Suppression of fact is a great offence - Part 3

For your kind information the following special letter given —

Letter by Śrīla B.B. Bodhayan Maharaj to the GBC of ISKCON, written on 27th day of September 2004, Śrī Gopinath Gauḍīya Maṭha. Śrīdam Mayapur

ALL GLORIES TO SRI GURU, SRI SARASWATA GAUDYA VAISNAVAS AND SRI GAURANGA.

To

The GBC of ISKCON.

Śrī-Mayapur.

Nadia -741313.  Date.:    27th      day         of           September 2004.

Dear Mahārājas and Prabhus,

Please accept my respectful Praṇāma’s.

I am an aspiring servant of Śrī Brahmā Madhva Gauḍīya Sarasvata sampradāya. Five days ago, I returned to Mayapur from overseas preaching trip. Like last few years, yesterday, on the occasion of Holy appearance day of Śrīla Sacchidananda Bhakti Vinode Ṭhākura, a glorious program was arranged in Godruma as usual by Śrī Sarasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas Association. But this year, due to some problems between Gauḍīya Maṭhas and ISKCON, I saw ISKCON not attending the program and also Gauḍīya Maṭhas did not officially allow the ISKON on devotees to attend the same. This present situation is not healthy for spreading the message of Divine Love. All we are belonging to Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda-tree. I am sure that Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda will not be happy to see the present mood in regard to each other.

As per my observation. I discovered that, recently, due to the influence of ISKCON. PWD, a government department for constructing and maintaining roads etc. is progressing to widen the Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Road. Because of that, many shops and Maṭha- buildings on both sides of the said road are going to be partially demolished. As we know most of the Gauḍīya Maṭhas are economically poor—this type of action of PWD is breaking their hearts.

Besides such unpleasant incident, another old saddening matter has also been hurting them for long. Certain comments made by our Śikṣā-Gurudeva. His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupāda in his purports of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta  (Ādi-līlā, twelfth chapter, verse 8th) as well as his different letters to the disciples, are obviously against some of the Gauḍīya Maṭha-ācāryas. I am sure that all of you know about the relevant matter. Those contents may give you some satisfaction, but, according to my sense of Vaiṣṇava etiquette and culture, I can clearly see that the whole Vaiṣṇava community is taking such stuff very badly in relation to Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupāda. He and his Godbrothers are all considered to be my Śikṣā Gurudevas. So, as soon as I hear any unpleasant comments about anyone of them, I feel as like a thunderbolt is breaking my heart.

I understand that all of you are trying to follow the instructions as well as the wishes or mood of your Gurudeva--His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

I have heard that at the end of his manifest life-pastimes, once he sincerely begged forgiveness from all his Godbrothers for saying anything unpleasant. So, now this is my humble request to you that please think about the pastime of my Śikṣā-Gurudeva, wherein he begged pardon for his past activities, trying to cooperate with the Gauḍīya Maṭhas. So please give full consideration to such his feelings and remove all his unpleasant comments from his purports and letters in order to save us i.e. The Sarasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Society. Because those purports do not represent the proper respect or honour in relation to the other Vaiṣṇavas and the Vaiṣṇavism on the whole. So as his śikṣā disciple, I am feeling very uncomfortable when I see one of Śrīla Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura's songs as follows:

“vaiṣṇava-charitra sarvada pavitra

yei ninde hiṁsā kari'

bhaktivinoda na sambhase tan're

thāke  sadā mauna dhari'

(Kalyāṇa-Kalpa-Taru)

"The Vaiṣṇava's character is always pure. Bhaktivinoda vows as never to speak or relate to any envious person who criticizes such a Vaiṣṇava: instead, he will always stay aloof from him by maintaining an appropriate silence.”

After reading the above song I felt like writing this letter for an amicable solution between each other, so we can preach together the messages of Divine Love among the general people as per our aims and objectives. According to my experience in the preaching field, it is always very difficult for all of us to give a truthful explanation about our own sporadic relationship between each other in the name of Divine Love. Also, in the age of quarrel, if we do so, then how we will be ideally preaching to others with a view: to establish (assert) Śrīmān Mahāprabhu's message of Divine Love?

