I’m Not Finding Fault… (08/02/01)

I’m Not Finding Fault…(08/02/01)

Daṇḍavats R____ Bābā,

R____ Dāsa sent me a print out of the cover design for the book on Mahāprabhu’s associates. There is a particular tilaka used in the design. It is used on the cover and throughout the book.

However, the problem is that the tilaka design is not the tilaka of our sampradāya. Not that it’s just different, but the design is actually the tilaka of another sect of Vaiṣṇavas (or sahajiyās) in Vṛndāvana. I can not say until I get back to my āśrama in South India which sect uses that tilaka, but I am sure that it is not our tilaka and it belongs to another sect.

Of course, these things are not copyright, but we will look foolish in that we are prominently displaying the tilaka of another sect (and possibly a sahajiyā sect) who may not be the pure followers of the associates of Mahāprabhu.

So my suggestion is that the designers go through the book and change all the places where that tilaka is used and replace it with bona fide Gauḍīya tilaka as used by our ācāryas.

If the tilaka did belong to one of the bona fide sects that follow Mahāprabhu, then the use of that tilaka might be justified, but still, it would be more pleasing to our ācāryas if we used the tilaka of our sampradāya.

I’m not finding fault here – the design is great. I’m just trying to be helpful and save us some embarrassment.

I hope this meets you well.

Praṇāms,

Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha