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EDITORIAL June 18, 1999 VNN4127 Comment on this story Some Injustice Has Been Committed BY PAYONIDHI DAS EDITORIAL, Jun 18 (VNN) — Dear Prabhus, Maharajas and Matajis. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have written Chakra and asked them to kindly remove some articles about Narayana Maharaja that I wrote last year in a stage of ignorance. However they are not willing to do so as they like to commit offenses to bona fide Vaisnavas like H.H. Narayana Maharaja. However I like to post my letter here and hope that devotees will understand. I want to take this opportunity to first offer my humble obeisances to all vaisnava devotees and ask for forgiveness for any offense I may have committed to any devotee of Lord Caitanya. I wrote some articles last year about H.H. Narayana Maharaja, however I have realized that I was terribly mistaken. Actually in 1993 I made a complain to the GBC body in Mayapur together with an initiating Guru (and sannyasi). The Swami presented his observations made in Vrindavana, and it appeared to be a new line of sahajiya mentality and artificial raganuga bhakti was creeping in ISKCON on the expense of preaching to the public. The controversy was thus started and a year later in 1994 it culminated when there was a lecture in Mathura at the Kesava Gaudiya Matha by Narayana Maharaja. Some devotees thought Narayana Maharaja was putting preaching down and emphasizing Gopi bhava over any purity. So after that the devotees that were taking Siksa from Narayana Maharaja were told they could no longer go and see him and take siksa from him. We are talking about very senior men, GBC's, like Tamal Krsna Maharaja, Giriraja Swami, Bhurijana Prabhu. They where put in a very uncomfortable position due to pressure, that I now realize was a mistake. I really must pay my obeisances to these senior men, and ask them to forgive me because I was wrong, not they. Narayana Maharaja does not only talk about Gopi Bhava and Manjari Bhava as was my impression, he talks about all subjects related to Bhakti, devotional service. Actually, subjects about Krsna's pastimes with the Gopis are also purifying to hear, this is, for example, explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam . So if someone hears from a bonafide source then it will work even better, and if one hears from a pure devotee that is the best. However a guru that does not have any knowledge or realization of Rasa Tattva, also cannot explain it. However Narayana Maharaja is realized on these subjects, due to being a pure devotee of the highest caliber. Narayana Maharaja has been a strict sannyasi for many years, and in most cases was chanting Hare Krsna and dealing personally with Srila Prabhupada even before we where born. His letters from Srila Prabhupada were lend to ISKCON, and we never returned his property. However some letters survived and I want to present one such letter to show how Srila Prabhupada appreciated and loved Narayana Maharaj very much: "Sripada Narayana Maharaja, I received your letter dated 20.9.66. Our relationship is certainly based on spontaneous love. That is why there is no chance of us forgetting one another. By the mercy of Guru and Gauranga may everything be auspicious for you. This is my constant prayer. From the first time I saw you I have been your constant well-wisher..." Now there is several other accusations about Narayana Maharaja, one is that he only talks about Krsna and the Gopis. Not true I just heard him speak for 3 days here in Virginia. One accusation is that his ideas of sastra is not in harmony with Srila Prabhupada's, but it is all due to ignorance. Srila Narayana Maharaja encourages everyone to read Srila Prabhupada's books. Ravindra Svarupa used the arguments, he joined the sahajiya babajis at Radha kunda. It is simply not true. If there may seem to be some inconsistency to Ravindra Svarupa, about Maharaja's explanation to Sri Isopanisad, it does not change anything , there is not only one fixed explanation in Prabhupada's books and the previous acaryas did not have some comments. Narayana Maharaja does not deal improper with women. Actually he respects women and sees them as servants of Srimati Radhika. And the many unsatisfied women that complain about the abuse and harsh behavior they received by men in ISKCON may be very pleased by the good dealings between men and women in Narayana Maharajas camp. Thus there is something to learn about this issue also from Narayana Maharaja. Obviously the goal is to change our hearts to love Krsna. And Narayana Maharaja is inspiring just that, nothing more or less. A lot more can be said - but I hope this open will discussions that will lead more devotees to see for themselves. H.H. Narayana Maharaja is as much a part of ISKCON as any one else. We in ISKCON have kicked out lots of nice devotees just for taking siksa from Narayana Maharaja. Such behavior is not fit for a vaisnava. These days the Ritviks are gaining more and more power due to the fall down of so many leaders in ISKCON, however Narayana Maharja strongly disagree with them. And as he has defended ISKCON before, he will have good results again. If we depend on other's hearsays we can never get to the truth. So I encourage devotees to hear from him directly. And the GBC should also look into this matter. If they do and they are sincere they will again allow Maharaja to visit temples and stop harassing his men that try to start temples all over the world. And hopefully the loving relationship between Maharaja and ISKCON can flow again. Devotees all over the world love and admire him. He has not deserved the cruel dealings we have given him and they would never have been approved by Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada in one letter begs Narayana Maharaja for forgiveness of one devotee that was offensive. Some injustice has been committed and it should be rectified if we are at all sincere to get Srila Prabhupada's mercy. I hope you will all forgive my shortcomings and pray for my spiritual advancement. Your servant Payonidhi das Comment on this story | Contact VNN about this story | Send this story to a friend
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