Initially I thought that by joining a Vaisnava
ashram
all my problems would be finished. Well, I was wrong. We have to be alert
at every moment so as to not fall in Maya. Kanaka (desire for wealth),
kamini (desire to satisfy our lust), and pratistha (desire
for fame) always linger within us waiting to catch us in an inattentive
moment. Spiritual advancement is not acquired by simply staying in the
mission for many years. Even elder members of missions have to be careful.
In truth, we are only safe in the pure praying mood of a helpless soul
aspiring for true devotion.
There is a saying in South America: Nothing
bad happens without good reason." We have experienced many difficult moments
in our ashram life as well as in the history of Vaisnava missions.
Why do such difficulties accrue? Krishna is the supreme controller: When
He sees His devotees entangled, or with offensive mentalities, He makes
drastic arrangements to protect the path of purity.
Even in my most difficult moments and after
apparently insolvable situations, I soon discovered the blessing in disguise.
For example, I was told not to associate with advanced devotees for the
sake of institutional concerns. Nevertheless, I disregarded these formal
objections and thus I obtained the merciful association of pure devotees
of Krishna; whom are very rarely found.
Impartially said, I have to thank all those
who have, even unwillingly, made my life so complicated that it forced
me to move onward on this path of the search for Sri Krishna.
The ups and downs within our sampradaya
can also be seen as ways of preserving the sampradaya's purity.
They help spread the essence of its teachings free from any institutionalized
control. Srila Bhaktivinode's writings confirm this in many of his historic
statements such as:
Srila Raghunath Das Goswami describes:
In the absence of my beloved Gurudev even Govardhan looks to me like a
great python and Sri Radha Kunda, the holiest of all places, looks like
a tiger mouth ready to devour me. In truth, the disappearance of one's
guru
is one of the most difficult moments in a disciples life. In separation
of Sri Guru, life seems to be unbearable. In addition, many difficulties
concerning how to continue the acharyas mission naturally arise.
To continue the guru's mission after
his departure it is necessary for some Vaisnavas to give shelter to newcomers
just as the acharya gave to all of his personal disciples. But who
is qualified to continue his mission? This question gives rise to so many
opinions. Some may be perfect, some may be wrong. How the spiritual lineage
continues after an acharya leaves sometimes takes awhile to manifest.
We may wish for a formal or institutionalized solution during this time,
but this transitional period is necessary to awaken all the disciples of
the spiritual masters to the need of their own complete surrender.
Our guru has taught us how to recognize
a real Vaisnava and the true philosophy. He has taught us to preach the
Vaisnava siddhanta to impersonalists and to atheists. He has warned
us about so many gross and subtle deviations. Now, in his absence, we are
hopefully mature enough to remain faithful to his teachings. We must learn
to act correctly. If we have not yet done so, it is the time to fully surrender.
Otherwise, confusion will be unavoidable.
How shall we continue to preach with enthusiasm
without the presence of our Gurudev? To whom shall we send the new devotees
to take shelter of as we did when we met Sri Gurudev? So many tests are
coming now, all of a sudden. Are my godbrothers really qualified to continue
the disciplic succession as gurus? Or, is it because of my envy
that I am seeing so many faults in them? In this way, our mind will search
for a clear understanding of how to continue, or better yet, how to surrender
more in our life. The process of Krishna Consciousness is voluntary, and
in the end we all have to decide with our own hearts how we want to continue
the order of our guru. Our own understanding of our guru's
order will be our only guiding star.
After the disappearance of my diksa
guru Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, and after the disappearance
of my sannyas guru Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaj, I experienced many
unexpected difficulties. During that time, I also studied the history of
the Gaudiya Math. What appeared at first to be very chaotic and extreme,
later revealed itself to be an urgent intervention by Krishna to teach
us the basic principles of a pure disciplic succession. Whatever painful
development had to be witnessed was a lesson to be learned for the many
who only very recently had come in contact with the disciplic succession.
In the long run, these lessons, which we
have had to learn very quickly, will prove to be the struggle of the disciplic
succession against contamination and misuse. It will also be understood
that any time a personally motivated individual takes a position in a spiritual
organization, it is doomed to failure. Here are some examples of the lessons
we have received.
