Hare Krsna
1) What follows is some short segments out of a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he nicely gives a short history of his life and how he met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj, his guru. Of particular interest is where Prabhupada states that he was initiated by his guru because he was thinking always of him and accepted his disciplic conclusions. Some years later he got formally initiated.
2) Another very important point is that Srila Prabhupada states that his only qualification was his cent percent faith in the words of his guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj.
3) And the final point is where Srila Prabhupada states that we as disciples should not be so concerned with public opinion. Our only business should be to satisfy our guru and the param para, then our “business” is finished. This is particular relevant today since one of iskcons mis-leaders recently has publicly stated that doing Hari nama sankirtan looks like some fairly tale world…here is his youtube statement..
“If you want to see a fairy tale world, and I don’t mean to offend Vaisnavas because they’re great souls, but you can see on Youtube, you can see these harinam parties, sometimes in European capitals, where devotees are jubilant, you can just see, ‘We’re saving the world, we’re saving the world’ (mockingly) and everyone is just walking by. It’s like parallel universes. It’s just parallel universes. We’re not in the real world….”
(Youtube video of Hrdayananda das go das)
Canakya pandit says its better to have NO leader than bad leaders !
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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Lectures : Festival Lectures : His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada’s Appearance Day, Lecture — Los Angeles, February 7, 1969 : 690207BA.LA :
Prabhupāda: … So then Dr. Bose, he was my father’s friend. So he asked, “What this Abhaya is doing?” And my sister told him, “Oh, he has appeared in the B.A. examination, but he is not doing anything.” So Dr. Bose was my father’s friend. So he appointed me the manager of his laboratory. I did not know anything; still, he appointed me. So that was in 1921. In 1920 I gave up my education. Of course, I was married in 1918, and I got my first child in 1921. So in 1922, when I saw my Guru Mahārāja and when I was convinced about his argument and mode of presentation, I was so much struck with wonder…. Of course, Guru Mahārāja did not say anything, that “You give up your family life.” No, never said. He simply gave the idea. So I thought that “It would have been better if I was not married.” Anyway, then, 1923, I left Calcutta on my business, and I established my headquarter at Allahabad. So all the days I was thinking of this, “Oh, I saw a very nice saintly person. But I am now off from Calcutta.” So I was thinking like that. Practically he initiated me because I was thinking of…, always.
Then, in 1928, there was a big fair which is called Kumbhamelā. At that time I was doing business in Allahabad. My business was very flourishing. It was well-known drug shop. So the persons who went to organize our Gauḍīya Maṭha’s camp in that fair, somebody has told that “Here is a Bengali gentleman’s business. You can go, and he is very religious man. He will help.” So all the disciples of Guru Mahārāja, they approached my shop, my store, drug store. And because I was thinking of them, so I thought, “Oh, here is the men.” You see? You see? I was very glad—”So they have come again”—because I was separated from them in 1923, and again I saw them in 1928 after five years, and I was thinking of Guru Mahārāja simply in this way, “Oh, I met a very nice saintly person. Very nice saintly person. If I can see him again?” Like that. So in this way, with my help, the Allahabad center of Gauḍīya Maṭha was established. Then I was initiated in 1933.
So somehow or other, it has begun, the blessings of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, as he wanted me, he desired me. So because he desired, my… I am not very expert or educated or nothing extraordinary, but only thing is that I believed in his word. That is… You can say that is my qualification. I believed cent percent in his word. So whatever success is there, it is just due to my firm faith in his instruction. So I am trying to follow. And by his grace, you are helping me. So actually, the responsibility will now depend on you. I am also old man. I may pass away at any moment. This movement should go on,
So this is very nice process. And even others do not take it very seriously or they do not come to our philosophy, if you try for it, that is your business. Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Our ācāryas will be satisfied, Guru Mahārāja will be satisfied. And yasya prasādād bhagavat… If they are satisfied, then your business is finished. You see? Not that others is satisfied or not. By your chanting some public is satisfied—no, we are not concerned with that. He may be satisfied or not satisfied. But if I chant in the proper way, then my predecessors, theācāryas, will be satisfied. That is my business, finished, if I don’t invent in my own way. So I am very glad that Kṛṣṇa has sent so many nice boys and girls to help me. Be blessed on this auspicious day. And there is nothing mine. I am simply a postal peon. I am delivering to you what I have heard from my Guru Mahārāja. Simply you also act in the same way, and you will be happy, and the world will be happy, and Kṛṣṇa will be happy, and everything will be… (end)
