LettersJudge By the Results (12/16/20)
LettersI Do Not Wish to Disturb Someone’s Faith (12/20/10)

Why He is Not My Guardian (12/19/10)

_____Devī Dāsī,

Happy to receive your email and question below.

A ‘Guardian’ is one who is our (in this case) my āśraya (shelter). G_____Mahārāja was my godbrother, fellow sannyāsī and friend for almost 30 years, but he was not my guardian. To the contrary, he sometimes criticized myself and others for having taken śikṣā and shelter of Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja. So, G_____Mahārāja and I did not always see eye to eye. He was also in iskcon and considered it māyā to leave iskcon  — obviously we had different opinions about that! As far as his siddhānta was concerned G_____Mahārāja did not accept the conceptions of Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja as concerns higher topics — so obviously we were at odds once again.

Every senior Vaiṣṇava that you may meet in life does not automatically become your Guardian. There have been many senior disciples of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta, but not all of them were the Guardians of G_____Mahārāja. I think you get my drift.

I have noticed that many devotees require others to have the same degree of faith in someone as they do in order validate their own faith. But this is not necessary when one is properly situated.

If i were to ask you a counter question it would probably be, “Why didn’t G_____Mahārāja consider Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja his Guardian?”

That would be an interesting question, wouldn’t it?

Hoping this meets you well.

Gaura Haribol,

Swami Narasingha

LettersJudge By the Results (12/16/20)
LettersI Do Not Wish to Disturb Someone’s Faith (12/20/10)