Gadadhara das, Sep 13, BERKELEY, California: A Response to “Satyaraja’s Kirtan Book” by Hamsagatih das.
“According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straight and forward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth.”
(Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 10.4, Bg 10.5, Bg 10.4-5 : PURPORT)
“If we actually want detachment from this material world, we should be prepared to accept such cutting words from the spiritual master. Compromise and flattery have no effect where strong words are required.”
(Srila Prabhupada, Perfection of Yoga, Ch.4)
The instructions of the Acharya are very clear on this subject of hearing from the Mayavadi kirtan singers. “one should not hear from them”
(NOD, lecture, 1/10/73)
“Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore strictly forbidden us to associate with Mayavadi philosophers.”
(The Status Quo: SB 3.19:)
“As far as possible, chanting from the lips of non-devotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects”
(Topmost Yoga System Ch. 6: The Hare Krsna Mantra)
Hamsagatih Prabhu writes:
“Prakashananda Saraswati along with all his followers by His own brilliance; not by avoiding their association.”
Some of us see that Srila Prabhupada has instructed “not to associate” with Mayavadis, yet if we do not know what it means to “associate”, then we may confuse “associating” with “preaching”. We see that Srila Prabhupada, in fact, spoke to Mayavadis and debated with them and defeated them in many instances. Prakashananda himself defeated Mayavadis “by arguments”, but not by mere associating. There is a clear, direct distinction between debating, conversing, and “associating” with Mayavadis.
When Srila Prabhupada preached to the Mayavadis, He was very heavy, sharp, and straightforward. He would not try to butter them up. He would never compromise. In fact, when Gurudas Prabhu was sent by Srila Prabhupada to speak in front of them in India, he made a gross analogy comparing the invalid conception of Krishna to that of thinking that a piece of stool is a sweetball. Srila Prabhupada congratulated him afterward.
The instructions on how to preach to them are clear in the following quote:
Prabhupada: “Why compromise? You don’t compromise. Then you associate with him. If you make compromise, then you associate with him. Then gradually you’ll also go down. When we, when we see some person, we do not associate with him, but we give him chance to associate with me. Why you should make compromise? What is the reason? If you know something positively, why should you make compromise? When people come to talk with me, see me, I don’t make any compromise.”
(Srila Prabhupada, June 11, 1974, Paris)
The results of these Mayavadis “associating” with devotees with their “so-called” Kirtan is that instead of influencing them or preaching to them, they are influencing the ISKCON devotee’s Kirtan instead. Their Kirtan is saturated with Mayavadi mantras. A large portion of (modern) ISKCON’s kirtans are unbonafide songs, cinema tunes and songs, and “Chara Kirtan” (concocted Kirtan). Some Kirtans are learned from Babjis in Vrindavan (whom Srila Prabhupada specifically told us to stay away from – they played them at the LA Ratha Yatra this year) and worse; Mayavadis themselves.
Srila Prabhupada teaches us,
mahajano yena gatah sa panthah”, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahajanas advocate”.
(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya Lila 17.186)
And what is that path in this particular case?
“When we, when we see some person, we do not associate with him, but we give him chance to associate with me (Srila Prabhupada).”
(Srila Prabhupada, June 11, 1974, Paris)
How is this done? This is done by becoming the “trans via medium” through which Srila Prabhupada chants. First there is Sravanam (hearing from the proper source) and THEN Kirtanam (chanting the Holy Names). Why is Srila Prabhupada the Acarya? Srila Prabhupada is the Acarya because “upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darshinah” – “The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”
He has SEEN the truth. And in fact we know that Srila Prabhupada was SEEING Krishna daily, personally, face to face, eye to eye. Srila Prabhupada has “the eyes to see Him.” He said that Krishna was personally dictating Krishna Book to him, which means that he was HEARING from Krishna. By personally SEEING and HARING the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada is “AS GOOD AS GOD”. Therefore we must Kirtanam AFTER Sravanam.
As Prabhupadanugas, followers of the Sampradaya Acarya Srila Prabhupada, we MUST be eager to hear everything clearly from Srila Prabhupada before we Kirtanam.
Our questions should be “How does Srila Prabhupada want us to chant?” “How does Srila Prabhupada want us to deal with different camps, such as Mayavadis?” These two important questions are being ignored by Satyaraj, not only in his book, but in his article, “Serpents Be Damned“, addressing concerns about the new Kirtan book”.
The lack of Sravanam in ISKCON is leading it into a doom. Unless ISKCON’s Kirtan is reformed, there is no hope for Lord Caitanya’s movement. It will just become more and more poisoned.
We all want this movement to succeed and be pushed forward effectively, this is why I am writing about this subject. I am not faultfinding. Faultfinding means that there is no fault and I am just “fault finding”. These are serious matters and these are serious faults in the Kirtans in “modern” ISKCON, and they should and MUST be addressed. If I do not speak up, then I will certainly “incur sins”.
Narah kilbisam asnute (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.44.10)
“One should chant the bona fide songs received from the disciplic succession. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the chanting is powerful when one follows the disciplic succession – evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh (Bg. 4.2). Manufacturing many ways of chanting will never be effective. However, chanting the song or the narration lef by the previous acaryas (mahajano yena gatah sa panthah) is extremely effective, and this process is very easy.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.18)
“sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah”
This is a quote from the Padma Purana, and it means that unless one receives a Mantra from the proper disciplic succession, then it will not act. It will have nisphala, or “no effect”.
Srila Prabhupada writes:
“This method is called acarya-sampradaya. It is therefore said, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah (Padma Purana). The acarya-sampradaya is strictly bona fide. Therefore one must accept the acarya-sampradaya; otherwise one’s endeavor will be futile.”
(Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.31 : PURPORT
Hamsagatih writes:
“…perhaps Gadadhar prabhu will make a wonderful plan to win over with love and intelligence the hearts and minds of those very favorable, friendly Kirtaniyas moving about the world today.”
I thank you for perhaps-ing me.
THE ONLY SOLUTION TO EVERYTHING IS:
Follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for Kirtan and everything will become successful!
Srila Prabhupada has formulated a plan already, should you accept the task. Stay away from Mayavadi non-Kirtan and go out on Samkirtan every day.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
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