Rasa-tattva #1: The  lila of the highest order is not for the common public
Channel: BhaktiSiddhanta.org
Date: 2023-10-15

Excerpts from the Lectures of His Divine Grace Śrī Śyām Dās Babajī Mahārāja

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proclaimed that among the many forms of divine worship, the gopīs’ amorous pastimes with Śrī Kṛṣṇa are supreme. From the time of His daśākṣara mantra initiation at Gayā, His mood of worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa was like that of the gopīs who agonizingly searched for Kṛṣṇa when he mysteriously disappeared at the sudden conclusion of the rāsa-līlā. This intense agony in viraha (separation) continued throughout his divine life. The topic of rasa-tattva is among the most grossly misunderstood doctrines within the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition; it cannot be compared with the so-called love of this world. This is why the attainment of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is only reserved for the most advanced class of completely pure-minded devotees who do not desire any reciprocation for their devotional efforts. Few members of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava community currently have any kind of actual access to the Vṛndāvana pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Imitation Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas are misrepresenting the teachings mercifully bestowed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Their misleading portrayals are in opposition to His divine purpose of rescuing the souls afflicted by worldly fire and are in breach of the basic principles of His most sacred doctrine. In this present age of Kali that is full of misconceptions and errors, it is of utmost importance to distinguish between Bhaktivinoda-dhārā and non-Bhaktivinoda-dhārā. Because of his uncompromising preaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s  teachings, Gauḍīya-goṣṭhī-patiḥ Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda is famously known as The Siṃha Guru (a very powerful, lion-like Guru). Dressed in cloth like the color of the newly-risen sun, he dispels clouds of misconceptions from the Gauḍīya sky, establishing the doctrine of śuddha-bhakti. Śrīla Prabhupāda always considered it most compassionate to concern oneself with a person’s spiritual welfare rather than with their material comforts. He considered a so-called guru who simply flatters disciples to be inimical; a genuine spiritual master is like a butcher who applies a sharp knife to a goat’s neck and cuts all of one’s misconceptions into pieces. It may be observed that today’s vaiṣṇava society is generally very far away from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings. Therefore, we feel it is our duty to at least try to represent the teachings of our Sarasvata Gauḍīya guru-varga as much as possible; otherwise, people imagine themselves to be inside a fairytale-like castle in the name of rūpānuga and rāgānugā bhajana. In the same way that someone may warn a rooftop worker that his next move may cause him to fall, we must also warn as many people as possible about impending danger. We want to inspire our readers to follow and associate only with those whose ācara and prācara are completely in line with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. By following them perfectly, sādhakas will surely meet with maṅgala (auspiciousness) and will not need to register their name in a cheater group. Our only prayer is that the vāṇī-vaibhava of Śrīla Prabhupāda can rectify us. 


Thanks a lot 

      Truly yours in the service of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga & Go-Mata

                                      Bhakti Siddhanta Vani Seva Trust


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