When all the colors will bleed into One

This is a reply to a comment from Sita-pati das on the Sripad Narayana Maharaja: Gays are sinners post.

Sita-pati wrote:

Mahaprabhu’s teachings, like those of Jesus, are not directly accessible to us at this distance. The only thing that is directly attributed to him is the Siksastakam, which is hardly the comprehensive systematic theology of the Goswamis, who were Krishnadas’ mentors.

I guess it depends on whether or not you have faith in Mahaprabhu’s hagiographers and followers authentically reproducing his teachings. The only written record he left is the Siksastakam, but other books, like Caitanya Caritamrta, are full of his teachings.

In Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s own personal behaviour, of which we have reasonably reliable records, he was a strict renunciant for most of his life, and demonstrated a very pronounced nivrtti approach to spiritual practice, leaving his wife and mother.

If the story of the banishment of Chota Haridas is accurate, then it indicates that Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught through his actions that there is an incompatibility between mundane sexual activity, even at the level of attraction, and spiritual realisation.

I could go into a lengthy exposition about the reason for Mahaprabhu living the type of life he did and what the Chota Haridas incident was all about, luckily I already have http://harekrishnawomen.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/krishnas-truth/

In terms of the presentation that Srila Prabhupada has made, I don’t see it as incompatible with the Goswamis. A particular interpretation of Prabhupada’s teachings could be made incompatible, but I think that Prabhupada was right in that preaching is the best form of sadhana intially for most people.

Well, this blog begs to differ.

We can point out faults in implementation and interpretation of the material that Srila Prabhupada has presented, but even the fact that we’re doing that is a solid indicator of its efficacy – he made Hare Krishna a household word, and he created a class of people in the West who could have conversations like these.

His movement has made Krishna a laughing stock the world over. He didn’t make this conversation possible, he is not God, i.e. in control over how this world and our lives play out.

In distributing Bhagavad-gita door-to-door I met one lady who told me that a particular edition of the Gita was the best. The reply I thought of (after she shut the door in my face) was that prior to Prabhupada’s Gita there were really no Krishna bhaktas in the West. Afterwards, there were thousands. I think that this says something of the efficacy and fidelity of Prabhupada’s presentation, and particularly its relevance to the audience.

We need to understand that fate is a foregone conclusion. Whatever happened or is happening or will happen is going on according to the plan and direction of Krishna — regardless of anybody else’s individual so-called potency.

Prabhupada came to the west during a time when conditions were very ripe for even a distorted version of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to meet with some success. It was the power of the holy names which inspired people to become bhaktas, it was Prabhupada’s perverted version of Gaudiya Vaishnavism which kept the movement so small and with so many defectors.

If Gaudiya Vaishnavism was presented authentically — who knows how much more of an impact the sankirtan movement could have had in the 1960’s-70’s when the times were a changin’. At most ISKCON has never had more than around 6000 members. In a world population in the billions, that is not such a great accomplishment when we consider the power of Harinam sankirtan.

Krishna has purposely kept the movement small (outside of India) because if you are sincere and very sensitive and become a Gaudiya bhakta from the teachings of Prabhupada or similar teachings — you will be cheated and there is a very good chance you will end up rejecting Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Many many people have done so. Only those who are either insincere, or sincere but strong enough to handle being cheated, are being led to become bhaktas through the perverted versions of Gaudiya teachings widely found around the world today.

As he himself said: “It is a qualification of the great thinkers to pick up the best even from the worst. It is said that the intelligent man should pick up nectar from a stock of poison, should accept gold even from a filthy place, should accept a good and qualified wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from the untouchables….Our presenting this matter in adequate language, especially a foreign language, will certainly fail, and there will be so many literary discrepancies despite our honest attempt to present it in the proper way. But we are sure that with all our faults in this connection the seriousness of the subject matter will be taken into consideration, and the leaders of society will still accept this due to its being an honest attempt to glorify the Almighty God.”

The problems with his teachings go way beyond “literary discrepancies”. I have never questioned Prabhupada’s sincere belief that what he was doing was for the betterment of the world. But the facts are that his version of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is full of mistakes, most of them on purpose.

Why did he purposely distort the teachings?

Because he thought that if he presented the authentic teachings he would get less work out of his followers. He wanted to see his organization and influence expand as much as possible in the short amount of time he knew he had left due to his advanced age when he started ISKCON. Maybe his following would have grown much much larger if most people weren’t turned off by his version of bhakti-yoga, i.e. it’s all about the absolute necessity for the total renunciation of everything in life other than service to a guru, along with the inner development of the mentality of a fallen menial servant who cannot directly approach Krishna to try to develop a relationship — unless you are so advanced in self-realization that practically you are already in a relationship with Krishna.

