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The First Requirement
by bhakta Eric Johanson To become a disciple in a genuine devotional school and to understand and accept its teachings is both praiseworthy and rare. Such a lucky individual can only be a sincere seeker of spiritual life, but that transcendentalist must initially be able to complete the first requirement. Spiritual life is not only difficult; it’s a razor’s edge. Bona fide choices produce enlightenment, while misguided decisions create chaos. The first requirement necessitates that someone new to this consciousness becomes educated about these choices. People who take to a spiritual path desire a higher state of consciousness. Sometimes, however, they wind up in a forlorn state of…
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Review of Srila Prabhupada’s Hidden Glories: His Inconceivable Tolerance and Mercy
by bhakta Eric Johanson yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 7.128 This two book set definitively presents the evidence that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, was poisoned in 1977, most probably by his disciple/caretakers. Nothing is spared to make the convincing case, including extensive refutations of any possible objections. Having established this, the books present some…
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Further Dangers of Rittvik
Here Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada contrasts the guidance received from a physically departed spiritual master, Jesus Christ (or Srila Prabhupada), and a physically manifest guru. This is not only applicable to current rittvik advocates but all current followers of Srila Prabhupada since there is no known physically manifest pure devotee. From Amrita Vani, the Spiritual Master by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 40. If Jesus Christ was a jagad-guru and his instructions capable of bringing us deliverance, why do we need a spiritual master? We accept both the universal spiritual master and the initiating spiritual master. By accepting only the jagad-guru, we may…
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Rittvik is a New (Apa) Sampradaya
by bhakta Eric Johanson In recent years the rittvik advocates have come up with a new philosophical term for those who disagree with them. They call them “living guru” devotees. Take for example this characterization of Kailasa Candra dasa, a longtime opponent of rittvik, as found on p576 of book 1 of Srila Prabhupada’s Hidden Glories: “By 1989 he had become a living guru radical who had become an apologist for the living guru argument. He remains antagonistic to the rittvik order of Srila Prabhupada.” The thing is, and this also spotlights a big dishonesty of most rittvik advocates, in 1989 most devotees had never heard of rittvik,…
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Bhaktipadastakam Prayers
Sanskrit and English translations by Kusakratha dasa Narrative comments by bhakta Eric Johanson The following Sanskrit verses represent the pinnacle of zonal acarya hubris, pretense and delusion. Now, some 40 years after their era, many don’t know that thousands of devotees thought that these eleven men were all pure devotees, residents of the absolute spiritual sky. The one with the most believers, however, was Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, Srila Prabhupada’s first sannyasa disciple. Someone versed in Sanskrit actually composed these “prayers” to him. Verses and photo courtesy of henrydoktorski.com. chaitanya-sankirtan-dhama navya- vrndavanam dhama praksitam tu yenaiva tam sri-prabhupada-prestham sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam Let me sing about your unlimited…
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Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta – Ādi-līlā 1.35
mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana SYNONYMS mantra–guru — the initiating spiritual master; āra — and also; yata — as many (as there are); śikṣā–guru–gaṇa — all the instructing spiritual masters; tāṅhāra — of all of them; caraṇa — unto the lotus feet; āge — at first; kariye — I offer; vandana — respectful obeisances. TRANSLATION I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters. PURPORT Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his thesis Bhakti-sandarbha (202), has stated that uncontaminated devotional service is the objective of pure Vaiṣṇavas and that one has to execute…
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Glories of the Holy Name by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada
From Amrita Vani, Achieving Perfection, 47. According to Mahaprabhu, what is a human being’s most important duty? by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa Sri Caitanyadeva inaugurated the sankirtana movement and delivered the fallen souls of this age. He is the most magnanimous personality. In the verse beginning trnad api, He taught that chanting Krsna’s holy name is our only duty. Those who desire liberation and eternal happiness, as well as those who desire the treasure of love of God, should always chant the Lord’s holy name. The Lord’s name is nondifferent from Him. It is capable of delivering us from material existence and awarding us…
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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Appearance
From Amrita Vani, Sri Chaitanyadeva by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 9. How does the Supreme Lord perform His appearance pastimes? Since mother Saci and Jagannath Misra are eternally perfect devotees, their hearts and bodies consist of pure goodness. They are never to be considered ordinary jlvas. Pure goodness is also called vasudeva. Lord Vasudeva, who enjoys transcendental pastimes, appears only in pure goodness, or vasudeva. Mother Saci’s pregnancy did not occur through lusty association with her husband, as if they were a mundane male and female interested only in sense gratification, whose bodies were made of flesh, bones, and blood. Even to think…
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“Become A Spiritual Master”
Srila Prabhupada’s Class on Bhagavad-gita 2.2, August 3, 1973, London Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) śrī bhagavān uvāca kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna (BG 2.2) (break) śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutaḥ—wherefrom; tvā—unto you; kaśmalam—dirtiness; idam—this lamentation; viṣame—this hour of crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anārya—persons who do not know the value of life; juṣṭam—practiced by; asvargyam—that which does not lead to higher planets; akīrti—infamy; karam—the cause of; arjuna—O Arjuna. Translation: “The Supreme Person, Bhagavān, said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They…
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A Glimmer of His Causeless Mercy
From Amrita Vani, Material and Spiritual Topics by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 2. Does lack of faith in God cause distress? Wherever there is an absence of complete faith in the most auspicious personality, there is bound to be inauspiciousness. Therefore, the ascending or unauthorized path should be totally rejected and the descending or authorized path of disciplic succession accepted. If we really want to benefit, we will have to offer everything we have accumulated since birth to the Lord’s lotus feet without reservation and await His causeless mercy. Until we are favored by a glimmer of His causeless mercy, we will not…
