Bhaktivedanta

The following is an interview with His Grace Purujit Dasa, on the upcoming authorized biography of Srila Prabhupada, compiled and edited by His Grace Purujit Prabhu. The interview is followed by an analysis of questionable memories of Prabhupada by his disciples.

Purujit Prabhu is an expert writer and cinematographer

1. What was your inspiration to create a biography of Shrila Prabhupada?

In his introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Shrila Prabhupada writes that since there so many editions of the Bhagavad-gita in the world, one may question the necessity of another one. To this, he answers that although there are many versions of this book, hardly any of those presents the message of the Gita as it is without personally motivated interpretations. Similarly, we can say that although there are many biographical books written about Shrila Prabhupada, often times they are tinged with philosophical flaws or misintepretations of Srila Prabhupada's position as a nitya-siddha or liberated associate of Lord Krishna. The reason for this is that while compiling such works, devotees overly depend on testimonies of conditioned souls who are subject to 4 defects of material existence: 1) the tendency to make mistakes, 2) the tendency to cheat, 3) imperfect senses, and 4) illusion. Our biography, Bhaktivedanta, is unique in its presentation because it solely derives its sources from the statements of a liberated soul, namely Shrila Prabhupada himself. If we want to know about Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is best to understand about Krishna from Krishna Himself. Similarly, if we want to understand Shrila Prabhupada, it is best to understand from Shrila Prabhupada himself, who has left behind a treasurehouse of vani (teachings). Since Shrila Prabhupada is the current link to the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, it behooves us to very scrutinizingly understand his transcendental nature and activities, otherwise there's a danger of committing the offense of seeing the spiritual master as a conditioned soul. No one can surrender to an equal. The liberated spiritual master must be therefore always accepted as a superior, otherwise there is no meaning to his instructions. By equalizing Shrila Prabhupada's position with ourselves or other conditioned souls, our appreciation for his teachings dwindles and ultimately becomes null and void. It is, therefore, essential to understand, through the medium of the descriptions of guru, sadhu, and sastra, who Shrila Prabhupada truly is and how he differs from the conditioned souls. We hope that the biography Bhaktivedanta will fulfill this purpose. 

2. Tell us a little more about the work itself, what can readers expect?

The Bhaktivedanta biography is divided into several volumes. We are presently finishing the set up of the volume one, which specifically deals with the history of our disciplic succession from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself appearing in the form of a devotee. Lord Chaitanya has inaugurated this sankirtana (chanting) movement some 500 years ago in Western Bengal. The biography goes through the lives of some of the previous acharyas in our succession and depicts how they have been paving the way for the successful mission of Shrila Prabhupada in transplanting the sankirtana culture to the Western hemisphere. The biography then presents a section on the nature of liberated souls who descend from the spiritual sky simply for the purpose of delivering the conditioned souls and how they never become conditioned by the allurements of material energy. Then, there is a short history of Shrila Prabhupada's family and a description of his childhood, youthood, and householder pastimes. The first volume then concludes with chapters that describe the meeting of Shrila Prabhupada with his spiritual master Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Takura. All of this is compiled from Shrila Prabhupada's direct statements about his own life, about the nature of pure devotees, about the history of our disciplic succession and about the mission of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

3. What is your vision for the biography? Where do you see it going?

The plan is to present all phases of Shrila Prabhupada's divine lila in the same fashion volume by volume. I hope it will serve as a tool for inspiring people and the devotees to study Shrila Prabhupada's personality more and thus create more interest in following his teachings. I hope it will also create more unity amongst the various groups of Shrila Prabhupada's followers worldwide. By watering the root of a tree, all the branches are nourished. Similarly, by nourishing our understanding of the founder-acharya, who is the root cause of all our spiritual activities, all the branches of his movement benefit.   