And even than he distorted the teachings on what raganuga-bhakti was all about. Instead of it being about trying to develop your relationship with Radha Krishna from within, he mistranslated verses to make it seem like it was all about “service and surrender”. For example:

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 8.220

sei gopī-bhāvāmṛte yāńra lobha haya
veda-dharma-loka tyaji’ se kṛṣṇe bhajaya

SYNONYMS

sei — that; gopī — of the gopīs; bhāva-amṛte — in the nectar of the ecstasy; yāńra — whose; lobha — attachment; haya — is; veda-dharma — religious principles of the Vedas; loka — popular opinion; tyaji’ — giving up; se — he; kṛṣṇe — unto Kṛṣṇa; bhajaya — renders loving service.

TRANSLATION

One who is attracted by that ecstatic love of the gopīs does not care about popular opinion or the regulative principles of Vedic life. Rather, he completely surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa and renders service unto Him.

The verse actually says:

One who has a strong desire or who is greedy (lobha) for the immortal nectar of the bhava of the gopis, worships me, renouncing scriptural and societal rules and regulations (veda-dharma-loka)

The verse is about inner development of bhava and rasa. The word bhajan is an interesting word that is usually translated as worship, here Prabhupada translates bhajaya as “completely surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa and renders service unto Him”. His intent is to make it seem like the verse is about submissive physical service.

The root bhaj means different things other than worship:

sharing or participating in , entitled to , possessing , enjoying , perceiving , feeling

Bhajan isn’t about worship in the sense of worshiping a deity or a being you submit to in a submissive posture, it’s about entering into and participating and enjoying a shared relationship. Worship in the sense of “He worships her every move while making love”. It’s about development of intimate bhava and rasa. Whereas Prabhupada makes it about surrender and service of the bhakta to God, where instead it’s supposed to be about a shared intimacy between friends and lovers.

A few verses later he distorts more:

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 8.222

vraja-lokera kona bhāva lañā yei bhaje
bhāva-yogya deha pāñā kṛṣṇa pāya vraje

SYNONYMS

vraja-lokera — of the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvana; kona — some; bhāva — mood; lañā — accepting; yei — anyone who; bhaje — executes devotional service; bhāva-yogya — suitable for that spiritual attraction; deha — a body; pāñā — getting; kṛṣṇa — Lord Kṛṣṇa; pāya — gets; vraje — in Vṛndāvana.

TRANSLATION

In his liberated stage the devotee is attracted by one of the five humors in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As he continues to serve the Lord in that transcendental mood, he attains a spiritual body to serve Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana.

The actual verse says nothing about having to be “In his liberated stage”. A few verses earlier in the above, Mahaprabhu gives the actual qualification for following raganuga-bhakti — lobha, or strong desire to be in a relationship with Radha Krishna. Prabhupada consistently changes that teaching on the qualification for taking up raganuga-bhakti, making it seem like the authentic teachings are that only self-realized or liberated souls are qualified.

On very rare occasions Prabhupada told the truth to some degree:

From http://vanisource.org/wiki/Lecture_on_SB_1.2.33_–_Vrndavana,_November_12,_1972

Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grā… Atīndriya. Atīndriya means “beyond this.” It is covered. Covered senses, you cannot enjoy. Suppose I cover your tongue with some cloth and then I give you one rasagullā. Can you taste it? What you’ll taste? There are so many things. If you cover the senses, the real senses, and try to enjoy with that covering, what you’ll enjoy? That is not enjoyment. The…, it has to be uncovered. Then you’ll enjoy. That is indicated: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam CC Madhya 19.170 . If you uncover the senses, upādhi… These upādhi… Because I am in bodily concept of life, therefore I am thinking, “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am black,” “I am white,” “I am man,” “I am woman,” “I am tree,” “I am this,” “I am that.” This is covered. How you can enjoy with these covered senses?

So you have to uncover. You have to discover. That discovering process is devotional service. The more you are engaged in devotional service, the more your senses become pure or uncovered. And when it is completely uncovered, without any designation, then you are capable to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is apprenticeship. Vaidhī-bhakti, that is apprenticeship. Real bhakti, parā-bhakti, that is rāgānugā-bhakti. This rāgānugā-bhakti, we have to come after surpassing the vaidhī-bhakti. In the material world, if we do not try to make further and further progress in devotional service, if we are simply sticking to the shastric regulation process and do not try to go beyond that… Shastric process also regulation, that is required. Without shastric process you cannot go to that platform. But if we stick to the shastric process only and do not try to improve ourself… The shastric process is kaniṣṭha-adhikāra, lowest stage of devotional service.

arcāyām eva haraye
pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

Generally, people come to this temple, they are very devoted to the Deity. They offer their respects, flowers and other things, make the regulative process, circumambulate. This is nice beginning, but one has to go above this. One has to know who is actually bhakta, who is ac… Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. One has to do good for others. That is madhyama-adhikārī. If I become satisfied only with these regulative principles for worshiping the Deity in the temple and following the regulative principle daily, but if I have no other idea, then sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prākṛta means on the material platform. Such devotee can fall down at any moment, because he’s on the prākṛta stage. And prākṛta means this guṇamayī, prakṛti. It is very strong.

