Srila Ananta das Babaji on sadhu-sanga - Outside of his traditional lineage

Dear Vaishnavas,

although this is something very personal I would like to share the advices my Srila Gurudeva gave me regarding the sadhu-sanga outside his traditional lineage, which I found very uplifting and wonderful.

Please note his post scriptum (*) where he refers to the problem mentioned in the fourth paragraph where I wrote about "speaking bad about someone".

I took this into my heart and I will try to control my tonque much more.


First my letter (the first two paragraphs I erased because of being too personal).
Then Baba´s letter.

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Dear Vaishnavas,

although this is something very personal I would like to share the advices my Srila Gurudeva gave me regarding the sadhu-sanga outside his traditional lineage, which I found very uplifting and wonderful.

Please note his post scriptum (*) where he refers to the problem mentioned in the fourth paragraph where I wrote about "speaking bad about someone".

I took this into my heart and I will try to control my tonque much more.


First my letter (the first two paragraphs I erased because of being too personal).
Then Baba´s letter.

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This letters shows how deeply Baba trusts his disciples, and their mature reasoning.
Awesome, simple and straight to the point.

Jay Sri Gurudeva.

I humbly acknowledge this advice from Anantadasji..

I guess the europeans are a bit cooler than americans, being accepting of you like you say Tarunji.

Radhe Radhe!

I have not experienced any issues. In fact the first ISKCON Temple I attended after receiving diksa gave me a hero's reception when I returned for the first time which was so over the top I almost ran away because it was scary! My receiving diksa was not a secreat and several devotees congratulated me on it, wished me well and asked for details.

I think both the climate has changed dramatically, at least in most places, and it also has a lot to do with how one leaves ISKCON and what type of attitude they approach ISKCON with.

Rasaraja dasa

Sounds like a different planet than the one I landed on years ago...

I have an entrance prohibition to the local ISKCON temple since my leaving for Narayan Maharaja, and apparently leaving him didn't remedy the issue either. Not that I would be looking forward to attending kirtan with march melodies and "because book distribution and brahmacharis ki jay" lectures though. The excommunication doesn't seem to affect the relationships we have with those ISKCON members not living in the confinement of the official structure, though.

Radhe Radhe!

I am sure it is. It is a different universe then when I first joined the asrama 15 years ago what to speak of in the late 70's and early 80's. After all that is happened in ISKCON I think many realize that throwing stones and/or making brash statements about others isn't in their best interests. Regardless it is a positive development for all involved.

Rasaraja dasa

Since one year I am again regularly attending Iskcon Rath Yatras, Harinam Processions and Sunday Feasts, and I am getting cordial receptions everywhere. I havent been there for so many years though, that the current generation of inmates do not know me, so they dont bar my entry, and the occasional contemporary treats me cordially like good-old-boys. I do not always have a purifying effect from eating their prasad, though the kirtans are still great.

Well, here we have some good bhajan-singers, fortunately.
Well, Gaura-arati at 1900h is sometimes getting a bit stormtrooperish.

Rasaraja made a good point: I always kept the contact in a nice manner and I never went there and started die-hard-discussions on the deadbringing issues.

Still, sometimes things get heated up when a lecturer leans too much out of the window, like "No one has the right to do raganuga-bhajan, it is for the pure devotees". Then I remember Madhavaji´s excellent "Brief essence of raganuga-bhakti", then I qoute something from the acaryas (Goswamis mainly) and suddenly the room gets very very quiet.

A mixture of eyes staring at me with honest interest and eyes blinking with disgust...


Yep, times are changing, really.

TarunGovindadasji,

Where is this located? Is there a thread you can give..?

namaskar,

jijaji

Jai Radhe!
Regarding changing times, people do change and Krsna is so mercifull.
Just this past Ekadasi, the local temple president of Iskcon temple called me at my home, completely unnerving me. He wanted to apologize for having been so aggressive and rude to my wife and myself. We had gone for Darshan and he was vigorously trying to engage me in a debate and we were trying to see Nitai-Gaur. We had not been back since that day. He unreservedly apologized and asked me to come and visit the Deities and sing bhajan. He then asked me what I was reading at the time. I told him Pandit Ananta Das Babaji's RVC and he again shocked me by glorifying Panditji to the sky!
He raved about how Panditji's translations are the most clear and precise and his purports are always "dead-on".
I am still shocked and a little wary, but will go tomorrow to the temple where so many years ago I saw the first image of PancaTattva had ever seen and the first Hari Kirtan I had ever heard.
We shall see how it goes.
Jai Radhe Radhe!

It is really nice to hear all these positive comments. I think new generations of both tradition will come to realize pretty soon they will not head towards anywhere if they want to ignore each other. Certainly they need to acknoledge positive sides of each other and contribute to the tradition more effective by sharing their treasure.

I think in future ISCKON's preching mission will be blended by the thought and practice of traditional communities to help them preach more efficiently and more effectively to reach entire masses. Because Bhajan and Preaching both are required inorder to carry Mahaprabhu's leagacy for future world.

"The Brief Essence of Raganuga Bhakti" is online as a pdf document (40 pages) at http://www.raganuga.org/raganuga-bhakti-sara.pdf

A document I need to update one of these days... There's plenty more it should contain.

Wait a minute, AnantaDas BabaJi said dont eat the food at ISKCON but its ok to associate with them?

(40 pages is brief..? )

jijaji

Yes, that's what he said. You can read some further discussions about this in this thread.

I thought he was refering with "the same (problem)" to talking bad about someone, but I just realized the "as far as possible"...

He would never encourage "talking bad about someone", so "as far as possible" must indeed refer to the prasadam-issue, right?

Thats how I read it. Tactfully here means to skillfully avoid the issue. Its better to plan ahead and not be put in a position where you have to take the prasadam, than to be rude and push the plate away, etc. I took 'as far as possible' to acknowledge that there may in fact be times that you are offered prasadam and can not get out of eating it without being disrespectful.