An Open Letter to All - Part-II

[Bhaskar Y.R.]

Dear Learned Members of Advaita-L,

I am whole heartedly grateful to U all for the interest U have shown to my mesg.
Really  fresh  air  breezing  around  me after hearing scholaric replies from my
learned friends of advaita philosophy.  Eventhough some of the Advaita-L members
raising  objections  against this, i could not resist myself but  to continue to
share my thoughts with U :

01.  Ramanuja-Madhva-Chaitanya Vijaya :

It  is  not  that because the Vaishnavacharyas attacked the mayavada philosophy,
they  did  not  respect  Sripada Shankaracharya. All great Vaishnavacharyas like
Madhvacharya,  Ramanujacharya,  Vishnuswami,  Nimbarka  and  in  the  end,  Lord
Chaitanya,  had  always  offered the respects due to Sripada Shankaracharya, for
all  of  Them  knew  that  Acharya  Shankara  was 'svayam Shankara' - Lord Shiva
Himself.  All  of these Vaishnavacharyas took specific interest in defeating the
mayavada   philosophy  that  Acharya  Shankara  propounded.  Srila  Madhvacharya
defeated  His  first opponent, Vasudeva Pandita when He was eleven years old. He
also defeated so many other monist philosophers like Vidyasankara Swami (who was
in  the  direct  succession  of  the Shankara sampradaya), Sobahna Bhatta, Swami
Sastri,  Trivikramacharya  and  so  many  other such prominent Sankarites. Srila
Madhvacharya  wrote thirty nine books to establish that Vaishnava philosophy was
the true Vedic religion. He exposed the weaknesses of the monist philosophers in
many  of  His works, and none of His opponents were able to defeat Him.  Acharya
Shankara's  followers  have  time and again been defeated by the Vaishnavas, and
even prominent Sankarites have thus taken up Vaishnavism, but still there are so
many  ignorant  people  who  consider  that impersonal liberation is the highest
truth  of  all.  They  still  continue  to  say  that  God has no form, He is an
all-pervading  impersonal  energy,  He  is  zero,  He  has  no  name,  He has no
qualities,  His  ncarnations are products of maya, and so on. In South India, it
had  been  a  tradition  to  hold  public  debates  among the followers of Srila
Ramanujacharya  and  Sripada  Shankaracharya. 95% of the times, the followers of
Ramanujacharya  have  emerged  victorious  and  made the mayavadis eat dust. But
these philsophers are incorrigible, since they are just breeding another edition
of atheism, and we all know what kind of argumnets an atheist can propose. There
are  also  many  instances when Lord Chaitanya defeated several followers of Adi
Shankara,  who  later  on became His followers. One such very prominent mayavadi
was  Sarvabhauma  Bhattacharya.  These  debates and the argments that ensued are
mentioned  in  Chaitanya  Charitamrita  -  Adi Lila. During such debates, it has
always  been  Sariraka  Bhasya  (the  commetaries  of Adi Shankara) vs Bhagavata
Dharma (the Vedic principles as propounded by the Shastras).

02.  About Loop holes in Monism :

The  mayavadis  generally  take  only the complicated and abstract Scriptures to
prove  their  points,  since  these  Scriptures  like  the Vedanta-sutras can be
tailor-made  to  suit  any kind of explanation. Sripada Shankaracharya refrained
from  touching  Srimad Bhagavatam to explain mayavada philosophy, since it would
have  been  a  direct  offence  to  the Lotus Feet of the Lord. He did not touch
Srimad   Bhagavatam   because  he  knew  that  the  natural  commentary  of  the
Vedanta-sutras  would  be  difficult  for him to surpass (Srimad Bhagavatam is a
commentary  of  Vedanta-sutras  by  Srila  Vyasa Deva). He, thus did not dare to
write a commentary on Bhagavatam.

