Title: Gauranga Mantra Diksha

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2007-03-11 20:08:35

 

 

How to understand the introduction of Gauranga-Mantra-Diksha

 

 

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

(1) A Guru can choose particular Mantras for his disciple depending on the disciples' qualification to chant specific mantras as per Shrila Prabhupada.

 

(Cc Madhya 24.330: "The spiritual master has to select a mantra for his disciple according to the disciple's ability to chant different mantras.")

 

(2) Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada introduced the system of Gayatri-Mantra-Diksha (Brahmana Diksha) for the first time in our sampradaya even though he had not received it from his own guru.

Because he wanted to stop the Vaishnava-aparadha committed by the brahmanas in thinking themselves superior to the Vaishnavas.

Similarly we have introduced this system of Gauranga-Mantra-Diksha by the inspiration of all the acharyas and Lord Nityananda in order to stop and totally destroy all the ten nama-aparadhas (offenses) of the devotees and disciples and to make them rapidly achieve pure love for Krishna and qualification to chant the pure Maha-mantra.

 

(3) The Acharyas who directly descended from the spiritual world can directly give the Maha-mantra to the aparadhi jivas by making them qualified but their activities should not be imitated but their instructions in their books are to be followed which is that a neophyte should not directly indulge in chanting of the Maha-mantra only and if even he tries to do he will never get the result due to his or her offenses. Instead they state that he or she should begin by very regularly chanting the names of Nityananda-Gauranga. The acharyas have repeatedly given the instructions to chant the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantras in their vani but they are not bound to implement their own instructions and they are free to preach in whatever way they desire. Whereas we should try to strictly implement their instructions rather than simply and foolishly saying that we should not because they have not practically implemented it. For us their instructions are more important than their incomprehensible & transcendental activities.

Also Shrila Prabhupada said that a sannyasi should not attend marriage ceremonies but he himself conducted some of the ceremonies.

So an acharya may not rigidly follow his own instructions give in his books. Because he is as independent as the Lord Himself. Similarly Shrila Prabhupada said that a neophyte syudent should not directly chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra but should take shelter of the names of Nityananda-Gauranga first. But Shrila Prabhupada may not follow this standard given by his ownself and can directly introduce the Maha-mantra (which is what he did) because he is independent being the direct associate of Lord Gauranga. But his followers can follow his instructions in his books for their rapid spiritual advancement.

 

(4) An Acharya may want to do something but he may leave it for his followers to accomplish when the time is ripe. Like Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada wanted the name of Lord Gauranga to spread all over the world but he did not travel abroad and left that task for his disciple, Shrila Prabhupada. Similarly Prabhupada wanted that the Gauranga Mantra spread all over the world as per his clear and repeated instruction but he left this mission to his followers.

 

(5) As Prabhupada said that:

 

"The expert devotees also can discover novel ways and means to convert the nondevotees in terms of particular time and circumstance.

Devotional service is dynamic activity, and the expert devotees can find out competent means to inject it into the dull brains of the materialistic population. Such transcendental activities of the devotees for the service of the Lord can bring a new order of life to the foolish society of materialistic men." (SB 1.5.16 purport)

 

Shrila Prabhupada in Cc Adi 7.31-32 purport:

 

"Here is an important point. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to invent a way to capture the Mayavadis and others who did not take interest in the Krsna consciousness movement. This is the symptom of an acarya. An acarya who comes for the service of the Lord cannot be expected to conform to a stereotype, for he must find the ways and means by which Krsna consciousness may be spread."

 

Note: Please note that here the words "discover or invent novel ways and means" is used so it means that an expert devotee can preach Krishna and Gauranga consciousness by means (like Gauranga-Mantra- Diksha and Gayatri-Mantra-Diksha etc etc) which may not have been practically adopted by the previous acharyas. Ofcourse the expert devotee does this due to the inspiration and the desire of the previous acharyas and Lord Nityananda and other devotees should not get envious about this expertise of the advanced devotee in bringing millions of people to Krishna consciousness and effectively destroying their ten offenses though this most merciful process of Gauranga-Mantra-Diksha.

 

Commentary of Shrila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Aphorism 43 of Tattva Sutra:

 

"Devotees of the Supreme Lord are not controlled by the scriptures since their activities are congenial to the Divine Wisdom. Therefore, when the advanced devotees ordain any new arrangements, they should be agreed as the religious code, even if they are not found in the scriptural dictums of the previous sages. This is also agreed by Manu."