No Such Thing as One Exclusive Acarya

No Such Thing as One Exclusive Acarya

BY: SANKARSHAN DASA

Jan 04, 2011 — SINGAPORE (SUN) — Response to "Srila Prabhupada: Nitya-siddha" by Rocana dasa.

Rocana dasa writes:

"Many Gaudiya Matha followers see AC Bhaktivedanta Swami as one of many advanced disciples branching out from the Nitya-siddha Acarya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. But if Srila Prabhupada is a successive nitya-siddha Acarya following Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, then is the Gaudiya Matha conclusion correct?"

The concept of successive nitya-siddha acarya meaning to have only "One nitya-siddha" is absurd. Christianity may have only one Jesus or Islam has only one exclusive prophet. In our siddhanta there is no such thing as one exclusive Acharya, this is total mis-representation of guru-tattva.

Dear Rocana dasa, I presume you are a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, so naturally you see him as the best and heir for the Sampradaya Acarya position, which is of course your own opinion. Put yourself in the shoes of a disciple of a particular acharya from the Gaudiya Math or any other Vaisnava institution, I'm sure your views would have been much different. This is a relative point of view. We should have a broader perspective of things and speak from an absolute point of view.

What is absolute point of view?

"When we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudev or acharyadev we speak of something that is 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"
(Science of Self-Realization, pg. 70-71)

Srila Prabhupada goes on the explain:

"The acharya is not the guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many differing exponents of the truth. He is Jagad Guru or the Guru for all of us, the only difference is that some obey him wholeheartedly, while others do not obey him directly"
(Science of Self-Realization, pg. 70-71)

Absolute point means acharya from any institutions is a Guru for all of us, but because of our tendency to discriminate and proclaim that my acharya is the best, we simply preach to only develop our society and acharya's glories instead of nourishing the soul thus subtle politics, canvassing and aparadhas are committed. As you have seen, today's Gaudiya Vaishnavism is like a battlefield.

"Krsna says all acaryas are his representatives"
(Science of Self-Realization, pg. 58-59)

The Gaudiya Matha followers see Srila Prabhupada as one of the many advanced disciples branching out from Srila Bhaktisiddhata Sarasvati Thakur is in line with Shastric conclusion, because they are generally following the etiquette.

"One should not be envious considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly. This is a material distinction and has no place on the platform of spiritual activities."
(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 10-7 purport)

"Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami therefore offers equal respect to all preachers of the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who are compared to the branches of the tree. ISKCON is one of these branches and it should therefore be respected by all sincere devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 10-7)

So if we are seeing Srila Prabhupada as very great and within the mind having some subtle notions against the rest as not so great or lower, it is simply an attitude of enviousness. Furthermore it seems we are simply judging qualification based on how may temples and followers. Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji never really had temples or many followers. Does this mean Srila Prabhupada is better than him?

I got an answer to this from a devotee, he said: "How can you compare, we should not make any comparison". My reply: If that is the case why are you making a comparison now, between Srila Prabhupada and his Godbrothers or his disciples? Just because they are later acharyas? We are simply looking at the bodily platform and material time scale to discriminate. This sometimes leads to subtle aparadhas and thus many actually have no taste for chanting. With all these confusion I submitted my doubts to a one particular Acharya from the Gaudiya Math and his Divine Grace has this to say with regards to the purport of Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 10-7 purport:

"Whatever our Guru-Varga said all have some deeper meaning. Actually Srila Maharaj (Swami Prabhupada) wanted to explain that we should keep our equal vision towards every preachers. 'Vaisnava chinite nari devera shakati ' means- Even God and Goddess have no capability to recognize a Vaisnava. All preachers from SBMGS Sampradaya's are preaching with their practices. Who is preaching with exemplary practices they are Vaisnavas. Therefore, we should not discriminate amongst Vaisnavas; just serve them with due respect according to our capacity. But we should associates with such Vaisnavas who is like minded. I hope you understand my point."

Always in doubt we should submit it to someone who knows and not become puffed up with our own speculative theory.

"The bona-fide spiritual master, by his personal activities, teaches the disciple the principles of devotional service, one would go on speculating like impersonalist and dry speculation life after life and would be unable to reach the final conclusion".
(Bhag. 2.9.37 purport)

We must understand that Srila Prabhupada and his Godbrothers have different relationship from us. They have their own opinions when it comes to preaching, so some disagreements were there. We should understand that they are Godbrothers and they have their differences. Srila Prabhupada explains:

"So far as your question about controversy amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja, that is a fact. But this controversy is not material. Just like in a national program, different political parties are sometimes in conflict and make propaganda against each other, but their central point is always service to the country. Similarly, amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati there may be some controversy, but the central point is how to preach the mission of His Divine Grace. If the central point is fixed up then there is no harm in such controversy. Every individual being must have his opinion; that is the significance of individuality. But all such differences of opinions must coincide in Krishna."
(Letter to Mandali Bhadra, 28 July 1969)

This is also confirmed in Bhagavatam 4.28.31 purport:

"Among Vaisnavas there may be some difference of opinion due to everyone's personal identity, but despite all personal differences, the cult of Krsna consciousness must go on. We can see that under the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja began preaching the Krsna consciousness movement in an organized way within the past hundred years. The disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja are all Godbrothers, and although there are some differences of opinion, and although we are not acting conjointly, every one of us is spreading this Krsna consciousness movement according to his own capacity and producing many disciples to spread it all over the world."
(Bhag. 4.28.31)

Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami, Srila Prabhupada's senior Godbrother explains in his classic "Heart of Krsna":

"The difference of opinion between Vaisnavas are inspired by Sri Chaitanya in order to instruct us. If anyone foolishly takes sides in such a debate, he becomes an aparadhi by contradicting and criticizing the other Vaisnava, and the results are most harmful to him. It's like someone serving Krsna with one hand slapping him with the other. When a person understands that Vaisnavas are the different limbs of Krsna's transcendental body, he understands that the Lord and his devotees are inseparable".

So because we are taking sides we are committing aparads against other acharyas and their followers, therefore everything is in a mess nowadays. With regards to Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers our position should be:

"One should respect one's spiritual master's Godbrothers as one respects one's spiritual master".
(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-Lila 5-147 purport)

So we must not discriminate between Srila Prabhupada's and his Godbrothers and respect those who are preaching with exemplary conduct equally. The moment we discriminate, than this movement would be like a battlefield.

I'm only urging devotees to understand the guru-tattva, preferably under the guidance of somebody from that plane. We should see everything from the absolute plane. These fightings, and mis-representation is the result of perceiving issues from the relative point. Please give this up. Thank you Hare Krsna.

Yours in service,
Sankarshan dasa