Acharya Transition - Theory and Practice
In the past, acharyas have
prepared their disciples for the moment of physical separation in different
ways, but, to my understanding, none of them changed the dynamism of the
guru
parampara. Some acharyas appointed some rittvik acharyas
to initiate on their behalf; indicating that such rittvik acharyas
could become real acharyas after their departure. Others appointed
a secretary for the mission after their departure. Some acharyas
left a paper declaring a particular dear and trusted disciple to be the
next acharya in charge of the temples and Deity worship which were
established by him. There are really no hard and fast rules concerning
what an acharya must do in such cases. But, one thing remains without
a doubt: No acharya has neglected the need of the plurality and
dynamics of spiritual revelation which permeates the scriptures and the
living tradition again and again.
For technical reasons, or to avoid devotees
fighting over the use of assets, the guru may easily put his assets
and trust upon one particular disciple. Yet, his and Mahaprabhu's order
to all his disciples is clear: All of you should try to save others by
becoming gurus yourselves and teaching the conclusions of the Srimad
Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Interpretations which tried,
in the past, to limit the spiritual revelation of an acharya to
one institutionalized outlet all proved to be wrong; bringing about embarrassment
for that mission. In other words, every disciple shall, according to his
fullest hearts content, be able to give to others what he has received
from his Gurudev. This may very easily mean that he has to start a new
branch mission of the Vaisnava tree.
Our spiritual master sent us out so many
times. Go and open new centers for the mission," he would say. Do not be
attached to anything except Krishna and Sri Guru's grace. After all, if
Krishna wishes to utilize you in some special service, he can reveal that
very easily." For this reason we can tell when an acharya is self-effulgent.
As our disciplic succession confirms; acharyas manifest as lighthouses
to show the path in this dark age of Kali. Krishna will show the acharyas
to this world, and we shall help them as much as we feel inspired to do
so.
The past has shown that some acharyas
may be the gurus of many other gurus, while others may just
carry on their service almost unnoticed. Sri Krishna Himself reserves all
the rights. Only by His function as caitya guru, does the relationship
guru-disciple
come to have validity. Voting, public opinions, political considerations,
or false claims of exclusivity are bound to fail in this process. They
have nothing to do with the guru parampara. Maybe a guru
writes many books, maybe he does not; maybe he initiates many disciples,
maybe he has only one; maybe he is a learned Sanskrit scholar, maybe he
is not; maybe he is born in an Indian brahmin family, or maybe he comes
from a Western mleccha family. All these differences should not
bring us to go against divine principles by discriminating between one
acharya or another.
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj
wrote in The Search for the Ultimate Goal of life: To think of one
guru as more pure than another is an offense." Only Krishna knows everything.
On our part, we do well by simply respecting anyone who actively preaches
the true glory of our beloved guru and Krishna.
Rittvik acharya is a term which
is strictly used in our sampradaya to represent a living acharya
under his order. There is no other reference in our long lineage of another
kind of rittvik acharya being implemented. If there were, everyone
would like to be initiated by Srila Rupa Goswami or Narada Muni through
rittvik.
Still, due to bad experiences in our sampradaya and the mental speculation
of some devotees, it was proposed that a new procedure be introduced into
the disciplic succession whereby new devotees could be initiated as disciples
of the already departed acharya. This system, known as the posthumous
rittvik acharya system' created a good amount of arguments but no
viable spiritual solutions for anybody.
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj
warned us of the dangers of deviation by giving the Christian example and
demonstrating how they lost their guru-disciple connection over
the years. The Sikhs also abolished the guru system after Guru Govinda
Singh. Both systems are rejected by our sampradaya. In fact, the
only case where we have heard of this kind of posthumous rittvik acharya
is
in some sahajiya tradition in Bangladesh.
The other inherent danger in the posthumous
rittvik
acharya proposal is that the person who is offering rittvik
connection to a disappeared acharya is acting on his own whim; and
when he does not live up to the standard of devotion himself, he will abandon
the newcomer to an unprotected life.
