Tripura Swami…

Q. What is the standard in the Gaudiya lineage regarding prostration before the spiritual master in front of the deity?

A. Generally, it is not appropriate, but Prabhupada allowed it. He mentions in his discussion of the Gundica marjanam that it is inappropriate for one to worship the guru before the Deity, yet he allowed himself to be worshipped before the Deity. I once asked him about this. He just looked at me, amused, and chuckled. He holds a special position. As far as I know, this does not go on in branches of the Gaudiya Math.

My thoughts..

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaja placed great emphasis on worshiping Sri Guru, and in the West nobody bows down to anybody, so Prabhupada in his preaching in the West may have felt the need to emphatically demonstrate the benefits of surrender to Sri Guru and how he is saksad dharitvena , worshiped as good as God , because He is His intimate servant freind or lover.

Srila Prabhupada introduced many different approaches in his western preaching , and his preaching has had extraordinary effects on the world.

So, to place great emphasis on the worship of Sri Guru and the Brahminical intelligensia is essential in the re-education of a world that had to predominantly forget God .

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