(Arrival Conversation Los Angeles, June 20, 1975)

 

Note: So please send in your articles Prabhu's.

 

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2. "UNDERSTAND IT FROM ME."

 

 

Dear Locanananda Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Nice article, i really like the quote you presented:

It is important that we preach the message of Krishna consciousness EXACTLY as we have heard it from OUR spiritual master. The same philosophy and spirit must be there.

So if you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, then we must understand in the same way as the person who directly heard from. This is called parampara system. Suppose I have heard something from my spiritual master, so I speak to you the same thing. So this is parampara system. You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. OR EVEN IF YOU READ SOME BOOKS, YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND IT FROM ME.

 

(731208SB.LA)

So if anyone reads the writings of the previous acaryas he has to do so as Srila Prabhupada instructs above. This is clarified by the quote you used:

Jayadharma: But that wouldn't mean that we should keep all the previous acaryas' books and only read them.

Srila Prabhupada: That is already there. You first of all assimilate what you have got. You simply pile up books and do not read -- what is the use?

 

[S.P. Conversation May 13, 1975]

THAT IS ALREADY THERE. This is the clear instruction. The essence of all the previous acarya's books are already there in Srila Prabhupada's books. "YES YES" His Divine Grace says.

Paramahamsa: Practically speaking, Srila Prabhupada, you are giving us the essence of all the previous acaryas' books in YOUR books.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.

 

[S.P. Conversation May 13, 1975]

So the statement OR EVEN IF YOU READ SOME BOOKS, YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND IT FROM ME would clearly mean READ MY BOOKS ONLY to understand the books of the previous acarya's.

 

"There is no need by any of my disciples to read any books besides my books--in fact, such reading may be detrimental to their advancement in Krishna Consciousness."

There is no need by any of my disciples to read any books besides my books--in fact, such reading may be detrimental to their advancement in Krishna Consciousness. All reading of outside books, except in certain authorized cases such as for example to read some philosopher like Plato to make an essay comparing his philosophy with Krishna's philosophy--but otherwise all such outside reading should be stopped immediately. It is simply another botheration. If my students cannot even read my own books thoroughly, why they should read others? I have given you TLC, what need is there to read Caitanya Caritamrta translated by someone else. You are right to stop such reading.

(S.P.Letter to Sri Govinda, 20 January, 1972)

So when Srila Prabhupada says "No, you should read.[the previous acarya's books] It is misunderstanding." There is no contradiction. The misunderstanding is only that people think they can read the previous acarya's books translated by a conditioned soul or a mayavadhi from the apa-gaudiya matha rather than reading them in disciplic succession from the liberated soul Srila Prabhupada [his books]

Reading Srila Prabhupada's books only is the correct mood to approach the previous acarya's. WE CANNOT JUMP OVER.  We have to go through Srila Prabhupada who is the servant, servant, servant, then we can become advanced, this is the process, the law of parampara. And if we think that we have now become master, and can jump over to the previous acarya's we are going to hell.

"You cannot jump over. You must go through the parampara system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvamis"

You cannot jump over Krsna consciousness without going through the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And to go through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu means to go through the six Gosvamis. This is parampara system. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says,

                  ei chay gosai jar--tar mui das
               ta-sabara pada-renu mora panca-gras

This is parampara system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the parampara system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvamis, and through the Gosvamis you will have to approach Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu you have to approach Krsna. This is the way. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura said, ei chay gosai jar--tar mui das. We are servant of servant. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. The more you become servant of the servant, the more you are perfect. And if you all of a sudden want to become master, then you go to hell. That's all. Don't do that. This is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If you go through the servant, servant, servant, then you are advanced. And if you think that you have now become master, then you are going to hell. This is the process. Dasa-dasanudasah. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. So servant, servant, servant, a hundred times servant now, that means he is advanced. He is advanced. And one who is becoming directly master, then he is in the hell.
   So anarpita-carim cirat. So we should always remember the instruction of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Therefore we pray, sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale. Our mission is to establish the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our business. Sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale. Srila Rupa Gosvami did it. He has given us so many books, especially Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which we have translated into English as Nectar of Devotion, to understand the science of devotional service. This is the greatest contribution of Srila Rupa Gosvami, how to become a devotee. How to become a devotee. It is not sentiment; it is science. This Krsna consciousness movement is a great science. ^ Yad vijnana-samanvitam. Jnanam me paramam guhyam yad vijnana-samanvitam. It is not sentiment. If you take it as sentiment, then you will create disturbance. That is the instruction of Rupa Gosvami. He said,

                      sruti-smrti-puranadi-
                     pancaratriki-vidhim vina
                     aikantiki harer bhaktir
                       utpatayaiva kalpate

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Lecture, Adi-lila 1.4 Mayapur, March 28, 1975)


Your servant Mukunda dasa.


MORE QUOTES

Whatever is to be learned of the teachings of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura can be learned from our books. There is no need whatsoever for any outside instruction.

