Suppression of fact is a great offence - Part 4

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga

Date: 09.05.2024

Suppression of fact is a great offence

(By Śrīla Baba Maharaj)

A note of apology by Śrīla Baba Maharaj for establishing the unalloyed truth, this is for your kind consideration, because maybe this is the last answer of Śrīla Baba Maharaj on this particular sensitive issue.

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati  Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī  Ṭhākura Prabhupāda said that—“I have given anxiety to you all to engage you all in unalloyed hari-bhajana, I was bound to do so. Someday some birth you can understand this point”.

We know the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—

vittam eva kalau nṝṇāṁ

janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ

dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ

kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi                                     (ŚB 12.2.2)

In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man’s good birth, proper behaviour and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one’s power.

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati  Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī  Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad Guru said that— “To carry out the order of Vaiṣṇava guru if I need to become full of ego, or if I need to become a beast, if I need to go to hell—I am ready to go to hell for infinite period with due contract. I can provide a fist of fury on the head of this foolish world to eliminate all those flows of wrong conception going inside their brain by the power of guru-pādapadma—I am so much arrogant.” 

Śrīla Prabhupāda also very often used to say that— “Even after spending gallons of blood it is really impossible (or next to impossible) to convince somebody about what is called Absolute Truth.”

Somebody wanted to put a question in front of Śrīla Prabhupāda that— “Are genuine saints (sādhus) respected in this world?”. The answer by Śrīla Prabhupāda was that— “In such a world which is full of duplicity only duplicitous persons are honoured. Genuine saints (sādhus), who don’t lead the masses along the wrong path, are not respected in this world. In modern times people are simply getting cheated by those who mislead the masses throughout a pretentious form of spiritual discourse has somehow emerged as the religion of the age (yuga-dharma). And because the true saints (sādhus) wish to expose wicked and unholy persons (asādhus) those same unholy cheaters bewilder the masses by condemning the true saints (sādhus) as unholy, duplicitous and thieves themselves in a plot to secure their escape. The illusory potency of the Lord, māyā, never allows the jīvās to be sincere (niṣkapaṭa) and to that end she has been depriving the jīvās of the association of genuine saints (sādhus).”

The Absolute Truth is far and far beyond the limit of material judgment, nothing strange in it, rather this is quite natural by the kṛpā of Māyā Devi, because Māyā Devi has taken a strong resolution not to allow us (to reach the final conclusion in the way of that Absolute Truth) to reach the Lotus feet of Bhagavān, that is why so much confusion arising. Just like in the case of mathematics—if I have done all the way correct, but if at the last moment some mistake done by me then I can get zero result, because nobody going to consider how much energy I have given to solve the problem. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can see that Saubhari Muni lost his sixty thousand years of sādhana for committing aparādha unto the Lotus feet of Garuḍa Bhagavān—The bhagavad-pārṣada. Also, we can see the following example from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sixth canto that ‘The pot of wine can never be purified’

Also, we know from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta the comment of Śrīman Mahāprabhu one very small spot of white leprosy on the face of a very beautiful lady can spoil everything. Again, the same example was given by Śrīman Mahāprabhu in Caitanya-caritāmṛta which is written by Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraj Das Gosvāmī that—

prabhu kahe, — pūrṇa yaiche dugdhera kalasa

surā-bindu-pāte keha nā kare paraśa                                            (Cc Madhya 12.53)

Śrīman Mahāprabhu said that— “One drop of wine can spoil the huge amount of pure milk kept in a pot”. This is the strong siddhānta vichar of Śrīman Mahāprabhu.

From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka—

yac-chaktayo vadatāṁ vādināṁ vai

vivāda-saṁvāda-bhuvo bhavanti

kurvanti caiṣāṁ muhur ātma-mohaṁ

tasmai namo ’nanta-guṇāya bhūmne                     (ŚB 6.4.31)

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental qualities. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He causes them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my obeisances unto Him.

We can never say that you have done nothing, maybe you have done a lot, but all can get spoiled if some fearful offence committed by you unto the lotus feet of guru-Vaiṣṇava-Bhagavān (or bhagavad nāma, bhagavad dhāma ect.)