The acceptance of a living spiritual master
as the principle of becoming the servant of the servant of God cannot be
voided simply because the opportunity exists for unqualified persons to
occupy such a post. Guru, shastra, and sadhu are the guides
on the spiritual path. According to the Vedic principles, if someone who
is inspired to find God accepts another person as his spiritual master,
Krishna Himself takes the responsibility to protect him. This personal
connection with a spiritual master is the greatest relief for the conditioned
soul.
Searching for the guru and serving
him in any of his forms is an eternal, voluntary principle which gives
true life to our parampara. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj
highlights this point in one of his speeches.
"Gentlemen, on behalf of
the members of the Bombay branch of the Gaudiya Math, let me welcome you
all because you have so kindly joined us tonight in our congregational
offerings of homage to the lotus feet of the world teacher, acharyadev,
who is the founder of this Gaudiya Mission and is the President-acharya
of Sri Sri Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha -I mean my eternal divine master,
Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj.
Sixty-two years ago, on this
auspicious day, the acharyadev made his appearance by the call of Thakur
Bhaktivinode at Sri Kshetra, Jagannath Dham at Puri.
Gentlemen, the offering of
such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the acharyadev is not
a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of
Gurudev or acharyadev, we speak of something that is of universal application.
There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours
or anyone else's. There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of
forms to teach you, me and all others."
The sincere seeker is taken to his personal
spiritual master by the help of the inner guide, the paramatma, who is
God Himself. Thus, the choice of the spiritual master is mystical. Many
people visit different branches of the Gaudiya Math and also other movements.
How faith arises in the heart to accept someone in particular as a guardian
is beyond comprehension; what to speak of this being controllable by others.
Every soul is responsible for his choice. This applies to the acceptance
of the diksa guru as well as the acceptance of the siksa guru. Whenever
attempts are made to geographically or institutionally restrict the free
flow of faith towards a spiritual master, it results in some kind of disaster.
We conclude that the posthumous rittvik
acharya idea proposed by some disciples of ISKCON's founder acharyas is
not part of our tradition. Such ideas will not be embellished by trying
to point out that one's guru is so extraordinary that from now on the sampradaya
will change. This is really an offense against the guru. No authority in
our family has approved of such distortions. Even if it is painful, we
have to work hard and try to continue serving our guru in separation. It
is not enough to hang up huge pictures of an acharya, play his tapes and
quote his words.
If someone is qualified and trustworthy
enough to receive the service of another person, then he would also be
a candidate for the transmission of Krishna's mercy. If new searchers,
who wish to be active in service, are not finding such qualified Vaisnavas,
they should be encouraged to look elsewhere. There is no need to share
the sad company of someone who has no trust nor is trustworthy. Krishna
will help us to regain our enthusiasm in the association of real sadhus
and the family will go on, as our gurus wish.
The Acharya Appointed by a Committee
Another particular lesson we learned
is that acharyas cannot be appointed or controlled by committees. In the
eyes of his disciples, the acharya is accepted as the fully independent
complete authority and representative of the Supreme Lord. Because of this,
his position can easily clash with the relationship he has with his godbrothers,
or with other members of the mission.
Difficulties may also arise with respect
to the decisions made on the assets of the mission, especially if those
assets were accumulated with the help of the acharya's godbrothers before
he started initiating.
On the other hand, institutions need a
board of directors. In the absence of the founder acharya, the board of
directors has to protect the mission, properties, deity worship etc. Combining
the acharya tradition with the board of directors is quite complicated,
and, while different proposals have been made and experimented with to
solve this dilemma, many have failed to create harmony in the missions.
Even the grand temples of the great Gaudiya
acharyas such as Srila Sanatana Goswami, Srila Rupa Goswami, and Srila
Jiva Goswami were affected by this type of confusion, giving rise to the
Caste Goswami tradition.
The original free spiritual current was
presented by the priests to be a confined family seminal (sukra) disciplic
succession. Worse still, many young kids in these Caste Goswami families
did not have interest in the mission and started to take advantage of the
temples; using them as a means to make a living or simply for their own
enjoyment.
