09/25/1998 - 2274

The Right To Define "Moderates"?

Editorial (VNN) - by Mata Mahalaksmi Dasi

A response to Ganesh Das's article.

Hare Krsna,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my humble obeisances. I would like to know where you draw your conclusion from, that the "moderates" a term which you have phrased for you article, "recognize that the idea(s) being promoted by Ritvik followers are also contrary to Srila Prabhupada's instructions and Gaudiya Vaisnavism." Also, your next sentence, that the Ritvik philosophy is a natural reaction to the "depression, repression, compression" seems to be a quote taken out of context. You are trying to present some evidence, but have not properly given any reference to the point you are trying to make. Isn't this manipulative? Maybe hoping to fool some less intelligent neophytes into thinking that your words carry weight because you took those three words from a letter by Srila Prabhupada, but in quoting those three words you have told us nothing about the context which Srila Prabhupada used those words in. Why don't you give the whole quote?

Back to my first accusation. I am a devotee of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. I gave my life to this movement, at fourteen years old. I gave up going to school, I spent all my teen-age years going on BOOK DISTRIBUTION, no sex life, I missed ONE morning program in five years, prior to entering grhastha life, I STILL chant my rounds, follow four regulative principles worship my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, who gave me initiation at age 15 in 1975, I STILL distribute books continually and look for people to introduce to Krsna Consciousness, and your going to try to insinuate that I am not an ISKCON devotee because I accept that Srila Prabhupada can still continue his status as diksha guru? I think you better wake up.

Just because you think that your some authority to walk around and tell everyone that the "moderates", of which I am included, do not accept rittvik philosophy, just doesn't make it true. I am very sorry for persons the likes of you, because you do not understand or have faith that Srila Prabhupada's presence is here; that when a sincere student comes, he or she can feel Srila Prabhupada sitting next to him or her, within the heart. When I read the books of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, my spiritual master is sitting next to me speaking to me. And I never once had darshan with him when he so kindly gave us his embodied presence. How am I different from someone today who says that they want Srila Prabhupada as their guru? There is absolutely no difference, if the individual understands that the external physical body is not the most important thing.

 I am sorry that you cannot give up your pride, and feel Srila Prabhupada's presence. You go on thinking yourself an authority, but you have no right to say who is and who isn't in ISKCON. I belong to the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, despite the heaps of stool piled on it's beautiful, transcendental name. Which is beautiful and transcendental because Srila Prabhupada named it. And it will return to its beautiful, transcendental nature (the organization) when great, stalwart fools begin to accept Srila Prabhupada's words, and stop interpreting them. Also, I would like to say, I am not prone to go around name-calling. But how else can I consider one who has the nerve and the audacity to tell me that I am not part of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness? The mission which I walked away from my mother, my father, and four siblings whom I had been taking care of day and night for years, (due to my mother being ill?) At what point did I no longer belong to my spiritual master's mission, pray tell? You have got to try to realize the offensiveness of your statement, my dear prabhu. Ask yourself, please, what gives you the right to say "the moderates" (which include myself) "recognize the ideas being promoted by the ritvik followers are also contrary to Srila Prabhupada's instructions....." ? As I am one of the "moderates", I insist you make an apology to those who are within ISKCON, and DO, I say DO, accept that Srila Prabhupada is still a diksha guru, by his own desire. You have no right to try to speak for every member of ISKCON, in saying that every member understands this ritvik philosophy to be contrary to Srila Prabhupada's teachings. YOU understand it to be contrary, because you are stuck on the bodily platform. Once again, I feel very sorry that you cannot advance beyond this.

Hare Krsna, Mata Mahalaksmi Dasi