Second Conversation With Srila Sridhara Maharaja, Part 4

BY: SUN EDITORS - 3.8 2023

BCS: Bengali:
Dhira Krsna Maharaja says that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur will not tolerate any conclusions which are against the ideas of Srila Rupa Goswami. He will not tolerate them at all. That all the apa siddhantas should be done away with and in that case is it not also our duty to act under the same instruction not to tolerate the apa siddhantas.

SM: Of course. Two things, one positive and one negative. Negative, atattva, which is not truth, to eliminate that, and tolerance around what is truth, we have to culture cultivate that. These two aspects of the life, of the activities of everyone's life two things: elimination of the undesirable and to acceptance of the desirable. Every second, every point of life, every second we have to do that. Krsna. Hare Krsna.

DKS: Well, I mean I have more questions, after that one question was answered… well, how are they seen in relation to that question. One point was from yesterday. The lowest level description he gave of a madhyama adhikari was one of has both feet in this world, but who has, who is, he said he is "fully experiencing the divine place" so he can… and he says that he can clearly see the divine… so we don't see anyone who practically fits even this lowest description of the madhyama-adhikari guru. Well, I just want to confirm…

BCS: Bengali:
translates the above into Bengali and then further adds that from the descriptions of the third class guru, none of the present eleven acaryas fit even to that category. So what are we then supposed to do with this present situation?

SM: And if it's going, it is in his view, he is also going and taking the whole retinue with him.

DKS: At most we have some general view.

BCS: Bengali: Not only are both their feet firmly planted in this material world, but also their vision is very much in this material world.

SBD: If none of them fit even this lowest category of guru then what is to be done by others who are part of the society?

SM: The question will come, this sort of vision is coming from what section? That is to be examined, the foundation on which you stand. That is that soil is to be examined by particular cases. If you like my advice about the decision then particular cases should be given to me.

SBD: Particular persons, and their personalities.

SM: The personal defects, the sample of personal defects. "This is the objectionable practice, in this gentleman. Is it bona fide? And spiritual color? Spiritual color or mundane color?

DKS: We don't want to embarrass him with the details.

SM: So in this action we think it to be mundane but if it may have any spiritual color? The particular case you may put before me and I shall try to understand. If such…

DKS: I am saying that I don't want to embarrass him with any unpalatable details.

BCS: translates

SM: kanak, kamini, pratistha. Generally those undesirable activities will come under these three groups. Prathistha is find, that one wants to take the credit, the whole credit within his clutches, just as you say about (name). (name) says that "I am the person who has received the maximum grace of guru maharaja and confidence." That is pratistha, may come into the category of pratistha. Another is kanak, means money, men and money. hmm. The power. He is very… he has got thirst, unquenchable thirst to acquire money, men and power. Must have power. Another is kamini, that he is falling prey to the women. hmm. charm, and mixing beyond the limit. These three classes complaint may come, and highest is prathistha, and in there also it may include that he is even, he's excluding guru maharaja and he's trying to take his position that he is greater than him.

DKS: Like he once said to one of Prabhupada's disciples, he inferred that Prabhu… he said, "You must serve a person, not a concept." So he was inferring that Srila Prabhupada was reduced to a concept and he was the living embodiment of this guru tattva.

BCS: Bengali… you cannot serve a concept… Prabhupada is not a person now, he is only a concept… he reduced Srila Prabhupada to a concept… I am the person so you must serve me, must go through me…

SM: guru bhognike This is not objectionable to the extreme, but partially objectionable because, suppose there are five sons of a father and the eldest son says to the youngest, "You don't know the ways how to satisfy the father. You must what I shall say. You do that to please my departed father. These things were very favorite, to offer these things…" This sort of advice may be given. If it is in… such color then of course it is innocent. That I have got more experience about Prabhupada's nature so if you really want to do favorite work of Prabhupada, you use my experience, this will help you a great deal. Don't try to connect direct … connection… relation with him. You'll be deceived. You'll not able to come to his concrete self, it will be only vague. This sort of…

BCS: Maharaja, we heard about the characteristics of a parama-hamsa, that he extracts the nectar. Separates the milk from water, and he takes the milk That now we can see in you the manifestation of that quality, like from… you are always taking the nectar…

SM: ki bolche? (What is he saying?)

