Appreciating Each Other
BY: ANIRUDDHA DAS
Dec 23, GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (SUN) — I'm writing regarding Goura Bola's article, "Sacrifices. He talks about "appreciation and love towards each other".
You, Goura Bola, whomever you might be, must know that after Srila Prabhupada's tirobhava, we were lied to, manipulated, deceived, and even coerced to accept its hoax of enthroning eleven self-appointed "acaryas." As a result of this heresy on the part of the GBC, most of the devotees worldwide at that time gullibly swallow the prevarication that the eleven sudden gurus were in fact appointed by Srila Prabhupada. This a sad and abundantly known history, very well documented and constantly addressed not only here at the Sampradaya Sun, but in many other editorial outlets. So I won't go into the details.
But what I want to tell you, Goura Bolito, is that these flamboyant acaryas DID receive lots of appreciation (some still receive) from the devotees. All this recognition was based on the fact that the eleven voted-in gurus performed spectacular services during the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada. Then the circumstance occurred that you had no other choice: either you acknowledged their feats—feats which led them to the promulgation of the above-mentioned ecclesiastic absurd decree ("resolution') -- or you were "unfaithful" to Srila Prabhupada, an outright demon. Still this is going on…
On several occasions in 1980 I personally saw a couple of Godbrothers crying bitterly because they were forced to conform with another infamous GBC "resolution" of offering obeisances to any of the eleven newly-anointed gurus during the simultaneous guru-puja. Once inside the Deity room of the LA temple, while cleaning the brass paraphernalia, I saw one devotee sobbing and saying to another mutual friend: "I can't believe these people (the new disciples) are being cheated to believe that Ramesvara is a pure devotee! And we are supposed to back-up this farce… Oh, this is unbearable!" Soon this devotee fled, confused and broken hearted, to the mountains of the Sierra Nevadas. He preferred to lead a solitary life inside a run-down motor-home instead of being accomplice to this major guru-aparadha, consummated more than 33 years ago.
So, I repeat, the international community of ISKCON devotees was duped into believing that these eleven people became instant, improvised paramahamsas. The truth is that the mass of devotees were neophytes, not at all having a good command of the deep, broad philosophy of Krishna consciousness. I publicly admit here that I was one of these fools who swallowed the well-woven ploy devised mainly by Tamal Krishna and Satsvarupa. Although Srila Prabhupada specifically instructed his disciples to also read his books, the reality is that most of us were ordered to daily go out to the streets and drop them "into the laps of all conditioned souls". In those days we just assisted mangala-artika, chanted japa, celebrated Govinda and guru-puja, heard the Bhagavatam class, took prasadam, and then hit the streets to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books all day long. There was hardly time to do anything else. But we had to pay a very high price for sincerely absorbing ourselves in fulfilling this foremost desire of Srila Prabhupada: the iron loyalty we built in our hearts towards Srila Prabhupada was then forcibly and foolishly transferred to these eleven upstarts. By the influence of the powerful time factor we neglected learning, deepening our understanding of the science of Krishna consciousness. More than a few complained, but they were immediately gagged or thrown out of Srila Prabhupada's movement.
Once at Nova Gokula farm (Brazil), while narrating the activities of Srila Rupa Goswami, Hridayananda said to a group of six or seven devotees congregated in his bedroom: "Rupa Goswami was so perfect that he actually could directly see the pastimes Radha and Krishna are performing in Vrindavan!" Then he looked at me and in a deliberate move to impress me, he bluffed: "In fact, it's a very easy thing. …You just have to know the technique…" Just see the cheating!
