LEAVE PRABHUPADA’S BOOKS ALONE! (Bhagavat das)

LEAVE PRABHUPADA’S BOOKS ALONE!

“When I sit down to write these books Krishna personally comes and dictates every word. Therefore, whenever I read these books I learn something, and if you read my books every day you will also learn something every time you read them.” — Srila Prabhupada

My Dear Godbrothers and Godsisters:

Please accept my most humble obeisances! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I am very glad that we as disciples of Srila Prabhupada are finally doing something about this great offense to our Spiritual Master. I would like to tell three stories that are personal experiences of mine with Srila Prabhupada and his books. It is my earnest hope that these stories will once and for all lay to rest the controversy of anyone ever editing Srila Prabhupadas books.

The first story takes place in Mayapur where Srila Prabhupada was talking about why he came to the material world.

Srila Prabhupada said: He (meaning Krishna) asked me to come here and I said that I did not want to go because it was such a dirty place. He (meaning Krishna) told me if you go, I will arrange so many nice palaces for you to live in. I said but I do not want to go. He (meaning Krishna) said, you just go, and write these books and I will make it comfortable for you. So, Srila Prabhupada said, because He asked me to write these books I came.

So here it is quite clear that the main reason why Srila Prabhupada came to this world was to write these books by the order of THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD Lord Sri Krishna. 

Is Jayadwaita a NITYA SIDDHA eternal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna who was ordered to come here to edit these books. If not, then HE SHOULD LEAVE THE BOOKS ALONE!

Once in Bombay Srila Prabhupada ordered me to come to his room and listen to him preach to some life members. I sat there and listened for almost an hour. After they left, he started to chastise me. Why are you not coming here EVERYDAY to listen to me preach. You are one of my leaders if you do not learn how to preach from me then what will happen? 

Then he quoted a verse in Sanskrit from Bhagavad Gita and asked me if I knew this verse in English, where it was in the Gita, and what the meaning was. I unfortunately had no answers. Are you reading my books every day? He Asked. I admitted my neglect. If you do not read my books everyday then how will you learn? You are going out to make life members and collect big donations but you are not reading my books. You must read my books every day! Then, he said, EVEN I READ MY BOOKS EVERYDAY. DO YOU KNOW WHY? 

I proffered no answer and waited for the revelation. BECAUSE EVERYTIME I READ THESE BOOKS EVEN I LEARN SOMETHING! I sat in stunned silence. Then, He asked, DO YOU KNOW WHY I LEARNED SOMETHING EVERY TIME I READ THESE BOOKS? Now, I was completely bewildered, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT WRITTEN THESE BOOKS. What transpired next was SIMPLY AMAZING. 

He looked me very intently making strong direct eye contact. He spoke with great authority but with a mystical mood bordering on the ecstatic as he began to describe how His books are written. EVERYDAY He said, WHEN I SIT DOWN HERE TO WRITE THESE BOOKS, He was now looking into space waving His hands in the air His voice filled with Transcendental emotion KRISHNA PERSONALLY COMES AND DICTATES EVERY WORD. 

I got the sense that Krishna was present in the room at that moment but I was too blind to see Him. Now, Srila Prabhupada returned His eyes to mine, THEREFORE, He said, WHENEVER I READ THESE BOOKS EVEN I LEARN SOMETHING, AND IF YOU READ MY BOOKS EVERYDAY, YOU WILL ALSO LEARN SOMETHING EVERY TIME YOU READ THEM.

So here it is quite clear that just like Valldeva Vidya Bhushana and other great Acharyas in our line, Srila Prabhupada received DIRECT DICTATION from Krishna when he was writing His books. Is Jayadwaita receiving DIRECT DICTATION from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna when he edits the books? If not, then HE SHOULD LEAVE THE BOOKS ALONE!

Before we move on to the last story we should examine in more detail some of the inner meanings of Srila Prabhupada’s descent into the material world for the purpose of WRITING THESE BOOKS. Whenever the Supreme Lord descends he always brings with him HIS ENTOURAGE. Similarly, when a greatly advanced NITYA SIDDHA devotee appears in this world a few associates from the spiritual world and many highly developed souls with great amounts of sukriti from the material world come to join him. 

