The “Buddhafication” of Srila Prabhupada

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 9.49, Srila Prabhupada comments on the nine truths of the Buddhists and how Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu defeated them. One of their truths is that Lord Buddha is the only source for the attainment of knowledge. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada says,

According to the Buddhists’ fifth principle, Lord Buddha is the only source for the attainment of knowledge. We cannot accept this, for Lord Buddha rejected the principles of Vedic knowledge. One must accept a principle of standard knowledge because one cannot attain the Absolute Truth simply by intellectual speculation. If everyone is an authority, or if everyone accepts his own intelligence as the ultimate criterion—as is presently fashionable—the scriptures will be interpreted in many different ways, and everyone will claim that his own philosophy is supreme. This has become a very great problem, and everyone is interpreting scripture in his own way and setting up his own basis of authority. Yata mata tata patha. Now everybody and anybody is trying to establish his own theory as the ultimate truth.

Now, a question here is that if we say that Srila Prabhupada is the only source for the attainment of knowledge, are we not also making the same mistake as the Buddhists?

For a long time now in ISKCON, I have seen among many of ISKCON’s members that when confronted with some idea that does not fit with their favorite Srila Prabhupada quotes (including other Srila Prabhupada quotes that they dismiss in creative ways), then they just say, “We just follow Srila Prabhupada.” But do they?

The system that Srila Prabhupada explained (and can be ascertained independently) is that shastra, authorized saintly persons (sadhu) and the spiritual master must be understood in a harmonious way (aikya – unity). Quoting Srila Narottama Das Thakura, Srila Prabhupada says,

According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this is the way an incarnation should be accepted. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. One should accept a thing as genuine by studying the words of saintly people, the spiritual master and the śāstra. The actual center is the śāstra, the revealed scripture. If a spiritual master does not speak according to the revealed scripture, he is not to be accepted. Similarly, if a saintly person does not speak according to the śāstra, he is not a saintly person. The śāstra is the center for all. Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not refer to the śāstras; therefore they accept rascals as incarnations, and consequently they have made incarnations into a very cheap thing. (CC Madhya-lila 20.352)

Note that Srila Prabhupada says that the śāstra is “the center for all.” The śāstras are the “principle of standard knowledge”, because one cannot attain the Absolute Truth simply by intellectual speculation. So, it’s not just Srila Prabhupada. But the way is shastra, and sadhu and guru, and they must be understood in a harmonious way, which is what the word “aikya” means.