But I don't want to stray away from the point I am making here. After 1977, the mass of ISKCON members were dragged into the collective snare described above. In my opinion, after the science of God and the soul, the study of the mind is the most fascinating, perplexing undertaking. Nobody wanted to desert Srila Prabhupada's "big house", nor the shelter it provided us. In a nutshell, nobody wanted to go back to the material world. So, by these and others means (you can learn about them in the series "Our Mission" written by Kundali), the GBC and the eleven newly risen, using all the absolute power at their disposal, succeeded in enforcing the Zonal Acarya system and promoteed themselves as "unalloyed pure devotees". And unfortunately we yielded. The main reason: only they performed "uncommon" acts of devotional service to please Srila Prabhupada. Now, we can see clearly this isn't the truth: all sincere devotees offered their wholes lives to please His Divine Grace. The only thing different is that they were noticed and promoted by him during his vapu, even though he had to continuously struggle with them not to deviate from the philosophy and the devotional standards set by him. After all, time has proved that a few years of spectacular service doesn't convert you into an uttama-adhikari.
These selfish prabhus and their blind followers cannot complain now: we gave them the benefit of the doubt; we acclaimed them as great souls. For a couple of years, until they soon began to grossly fall down one after another, we faithfully served them, and even worshipped them on the same level as Srila Prabhupada, the Sampradaya Acarya. What audacity on their part! And what stupidity on our part! Anyway, they did receive name, fame and glory. In fact, like Hridayananda, they got used to it, undeservingly.
But as the British politician said—a hackneyed dictum: Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Without exception, all of them—including many new gurus who were promoted after the so-called New Vrindavan Reform Meeting in 1986— these "representatives of Srila Vyasadeva" let us down. With their contemptible actions, these individuals utterly disappointed us, disillusioned us beyond any possibility of trusting them again. They have made a laughing stock of the sacred post of guru. And what is worse: they have never have come forward to admit or amend the philosophical deviation so many times referred in this article, neither have they been humble enough to honestly admit their small devotional stature. A very American ego trip…
Srila Prabhupada explains that a real disciple does not aspire to become guru and amass followers; but he strives to perfect himself, practicing obedience to the order of the spiritual master and Lord Chaitanya and thus becomes qualified to preach.
"That is the difficulty. Everyone sees that "some way or other, I become guru. Then so many persons will offer me respect. Somehow or other, create some situation. Then I become guru." This is going on. Not bona fide guru. Bona fide guru is indicated by Chaitanya—amara ajñaya guru hana: "Become guru." Why ambition? Actually become guru. But how to become guru? Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krishna upadesha.' That's it. Otherwise goru. So they will not take this simple method. They will drink, they will hunt after woman and have some attractive singing or dancing and become guru. What is meaning of guru, they do not know. Somehow or other become popular and become guru. This is going on. So with maya you can attract these foolish rascals very easily. If you can manufacture... You cannot, but if you can show some jugglery, then you become guru. People are after all these things, material things. They are not after Krishna. They are after money and women. So if you give some mantra, then gold will be manufactured, and all women will be attracted, very first class." (Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, May 2, 1976, Fiji)
Srila Prabhupada was the crown jewel of humility. He would call himself "insignificant" or "useless". In a class he gave on Radhastami, 1966, he indirectly referred to his own case:
"In this way. He's the supreme spiritual master within you. As soon as you will take to devotional service, He'll give you dictation, ‘You do this.' What dictation? To go to hell? No. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. In the Bhagavad-gita: ‘By which he can come back to Me'. That buddhi-yogam. He will help you. If you think something… If He takes you seriously about your case, if you are fully surrendered, the He will direct you in such a way that you cannot go elsewhere except to Him. Even sometimes you may find that "He is doing something against my will.' I have got personal experience. I never tried, never accepted that I shall become a sannyasi. And I tried my best to keep myself in this material world. And He was, several times He has frustrated me and I has brought me by force (to) this life. And now I am happy. I can understand that how much favor has Krishna showed me. Yes. I did not understand in the beginning.
