Back To Prabhupada, Issue 81, 2024
The most common criticism we face from critics of BTP is that BTP only criticises and that criticism is not Vaisnava behaviour. Therefore, we are publishing a reference article in which Srila Prabhupada's position on the subject is given, which devotees and we ourselves can just refer to whenever this common objection comes up again. All emphases in article added.
Let us start at the beginning. Back To Prabhupada is titled after Srila Prabhupada's Back To Godhead (BTG) magazine, and Srila Prabhupada states that his very purpose for BTG is "exposing" via "criticism", so that people can be directed to the right path:
"On the whole, I wish to present Back To Godhead purely in the line of Krishna Consciousness throughout and criticism of too much materialism, as you have written many articles already. That is very nice."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 15/2/69)
"So go on exposing them, that is the purpose of the Back to Godhead paper, to expose their materialistic ideas as all nonsense and present the real philosophy that Lord Krsna gives."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 26/9/75)
BTG contained criticism of materialism in general. BTP focuses on criticism of false gurus, and we find that Srila Prabhupada strongly advocated the criticism of false gurus to save people from being cheated:
Tamala Krsna: "He said, "I like your Prabhupada very much, but why does he have to criticize all of our gurus?"" [...]
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes, they are cheating."
(Room Conversation, 10/7/76)
"So this is our one of the item, to vanquish all these rascals, so-called svamis. They say that "Why you criticize others also? Because we have to vanquish them."
(Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, 1/5/74)
"Our business is to point out who is not a saint."
(Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, 10/4/74)
"I think you have exposed him as a rascal and fool. [...] He does not like us because we reject all other bogus philosophy. For that many people criticize me, but why should we accept nonsense."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 20/4/73)
Srila Prabhupada explains how, for the purposes of preaching, criticism is necessary:
"Unnecessarily we do not want to criticize anyone. But when there is necessity, because we are preacher, it may be sometimes you'll be faced with opposite elements, so we have to criticize in that respect."
(Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 11/8/68)
"The fact is that I am the only one in India who is openly criticizing, not only demigod worship and impersonalism, but everything that falls short of complete surrender to Krishna. My Guru Maharaja never compromised in His preaching, nor will I nor should any of my students."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 3/1/72)
"Therefore they have to point out, "Here is a jealous man, envious man." But people do not want it. They say, "Why you are pointing out? Why you are pointing out?" But this is business of the preacher. Otherwise how he will preach?"
(Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, 7/4/74)
This is natural, because in order to establish what is surrender to Krsna, and therefore what is surrender to Srila Prabhupada - since part of surrendering to Krsna is to first surrender to His representative, the bona fide guru - one must also point out what is not surrender to Krsna and Srila Prabhupada.
"You have mentioned about some criticism made by Jaya Govinda which upset you. I do not know exactly what is the point, but if there is some honest criticism, there should be no cause of becoming upset."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 28/7/69)
Svarupa Damodara: "We also use some words which will be not so favorable when they read these things, our things. We're also trying to criticize them, that they are..."
Srila Prabhupada: "That do."
(Conversation, 21/6/77)
By criticising with the truth, people are saved from being misled and wasting their lives due to ignorance:
"People are innocent. It is our duty to become merciful upon them, to give them real knowledge. And these people are misleading. There must be strong protests against these rascals."
(Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, 3/5/73)
"Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth."
(Bg., 10.4-5, purport)
"They think that we unnecessarily criticize. But we require everything. [...] without spiritual consciousness we are dead [...] That we have to condemn."
(Srila Prabhupada, Arrival Comments, 9/7/76)
Thus, valid criticism can actually be a great mercy.
Finally, even if one still objects to criticism, Srila Prabhupada explains that presenting the truth is not criticism or fault-finding anyway:
Syamasundara: "I thought you were saying that we shouldn't criticize these people in public."
Srila Prabhupada: "No, no. To criticize means... Of course, when you are preaching, we have to show the real truth. And that is not criticizing. [...] So if we distinguish, "This man is thief and this man is not," then that is not criticism; that is speaking the truth."
(Room Conversation, 13/5/72)
"Apaisunam means that one should not find fault with others or correct them unnecessarily. Of course to call a thief a thief is not faultfinding"
(Bg., 16.1-3, purport)
1) Criticism of false gurus and other deviations is integral to preaching, and thus not only bona fide but also urged.
2) All that matters is if the criticism is truthful - and every word of BTP is always truthful.
In any case, those who criticise us for criticising - as well as for supposedly being deviants - are themselves guilty of criticising and thus are self-defeated as hypocrites!
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