View source for If we try artificially to explain sastra in our own words, there is every danger of interpretation and speculation

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{{terms|"we try artificially to explain sastra in our own words, there is every danger of interpretation and speculation"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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[[Category:If We (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Try]]
[[Category:Artificially]]
[[Category:Explain]]
[[Category:Sastra]]
[[Category:Our Own (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Words (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Every]]
[[Category:Danger]]
[[Category:Interpretation]]
[[Category:Our Speculation (Disciples of SP)]]
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1971_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Correspondence" text="1971 Correspondence"><h3>1971 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoBhaktadasaDelhi20November1971_0" class="quote" parent="1971_Correspondence" book="Let" index="529" link="Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Delhi 20 November, 1971" link_text="Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Delhi 20 November, 1971">
<div class="heading">We try artificially to explain sastra in our own words, there is every danger of interpretation and speculation. First the student must be able to repeat exactly the words of the guru and then after some time he may be qualified to apply the principles he has learned word-for-word to personal situations.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Delhi 20 November, 1971|Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Delhi 20 November, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">I am in due receipt of your letter of October 24, 1971, and have noted the contents carefully. Due to our always moving about I have not had opportunity to answer until now. Please forgive me. I am very encouraged to hear how San Diego center is flourishing under your supervision. The test is that so many new devotees are coming. That is a very good sign. Now you must take care to train them very nicely. They are voluntarily giving their lives to Krishna, so as president you must see that they are always happy and satisfied in Krishna Consciousness. Then they will not go away. Your proposals for teaching them our philosophy are very good. But if we try artificially to explain sastra in our own words, there is every danger of interpretation and speculation. First the student must be able to repeat exactly the words of the guru and then after some time he may be qualified to apply the principles he has learned word-for-word to personal situations. It is not that we are a dry philosophy of dogmas and slogans. No. The language of Krishna Consciousness is ever-fresh and we can explain everything by it, just like my Guru Maharaja once lectured for three months on one verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam. But every precaution must be taken to preserve our basic guiding principles as they are and not change them because we want to hear something new.</p>
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