Additional arguments for the record. Several examples of unprecedented activities of Srila Prabhupada, the Acarya.
Compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
The Vaisnava acaryas, just like our Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya and Nimbarka...and Visnu Swami. They are all of the same movement. Aradhyo-bhagavan vrajesa tanayah krsnas to bhagavan svayam. That is their conclusion. There is no different conclusion. Although they have got varieties of methods-sudhadvaita, dvaitadvaita, visisthadvaita, like that they present the same philosophy in clear way. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented the same philosophy in clear way. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented the same philosophy, that acintya-bheda-abheda. That is acarya. Acarya gives some way for simple understanding. The same conclusion. But according to the time, circumstances, they give a very easy method to understand. That is acarya. Acarya is following strictly the previous acarya, but according to the circumstances he may make little changes. That is...That change is not change from the original idea, no." The fully liberated acarya adjusts things according to time, place, and circumstances. He does not change the sastra. Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture, February 19, 1976
"Vaishnava who is preaching, it may be in a different way, according to time, place and the party. They have to change something, but we have to see the essence." Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture, October8, 1974)
The empowered acarya and pure devotee is fully endowed with all mystic perfections including the ability to see past, present, and future.
"The great sages like Vyasadeva are liberated souls and therefore they can see clearly past, present and future." Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.20.25 purport.
"That means tri-kalajna. Mahamuni, he is liberated. He is incarnation of God. He knows past, present and future perfectly, we should take knowledge from Him. That is our Krsna Consciousness movement, that we don't accept any knowledge for any person who is defective in so many ways" Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture. August 16, 1971
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s unique activities.
1) He took the order of sannyasa by Himself in the same manner as Sripada Ramanujacarya had done previously.
2) He allowed Brahmacaris to wear saffron colored cloth, which had not been done before in the Vedic Vaishnava culture.
3) He gave Brahminical diksa to all varnas or to qualified members of all classes of society.
4) He personally wore sewn cloths, coats etc. which are forbidden in the sastras for a sannyasi.
5) He had his sannyasi disciples travel in motor cars, live in marble palaces, travel across the ocean etc.
His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Here are several examples of some of these so-called unprecedented activities.
1) Srila Prabhupada crossed the ocean by boat. This is technically forbidden in the Vedas. Srila Prabhupada explains this in the Vaisisthya-Astakam [Phalguna-Krsna-Pancami 1961]. “Hindus are not allowed to cross the ocean, but you send your devotees overseas to preach." (l8) Srila Prabhupada explains this in the Vaisisthya-Astakam [Phalguna-Krsna-Pancami 1961]. From Vaisisthya Astakam. 2.4
2) Srila Prabhupada gave many first initiations or Hari Nama initiations by mail without first personally and physically examining the prospective disciple. He had his temple presidents and senior devotees do the training and actual recommendations on His behalf.
(3) In many instances, Srila Prabhupada gave second initiation or Brahminical-diksa by tape recording without physically, personally, giving the mantra to the disciple.
(4) In one instance Srila Prabhupada told the wife of a devotee to chant the gayatri mantra in her husband's ear.
“I am enclosing herewith your sacred thread, duly chanted on by me. Gayatri Mantra is as follows... Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it and if possible hold a fire ceremony as you have seen during your marriage and get this sacred thread on your body, Saradiya or any twice initiated devotee may perform the ceremony " Srila Prabhupada letter to Vaikunthanatha, April 4, 1971
5) Srila Prabhupada had deputies chant on the disciple's beads and doing the fire sacrifice or the initiation ceremony without Srila Prabhupada personally chanting on the beads. He did not chant personally on every disciple's beads.
“Regarding the initiations, upon your recommendations I have accepted the following as my disciples and their names are...the sacred threads and mantra sheets are enclosed. Now hold a fire sacrifice, and the brahmanas may hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from my recording tape. you are authorized to chant on the beads." Srila Prabhupada letter to Hansadutta, November 23, 1974
"You may chant on the beads of the first initiates, and they must chant at least 16 rounds daily, that will keep them strong." Srila Prabhupada letter to Madhudvisa Maharaja, December 7, 1975
6) Srila Prabhupada initiated mlecchas and yavanas, a rarity which had only been done a few times by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He did it on a large scale.
"Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulkasa, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the khasa race and even others who are addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him" Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.18
“The principle that only Indians and Hindus should be brought into the Vaishnava cult is mistaken idea. There should be propaganda to bring everyone to the Vaishnava cult. The Krsna Consciousness movement is meant for that purpose. There is no bar in propagating the Krsna Consciousness movement even among people, who are born in candala, mleccha or yavana families. Even in India this point has been enunciated by Srila Sanatana Goswami in His books Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, which is smrti and is the authorized Vedic guide for Vaishnavas" Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.54
7) Srila Prabhupada gave Brahminical initiations to unmarried women on a large scale.
Indian man. Srila Prabhupada, since there is no distinction between "man" and "woman" these are both designations - is it possible for a woman to become a Brahmana?
Brahmananda: Is it possible for a woman to become a Brahmana.
Srila Prabhupada: He is...Woman is a Brahmana's wife. Then she is automatically a Brahmana.
Indian man: suppose she doesn't want to get married for the rest of her life, just wants to serve the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada: so in his spiritual position everyone is a Brahmana.
Brahmananda: But you give brahminical initiation to unmarried women.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes but on the spiritual platform she is a Brahmana. On the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction. Srila Prabhupada conversation. Nairobi, Kenya. November 2, 1975
8) Srila Prabhupada as a sannyasi engaged in brokering and performing marriages for his disciples This is another area which the non-preachers and the non-acaryas, even some of Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers, falsely criticized. Let us hear Srila Prabhupada's explanation.