He is not only the Gurudeva of ISKCON our Gurudeva too. If anybody thinks of anything negative about him that is also so painful to my heart. Therefore, it is my humble request to all GBC members of ISKCON to please remove the painful stuffs from our hearts. As per my experience for last few years, the ISKCON members headed by Śrīpad Jaypataka Swami Mahārāja and others and the members of Gauḍīya Maṭhas were trying to unite under the banner of Śrī Sārasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Society. But due to the above- mentioned problems our entire endeavour throughout the last few years is going to be nept in the bud. Please think affirmatively and do needful to fulfil the desire of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu.

suno suno nityānanda; suno Haridāsa

sarvatra āmāra  ājñā  koroha prakāśa ,

prati ghare ghare giya koro ei bhikṣā ,

bolo kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, koro kṛṣṇa śikṣā

"O Nityānanda, O Haridāsa! Please listen carefully about preaching this following instruction of mine everywhere. Go door to door and beg everybody to chant Kṛṣṇa’s Holy Name, serve Kṛṣṇa and take education in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.”

Now-a-days, your preaching group is really big around the world and doing lots of Mahāprabhu's services. As per my nature. I would like to keep their feet on my head, who are doing such type of Mahāprabhu’s real services by spreading His messages of chanting Kṛṣṇa’s Holy-Name, serving Kṛṣṇa and taking education in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness." All of us are actually doing the same devotional preaching, just in different ways.

Therefore, please excuse me, if I commit any inadvertent mistake in this letter while trying to follow the last wish of Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Religion is proper adjustment and Swami Prabhupāda did show us that example at the end of his manifest life-pastime. All we are practicing Vaiṣṇava religion which is endowed with high-class humility and tolerance. Also, as we know under any situation that last will should be valid forever. Therefore, please do this favour to Śrīla Swami Prabhupāda by eliminating from his writings all his unpleasant comments regarding his own Godbrothers and Gurudeva's society, Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭhas. This will definitely bring happiness to His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda as well as all the members of Śrī Brahmā Madhva Gauḍīya Sarasvata sampradāya.

In conclusion. I would like to request you and all that please allow us to chant harinām together giving all due respects to each other.

Yours in the service of

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

B. B. Bodhayan

Śrī Gopinath Gauḍīya Maṭha. Śrīdham Mayapur.

Special note: The letter by Śrīla B.B. Bodhayan Maharaj to the GBC of ISKCON, written on 27th day of September 2004, Śrī Gopinath Gauḍīya Maṭha, Śrīdam Mayapur was published in the book “Shatruta noie — samadhan” in the year 2010.

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga

Dear /Honourable Vaiṣṇava Thākura

Daṇḍavat prāṇaṁ  unto your lotus feet, because you are the disciple of Śrīla Narayan Maharaj, so it is really unbecoming for you to express such angry attitude against me unnecessarily- without knowing all in details about the past history. Now it is too late for you to get entry into the sensitive matter, but still it is never too late. Well – you believe us or not, still it is the fact- that we never wanted to expose all those facts and figures taken from internet storage, but anyway we are bound to do so for the protection and preservation of the divine dignity of our Sarasvat Gauḍīya guru-varga and Gauḍīya Maṭha. Excuse me, if you put something in internet for public information, then what is our fault to go through it, or to quote something from that ! As per your comment if this is so secret that we should not publish, then why not they (ISKCON) keep those secret things inside a locker. As a Gauḍīya Maṭha devotee is this not your prime duty to cooperate with us to expose all those original facts and figures in front of everybody to establish the Absolute Truth? Because we know that suppression of fact is a great offence.  Excuse me, if your life is completely dedicated for the absolute Śrī Caitanya vani prachar sevā, then you should feel very happy to see our honest effort. As a Vaiṣṇava how you can allow those (wrong siddhānta vichars or dirty criticisms against Gauḍīya Maṭha and Gauḍīya guru-varga) misinformations to flow generation after generation, I mean forever? How you can become angry simply by watching our truthfulness? I think since i cannot cheat anybody, that is my fault. Truthfulness is the most basic foundation of our devotional life, we think you also agree with us on this point. I don’t know why you like to hide all those facts and figures! A real sādhu cannot have anything secret, their heart and tongue both are parallel to each other, so they never fear if we share their feeling with others. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can see the following comment by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in front of Nanda Maharaj—

etad brūhi mahān kāmo

mahyaṁ śuśrūṣave pitaḥ

na hi gopyaṁ hi sadhūnāṁ

kṛtyaṁ sarvātmanām iha

asty asva-para-dṛṣṭīnām

amitrodāsta-vidviṣām                                                         (ŚB 10.24.4)