In response to this dilemma, Srila B. R.
Sridhar Maharaj suggested that the original temples started by a founding
acharya remain as tirthas for the future branches of the family. New acharyas,
he said, should start new centers or develop small communities. The tirthas
serve to bring together all the godbrothers of a branch to celebrate main
festivals. In the tirtha no new acharya becomes prominent.
Yet there are so many circumstances to
be taken into consideration here. For example, who will maintain the tirthas?
The tirthas will only work if there are many new branches which are ready
to give financial support to a central tirtha and to send devotees there
to keep the worship running. The sevaites (or the board of directors) no
doubt have a great responsibility, but they can not have jurisdiction over
the feelings and relations a devotee has with his spiritual master.
Let us never forget that every member of
a Vaisnava family is a voluntary member, and that he will remain so as
long as he feels that his heart is properly situated. The sevaites and
the respective acharyas who decide to continue the initiation process shall
lovingly try to find a way of mutual respect and a happy preaching spirit.
This is the real test to pass in order to create unity in diversity and
thus have the Vaisnava family grow without obstacles.
The Appointment of an Acharya as an Exclusive Successor
Not only committee appointments faced
severe problems, but another phenomena also manifested: Some devotees interpreted
the nomination of a successor acharya of a mission to mean that he had
the exclusive right to represent his guru to the world. They believed that
anyone else who might give initiation would not be qualified and would
violate Vaisnava ethics. This concept stifles the preaching spirit.
Srila B. R. Sridhar Dev Maharaj explained
that everyone has the right and duty to give to one's heart's content that
which he received from his spiritual master. It is a laudable attempt if
someone wants to give spiritual shelter to others. This can not be controlled
by law or restricted in any way. Srila Sridhar Maharaj even welcomed other
acharyas in his lifetime to initiate and be part of his mission.
The acharya can nominate one of his disciples
to continue as acharya and to manage his temples in order to avoid fighting
among the godbrothers, but the acharya does not limit the line of spiritual
masters to only one particular person. That would contradict the whole
Srimad Bhagavatam and the Chaitanya Charitamrita.
There is a great need in this world for
many spiritual masters. The service done by anyone who is faithful to his
guru and feels the inspiration to protect others should at the least be
considered a noble act.'
All these conflicts help us to see that
the real dynamic expansion of Krishna Consciousness can only come from
persons who are happily surrendered in this process; as our loving spiritual
masters were.
Man is the Gold of It
Today, the world of Maya is so strong
that even leaders of countries are often caught as cheap little thieves
filling their pockets instead of serving their people. In the name of religion,
the most unwanted material activities can also be found. It is no surprise
that people are doubtful about the intentions of anybody who follows a
path of submission to the spiritual master as the representative of the
truth and God's pure goodness. It almost sounds unbelievable. Still, this
is our path, and our only hope.
The saying, Rank is but the guinea stamp;
man is the gold of it" comes from the English times when a guinea stamp
was printed on gold to testify to its quality. Here, we use this popular
saying to describe the difference between a post, a prestigious position,
a function or a form, as compared to the holder of the position and the
essential substance which should stand behind the formal conception. True
devotees are the only gold promised by the Vaisnava guinea stamp of a brahmana,
sannyasi, guru, or mahanta. Fortunately, we have examples of
such stalwart devotees in our Gaudiya Math history that, upon any investigation
on their sanctity and level of extreme dedication, all doubts regarding
their purity disappear.
Unless a person is surcharged with the
service life, his acceptance of other's service or collaboration is a hoax,
and Krishna will sooner or later expose that painful fact for the benefit
of all. Often, some unqualified people in bureaucratic Vaisnava institutions
try to use material facilities for a lowly purpose that obliges true devotees
to withdraw from such environments to save the dignity of the gurus
line. Therefore, we should not blindly accept every person who is holding
a position among Vaisnavas, but instead should carefully watch the surrounding
sadhus
to see if they are happy with the service of their leader. If other people
start to chant Krishna's name and start becoming good devotees by connecting
with such a leader, Krishna must be using him for His purpose and we shall
show our respect.