4. Can you walk us through how this biography was created? 

As mentioned before, Bhaktivedanta is a work in progress and only the first volume has been prepared so far. We follow a specific, almost mechanical work flow while compiling. In the first phase of the process, the entirety of Shrila Prabhupada's preserved vani is studied (sometimes several times over) and we select quotes that relate or could possibly relate to Shrila Prabhupada's personality, lila, or related topics. This then forms a big database of quotes that are further divided into various categories for easier organisation. In the second phase, we build a basic structure by selecting quotes from the database to chronologically depict Shrila Prabhupada's divine life. In the third phase, we look at how this preliminary structure can be extrapolated by further researching the various topics that the quotes present. In this way, the structure grows and branches out into more added quotes further and further. In the fourth phase, the quotes are then edited together, a technique used by the early editors of Shrila Prabhupada's books, for the purpose of forming one unified whole wherein the various sections and quotes smoothly connect to each other. In summary, we can conclude that the biography is a compilation of Shrila Prabhupada's quotes that consists of various sub-compilations within itself. Previously, the Bhaktivedanta Lives in Sound Society London published The Teachings of Lord Buddha from the Vedic point of view and No time, which are books compiled in the same way. We find this method most suitable.   

5. What are some of the challenges in creating such a project?

Perhaps, the only challenge is the force of time. We started this project in 2010 as a means of engaging our minds in devotional service. But through time, the project grew, and as I have been reading and compiling, my understanding of what could be done and what could not be done in terms of the biography also grew. Shrila Prabhupada has been guiding us all along, and since his glory is unlimited, we are facing the challenge of presenting the vast expanse of nectar emanted from his lotus mouth despite the threat of our own mortality and the constant diversions of our bodily necessities. As Shrila Rupa Goswami prays to have unlimited mouths and ears to chant the holy name, we also pray for unlimited opportunities to present Shrila Prabhupada's unlimited glories to the readers and the devotees everywhere.   

6. Any realizations while compiling? 

Yes. 

7. Where do you get the time to work on this in your busy schedule? 

I am very much obliged to the devotees of BLISS London, who are kindly allowing me some free time to dedicate to this project. Practically, they are taking care of me. Previously, I could not dedicate so much time to this project due to various challenging living situations while preaching. I would rise early and work on it a little bit every day before mangala aratika (morning worship). Now I can work even the whole day without any disturbance, so, the work has progressed tremendously due to kindness of Nityananda Prabhu, Dhananjaya Prabhu, Krsna Prema Mataji, Daivi Shakti Mataji, Bhaktin Heidha, Makhancora Prabhu, and Maitreya Rsi Prabhu. I am happy the devotees have given me this opportunity. I am also obliged to our various supporters who kindly support our temple and preaching financially. It would not be possible to accomplish this without their kind help.   

8. Do you feel closer to Srila Prabhupada after compiling this biography?

Generally, it is not good to come too close to the spiritual master as the feeling of overfamiliarity can overcome us, so the more I understand about Shrila Prabhupada, the more distant I feel, seeing how rotten and insignificant I am in his divine presence. It is an ecstatic feeling to know that such a personality exists. I cannot sufficiently express the exciting feeling when his lila manifests in front of my eyes while reading, researching, and compiling. I hope that readers can also experience the same.   

9. Any concluding words?

My humble request to the readers is that they may purchase the book. If only one of them becomes a dedicated follower of Shrila Prabhupada, being inspired by his divine pastimes, I will consider my work a great success. 

Questionable Memories

One of the reasons behind compiling Bhaktivedanta, the biography of Shrila Prabhupada, is that sometimes while hearing oral testimonies of his early disciples we tend to be suspicious about their authenticity. They are undoubtedly full of nectar, but over the years, we have learned to take them with "a pinch of salt." Shrila Prabhupada's direct words are always the top level of authority, and no memory or personal testimony can override that. As Shrila Prabhupada warns us: Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said.'' (Letter to: Omkara  --  Vrindaban 2 September, 1975)

Here, we will show various examples how these personal memories contradict each other or are imperfectly reproduced by surely well-meaning disciples and how we should be careful not to take such memories as absolute revelations. The first example comes from a devotee who remembers a conversation that took place between the poet Allen Ginsberg and Shrila Prabhupada:

Prabhupada described how bad Kali-yuga was going to get, how there would cease to be any foliage, how all the animals would be carnivorous, how people would be cannibals, and how fruits will be big seeds surrounded by skin. There would be nothing to eat, and what few devotees remained would live in caves. He described the Krishna conscious version of the end. Allen Ginsberg said, "And your disciples? Will they be in the caves?" Shrila Prabhupada said, "My disciples will have gone back to Godhead by then." Ginsberg was very impressed. He said, "Oh, really?" Prabhupada said, "Yes. They are very advanced. They are going to go back very shortly. They are chanting. They are taking part in this process. They are becoming pure devotees in this lifetime." 