The   impersonalists  give  elaborate  explanations  which  no  interpreter  can
understand,  full  of word jugglery (which Acharya Shankara himself condemned in
his  Bhaja  Govindam  hymn),  even  for  a  straight forward aphorism like 'aham
brahmasmi', which means 'I am pure spirt'. One of the favouite misconceptions of
these mayavadis is giving an explanation to the same aphorism as 'I am Brahman'.
Even  if  this is the case, then their poor fund of knowledge is clearly exposed
here,  since they don't even know that there is the Parabrahman (Supreme Brahman
-  God  or  Krishna),  the  Jivabrahman  (living  entity)  and  the Mahadbrahman
(material spirit). They think that Brahman refers only to Parabrahman and forget
that  everything  is  ultimately  manifestations  of spirit (brahman), but there
still  is variegatedness. These are the explanations given in the Scriptures,and
due  to  their  lack of proper understanding, and with their improper, imperfect
and  incomplete  knowledge,  they  propose  theories,  which  ultimately help in
misleading and deluding people. This is why the Vaishnavacharyas have condemened
the   mayavada  bhashyas  (commentaries)  so  much  that,  Lord  Chaitanya  said
"mayavadi-bhasya  sunile  haya  sarva  nasa"  - "one who listens to the mayavadi
commentaries  is  doomed and ready for total destruction". This fact is revealed
and  accepted even by Lord Shiva in the Padma Purana, which was explained in the
first  part  of  this  article.  Lord  Shiva  says  "mayavadam asac-chastram" or
"mayavada is impious, untrue Shastra".

The mayavadi explanation that the Supreme is temporarily covered by illusion and
undergoing  sufferings in the form of humans and animals is immature philosophy,
without  the  proper  understanding  of  the Scriptures. The Supreme would never
suffer  or  be  influenced by maya. Lord Krishna says that the external illusory
energy  maya  is  subordinate  to Him. If it is so possible that the Supreme can
temporarily or permanently come under the influence of the illusory energy, then
maya  becomes  more  powerful  than the Supreme. Then the Supreme is no more the
Supreme.  If  we are Gods, why are we undergoing so much of miseries? Then isn't
it that maya is greater than the Absolute Truth?
There  are  some more, who claim that the advent of the Supreme in the form of a
jiva  is  also  a  lila,  and  actually  the  jiva  is enjoying. This is another
nonsensical  theory.  The  animals  also don't know that they are suffering. So,
what is the difference between the animals and such pretenders? These people are
completely in the mode of ignorance or tamo guna, just like the animals.

03.  About other Deities worship :

The  philosophy  of  these monist mayavadis that any form could be worshipped as
the  Supreme  Lord  was  not  accepted  by  the Vaishnavacharyas, based on solid
references  from  the Shastras. That any form like that of Lord Vishnu's or Lord
Shiva's  or Lord Ganesha's or Goddess Durga's or Sun God's or Karthikeya's could
be  worshipped,  is  full  of misinterpretations and ignorance. The Lord clearly
states  in  the  Bhagavad  Gita that His personal form has to be worshipped. One
explanation  that  the  mayavadi would give for this would be that, incarnations
themselves  are  products  of  illusion. They forget that maya, or illusion is a
subordinate,  material,  external  energy of the Lord, and the Lord clearly says
that He is never influenced by the three modes of material nature namely, sattva
(goodness),  rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance). The theory that the demigods
don't  exist  is  all  nonsense.  The Shastras give ample evidences to prove the
existence of all the thirty three million demigods as personalities. The Supreme
Lord is also a personality and all of Them have their own individual identities.
The  main  drawback  of  these  atheistic  monists  is  that they try to map the
material  realities  onto  the  spiritual  realm. They don't understand that the
whole material cosmos is true but temporary, and not an illusion. It is actually
the  jiva  which is under illusion that he is the lord and master of all that he
surveys.  This  is  the  reason  why we've been put in this material world - for
reforming our ideas, that we cannot exist independent of the Lord.

