Ginsberg Questions Prabhupada’s Sadhu Status

Prabhupada was very cordial with Allen Ginsberg.  Quoting a passage from Bhagavad-gita where Krishna says that whatever a great man does, others will follow, he requested Allen to continue chanting Hare Krishna at every opportunity so that others would follow his example.  He told about Lord Caitanya’s organizing the first civil disobedience movement in India, leading a sankirtana protest march against the Muslim ruler.  Allen was fascinated.  He enjoyed talking with the Swami.

But they had their differences.  When Allen expressed his admiration for a well-known Bengali holy man, Prabhupada said that the holy man was bogus.  Allen was shocked.  He’d never before heard a swami severely criticize another’s practice.  Prabhupada explained on the basis of Vedic evidence, the reasoning behind his criticism, and Allen admitted that he had naively thought that all holy men were one-hundred-percent holy.  But now he decided that he should not simply accept a sadhu, including Prabhupada, on blind faith.  He decided to see Prabhupada in a more severe, critical light.

Allen:  I had a very superstitious attitude of respect, which probably was an idiot sense of mentality, and so Swami Bhaktivedanta’s teaching was very good to make me question that.  It also made me question him and not take him for granted.