SBD: repeats the statement in Bengali

SM: (laughing) Bright side…

Bengali:
SM: Yes, I am simply trying to see the brighter side of it so that we may not commit any mistakes against the other party. We must always see the brighter side. Let me say this in Bengali. When Srila Prabhupada disappeared, left this planet, then Vasudeva was made the acarya and then many senior disciples like Nemi Maharaja objected. He said that when a branch is directly connected with the trunk and he is then asked to connect himself with another branch, is that possible? This was the argument he forwarded. And then I started pleading the case of Vasudeva because he was like my elder brother. I said, according to Srila Rupa Goswami the service to a devotee is the greatest and it is at the same time service to the Supreme Lord. Although the bhakta is only a part, but yet by serving the bhakta even Lord Krsna is receiving the service, is being served. By trying to serve the Lord directly, the Lord might be served or may not be served. But by serving the Lord's devotee, definitely both the devotee as well as the Lord, is served thereby. The Srila Rupanuga vicar according to Srila Rupa Goswami is that once you serve the sadhu, the guru, vaisnava, then the Lord is also being served. So that is how I approached this particular situation. That if an elder godbrother is being served and through him our guru is being served, then we are being successful in our devotional life and when the senior godbrother is very favored of the Lord, is dear to the Lord, then I am serving the guru through him and ultimately the Lord Himself. This is the conclusion. [-->]

My own speculation might say so many things but this is the actual conclusion of the sastras so when I am approaching such a subject I should be very careful so as not to commit any mistake. I should always see the brighter side to avoid any mistake. We must eliminate all the undesirable elements and try to see the brighter side of everything. Judging it very exhaustively in order not to make any mistake and then even if we fail in that endeavor, then of course there is nothing left for us to do. There is no recourse to that. Do you understand? We must see all the possibilities from their point of view. We must choose all the possible arguments they might face. Once the great learned advocate Rajmeri Gosh came to the court quite drunk and started pleading the case of his opponent and the lawyer Abhira of the other side was looking on quite amazed at this thing. He was thinking that "This advocate is stating all the facts and points of my client." And then the junior advocate of Rajmeri Gosh suddenly reminded him that, "Sir what are you doing? You are stating all the arguments for your opponent." The advocate exclaimed, "Is it so?" Then he started telling the judge that, "You honor, these are the different points and arguments my opponent may raise, so now I am placing forward my argument, the points I want to bring to you." And when he started speaking about the points he originally wanted to say for his own client, then the other lawyer was quite dumbfounded and had practically nothing to say. So all the arguments that the other party might want to give, we shall discuss them in detail and bring out the salient points so that we might not make any mistakes. We must be aware that we are not influenced by any prejudices. Just like they are being influenced by prejudices, we should be careful not to commit the same mistake. We must be well-guarded so that we are not led astray of the path of truth.

English: We must be safe. To make our position safe we shall try our best not to commit any mistake, so we shall try to see the bright side of the other party, eh? This may be like that, you see… (Bengali re: Vasudeva Prabhu) … the friend of mine on the other party may say as much like this something now, please hear that I am cutting everything… Bengali…

SBD: Bengali:
Maharaja, the advice (name) gave his godsister (name), she joined much earlier to (name) and had Srila Prabhupada's association from earlier times and longer.

SM: Bengali:
Not everything can be judged according to the time span. Just like Bhakti Caru Swami, he came much later and became very beloved of Srila Prabhupada. Not everything can be judged according to the time factor.

English: Seniority is not the only criterion.