"…So the answer was given by Sukadeva Goswami that ‘This very question was also put to Krishna by your grandfather. So instead of answering myself, I'll put that very question and answer between your grandfather and Krishna.' So what is that? ‘Now a similar question was put by your grandfather Maharaja Yudhisthira to Krishna, and Krishna answered like this'. What is that? Yasyaham anugrhanami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih [S.B. 10.88.8] ‘If I do somebody (a) special favor, then My first duty is I become him crushed in all material possessions.' You see? Why? ‘Because to make him more surrendered to me.' When he becomes helpless, he has no other way. ‘Krishna, please take me!' When he has something, he thinks, ‘Oh, these things will protect me, my material possessions.' Therefore he does not surrender. Now, Krishna sees that ‘This man, this living entity, is very much devotee, but he wants something, this nonsense. So crush him so that when he will feel helpless, he will come to Me. No more. So I'll give him all protection.' So there is a policy of Krishna. Sometimes He puts into test, whether we are sincerely devotee of Krishna. Because we are always after sense gratification, so if Krishna is not an order-supplier, then one rejects Krishna. We want God, or Krishna, to be our order-supplier. So we must order Krishna, ‘Give me this. Give me that. If You cannot give me, then what are You, Krishna? I don't want you.' This sort of bhakti, or devotional service, is not accepted by Krishna".
And in Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:
"Many times, in order to encourage his disciples to spread Krishna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada humbly offered himself as an example and cunningly put it put it very simply: "So anyone of you, you can become guru. It is not that I am an extraordinary man, an extraordinary god coming from some mysterious place. It is not that —it is very simple thing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says yare dekha tare kaha krsna'-upadesa. So I request you follow the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction that you also, you become a guru at your home."
Unable to follow in his footsteps, devoid of the exceptional degree and quality of love of Godhead exhibited by Srila Prabhupada, the closed-door, voted-in gurus of ISKCON conveniently skipped over a shuddering exhortation of his: "A least, you have to do ten times more than me. I my old age I have accomplish that much. You are young, so at least you must accomplish ten times more than me." Because full surrender to the Lord and his pure devotee is very rare, these cheap gurus are just imitating him. Mainly they just want name, fame and glory, and to secure the means for a comfortable, paid retirement.
Yes, it's easy to lower the bar so everyone car jump inside "the pure devotion" zone. But this lowering is precisely the cause of ISKCON's current disaster—tens of thousands of Srila Prabhupada's would-be followers killed spiritually. For allowing the setting of the lowest of qualifications, now we have hypocrite gurus being caught en fraganti kissing and having sex with young boys—but ultimately pardoned by the GBC, whose members are more "forgiving" than Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. We have now a Hridayananda who embraces women and who shamelessly lays down on a bed in front of ladies who celebrate his stupid antics and jokes. We have a Guru Prasad who systematically—as he purposely and deliberately planned to do it— has been destroying the mission of Srila Prabhupada in Mexico and Central America. But despite all their falldowns and sheer ineptitude, these little prabhus think they are Big Devotees on account of their past "good devotional performance." (Again I remind you: "Obras son amores, y no buenas razones" -- "Good deeds are acts of love, not good reasons.")
If we do not back our philosophical points with statements of Guru, Sadhu and Sastra, then we are sentimental, or in Srila Gour Govinda Swami's words, cheaters.
GURU
- "The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people." (C.c. Madhya 24.330)
- "The conclusion is that an empowered spiritual master is authorized by Krishna and his own guru and should therefore be considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." (C.c. Madhya 10.136. Purport)
- "You are correct when you say that when the Spiritual Master speaks it should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A Spiritual Master must be liberated." (Srila Prabhupada's letter to Mukunda, Jun-10-1969).
- "Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the acarya is an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matih) (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.7.14. Purport)
- When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru. (C.c., Madhya 24.330. Purport)
- Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance. (Letter to Mukunda, Jun-10-1969).
