The Difference Between Pure Servants and So-called Devotees of God
The journey back to the spiritual world is often obstructed by those who make an external show of religion without undergoing actual internal purification. Highlighting this widespread hypocrisy, Śrīla Prabhupāda relentlessly warned his students to avoid the association of individuals who cheaply imitate elevated spiritual emotions while secretly harboring deep material desires. By learning to distinguish between genuine, unalloyed service and the deceptive behavior of these imposters, a sincere practitioner can safely traverse the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The Danger of Cheap Imitation
The desire to artificially jump to the highest stages of transcendental realization is a dangerous pitfall for neophyte practitioners. Addressing this issue, he clearly condemned the sahajiyās who cheaply try to imitate the intimate pastimes of the Supreme Lord without undergoing the requisite purification. Such imitation is entirely external and completely fails to grasp the genuine, reverential nature of pure devotional service.
- A class of so-called devotees known as sahajiyas try to imitate the Lord's pastimes, although they have no understanding of the amorous love in His expansions of pleasure potency.
- A class of so-called devotees known as prakrta-sahajiyas sometimes display devotional symptoms to exhibit their good fortune. They are pretending, however, because these devotional features are only external.
- So-called devotees like the sahajiyas cheaply imagine they are meeting Krsna in Vrndavana. Such thinking may be useful, but actually meeting Krsna is possible through the attitude of separation taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- A class of so-called devotees called the nadiya-nagaris or gaura-nagaris pretend that they have the sentiment of gopis toward Lord Caitanya, but they do not realize that He placed Himself not as the enjoyer, Krsna, but as the enjoyed.
Hypocrisy and Material Attachments
A true spiritual life is characterized by strict self-control and the progressive eradication of lower desires. Unfortunately, some individuals don the dress of renunciants like bābājīs while internally retaining a powerful attraction to mundane sex life and intoxication. This blatant hypocrisy transforms the individual into a materialistic viṣayī and completely ruins their spiritual progress, as they attempt to exploit the Lord's mercy for personal sense gratification.
- In Vrndavana you'll find so-called babajis, they have imitated the dress of Rupa Gosvami - half loincloth - but a bidi in the mouth. What is this nonsense?
- It has been seen that a so-called devotee proclaims himself a follower of Nanda, Yasoda or the gopis, while at the same time his abominable attraction for mundane sex life is visible.
- There are many so-called devotees passing themselves off as devotees while engaging in these sinful activities - illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating.
- When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion.
Ignoring Scripture and Pure Devotees
Authentic spiritual progression must be strictly anchored in the authorized conclusions of the śāstras and the guidance of previous spiritual masters. Bypassing these essential scriptures, such as the Vedānta-sūtra, creates a dangerous apa-sampradāya that ultimately misleads the innocent public. Consequently, these unauthorized groups often become highly envious of genuine preachers who are successfully spreading the authorized message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu across the globe.
- All the great acaryas of the four Vaisnava sampradayas have made commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra, but the so-called devotees known as prakrta-sahajiya carefully avoid the study of Vedanta-sutra.
- There are many so-called followers of the Vaisnava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the sastras, and therefore they are considered to be apa-sampradaya, which means "outside of the sampradaya."
- We are very sorry to say that these people (some so-called Vaisnavas) try to find fault with us, being unnecessarily envious of our activities.
- A pure Vaisnava is very happy to see a person elevated in devotional service. Unfortunately, there are many so-called Vaisnavas who become envious to see someone actually recognized by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Impersonalist Disguise
The ultimate goal of unalloyed devotional service is to eternally serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead with love and devotion. However, many imitators are actually disguised karmīs and jñānīs whose secret objective is to annihilate their individuality and merge into the Lord's existence. Because they deny the eternal, transcendental personality of God, they cannot be accepted as genuine servants of Kṛṣṇa under any circumstance.
- In the impersonal school the so-called devotee is supposed to merge with the Lord and lose his separate existence.
- It is a fact that there are many so-called Vaisnavas whose ultimate aim is to merge into the existence of the Lord. For example, the sahajiyas' Vaisnava philosophy is to become one with the Supreme.
- There are many so-called devotees who think that in the conditioned state we may worship the Personality of Godhead but that ultimately there is no personality.
- There are many so-called devotees, but actually they are only karmis and jnanis, for they are not directly devotees of Lord Krsna.
Conclusion
The path to supreme perfection demands unalloyed sincerity and a strict adherence to authoritative spiritual injunctions. By fearlessly exposing the deceptive practices of imitators, Śrīla Prabhupāda mercifully protected the integrity of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and the spiritual lives of his followers. True devotion is never found in cheap imitation or material indulgence, but is beautifully awakened through pure, selfless service to the Supreme Lord and His genuine representatives.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category So-called Devotees of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.