We know from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the following śloka—

rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ

sama-śīlā bhajanti vai

pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn

śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ                                             (ŚB 1.2.27)

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship those in the same category—namely the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities—for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny.

A man is known by the association he keeps. I mean birds of same feather flocks together. Śrīla Saccidanada Bhaktivionod Ṭhākura also said that— “People approve people of their own stamp, they can never approve you and me.” That is why The Prabhupāda used to say that— “Try to understand the basic difference between bhaktivinod dhara and non-bhaktivinod dhara, then in that case you need not get your name registered in the book of those cheaters (or forgers) to learn something else in the name of śuddha-bhakti (or bhaktivinod dhara or hari-bhajana).”

It can be possible to bring a ferocious animal from dense forest, but it is impossible to pick up the ferocious beast residing inside our mind to drive out from there. Though we know that it is really too late to find the solution of this most sensitive issue which is lying unsolved in front of us for long period, but still we can keep hope that ‘it is never too late’ or ‘better late than never’. But only honest intention on your part can solve the problem before long. ‘Majority must be granted’ or ‘Seniority must be given priority’—etc. all those social dogmas are only applicable in this material world, but not at all fitting in our bhajana life. Though we can see that Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī who is only sixteen years old, but still big big muni-rṣis, those who are very very aged (like Vasistha Muni, Bharadwaj Muni, Chyavana Muni, Parasha Muni etc.) paying great respect and honour to him. Why? Because the realization of that Absolute Truth—no way—never depends upon the age factor or anything else like huge popularity or huge property power or huge man power etc.

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda told that— "Do not try to discover the nature of truth by the exercise of your imagination. Do not endeavour to attain the truth through experience of this world. Do not try to manufacture truth in order to satisfy your erring inclinations, or hastily accept anything for the reason that it satisfies such inclinations. Do not regard as truth anything that has been "built up" or has the support of a majority of people like yourself, nor as untruth anything that is rejected by the overwhelming majority. According to the scriptures there will be found hardly one in a crore of human beings who really worships the truth. What is proclaimed by the united voices of all the people of this world as truth may turn out to be false. Therefore, cease to confront the truth in a challenging mood. The truth is not brought into existence by such arrogance. One has to approach the truth in the spirit of absolute submission. It is necessary to listen to truth. Truth is self-revealing, and only when it is pleased to reveal itself, can its actual nature be known to us, and not otherwise."

(Lecture, 1926: Gauḍīya 15.342; Nadia Prakash, 12.276.1127)

Śrīla Prabhupāda also many times used to say that— “If I seek the path leading to that ultimate good then I must ignore the countless voices of popular wisdom and listen only to that of the realized soul.”

Vaiṣṇavism is pre-eminently the religion of transcendental Love. It embodies the essence of all philosophies nay it is the highest of all. It is a religion of total self-abnegation and of absolute self-surrender to that Supreme Godhead in Whom “we move, live and have our being.” It is the realization of the sublimest aspirations of the soul. By embracing Vaiṣṇavism and by living up to its noble precepts, a man, whatever be his caste, creed or color, reaches the highest goal by slow but sure and sometimes unconscious steps. And what is true of man is of course true of woman too. Nay, Vaiṣṇavism is peculiarly adapted to even the soft and tender nature of women. For it is essentially a religion of loving tenderness, sweet love, and celestial mercy. A man must entirely kill the beast in him and thoroughly divest Himself of his awkward masculine sternness or feminine bashfulness before he can be a true Vaiṣṇava. It is indeed the highest privilege of man to be able to call himself a Vaiṣṇava. To be a true Vaiṣṇava is to see God, to love God and to enjoy holy and blessed communion with God in his own eternal nature. A Vaiṣṇava stands to God in the most endearing of all relations. In the highest stage of Vaiṣṇavism, the devotee approaches his Beloved One, not as the servant approaches his master, nor as the son approaches his parent, nor as the disciple approaches his preceptor, nor as the friend approaches his friend, but as the bride approaches the bridegroom or as the sweetheart approaches the lover with all confidence.

(From The Harmonist or Sajjan Toshani)

From Upaniṣad we know the following śloka –

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata

kśurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti

(Kathā Upaniṣad1.3.14)

Try to get up, why sleeping!  Try to develop your consciousness level to realise those boons waiting for you for long time which all are kept by those ancient sages for you all. Why not try to realise that your material life is nothing but only walking over a sharp edged razor.