- A self-made guru cannot be guru. A guru must be authorized by the bona fide guru. Then he's guru. This is the fact. Nobody can be self-made anything. A medical practitioner, he cannot become self-made. One cannot say, "I have studied all the medical books in my home, hence I can practice. No. "Have you ever gone to the medical college and taken instruction from the bona fide teachers?" And then, if you have got the certificate, then you are a medical practitioner. Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru. (Morning class, Vrindavan, Oct-31-1972)
[ADDENDUMS: I. In 1980, Tamal Krishna, the personal secretary of Srila Prabhupada in 1977, admitted in what has come to be known in ISKCON circles as the famous Pyramid House confessions: "Actually Prabhupada never appointed any gurus. He appointed eleven ritviks. He never appointed them gurus. Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement the last three years because we interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus."] II. There is a failure to appreciate the problem Srila Prabhupada faced in his last days. We can be sure that he knew his own disciples better than they knew themselves; he had no illusions about their spiritual qualification. Yet they were pressing for a selection of successor gurus, the ultimate position for the ambitious. Hamsadutta and Kirtanananda had already been rebuked by Srila Prabhupada for receiving guru-puja in the presence of the spiritual master, a serious transgression. (Cleaning House and Cleaning Hearts. By Ravindra Svarupa dasa, 1994)]
- Guru cannot be self-made. No. There is no such single instance throughout the whole Vedic literature. And nowadays, so many rascals, they are becoming guru without any authority. That is not guru. You must be authorized. Evam parampara-praptam imam. As soon as the parampara is lost, sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa, immediately finished. The spiritual potency finished. You can dress like a guru, you can talk big, big words, but it will never be effective. (Mayapur. S.B. class, Feb-27-1977.)
- The conclusion is that a spiritual master who is authorized and empowered by Krishna and his own guru should be considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of Visvanatha Cakravarti saksad-dharitvena. (C.c. Madhya 10.136. Purport) [ADDENDUM: PRABHUPADA: Yes. I shall choose some guru. I shall say, "Now you become acarya. You become authorized." I am waiting for that. I retire completely. But the training must be complete. (Bombay. Room conversation, Apr-22-1977)]
- Praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya. So the spiritual master is not self-made. It is not that if anyone comes before you and bluffs you that, "I have attained spiritual perfection, and I have realized something by some method". No. The spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master means he has to receive the power from authority. Otherwise it is useless. No. It is not that one can become spiritual master overnight. He has to take the power from his spiritual master. Therefore it is called praptasya. Praptasya means one who has obtained, one who has got the merciful blessings of his spiritual master. We should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He blesses his next disciple, just like Brahma. Brahma blesses his next disciple, just like Narada. Narada blesses his next disciple, just like Vyasa. Vyasa blesses his next disciple, Madhvacarya. Similarly, the blessing is coming. Just like royal succession—the throne is inherited by disciplic or hereditary succession—similarly, this power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to be received. Nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master, without obtaining power from the right source. Therefore the very word, it is stated here, praptasya. Praptasya means "one who has obtained." Praptasya kalyanaa. What he has obtained? Kalyana. Kalyana means auspiciousness. He has received something which is auspicious for all human kind. Praptasya kalyana.... Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande guru sr-caranaravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master. (Los Angeles. Purport to Sri Gurv-astakam, Jan- 2-1969).
