Appeasing Critics or Honouring the Ācāryas?

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Thank you for your letter and for your kind words of appreciation regarding the Bhaktivinoda Institute.

Regarding Our Wants, we stated clearly in the introduction that this essay was written during Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s youth, at a time when he still retained some appreciation for Christianity. We are not promoting this piece as a theological statement – it is presented as a historical document that helps illustrate the development of Bhaktivinoda’s thought.

The difficulty with removing particular passages (or entire works) of our ācāryas in order to pacify certain Hindutva critics is that such concessions never end. Even if Bhaktivinoda’s youthful openness toward Christianity were removed from view, such critics would simply redirect their attention elsewhere. The same individuals will accuse Bhaktivinoda of betraying India for serving as a District Magistrate under the British Raj; they will fault Sarasvatī Ṭhākura for not supporting the independence movement, for purchasing British-milled cloth, or for associating with Englishmen; and they will condemn Śrīla Prabhupāda as a sectarian fanatic for insisting on exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa. If one accepts the idea that the ācāryas must be edited to suit contemporary sensibilities, then ultimately, nothing of substance will ever remain.

This is illustrated by the familiar story of the man and his son with a horse: when the father rides, he is criticised; when the son rides, he is criticised; when both walk, they are ridiculed. The point is obvious – criticism is inevitable, regardless of one’s choices.

Appeasement does not stop envy – it simply invites further demands which then leads to compromise after compromise. This does not mean, of course, that one should intentionally provoke controversy.

A recent incident demonstrates the danger of excessive accommodation. When an ISKCON brahmacārī publicly criticised Swami Vivekananda, the ISKCON leadership swiftly issued an apology and disciplinary statement in response to external pressure. One may argue that the brahmacārī should not have said that, since Prabhupāda himself confined such remarks to private conversations. Yet the fact remains that Prabhupāda did make critical remarks about Vivekananda. If ISKCON leadership claims to be protecting ‘Prabhupāda’s legacy,’ it’s fair to ask why that legacy was abandoned at the first sign of popular disapproval. Was institutional reputation, or financial support, considered more important to them?

Anyone determined to scrutinise Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s writings for objectionable material will inevitably succeed. Should we then also excise passages from Jaiva-dharma where he speaks favourably of Muslims? Such critics ignore his denunciations of Christianity (“a wild idea that no intelligent man will accept”). We are not talking about intelligent people who will look through the entirety of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s works and then formulate a conclusion based on that – such people selectively highlight only what serves their agenda.

Moreover, those who are the most vocal in such criticism will find far more explicit praise of Abrahamic religions in the teachings of figures such as Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, and many other popular swamis who openly promote the idea that “all religions are one.” If favourable references to Islam or Christianity are so offensive to these people, it would be more consistent if they addressed those teachings first.

In conclusion, we do not support the removal of any articles, passages, or works of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in an effort to appease critics who, by their very nature, will never be appeased. At the same time, we do appreciate your concern, which is reasonable and sincerely noted.

Hoping this meets you well.

Gaura Gopāla Dāsa

• A Letter to the Editor of the Navbharat Times by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Grantha Samālocanā (A Book Review) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• A Letter – from Disciple to Guru
• A Second Letter – From Disciple to Guru
• An Open Letter to an ISKCON GBC by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Śrīyā Śuka by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Heresy, Inquisition, Jihad, Fatwa and the Hare Kṛṣṇas by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Scholarship vs Divine Revelation by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Pilgrimage to Vṛndāvana-dhāma by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• The Sārasvata Paramparā and the Caste-Brāhmaṇa Guru by Swami B.V. Giri
• An Essential Teaching about the Bhāgavat-Paramparā by Swami B.V. Giri
• Appeasing Critics or Honouring the Ācāryas? by Gaura Gopāla Dāsa

• ‘Tattva Sāra’ (A book by a follower of Ramakrishna) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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• Samālocanā (A Critique of the book ‘Vanamālā’) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• Samālocana (A Critique) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• A Critique of the Book: An Ocean of Mṛdaṅga Beats (Samālocana: Mṛdaṅga Vādyārṇava) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• A Critique of the Book Rasa Śaivalinī Gītā (Samālocana – Rasa Śaivalinī Gītā) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• A Critique of the Book Śrī Gīta Govinda (Samālocana – Śrī Gīta Govinda) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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• Prabodhānanda and Prakāśānanda by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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• Vaiṣṇava Granthāvalī by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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• Impersonal Spirituality and Transcendental Spirituality (Ādhyātmika u Aprākṛta) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• A Critique: Śrī Śrī Caitanyadeva and Prema Dharma (Samālocana – Śrī Śrī Caitanyadeva o Prema Dharma) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• Bhakti Caitanya Candrikā by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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• Nūtana Patrikā (A New Magazine) 2 by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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