forgiveness....and resentment....and avoiding vaisnava aparadha

[Paramananda das]

PAMHO

AGTSP

 There is seminars about forgiveness and resentment but first we have to apologize to the persons we have offended. What is vaisnava aparadha that has to be understood.

The first nama aparadha is if one refuses to even chant minimum 16 rounds that is a bare minimum, by inattention to Sri Nama Prabhu so many other offences follow

such as vaisnava aparadha

nityananda-prasade se ninda yaya ksaya
nityananda-prasade se visnu-bhakti haya

Only by the causeless mercy of of the name, form and pastimes of Lord Nityananda, one’s offenses against Vaishnavas are destroyed and one attains devotional service of Lord Krishna.

Here is something I wrote in 2009.

Oh Vaisnava Thakura
BY: PAYONIDHI DAS


Aug 22, MARYLAND, USA  — A small contemplation I had today.


Please accept my humble obeisences at your lotus feet. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.


I want to ask any devotee I may have offended to please forgive me. I beg your mercy to chant Hare Krsna and fully absorb myself in Radha Krsna's pastimes and that of Lord Caitanya.


Narahari Thakura has warned us:

ohe bhai vaisnavete sabadhana habe
pranapana kari’ aparadha ksamaibe


O my brothers, please be very careful in dealing with the Vaisnavas. Beg their forgiveness for any offense with your heart and soul.

vaisnavera dosa-drste habe sabadhana
nirantara karibe vaisnavera guna-gana


Be careful not to see a Vaisnava’s faults, and always sing their glories.

purva purva bhagavata-gana ei kaya
vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya


All of the previous great devotees have said, “No one can understand the behavior of a Vaisnava.”

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu priya-bhakta-dvare
anyere dilena siksa ei ta’ prakare


Although Srila Rupa Goswami is a highly elevated devotee very dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord used him to teach all of us of the dangers of Vaisnava aparadha.

bhakta--padma dhari’ mastaka-upara
bhakti-rasa-sayare dubaha nirantara


Hold the devotees’ lotus feet to your head and always dive in the nectar of pure devotional service.

your humble and insignificant servant,
Payonidhi das
 

PS. If you can think of anyone I may ever have offended, please let me know

If any devotee feels they have to be careful of Vaisnava aparadha, please see "The Laughter of Srila Rupa Goswami", which tells the pastime from Bhakti Ratnakara how Srila Rupa Goswami, while having darshan of Radha Krsna's lilas, without any attention of wrong doing offended another Vaisnava.

The Laughter of Srila Rupa Goswami

From Srila Narahari Chakravarti’s Sri Bhakti-ratnakara, fifth wave

bhakta-sthane sabadhana habe sarva-mate
yena kona akausala nahe tan’ra cite

Always be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill feelings in their hearts.

akausala ha-ile saba haya antaraya
prasanga paiya kichu kahiye ethaya

Creating ill feelings with the devotees will create impediments on one’s path. I will relate a story to reveal this truth.

One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi he observed a wonderful pastime. The gopis were decorating Srimati Radharani while Krishna stood behind Her watching. Krishna revealed His presence to the sakhis, bringing an increasing festival of joy to their hearts, but Radharani was unaware that He was there. In many wonderful ways the gopis braided and decorated Radha’s hair. Then they placed a mirror before Her. As She gazed at the beauty of Her own face, Radharani also saw Sri Krishna’s moonlike face in the mirror. Radha became very shy and quickly covered Herself with Her cloth. The gopis happily laughed at this, and Srila Rupa Goswami also joined in their laughter.

Just at that moment a vaisnava arrived who was very eager to see Rupa Goswami. Seeing Rupa laughing, the vaisnava did not say anything, but feeling very sorrowful in his heart he went to see Srila Sanatan Goswami. [According to the tradition in Vrindavan, this vaisnava was a famous devotee named Krishnadas. It is said that Krishnadas was lame and unable to walk and that when Rupa Goswami laughed, Krishnadas thought that he was laughing at his disability.]

The vaisnava told Sanatan, “I went to see Sri Rupa, but when he saw me he suddenly burst into laughter. My heart filled with sorrow! I don’t know why he acted in that way. I didn’t say anything, but came to ask you about it.” Sri Sanatan then explained the true reason for Rupa Goswami’s laughter. Hearing this, the vaisnava became repentant at heart. Lamenting greatly, the vaisnava said, “Why did I approach him at that moment? Not understanding his heart, I have offended him.” The vaisnava became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.

Meanwhile, when the vaisnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord’s pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna’s pastimes. “I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offense.” Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami’s place.

When he saw Prabhupada Srila Rupa Goswami coming, that vaisnava approached him. Falling on the ground, he offered his respects. With great humility he told Rupa, “O great soul, I have committed an offense to you. Please forgive me. Previously when I went to see you I did not understand that you were rapt in meditation.” Standing before Srila Rupa Goswami, the vaisnava prayed, “Please be kind and forgive me for my offense. If you are merciful to me, only then can my heart become peaceful.”

