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Re: ISKCON : help define these terms
Michael Paul Tandy <mpt0002@jove.acs.unt.edu> wrote:
On Fri, 1 Mar 1996, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:
>> It was certainly not a personal attack. I consider many of Prabhupada's
>Please list your credentials as a Sanskrit scholar, and
>while you're at it, tell who your guru is, and what
>tradition you represent. I will take you seriously if
>you can do these simple things.
I never said I was a sanskrit scholar. However I criticized Prabhupada's
translations and you can criticize me based on that if you want. As far as
this paramparaa thing goes see my response below.
>> If you had read my previous posts, you might have realized why I made this
>> statement. Obviously you can't expect me to repeat about 4-5 explanatory posts
>> each time I criticize Prabhupada.
>Fair enough; I can handle that.
>Unfortunately, I did not save my posts on
>> this topic, perhaps you can do some net search and find the articles and then
>> post your criticisms of my reasoning.
>Well, actually, I'm pretty busy... :-)
Then don't reply to my posts. Do your work and keep your opinions to yourself.
Either follow an argument from the beginning or just keep quiet. If I had
saved my criticism of the article 'What is Maayavadam?' I would have sent it
to you.
>> Pray, who are these scholars?
>A.L. Basham was one of the most respected Indologists of all
>time; he had the highest respect for Srila Prabhupada and his
>books. Stillson Judah is another. So is Diana Eck from Harvard. These
>are a few I can recall off the top of my head. You'll find many more.
>Their favorable reviews are often quoted in the jackets of Prabhupada's
>books.
In this country anyone can whip up a few followers. The same way Radhakrishnan
has received lots of kudos for his translations. I don't see you supporting
him.
>BTW, I'd ask you to look at the skeletons in
>> Prabhupada's closet
>I did just that, and because there weren't any, I became
>his disciple. I would like to think that this means that
>I am at least a little bit honest.
No, it actually means that you had your eyes closed. I clearly pointed out
my article in srh which appeared a few weeks back. Either read THAT and
criticize me or just be busy.
>> This is being sanctimonious, at best.
>I think Padma Purana has such authority.
Please, please Not this Padma puraNa thing again. Please refer to various
posts by me on the thread 'Siva as Yogi?' and see the detailed explanations.
It was pointed out by HKS that the Padma puraaNa 'sanctions' some paramparaas.
1. I quoted a few verses where Krishna worships Lord Shiva and calls him the
supreme truth from the same Padma puraaNa
2. I got the reply that it was probably spurious
3. Why? No answer.
Also the Shiva puraaNa sanctions only Shaivite paramparaas. Why should we
trust the Padma puraaNa instead? The vaishnava aacharyaas say so. Why should
we trust the vaishnava aacharyas? The Padma puraaNa says so.
This is the kind of circular logic involved. If you have read many puraaNas
and not excerpts from various puraaNas given by some other person, you would
understand that all puraaNas are not consistent and insist that only what they
say is true. It's a typically Indian way of writing and I don't expect you to
understand it.
IF you read my posts on 'Siva as Yogi?' and my criticism of Prabhupada's
articles and reasonings, I would be glad to discuss things with you. If not
you may reply to this post and consider yourself as having the last word.
Good day!
Ramakrishnan.
--
"One who looks penetratingly into his true self and does not get ensnared in
words, nor stained by the teachings of the Buddhas and the patriarchs, one who
goes beyond the singular road which advances towards enlightenment and does not
let cleverness become his downfall, will, for the first time attain the Way."
Bassui (1327-1387)
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