- Now, here also it is stated, sa kalaneha mahata yogo nasto parantapa: "My dear Arjuna, oh, you are the great hero. Now, that Bhagavad-gita, the instruction which I imparted to the sun-god, was coming by disciplic succession. Now it is lost." Now, we have to note down this point. Why it is lost? Why it is lost? Do you think that there was no learned man during that time? During Krishna's time? Oh, there were many learned sages. Not only one, two, there were dozens of learned sages. But still, the Lord said, Krishna said, that "They... That knowledge which I exactly imparted to sun-god is now lost." How it is lost? There were many scholars, and still, how it is lost? The lost means that the purport of Bhagavad-gita is lost. (New York, Bhagavad-gita class, Jul-13-1966)
- One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of Uttama-Adhikari. A neophyte Vaisnava, or a Vaisnava situated on the intermediate platform, can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore, a disciple should be careful to accept an Uttama-Adhikari as a spiritual master. (Nectar of Instruction, Chapter 5)
SADHU:
In view of the great importance and the responsibility involved in giving and taking initiation, it is regrettable that in most circumstances both disciple and guru are unqualified for their role and the value of the sacrament is lost. Some persons call themselves guru when they do not have the gravity necessary for the task. They merely play the role of a bona fide spiritual master out of insolence. Similarly, a disciple in name only will pretend to have the humility of a spiritual seeker. These two types of persons find each other and use each other for material gratifications such as wealth, fame, and prestige. The reciprocation between them is restricted to these fleeting gains, rather than anything of true value. They may dress the part; they may even engage in the worship or the Deity and in the study of the scriptures, but all these activities are superficial and lack internal substance. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has written in his poem "Who Is a Vaishnava?"
sri dayita-dasa kirtanete asa / kara uccaihsvare harinama rava
prana ache jara, sei hetu pracara / prana-hina jata krsna-gatha sava
"O mind! This humble servant of Radha and Krishna, Varsabhanavi-dayita dasa, placing his hopes in kirtana, loudly sings the names of Lord Hari! Those who have spiritual life in abundance preach the Lord's message. Whatever is spoken about Krishna without the life of realization resembles nothing more than a cadaver."
Bhaktivinoda Thakura also states in his book of songs, Saranagati, that the life of a devotee in the process of surrender that was taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: sikham saranagati bhakatera prana. This surrender consists of six different attitudes, all of which must be executed with complete sincerity. If persons are not revived by the process of surrender, then in whatever preaching activity they engage in, they will be just like actors playing a role on the stage. If the preaching of religious principles is carried out in this way, is it not to be expected that their preachers will become a laughing stock? For this reason, one who has not the weight of spiritual realization should not blacken the glorious seat intended for the supremely munificent guru.
A person whose heart is full of desires for materialistic sense gratification should not make a pretense of being a genuine seeker of spiritual truth simply as a way of extracting some ulterior benefit from the spiritual path. If such falsehood permeates both the spiritual master and the disciple, then it cannot be expected that either of them attain anything approximating the ultimate good" . (The Art of Sadhana, page 104, by Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja)
Devotee: Maharaja, I heard Hridayananda G. is going to the University in order to get a Ph.D. in Sanskrit?
Narayan Maharaja: Oh, he better go to the school of Goura Kishor Dasa Babaji. He would learn there real knowledge and renunciation… (Sri Narayana Maharaja, San Jose, Costa Rica, June, 1997)
Hello, Hridayananda? Are you still there? You always used to mock and humiliate devotees. Now without meaning to you are having a good dose of your own medicine. Don't you fell ashamed after hearing these nonsense-cutting, truth-revealing words from mahajana Srila Prabhupada and sadhu Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja?
