BY: B. RADHA-GOVINDA
Nov 04, 2010 — USA (SUN) —
Referring to the recent article by Aprakrita dasa, The Tendency to Commit Mistakes, Srila Gour Govinda Swami’s statement in regards to Srila Prabhupada’s statement is not a matter of a “mistake” (or a contradiction).
Both Srila Prabhupada’s and Srila Gour Govinda Swami’s statements are correct. There is no contradiction in the two statements (if we are seeing such), otherwise we may have to “find fault” with Sri Isopanisad’s 5th mantra, “The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything”.
There are other seemingly “contradictory” Vedic mantras, i.e., Svetasvatara Upanisad’s 3.19 mantra, apanipado javano grahita pasyaty acaksuh sa srnoty akarnah…: “The Supreme Lord has no hands and feet but He can accept whatever is offered to Him. Though He has no eyes, He sees. He has no ears but hears…”
Srila Gour Govinda Swami in his statement is stressing the benefit that is to be derived from hearing through personal association with elevated Vaisnavas.
Even during Srila Prabhupada’s “physically manifested” presence, Srila Prabhupada had His own disciples (even though not on such elevated level), give class, even in His presence, (meaning, that Srila Prabhupada was sitting there listening).
In regards to Srila Prabhupada’s and Srila Gour Govinda Swami’s statements, it’s a matter of understanding what appears to be “the difference(s),” “the “contradiction.” We know Srila Prabhupada is completely present in His full potency within His books and tapes, but how many of us are on that platform of spiritual advancement that we fully imbibe this?
My understanding of Srila Gour Govinda Swami’s statement is that taking into consideration the conditioned state of so many of us, due to our own lackings, we aren’t all able to imbibe as complete a benefit reading from Srila Prabhupada’s books/hearing from Srila Prabhupada’s tapes as opposed to receiving Srila Prabhupada’s personal association, and that of (truly) elevated – even pure – devotees, who by their purity, would be able to reinforce to us what Srila Prabhupada has written/spoken. (This should not be taken to mean that we stop reading and listening to Srila Prabhupada’s books and tapes.)
To reiterate, Srila Prabhupada is fully present with full potency in His tapes and books, but how many of us are imbibing this? (Proof of this is the fact that many of us have stopped our strict following of Srila Prabhupada’s basic instructions, despite our reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, and listening to Srila Prabhupada’s tapes.)
To prove how in our own spiritual lacking we accept as “more tangible'” such personal association, let me give these examples: Srila Prabhupada in His murti is sitting in the temple room on the Vyasasana, yet we know that many of us would be exhibiting a difference in our behavior (and, for some, dress), if (in our understanding), Srila Prabhupada “was ‘really’ (sitting) there.”
Another example: How many devotees break one or more of the four regulative principles with Srila Prabhupada’s picture(s) and/or books/tapes present in a room where they are doing so? We know that if Srila Prabhupada were to be “physically present” in that room, they would not be doing such activities.
Thus, in our lacking, it is we who relate differently to the physical presence of Krsna’s representative(s). So this is one practical application of Srila Gour Govinda Swami’s statement. (There are other applications.)
I’m sure at least most of us, if not all would agree that if we were given the opportunity of being in the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada even if Srila Prabhupada was not speaking, as opposed to hearing Srila Prabhupada speaking from a tape, or our reading from His books, without His being physically present, we would choose the first.
Thus, I find no contradiction in the two statements presented by Aprakrita prabhu in his article, “See the Difference“.
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
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