Please tell Me about it, O father. I have a great desire to know and I am ready to hear in good faith. Certainly, no secrets are to be kept by saintly personalities, who see all others as equal to themselves, who have no conception of “mine” or “another’s” and who do not consider who is a friend, who is an enemy and who is neutral.

I wanted to convey this problem to your Gurudeva long ago through Śrīpad Madhava Priya Prabhu, about this long-standing sensitive issue, and he promised me through him that he will look into the matter, but he passed away without solving this long-standing problem. Now we find you as the fittest person to solve this long-standing problem on behalf of the whole Sarasvat Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava saṅga, because for the past 40 years or more than that all our sincere efforts on behalf of Sarasvat Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava saṅga gone in vain. ISKCON society at all not ready to pay any attention to our continues humble requests. Even we wrote one protest note book named ‘Satruta noi Samadhan’ (No enmity only solution) in the year of 2011, 19th March Śrī Gaura Pūrṇimā tithi on behalf of the whole Sarasvat Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava saṅga under the leadership of our present Maṭha ācārya—who wrote one humble protest note to all the honourable GBC members of ISKCON society which was published in the book. For your kind information it is given above before the letter starting.

They must withdraw all those rubbish things from books, papers, speeches etc., (kept both in soft and hard form) this has been the only appeal to them on our behalf. How you can feel --if somebody insult and abuse your mother or wife? Can you bear? Then what to speak about the protection of the divine dignity of our Gauḍīya Maṭha and Gauḍīya guru-varga. We like to see you on a very neutral platform. Simply to protect one famous ācārya how you can be ready even to sacrifice our whole sampradāik interest, that we cannot understand. Have you ever heard your Gurudeva to criticise guru-Vaiṣṇavas in such a dirty way? Anyway, as per all shastric siddhanta vichars vaiṣṇava-aparādha can never be excused—whoever he may be like Brahmā or Shankar etc. The Prabhupāda said that--“Whether one is Brahmā, Śiva, Vāyu, or Varuṇa, whether one is a great religious preacher or religious leader, if he deviates even an inch from Śrī Caitanyadeva’s teachings, he will find himself in trouble.”

Your Gurudeva was Adosha darshi (who do not like to find any fault with others) Vaiṣṇava, so he could give a big honour even to me a fallen soul, but you must see the śāstra pramāṇa (scriptural evidence) before accepting that. Excuse me, out of strong love he didn’t think it necessary to give any śāstra pramāṇa to use the title mahā-bhāgavata in the life of that ācārya.

Some scriptural evidences are given below from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

doṣān pareṣāṁ hi guṇeṣu sādhavo

gṛhṇanti kecin na bhavādṛśo dvija

guṇāṁś ca phalgūn bahulī-kariṣṇavo

mahattamās teṣv avidad bhavān agham                      (ŚB 4.4.12)

Twice-born Dakṣa, a man like you can simply find fault in the qualities of others. Lord Śiva, however, not only finds no faults with others’ qualities, but if someone has a little good quality, he magnifies it greatly. Unfortunately, you have found fault with such a great soul.

karṇau pidhāya nirayād yad akalpa īśe

dharmāvitary asṛṇibhir nṛbhir asyamāne

chindyāt prasahya ruśatīm asatīṁ prabhuś cej

jihvām asūn api tato visṛjet sa dharmaḥ                          (ŚB 4.4.17)

Satī continued: If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.

dehendriya-prāṇa-mano-dhiyāṁ yo

janmāpyaya-kṣud-bhaya-tarṣa-kṛcchraiḥ

saṁsāra-dharmair avimuhyamānaḥ

smṛtyā harer bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ                                (ŚB 11.2.49)