It  is  to  be  noted  that,  the  majority of the mayavadi followers of Acharya
Shankara  are  worshippers  of  Lord  Shiva, even though he recommended that one
worship  the  Supreme Lord Krishna (bhaja govindam bhaja govindam govindam bhaja
mudha-mathe:  you  intellectual  fools  and  rascals,  worship  the Supreme Lord
Govinda).  He  also  said "krshnasthu bhagavan svayam: Lord Krishna is Bhagavan,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead". There is an incident narrated in the Srimad
Bhagavatam,  where  Lord  Shiva  is  cursed by Bhrgu Muni in the court of Daksha
that,  one  who  worships lord Shiva would become an atheist or a nasthika, or a
person who doesn't follow the Vedic Scriptural injunctions.
Bhrgu Muni's curse goes as follows,
bhava-vrata-dhara ye ca
ye ca tan samanuvratah
pasandinas te bhavantu
sac-chastra-paripanthinah
"One  who  takes a vow to satisfy Lord Shiva or who follows such principles will
certainly  become  an  atheist  and  be  diverted from transcendental scriptural
injunctions."
Here  the  following  words  are  very  significant,  pasandinah  (atheists) and
sat-shastra-paripanthinah  (diverted  transcendental scriptural injunctions). It
is  not  difficult to find that staunch worshippers of Lord Shiva to be mayavadi
atheists.  Such  things do not deride or belittle the position of Lord Shiva. He
is  described  in  the  Shastras  as  a great Vaishnava and an expansion of Lord
Krishna,  but His followers are usually mayavadis. Srila Prabhupada confirms the
position  of  Lord  Shiva  as follows: "... it is very difficult for an ordinary
person  to  contach  him  (Lord  Shiva).  However,  Lord Shiva does descend on a
special  occasion  when he is ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead". It
is  a  great offence to equate Lord Shiva to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Lord  Krishna,  which the former Himself would accept. Lord Shiva is Mahadeva or
the greatest of all devas (demigods).

04.  Monists are the foremost offenders of Lord Krishna:

Since the mayavadis spread such ignorance which is full of atheism, they are the
greatest  enemies  of the Supreme Lord. Anyone who considers himself to be equal
to  the  Supreme  Lord  should  immediately  be vanquished. It is to reform this
nonsense  idea that we've been sent to this material world, and even here if one
doesn't  accept  his constitutional position as an eternal servitor of the Lord,
then  he  deserves  to  be  sent to hell, and he can remain and suffer there for
millions of years thinking that he is God.

The  mayavadis,  as  the foremost enemies of Lord Krishna, are surely committing
spiritual  suicide.  They  will continue to think that they are supreme and thus
continue  to  rot in this material cosmos for millions of years, unless the Lord
out of His causeless mercy, chooses to deliver them. It is the Lord's mercy that
He  satisfies  all the desires of the living entites. Even if i desire to become
Lord Brahma, the Lord will take me through all the processes of tapasya, through
many many lifetimes, until i attain what i desired for. So, a devotee is usually
never inclined to desire for anything material. He neither desires for spiritual
progress.  He  just prays to the Lord to keep him forever, cognisant of the fact
that  he  is a servant of the Supreme Lord, even if he continues to live in this
material  world.  So,  when  the monist impersonalists desire to become one with
God,  the  Lord  gives  a  provision  even there, by letting them merge with the
Brahman effulgence. This kavalya mukti is poison for the devotees since for him,
an  existence without the association of the Lord is unimaginable. When there is
an  option to experience unlimited bliss by personally associating with the Lord
in  Goloka  Vrindavana,  why would a devotee want to float in the Brahmajyoti in
the unmanifested state, for millions of years without any association, and again
fall  down  to  this material world seeking association? Even svarupya mukti, or
entering the Vaikuntha planets after attaining a form like Lord Narayana, is not
very  palatable  for  a  true devotee. He will never compromise for anyhing less
than  personally  associating  with  the  Lord  by  entering  Goloka Vrindavana.
Svarupena vyavasthitah muktir uchyate: liberation situated in the spiritual form
is the highest form of liberation.