Reinitiation - Demoniac and Divine
Our siddhanta points out that
in the long run our sampradaya is really a siksa-guru sampradaya.
Nevertheless, the sambandha jñana (the knowledge of our eternal
relationship with the Supreme Lord) is generally given along with the diksa
connection. Received through the initiation process, this connection is,
in many ways, the life line of a disciple in spiritual life, as well as
the source of his conviction and service. Therefore, to loose one's diksa
guru is a great calamity in a person's spiritual life.
Generally speaking, if a Vaisnava has left
the service of his guru he should be saved; whatever it may take.
Yet, Vaisnava etiquette must also be considered. If two spiritual masters
have a relationship, they can easily cooperate with each other to take
care of a disciple. This is common in instances when devotees, especially
brahmacaris, need to change their location. If a Vaisnava requests another
Vaisnava to look after his disciples, there is obviously no need for re-initiation.
In several instances, however, many devotees
have lost their faith in their diksa gurus due to the wrong behavior
and insensitivity of those gurus. These devotees became very helpless
and went searching for shelter at the feet of other Vaisnavas. Under the
circumstances, some received a connection through initiation from another
guru
who was in the mood of offering relief to the suffering devotees. The sentiment
was that the previous initiation was really not valid, since the promised
protection was not given. In such cases, Vaisnavas should be content if
his friends and brothers find a place where they are happy to continue
their devotional service.
Overall, it is up to the criteria of the
spiritual master to see how he wants to deal with disgruntled followers
of another guru. It is his responsibility, and he will receive the
reaction if he does not consider the other Vaisnava's situation with sensitivity.
If, however, re-initiation takes place between two acharyas or Vaisnava
missions without communication or due cause, it only demonstrates the lack
of recognition towards the genuineness of the other. Any case of motivated
preaching against another guru in order to steal his disciple is
clearly offensive and will have disastrous results. It is desirable if
such differences could be eliminated, and the common cause could be discovered.
Guidance with respect to such situations can be found in the actions of
great devotees such as Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, Srila B.
R. Sridhar Maharaj, Srila B. P. Puri Maharaj, and many others. Of course,
above all, Krishna is the true enjoyer of all of His devotees.
In truth, it is quite natural that close
contact between conditioned souls will be full of difficulties. Even those
who have chosen the path of bhakti and enlightenment sometimes enter
the field of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. In this way our
human frailties are exhibited. Devotees from different missions who meet
in Vaisnava functions may not necessarily agree on every point within their
practices and siddhanta. Tension may also exist between members
of the same mission. Still, we should follow the famous advice: Hate the
sin, not the sinner. Differences such as styles of preaching, over-zealousness
of neophyte devotees for their guru or simple ego clashes should
not disturb our overall appreciation for each other.
Westerns, particularly, often have the
tendency to be harsh with each other. Such treatment is altogether undesirable.
Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger and harshness are clearly described as
demoniac qualities in the Bhagavad Gita and one should not feel
justified in this sort of behavior. A forum should exist for discussing
philosophical points without becoming blasphemous towards others.
Personal attacks should be avoided and
the truth should be spoken in a pleasing way whenever possible. When a
sannyasi
once asked Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaj if there were any special instructions
for him before he left to preach in the West, he replied: Yes, there is
one thing. You must not have these harsh dealings with each other."
In addition, assuming the mistakes of individual
Vaisnavas to be a general trend of an entire group is only a shameful residue
of the influence of the age of Kali. We should all try not to give any
space to Kali in our preaching life and our Vaisnava relations. Meetings
among Vaisnavas in a courteous spirit will always help in resolving misunderstandings.
Devotees are also of different natures.
In The Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Maharaj relates that Srila Rupa Goswami encourages devotees of similar
natures to join together and discuss the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness.
In this way their faith will become strong. On the other hand, if devotees
of different natures clash over the philosophy, they may disturb their
faith as well as the faith of others.
