The sahajya syndrome

When devotees place Bhismadev in the hot seat, accusing him of being weak and flawed, they completely disregard the status of the Mahajanas. I have already explained this incident on this blog.* It is intriguing to explore the reason behind this sense of superiority. I believe it is connected to sahajiya tendencies. (Refer to the image below, depicting Radhanatha Swami as a gopi.)

There is a philosophy within our movement that fosters this type of devotion, which Srila Prabhupada disapproved of. Bhismadev does not align with this approach; he is a Vishnu bhakta, not a servant of a gopi in Vrindavana. Since devotees generally claim to follow pure devotional service, free from any trace of material contamination found in jnana or karma yoga, they feel justified in speaking this way, even to the extent of criticizing a Mahajana..

Radhanatha Swami will be wearing this attire for just a few minutes during his visit to a temple. Here is an explanation from a devotee: “Vinod Baba and Ramesh Baba are highly respected figures in the Braja area. Both hold ISKCON leaders and Srila Prabhupada in high esteem. Their gesture of appreciation was to offer these garments to their esteemed guests during a public function. The attire was worn on the head for no more than five minutes. Only those who are making a big issue out of this are individuals who have nothing better to do with their time than gossip. If you can inspire more than 10,000 people at a single event, as Radhanatha Maharaja recently did in Jagannath Puri, then perhaps you can criticize.”

* When devotees insult a Mahajana 

The question arises: Is it truly possible for us to "imitate" the pastimes of Radha and Krishna simply because we believe we have understood them? 

Srila Prabhupada addressed this issue with clarity and firmness. He stated, "So the foolishness is going on that without understanding Kṛṣṇa, there are so-called rascal foolish poets. They are describing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. That is the cause of the falldown of so-called Vaiṣṇavism. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, they want to understand the pastimes of... You'll find in your country also. I have seen one book written by one Bhaṭṭācārya about the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and the covering page is Rādhārāṇī's picture naked. So these rascals have made so much havoc, and this book is published by the United Nations. I have seen one book in France." (Lecture on Caitanya-caritamrta, Mayapur, March 30, 1975)

This highlights the danger of superficial imitation without genuine realization. True devotion requires deep understanding and realization of Krishna's position, His pastimes, and the spiritual principles behind them. Imitation, especially without proper guidance and realization, leads to deviation and degradation, as Srila Prabhupada warned. It is essential to approach the divine pastimes of Radha and Krishna with humility, reverence, and a sincere desire to understand their transcendental nature, rather than reducing them to mundane or sensationalized imitations.

Srila Prabhupada emphasizes and repeats it twice: *"This is the greatest contribution of Srila Rupa Gosvami: how to become a devotee. It is not sentiment; it is science. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great science. It is not sentiment. If you take it as sentiment, then you will create disturbance. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī."*

Let me try to explain this in a straightforward manner. The pastimes of Krishna, such as His playful interactions with the gopis, are often misunderstood when taken at face value. To the uninformed, it may appear as if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is simply engaging in frivolous activities with naked girls in the river. This superficial interpretation can create significant challenges when presenting Krishna consciousness to those unfamiliar with its deeper spiritual truths, such as Muslims, Christians, and Jews, who may struggle to reconcile such depictions with their own theological concepts of God.

Sexual liberation and cohabitation without marriage—"that is very much prominent in the Western countries, friend—boyfriend, girlfriend. In the spiritual world, that platform of remaining as friends without marriage is considered the highest. And whatever we see here: a perverted reflection of that loving affair." – Srila Prabhupada.

"We cannot imitate the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī unless we understand the real fact."

To this day, some think that they understand. Others believe their guru understands. During Prabhupada’s time, devotees in America thought they understood. They dressed themselves as gopis, but Prabhupada was not pleased. The question remains: Is it truly possible that we "imitate" because we have understood? 🤔

Do we have the choice? 'In the bhakti platform there are different stages. Spiritually, there is no difference. One in dāsya-rasa and one in mādhurya-rasa, there is no difference. But a devotee likes to serve the Supreme Lord according to his inclination. Some want to love Him in śānta-rasa, some want to love Him in dāsya-rasa, someone in friendly, then paternal love, then conjugal love. So there is no difference between these different phases of loving affair, but great devotees and learned scholars, they have given their decision that the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal platform between husband and wife, or above that, between lover and beloved...' SP

'But,' he said... Another question: what should we do, follow our natural inclination or listen to great scholars and devotees' instructions?

This morning I was listening to Srila Prabhupada. He gave the metaphor of the tree upside down, as one can see the phenomenon at the water's edge, a metaphor also found in the Bhagavad-gita. The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society. (15.2)

I had made an artistic representation of this strange verse on the wall of my apartment in Montreal." ■