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EDITORIAL  About the AuthorOther Stories by this Author The End Of Iskcon's Dark Age? BY SWAMI B.A. PARAMADVAITI  EDITORIAL, May 11 (VNN) — With great satisfaction I read that Srila Sridhar Maharaj has been freed through a GBC resolution from the accusation that he had caused damage to Iskcon. Previously the GBC had convinced members of Iskcon that Srila Sridhar Maharaja had been the cause of the Iskcon Zonal Acarya system, a system which had created countless sufferings and caused the exodus of countless Iskcon members from Srila Prabhupada's temples. Now that Srila Sridhar Maharaja has been freed from this accusation many new questions arise. If we really want to free Iskcon from this dark period the GBC, every Iskcon member has to carefully research all the injustices caused by this mistake, since Srila Sridhar Maharaja was the person Srila Prabhupada made exclusive reference that he was trustworthy and qualified to guide us after his departure. Due to this false allegation Iskcon and all of its members were deprived of his illuminating advice. Anyhow it is the time to be positive. Actually so many attitudes towards the other Vaishnava missions have to be readjusted and this readjustment cannot be on the surface only, it has to be deep and be on the standard of real Vaishnava relationships. Last not least, what is our sacred duty ? As disciples of Srila Prabhupada we have to please our spiritual master. As followers of Caitanya we have to cooperate and show due respect to all preachers of Lord Caitanyas glories. It appears that a great amount of energy is spent to minimize other Vaishnavas as if to show our own superiority. This is actually the opposite of our philosophy. But Iskcon, due to the false allegations against Srila Sridhar Maharaja and not understanding the spirit of cooperation Srila Prabhupada desired, is particularly guilty for many of those bad relationships between different Vaishnava groups. All this can still be corrected if there is a real desire for doing so. If you look at what is going on in the world in relationship to worldwide preaching, you will find that there is a great plurality of faith between different Vaishnava acaryas and their missions, and that this tendency is increasing day by day. It is a big disturbance when one Vaishnava mission minimizes the effort of another. What to speak of blaming them of things they are not guilty of. The World Vaishnava Association (www.wva-vvrs.org), has attempted to rectify this problem since 1993 by creating a true forum to defend all the common causes of the different Vaishnava missions. Ignoring the efforts of the World Vaishnava Association, Iskcon started the SGVA (Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Association), in Mayapur. I agree that the association sponsored by the Bhaktivedanta Charity trust will also help to overcome the dark past, and that is why I also joined their efforts. It is my deep request to all the members of the GBC body to not stop their rectification process at this last resolution about Srila Sridhar Maharaja. Let us all make a joint effort to create a true unity in diversity amongst all Vaishnava missions. Not just because there is no other way out, but in order to fulfill the cherished vision of Lord Caitanya. In our practical preaching field nobody likes to loose any of his members to another Vaishnava mission. But if we do not accommodate our own members on the basis of siddhanta and justice what other choice do they have than to search out shelter somewhere else? Stalwart acaryas of the past like Srila Sridhar Maharaja have stressed that nobody should be lost from the path of Mahaprabhu, so if a person has lost his faith in his mission or in his Guru for some good reason, how can another merciful Vaishnava turn down his appeal for help? And then of course there always will be some curious persons with little commitment which may switch from one mission to another. I think there is nothing which can be done about that. Such things have taken place for hundreds of years and they should not be the reason that we not work conjointly for the views of unity in diversity. As a matter of fact after the departure of our spiritual master and the departure of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, our parama-guru, we have seen that these differences often give the impetus for more preachers to come out and establish new branches of Lord Caitanyas tree. For example, the members of the Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Association are all new branches which were developed by sincere followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada. But they did not start with the blessings of either the Caitanya Math, nor the Gaudiya Mission. The Caitanya Math is represented today more or less by Srila Yati Maharaja and the Gaudiya Mission is represented today by Parivrajak Maharaja. Both are still absent from the Saraswati Gaudiya Vaishnava Association and from the World Vaishnava Association. They still hang on to their old conceptions--I dare to say, old egos, that they are the only authorized branch of Gaudiya Math. The same ego phenomena manifests in the GBC as they ignore participating in the World Vaishnava Association and ignore recognizing the tremendous efforts done by Srila B.V: Puri Maharaja to help the ex-disciples of fallen Iskcon gurus in Spain, Italy and Austria. It is difficult to overcome this type of ego: The conception of the exclusive superiority of one's particular branch. But look at the reality my friends. Court cases, falldowns and numerous other chastisements have come to show us what is wrong. As the universal saying tells us: Pride comes before the fall. Often this pride hides behind the claim that we are protecting our Guru's mission from foreign intruders. But the reality is that in spiritual life our only enemy is our pride, our own misconceptions, and our own lack of generosity and kindness. Our true capacity is to create an atmosphere that is so wonderful that nobody wants to leave us. Lust and pride are our natural companions as long as pure devotion has not conquered our hearts. So even though by some arrangement we have come to occupy the post of temple presidents, sannyasis or even acaryas, we should never forget. Rank is but the guinee-stamp, man is the gold of it. Governing Bodies and Acarya posts do not necessarily make us humble and realized. Otherwise why are we still facing so many problems? We have seen so many serious calamities in this connection. But we have also seen glorious developments, new branches headed up by those who could not tolerate the insufficiencies in the society consciousness created by mission- leaders who lack the broad-minded vision. Thus the world was blessed with Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharajas Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math, Srila Bhakti Vedanta Keshava Maharajas Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharajas Sri Caitanya Saraswat Math and Srila Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada's Iskcon. All of these missions after the departure of their respective founder-acaryas again go through similar difficulties keeping the courts busy. So it is our eternal guide that if we are not really humble, we will be victims of our pride. Instead of being surrounded by the Vaishnavas' love we will be surrounded by politics and anxieties. Whomever our Guru may be, or whatever the Vaishnava mission we belong to may be called, there is really only one Vaishnava mission: The mission of truth and humility. My humble suggestion to all the readers of this article, in case it is applicable to them, is to broaden your love and vision and happily accommodate all the followers of Lord Caitanya in your world vision, and in your community efforts. Appreciate their feelings. They are just as valuable as your feelings for your spiritual master. Do not hesitate to embrace the opportunity to meet with them at any common Vaishnava forum which supplies such a facility and teach your members, disciples and friends, to live according to that same principle so that no type of Vaishnava aparadh will hamper their advancement. I look forward to meeting you somewhere along the line in any such events to hug you personally, to chant the holy name with you. Then we are definitely a step closer to an enlightened age of Vaishnava cooperation. "Your love will be shown to me as you cooperate amongst each other" - Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada About the Author Other Stories by this AuthorContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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