When he heard these words, Srila Rupa Goswami became very agitated at heart. Falling to the ground, he offered respectful obeisances to that vaisnava. Folding his hands, he said, “I have no power to say how great was the offense that I committed to you. Please kindly forgive me.”

Both devotees were very humble and both were filled with bhakti-rasa. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.

Concluding this story, Srila Narahari Chakravarti cautions everyone:

ohe bhai vaisnavete sabadhana habe
pranapana kari’ aparadha ksamaibe

O my brothers, please be very careful in dealing with the vaisnavas. Beg their forgiveness for any offense with your heart and soul.

vaisnavera dosa-drste habe sabadhana
nirantara karibe vaisnavera guna-gana

Be careful not to see a vaisnava’s faults, and always sing their glories.

purva purva bhagavata-gana ei kaya
vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya

All of the previous great devotees have said, “No one can understand the behavior of a vaisnava.”

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu priya-bhakta-dvare
anyere dilena siksa ei ta’ prakare

Although Srila Rupa Goswami is a highly elevated devotee very dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord used him to teach all of us of the dangers of vaisnava aparadha.

bhakta-.-padma dhari’ mastaka-upara
bhakti-rasa-sayare dubaha nirantara

Hold the devotees’ lotus feet to your head and always dive in the nectar of pure devotional service.

I recall one mataji that was a younger godsister, and she was upset that   30 years ago I preached to her to take bookdistribution seriously, I apologized if she

still felt offended, and though I had not really committed an offence, maybe something in my presentation had been pushy, maybe she was not willing to dedicate her life

in that way, but Krsna sees any little service we do in this mission and to this day she still distributes a few of Srila Prabhupadas books sometimes so why should I not feel

sorry ,though she had no reason to feel such resentment, but trying to serve Krsna ,I told her I was much more immature 30 years ago just being a new devotee, so she should

see the good and forgive me.

I ended up feeling bitter and resentful towards her lack of KC, but how will this help her? So I decieded I have to simply forgive her and not feel resentful after all she is like a little sister, and I should just pray for her..similarly so many persons may offend us in this world, or we may offend them, so there is only one solution to constantly chant Hare Krsna and do our outmost to avoid Nama aparadha and try to let go of a dark past..  one sannyasi that I had once corrected in Seattle because he was so pushy to indian

congregation to obtain money from them , is very hatefull and resentful towards me to this day, there is nothing I can do, because I do not like his greed for money and will avoid him

at all cost.He came to Navadvipa mandal parikrama and arrogantly asked :"Who will be my disciple to over a thousand devotees. Mostly all that are initiated.That was enough for me.

The on top he came and chastised me I was wearing shoes ,first of all he was not part of the Parikrama and I had been barefeet untill the doctor forbade me to walk barefeet.

To not attend and do Navadvipa Parikrama fully when in Mayapure is an aparadha to Lord Caitanya.This Swami had never done Navadvipa Parikrama living in a tent and walking

barefoot in Navadvipa, plus I was chanting 64 rounds daily and preaching and distributing some of Srila Prabhupadas books, he had no right to harrass me out of his envy.Later a devotee

came to me and complained about the same sannyasi always asking him for money in an agressive way...he is not forgiving or kind but full of ambitions and resentment..

He can dress as a sannyasi and be a Guru in ISKCON, but I fully avoid this neophyte 'sannyasi" not because I do not forgive him or have resentment towards him, but because

he plain and simply is a neophyte that I need to fully avoid,Such a sannyasi talks about cooporation,when all he wants is money....I am cooporating with Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON,  but I have to reject him as he is not up to standard of a proper vaisnava.he will keep harrasing me and I have to treat him like Ramachandra Puri and try to give some respect as did Lord Caitanya and not feel resentment and try to forgive him, similarly there is a few other very ambitous and envious persons, I pray I do nto have to meet them as they are unfavarabel to my bhajan.There is also a class of socalled vaisnavas that live like parasites of ISKCON..I try to forgive them and not feel resentment.I also try to forgive those

rascals that take grains on Visnutattva days, and not feel resentfull ,I do this best by avoiding them ,I pray those that think they are devotees but that take grains on Janmastami ,Ramanavami and Narasimha Caturdasi and Gaura purnima may never enter my sight..it is very hard to not feel resentful and forgiving.Also I will not forgive those that allow

things that brakes the 4 regulative principles in the temple and condone it....   but I have lots to learn about forgiveness and resentment, I also have to learn to forgive myself

for past mistakes, and just as we have to forgive ourself and learn from our mistakes we have to forgive others.One socalled Godbrother  once kept treatening me and others with violence even though he was in the position of a TP...later he wrote me:

That devotees are kind and that I will forgive him...Never apologizing for stealing laxmi at the temple as a TP or mistreating devotees...well Krsna sees such things.