Srila  Prabhupada  says  that the Sankarite philosopher's theory that we have to
imagine  a  shape  of God is more dangerous than denial of the existence of God.
Thus  that mayavadis are more dangerous than the Buddhists. Lord Buddha preached
nastika,  or  atheism  by  denying  the authority of the Vedas. One who does not
accept the authority of the Vedas is to be considered an atheist. By denying the
authority  of  the Vedas, the mayavadis are also proving themselves as atheists.
One  of the most common statement that one can hear from a mayavadi is something
like,  'why do you want to restrict yourself with the Vedas?', or 'you've got to
transcend  what  the  Scriptures say', or 'you are God, you don't have to follow
the  Vedas'. Oh!, is it? If everyone is God, then for what purpose was the Vedas
meant?  This  philosophy  that we are one with God is for the ignorant fools who
don't  know  the ecstasy that one can derive by being a servant of the Lord. The
Kumaras (sons of Lord Brahma) were initially mayavadis, but later understood the
position of Lord Krishna and began to experience infinite transcendental ecstasy
and bliss, by constantly meditating upon the sat-cit-ananda form of the Lord. An
intelligent  man,  who is well cognisant of the fact that the mayavadis will rot
in  the  material  cosmos  until  they  clear their consciousness, would take to
Krishna Consciousness.
One  of  the main reasons why the Vaishnavacharyas, as the real guardians of the
Vedic Scriptures, condemned the mayavadis was, because of their rejection of the
Vedic  Scriptures.  Though  they  take  the  Vedic  Scriptures  to explain their
nonsensical  theories about the Supreme Absolute Truth, they nevertheless do not
follow  the  exact  teachings  imparted  by  the  Scriptures.  Just like how any
material apparatus comes with a manual for the user to handle the apparatus more
expertly,  the  Supreme  Lord  gave  us the Vedic Scriptures as a user manual to
handle our lives in a much better manner, and in the end go back to Him, back to
Godhead. Unless one follows the injunctions of the Vedic Scriptures, his pathway
to  hell is clear, just like how if anyone tries to handle an electric apparatus
whimsically, without following the instructions in the user manual, he would end
up receiving an electric shock.
The Lord emphasises the authority of the Vedic Scriptures in many places
in the Bhagavad Gita. He says:
atma-sambhavitah stabdha
dhana-mana-madanvitah
yajante nama-yajnais te
dambhenavidhi-purvakam
"Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige, they
sometimes  proudly  perform sacrifices in name only, without following any rules
or regulations."
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
"He  who  discards  scriptural  injunctions  and acts according to his own whims
attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination."
tasmac chastram pramanam te
karyakarya-vyavasthitau
jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam
karma kartum iharhasi
"One  should  therefore  understand  what  is  duty  and what is not duty by the
regulations  of  the  scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should
act so that he may gradually be elevated."

