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EDITORIAL  Deconstructing The Barriers BY VISOKA DASA EDITORIAL, Feb 7 (VNN) — Deconstructing the barriers between Vaisnavas who all love Srila Prabhupada It's becoming increasing clear to many devotees, is that the main issue we have here, is not the particular brand of logic we embrace, or is it the particular camp we align with, but the important issue facing us in Iskcon today, is how to deconstruct the barriers we've built between all the various members of different camps in Iskcon. These barriers are manifest in the form of Vaisnava aparadha in various levels. The real problem is not our inability in Iskcon to come to a unified agreement on guru tattva points, but our main task is to restore Vaisnava respect and love and acceptance for all members of Srila Prabhupada's family, because we ALL love and worship Srila Prabhupada! For example, we have a certain number of Vaisnavas living in the same area of the world, like in LA for example. Yet, when certain Vaisnavas happen to meet on the street, it is often that such Vaisnavas will feel some level of contempt for the other Vaisnava, even though they may appear cordial on the outside. This is perpetual Vaisnava aparadha on some kind of level. I don't think I can live with this kind of reality. Many Vaisnavas will agree that if we could change this pervasive contempt, we should certainly do so. This report is asserting that we can change this perpetuation of ill feelings, and live in harmony, the way Srila Prabhupada intended for us to do. When a new man or woman comes to our society, they are eventually confronted with this guru-tattva issue, and they invariably are forced to commit offenses to other Vaisnavas, who are worshipping Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. This is sucking the very life out of all of us. Everyone loses, especially the Vaisnava who feels contempt for another Vaisnava, which is Vaisnava aparadha, and is drying up his/her spiritual life. So, the basic problem we have is not how we agree on logic on all these points, but how we can bring about peace in our society and stop offenses to devotees. If devotees can suggest a way to bring peace to the Vaisnava community, to stop the aparadhas and contemptuousness which is crippling our society, then most sane devotees will certain open their doors and minds to such discussions and try to give peace a chance in our Vaisnava community. If some devotees refuse to consider such a movement for giving all respect to other Vaisnavas, then they can only be seen as fanatical dogmatists, on the same level as other dogmatic religions. Devotees in Iskcon and elsewhere, on both sides, are all seeing valid points. This being that Srila Prabhupada is making ASSERTIVE statements, when he says, 'granddisciple', and 'he becomes disciple of my disciple' and 'you become guru' and so forth. They see these as assertive statements, and are being straightforward about it. Also, when Srila Prabhupada makes the statements about 'officiating acharyas' on 5/28, and in the letter of 7/9, h e is making assertive statements, which we cannot blame devotees for seeing this in a straightforward way. And there are many devotees who see this way. So, either side may not agree fully, but they must admit that both sides are being straightforward and honest about the assertive statements that Srila Prabhupada makes on both sides. This is called being broadminded, the essential quality of a Brahmana Vaisnava. Some may insist, "Well prabhu, you have to start with logical premise #1, and then you progress to logical point #2, and that connects to point #3, and that means point #4, and therefore, you can understand #4, our conclusion." Thus, they are asking others to jump through all these logic hoops and then accept a particular siddhanta. But so many devotees are set in a certain way, and they aren't going to jump through some logical hoops in order to defeat something they think is dear to them. So we have it with both sides, they are all attached to their understanding. We have the 'regular guru' group being attached to their understanding. Then the IRM are attached to their understanding. So on, so on. And each group is hotly arguing and insisting that all the others should and must accept their arguments, and if they don't, they are going to cram these arguments down their throats until they surrender. And if they don't, they're going to hell, etc. Well, this just isn't going to happen! We have to deal with reality here. These different devotee groups are set, but still they are all seeing the assertive statements of Srila Prabhupada with a straightforward honesty. To see this on both sides, is being broad-minded, it is Brahmana and Vaisnava. To continue to hate another Vaisnava on this issue is not broad-minded or Vaisnava, but is like a fanatic religionist. This is the main reason we are forced to offend each other. I call this false premise #1. False premise #1- Each side is thinking that the other side's position is the product of a wicked and demented mind. Each side thinks there's no validity what-so-ever in the other position, and only evil can come from such a position. They think that only fools and rascals can possibly accept the other path. They think the other position is not supported by the words of Srila Prabhupada. When you think about it, each side of the wall is thinking in this way. Somehow, we have to deconstruct this false premise, which is like some fanatic dogma that we see in some religions. Why is the #1 premise false? Because, either side can find Srila Prabhupada's words to support either side, and it seems that both sides are looking at those words in a straightforward manner. In other words, either side has "reasonable cause" to think and believe the way they do. What is the way out of this predicament? It's simple psychology. We need to examine how people think and why they think the way they do. Iskcon devotees are thinking these statements by Srila Prabhupada are assertive statements, which are saying that Srila Prabhupada is going to order 'regular gurus.' The ritviks see that Srila Prabhupada made concrete statements about a ritvik representation plan, and issued a letter about it. The only thing all devotees can do at this point is to see the other point of view, and the "r easonable cause" for believing as such, and ask others to do the same. If it can be established that both sides have "reasonable cause" for their position, or the simple fact that both Iskcon devotees, and the others, all accept these various statements as assertive statements, then devotees can accept that they are logically acceptable to sane and rational persons, and then start the deconstruction of the barriers. When we all use this psychology, then we can see the Iskcon view of 'regular gurus', and we can also see that the so-called ritviks also have "reasonable cause" to see the 7/9 and 5/28 points in a straightforward manner, where Srila Prabhupada talks about 'officiating acharyas' or ritviks, which is logically acceptable to any sane and rational person. When both sides can come to the understanding that the other side is seeing Srila Prabhupada's words in an honest straightforward way, then the healing can begin. Then we can perhaps come to the point of acceptance of both positions and both live in harmony, in Srila Prabhupada's house he made for everyone. Devotees can go to the temple without feeling contempt for other devotees. Also, we may do well to read with an open mind, Dhira Govinda's booklet, "Srila Prabhupada: The Prominent Link." This book is not against the current initiating system, and it explains how Srila Prabhupada is the natural ' current link' to the parampara for the existence of his movement, because his books and vani is the perpetual source of divya jnana for all Iskcon devotees, even though some will accept initiation from 'regular gurus.' Whether we are inclined to agree or not, we may find it to be logical and useful for the deconstruction of the above false premise and resultant offenses. Your servant, Visoka dasa. Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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