cooperate

Tolerate and Cooperate

Work it out amongst yourselves

Our very dear Srila Gurudeva told us so often to work it out amongst yourselves. Not only is this typical of vaisnava behaviour it is Srila Gurudeva's order.

The 3rd offence to the holy name of our Lord is guru avajna, to disobey the instructions of the spiritual master.

We cannot go back to godhead by chanting namaparadha, nor can we please our Gurudeva by committing this avaisnava offence of non-cooperation.

It is not an option

It is imperative that we do this no matter how difficult it may appear to be. In the end we will realise that it is not only easier than it looks but that we are very glad that we chose to do so.

Cooperation is so much sweeter than backbiting, infighting, criticism, anger, suspicion and any other forms of earthbound politics that form the backbone of non-cooperation.
Srila Bhativinoda Thakur says "Party spirit is the killer of bhakti."

Oh gentle soul, this material world is "no fit place for a gentleman". The alternative to "Work it out amongst yourselves" is to stay here and rot in this world of rip-offs, taxation, violence, cheating, exploitation, suffering and death until you ARE willing to obey this simple order of Srila Gurudeva.

One devotee once asked Srila Gour Govinda Swami a simple question:

Acharyavana das: What if a devotee is given instructions by his gurudeva and then does something else?

Srila Gour Govinda Swami: Then he is a fool!

Conclusion

All of our individual efforts towards bhakti are designed to take us back to Godhead. Given our current status it is obvious that we are way short of ready to fit into the spiritual world.

To tolerate, cooperate and work it out amongst ourselves is really pretty simple, this is the necessary collective effort that will turn us into vaisnavas. By not cooperating we simply encourage others not to cooperate, so to save them suffering, even if we don't care about our own suffering, it behooves us to give the loving gifts of tolerance and cooperation.
It may not be EASY but really, "How hard can it be?" Certainly not impossible.

There is no other way

Joy to all beings