{"id":4880,"date":"2022-04-08T06:33:11","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T01:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/?p=4880"},"modified":"2022-07-05T15:03:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T09:33:47","slug":"where-do-you-draw-the-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/writings\/krishna-talk-articles\/srila-bhakti-gaurava-narasingha-maharaja\/where-do-you-draw-the-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Do YOU Draw the Line?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question:<\/strong> How many misconceptions does it take to make one a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Narasi\u1e45gha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> That depends on where you draw the line. Misconceptions may result in one being a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>, or misconceptions may result in one being apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101yika,<\/em> or one\u2019s institution becoming an apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101ya<\/em> (devoid of proper siddh\u0101nta<\/em>). Misconceptions may also just result in one making little to no spiritual advancement, but not necessarily becoming a sahajiy\u0101<\/em> or apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101yika<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, someone with sahajiy\u0101<\/em> influences is not necessarily a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>. You really have to go over the edge before you rate being a full-on sahajiy\u0101<\/em>. In the estimation of some devotees, you\u2019re not really a sahajiy\u0101<\/em> until you are a guy who wears a s\u0101ri<\/em>, who puts a nose-ring and dances around thinking he has become a sakh\u012b<\/em> of R\u0101dh\u0101. No doubt, that is the extreme, but we might draw the line before things get that bizarre! There are many sahajiy\u0101<\/em> tendencies and misconceptions that can be weeded out long before getting to the stage of being a sakh\u012b<\/em>–bekhi<\/em>. In contemporary times, we find that some individuals, and even whole sections within in our samprad\u0101ya,<\/em> have adopted some sahajiy\u0101<\/em> influences (misconceptions), but they may not be full-blown sahajiy\u0101s<\/em>. But yes, in some cases they are!<\/p>\n

There are instances where we might think that controversy over philosophy is irreconcilable, or that both parties may be right. This, however, is hardly ever the case. One side of the argument is usually right, and the other side is wrong \u2014 but both parties usually stick to their guns, and there seems to be no ultimate conclusion, when actually there is.<\/p>\n

A good example of this would be the so-called \u2018j\u012bva<\/em> issue\u2019. Did the j\u012bva<\/em> fall to this material world from the l\u012bl\u0101<\/em> of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha? \u015a\u0101stra<\/em> and all previous \u0101c\u0101ryas<\/em> say, \u201cNO!\u201d but the issue is still unresolved among certain practitioners of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. \u015a\u0101stra<\/em> and all previous \u0101c\u0101ryas<\/em> confirm that the j\u012bva<\/em> comes to this material world from the ta\u1e6dasth\u0101<\/em> (marginal plane), and not from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha or the l\u012bl\u0101<\/em> of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. You or your friends may think differently \u2014 that the j\u012bva<\/em> does<\/em> fall from the spiritual world and if so, then you are under a misconception\u2026but you are not necessarily a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>. In fact, even the sahajiy\u0101s<\/em> got the origin of the j\u012bva<\/em> right. So you are not a sahajiy\u0101<\/em> for thinking that the j\u012bva<\/em> falls from l\u012bl\u0101<\/em>, but you are<\/em> leaning in the direction of becoming apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101yika<\/em>.<\/p>\n

An example of a misconception that has a certain prominence among sahajiy\u0101<\/em> circles (but has no \u015b\u0101strika<\/em> reference, nor any reference from the previous \u0101c\u0101ryas<\/em>) is the recent argument over the identity of \u015aukadeva Gosv\u0101m\u012b being (or not being) the pet parrot of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. \u015a\u0101stra<\/em> and previous \u0101c\u0101ryas<\/em> make no mention of \u015aukadeva being R\u0101dh\u0101\u2019s pet parrot, yet this story is cheered on by certain Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. If you happen to be one of them then, yes \u2014 you are adopting sahajiy\u0101<\/em> misconceptions, but you may, or may not, be a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>. It all depends on where the line is drawn. If Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura was drawing the line then you\u2019re probably a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>, apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101yika,<\/em> or both!<\/p>\n

