Hare Krsna-
Hare Krsna-
701219SB.SUR Lectures
Prabhupada:…paramahamsa is the highest stage of perfection. Just like as a
preacher we have to point out… Just like I told this boy, “You sit
down like this.” But a paramahamsa will not say. A paramahamsa, he
sees, rather: “He is all right.” He sees. But we should not imitate
paramahamsa. Because we are preacher, we are teacher, we should not
imitate paramahamsa. We must tell the right source, right course.
Revatinandana: You must be higher than the paramahamsa stage,
Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: I am lower than you. I am lower than you.
Revatinandana: You are so beautiful. You are paramahamsa, but still,
you are preaching to us.
Prabhupada: No, I am lower than you. I am the lowest of the all
creatures. I am simply trying to execute the order of my spiritual
master. That’s all. That should be the business of everyone. Try best.
Try your best to execute the higher order. That is the safest way of
progressing. One may be in the lowest stage, but if he tries to
execute the duty entrusted upon him, he is perfect. He may be in
lowest stage, but because he is trying to execute the duty entrusted
to him, then he is perfect. ………
I thus explain the truth of the Pañca-tattva. One who hears this explanation increases in knowledge of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Pañca-tattva is a very important factor in understanding Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There are sahajiyās who, not knowing the importance of the Pañca-tattva, concoct their own slogans, such as bhaja nitāi gaura, rādhe śyāma, japa hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma or śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma śrī-rādhe govinda. Such chants may be good poetry, but they cannot help us to go forward in devotional service. In such chants there are also many discrepancies, which need not be discussed here. Strictly speaking, when chanting the names of the Pañca-tattva, one should fully offer his obeisances: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offense. When chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one should also chant it fully: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One should not foolishly adopt any of the slogans concocted by imaginative devotees. If one actually wants to derive the effects of chanting, one must strictly follow the great ācāryas. This is confirmed in the Mahābhārata: mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. “The real path of progress is that which is traversed by great ācāryas and authorities.”
While chanting the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra, one must chant the names of Śrī Caitanya, Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa with their many devotees. This is the process.
I again and again offer obeisances unto the Pañca-tattva. Thus I think that I will be able to describe something about the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Dear Prabhus.
Back in 2000 or a year before, I received a confirmation from the BBT regarding a question that I had sent them some 18 months or so previously. They can check their sent and received archives. The question was thus asked ( slight paraphrase mine ) . “Is the changed Bhagavada Gita As It Is that has been changed by the BBT and published in 1982 as potent spiritually as the original 1972 edition by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.” ? The answer was a resounding yes!. Therefore the BBT considers the original Bhagavad Gita As It Is that was printed in 1972 to be as spiritually potent as the changed 1982 edition of the exact same book. Then I responded with my answer…”Then why did you change it?” There has been no response so far. So far 14 years has passed regarding that last question and lack of an answer has yet to be been received here at home and my e mail address has not changed. If the BBT cannot answer that last question after 14 years then the original Bhagavad Gita As Its 1972 edition is not diss-approved by the GBC , the BBT or ISKCON. Therefore by lack of official condemnation they still recognize the original Bhagavad Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as being as spiritually potent as the changed 1982 edition! The conclusion must be that the original Bhagavad Gita As It Is that was printed and released in 1972 still holds the most recognized position as the most authoritative edition around the world in all ISKCON circles. Therefore you may all distribute the original 1972 edition of The Bhagavad Gita As It is to your hearts delight!!! So get busy!!!
The majority of Americans accept the original 1972 edition of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is as most valid and prefer its classic original form.
Ys Hasti Gopala Dasa
Below you will find that In February 1936, in Bombay, (parts of a) Vyasa Puja talk give by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami on behalf of his guru maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj.
His words then, are still relevent today .
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
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SSR 2 Choosing a Spiritual Master
Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this
evening to the Acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we
speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or acaryadeva, 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.
Hearing: The real tradition
By Vidura Das
In the article by Vraja Vilasa Dasa from the Sampradaya Sun Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right, the author writes: “Real surrender to Srila Prabhupada means we should follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on accepting a physically manifest guru…” I would like focus this article especially on this statement because this seems to be the central point from which the author makes his assertions. First and foremost, Srila Prabhupada has never instructed anywhere that we should approach a “physically manifest guru”. Sure there are places where Srila Prabhupada says we must approach a spiritual master, hear from him, render service under him, and inquire from him – submissively. These are the general aspects of the guru-disciple relationship. However, these aspects do not necessitate the guru from whom one takes initiation being present in his physically manifest [spiritual] body. All of the above aspects of approaching a spiritual master can be done through Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books, as the following quotes by Srila Prabhupada prove:
HEARING FROM SRILA PRABHUPADA:
“The method by which the transcendental message is received is the method of submissive hearing.”
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya – 23, Why Study the Vedanta-sutra?)