The Holy Places Must Be Protected

Holy places and festivals play an essential role in every Acarya’s mission. Generally he will reunite his Vaisnava Group on holy days such as Janmastami, Gaura-Purnima etc., after they have been out preaching and serving worldwide.

That meeting becomes the renewed spiritual charge, the happy festival to look forward to, to see dear friends, and to hear from outstanding performers in the service world. What sweet memories come to us when we recall how our Gurudeva united all of us!!

Even the antagonists amongst us were dancing together and believe it or not, offering obeisance’s to each other. Tirthas are holy places where great devotees reside and an ever-increasing number of faithful souls are traveling to such tirthas, ultimately to catch a glimpse of the promised darshan of that soul who has totally surrendered to God and whom God has chosen to make His representative in this dark world. Such saintly persons verily make a place worthy of being titled — tirtha.

But after Gurudev’s departure we have seen many changes. Previous feelings are very hard to find. Secret meetings are held to lament the fate of not feeling inspiration for supporting the new Acarya(s). New disciples cannot tolerate their Guru’s godbrothers.

Depending who gives the class, a group of devotees withdraw. Prasadam time: who is getting the privileges. Every moment something wrong is discovered. Some think: maybe I should no longer attend this festival? The group of new disciples augments, the elders diminish. What is the solution? Take Sannyas? Try to follow your Gurus path?

Well that depends on who would agree to give it to you, and under what conditions? In one way or another such things take place in every mission. Some Tirthas belong to the whole world; others belong to the disciples and grand disciples of a particular Guru.

Both must be maintained without encroachment. Good devotees who themselves do not accept disciples can perform the priestly functions. All Acaryas and their disciples are welcomed and expected to give their support to these “impartial” tirthas. Other Gurus and their disciples can further increase the glories of certain tirthas by making their Mandiras and Dharmsalas there, such as was done after Lord Chaitanya again revealed Vrindavan-dham to this world.

No more personal misuse of Tirthas, no faulty regulations or unfriendliness from one group to another. The WVA could help in the future to coordinate that the Dhamas get sufficient attention. The Acarya is most prominent no doubt, but that prominence is most appreciated in the presence of his disciples and in the places he himself established.

It is logically not admissible that any one Acarya privatize a Tirtha neglecting other pilgrims’ feelings simply because he has captured that location.

The WVA is not interested in becoming the judge of any situation. Subjects like this can be discussed by senior Vaisnavas through WVA publications. The idea is to create an auspicious atmosphere for all Vaisnavas while simultaneously providing proper protection for each mission’s favorite Tirthas.