However, when we consult the relevant passage in the actual transcript of the conversation, we get a slightly different idea:

Allen Ginsberg: Now, what is Kalki's nature?

Prabhupada: Kalki's nature is described in Bhagavata. He will come just like a prince; he will have a royal dress and be armed with a sword, and on horseback; simply killing, no preaching. All rascals killed. No more preaching. [laughing] That is the last. There will be no brain to understand what is God.

Allen Ginsberg: There will be no brain to understand God?

Prabhupada: They will be so dull, so dull. It requires brain to understand. Just like in the Bhagavata, it is said that evam prasanna-manaso [SB 1.2.20] "fully joyful," bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, "by practice of bhakti-yoga." Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah, mukta-sangasya: "and freed from all material contamination." He can understand God. Do you think God is such a cheap thing, anyone will understand? Because they do not understand, they present something nonsense: "God is like this. God is like that. God is like that." And when God Himself comes, that "Here I am: Krishna," they don't accept it. They'll create their own God.

Allen Ginsberg: So Kalki comes at the end of the Kali-yuga?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Allen Ginsberg: And is Kalki connected with the Kali-yuga cycle?

Prabhupada: Yes. Kalki, yes.

Allen Ginsberg: So He would come at the end of Kali-yuga to end the yuga.

Prabhupada: Yes. Then Satya-yuga will begin.

Allen Ginsberg: Then what begins?

Prabhupada: Satya-yuga.

Allen Ginsberg: Which is?

Prabhupada: Satya-yuga, the pious yuga. Satya-yuga. People will be pious, truthful, long-living.

Allen Ginsberg: Are those people that remain, or whatever new creation comes out of the destruction?

Prabhupada: Some of them will remain, some of them. It will not completely extinguish. Some of them will remain, pious. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg 4.8]. 

All miscreants will be killed, and out of them, there must be some pious... They remain.

Allen Ginsberg: Do you think of this in terms of a historical event that will occur in the lifetime of your disciples?

Prabhupada: No. This will happen at least 400,000 years after. At least. So by that time...

Allen Ginsberg: They will go down, down, down for 400,000 years?

Prabhupada: Yes. So at that time my disciples will be with Krishna. [laughter]

Devotees: Haribol!

(Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg – May 13, 1969, Columbus)

Please note that there's no mentioning of the devotees living in caves, nor is Allen Ginsberg asking about the devotees living in caves. Of course, this may very well be the situation at the end of Kali yuga, yet the word "cave" is never mentioned in the whole conversation. Furthermore, the whole idea of Shrila Prabhupada saying that his early disciples were very advanced and that they would reach spiritual perfection and go back to Godhead to rejoin Krishna in the spiritual world in their very lifetimes is completely manufactured by this devotee. Shrila Prabhupada does not say any of these things. All he says is that at the end of Kali-yuga his disciples will be with Krishna. It might be in this lifetime, or the next, or in 100 lifetimes. There is no such indication that they will go in this lifetime.

Another example is a story retold in three different biographical books about His Divine Grace Shrila Prabhupada by three different disciples, and It relates to the time when Shrila Prabhupada lived at John Lennon's house in England. Disciple #1 recounts:

On the morning walks, Prabhupada would often greet Tittenhurst's gardener, Frank. He and Frank had respect for each other, as they were about the same age. Frank was living in a small, cozy Tudor cottage, and he had reported to John Lennon that strange sounds kept him up in the night. He thought the cottage was occupied by ghosts. John consulted with Shrila Prabhupada and asked him if he could do something to remedy this situation. Prabhupada replied that he could.

He gathered us together, and we marched in a great procession across the low, grassy hills down to the cottage. Prabhupada led a dynamic kirtan and told us to "blow the conch shell very often and very loudly, as ghosts don't like that sound." After awhile he said, "They have gone."

Frank later confirmed that the strange sounds he heard in the night were, indeed, gone.