If someone have blind faith for something or somebody, then it is really impossible for us to convince him about the fact, because if śāstra vichar is ignored or avoided by somebody then we have nothing to do. From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā we know the instruction given by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna—

tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te

kāryākārya-vyavasthitau

jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ

karma kartum ihārhasi                                            (Bg. 16.24)

One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. By knowing such rules and regulations written in authentic śāstra, one should act accordingly so that he may gradually be elevated.

Again and again, you forget that this has been the only prayer on our part (the whole Sarasvat Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava saṅga or Visva Vaiṣṇava Raj Saba) that— “Please try to withdraw all those wrong informations and dirty remarks from your books, papers, speeches etc. preserved by your society both in soft and hard forms for the protection and preservation of the divine dignity of our Gauḍīya guru-varga and Gauḍīya Math.” This is the most fundamental right that we can deserve to defend all those misspreachings on your part.

We always fear heavily to commit any offence unto the Lotus feet of guru-Vaiṣṇava-Bhagavān because we know the following ślokas from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—

nāhaṁ viśaṅke sura-rāja-vajrān

na tryakṣa-śūlān na yamasya daṇḍāt

nāgny-arka-somānila-vittapāstrāc

chaṅke bhṛśaṁ brahma-kulāvamānāt                                    (ŚB 5.10.17)

My dear master, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing trident of Lord Śiva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brāhmaṇa. I am very much afraid of this.

āyuḥ śriyaṁ yaśo dharmaṁ

lokān āśiṣa eva ca

hanti śreyāṁsi sarvāṇi

puṁso mahad-atikramaḥ                                                          (ŚB 10.4.46)

My dear King, when a man persecutes great souls, all his benedictions of longevity, beauty, fame, religion, blessings and promotion to higher planets all will be destroyed.

It is far better to die alone, but it is very dangerous to die with all those countless innocent followers.

yo vakti nayarahita manyana shrinoti yah

tou bhou narakam ghoram brajatah klamksayam

Who is violating the scriptural injunctions to give mantra or śāstra Upadesh to others or who is going to accept those illegal Upadesh—both of them can go to hell forever.

Excuse me, I beg for pardon to everybody because I am bound to bark like a faithful sincere dog of my master to protect and preserve his honour and dignity (I mean to protect and preserve the dignity of our Gauḍīya guru-varga and Gauḍīya Math). I am hundredth per cent sure that if you can realise my heart than you can never become angry with me to take revenge against me.

Just we cannot allow this poisonous flow of misinformation to run generation after generation—I mean forever.

You all are requested to think over and again that why I like to avoid glorifying those offenders, because it is strictly prohibited in śāstra and also our previous mahājanas have given advice to us to avoid them, whereas you can find me always ready to glorify those great great exalted guru-Vaiṣṇavas—even about them those who are outside our Gauḍīya sampradāya.

One most very important point you always like to avoid or pass away due to your biasness that the honourable ācārya himself already has confessed that— “I have committed offences at the feet of everyone, so everyone please forgive me. This is actually vaiṣṇava aparādha. I was proud to be a little rich"……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

So, it is really impractical to ignore this most vital point, and we also like to see your positive response to withdraw those wrong siddhānta vichars and dirty remarks, that’s all. 

As it seems apparently as the most sinful action of Śrī Hanumānjī Maharaj to burn the whole Lanka down to ashes just to protect the interest of Lord Śrī Rāmacandra, also the firing aprākṛta hari-kathā of pure guru-Vaiṣṇavas appears apparently to be most revolting, but their only aim or goal is to  protect and preserve the absolute interest of sampradāya. That’s why in the same way as the action of Hanumānjī was considered as the topmost sevā by the Lord Śrī Rāmacandra Himself, also all those guardians of Śrī Caitanya vani enjoying the full approval of Lord Caitanya Himself, Who Himself claim it to be the topmost sevā by them to protect and preserve Śrī Caitanya vani intact way. It is only our fault that we misunderstand guru-Vaiṣṇava when they speak heavily to rectify the whole bhajana field.

Thanks a lot

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

Baba Śrī Shyam das