SASTRA:
tad-vijïartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit panih çrotriyaa brahma-nistham
One who wants to know the Absolute truth scientifically must approach a bona fide spiritual master and offer him everything required for performing sacrifice. Such a spiritual master must be fixed in truth, having heard it in disciplic succession. Mundaka Upanisad, 1.2.12
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaiaa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaiaa atma vivrnute tanum svam
The Supreme Self can never be known by any amount of argument, reasoning, intelligence, or by much reading. To those whom He chooses, however, He may reveal His personal form. Katha Upanisad, 1.2.23
sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah
srnvanto ‘pi bahavo na vidyuh
ascaryo ‘sya vakta kus lo ‘sya labhda
ascaryo jïata kusalanusistah
Many cannot hear about the soul, and even after hearing about it many cannot understand it because it is hard to find a guru who is a genuine seer or the truth. Such qualified guru is a great soul and is very rare. Only those who follow his teachings can realize the truth and become expert in the science of God. Such disciples are also very rare. Katha Upanisad 1.2.7
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijïasuh sreya uttaman
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
One who is searching for the Ultimate Truth must surrender to a guru who knows the inner meaning of the Vedas, is fixed in the Absolute Truth and is expert in the sastra. Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.21
kåpa-sindhuh su-sampurnah
sarva-sattvopakarakaù
nisprhah sarvatah siddhah
sarva-vidya-visaradah
sarva-samsaya-samchetta
‘nalaso gurur ährtah
One who is an ocean of mercy, who is fulfilled in all respects, who has all good qualities, who works for the benefit of all souls, who is free from lust, who is perfect in all respects, who is well-versed in the scriptures, who knows the science of Krishna, who can remove all the doubts of his disciples, and who is always busy in the service of Krishna is knows as a genuine guru. Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, 1.45,46
acinoti yah sastrartham acare sthapayaty api
svayam acarate yasmad acaryas tena kirttitah
An acarya is one who fully understand the conclusions of the revealed scriptures and whose behavior reflects his deep realization. He is a living example for he teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word and deed. Vayu Purana
sei parama bandhu, sei pita-mata
sri krsna-carane yei prema bhakti-data
sakala janme pita-mata sabe paya
krsna guru nahi mile, baja hiyaya
Ander ordinary circumstances one's own father and mother are worshipable, but in every species one ges a father and mother. Far rarer is to get guru and Krishna. The spiritual master can bestow prema-bhakti to those who have attained his mercy. Therefore, he is the topmost father, mother, and true friend of everyone. Caitanya-mangala, Madhya-khanda
guravo bahavah santi siñya-vittapaharakah
durlabhah sad-gurur devi sisya-santaparharakah
Many so-called gurus take advantage of their disciples and plunder them. They exploit their disciples for sex [gross or subtle], and use them to amass wealth. Nevertheless, a guru who can remove the miseries of his disciples is very rare. Purana-vakya
guror apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanatah
utpatha-pratipannasya parityago vidhiyate
A guru addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted by vice [bad habits], who is ignorant and has no power to discriminate between right and wrong, or who is not on the path of suddha-bhakti, must be abandoned. Mahabharata, Udyoga-parva 179.25
snehad va lobato vapi yo gåhniyad diksaya
tasmin gurau sa-sisye tat devata sapa aparet
If a guru, disregarding the standards for living diksa, gives the mantra to his disciple out of greed, prestige or mundane affection, he is cursed by the gods along with that so-called disciple. Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa 2.7
paramartha-gurvasrayo vyavaharika-gurvadi parityagenapi kartavyah
One should never accept a spiritual master based on hereditary, social or ecclesiastical conventions [e.g. GBC "resolutions"]. Such a professional guru should be rejected. One must accept a qualified spiritual master who can help one advance towards the ultimate goal of life, krsna-prema. Bhakti-sandharbha, anuccheda 210
gu-sabdas tv amdhakarasya
ru-sabdas tan-nivarakah
andhakarah-nirodhitvad
gurur ity abhidhiyate
The sillable "gu" refers to the darkness of ignorante; the sillable "ru" jeans that which impedes it. Thus the guru is so named because he eradicates the darkness of ignorance in others.
__________ 0 __________
I end my paper here. So it's not that we have to always eulogize the devotees past deeds. Phalena pariscyate: we judge the devotees by their present performance. We are not sentimentalists neither mundane moralists who dwell romantically in the past, and according to modern social conventions kiss each other on the cheek every time we meet, like ladies do. No. A real friend would even knock you down to prevent you to fall into a ditch. If there is a fire, you have to use any means at your disposal to stop it, never mind rebuking those nonsense who want to remain inside. We have to do our utmost effort in trying to save Srila Prabhupada's mission. If there is a fire, you are duty-bound to put it out.