(By His example: Guru Dasa Ghost Story)Here, the devotee recounts Frank, who is supposed to be a gardener and who asks Prabhupada to chase away ghosts from his house. Prabhupada then leads kirtan with the devotees, and that chases the ghost away to the pleasure of Frank, who can then sleep soundly at night.  Disciple #2 writes about that same story in a slightly different way:During our stay at Tittenhurst, Janaki, Malati, and Yamuna befriended a red-haired Scottish woman named Mrs. McDougal who was living in a small Georgian house on the property. Her husband was a bricklayer who was working on the estate and whom the Lennons were happy to accommodate in addition to paying him. Howard McDougal, the bricklayer, was a very quiet man. One evening Janaki told me that Mrs. McDougal had confided in her that she and her husband were being kept awake at night by strange noises coming from the top floor of their house. They were afraid they were going to lose their home and employment because Mr. McDougal had to sleep during the day and wasn't getting enough work done on the Lennon property. "They're convinced it's a ghost," Janaki said. "She said she thinks it's the work of the ‘deil.' I think that's Scottish for devil. She asked me if I thought she was crazy, and I said no, that the Vedas say it's possible for a soul to be in a ghost body, I mean a subtle body, but no material body and senses."

"Maybe they should tell John and Yoko," I suggested.

"I said the same thing," Janaki said. "She said they'd told them, and Yoko hired an exorcist to get rid of it, but he couldn't do anything about it. He said the ghost was too powerful."

"What kind of sounds do they hear?" I asked.

"She said they hear heavy chains rattling and something being dragged across the floor."

"Like what?"

"She said it sounded like a body being dragged, or like boots." "Chains and dragged bodies sounds pretty clichè to me," I said.

I had always been skeptical about ghosts and supernatural beings, but when I met Prabhupada, I'd discovered that ghosts appear in many of the scriptures of India. Although the Vedas supported the idea of some ghosts being friendly, most of them seemed to be malevolent because they were frustrated. According to the Vedas, ghosts still had minds and desired food, sex, and other sensory pleasures, but they could not fulfill these desires because they had no sense organs. Prabhupada said it was possible for a disembodied being to continue to reside in a particular house because of excessive attachment to the dwelling. He also said some powerful ghosts had the ability to possess others' bodies to gratify their desires, especially the bodies of those who had taken alcohol or drugs or were in some kind of vulnerable state.

"They're really upset about it. Can we ask Prabhupada what we should do?"

"I think so," I said.

When I told Prabhupada about the situation, his response was direct.

"Drive it out," he said gravely.

"How?" I asked. "They hired an exorcist and even he couldn't help!"

"Yes, but Krishna can!" Prabhupada insisted. "On a cloudy day, ask the people to leave the house. Then you have loud kirtan. Use mrdanga, karatalas, and keep blowing conch shell. Sprinkle water offered to Krishna on floor. Burn lots of incense. You must chant Hare Krishna in the house all day."

"You think that will drive away the ghost?" I asked a little doubtfully.

"Yes," he said with certainty. "A ghost cannot remain in presence of Krishna's name."

A couple of days later, twenty devotees gathered in the McDougals' home for a spirited Hare Krishna chanting session.

"We're gonna be a few hours," Janaki said to Mrs. McDougal. "Why don't you take a walk?"

"Well, there's a wee bit of rain, but we can take our brollies," Mrs. McDougal agreed.

The kirtan lasted five hours. We threaded our way through all the rooms of the small house, singing and playing our instruments loudly. At three o'clock we finally concluded our "exorcism" and I scuffed out across the sodden park to find the McDougals. I found them sitting on a damp bench among the rhododendron bushes.

"The coast's clear," I said. "You can go home now and, I hope, get a good night's sleep tonight."

The next morning, Mrs. McDougal reported that they had slept peacefully throughout the night without any disturbance coming from the attic. 

Here, all of a sudden Frank changes into Howard and from a gardener becomes a bricklayer, and the kirtan, led by the devotees, not Shrila Prabhupada, lasts for five hours. Now, which of the versions is true?

Did Shrila Prabhupada authorize the publication of his own biography?

The answer to this question might not be so clear, because a pure devotee is the epitome of humility and therefore never hankers for glorification or fame. During his manifested presence, we see that Shrila Prabhupada has clearly manifested this quality, and whenever he would be praised by others for spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world for the benefit of the masses, he would respond: "Personally, I am a nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order." (Letter to: Brahmananda  --  Seattle 16 October, 1968)

