general questions - general questions

Isn't the result of Madhavananda's personal experience yet another institution (pond, well, movement)?

I don't know if you would like to continue replying to my messages here, but before I am politely sent away, I want to apologize if I am irritating you with the said messages.

I don't know if you would like to continue replying to my messages here, but before I am politely sent away, I want to apologize if I am irritating you with the said messages.

On my side I am assuming, by the few things I have read in this site, that you positively do not aprove of Iskcon and Guadyia Math teachings and propaganda. So conclusively it seems to me that you are saying these two institutions are bogus and you can help clarify who is really representing and delivering Lord Caitanya's movement proper. My position is that I feel I need to proceed with caution for reasons that I would expect are obvious to you two. I am not challenging but I cannot help to highly question a few things.

Yes, I think that if you look into it deeply you will find that an individual can make an institution and/or a movement of his own. Even if that individual will be its only member. But I don't believe Madhavananda is in this entirely alone.

Actually by "hornet's nest" I meant the sensitivities of individuals who (again) I don't know personally. Other places we all know are stinging and can hurt, but we don't bother to mess with those anymore, do we? There is no chance of nectar there as we found out the hard way. I think what I am saying is that we should not become the biting party ourselves now...

110. After thinking a good deal about my complicated illness, mother spoke with a leather worker. He said he would bring a fakir the following morning and that he would cure me by means of exorcism. I waited in the morning and a very dark man of the leather working caste [a Muchi], who previously [I'd seen] playing the tol drum, named Fakir Chanda arrived. Using the leaves of the Bakash he performed the exorcism and then gave me gura leaves to eat. Then, [coming] close to me, he gave me a mantra and asked me to utter it regularly. [He told me] all would be revealed in a dream. He asked my mother to cook only vegetarian food for me.

111. He said to eat rice cooked with ripe tamarind. This was the prescription. After two days, while I slept, I dreamed that a black snake went out from my body. In the morning I related this to the fakir. He said that all danger had passed. "Now you do not have to follow the regulations. Go and take a bath and then eat. But continue to utter the mantra. Within two or three days your illness will be entirely cured." I then went and ate heartily. But the fakir declared, "You must not eat any meat, and by the strength of your mind you should call upon the Satya Purusha [the Supreme Person]. Neither should you eat any demigod's prasada. You should not worship any demigod."

112. My illness gradually became health. The fakir said, "Come, you should approach your Gurudeva!" I went with a happy heart. The residence of the fakirs was in the Muchi area of Beledanga. Gurudeva was also a Muchi, and previously he had made shoes. Gurudeva had several rooms. He stayed in one room in the temple of meditation and was sitting there [when I arrived]. He was on a raised clay veranda when I went and offered prostrations to him. He bestowed [his] blessings on my body with his merciful hand and gave me four pieces of muraki [puffed rice with molasses], which I ate with confidence. Gurudeva then said, "Your illness is completely healed?" I said, "The disease is completely gone, but the itching does not leave me."

113. Then Gurudeva gave the order, "Beat Kalu Raya and Dakshina Raya." Immediately upon hearing this order the fakir took a new broom and on a raised stone began to beat Kalu Raya and Dakshina Raya. Some emotion began to rise in Gurudeva and he began to cry and cry, and sang this song: "Once upon a time the feet of man began to sweat, therefore the Ganga began to flow."

114. When his emotions [bhava] subsided he commanded me saying, "Today your itching will become better. At night, whatever you dream you should come and tell [me] in the morning." Amazingly, during the night, my sores almost all dried up. In the night I dreamt that I put calcium powder on the sores. In the morning I related my dream to Gurudeva and he gave an order [that I was to be given] calcium powder. I used the powder, and after three days my sores were all gone. Now I began to eat good quality food and my body began to fill out. Gradually my strength and boldness increased. One day, Gurudeva showed me mercy by changing the mantra [given to me] and gave me a more appropriate mantra. Daily I chanted this mantra with devotion. I dreamt many kinds of dreams. Whatever was on my mind during the day that I dreamed about at night. Gurudeva gave me the order to heal others' disease. And that I attempted to do.

115. I would go to Gurudeva daily, at any time [I wished]. His name was Goloka. One day he said to me, "O Kedar Babu, our dharma is very pure. No harm [should be done] to any Jiva. One should not worship any demigod. One should be kind to others and [be of] good conduct: these are the foundations [of our creed]. Previously, Prabhu Aul Chanda preached this dharma by means of twenty two fakirs. Those twenty two fakirs established themselves in twenty two places and each extended the sampradaya. Among them one Ramasaran Pal of Ghosh Pada also preached but his actions were improper. Our own original fakir established the sampradaya at the village of Gontra, and his teachings were good. "We do not accept any Jati titles. Whatever is [generally considered to be] muchi is suchi if it is used for Krishna, and whatever is [generally considered to be] suchi is muchi if it is separate from Krishna. There is no fault in being married, but one should be sexually united with one's wife only once in a month, more frequent contact than that is not good. To the extent that semen is retained within the body to that extent it is beneficial. According to our teachings Radha and Krishna are the true couple. Even though They are a pair they are one. Though They appear to have form in fact They [have no material form]. They are like a Lord and [His] Lady. The doctrine that this couple is the pure male and female is very auspicious. Man should be like this, like a god and goddess immortal. O Kedar Babu, mercy has been bestowed on you; very soon you will know the truth of the divine couple."

116. I discussed all these matters to some extent with others and learned that our fakirs were Kartabhaja [a sect devoted to Sri Chaitanya]. In comparison with the Ghoshpara their behaviour was very good. Be that as it may, I had faith in the mantra and [their] doctrines. Even though Gurudeva was a muchi I had no lack of faith [in him]. One day he said, "Soon the village of Ula will be mostly destroyed. The people would die from fever and disease. How will the people remain in such a village?"

186. One day, one of my grandfather's servants chastised some Jati Vaisnavas [hereditary Vaisnavas] for the offense of fishing. They said that Vaisnavas' killing living entities was wicked. I heard this conversation and concluded that it was not proper for Vaisnavas to kill living beings. The Saktas perform sacrifices and kill animals and then eat the meat. Vaisnavas are [not really of] the material world. Moreover, I recall a Vaishnava named Jaga[?], who came to our house dancing and performing Nama Kirtan, and from whose eyes poured torrents of tears, and all these incidents created great faith [in Bhakti in me]. When I was ill the Kartabhaja made me healthy, and I realised the strength of the Vaishnava religion.