Tuesday 17 April 2012

Gour Govinda Swami contradicts Srila Prabhupada

Gour Govinda Swami: “One has to hear. It is not that, “All right, tapes are there, I’ll hear the recorded tapes.” Sabda-brahma will never descend. [...] You should be greedy. Physical contact is required. You must hear directly, not just by listening to tapes. Sabda-brahma will never descend through a tape. One must hear from a physically present Sri Guru.” (HH Gour Govinda Swami, ‘Q&A’, The Worship of Sri Guru, chapter 3)

Gour Govinda Swami: If Prabhupada says he is there, then you try to see him, associate with him, and listen from him. Do you see Prabhupada? Do you hear from Prabhupada? Is he speaking to you?

Gour Govinda Swami: Through his books, yes. All sadhus speak through their books. Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Bhaktivinode Thakur, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, and Srila Prabhupada all say that they speak through books. This is not a new thing. This is our Vaisnava procedure. But you should see him. Can you see Bhaktivinode Thakur? Can you see Jiva Goswami? You may say, “Oh I have read their books; I have their association.” That won’t help you.

Gour Govinda Swami: You cannot understand what they have said merely by reading their books. Your consciousness is very low, so you cannot understand their words.

Gour Govinda Swami: Out of mercy, the sadhu will impart this tattva-jnana to you. This is the only process. Unless you get association with a living sadhu, what can you do? Will you put some question to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada will answer you?
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“In my books the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness is explained fully so if there is anything you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop.”
(Letter to Brahmarupa Dasa, 22/11/74)

“So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.”
(Lectures S. B., 68/08/18)

“It is sometimes misunderstood that if one has to associate with persons engaged in devotional service, he will not be able to solve the economic problem. To answer this argument, it is described here that one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life.”
(S. B. 3.31.48)

“Paramahamsa: My question is, a pure devotee, when he comments on Bhagavad-gita, someone who never sees him physically, but he just comes in contact with the commentary, explanation, is this the same thing?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. You can associate with Krsna by reading Bhagavad-gita. And these saintly persons, they have given their explanations, comments. So where is the difficulty?”

(Morning Walk, Paris 11/6/74)

"The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent." [Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.9.8, purport] "You should have a fire sacrifice and the second initiates should hear through the right ear the mantra on my recorded tape."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 13th, 1975)


“So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the Spiritual Master, vibration. What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living.”
(General lectures, 69/01/13)

“These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing.”
(Letter to Rupanuga Das, 19/10/74)

“Krsna and his representative are the same. Similarly, the spiritual master can be present wherever the disciple wants. A spiritual master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of place by the principle of relay monitoring.”
(Letter to Malati, 28/5/68)

“Narayana: So those disciples who don't have the opportunity to see you or speak with you...
Srila Prabhupada: That he was speaking, vani and vapuh. Even if you don't see his body, you take his words, vani.”
(Room conversation, 21/7/75)


“So utilise whatever time you find to make a thorough study of my books. Then all your questions will be answered.”
(Letter to Upendra, 7/1/76)

“If it is possible to go to the temple, then take advantage of the temple. A temple is a place whereby one is given the opportunity to render direct devotional service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. In conjunction with this you should always read my books daily and all your questions will be answered and you will have a firm basis of Krishna Consciousness. In this way your life will be perfect.”
(Letter to Hugo Salemon, 22/11/74)

“Every one of you must regularly read our books at least twice, in the morning and evening, and automatically all questions will be answered.” (Letter to Randhira, 24/01/70)


“What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living”
(General lectures, 69/01/13)


“A spiritual master is the principle, not the body”
(Letter to Malati, 28/5/68)

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