Innumerable Gurus

Tamal Krishna Goswami and Giriraja Swami talk of Prabhupada as if he were simply another one of innumerable gurus who maintain a temple and dozen disciples who beg some money for their guru to insure their rice, dahl and chapatis. If Narayana Maharaja and other "Vaishnava rasika gurus" are so highly elevated in Krishna consciousness, why is it that they have never been able to accomplish anything of significance, either before Srila Prabhupada began his ISKCON preaching activities in 1965 or during the time (1965-1977) that Srila Prabhupada was preaching world-wide and establishing ISKCON or since the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada to the present day (1977-1994)? What has Narayana Maharaja done? What has any other Gaudiya Math sadhu done? Why should Srila Prabhupada be compared to them? How many books printed, how many temples, guest houses, farm communities, foreign disciples, how many trips around the world, TV and radio, university appearances? What has any Gaudiya Math guru done? Just give some account of their tangible contributions to preaching the mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

People talk of devotees and gurus as if they were a dime a dozen, the common, everyday commodity, but the fact is to date we have only one pure devotee in whom we can rest our faith, Srila Prabhupada, the Sampradaya Acharya. He is like butter, and the others are like margarine. He is gold, others are like brass. Everyone wants to be the guru, the saviour of the fallen souls. Everyone has got the heart disease of lust, and it is especially permanent in the shape of pratistha ("I am the guru. All others are to serve me and follow my command").

How deep the mountain is???

On the one hand Narayana Maharaja says Srila Prabhupada is his guru and friend, then later he belittles his guru and friend by saying he merely gave the basic thing; whereas he, Narayana Maharaja, a "rasika bhava guru," will give the higher thing. To accept one as guru means surrender, unconditionally, just as Arjuna surrendered to Krishna. Arjuna and Krishna were also friends, but when Arjuna surrendered to Krishna, friendship stopped, and master and disciple relationship began. So Narayana Maharaja claims that he accepted Srila Prabhupada as guru, then he says that Srila Prabhupada was also his friend. Then he said that Srila Prabhupada gave only the basic thing, and he proceeds to enumerate a list of "rasika bhava gurus" in the disciplic succession, including Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and his (Narayana Maharaja's) own guru and stops there, not naming or mentioning Srila Prabhupada, yet obviously indicating himself as the present "Vaishnava rasika bhava guru." Then he says, "They know how high the mountain is, but they don't know how deep the mountain is." But what is the meaning of his little quip? Whoever cares how deep the mountain is? Of what necessity or practical value is it to know how deep the mountain is? How will that help one to climb and reach the mountain peak? I don't get it. Does anyone get the point?

The Mafia should surrender

Giriraja Swami proposes and argues that ISKCON should co-operate with Gaudiya Math and tries to impress us that Srila Prabhupada wanted this co-operation. But what Srila Prabhupada wanted was that everyone--the government, educators, religionists, scientists, hippies, Gaudiya Math, etc.--should co-operate with him and his ISKCON devotees to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. He did not want us to co-operate with them, but them to co-operate with him and his movement, ISKCON. Giriraja Swami suggests ISKCON co-operate with Gaudiya Math. This is preposterous. First of all, there is no united Gaudiya Math mission. It was destroyed by the disobedient leaders immediately after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada, just as ISKCON is being destroyed by its disobedient leaders, GBCs and gurus, who have disregarded Srila Prabhupada's order--"Act as rittvik of the Acharya." The chief disobeyers are Tamal Krishna and Giriraja, who at this very moment of writing are suggesting ISKCON co-operate with the Gaudiya Math. This is like suggesting that the USA government co-operate with the Mafia.

What need is there on the part of the government to co-operate with the Mafia? It should be the other way around. The Mafia should surrender and co-operate with the United States government. So the same conclusion: Srila Prabhupada must be accepted as the Sampradaya Acharya. All ISKCON leaders and then Gaudiya Math leaders must be unconditionally surrendered to him, Srila Prabhupada, as the perfect leader around whom all devotees world-wide can unite and co-operate to spread Krishna consciousness effectively.

But ever since ISKCON leaders have dismissed Srila Prabhupada from their association and have appointed themselves (with the sanction of the GBC) as the guru-acharyas of ISKCON, there has been no unity, no life in ISKCON, what to speak of the Gaudiya Math, who disobeyed the order of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and subsequently tried to obstruct, criticise or just ignore Srila Prabhupada and the great mission he initiated world-wide, known as ISKCON. It is ridiculous for Giriraja to suggest that ISKCON co-operate with the Gaudiya Math.

ISKCON cannot even co-operate with ISKCON. How would they co-operate with the Gaudiya Math?