Departure of Sriman Aindra Prabhu
Saturday 17 July 2010--Today devotees all the world are lamenting the disappearance of one of ISKCON's dearest devotees, Sriman Aindra Prabhu, who left his body this morning in his room at ISKCON's Krishna Balarama temple in the sacred town of Vrindavan, India apparently due to an accidental gas leak. This great soul was the heart and soul of ISKCON Vrindavan's 24 hour Hare Krishna kirtan, having re-established it in the 1980's. To chant with him in Vrindavan was an exhilarating experience of blissful absorption in the unlimitedly sweet names of the Lord. He will be remembered with gratitude by all the devotees, especially those who had the good fortune to join with him in kirtan.
He one time told the story of how he was leading a kirtan in a temple in America when Srila Prabhupada was present. Srila Prabhupada expressed his great satisfaction with Aindra's kirtan by saying, "Jaya." This one word of encouragement from Srila Prabhupada greatly enthused Aindra Prabhu for an eternal life of chanting. Srila Prabhupada's mercy so wonderfully was manifested in Aindra's kirtans.
It was my greatest good fortune to have chanted with him and relished his nectarean association on many occasions in the transcendentally surcharged atmosphere of Sri Vrindavana Dhama. I will miss Aindra Prabhu greatly and am looking forward to joining him again in kirtan in that most wondrous of all places, Sri Goloka Dhama, the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
How Fortunate We Were to Have His Association
This Superb Kirtan Leader Will Be Greatly Missed
And, if Jesus is the son of God, then why did he not teach the Maha Mantra? It just seams like he either has to be accepted totally, along with his teachings, or rejected altogether. There cannot be this easy middle ground of saying that we accept him as the son of God, but then not be encouraged to also study and follow his teachings.
Kate
It's not that somebody has a belief that Christ is the son of God. He openly declares that he is the son of God.
The term "Hindu teachings" is not strictly speaking a correct term because the word "Hindu" appears nowhere in the ancient scriptures of India. This was term coined by the Muslims. Therefore it is better if we say "Vedic teachings" in reference to the teachings given in the Vedic scriptures.
Just as there is no difference between arithmetic and calculus because they are both part of the same mathematical science, similarly there is no difference between the teachings of Christ and the Vedic teachings. It is simply that one is a more advanced version of the same science of devotion.
This point is substantiated by the Bible and the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bible Christ says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."--John 16:12. In other words there were further teachings which Christ wanted to give but the people were not yet qualified to hear. And in the Bhagavad-gita we read the following words of Lord Sri Krishna:
jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
"I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know."--Bhagavad-gita 7.2
So Christ is saying there is more to be revealed to you later, and Krishna saying that everything is being revealed now. So in this way we should understand the relationship between the Biblical knowledge and the Vedic knowledge. There is no contradiction between them. Biblical knowledge is introductory spiritual knowledge and Vedic knowledge is on the advanced level. Those who try to use one to defeat the other are not realized in transcendental knowledge.
Regarding Christ teaching the Hare Krishna mantra, even for teaching what he did Jesus was crucified. Can you imagine what would have happened if Christ had taught Sanskrit mantras in Israel? He would not have lasted as long as he did. Therefore he taught them on a level that they could understand. An elementary school teacher does not introduce calculus to her students. Rather she teaches them the mathematical science beginning from the simple level of "one plus one equals two" and gradually builds from there. So in the same way, the bhakti science, the science of how to perfect one's loving relationship with God, has to be taught according to the level of comprehension of the audience.Hopefully this has now been made crystal clear for your proper understanding.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
He one time told the story of how he was leading a kirtan in a temple in America when Srila Prabhupada was present. Srila Prabhupada expressed his great satisfaction with Aindra's kirtan by saying, "Jaya." This one word of encouragement from Srila Prabhupada greatly enthused Aindra Prabhu for an eternal life of chanting. Srila Prabhupada's mercy so wonderfully was manifested in Aindra's kirtans.
It was my greatest good fortune to have chanted with him and relished his nectarean association on many occasions in the transcendentally surcharged atmosphere of Sri Vrindavana Dhama. I will miss Aindra Prabhu greatly and am looking forward to joining him again in kirtan in that most wondrous of all places, Sri Goloka Dhama, the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
How Fortunate We Were to Have His Association
This Superb Kirtan Leader Will Be Greatly Missed
Answers According to the Vedic Version:
Question: Don't We Need to Follow Jesus Also?
Regarding the position of ISKCON on Jesus Christ, I have read that he is believed to be the son of God because he encouraged people to praise God. But if he is in fact believed to be the son of God, then don't we also need to adhere to His teachings in addition to just following the Hindu teachings?And, if Jesus is the son of God, then why did he not teach the Maha Mantra? It just seams like he either has to be accepted totally, along with his teachings, or rejected altogether. There cannot be this easy middle ground of saying that we accept him as the son of God, but then not be encouraged to also study and follow his teachings.
Kate
Answer: We Are Already Doing That.
The organization ISKCON does not publish position statements on such things. It's up to each individual person to personally realize under the guidance of great realized souls the Absolute Truth, which is the foundation of all existence.It's not that somebody has a belief that Christ is the son of God. He openly declares that he is the son of God.
The term "Hindu teachings" is not strictly speaking a correct term because the word "Hindu" appears nowhere in the ancient scriptures of India. This was term coined by the Muslims. Therefore it is better if we say "Vedic teachings" in reference to the teachings given in the Vedic scriptures.
Just as there is no difference between arithmetic and calculus because they are both part of the same mathematical science, similarly there is no difference between the teachings of Christ and the Vedic teachings. It is simply that one is a more advanced version of the same science of devotion.
This point is substantiated by the Bible and the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bible Christ says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."--John 16:12. In other words there were further teachings which Christ wanted to give but the people were not yet qualified to hear. And in the Bhagavad-gita we read the following words of Lord Sri Krishna:
jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
"I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know."--Bhagavad-gita 7.2
So Christ is saying there is more to be revealed to you later, and Krishna saying that everything is being revealed now. So in this way we should understand the relationship between the Biblical knowledge and the Vedic knowledge. There is no contradiction between them. Biblical knowledge is introductory spiritual knowledge and Vedic knowledge is on the advanced level. Those who try to use one to defeat the other are not realized in transcendental knowledge.
Regarding Christ teaching the Hare Krishna mantra, even for teaching what he did Jesus was crucified. Can you imagine what would have happened if Christ had taught Sanskrit mantras in Israel? He would not have lasted as long as he did. Therefore he taught them on a level that they could understand. An elementary school teacher does not introduce calculus to her students. Rather she teaches them the mathematical science beginning from the simple level of "one plus one equals two" and gradually builds from there. So in the same way, the bhakti science, the science of how to perfect one's loving relationship with God, has to be taught according to the level of comprehension of the audience.Hopefully this has now been made crystal clear for your proper understanding.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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