My dear Maharaja,
Dandavat pranams. Ram Ram.
>> The spiritual master is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is still direct.
The problem is that how you define "transparent medium".
I have minor disagreements with Gosvami Tulsidas and Swami Ramsukh Das on position of women or caste system. Those disagreements are not even part of their main philosophy. And no one claims them to be perfect. Gosvami Tulsidas truly believes that he is foremost among fallen person. He accepts himself as servant of maya and prays to Ram for his protection. Swami Ramsukh Das also does not claim himself to be great. So, I can follow them and I can stil disagree with them.
The way SP disciples define "transparent medium", they don't give the freedom to disagree with him. They claim Prabhupada to be 100% perfect and he needs to be followed 100%. Most times, they interpret Prabhupada wrong and then, want those wrong interpretations to be followed.
>>Krsna's intimate servants has accepted me as his servant.
I don't feel the need to claim that my teachers are Krishna's intimate servants. I believe many of them are Krishna's intimate servants. But I don't feel the need to claim it to the world. My bhakti is not dependent on the fact that they are Krishna's intimate servants. That is my another disagreement with Iskcon. I don't feel to the need to claim Prabhupada as intimate servant of Krishna.
I feel the symptoms of tears flowing through my eyes, hair standing etc since childhood. I have found the presence of Ram in my life since I was very young. I feel the ecstasy of bhakti since I was child. So, all the gurus have helped me to become more closer to Ram. But my experiences are not dependent on them. Prabhupada or Tulsidas or Swami Ramsukh Das status does not affect my bhakti. Surely they help me to come closer to Ram and I use knowledge from them. But they are not my brokers.
I want to develop following mood in appreciating devotees irrespective of their status:
That mother is glorious (धन्य), that father is glorious and that son/daughter is glorious who worships Ram in whichever situation he is. May my body's skin be used to make shoes of the feet of such person who utters the name "Ram" by mistake. The bhakta (devotee) dog-eater who worships Ram day and night is glorious. What is the use of the birth in high family if one does not chant the name of Hari. Tulsidasji says that the high position are like places of snankes for devotee. The low position are full of happiness if one can chant the name of Ram.
Your servant,
Gaurav
HpS - Jaya! Sita Rama Laksmana Hanuman Ki Jai.
I was listening to lectures of Srila Prabhupada in the universities. He seemed to be fighting with the students too much for my nature. I am more gentle and logical in those situations. BUT I was feeling that this critical mentality of my Acharya was incorrect. I was in Russia at the time. Then one morning I went into the Temple room at 4.00AM before Mangala arati and I was the first person there. I paid my obeisances to Srila Prabhupada's murti and looked up and I had the strong feeling of his presence. He was looking at me humorously, with a mildly chiding, smile, that meant, "This is my nature. I'm a Vaisya, Ksetriya, I like to mix it up with people, see them emotionally involved. I'm not a Brahmana like you! You don't to preach like me, but you should preach".
So, respectful disagreement, doubts are normal. Arjuna surrenders to Krsna in the beginning of BG, no? But then he has so many doubts, but they are sincere doubts, and an Acharya should be able to solve them or pass us to someone who can solve them, no?
Can you see Prabhupada as fixed in that position?
That he does not want to steal any devotion you have for Ramacandra, nor does he have a misconception about his position?
Certainly we night think of Srila Prabhupada as perfect. A Brahmana is perfect, a Sannyasi is more perfect and a pure devotee is most perfect. But then their are more levels of perfection of Them at higher levels.
It is my personal experiences with Lord Jesus, Christ, Jayananda, Srila Prabhupada, a Cowherd boy, that have influenced me to realize that I also have experienced ecstacies in religion since childhood, but incomparison to them there is so, so, much desire still for honor, sense gratification, comfort mixed with my devotion, so I accept them as my guides in how to become more qualified to serve Krsna many times over. There is no need to ever give up this debt. It only is one more way to become more and more qualified to serve the Unlimited.
The following verse, purport, is nice comment on these ideas. This is what we understand Srila Prabhupad has received through his guru transparently and etc. back to Krsna Himself. In BG 4.34 purport Srila Prabhupada says that blind faith and absurd enquiery are condemned. We have to really investigate if we have found a transcendental Vaisnava. Otherwise, yes, we can take the gold and leave the stool.
http://vedabase.net/sb/7/9/28/en
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.28
evaḿ janaḿ nipatitaḿ prabhavāhi-kūpe
kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasańgāt
kṛtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavan gṛhītaḥ
so 'haḿ kathaḿ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām
SYNONYMS
evam — thus; janam — people in general; nipatitam — fallen; prabhava — of material existence; ahi-kūpe — in a blind well full of snakes; kāma-abhikāmam — desiring the sense objects; anu — following; yaḥ — the person who; prapatan — falling down (in this condition); prasańgāt — because of bad association or increased association with material desires; kṛtvā ātmasāt — causing me (to acquire spiritual qualities like himself, Śrī Nārada); sura-ṛṣiṇā — by the great saintly person (Nārada); bhagavan — O my Lord; gṛhītaḥ — accepted; saḥ — that person; aham — I; katham — how; nu — indeed; visṛje — can give up; tava — Your; bhṛtya-sevām — the service of Your pure devotee.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?