What Gaudiya Math is doing? (Part 3)

Written by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda - Paramahaṁsa Jagad-Guru

First published by VISHWA-VAISHNAVA-RAJA-SABHA in the 1930's

It may be asked—'What does the Gauḍīya Maṭh do? Is the Gauḍīya Maṭh merely another association like the thousands of sects that are to be found in this world? Or, is the Gauḍīya Maṭh one among the other welfare societies of the world? Or, is the Gauḍīya Maṭh one of the many mischievous organizations that carry on their activities in this world? What work does the Gauḍīya Maṭh do for the benefit of the world? Is the Gauḍīya Maṭh affectionate like a mother, a protector like a father, or a helper like a brother? What good does the Gauḍīya Maṭh do to the world, what well-being of society does it desire, what very inconsiderable service does it render to mankind that the world, the civilized world, or the whole of mankind, should listen to its message?'—Many such questions may arise in our minds.

There is no want of harmony between the Gauḍīya Maṭh and the whole world,—the only disharmony is caused by one little word. The Gauḍīya Maṭh says that the whole world is in unison with itself and, in one word, the duty of all jīvas consists in the exclusive service of the Adhokṣaja, the Transcendent. The majority of the people of this world says that the service of the akṣaja, i.e. the phenomenal, is the duty of everyone of the jīvas. Even when this is not actually said in so many words, in practice it is this that is always done. The Gauḍīya Maṭh says that which is the object of our activities (sādhya) should itself be the only means (sādhan) for the attainment of the object. In the opinion of the majority of the world sādhya and sādhan are different from one another. The Gauḍīya Maṭh says that words like 'unity', 'universal love,' etc., so long as one continues to be under the influence of the physical and mental dharmma, are mere sounds like such words as ākāś kusum (ærial flower) etc. Harmony is possible only when one has obtained a firm footing in the dharmma (function) of the soul.

This distinction requires to be made perfectly clear. The service of the Adhokṣaja means the service of the transcendental God. That which helps or hinders the gratification of the body or the mind is not the service of the Adhokṣaja, it is the service of the akṣaja. The body is pleased by the enjoyment of free air, by gazing at the open sky. The troublesome mind is gratified if it is allowed to roam at will like an unbridled horse, to revel in the beauties of Nature as it lists honey from the many-tinted flowerage of the groves of poesy. The opposite of this, the absolutist point of view, condemns all gratification. Neither of these is service of the Adhokṣaja—both are service of the akṣaja.

(To be continued...)