Gaudiya Vaishnavism without ISKCON

[Ashoka]

Namaste

Are there any followers here who consider themselves to be Gaudiya Vaishnavas, but are not affiliated with ISKCON? Do you think one could be a Gaudiya Vaishnava and not be affiliated with ISKCON?

This is not in any way meant to bash ISKCON, I was just curious if there are other viewpoints, since many Gaudiya Vaishnavas I have met are part of ISKCON

Thanks

 

[Maya3]

I believe that you absolutely can, but I don´t know too much about this.

Maya

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram shivoham ji :namaste

Namaste

Do you think one could be a Gaudiya Vaishnava and not be affiliated with ISKCON?

yes certainly , gaudia vaisnava , is simply a term for devotees in the liniage stemming from chaitanya mahaprabhu , iskcon are simply the most prominant group in the west after that there is another organisation known as 'shree chaitanya gaudia math' and other small maths .
each math decends from one deciple going out on his gurus instructions to set up teaching groups .
each whilst staying true to the teachings of sri chaitanya mahaprabhu .in time develops their own mood of devotion and teaching style , but in essence are very simmilar .

This is not in any way meant to bash ISKCON, I was just curious if there are other viewpoints, since many Gaudiya Vaishnavas I have met are part of ISKCON

it is amazing how large iskcon has become , and in ways have formed their own style of teaching , but in truth each guru stems from the same liniage stretching back to lord chaitanya so in truth each guru should regard another guru in the same liniage as a god brother .
some how iskcon has come to be regarded as an entity in its own right , which personaly I do not feel is something to be encoraged . but it is something that has come about partly due to time place and circumstance .

Thanks

:namaste

 

[Vinayaka]

I think a lot of the ISKCON temples get everybody, from all the other Gaudiya Vaishnava groups, because its the closest thing there is to 'home'. (I really need to get over to the one here and see for myself.)

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram vinayaka ji :namaste

I think a lot of the ISKCON temples get everybody, from all the other Gaudiya Vaishnava groups, because its the closest thing there is to 'home'. (I really need to get over to the one here and see for myself.)

from gaudia vaisnava and many other traditions , ....be interesting to see how you find your visit . some temples are deffinately very different in mood deppends very much on the temple presidents outlook .

 

[bp789]

There are other Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions other than ISKCON such as Gaudiya Math (which Prabhupada used to be part of before creating ISKCON) and Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

 

[VajraYosid]

Absolutely. The original Gaudiya Vaishnavism is alive and, if not well, at least not ill in the way that ISKCON is.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram :namaste

Absolutely. The original Gaudiya Vaishnavism is alive and, if not well, at least not ill in the way that ISKCON is.

to me there is great sadness in my heart every time I hear these arguements raised , I have freinds in different traditions and I have unfortunately not met many that can resist to fall into the trap of sectarianism or involving them selves in petty politics ,

I am not here to defend or denigrate any particular tradition , but to warn that we should not involve our selves in such squables as we run the risk of becoming as full of fault as the faults we find .

Ithink we forget the meaning of apradaha .

if we are truely concerned about the purity of our traditions we can do more good finding the fault within and working to remove that , than we ever will finding fault in others .



may I draw your attention to Narasinh mehta's most perfect bhajan

Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je [One who is a vaishnav]
PeeD paraayi jaaNe re [Knows the pain of others]
Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye [Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery]
Man abhimaan na aaNe re [Does not let pride enter his mind]
Vaishnav...
SakaL lok maan sahune vande [A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world] Nindaa na kare keni re [Does not say bad things about anyone]
Vaach kaachh man nishchaL raakhe [Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure]
Dhan-dhan janani teni re [O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed (dhanya-dhanya)]
Vaishnav...
Sam-drishti ne trishna tyaagi [A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice]
Par-stree jene maat re [Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother] Jivha thaki asatya na bole [The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies] Par-dhan nav jhaalee haath re [Does not even touch someone else's property]
Vaishnav...
Moh-maaya vyaape nahi jene [A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments]
DriDh vairaagya jena man maan re [Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly pleasures]
Ram naam shoon taaLi laagi [Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram]
SakaL tirath tena tan maan re [For whom all the religious sites are in the mind]
Vaishnav...
VaN-lobhi ne kapaT-rahit chhe [Who has no greed and deciet]
Kaam-krodh nivaarya re [Who has renounced lust of all types and anger]
BhaNe Narsaiyyo tenun darshan karta [The poet Narsi will like to see such a person] KuL ekoter taarya re [By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation]
Vaishnav...

I too would like to see such a person who
Tolerates and praises the the entire world , Does not say bad things about anyone , Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure .:namaste

 

[VajraYosid]

Misapplication of fault finding, such as finding fault with right discrimination, has also its pitfalls. True tolerance of negativity, faults and so forth is precious, but ignorance and apathy have as their immediate neighbor a false tolerance, false modesty for companion, and sanctimony for garb.

It is right that those who sell god's name be openly declared as the fraudsters they are. It is right that truth upheave the sitting unwell.

It is right that those who seek not fall into webs cast by the deluded and allowed by the minders of their own businesses, ever mindful of spiritual profit.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram prabhu ji

Misapplication of fault finding, such as finding fault with right discrimination, has also its pitfalls. True tolerance of negativity, faults and so forth is precious, but ignorance and apathy have as their immediate neighbor a false tolerance, false modesty for companion, and sanctimony for garb.

one can rely only upon discrimination of a pure soul , any discrimination tainted with the conceit of ahamkara indeed has its pitfalls .

and indeed .."True tolerance of negativity, faults and so forth is precious"

and true indeed that .."ignorance and apathy have as their immediate neighbor a false tolerance, false modesty for companion, and sanctimony for garb.

it is for this reason I suggest that we iliminate our own faults and become pure souls before we think to criticise others .

It is right that those who sell god's name be openly declared as the fraudsters they are. It is right that truth upheave the sitting unwell.

I think here it is aplicable to aply the words of jesus , ....''let he who is without sin cast the first stone''

he who is so perfect in his motivation is a true goswami let him declare the true path of sanatana dharma , this is the correct method .

It is right that those who seek not fall into webs cast by the deluded and allowed by the minders of their own businesses, ever mindful of spiritual profit.

agreed , that we should be ..''ever mindfull of spiritual profit''
and to do so one should understand the falibility of humans seek the shelter of god .

I am mindful to say that bitterness is un atractive and if one were to wish to lead another towards a true path then it must be done with love , thus and only thus is ignorance defeated .:namaste

 

[Madhuri]

I was born into ISKCON but after the age of 10 my family became members of a different GV group. Gaura Priya is another one of us who has been for years a member of a non-ISKCON GV movement.