The path of devotional service is full
of tastes, as well as degrees of surrender and conditioning. Not every
person can understand every instruction in the same way. Some instructions
of the Vaisnava literature can only be really understood by very advanced
Vaisnavas. Therefore some literature is practically prohibited for the
general sannyasis, let alone the beginners. Yet this should not
become a reason to disrespect each other or avoid creating a welcoming
atmosphere in our temples for all other members of the World Vaisnava Family.
Each devotee is at a different stage of
development. Thus, tolerance needs to be present in order to allow and
encourage everyone to grow in their Krishna Consciousness. This does not
mean that there cannot be philosophical discussions and dialogue. Rather,
such discussions should be done in a spirit of helping individuals and
groups advance in their Krishna Consciousness.
This attitude could be called transcendental
courtesy. Meetings such as the VVRS-WVA meetings, or the celebrations of
a Vaisnava acharya's Vyasa Puja or Tirobhava, are attended by many
members from various missions. During these types of meetings transcendental
courtesy is quite normal. After all, we all have so much in common and
so little to disagree upon, once we start appreciating each other.
Customs Within the Gaudiya Math
Sistachara means the rules
of conduct and worship, as passed down from the verbal instructions of
the spiritual masters to their disciples. These unwritten rules of relationship
between different Gaudiya Maths find their roots in the Vaisnava tradition.
While missions may differ on certain subjects, a general pattern can be
observed almost everywhere. It is compulsory, by the nature of the non-sectarian
Vaisnavas, for instance, to be very friendly and appreciative of the devotees
and the services done by members of other branches.
Nevertheless, disputes or misconceptions
have entered into various branches, or between missions, resulting in many
unfriendly relationships in the Gaudiya Math family. Thus, for the purpose
of guiding us, I will record a few of the characteristics of proper Vaisnava
conduct that I have observed in the Gaudiya Math.
1. Whenever any Math celebrates a special
festival in honor of their founder etc., they invite the other different
branches in their vicinity to attend the function. To show respect, the
other missions send a few members to honor the invitation.
2. Respect is shown among the Gaudiya Math
members in accordance with seniority. Often, however, senior members will
reject such respect, choosing to honor a younger Vaisnava who has done
outstanding service. They, in return, will reject that motion and insist
to honor the senior members first. This is a kind of a loving struggle
often observed among real Vaisnavas. In this way, the speakers are chosen
within the meetings, and other personal care is scheduled.
3. If a Vaisnava comes to bless a meeting
or festival he will generally receive, in accordance with the ability of
the host, the following items:
These are the basic customs observed
among Vaisnavas which make their association very sweet. In fact, these
elements of fraternity and friendly welcome to guests is compulsory for
any well educated person. Even an enemy should not feel ill treated when
he comes to your home, what to speak of other Vaisnavas. To serve them
properly only brings about blessings and happiness.
In addition, a few more points may be mentioned
herein:
1. One inquires from an arriving Vaisnava
about his initiation and service connection in order to find out how to
properly honor and encourage this Vaisnava on his path.
2. One should not glorify his guru
extensively in front of his guru's seniors or his godbrothers. To
refer to your spiritual master in front of his godbrothers with the same
name his godbrothers use for their guru is also not correct.
3. In the Gaudiya Math, in general, we
are always in the spirit of offering respect to others without expecting
anything first.
4. If any type of pride comes to contaminate
the Vaisnava relationships, it is just a question of time before Krishna
sends a lesson. We are happy about this. The environment is friendly to
all of us, all of the time.
5. Never despair in difficult moments.
Learn your lesson well, and continue your path of surrender.
Most importantly, we should never forget
the sloka by Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupad: yena tena prakarena,
manah Krishna nivesayet. . . Above all else people should think about
Krishna. Later, the rules and regulations can gradually be introduced."
Everybody has to be happily accommodated
in this family of Krishna Consciousness. This is the golden rule, and our
attitudes should not interfere with this ideal. Topics such as the different
songs sung in different functions, their rituals, and initiation procedures,
etc., are quite secondary. Even though the book Sat Kriya Sar Dipika,
by Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, gives guidance on many samskaras
(purification rituals), we have seen that different acharyas have
adopted different simplified variations of rituals in their preaching practices.
