By Sri Mukunda Das
A reply to Giriraj Swami
“Still, we should not conclude that because Lord Krishna or Srila Prabhupada is present in the form of transcendental sound, we do not need a personal link to the previous acaryas and Krishna. By the direct instruction of the spiritual master, one gets one’s life’s mission. And after one gets one’s life’s mission, one dedicates one’s life and soul to following the instruction.”
-Giriraja Swami, “Srila Prabhupada’s Concluding Words.”
[published on Dandavats.com]
Does Srila Prabhupada need to be physically present to bestow his blessings upon a person and is a formal request necessary? Why is the Swami saying Srila Prabhupada cannot be our personal link? Actually Srila Prabhupada is the real link, he is what connects us to the parampara. Where does the Swami get this idea, not from Srila Prabhupada. Let’s see what Srila Prabhupada has to say:
“Allow me to congratulate you and your wife for giving birth to a new child. Now see that she is raised in Krishna Consciousness so that at the end of this life she can go back to Home, back to Godhead. As far as my blessing is concerned it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krishna there and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krishna prasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Caitanya whose mission I am humbly trying to push on.”
Letter to: Bal Krishna | Melbourne 30 June, 1974
From this statement we see that Srila Prabhupada is declaring that one who is following his instructions, reading his books, taking only Krishna Prasadam, etc., is not only receiving his blessings but also the blessings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada says there is no question. His presence is not required. Period. So why would Srila Prabhupada say his (personal) presence is not needed? Srila Prabhupada explains about physical (personal) presence:
“He is absolute, and because of this His vibration is just as important as His physical presence. When we feel separation from Krishna or the spiritual master, we should just try to remember their words of instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master should be association by vibration, not physical presence.
That is real association. We put so much stress on seeing, but when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, so many people saw Him and did not realize that He is God; so what is the advantage of seeing? By seeing Kṛṣṇa, we will not understand Him, but by listening carefully to His teachings, we can come to the platform of understanding.”
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Srila Prabhupada is saying that to associate with the Spiritual Master by vibration is the real association:
“I understand that you are feeling my absence. Krishna will give you strength. Physical presence is immaterial; presence of the transcendental sound received from the spiritual master should be the guidance of life.
That will make our spiritual life successful. If you feel very strongly about my absence you may place my pictures on my sitting places and this will be source of inspiration for you.”
Letter to: Brahmananda, Hayagriva, Kirtanananda, Satsvarupa, Gargamuni, Acyutananda, Jadurani | San Francisco 19 January, 1967
Here Srila Prabhupada says physical presence is immaterial and that the sound received from the Spiritual Master should guide our lives. Knowing this, what would make one think and feel that the spiritual master is gone, no longer available and restricted?
Is it due to the fact that they are no longer following his vani, his instructions, and therefore no longer feel his presence? Let’s see what Srila Prabhupada has to say about this:
Please accept my blessings. I am always thinking of you, and I am feeling separation. I wish to return at the earliest opportunity. I cannot stop my western world activities and I have taken leave from you for only six months; and it may be that on or before I will come to you again. So continue your activities with great vigor.
I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady advance, but try to follow the principles which are necessary to strengthen oneself in the matter of spiritual advance. Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is real touch.
Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. We feel always the presence of our past Acaryas simply by their immutable instructions. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful. Kirtanananda says from my bodily feature that I am improving; I am also feeling like that.
Letter to: Students | Vrindaban 2 August, 1967
Here Srila Prabhupada says he always feels the presence not only of his guru maharaja but of all our past Acaryas simply by remembering their immutable instructions. When we remember the Spiritual Master and try to serve him, he is always with us and we never feel separation, as Srila Prabhupada explains:
We are not separated actually. There are two—vani or vapu. So vapu is physical presence and vani is presence by the vibration, but they are all the same. So Krishna when He was physically present before Arjuna is the same when He is present before us by His vani of Bhagavad-gita. So far I am concerned, I do not factually feel any separation from my Spiritual Master because I am trying to serve Him according to His desire. That should be the motto. If you kindly try to fulfill my mission for which you have been sent there, that will be our constant association.
Letter to: Hamsaduta | Los Angeles 22 June, 1970
Here Srila Prabhupada is saying it is a fact he does not feel any separation from his guru because he is trying to serving him according to His (Srila Bhaktisidhanta’s) desire. When one serves their guru according to their guru’s desire one cannot feel any separation, and if one does not feel any separation from their guru, they cannot say they are “gone,” “dead,” “post-samadhi” or any other terribly offensive terminology.
How could they? They would be serving their guru faithfully and not feel one bit of separation from him. This is a fact. This is spiritual life. How can we get help in our spiritual life? Srila Prabhupada answers:
Yes. My Guru Maharaja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vani. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vani, then you are getting help.
Morning Walk | July 21, 1975, San Francisco
Srila Prabhupada has clearly stated that his physical presence is not necessary and not as important as direct association through his vani. He also states when we serve his instructions, we will never feel separation from him and we will get help in our spiritual lives.
If we can associate with Srila Prabupada directly through his sound vibration, serve his instructions directly and feel his presence always, and he can transmit blessings directly to us without a formal request, is Srila Prabhupada the “personal link” that the Swami is talking about? Absolutely! Can there be gaps in the parampara? Yes. Srila Prabhupada says gaps are inevitable, check it out.
Regarding your third question — “Why are there apparent time-gaps in the line of disciplic succession as listed in the Bhagavad-gita? Is Arjuna an instructor Spiritual Master and not an initiator Spiritual Master and therefore not listed?” The time gap mentioned by you is inevitable, because the disciplic succession sometimes becomes disconnected, as we find from the Bhagavad-gita. This is the influence of material energy, and to link it up again, it takes some time.
Letter to: Rupanuga | Hawaii 14 March, 1969
I will conclude with some words from Srila Prabhupada about serious disciples and the secret of success:
In conclusion, if a disciple is very serious to execute the mission of the spiritual master, he immediately associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by vani or vapuh. This is the only secret of success in seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of being eager to see the Lord in some bush of Vrindavana while at the same time engaging in sense gratification, if one instead sticks to the principle of following the words of the spiritual master, he will see the Supreme Lord without difficulty.
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YS
Sri Mukunda dasa
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