Within the material world, one’s material body is always subject to birth and decay. Similarly, the life air [prāṇa] is harassed by hunger and thirst, the mind is always anxious, the intelligence hankers for that which cannot be obtained, and all of the senses are ultimately exhausted by constant struggle in the material nature. A person who is not bewildered by the inevitable miseries of material existence, and who remains aloof from them simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is to be considered bhāgavata-pradhāna, the foremost devotee of the Lord.

na kāma-karma-bījānāṁ

yasya cetasi sambhavaḥ

vāsudevaika-nilayaḥ

sa vai bhāgavatottamaḥ                            (ŚB 11.2.50)

One who has taken exclusive shelter of the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva, becomes free from fruitive activities, which are based on material lust. In fact, one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord is freed from even the desire to enjoy material sense gratification. Plans for enjoying sex life, social prestige and money cannot develop within his mind. Thus, he is considered bhāgavatottama, a pure devotee of the Lord on the highest platform.

na yasya janma-karmabhyāṁ

na varṇāśrama-jātibhiḥ

sajjate ’sminn ahaṁ-bhāvo

dehe vai sa hareḥ priyaḥ                                                  (ŚB 11.2.51)

Birth in an aristocratic family and the execution of austere and pious activities certainly cause one to take pride in himself. Similarly, if one enjoys a prestigious position within society because his parents are highly respected members of the varṇāśrama social system, one becomes even more infatuated with himself. But if despite these excellent material qualifications one does not feel even a tinge of pride within himself, he is to be considered the dearmost servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

na yasya svaḥ para iti

vitteṣv ātmani vā bhidā

sarva-bhūta-samaḥ śāntaḥ

sa vai bhāgavatottamaḥ                                                     (ŚB 11.2.52)

When a devotee gives up the selfish conception by which one thinks, “this is my property, and that is his,” and when he is no longer concerned with the pleasures of his own material body or indifferent to the discomforts of others, he becomes fully peaceful and satisfied. He considers himself simply one among all the living beings who are equally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a satisfied Vaiṣṇava is considered to be at the highest standard of devotional service.

tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave ’py akuṇṭha-

smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt

na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl

lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ              (ŚB 11.2.53)

The lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are sought even by the greatest of demigods, such as Brahmā and Śiva, who have all accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their life and soul. A pure devotee of the Lord can never forget those lotus feet in any circumstance. He will not give up his shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord for a single moment — indeed, not for half a moment — even in exchange for the benediction of ruling and enjoying the opulence of the entire universe. Such a devotee of the Lord is to be considered the best of the Vaiṣṇavas.

bhagavata uru-vikramāṅghri-śākhā-

nakha-maṇi-candrikayā nirasta-tāpe

hṛdi katham upasīdatāṁ punaḥ sa

prabhavati candra ivodite ’rka-tāpaḥ                              (ŚB 11.2.54)

How can the fire of material suffering continue to burn the hearts of those who worship the Supreme Lord? The Lord’s lotus feet have performed innumerable heroic deeds, and the beautiful nails on His toes resemble valuable jewels. The effulgence emanating from those nails resembles cooling moonshine, for it instantly relieves the suffering within the heart of the pure devotee, just as the appearance of the moon’s cooling light relieves the burning heat of the sun.

visṛjati hṛdayaṁ na yasya sākṣād

dharir avaśābhihito ’py aghaugha-nāśaḥ

praṇaya-rasanayā dhṛtāṅghri-padmaḥ

sa bhavati bhāgavata-pradhāna uktaḥ                         (ŚB 11.2.55)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned souls that if they call upon Him by speaking His Holy Name, even unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to destroy innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts. Therefore, when a devotee who has taken shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with genuine love, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has thus captured the Supreme Lord within his heart is to be known as bhāgavata-pradhāna, the most exalted devotee of the Lord.

Surely one Mahabhagavat can never criticise Vaishnavas. When Daksa Prajapati out of false ego started criticising Vaishnava Raj Sambhu then Nandia the main parshad of Shankar Bhagavan was very much angry.

Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad-guru—also said that “Guru-Vaiṣṇava can tolerate any amount of torture and insult on them, but they cannot tolerate any torture and insult on guru-Vaiṣṇavas.” He further said that— “To give fitting answer to those blasphemers is called bhakti, and to keep silence when guru-Vaiṣṇavas are being insulted or ignored by somebody can make us fall down because this is a great offence.”

