The Lilamrta
A Review & Philosophical Analysis
By Sriman Yasodanandana dasa, 1996
The Lilamrta
A Review & Philosophical Analysis
By Sriman Yasodanandana dasa, 1996
The Lilamrta did speculate erroneously about the emotions of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. In the process, it has criticized His Divine Grace, though it tries to cover its subtle criticisms with a thin veneer of the mundanely-presented greatness of his struggle through all the internal and external “difficulties”.
We have heard that Srila Prabhupada may have sent letters discouraging a biography of stories about himself by any of his disciples. But, if a biography were to be compiled, the Krsna Consciousness Movement could have simply printed statements from His Divine Grace about his own life, minus any misleading commentary. This could have assured the correct transcendental version of the activities and qualities of the topmost paramahamsa devotee of the Lord. Some letters and Indian BTG articles written by His Divine Grace could have been included. And statements directly from Srila Prabhupada’s books on the wonderful and totally transcendental activities and qualities of the pure devotee in his preaching pastimes, would most definitely have made a sastric basis for such a project.
As always, by simply repeating from sastra, in context, the words of the liberated soul, it is easier to avoid harmful speculation. Chaitanya Charitamrita states: “If one becomes an offender to the spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he falls down to the material platform to merely speculate.” (C.C. Antya 8.26)
Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee always, being an eternally liberated associate of the Lord.
He did not have a material past at any time. Being an associate of Lord Sri Krsna, he is properly understood to never have been contaminated by matter. As we knew him, his so called material body was not at all material. Heat, cold, happiness and distress, hunger and thirst, birth, disease, old age, and death never touched him.
It is not correct that he felt or suffered these mundane influences and pains in a mood of tolerance. He never even felt them, according to the scriptures.
Complete Article here: http://www.harekrsna.org/gbc/lilamrita.htm
Please see also:
Yashoda Nandana Prabhu discusses on Srila Prabhupada and the Ritvik system in ISKCON
There’s a real bona-fide compilation of The Pastimes of His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada compiled by Mukunda Dasa from the UK. It’s definitely worth a look. It is entitled “Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta As It Is”
His web-site- http://www.prabhupada.org.uk/asitis.htm