“For example, since boys and girls in the western countries freely intermingle, special concessions regarding their customs and habits are necessary to bring them to Krsna Consciousness. The acarya must devise a means to bring them to devotional service. Therefore, although I am a sannyasi I sometimes take part in getting boy and girls married, although in the history of sannyasa no sannyasi has personally taken part in marrying his disciples." Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-Lila 7.37
"Sometimes, not knowing the Vaishnava philosophy, an outsider criticizes such activity, maintaining that a sannyasi should not take part in a marriage ceremony between a young boy and girl. However, this is not a karma-kanda activity because our purpose is to spread the Krsna Consciousness movement" Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-Lila 5.24
9) Srila Prabhupada allowed young unmarried women or Brahmacarinis to live in proximity of the major temples in Brahmacarini asramas.
10) Srila Prabhupada allowed women disciples to perform aratika and deity worship in major temples. This had never been done in any major public temples in India before.
“Regarding women worshipping the deity, in the Bhagavad-Gita it is stated striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te piyantt param gatim. The idea is that everyone who is properly initiated and following the rules and regulations can worship the deity." Srila Prabhupada letter. August 13, 1974
11) Srila Prabhupada allowed men and women devotees to live in the same temple buildings.
This point was vehemently protested by many of Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers. They repeatedly criticized Srila Prabhupada for engaging all of us and allowing the devotee men and devotee women in separate quarters in the same buildings.
However, the acarya explains. "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver all the fallen souls. Therefore he devised many methods to liberate them from the clutches of maya."
Purport
It is the concern of the acarya to show mercy to the fallen souls. In this connection, desa, kala, patra (the place, the time and the object should be taken into consideration. Since the European and American boys and girls in our Krishna Consciousness movement preach together, less intelligent men criticize that they are mingling, without restriction. In Europe and America, boys and girls mix without unrestrictedly and have equal rights, therefore it is not possible to completely separate the men from the women. However, we are thoroughly instructing both men and women how to preach, and actually they are preaching wonderfully. Of course we very strictly prohibit illicit sex. Boys and girls who are not married are not allowed to sleep together or live together, and there are separate arrangement for boys and girls in every temple, for in the temple we do not allow even husband and wife to live together. The results of this are wonderful, both men and women are preaching the gospel of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krsna with redoubled strength" Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-Lila 7.38
11) Srila Prabhupada allowed men and women devotees to wear non-devotional clothes [karmi clothes] in order to facilitate book distribution.
"Yes, if it is enhancing our distribution of books to wear warm clothes like coat-pants in winter, I have no objection." Srila Prabhupada Letter. December 31, 1972
12) Srila Prabhupada allowed himself to be worshipped in front of the deities and have his feet washed directly in front of the deities.
This must be understood in its proper context. The empowered acarya is not an ordinary human.
“According to the rules and regulations, no one should accept obeisances in the temple, of the Lord before the deity. Nor is it proper for a devotee to offer obeisances and touch the feet of the spiritual master before the deity. This is considered an offense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself was personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore it was not actually offensive to wash his feet in the temple. However, he was playing the part of an acarya, the Lord considered Himself an ordinary human being. He also wanted to give instruction to ordinary human beings. The point is that even though one plays the part of a spiritual master, he should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the deity. That is a matter of etiquette." Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-Lila 12.127
13) He once told a brahmana disciple to take off his Brahmana thread and tie a microphone so it would remain steady.
This may have contravened a minor rule the sastra, but it facilitated Prabhupada's preaching and to bring the mercy of Lord Krishna to many conditioned souls.
“it is called niyamagraha, without any profit, to follow the regulative principle without any profit. No if we get the opportunity, preaching facilities for going go on car, on airplane using typewriter, dictaphone, microphone, we must use it. Because this is Krsna's property, it must be used for Krsna. This is our philosophy. This microphone is Krsna's. Isavasyam idam sarvam. And when it is used for Krsna it is not material; it is spiritual" Srila Prabhupada lecture. Vrindavana, India. April 10, 1976.
14) In some instances, Srila Prabhupada accepted some mlechhas and yavanas, unfit disciples.
During the manifested physical presence of the Sampradaya-Acarya, Srila Prabhupada, so- called Hindus and envious persons sometimes criticized Srila Prabhupada for accepting and initiating persons of mleccha and yavana background as bona fide Vaishnavas. Srila Prabhupada explains this.
“The Krsna Consciousness movement is meant for this purpose. There is no bar to propagating Krsna Consciousness even among people who are born in candala, mleccha or yavana families." Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.54
15) He oftentimes wore sewn clothing to perform aratrika, fire sacrifices and abhiseka ceremonies.
According to Vedic injunctions a sannyasi or a Brahmana who performs a Vedic ritualistic ceremony should nor wear cloth sown by a needle. Srila Prabhupada often performed fire sacrifices [aghihotra yajna], deity bathing ceremonies [abhisekas] and aratikas with full kurtas, which were sewn clothes.
16) Srila Prabhupada ordered His disciples to chant 16 rounds instead of the customary 64 rounds.
“in the Western countries cannot concentrate for long periods while chanting on beads. Therefore, the minimum of rounds is prescribed. However, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that unless one chants at least sixty four rounds of japa he is considered fallen (patita). According to his calculation, practically everyone of us is fallen, but because we are trying to serve the Supreme Lord with all seriousness, and without duplicity, we can expect the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is famous as patita-pavana, the deliverer of the fallen " Nectar of Devotion, Pg 54. 1970 edition
"The same philosophy and spirit must be there exactly. Just like we preach in this country exactly as we have heard from our spiritual master, but there are changes due to the time, place and circumstances, and the trainees. The spirit of the disciplic succession may not be changed, but there may be adjustments made to suit the special circumstances."Srila Prabhupada letter. January 23, 1969.