Second Conversation With Srila Sridhara Maharaja, Part 5

BY: SUN EDITORS - 4.8 2023

DKS: There is just a few questions left.

SBD: So you do not want to mention any more…

DKS: I think that when he described the three kinds of deviations, those general descriptions, we can understand how to apply that. It's very clear, without going into the details of each individual.

SM: ki bolchen?

BCS: Bengali: And now Dhira Krsna Maharaja would like to put a question.

SM: You're satisfied that from these three standpoints they are proving unfit? They are proving them unfit, from these three considerations, threefold consideration. That is his opinion?

BCS: … from these three perspectives we can understand, we can analyze to find out like if we have some characteristics of somebody, deviations of somebody, then if… that deviation fits into one of these three or all of these three then we know that he is unfit…

SM: Of course, unfit. And in the case of pratistha, even in everything the undercurrent idea should not be ignorant. Ostentatiously he may attract pratistha, and wealth, etc. He may, but his inner idea is to utilize them in the service of gurudeva. We must not ignore that undercurrent, his consciousness, also. Sanskrit … the very backbone of our Prabhupada… vaisnavepratistha tate kore nistha, the
Bengali: The controller or master of pratistha is gurudeva and the master of karma is Sri Naryana-deva Himself. English: The all, the all glory must come to the feet of my gurudeva. All everything, wind up everything and connect it with the holy feet of gurudeva. Bengali…

DKS: You are a spiritual master, senior to them. How can they take a superior position, in terms of titles or worship than you?

BCS: Bengali
Maharaja, Dhira Krsna Maharaja is asking a question to you personally. Maharaja, you are acarya, and a very, very venerable senior Vaisnava. Then how can these eleven present acaryas take disciples and worship which is even on a higher platform than you? We are seeing that within a very short time they have started taking big, big titles and big, grand worship within a few days. Maharaja, previously you had spoken to the GBCs and given that example about being partially opaque and partially transparent.

DKS: It appears to be a transgression of etiquette. SM: Their contention may be that what I do, my direct connection with my gurudeva, and his direct superior is Swami Maharaja. So on behalf of Swami Maharaja they are, whatever little they are doing, they are taking everything to the feet of Swami Maharaja. That may be their way of ____________.

BCS: What if they do not? What if they do not take it to …

SM: Swami Maharaja is not a mundane figure. He has got his spiritual embodiment and that must be given preference, that conception.

DKS: This is connected to the next question when he said in his previous conversation with them, it was being discussed being partially opaque and partially transparent. So if you are opaque, what is going to Srila Prabhupada and what is coming through to the disciples? Understand? If you are opaque, what goes through to Srila Prabhupada and also what is coming through you to them? All right?

BCS: translates into Bengali

DKS: So when the question arises, what is going through the partially opaque, partially transparent to the disciples?

BCS: explains in Bengali.

SM: … not mundane figure, but he has got his spiritual body and that should be considered, whether he is nearer to them or nearer to me?

BCS: I remember once you told us, you once told me that the devotee, whatever he gets he passes it up to his spiritual master. That is the sign of a devotee. Nothing is mine but everything belongs to my spiritual master. If we equally can transfer it to our spiritual master, it is the sign of our advancement, but the demoniac people are the ones whatever is offered to the spiritual master, they take it for themselves. That is demoniac. So how to figure? How to judge?

SBD: What are the symptoms of such a person who instead of giving it to his spiritual master is holding it for himself? What are the symptoms?

SM: It is a very subtle thing, very subtle thing. One may, one should come to his level to study him closely, even a small matter also we can also find, whether he is for himself or for his gurudeva. But we should have to come to that particular level to ____________ the real interest of my gurudeva. Whether the real interest is being misused…
Bengali:
When the tax collector of the king is collecting tax and is misappropriating funds, then the ordinary worker or persons who are paying the tax, how can they find out what he is doing with those funds? In order for them to find out, they also have to come to that level, to that position, to get insight into his activities. Then only it can be established that he is misappropriating funds. What excuse are they trying to put forward? What sort of attractive features are they trying to bewilder us with, the present acaryas. What are the arguments they are placing forward. That we have to find out.

English: What is the nature of that thing? What he likes to… He is taking something from them and in return he must give something to them. What is that thing? And whose return he is accepting their affection, their attraction, their sympathy, and what he is giving to them in return. What is the nature of that thing. That sublte thing we have to study… his own gurudeva, secretly the transaction, the secret transaction. Whether guru-Krsna or his gross self? Who is the party there who is absorbing things? His gross self or his mediator to guru? Krsna? Mahaprabhu?