05.  About other Spiritual Paths  & Gurus

There  are  many bogus gurus and so-called swamis, who claim to be incarnations,
but  urge  their  followers  to discard the Vedic injunctions. These rascals are
demons of the first order, and are embodiments of tamo guna. They preach that by
practising  some  gymnastics  and  meditation  and fooling other people, one can
become God. If one studies the Vedic Scriptures very scrutinizingly, one will be
able to find out the real Truth, what the position of the jiva is, as opposed to
that of the Supreme Lord. It is not very difficult to predict the future of such
bogus swamis and that of their foolish followers.
The Lord Himself has said in the Bhagavad Gita,
tan aham dvisatah kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksioamy ajashram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu
"Those  who  are  envious  and  mischievous,  who  are  the  lowest among men, I
perpetually  cast  into  the  ocean of material existence, into various demoniac
species of life."
This  statement,  the  Lord  says  immediately after the verdict He gives on the
authority  of the Shastras. So, it is to be known that such so-called swamis and
gurus are all great misleaders and demons, and one should be very careful not to
associate  with  such  people  or the followers of such people. Deluded by their
senses,  being  influenced  by  rajo guna or the mode of passion, people who are
foolish  follow  these  bogus  swamis  and  gurus, who proclaim themselves to be
incarnations  without  any  reference  to  the  Scriptures.  There cannot be any
incarnation  without  a reference in the Scriptures. Also, an incarnation of the
Lord,  never  calls  Himself  an incarnation, as said in the Vedic Shastras. The
Srimad  Bhagavatam  gives  detailed  descriptions  of the avataras. Only foolish
people, who are under the influence of the lower modes of material nature, would
let  such  impersonators  cheat  them. Intelligent people would live by what the
Shastras  prescribe as the ways of life. It is a fact that nobody is equal to or
greater  than  the  Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, knowledge about
which  can  be  obtained  from  the  Vedic  Scriptures  and  the Lord's bonafide
representative in the form of a Spiritual Master.
In the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna tells Lord Krishna,
pitasi lokasya caracarasya
tvam asya pujyas ca gurur gariyan
na tvat-samo 'sty abhyadhikah kuto 'nyo
loka-traye 'py apratima-prabhava
"You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the
nonmoving.  You  are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one
is  equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone
greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?"
The  theory  that the imperonalist mayavadis propogate, that Lord Krishna is not
the  Supreme  Lord is all nonsense, much against the conclusion of the Shastras.
In  fact,  Lord  Krishna  is the only purusha (enjoyer) or male within the whole
creation and all the other atmas are prakriti (enjoyed) or female.
The Lord says in the Bhagavad Gita,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
"A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary
of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods,
and  the  benefactor  and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from
the pangs of material miseries."

Without  proper  understanding of what the Vedic Scriptures proclaim and why Adi
Sankara  had  to  incarnate,  they  claim saying, "whatever way you express your
faith,  that way is a valid spiritual path". Some say that all paths lead to the
same  goal.  These  are  all  nonsense.  Even the hippies were seeking spiritual
elevation   through   the   forbidden  waters  of  LSD,  peyote,  marijuana  and
unrestricted  sex.  Demigod worshippers like Ramakrishna and Vivekananda used to
eat  meat  and intoxicate themselves with 'ganja', claiming such practices to be
bonafide ones. Even now, a disciple in Ramakrishna ashram offers 'hookah' to his
guru  in  order  to please him. ( Here I think ISCKON is crossing their limits -
But its a fact and this is what they are teaching & i have to say this though  I
have  full  respect in my deep heart about those noble personalities)  There are
no  references  such  as  these  anywhere  in  the  Shastras. Hope the mayavadis
understand  that  what  they  claim  is cent percent ridiculous. Driven by their
imperfect  senses,  they  claim  that all paths lead to the same goal. There are
prescribed  procedures  that are to be followed for spiritual elevation. Without
following  the  Scriptural  injunctions,  it  is  not  possible  for  anyone  to
understand  what  the  reality  is.  If  one  does  not  follow  the  Scriptural
injunctions,   the  Lord  has  already  declared  their  fate,  that  they  will
perpetually be entangled in the cycle of repeated birth and death and be born as
asuras.  The  basic teaching of Acharya Shankara that everything is false except
the  one impersonal spirit, termed as the doctrine of impersonal oneness, is not
accepted by the Vaishnavacharyas based on solid knowledge from the Shastras, and
the verdict of Lord Shiva Himself, who advented in the Kali yuga as a brahmana.