Can you please give some scriptural evidences in favour of your opinion?  Never mind our personal like or dislike is not so important, because here this is the most vital question of the survival of our real self and also the protection of our sampradāik dignity is the topmost important issue here in this case.

We have our fundamental right to defend our sampradāik  interest, that we are doing, so it is your duty to help us from heart. Anyway we have no fighting mood.

Also The Prabhupada said that, we cannot accept each and every Śaktyāveśāvatāra like Dattātreya or Ṛṣabhadeva or Paraśurāma etc., but we can accept those favourable Śaktyāveśāvatāras like Nārada Ṛṣi, Vyāsa Deva, Pṛthu Maharaj etc. Perhaps you have no information that Kala Pahar who was previously from a nice Brahmin family having faith in Bhagavān and His devotees, but due to some reason he developed strong distrust and hatred against Hindu dharma as a whole and finally he was bound to join the Muslim ruler king Aurangzeb to destroy all the temples and deity all over Bharat, especially Vṛndāvana, Vārāṇasī, Ayodhyā etc. Similarly, if some Śaktyāveśāvatāra can try to destroy Gauḍīya Maṭha and our Gauḍīya guru-varga together with all vani vaibhava, then what is our duty? Please advise us.

Thanks a lot

Truly yours in the service of Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga and Go-Mata

Your useless son Baba Śrī Shyam das (a sincere faithful dog who is always barking to protect the interest of Sri Gaudiya Math and Sri Gaudiya Guruvarga)

Usually most of the people those who have no basic Gauḍīya darśanik background, they misunderstand me, because I cannot cheat them, one such evidence given below--

Dear Maharaj,

Please accept my daṇḍavat-prāṇaṁs.

This is X dasi. I would like to apologize if I offended you in any way, I had no such intention. Just like I didn’t want to teach you or give you advice. I just came to ask you to help me understand something that I couldn't understand. I don't think I explained my questions clearly enough due to my emotions and the language barrier. I'm sorry that you had to tell me the same thing over and over again and finally find out that I still don't understand. I hope I understand more now. Now I see that you have a reason to do what you do, to say what you say.. Now I am sure that you are doing this out of deep affection for our guru-varga and simply cannot do otherwise. I know you are sincere. And you don't need money or women.

Words of Śrīla B.V. Swami Maharaj is hurting those who love our guru-varga.

I know that you have great love and faith for them. I know that you are ready to give your life for them. That's why you're my hero.

Even now I am a fallen gṛhamedhī, I have no treasure in life except my guru-varga, and you have helped me get closer to Them, this is a priceless gift. You helped me become closer to Them. Most of what I know about Them and their Teachings, I know from you. For this I am greatly indebted to you. Before coming to you, my condition was such that I could not understand hari-kathā at all. Long time, many many times I listen hari-kathā of my Śrīla Gurudev sitting in front of Him, but did not understand anything. But you changed the situation. Even you think my listening of your hari-kathā was useless, but I would say, that what I am now and what I have now is what I heard from you.

Even a useless person like me felt great pain after hearing what letter Sripad B.V. Swami Maharaj wrote to Śrīla B.P. Puri Gosvāmī Maharaj in response to his humble request for a donation for the Ananta Vasudeva Temple. It was extremely painful even for me. Therefore, I can imagine how much pain you are feeling after knowing all the sayings of Śrīla Swami Maharaj. To be honest, I never felt any special affection for him, and after learning about his response to Śrīla Puri Maharaj, I did not even want to utter his name.

When we came to you, you seemed to think that we had come to protect Śrīla Swami Maharaj, but that was not the case. About myself: Despite my personal negative feelings towards Shripad Swami Maharaj, I could not disrespect him and thereby go against my guru-varga. Most of them glorified Him. So, I just tried not to think badly of him or do not think about him at all.

I know there are many things I can't understand.

I want to repeat that I owe you a lot. I have a special place in my heart for you. I'm very sorry that I disappointed you. XX's heart is very soft, he loves you so much. He was so upset that he missed your Gaura Pūrṇimā hari-kathā.

I will never forget your help. Thank you for being kind to me when I needed it so much, even though I don't deserve it.

Yours X Mataji