I noticed on Chakra today that Yamuna is getting her own "samadhi". When I saw that, I remembered the quotes below.
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"How can one tell how advanced a devotee is? The bhakti scriptures give examples of symptoms to look for in advanced devotees, but do any of the ISKCONers manifest such symptoms and if so, are they genuine? These are difficult questions to answer. I remember how reassuring it was back when I was a member of ISKCON to think that someone in the society had really made visible advancement. We all believed that Yamuna Devi Dasi, of instance, had reached the level of bhava. This must have been a claim that had originated with Prabhupada. Who would dare to make up such a thing. I at least stood in awe of her when I finally met her years later in Brindaban. What a mind blowing experience then when one day during his daily massage Prabhupada turned to me and asked if I knew Yamuna D evi Dasi. I said that I did and waited expectantly for Prabhupada to praise her for how highly developed and saintly she was. Instead he said: 'She has spoiled many brahmacaris and sannyasis!' What an earthquake! I felt like the ceiling had fallen down on my head."
- Neal Delmonico
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"For those of you too slow to get the meaning here, Prabhupada was saying that she had seduced many brahmacaris (celebate male students) and sannyasis (renunciants). Some bhava!"
- Neal Delmonico
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"How can one tell how advanced a devotee is? The bhakti scriptures give examples of symptoms to look for in advanced devotees, but do any of the ISKCONers manifest such symptoms and if so, are they genuine? These are difficult questions to answer. I remember how reassuring it was back when I was a member of ISKCON to think that someone in the society had really made visible advancement. We all believed that Yamuna Devi Dasi, of instance, had reached the level of bhava. This must have been a claim that had originated with Prabhupada. Who would dare to make up such a thing. I at least stood in awe of her when I finally met her years later in Brindaban. What a mind blowing experience then when one day during his daily massage Prabhupada turned to me and asked if I knew Yamuna D evi Dasi. I said that I did and waited expectantly for Prabhupada to praise her for how highly developed and saintly she was. Instead he said: 'She has spoiled many brahmacaris and sannyasis!' What an earthquake! I felt like the ceiling had fallen down on my head."
- Neal Delmonico
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"For those of you too slow to get the meaning here, Prabhupada was saying that she had seduced many brahmacaris (celebate male students) and sannyasis (renunciants). Some bhava!"
- Neal Delmonico
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Perhaps Prabhupada simply meant by the chanting of her tape during the greeting of the Deities these men were being attracted. Jamuna said that Srila Prabhupada said no such thing, that she had reached the state of Bhava. I heard her say it myself.
ReplyDeleteWell she was a nobody for the GBC, ISKCON did not care for her at all and she was living along with her female companion most of the time without being in any temples and so on. They never cared one fig about her, and now they are stampeding to be her biggest advocates for some cheap adoration. I say I am in Bhava, and you believe that? That is foolishness. ys sp
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