So any devotee can fall down if he remains prākṛta-bhakta. So he has to raise himself above this in the madhyama-adhikāra. So here it is said that sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān. So we are not enjoying actually. We are enjoying the interaction of the three modes of material nature. And we are thinking… The same thing, as my Guru Mahārāja used to say, that licking up the bottle of honey. That is not real honey. You have to open the bottle of the honey and lick up the real honey, then you’ll get taste. That is advancement of spiritual knowledge.

You said:

In the life of a practitioner, at some point they have to give up the primary school lessons and start with the high school ones. However, they can’t start with the high school lessons.

According to the authentic Gaudiya Vaishnava teachings from Raga Vartma Chandrika by Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura:

sa ca bhagavat kRpA hetuko’nurAgI bhakta kRpA hetukaz ceti dvi vidhaH. tatra bhakta kRpA hetuko dvi vidhaH, prAktana Adhunikaz ca. prAktanaH paurva bhavika tAdRza bhakta kRpotthaH, AdhunikaH etaj janmAvadhi tAdRza bhakta kRpottaH. Adye sati lobhAnantaraM tAdRza guru caraNAzrayaNam. dvitIye guru caraNAzrayAnantaraM lobha pravRttir bhavati. yad uktam:

kRSNa tad bhakta kAruNya mAtra lobhaika hetukA
puSTi mArgatayA kaizcid iyaM rAgAnugocyate

There are two causes for the appearance of the aforementioned sacred greed (lobha): The mercy of God or the mercy of another anuragi devotee. There are again two kinds of mercy bestowed by a devotee: praktana and adhunika. Praktana means mercy bestowed by a raganuga bhakti in a previous life, and adhunika is mercy bestowed in the present birth. The praktana-devotee takes shelter of the lotus feet of a raganuga guru after the sacred greed has arisen in him, the adhunika will get that sacred greed only after having surrendered to the feet of such a guru. It is said (in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu): “The only causes of the appearance of sacred greed Is the mercy of Krishna or His devotee. Therefore some call the path of raganuga bhakti also pusti marga (the path of grace).”

Depending on where you left off in your previous life you will be at that level when you take up bhakti in this life. Many people are highly desirous of developing a relationship with Radha Krishna when they first come into contact with and develop faith in Krishna. They are qualified for raganuga-bhakti even though they may not be very well educated on the philosophy of the Gita or Bhagavatam. Other people may be elderly sannyasis who have dedicated their lives to renunciation, teaching and study of the Vedas, but if they do not have a strong desire to develop a close relationship with Radha Krishna — they are less spiritually advanced than new bhaktas who do have that strong desire.

You wrote:

I think that Swami B.V. Tripurari does a good job of indicating this without writing off Srila Prabhupada’s indispensible contribution.

I have differences with Tripurari when it comes to the practice of and understanding of raganuga-bhakti, I don’t think he understands it from what I have read from him. Or if he does, he is not presenting it properly because he wants disciples. He’s a guy who is looking for followers to support him, and like I have said previously — modern day Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are looking for a following are usually careful not to criticize Prabhupada, at least in public. Since most people who develop some faith in Gaudiya Vaishnavism do so through either Prabupada’s books or his organization — because they are far more exposed to the public than other Gaudiya Vaishnava groups or teachers — if you are looking for followers you would most likely either keep your criticism of Prabhupada very low key (e.g. origin of jiva) or you won’t be critical at all.

Then you quoted me and replied:

This is because he was a Bengali and there was no way he misunderstood what is taught in Caitanya Caritamrta about raganuga bhakti and the cause of samsara. He had to have knowingly mistranslated and changed the teachings because he wanted his followers to be focused on expanding ISKCON rather than spending their time trying to develop their relationship with Krishna.

An alternative interpretation is that this is the best way for the majority of his audience to start off developing their relationship with Krishna.

He changed the teachings. If you want to believe that someone can change the teachings of Krishna on yoga because they think they know better, I call that delusional. Therefore Krishna says:

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever there is decline of dharma, O Arjuna, and rise of adharma, then I manifest Myself.

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of misdeeds, and for the establishment of dharma, I appear epoch after epoch.