I often think like that too… Sri Guru made a much needed correction in the course taken by enthusiastic but inexperienced bhaktas via instructions of a pure Vaishnava. Too bad some people did not notice…

To dismiss this link of our parampara out of political consideration or ignorance is worse then rejecting the divinity of Mahaprabhu by those who claim to be Vaishnavas.

The points about proper vision of chastity Sridhara Maharaja makes here are of colossal importance. I do not mind being considered a ‘prostitute’ by some narrow minded Vaishnavas as long as I can keep on learning from such qualified sadhus.

Imagine how we felt in his company after Prabhupada’s departure and the turmoil that ensued thereafter. So sheltered, so chaste, so much in the hands of spiritual authority, so much loved, but practically with no ears to listen to the good news, the solution we had stumbled on to with the help of Prabhupada’s directive. Worse, volumes of misinformation and distortion everywhere.

Missing the contribution of Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja on the part of Prabhupada’s disciples is tantamount to missing the guru parampara.

My experience is that by studying his words and the words of those influenced by him, one considerably broadens their perspective of what Krishna consciousness or Gaudiya Vaishnavism is. Whereas I used to have a very black and white understanding and be critical of those who didn’t share my institutional views, I now see that most things are shades of grey or as I like to say, “multi-colored”.

The concept of “harmonizing” differences is revolutionary in itself, and can counter the tendency to think one’s own position is absolutely right, while others are wrong. The idea that spiritual advancement (hinted here and stated by him elsewhere) comes through “Acceptance and elimination” or that we leave behind certain provisional or neophyte understandings and accept deeper ones which correspond to where we are spiritually is also profound.