There is so many sick and crooked persons in this world, and I have no time to worry about their snake like behavior, I worship Lord Narasimhadeva and do my best to preach pure devotional service and practise it.

I know there is some devotees that is worried I have been offended by their past actions, I do not feel resentment or unforgivingness towards anyone,I try to live my life according to the instructions Krsnas has given in the 12 chapter of Bhagavad Gita, (the last 5 ones).We are not perfect,me neither of course we are in world of imperfections.

nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa
adhyatma-nitya vinivrtta-kamah
dvandvair vimuktah sukha-duhkha-samjnair
gacchanty amudhah padam avyayam tat

"Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association, who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who, unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person attain to that eternal kingdom."

This is the standard Krsna is holding us too, in order to enter His eternal association

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakriti-sthani karshati

"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind."

dvav imau purushau loke
ksharas cakshara eva ca
ksharah sarvani bhutani
kuta-stho ’kshara ucyate

"There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is called infallible."

uttamah purushas tv anyah
paramatmety udahrtah
yo loka-trayam avisya
bibharty avyaya ishvarah 

"Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Supreme Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them."

yasmat ksharam atito ’ham
aksharad api cottamah
ato ’smi loke vede ca
prathitah purushottamah 

"Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person."

In the material world every living entity is fallible , but the more we take shelter of Krsnas lotusfeet the more we reach the stage beyond failing,this is why Lord Caitanya

has advised all vaisnavas (and aspiring as well) to chant 64 rounds daily and avoid Nama aparadha and pray to the Panca tattva to save us from vaisnava aparadha.

I pray to Srila Prabhupada to free me from vaisnava aparadha always in this life or any life I may have to take:

om ajnana-timirandasya jnananjnana salakaya 
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

 

I offer my most humble obeisances to my spiritual master who has opened my eyes which were blinded by ignorance with the light of knowledge.

raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam 
pratyak savagamam dharmyam susukham kartum avyayam

This knowledge is the king of all wisdom, the king of all that is confidential. It is the purest and the topmost and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization it is the perfection of all religion and everlastingly joyful to perform.

 

Your servant

Payonidhi das

a dear friend of mine has written:

The Three Ways To Remove Vaishnava Aparadha  

The Three Ways To Remove Vaishnava Aparadha 
from
Vaishnava Aparadha

 

THE ONLY THREE WAYS TO REMOVE VAISHNAVA-APARADHA

(1) TO GENUINELY BEG FORGIVENESS FROM THE VAISHNAVA OFFENDED:

ye vaisnava-sthane aparadha haya yara
puna se ksamile a paradha ghuce tara

If one offends a Vaisnava, the only way to get free from the offense is to go back that Vaisnava and beg his forgiveness. (Cb. Madhya 22.32)

kanta phute yei mukhe, sei mukhe yaya
paye kanta phutile ki kandhe bahiraya

Just as it takes a thorn to remove a thorn, the offense committed by the mouth [against a Vaisnava] must be cured with the mouth [by begging forgiveness]. (CB Antya 4.380)

(2) BY CHANTING THE NAME OF LORD NITYANANDA CONSTANTLY:

nityananda-prasade se ninda yaya ksaya
nityananda-prasade se visnu-bhakti haya

Only by the causeless mercy of of the name, form and pastimes of Lord Nityananda, one’s offenses against Vaishnavas are destroyed and one attains devotional service of Lord Krishna.(136)

(3) BY READING THE ORIGINAL BENGALI VERSES OF CHAITANYA-BHAGAVATA, MADHYA-KHANDA CHP 22 DAILY OR REGULARLY:

e bada adbhuta katha suna savadhane
vaishnava aparadha ghuce ihara sravane

Listen carefully to this wonderful pastime of how Shri Shachimata got delivered from her offense against Shrila Advaita Acharya in this Chp 22. By hearing or reading this narration one will be become free from the Vaishnava aparadha committed. (12)

Commentary:

Such a benediction is not given in any other scripture. Even Lord Gauranga or the most powerful guru cannot save
the disciples and devotees who criticize other Vaishnavas.

But reading Chp 22 of Madhya-khanda Chaitanya-Bhagavata can. So it is to be accepted that Shrila Chaitanya-Bhagavata is the most magnamious and merciful scripture in the whole creation which saves us from the most horrible and unforgivable of all sins in creation.

Another reason is that since Shri Chaitanya-Bhagavata is full of the glories of Lord Nityananda on every page, it speedens up this process of destruction of our offenses as per the second point above.

This is the scripture to read if one wants to develop love for Lord Nityananda, the only Lord capable of delivering fallen and degraded souls like us.

And the final reason why all the acharyas have stressed Chaitanya-Bhagavata as the most beneficial for all conditioned souls is because this great scripture repeatedly warns and cautions us against the great dangers of Vaishnava-aparadha in each and every chapter of the book.