Second Conversation With Srila Sridhara Maharaja, Part 8

BY: SUN EDITORS - 14.8 2023

Aug 10, 2023 CANADA (SUN) —

SM: Bengali:
I heard from different people that Swami Maharaja has told his disciples that in Bengal most of the disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur has deviated from his teachings. So now you have to go and reinstate that your teachings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Giving such inspiration he sent them here. Now, if that is true, of course I myself have not heard it from him, I simply heard it from others, and in a way I think it is quite possible also, just to encourage them so they might have gone this far from that. What they might think that "what our spiritual master, the great preaching work that he has done, what he received from the lotus feet of his spiritual master, that is novel and a wonderful substantial potency, and with that he has come here to recapture. And the ones, those who are in possession of that, they are almost dying. So you all must go and give it there." [-->]

Like when the brahmins fell down in Bengal at one time, then Adisur brought the brahmins from Kanoj and then he reestablished the varnasrama system here like that. He also has done something like that. I heard from Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaja that before leaving this planet, Swami Maharaja requested him to beg forgiveness on his behalf from his godbrothers. That at times he might have offended his godbrothers while preaching. This he said. I heard it from Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaja. He said that although he had due respects towards his godbrothers, but still while preaching he might have offended them a little bit. So he should be forgiven. Like, I heard once Akincan Maharaja asked him, "What your other godbrothers are doing?" So he replied, "Well, they just eat and sleep and ring the bell." Hearing this they became very offended. And then they came to me. But my observation is neutral. So I said, "The drum that he is playing, if he accepts you as a player of the bell in that band, then you should consider this to be a great honor." I told this. My views are different. I saw that he is playing a huge drum, a battle drum, so if you get a chance to play the kasi, or cymbals, along with that, that is a great honor to you. A more dignified position you get. This I am speaking from absolute consideration.

BCS: Bengali:
Maharaja, if Prabhupada gave this instruction then he must have given this instruction to all his disciples. Now why, instead of all his disciples, only eleven of them are so hung up about this? It is not such much of Prabhupada's instructions; it's a matter of their personal, selfish motives. To guard their selfish motives they have closed their doors and windows very tightly so that no attack can come from outside.

SM: Bengali:
That's a kind of a policy, true, but that cannot be rejected altogether. The way, there was a practice in India before that, "Do not go beyond the seas." Because due to the social exchange you might get degraded. Due to the exchange, instead of benefit you might become degraded. So make a boundary so that you do not become degraded. The way the Chinese made a wall around their country so that the national culture cannot be degraded or destroyed by any external invasion or influence. It may be something like this.

BCS: Bengali
But, Maharaja, the main consideration is that many of Prabhupada's disciples are leaving the movement. They are quite unable to tolerate all this nonsense any more.

SM: Bengali:
Yes, the ones who won't be able to check themselves, they will come forward. And the ones, those who are wavering, those who can tolerate a little more, they can wait and examine what actually is Krsna's desires for a little longer. The primary consideration is Krsna's will.

BCS: Bengali: But we are seeing that in order to accelerate Krsna's pastimes, Narad Muni is acting in certain way, as if he is acting against Krsna's desire.

SM: (laughs) Bengali:
Yes, the way he caused Kamsa to kill the first six sons of Devaki. Yes, the inward feeling should be like that. So if this is degradation, then even if he cannot come forward then at least inwardly he would feel that yes, if there is degradation, then let it happen quickly. Let the reactions come quickly. Otherwise it will cause a great damage to many people. Yes, the ones who won't be able to control themselves they will dive into it. Without considering the good, bad, honor and infamy; without considering the future, they will dive into it for reformation. That is also quite possible.

BCS: Bengali:
Srila Prabhupada is giving an example that if somebody has a boil then instead of blowing that boil it is better to press it and get the poison out. Instead of blowing the boil for a temporary relief, the one who is the real well-wisher, he will press the boil and get the puss out. That might cause some pain, momentary pain initially, but in the long run this will be beneficial.

SM: (laughs) Bengali: The ones, those who believe in homeopathic treatment, they will say that instead of making such a demoniac attempt, give him some medicine and that will cure him.

BCS: Bengali: But Maharaja, it has been seen that homeopathic medicine does not work with everybody.

SM: (laughing) Bengali:
(laughs) But Hahnemann will not agree with that. Like one drowning man was floating across Ganges and on the bank a yogi was meditating and one other man saw the drowning man floating by. So he dived into the river and rescued the man and brought him onto the bank. Then he told the yogi that this man, this man is drowning and you were chanting by sitting on the bank of the river. Then the yogi replied that "Yes, I saw that you were coming. I knew beforehand that you were coming to rescue him so I did not make any attempt myself." So there are different kinds of people. The ones, those who cannot resist themselves, they will dive into it. The ones, those who are a little sober, they will think that the remedy for this Krsna is sending.

BCS: Bengali: Maharaja, I asked you this question because in America there are quite a few devotees, those who are impatiently waiting to hear what you think about all this, what you say about this.

SM: Bengali:
Yes, I know that there are quite a few people, those who are the well-wisher of the movement, they are waiting and seeing. But this is breaking their heart, this damage to the society. From a distance I am saying, "Wait and see." But for them this is becoming yugas. The ones, those who are the real lovers of the institution, for them this is becoming intolerable. This is going beyond their limit of tolerance.

BCS: Bengali:
The main reason why we came is because there are many devotees, those who are impatiently waiting to hear what you have to say. Now, if you just show us the way. Now this has come to this point and unless some rectification is made, must be done, then they all will get together to do something about this.