Govardhana Darsana Excerpt — November 4, 2008
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: But I want that there should be some rule and regulation. There should be no quarrel among yourselves. If any devotee wants to take harinama from Padmanabha Maharaja, but Nemi Maharaja or anyone is telling again, again, and gives them diksa and harinama, then this is not okay. Do you understand?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: No, Gurudeva.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Gurudeva wants to tell that if someone wants to take from you, but other devotees say, “Don’t. He is bad, don’t go to him, Take from me.” Like this…
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Oh, telling against him.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Now understand?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Yes.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What did I tell?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Yeah, that if someone wants to take harinama, let’s say from Asrama Maharaja, but then Sajjana Maharaja is telling that devotee, “No, no, no, don’t go to Asrama Maharaja. Take from me.” So this….
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: In case he will do this, first time, warning. And second time, then his giving diksa should be stopped by a general body.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: I thought nobody can control guru.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Guru is asraya-tattva. Guru – acarya mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit [“The acarya is to be considered as My very self. No one should disrespect him.”] How can a general body control…?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: No, Gurudeva wants to say that suppose someone wants to take initiation from you, but Padmanabha Maharaja and myself, or another, says to him, “Don’t go to him. He’s bad, African, black person. Don’t go to him.” Then, first there will be a warning. Second time, his giving initiation will be stopped.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: But my question is that guru is a transcendental position, not to be controlled. How can guru be controlled by a body?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Guru. How can guru be controlled by a body?
Sripad Suddhadvaiti Maharaja: Commission.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Maybe the commission is made up of baddha-jivas, and guru himself – his disciples are thinking he is liberated.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Now I am present, and I am giving power to that general body so that if any sannyasi is doing like so, he must be stopped. Like ISKCON is doing.
Brajanath dasa: Maharaja, if a sannyasi says, “He is bad,” then that sannyasi who says that, he is not…
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: He will be banned from giving initiation.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Otherwise there will be quarrels among yourselves, and you will be separated.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Now understand, Maharaja?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Yeah, I understand, understand.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Who is blaspheming and telling, “Oh, don’t go to him. He is bad,” that sannyasi will be banned from giving initiation.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sannyasi will be banned.
As Damodara das prabhu poins out, one does indeed not have to be a sannyasi to initiate disciples. Just as the aspirant disciple prays for a qualified guru, similarly the devotee’s prospective guru must first and foremost be a good disciple of his or her own guru and should be sufficiently devoted, knowledgeable, introspective and reflective that he or she can be firm in conviction and correct in behaviour.
Such a person, approached by an aspirant disciple, will never seek fame, adoration or wealth and must seriously and prayerfully ponder his or her own qualifications to execute the highly responsible task for years into the future, exactly as a prospective grhastha couple would contemplate the mutual responsibility of marriage, or as that married couple would later contemplate their shared commitment of raising one or more children from infancy to adulthood. In this connection, we might remember the stories in our lineage of great acharyas such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, who several times requested his guru, Srila Gaura Kishora das Babaji Maharaj, before the latter acceded to initiate him. There is nothing wrong for the guru to say “no” or “not yet” to an aspirant devotee; patience is an underrated virtue.
To adequately discharge the responsibility of becoming responsible for the spiritual welfare of a disciple, both the aspirant devotee and the proposed guru ought to be able to maintain close association for a period of a year or more prior to the formal diksa, so that each of the two can evaluate both their own readiness for the task ahead and the other’s sobriety, sanity, suitability and steadiness,.The relationship is mutual, not one-way; that qualified guru and his or her disciples should both remain humble, contemplating the Upanishadic prayer: “May we both, teacher and disciple, learn together.”
Such a guru is advised not to take many disciples, the better to offer sufficient attention to each of his or her initiates. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad and Srila B.V. Narayan Maharaj were each able to take many thousands of disciples, but such extraordinary deeds ought not to be taken as precedent for subsequent gurus concerned about their own spiritual lives as well as the spiritual lives of their disciples. To avoid the risk of neglecting individual devotees for whom he or she has accepted responsibility, the wise guru will be careful to limit the number of his or her disciples, striving for quality above quantity. This approach need not prevent the Gaudiya Vaishnava community from thriving; after all, Srila Prabhupada many times declared his wish that all of his “boys and girls” should become qualified to initiate in their own right. So yes, of course, a devotee who is not a sannyasi can give harinama and diksa if he or she is qualified.
Well , at least we heard it directly from Srila Gurudev and gave the empowerment to the body. When it is declared by a bonafide Guru, then it shall be so.
I also pray there will be no quarrels. However, I’m still sore and miss Srila Gurudeva very much and I’m sure I’m not alone in this very difficult time. I think until it’s clear what the “Rule and Regulation” to everyone within the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society is this will continue to be a sensitive subject for many Srila Gurudeva disciples that are still in the midst of cooping with His physical absence.
What I got from this discussion is to simply mind my own business and to continue to offer respects to everyone regardless. I for one, and I think many other devotees know from experience, that politics TERRIBLY confuse newcomers and bad blood is the fast tract to disuade people from joining our society. I think if people want harinama and diksa from whomever they wish let them decide on their own! I was personally ENCOURAGED to see and meet Srila Gurudeva not forced nor did that devotee ever bad mouth any seniors whom I went to go see in ISKCON at the time. In conclusion, I’m just very humbly encouraging all my god-siblings to just be careful, love and offer respects all.
I pray there will be no quarrels among International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society’s senior devotees. Srila Gurudeva has said on numerous occasions that it’s best to pray for a qualified guru before taking harinama, diksa or sannyasa. Also, one does not have to be a sannyasi to give harinama or diksa. Can devotees who are not sannyasis give harinama and diksa in IPBYS if they are qualified?