This, however, does not mean we should not glorify a pure devotee. Such glorification is very pleasing to the Lord, for whom His devotees are very dear. In fact, Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that those who preach His message are the dearest to Him. Therefore, we should not misunderstand Shrila Prabhupada's humility and treat him in the same way he treats his own position. Shrila Prabhupada explains in a letter:“A Vaisnava is always humble, and if a person does not misuse this humbleness of a Vaisnava, he gets a chance to be elevated. But if somebody misunderstands the humility of a Vaisnava, then he is doomed. Just like in the Chaitanya Charitamrta, the author Kaviraja Goswami says that he is lower than the stool, and Sanatana Goswami says that he is born and associated with most degraded persons. If such humility of Vaisnavas are taken verbatim, then we are misled.“

(Letter to: Gurudasa  --  Los Angeles 14 December, 1968)

He expresses a similar point in his Bhagavatam purport:“It is characteristic of advanced Vaisnavas following the principles of bhakti that they think themselves ordinary human beings. This is not an artificial exhibition of humility; a Vaisnava sincerely thinks this way and therefore never admits his exalted position.”

(SB 5.24.26 purport)

It is actually more important to hear about the activities of Krishna's pure devotees than of Krishna Himself, and only the pretender class of devotees (sahajiyas) give more importance to hearing about Krishna's pastimes than His devotees. Shrila Prabhupada confirms this:“Sometimes the sahajiya class of devotees are interested only in Krsna's personal pastimes to the exclusion of the activities of the devotees. This type of devotee is not on a very high level; one who sees the devotee and the Lord on the same level has further progressed.”

(SB 4.23.31 purport)

It is important to note that only a realised devotee can describe the pastimes of another realised devotee since the activities of such exalted Vaishnavas are taken place under the influence of the Lord's internal energy and are therefore acintya (inconcievable) to a person still on a material plane. For this reason, it is important that we learn about Shrila Prabhupada from Shrila Prabhupada himself to avoid false speculation about his exalted position. From our humble research we can see that various devotees have attempted to compile or write a biography in this fashion, and although there is no such clear statement approving publication of his own biography from Shrila Prabhupada himself, there are several preserved exchanges of his early disciples which give an indication that His Divine Grace was approving and even cooperating in such an endeavor by providing interviews. We would like to share these rare quotes. The first one is letter dating back to 1974 from Brahmananada Prabhu, Shrila Prabhupada's most senior disciple: 

"You may know Macmillian is interested in publishing Prabhupada’s biography. His Divine Grace has started dictating notes on His life to me and I am to put it together. Actually, Prabhupada said He was not so interested in this kind of thing, but still He is doing it. So let us see if he completes it."

(From: Brahmananda - SL_740815_A1)

Here, the publishing company Macmillan is mentioned; the company that published Shrila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is for the first time. Brahmananda says here that Shrila Prabhupada started dictating notes on his life to him, which is quite indicative that Shrila Prabhupada was supportive of the idea of a biography, although at the same time he "was not interested in this kind of thing."Another preserved letter is from another early official disciple of Shrila Prabhupada, Tamal Krishna Goswami, who writes in a letter to Sastvarupa Dasa Goswami: 

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter with the enclosed questions to be asked to Shrila Prabhupada regarding His biography. As His health is not good enough yet, I will keep these questions pending. Rest assured, at the first opportunity I will begin to ask them. I thank you very much for the opportunity to engage in this service.

(From: Tamal Krishna - SL_771010_B1)

This exchange corresponds to the conversation from that same time period:

Prabhupada: ...surrounded with Krishna consciousness. That was my great fortune. My father, mother, my relatives, my neighborhood... I had the opportunity of mixing with [indistinct -- tape noise] [break] Everywhere there was Krishna consciousness. And they were all well-to-do, rich. This was the opportunity. Then gradually it developed. My father was a great Vaishnava. He was worshiping Radha-Krishna. Our family Deity was Damodara. So hereditary we are Vaisnavas, followers of Nitai-Gaura.

Tamala Krsna: I think it will be very nice if he does this book. And I'll find the right time sometimes... There will be opportunities when we can sit, and I can ask these questions and you can speak about them.

Prabhupada: And I had the opportunity of associating with Radha-Govinda of the Mulliks from childhood. We were playing there. I was seeing the Deity... [break] ....and I questioned, "Here is God," like that. [break] Atmosphere was all Krishna conscious. [break] He was a retired pleader. He was our neighbor, so nice Vaishnava.

Tamala Krishna: Was he that elderly man who would sleep sometimes when he was offering obeisances?

