Back To Prabhupada, Issue 60, Vol 4, 2018
elcome to Issue 60 of Back To Prabhupada (BTP).
1) Srila Prabhupada explains how one should understand Lord Caitanya's teachings:
"Those who are not representative of Krsna, they will say simply dogmas. [...] bhagavata-dharma, there is no dogma. [...] just try to understand the gift of Lord Caitanya by logic [...] Don't follow blindly. Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay. But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they put everything in logic. [...] you study the Caitanya's philosophy with logic and argument... Don't go by sentiment."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 6/1/71, emphases added)
Thus, Srila Prabhupada makes it clear that even Krishna consciousness should be understood with logic and argument, and in this way we can avoid falling prey to those who are not Krishna's representatives peddling "simply dogmas".
2) To make the matter clear, Srila Prabhupada then continues by offering an example of how one should use such logic and argument:
"Just like some missionary people are propagating a man to become God. How a man can become God? There must be evidences how God incarnates. [...] So many false propaganda is going on. That is not logical at all. So one should be intelligent to understand the philosophy of Krsna or philosophy of Lord Caitanya with logic and argument. Don't follow blindly."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 6/1/71, emphases added)
Thus, although it may be claimed that one can attain the divine status of God, one must question such a claim through logic and argument, and seek "evidences". Krishna consciousness, therefore, must be understood with one's intelligence. This importance of intelligence in Krishna consciousness is discussed further in the article on page 4 of this issue.
3) The example given above by Srila Prabhupada is very similar to the situation that is currently present in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada said:
"They offer me respect. That is their duty. [...] Spiritual master is servant God, and Krsna is God, and because in the absolute field there is no distinction between the servant and the master..."
(Room Conversation, 21/3/71)
Srila Prabhupada refers to his position as ISKCON's Acarya and diksa guru, and how therefore he is to be worshipped as "servant God". Thus, in the same way that Srila Prabhupada speaks of the false propaganda claiming that one can achieve the divine status of God, in ISKCON there is propaganda that many have achieved the divine status of "servant God" – by having supplanted Srila Prabhupada's position as ISKCON's diksa guru.
4) Yet, according to Srila Prabhupada, we must question and argue whether this is actually false propaganda advertising false gurus (see article on page 14 for an analysis regarding "false gurus" by a false guru himself!). This is done by:
i) Seeking evidence for this propaganda;
ii) Using logic and our intelligence.
Our seeking evidence for this propaganda is demonstrated by our request for proof for "Modifications A and B", in The Final Order, our position paper. And to date no one has been able to offer this proof or fault our use of logic and intelligence, as anyone who checks out the hundreds of rebuttals on our website – www.iskconirm.com – can verify for themself. Indeed, those claiming this divine "servant God" status have themselves said that the IRM has a "step by step logical process" (HH Sivarama Swami, 18/7/08) and I have "good intelligence, no doubt" (HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami, 9/2/09).
5) Thus, when faced with propaganda claiming God or servant God status, questioning it and posing arguments is neither being unnecessarily challenging nor "offensive". Rather, it is what Srila Prabhupada has asked us to do – and challenging such propaganda is exactly what the IRM's mission is. One can therefore either join the IRM in this mission as directed by Srila Prabhupada, or be misled by false representatives. The choice is yours.
Thank you and Hare Krishna.
In Srila Prabhupada's service,
Krishnakant
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