(S.P.Letter to Gurukrpa and Yasodanandana, 25/12/73)

"You say that you would read only one book if that was all that I had written, so you teach others to do like that "                    

Regarding the Gaudiya Math books being circulated there, who is distributing? Who is sending these books? The Gaudiya Math does not sell our books, why we should sell their books. Who has introduced these books? Let me know. These books should not at all be circulated in our Society. Bhakti Vilas Tirtha is very much antagonistic to our society and he has no clear conception of devotional service. He is contaminated. Anyway, who has introduced these books? You say that you would read only one book if that was all that I had written, so you teach others to do like that. You have very good determination.

 (S.P.Letter to Sukadeva, 14 November, 1973)                  

 

From: <LFELDA@aol.com>

To: <Vaisnavacouncil@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: 01 February 2001 06:15

Subject: [Vaisnavacouncil] Re: On Reading Other Books

 

The following is an abbreviated transcript of a room conversation
that took place on May 13, 1975 in which Srila Prabhupada establishes
the correct priorities for his students concerning how and when to
approach the books written by predecessor acaryas.

Paramahamsa: Srila Prabhupada, I remember once I heard a tape where
you told us that we should not try to read the books of previous
acaryas.

Srila Prabhupada: I never said that.

Amogha: I thought you said that we should not read the previous
acaryas' books?

Srila Prabhupada: No, you SHOULD read. It is misunderstanding.

Paramahamsa: All of your commentaries are coming from the previous
acaryas.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayadharma: But that wouldn't mean that we should keep all the
previous acaryas' books and only read them.

Srila Prabhupada: That is already there. You first of all assimilate
what you have got. You simply pile up books and do not read -- what
is the use?

Jayadharma: First of all, we must read all your books.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Paramahamsa: Practically speaking, Srila Prabhupada, you are giving
us the essence of all the previous acaryas' books in YOUR books.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.


His Divine Grace said that he included all we needed to know to go
back to Godhead in the three volumes of the First Canto. He also said
that we could become fully Krishna conscious by reading the Bhagavad-
gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Nectar of Devotion and the Teachings
of Lord Caitanya. In his books, there are hundreds upon hundreds of
references to the writings of the previous acaryas, and by 
extracting the essence of their teachings, Srila Prabhupada has given
the most confidential knowledge to the entire world.

One need not go beyond what has been presented by the spiritual
master, but rather one should become expert in presenting the same
message.

   "It is important that we preach the message of Krishna
consciousness EXACTLY as we have heard it from OUR spiritual master.
The same philosophy and spirit must be there." (Letter to Sivanananda
dated 1-23-69)

We agree that the writings of the previous acaryas are not off-
limits, but before approaching other books, one should be well versed
in all of the instructions given by our own spiritual master, the
world acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Thank you for your association and I hope this finds you all in the
best of health and spirits.

Your servant, Locanananda dasa  

 

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3. One has to understand the writings of the previous acarya's not directly but through the medium of the current link in disciplic succession Srila Prabhupada.

 

 

TRANSLATION: By the mercy of Vyasa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly from the master of all mysticism, Krsna, who was speaking personally to Arjuna.

 

PURPORT: Vyasa was the spiritual master of Sanjaya, and Sanjaya admits that it was by his mercy that he could understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one has to understand Krsna not directly but through the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is direct. This is the mystery of the disciplic succession. When the spiritual master is bona fide, then one can hear Bhagavad-gita directly, as Arjuna heard it. (Note: This means that one has to understand the writings of the previous acarya's not directly but through the medium of the current link in disciplic succession Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is direct. Because Srila Prabhupada is bona-fide then we can hear the previous acarya's directly) There are many mystics and yogis all over the world, but Krsna is the master of all yoga systems. Krsna's instruction is explicitly stated in Bhagavad-gita--surrender unto Krsna. One who does so is the topmost yogi. This is confirmed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginam api sarvesam.
   Narada is the direct disciple of Krsna and the spiritual master of Vyasa. Therefore Vyasa is as bona fide as Arjuna because he comes in the disciplic succession, and Sanjaya is the direct disciple of Vyasa. Therefore by the grace of Vyasa, his senses were purified, and he could see and hear Krsna directly. One who directly hears Krsna can understand this confidential knowledge. If one does not come to the disciplic succession, he cannot hear Krsna; therefore his knowledge is always imperfect, at least as far as understanding Bhagavad-gita is concerned. (Note: If one does not come to the current link in disciplic succession Srila Prabhupada, he cannot hear the message of the previous acarya's; therefore his knowledge is always imperfect, at least as far as understanding the various books of the previous acarya's is concerned) In Bhagavad-gita, all the yoga systems, karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga, are explained. Krsna is the master of all such mysticism. It is to be understood, however, that as Arjuna was fortunate enough to understand Krsna directly, similarly, by the grace of Vyasa, Sanjaya was also able to hear Krsna directly. Actually there is no difference between hearing directly from Krsna or hearing directly from Krsna via a bona fide spiritual master like Vyasa. (Note:  Actually there is no difference between hearing directly from the previous acarya's or hearing directly from previous acarya's via their bona fide representative Srila Prabhupada)  The spiritual master is the representative of Vyasadeva also. (Note: Here's the confirmation of the previous note) According to the Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master, the disciples conduct the ceremony called Vyasa-puja.

 

[B.G. 18 Chapter  TEXT 75] (authorized version 1972 by Srila Prabhupada)