Prabhupada: Yes. Everywhere... My maternal uncle, they were very... They were not rich. Formerly they were rich, then reduced, but so much devotee. My aunt's house, mother's elder sister, mean this was the society. So all Vaishnavas. Not strictly following the Vaishnava regulation, but still, they were Krishna conscious. Even our maidservants, they were Krishna conscious. They were inviting their guru. They were trying to satisfy them. Used to keep the guru for learning Srimad-Bhagavatam. Such was the atmosphere, even maidservant.

Tamala Krsna: The whole society sounds Krishna conscious.

Prabhupada: That was the atmosphere I had the opportunity to get. [pause]

Tamala Krsna: That gentleman who brought you the oils yesterday? He brought another type. I wanted to bring it to you. He says it's especially during the wintertime it would be good for you. I'll just bring it. [break]

Prabhupada: Very pet child.

Tamala Krsna: Pet child.

Prabhupada: Whatever I shall want, they will supply. I was not a unwanted child for killing.

Tamala Krsna: You told the story that one time, because you were accustomed to liking puris more than capatis and your mother didn't supply you, you ran upstairs and refused to eat. Then your father came home and became very sorry. And he made your mother cook immediately puris for you. Was that one of the sto...?

Prabhupada: Hmm. The name was kept Abhaya. Abhaya means "There is no fear of death of this child." In my maternal uncle's house, because I was born on the Nandotsava, they kept my name Nandadulal.

Tamala Krsna: Nandadulal? Why were you called like that?

Prabhupada: Because I was born in Nandotsava day.

Tamala Krsna: Did they used to call you Nandadulal?

Prabhupada: Hmm. In my maternal uncle's house I was called Nandadulal. Nandu.

Tamala Krsna: Nandadulal. It's always very nice for the devotees that we celebrate your appearance day just following Janmastami. Guru and Krishna, both together. Actually, when this book is written properly, I know for a fact that it will actually attract people to join this movement, because I read once a biography of a very bogus person, but I was so much... People become so much impelled or attracted when they hear of a great personality and his activities. It makes them want to link up with such a person. So this book will have preaching effect, no doubt, and it will be filled with philosophy also. [pause]

Prabhupada: How people were happy in those days. A small income, they were satisfied. Nowadays they simply want money. Nobody was unhappy even if he had very small income. He would adjust, and develop Krishna consciousness. These things we have seen. I have seen that even the maidservant, what to speak of gentlemen. Where those days gone? And nobody was hungry.

(Room Conversation with Pranavdas Gupta about Astrology Report – July 19, 1977, Vrindavana)

Here clearly Tamala Krishna speaks of the biography project, and Shrila Prabhupada is providing information about his early childhood. Thus, it seems Shrila Prabhupada is aware that the devotees are working on this project. On this basis, we conclude that compiling Shrila Prabhupada's biography carefully selected from his own statements free from speculative thoughts and mundane imagination would be approved by His Divine Grace. We pray that we will be successful in presenting an authorized version of Shrila Prabhupada's life for the pleasure of the devotees around the world.  

Questionable Biography

We are presenting here examples from a notorious biography of Shrila Prabhupada's that does not tally with his teachings. Sometimes, devotees write such biographies with good intentions to glorify a pure devotee, but using their own mundane speculations, they depict a pure devotee in a mundane way and thus achieve the complete opposite. Considering these examples, one may further understand the need for Bhaktivedanta Lives In Sound Society's upcoming projects such as the publication of Bhaktivedanta, the authorized biography of Shrila Prabhupada.  

SHAKEN AND SHOCKED?

"Although Prabhupada’s home had suddenly become an insane terror, the street at its door was also a hellish, dangerous place. He was shaken.”

“America seemed so opulent, yet many things were difficult to tolerate (for Shrila Prabhupada). The sirens and bells from fire engines and police cars seemed like they would crack his heart.”

“Prabhupada moved quickly down the four flights of stairs. He had not stopped to gather up any of his belongings or even to decide where he would go or whether he would return. There had been no time to consider anything. He had taken quite a shock and now he was leaving the arena of David’s madness.”

(Excerpts from the controversial biography of Shrila Prabhupada)

Shrila Prabhupada, however, states the opposite:

“In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this, he thinks that there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty.”(B.G. 6.20-23)

“…when a man is suddenly shocked by some great loss, he forgets his identification with the gross body…Because of our ignorance of the spiritual body, of which we have no experience, we do not know the activities of the spiritual body, and in ignorance, we jump from one false platform to another. We act sometimes in relation to the gross body and sometimes in relation to the subtle body. If by Krishna’s grace, we act in our spiritual body, we can transcend both the gross and subtle bodies. In other words, we can gradually train ourselves to act in terms of the spiritual body.”

