His teachings and instructions were given us by His Divine Grace to ensure that this sankirtan mission is always founded upon solid "scientific" knowledge that is shastrically verifiable and blessed by the guidance of our unblemished parampara.

Are dreams of the spiritual master valid?

I WROTE THIS BACK IN 2005 TO ONE OF MY GODBROTHERS AND IT REMAINS GERMANE TO THIS SUBJECT. I WILL OFFER IT TO YOU NOW.

Hello Maharaja, Thank you for your comments.

No one can say that "Krishna cannot do this". Or "Krishna cannot do that". Krishna is "swarat", independent, and this is one of the unique features that demonstrates that He is God!

However - anyone can claim this or that. "Prabhupada has told me this. Prabhupada has told me that. Prabhupada appeared to me and ordered me to do this." They may even believe it to be reality and indeed - because Krishna can do anything - He can act through anyone or anything - and demonstrate His independence and full potency - by directly communicating with anyone through His pure devotee. Discussing what "could" be possible or "can" be experienced - given that Lord Krishna can do anything - is always enlivening. We marvel at Mahaprabhu's chasing away the clouds that threatened to disrupt his sankirtan, or His planting a mango pit and instantly producing the sweetest, juciest mangoes in all the three worlds! We recount how the Lord changed the course of history in a mere 18 days at Kurukshetra or Madhavendra Puri arranged a fabulous Anna Kuta in 1 Day! Yes Krishna CAN do anything and does! And if He likes He can order his empowered Representative to intervene in the life or lives of his devotees!

This "can" be done.

However this is not how Srila Prabhupada's "presence" is primarily given. Dreams and visions etc - cannot be called upon to authenticate the management of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON mission. His teachings and instructions were given us by His Divine Grace to ensure that this sankirtan mission is always founded upon solid "scientific" knowledge that is shastrically verifiable and blessed by the guidance of our unblemished parampara.

If anyone studies carefully the three interviews between His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and the London Reporter, Ms Nixon, and Mr Desmond O'grady - recorded in their entirety in the Science of Self Realization - and then reads Srila Prabhpada's essay on The Spiritual Master recorded on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in 1936, he or she will have all their questions answered dealing with finding a proper spiritual guide to bring us back to our original Krishna consciousness.

Right there - in his book. Dreams or no dreams - nothing was left to chance by His Divine Grace. Nothing at all.

So though we agree in principle on what "can" occur, I am also certain that we agree on what Srila Prabhupada arranged in order to prevent the mission from suffering any setback as a result of anyone's mistaking hallucination for transcendental communication.

Just as Srila Prabhupada said that if a so-called shiksha guru speaks something incongruous with the teachings of one's bonafide spirital master - he is not a real shiksha guru, likewise if any dream does not send us to the real shelter Srila Prabhupada arranged for us - his books and guidance in all its actual forms - such "dreams" should be as disregarded as the disruptive bum on sankirtan who tries to impede your sankirtan. Just like a fly is brushed aside by the tail of a massive elephant! If one dreams something that compels us to dive deep into the shelter of Srila Prabhupada and his devotees - then it is as beneficial as any other form of remembrance of guru and Krishna as one might have during his waking state.

"TAKING CARE OF THE FORMALITIES" IS NOT SET ASIDE BY SRILA PRABHUPADA. NEVER. HE SIMPLY PUT THEM IN THEIR PROPER PLACE.

The purascharya vidhi process is carefully set down and correctly asserted as vital to one's being considered as a qualified candidate for initiation into our disciplic succession. This is all set down in the public record in Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya Lila 15.103 - 120. This section commences with a question by one devotee, Satyaraja Khan, and it is quite literally a pefect question that is inevitably asked by any sane man who has become wonderfully "pessimistic" as Srila Prabhupada stressed we must - if we are to finish our business here in this "condemned" place. "Satyaraja Khan said, "My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders."

I can only encourage you, prabhu, to very, very carefully read over this section of the Chaitanya-charitamrita. Each and every sentence is extremely important and will easily provide you with the needed answers to all your queries on this matter.

YS, Praghosa