In a lecture in Los Angeles on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada Wept Openly as he told the devotees that they had all been sent here to assist him by His Guru Maharaj. It is not an accident that Srila Prabhupadas’ style of writing from the early Srimad Bhagavatams was a flowery British English which is derived from the poly syllabic Mediterranean languages. 

It is not an accident that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur sent Srila Prabhupada Hyagriva who was a writer and ardent admirer of the early American transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau who wrote in a similar poetic style. It is not an accident that Srila Prabhupada spent hours pouring over the manuscripts, the paintings, etc editing and adjusting everything so it was just right. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE ACCIDENTS, the pastimes of the pure devotee ARE TRANSCENDENTAL.

Unfortunately, some people have a MUNDANE VIEW of the Spiritual masters’ activities and think that they can improve on what is ALREADY PERFECT, even if there are some so-called DISCREPANCIES. Even if the verses are IMPERFECTLY COMPOSED, they are TRANSCENDENTALLY POTENT none the less. Does Jayadwaita have ANY ABSOLUTE EVIDENCE IN WRITING from Srila Prabhupada that approves every single change that he makes? 

Unless Jayadwaita was sent here personally by Sri Krishna for this purpose or is taking dictation from the Supreme Lord then his adjustments are simply SPECULATION or PERSONAL PREFERENCE. Jayadwaita WAS NOT INVITED into the editing process by Srila Prabhupada. One good reason could be Jayadwaita’s writing style. Jayadwaita favors the short choppy English form influenced by the Viking languages which is used more for business and common literature like magazines and newspapers. This was his style at BTG and that is NOT ACCEPTABLE for poetic scripture. Jayadwaitas’ problem is he just DOESN’T GET IT. The Disciples of Srila Prabhupada want that HE SHOULD LEAVE THE BOOKS ALONE!

He has taken a very slim 1 vote margin of the GBC to fix some typos, Not to Changing the entire meaning of the texts. Without Srila Prabhupada’s PERSONAL PRESENCE TO CONFIRM THE CHANGES HE IS MAKING, from old tapes and manuscripts which have not been accurately cataloged, he cannot be sure that Srila Prabhupada did not already reject those versions in favor of what is already in the book. What we are absolutely sure of is that Srila Prabhupada approved of each book that was printed after extensively reviewing it. 

Therefore, whatever has been signed off on by Srila Prabhupada while he was here on the planet CANNOT BE CHANGED PERIOD. You may add an errata or addendum in the back of the book if you have some serious concerns but the actual texts and purports themselves must not be adjusted in any way. To do so IS TO INSULT Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur by doubting their transcendental plan. 

To do so is to INSULT SRI KRISHNA as the Supreme arranger. To do so without a mandate from Sri Guru and Gouranga is to place YOUR OWN SPECULATION above the Supreme Lord and His Divine emmisaries. Without the Nitya Siddha Pure Devotee PRESENT TO CONFIRM the changes we are allowing THE MENTAL SPECULATION of one man TO DESTROY THE ABSOLUTE NATURE of the MOST IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES for THE NEXT 10,000 Years. Jayadwaita LEAVE THE BOOKS ALONE!

Jayadwaita’s erasing the words of our Divine Master Srila Prabhupada and replacing them with HIS MENTAL SPECULATIONS reminds me of the story when the Mayavadi scratched out the name of Krishna in the book and replaced it with the word Brahman. Krishna eventually appears before him with scratches on His face the Mayavadi realizes his folly and surrenders to the Lord. Srila Prabhupada’s books are his transcendental body HOW MUCH LONGER are we going to sit back and let his books be abused. 

If Srila Prabhupada were here and someone was abusing him would we stand by idly and watch it happen! NO! Why do we continue to allow Jayawaita to abuse our Spiritual Masters books.

Let us all work together to restore Srila Prabhupada’s books to their pristine and uncontaminated glory. Then let us distribute those books again and preach the PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE of the Lord to the innocent masses yearning to be free of the SHACKLES OF MAYA. Let us enter the arena of the material world proclaiming the Glories of the Lord with the ABSOLUTE CONVICTION that we can only benefit everyone we meet with the highest good. If any demoniac persons try to stop us then we should proudly proclaim like the Christians of old being attacked by the lions in the Roman coliseum that we are the SERVANTS OF THE LORD and our SPIRITUAL MASTER and WE ARE FEARLESS.

Your most worthless servant
Bhagavat Das