This is not a reason for dispute.
If someone is too much of a neophyte to
understand this, he will have a hard time associating with other Gaudiya
Math branches. It is not possible to apply the same strictness at all times,
places, and circumstances. Let us be flexible, harmonize, and again, always
think of Krishna.
From 1981 to 1996 a controversy arose within the ISKCON limb of the Gaudiya Math branch of the Chaitanya tree concerning the origin of the soul. Thus, it will be briefly mentioned here that the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta, as taught by our acharyas, perfectly clarifies the fact that the jivas come from Sri Krishna's tatastha sakti (marginal potency) and have not fallen down from the personal association with Lord Krishna in Goloka, or from the association of Lord Narayan in Vaikuntha. In fact, all four Vaisnava sampradayas are in agreement with respect to this topic. Statements to the contrary (such as those found in Back to Godhead etc.) or those which lend themselves to interpretation, can be understood as simplifications within a framework which does not require siddhantic clarification. At any rate, the secrets of the origin of the soul are well kept by our Supreme Lord who reserves all rights to fully facilitate His loving lila, and who does not oblige anyone to have a relationship with Him.
How Vaisnava Siddhanta Views Copyrights of Transcendental Literature
By using copyrights someone claims
to own the rights of a creative contribution. Yet this is incompatible
with the nature of the divine decent of knowledge into this world. Limiting
the publication of holy scriptures and their distribution to any one person
or institution contradicts the nature of our siksa guru parampara
and the Vaisnava acharyas. Any copyright claim decision which causes
the number of transcendental books distributed and published to decrease
is also certainly not in the interest of any Vaisnava acharya.
The only real proprietor of the rights
is the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Himself, and it is He alone who decides
which disciple is qualified to deliver the pure message of his guru.
Once, when Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj was reading the Krishna
Book, his secretary asked him why he was reading his own books. Srila A.
C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj replied: These are not my books, they have
been dictated to me."
While Krishna allows His Bhagavat-Gita
to be printed by many different people, only the real devotees get the
blessings of bhakti by printing this sacred text. Therefore, all
other attempts by any Vaisnava institution to claim the exclusive rights
to their acharya's contributions is not in accordance with the transcendental
law.
The spiritual master is a transparent medium
of God who delivers His teachings to the world. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Maharaj wanted his books to be distributed by anyone to everyone.
When he was present, even those who kept a distance from the administration
of his mission were allowed to distribute his books. Acharyas desire
their teachings to be handed down through their disciples and other sincere
Vaisnavas.
A disciple receives the mantra and
teachings from his guru; and he promises to remain faithful to his
guru's
teachings. This is the only formal condition required for a disciple
to be accepted. Thus, each disciple has the right and duty to distribute
the teachings of his guru in the way he considers the most appropriate.
It is also true that every Vaisnava mission naturally wants to use the
literature they print and distribute to further their cause through the
invitations printed in the books.
History has shown that the properties of
the missions of great acharyas sometimes end up in the hands of
mundane persons unaware of the sacred meaning of such places. Nevertheless,
such people have not had the opportunity to claim monopoly on the teachings
and writings of their guru and founder acharyas. This is
a very important observation. It is a well known fact that successors sometimes
fail to continue the acharya's line of pure devotion, while other
disciples succeed in carrying on the essence of the sampradaya.
Due to the misdirection of some leading
members of Vaisnava missions, the properties which their guru established
have become objects of dispute or misuse. Nevertheless, the teachings of
any true guru are the property of all those who carry on the true
spirit of his message. Since it can not be pre-determined who is really
a qualified disciple, all have the right to preach the message of their
guru
as well as to publish and distribute his teachings. Only by his own
qualification, and not by any type of nomination, can someone be accepted
to represent his spiritual master properly. We find that this conclusion
is supported by the living Vaisnava tradition. Examples of this include
the following:
VRINDA
VRINDAVAN INSTITUTE FOR VAISNAVA CULTURE AND STUDIES