(S.B. 4.29.71 purport)

FRUSTRATED, BAFFLED, AND PERPLEXED?

“But, then the worst thing happened. The manuscript was stolen… Abhay was baffled; so much work had been undone. He felt he had worked so many months for nothing.”

“But his first attempts to arrange a meeting were unsuccessful. Frustrated at being put off by Mrs. Morarji’s officers, he sat down on the front steps of her office building, determined to catch her attention as she left for the day.”

“He had little idea of what to do as he walked off the ship onto the pier. He did not know whether to turn left or right.'”

(Excerpts from the controversial biography of Shrila Prabhupada)

Shrila Prabhupada, however states the opposite:

“In the material world, the conditioned soul is generally baffled, although sometimes he is relieved after great difficulty.” S.B. 5.14.1

“By nature’s own way, the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity and, therefore, it behooves one to approach a bonafide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literature advise us to approach a bonafide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire…The Vedic wisdom, therefore, advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bonafide spiritual master is supposed to know everything.”

(B.G. 2.7 purport)

“Maharaja Parikshit was neither afraid of, nor bewildered, by such things. That is the sign of a pure devotee of the Lord.”

(S.B. 1.18.2 purport)

A person who is centpercent engaged in the service of the Lord is the emblem of all knowledge.”

(S.B. 1.5.6 purport)

“The spiritual master is one who solves all confusion. If a spiritual master cannot save his disciple from confusion, he is not a spiritual master. The spiritual master is one who has received the mercy of God, and he can deliver the solution to a confused man.”

(Shrila Prabhupada  in conversation with Mr. O’Grady)

“When there is enforced acceptance for suffering, it is not a pastime.”

(S.B. 3.26.9 purport)SADNESS

“Prabhakar Misra advised Abhay to go back to Allahabad to recover what he could. No,’ Abhaya said. This is good for me. I was sad, but now one great attachment has come to an end…'”

“When Abhay left Bharati Bhavan, with its six-foot-high lettering “League of Devotees” painted across the outside wall, he felt sad.”

“But he found the Swami just the opposite – very straightforward and even cutting in his speech and his mouth turned down at the corners, making him look mournful.”

“Sitting cross-legged, his back to the shelf with its assortment of potted plants, a whitish chadar wrapped in wide, loose folds across his body, Prabhupada looked grave, almost sorrowful.”

Shrila Prabhupada, however, states the opposite:

“Because this transcendental position is at once achieved by one who is in Krishna consciousness, the devotee of the Lord is unaffected by dualities of material existence, like distress and happiness, cold and heat, and so on. This state is called samadhi, or absorption in the Supreme.”

(Bg 6.7 purport)

"Following the advice of Krishna (B.G., 2.14), one should not be morose or unhappy because of circumstantial changes. This is the symptom of a devotee. A devotee carries out his duty in Krishna consciousness, and is never unhappy in awkward circumstances.”(S.B. 8.11.8 purport)

“Those who are not narayana-para, pure devotees, must be disturbed by this duality of the material world, whereas devotees who are simply attached to the service of the Lord are not at all disturbed by it… despite the disturbing dualities in the material world, they are not disturbed at all. Because they fix their minds on the lotus feet of the Lord, they do not feel the so-called pains and pleasures caused by the dualities of this material world.”

(S.B. 6.17.29 purport)

“For a learned person who sees how things are taking place, there is no question of being sorry or happy because of the waves of material nature…One who is fully conversant with the laws of nature is never jubilant or morose because of nature’s activities.”

(S.B. 8.11.8 purport)

Devotee (3): Often the devotee thinks that he's more unhappy than the karmis because he knows he's unhappy.

Prabhupada: Then that means he is not a devotee.

Devotee (3): He's not a devotee.

Prabhupada: Yes. He's not devotee. Devotee means the first sign will be happy, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg 18.54]. If he's not prasannatma, he's a rascal. He has not entered even devotional life. He's outside. That is the test. Just like Dhruva Maharaja. When he saw Visnu: "Everything is all right. I don't want anything." Svamin krtartho 'smi [Cc Madhya 22.42]. That is Vaisnava. And if he is still in want or unhappiness, that means he has no spiritual life at all. He is simply making a show.

