to them. We have seen one such vaisnava sannyasi guru taught his disciple from day one to give Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta every thing he needs to come to the west with including the sannyasa dress. Now we will see how Srila Prabhupada got his first mrdunga and cartals, and got his first shipment of the English Bhagavatams he left behind at the Kesava Matha he stayed at. These items were sent by non other than Srila Narayana Maharaja. Because he kept them in safe keeping for Srila Prabhupada. Before Srila Prabhupada left India, he had invited Narayana Maharaja to come to the west with him because by that time they both had grown fond of each other's company and friendship. But internal preaching arrangements and duty called on both sides. Srila Narayana could not get the permission because his guru maharaja was going down in age now and was heavily dependent on his help and service. He just could not do that. He cried inwardly that he could not come with Srila Prabhupada to the west. Also he did not know to speak in English fluently. He dropped Srila Prabhupada off at the steamship company and they each departed company with soft and sad hearts but glad for each other's inner achievements. The pure vaisnavas hearts are very soft and they cry easily for this reason.That is a sure sign of a vaisnava uttama adhikari. Srila Prabhupada came to the west with all this background lila and yet he did not speak much of Srila Narayana Maharaja nor his sannyasa guru except occasionally. Of course he spoke much on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami his diksa guru. How to reconcile this. This part is not easy to understand. The vaisnava guru is interested in first presenting the most prominent and influential gurus in the line of disciplic succession. His business is to first point out the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all His various incarnations and expansions. He wants his disciples to know to what is matter, what is spirit and who is God and the relationship between them. That is called sambandha jnana. Then, gradually he tells of his past life, so that the disciple can know something of the guru. By the process of continued knowledge received from the spiritual master, the disciples soon realizes that which is immediately valuable and that which can be valuable in the long term of his own Krsna conscious life. So that he too can pass on the tradition of disciplic succession to his disciples. The spiritual master gives immediate teachings of Krsna, and His pastimes, entourage, devotees etc. and also reveals knowledge of himself eventually as the disciple becomes mature. Even after the disappearance of a bonafide spiritual master, he reveals his true nature and self to a sincere disciple. Therefore according to a disciple's status in terms of his advancement and adhikari, the guru reveals himself accordingly. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta continued to spread Krsna consciousness in this way, and most of us know these truths. He continued contact with some of his god brothers for different reasons. Some responded favorably, others did not. He also wrote his dear friend Srila Narayana Maharaja on several occasions. Some letters have been lost because at that time there were no real archive system in place. Srila Narayana Maharaja however, kept some of his letters to this day. After some time in the west Srila Prabhupada took some of his young disciples back to India. They were greeted by Srila Narayana Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta therefore introduced his western disciples not to a god brother but a god nephew and close friend and beloved first siksa disciple of his. This was not really revealed to the disciples at that time, in much the way it is now known. Most of Srila Prabhupada's disciples at that time thought Srila Narayana Maharaja was a god brother from the Gaudiya Matha. In this way the hidden lila of the internal preaching arrangements were kept secret for the right time when it will be revealed. Krsna is very secretive when something is to be kept hidden. Krsna says this knowledge is the secrets of all secrets. Why? Because it is only revealed to those who are actually His friends and sincere devotees. It takes a long time for most of us to become sincere and genuinely friendly to Krsna. So Krsna keeps vital information of His internal nature from us until we are ready to receive it. This is the reconciliation of the hidden relationship between Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. The Sastra tells us that there is no difference between the siksa guru and the diksa guru. As such there is no difference between the siksa disciple and the diksa disciple. Both are disciples of a guru. We see that Srila Narayana Maharaja is the siksa disciple of Srila Prabhupada very long before we became diksa disciples of Srila Prabhupada. The first meeting took place between Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami and Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja in 1949. I stand corrected here. This means there were many years of association and contact since that time and 1966 when Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta first initiated his western disciples. By calculation that is 17 before Srila Prabhupada came to the west. We now realize that at least four renowned vaisnavas knew of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's coming to the west. These are Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhpada, Srila Bhaktiraksaka Sridhar Goswami Maharaja. Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja said he joined his gurudeva's ashram since he was around 24 years old. I stand corrected here. Remember when Srila Prabhupada met him he was already a sannyasi with five years experience. So in this way we are speaking of a vaisnava who has associated with two of the best of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta's disciples.This is our realization now. Now Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami preached to the world until November 1977. In a day in November 1977, Srila Prabhupada summoned Srila Narayana Maharaja to his bedside. Up to that time most devotees didn't know that there was such a personality. Only the devotees who first traveled with Srila Bhaktivedanta to India and who met Srila Narayana Maharaja knew something of him but not much either, except to say that he is Srila Prabhupada's god brother, not even god nephew which is really the case. Those who lived in India new something of him as well. But no one new as much as is known of him now. The conversation which ensued demonstrated again a strong element of what has been refered to as the internal preaching arrangements, which are not as easily discernable as the external preaching arrangements, such as a big temple down the street. The conversation was spoken in Bengali and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta was very ill physically and therefore very weak. He could not speak loudly. He sometimes even murmured in an effort to converse with Srila Narayana. It has been shown where Narayana Maharaja is not someone Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami just met some 11 years ago, but many years and with great trust and friendship. The conversation began in the mood of Srila Prabhupada asking forgiveness from his God brothers (not forgiveness from Narayana Maharaja) The pure vaisnava knows that offenses committed at the lotus feet of vaisnavas are the destroyers of their bhakti. The vaisnava also knows that he must sincerely mean what he says when he asks for forgiveness. Srila Prabhupada said he used cutting remarks against his god brothers while establishing his western world preaching. He said this at least three times in that conversation. This is a sure indication that Srila Prabhupada really meant what he was saying. He used Narayana Maharaja as the suitable candidate to deliver the message of apology to his god brothers for him. He did not use his western disciples to this carry out this request for him. He used his first siksa disciple and friend to deliver this message of apology. Some of Srila Prabhupada's disciples have said that Srila Prabhupada was being courteous to Srila Narayana Maharaja, but did not actually mean what he said. I have actually seen such a conception seriously expressed. What this concept says, is that Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada even on his departure bed was being duplicitous with hid god brothers. Hard to believe but its true. I had read this interpretation somewhere. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta went on to apologize yet another second time when a devotee from the Gaudiya Matha arrived on his request. The apology was again sounded by Srila Narayana to the devotee of the Gaudiya Matha. Srila Narayana Maharaja eventually requested Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada to stop apologizing for he had done nothing wrong. Narayana Maharaja had said that nothing was wrong with what Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta did which includes the cutting remarks of the Gaudiya Matha god brothers, not assisting him in his efforts to preach in the west. This was the same realization with the letter regarding Srila Sridhara Maharaja. There was nothing wrong for Srila Prabhupada was upset with some of his god brothers to not helping him fulfill the desire of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada for Krsna consciousness to be preached in English in the western countries. There is nothing wrong with trying to defend one's spiritual master's request. Because that request is as good as the request of God. Krsna also corrected Arjuna for thinking this way. The request of God overrides all other considerations. There is no offense in that sort of defending. Yet still Srila Prabhupada took it seriously that he has offended his god brothers. There was nothing duplicitous there. It was a genuine vaisnava sentiment of knowing that we cannot make offenses at the lotus feet of vaisnavas, even if we felt that the vaisnavas are not assisting us in carrying out the request of out spiritual master. The conversation continued where Srila Prabhupada explained that he had tried his best to give this knowledge of Lord Chaitanya to the most fallen souls in the west, to the best of his ability. Srila Narayana Maharaja then told Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada that he did it the perfect way and he did something that no one else had done. Srila Narayana Maharaja then pointed out that the implanting of the Krsna consciousness movement in the west was so important, that it had to be also maintained and not allowed to slip in any way. Srila Narayana Maharaja pointed out that the disciples should not fight among themselves, and that they should unite as one method of maintaining Srila Prabhupada's contribution. Then another method was if devotees from the Gaudiya Matha can come and help the young disciples to understand more so that they can be assisted to spread this movement worldwide and not just fight with each other, as the Gaudiya Matha had done. Srila Prabhupada agreed with him and told his western disciples that they should not fight but unite and that they can also take the advice from Srila Narayana Maharaja as he could no longer speak much again. The conversation then went on to speak about the arrangements for Srila Prabhupada's departure ceremonies. It was further requested that Srila Narayana Maharaja showed them everything which had to be done with that departing ceremony of a guru vaisnava. Srila Prabhupada then requested Srila Narayana Maharaja that he be there for the ceremony. In this way Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami remained not to long after and left his body. Srila Narayana Maharaja was the one that performed the actual ceremony as requested by Srila Prabhupada and wrote the mantras on Srila Prabhupada's body. This act also is given to the most qualified of a vaisnava guru's disciple. Srila Narayana Maharaja also performed the same ceremony for his own guru years ago when he left his body so he knew something of this ceremony. Srila Narayana Maharaja thus had the privilege of conducting the ceremonies of his two gurus-his diksa guru and his siksa guru who had close relationships with each other.A spiritual privilege very rare indeed. Given the various revelations of Srila Prabhupada's association and friendliness with these three pure vaisnavas, namely Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, Srila Sridhara Deva Maharaja, and now Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, is it possible Srila Prabhupada's disciples can be more advance than these pure vaisnavas? Some disciple of Srila Prabhupada think that they can insult and disrespect both the purity of Srila Bhaktiprajnana, and Srila Narayana Maharaja by trying to discount the philosophy and revelations imparted by Srila Narayana Maharaja as impure just as they did with Srila Sridhar Maharaja. Srila Narayana Maharaja has been a devotee for the greater part of his 83 years on earth and has never waved in his devotion to Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta and to his own guru Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, even up to their leaving the planet. Can we think we are more elevated than Srila Narayana Maharaja and point out flaws in his spiritual teachings, as going against the teachings of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami? How is it possible for some devotees to think that they can correct Srila Narayana Maharaja? How is it possible for some devotees of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada to think that Srila Narayana Maharaja cannot and is not entitled to preach in the west now? Why are thousands of Srila Prabhupada disciples actually reviving their lost Krsna consciousness, after weighing the facts as stated above, chanting Hare Krsna again, re-reading Srila Prabhupada's books with new vigor, after hearing the classes of Srila Narayana Maharaja? Who do we think is misdirected in this? Is it the kanistha adhikari devotees, the madhayama adhikaris or the advanced uttama bhakta Srila Narayana Maharaja who is a great friend, well wisher and who has the blessings of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada in the real humble beginnings of western world preaching in India, and again who had his blessings in India at the end of Srila Prabhupada's life. It is not that Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta did not give equal blessings to his diksa disciples. It is that the western disciples may stand a chance to lose the blessings of their Srila Prabhupada flowing through Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, if they kick down the help blessings requested of him by Srila Prabhupada. Om Vishnupada Nitya Lila Pravista Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, Om Vishnupada Nitya Lila Pravista Srila Bhaktirakshaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, and the living person Bhagavata blessings and association of Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaja whether though vani (words) or vapu (person) are also part of the internal preaching arrangements of the Lord. They should be given proper respect, placement and their disciples welcomed. Then the actual world preaching can continue peacefully and in unity. Something the planet requires urgently. Hare Krsna. Related VNN Stories Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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