The  authority  of  the Vedic Scriptures is explained by the Lord Himself in the
Bhagavad Gita as follows:
asastra-vihitam ghoram
tapyante ye tapo janah
dambhahankara-samyuktah
kama-raga-balanvitah
karsayantah sarira-stham
bhuta-gramam acetasah
mam caivantah sarira-stham
tan viddhy asura-niscayan
"Those  who  undergo  severe  austerities  and  penances  not recommended in the
scriptures,  performing  them  out of pride and egoism, who are impelled by lust
and  attachment,  who  are  foolish and who torture the material elements of the
body as well as the Supersoul dwelling within, are to be known as demons."
vidhi-hinam asrstannam
mantra-hinam adaksinam
sraddha-virahitam yajnam
tamasam paricaksate
"Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without
distribution  of  prasadam [spiritual food], without chanting of Vedic hymns and
remunerations  to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode
of ignorance."
datavyam iti yad danam
diyate 'nupakarine
dese kale ca patre ca
tad danam sattvikam smrtam
"Charity  given  out  of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time
and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness."
>From  the  above  verses  it is to be understood that the authority of the Vedic
Shastras  is  beyond  doubts  and darkness. More than all this the Lord declares
that He Himself is the compiler of all the Vedic Scriptures and He is the knower
of  all  of  them:  vedanta  krd  veda vid eva ca aham. For a person who doesn't
follow  the Vedic principles, a dark hellish life awaits, as said by the Lord in
the Bhagavad Gita. The impersonators who claim to be incarnations, actually take
advantage  of  the conditioned state as well as the ignorance due to the lack of
understanding  and  poor  fund  of  knowledge  of the jiva. It is because of our
desire  to lord over, that we've been put in the material world, just to satisfy
our  desire.  They  fuel  people's  false  ego  and  thus gather profit (labha),
adoration  (pujya)  and  distinction  (prathishta).  A Spiritual Master is not a
servant of the disciples. He is not one to run behind the disciples, fanning the
disciple's  ego. The Spiritual Master is a representative of Lord Krishna and He
is a highly elevated platform that no one else can occupy.
We  in  this material world, try to acquire so many designations. We've tried to
become  so  many things, but have failed miserably, and have also felt bad about
that  without  knowing that we can acquire only those which we are destined for.
As  a college student i'd aspired to become a big management professional. There
are  so  many  other  people  who  want to become a pilot, or a businesman, or a
software  punter,  or  sometimes a demigod. So many people try to gather so many
designations  and  have  failed  miserably  and when a rascal offers in a golden
platter,  to  make  him God in thirty days, the foolish run towards the imposter
just  like  how  the  moth flies towards the flame only to be burnt and die. The
imposter  would say, "come, realise through meditation that you are God" and the
ignoramus  would  say,  "oh!,  i've  tried  to  acquire so many things but never
succeeded  and  here is a person who says he can make me God, so why not try and
become  God".  Fools  such people are, who do not know that God is not something
cheap,  whose position one could acquire by some cheating processes like sitting
with eyes closed for half an hour, or some gymnastics like standing upside down,
or pouring water inside the nostril.

06.  About Krishna Consciousness "

The term Krishna Consciousness is also authorised by the Lord here. He says, one
who  is  fully  conscious  of  the  Him, or Krishna conscious in other words, is
always  peaceful  and  happy. This term was coined by Srila Prabhupada to impart
the  real meaning of devotion - being always conscious of the Lord.The idea that
we,  the  jivas  or  living entities are also Supreme, but temporarily under the
influence  of  maya  is  absurd.  From  the  above verse it can be seen that the
Supreme  is  bhokta,  always  enjoying. He is the Supreme enjoyer. Even when the
Lord  descended,  He was always enjoying with His friends, the cowherd boys, the
Gopis, Srimati Radharani and so on. There is not a single instant where the Lord
wouldn't  have  been  enjoying  or  giving  enjoyment to others. Immersed in the
nectarean  pastimes or lilas of the Lord, the whole of Vrajavasis were always in
transcendental bliss.

I shall stop here & please let me continue in my next mail

Sashtanga Pranam to All
Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar y.r.

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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