(Morning Walk – April 24, 1976, Melbourne)

ATTACHED TO FAMILY LIFE?

“He knew it was not an ordinary dream, but the request seemed so difficult and unlikely. Take sannyasa! At least it was not something he could do immediately.”

“…he went on with his duties but remained shaken by the dream.”

“And again Abhay had to put the dream aside. He was a householder with many responsibilities. To take sannyasa would mean to give up everything. He had to earn money. He now had five children. “Why is Guru Maharaja asking me to take sannyasa?” he thought. It was not possible now.”

“Of course, there could be a compatible balance between family service and devotional service. Bhaktivinode Takura had described two simultaneous obligations: bodily and spiritual. Social status, mental development, cleanliness, nourishment, and the struggle for existence were all bodily obligations; the activities of devotional service to Krishna were spiritual. And the two should run parallel to one another. In Bhaktivinode’s life, his family was a source of spiritual encouragement, and he used his social position to advance in preaching. But Abhaya’s experience had been different; the two paths seemed to be at war, each threatening the other’s existence. He felt himself operating somewhat like the materialists he had criticized in his writings, absorbed in the struggle for existence with insufficient time for self-realization.”

However, Shrila Prabhupada writes:

“How can a highly learned person who has absolutely no affinity for the bodily conception of life be affected by the bodily conception in regards to house, children, wealth, and similar other bodily conceptions?”(S.B. 4.20.6 purport)

“The conclusion is that a paramahamsa is an exalted devotee (bhagavat priya). Such a paramahamsa may be in any stage of life – brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, or sannyasa – and be equally liberated and exalted.”

(S.B. 7.13.46)

“Devotees are certainly liberated persons. Therefore, O greatest of the brahmanas, they cannot possibly be absorbed in family affairs.”

(S.B. 5.1.2)

Regarding Bhaktivinode Takura’s statement on bodily and spiritual obligation, that does not apply to the pure devotee but to the conditioned soul who is advancing in Krishna consciousness. ...in the conditioned state, sometimes devotional service and the conditional service in relation to the body will parallel one another. But then again, sometimes these activities become opposed to one another.

(Bg 9.30 purport)

VERY HUMAN STORY?

“It is a very human story, with a very human A. C. Bhaktivedanta at the center.”

“I invite the reader to enjoy the very real, human life story of Shrila Prabhupada, who is known in this volume as Abhay Charan.”

(From the forward to the controversial biography of Shrila Prabhupada)

However, Shrila Prabhupada writes:

“Narada Muni, Haridas Takura and similar acharyas especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be brought down to the material platform. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to think that the acharya is an ordinary human being (gurusu nara matih).”(S.B. 7.7.14 purport)

“Such a person may appear to be an ordinary human being, but because he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is not to be neglected as ordinary.”

(S.B. 8.24.46 purport)

In the Shrimad Bhagavatam (SB 11.17.22) Shri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, instructed Shri Uddhava as follows:

"My dear Uddhava, you can accept the spiritual master as Myself. You should not, as a matter of fact, consider the spiritual master as an ordinary man and thus belittle his personality. The guru or the spiritual master represents all the dominating gods."

(BTGPY20a: Identity of Lord Chaitanya)

“One should not treat the spiritual master as an ordinary human being, for he is the substitute for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

(S.B. 4.20.13 purport)

SUMMARY 

Since a pure devotee is fully absorbed in the thoughts of Krishna, who is all-attractive, he himself becomes all-attractive. It is natural, therefore, that we become attracted to hear about his pastimes. Since the spiritual master is also called the acharya (one who teaches by example), his pastimes are an essential lesson to us. However, we must be always careful to understand such pastimes from the transcendental sources and not from neophyte devotees or non-devotees who see the acharya in a mundane way. Such descriptions naturally become opposed to the statements of the guru, sadhu, and sastra and thus are useless and even harmful for our spiritual advancement. Shrila Prabhupada writes: "No learned man should be willing to hear a person who does not represent the original acharya." 

( SB 1.4.1 purport)

Shiksha-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the diksha-guru. He is not a shiksha-guru. He is a rascal.

(Bhagavad-gita 17.1–3 – July 3, 1974, Honolulu)

If you're interested, you can find the latest edition of the Matchless Gift magazine here.