I tend to be more lenient and simply point out that such misconceptions stem from the sahajiy\u0101<\/em> community, that they are contaminated, and that proper adjustment would be prudent for bona-fide members of the samprad\u0101ya<\/em>. However, even with such a lenient stance, I still get death threats!<\/p>\n

If you want to know where you stand and you want to find out if you are influenced by misconceptions, then take the quick quiz below and see how you size up. Are your conceptions bona-fide? Are they influenced by sahajiy\u0101<\/em> ideology, apa<\/em>–samprad\u0101yika,<\/em> or are they a bit of a New Age mix? The answers are YES or NO, and in some cases multiple choice. YOU decide where to draw the line\u2026<\/p>\n

1) Was \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu a sanny\u0101s\u012b<\/em> before entering the g\u1e5bhastha<\/em> \u0101\u015brama<\/em>?\u00a0 YES or NO<\/p>\n

2) Is the guru omniscient?\u00a0 YES or NO<\/p>\n

3) Did the j\u012bva<\/em> fall from the l\u012bl\u0101<\/em> of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? YES or NO<\/p>\n

4) Was \u015aukadeva Gosv\u0101m\u012b the pet parrot of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b? YES or NO<\/p>\n

5) Is Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja important for attaining the ultimate goal of life? YES or NO<\/p>\n

6) Is approaching higher Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas the only qualification for hearing higher l\u012bl\u0101s<\/em>? YES or NO<\/p>\n

7) Can one become a d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101<\/em> disciple of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada via the \u1e5atvik system of initiation? YES or NO<\/p>\n

8) Who gave \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da the title \u201cBhaktived\u0101nta\u201d? A: Ke\u015bava Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, B: \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, C: Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura<\/p>\n

9) What did Mah\u0101prabhu authorize as the highest platform of prema<\/em>–bhakti<\/em>? A: Vipralambha\u00a0 B: Sambhoga<\/p>\n

10) Was inaugerating the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana<\/em> movement the primary function of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu? YES or NO<\/p>\n

11) Must the guru appear in a particular institution? YES or NO<\/p>\n

12) Is gop\u012b<\/em>–bh\u0101va<\/em> quintessential to the order of sanny\u0101sa<\/em>. YES or NO<\/p>\n

13) Did \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura reject Vipina Vih\u0101r\u012b Gosv\u0101m\u012b as a sahajiy\u0101<\/em>? YES or NO<\/p>\n

14) Is Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya\u2019s position critical to one\u2019s progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness? YES or NO<\/p>\n

15) Is \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da the samprad\u0101ya<\/em>–\u0101c\u0101rya <\/em>for the next 10,000 years? YES or NO<\/p>\n

16) Did Srila A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da give his disciples the r\u0101ga<\/em>–m\u0101rga<\/em> mantra<\/em> and the m\u0101dhurya-rasa mantra<\/em>? YES or NO<\/p>\n

17) Is the devotion of Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita categorically superior to that of \u015ar\u012b Nityan\u0101nda Prabhu? YES or NO<\/p>\n

18) Did Srila A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da teach his disciples r\u0101g\u0101nuga<\/em>–bhakti<\/em>? YES or NO<\/p>\n

19) Was the devotion of San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b superior to that of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b? YES or NO<\/p>\n

20) Do previous \u0101c\u0101ryas<\/em> promote society consciousness? YES or NO<\/p>\n

21) Does one have to be in a particular mission\/society to be a true disciple of his guru? YES or NO<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this previously unpublished essay written by Swami B.G. Narasi\u1e45gha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja on August 11th 2010, Mah\u0101r\u0101ja answers the question \u2018 How many misconceptions does it take to make one a sahajiy\u0101?\u201d and presents a short quiz at the end of his article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[170],"krishna_talk_article":[213],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4880"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4880"},{"taxonomy":"krishna_talk_article","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/krishna_talk_article?post=4880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}