A Philosophical Dream

A few evenings ago HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I gave class together at ISKCON Juhu. During the questions and answers, a devotee asked, “How can I recognize a pure devotee?” and in response I quoted Srila Prabhupada’s reply to a letter from Tusta Krishna dasa asking about pure devotees: “We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee—it may be Siddhasvarupa [a charismatic devotee who brought Tusta Krishna to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness] or others, a-Siddhasvarupa [not-Siddhasvarupa]. This must be very clearly stated. It is not only that your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it doesn’t matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Shyamasundar will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay.”

Then that night I had a philosophical dream in which I noted that the different categories of devotees—kanishtha, madhyama, and uttama—are meant primarily for us to assess where we are in Krishna consciousness and make further progress—not to judge others.

Hare Krishna.