What is the position of bhakti teachers not connected with the four sampradayas?

From Raj Parikshit P
Answer Podcast:

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
in a more powerful way. The Bhakti saints are meant to help us develop our devotion.
And it is not that just automatically by affiliating with a particular sampradaya, one will go back to Krishna. Nor is it that somebody who is not connected with any sampradaya has no hope of going back to God. Actually Prabhupada was so inclusive that on an American TV show when he was positioned with, he was having a discussion with a Christian preacher, and the Christian preacher was saying that Jesus is the only way to go on.
And Prabhupada said no. So Prabhupada was asked that can you, will anyone who follows the Bible go back to God. Prabhupada said there is scripture.
It is not that you have to follow only our way. This was on the Les Cranes show and Mukund Maharaj was there with Prabhupada at that time. And he writes about this in his book Miracle in 2nd Avenue.
So the point here is that our tradition is inclusive and we understand that as far as our practice is concerned we focus on practicing Bhakti as has been taught by our Acharyas. But does that mean that nobody who follows Bhakti in a way different from what our Acharyas have taught, that person can never make an advancement in Bhakti. It is not necessary.
It is not our position to judge and our position is to grow ourselves in our Bhakti and we should know that Bhakti is independent. So it is not that Bhakti, we can restrict Bhakti only to these four Sampradayas. So the point is when it is said in the particular Padma Purana verse is there, which talks about the four Sampradayas.
So the important thing of that is that these four Sampradayas are the standard ways. But that does not mean these are the only ways. For example, if somebody has practiced some Bhakti in the previous life and that person is born in this life, now that Bhakti can continue in this life just by association with some devotees and that person may not necessarily affiliate oneself with some particular Sampradaya in this life.
So wherever we see attraction to the Lord, wherever we see devotion, we appreciate that. And sometimes some teachers may criticize the four Sampradayas because there might be too much of, sometimes within the Sampradayas also, institutionalization can become too strong and the essence of Bhakti may be lost. But, it’s also possible that when a particular person criticizes the four Sampradayas, that may just be because of wanting for oneself the power and prestige that the four Sampradayas have and wanting to minimize those Sampradayas so that that prestige can come to oneself also.
So, rather than judging a person only based on whatever kind of statements the person may make, we understand these two different principles that for us we have become connected with Krishna through a particular Sampradaya, so we follow the Acharya of our Sampradaya, and we follow what is taught in our tradition, and we will grow spiritually according to that tradition. So, others, there may be other ways in which they can grow. It’s like there are different universities, and people learn in the universities, people learn in different universities, and they grow by learning through different universities, but sometimes some people may not be connected to the university, and still they may also learn, and that way they may also become learners, so we don’t have to necessarily reject that possibility, but our emphasis should always be on recognizing the broad principle that going through Sampradaya is the safe way, it is the authorized way, and Bhakti Devi by her mercy can be available, may be available through other paths also.
It’s not that Bhakti is permanently barred for anyone outside the four Sampradayas, but whether Bhakti is properly accessible or not, that is debatable. So, we should be focused on the broad principle that people can advance, and in general, it is safer to, much much safer, to be within the four Sampradayas, but where people find it, where, if there is some genuine Bhakti outside the four Sampradayas, rather than rejecting it just because of it not being present within a particular institution, we have to see that Bhakti Devi is independent and she can manifest, but, that is not, there is a, the attitude is important. Bhakti Devi’s independence, we, when we talk about that, we are respecting Bhakti, but the principle of Bhakti is also subordinating ourselves to Guru, Adav Guru Padashree, as Rupa Goswami says in Bhakti Sampradayas.
So, if one is, by circumstance or by situation, so deeply attracted to Adav Guru Krishna, then that is different, but if someone wants to deliberately defy the authority of Guru, doesn’t want to submit to any Guru, doesn’t want to submit to any tradition and wants to maintain one’s defiance while practicing Bhakti, then that will be an obstacle. So, by looking at the particular situation, we may have to see what a particular teacher or a particular follower’s attitude is and then come to a particular understanding. Rather than just broadly labeling an entire group of people as good or bad, we can focus on this more subtle and nuanced approach.