A favorite thing to do is to say Krishna and Jesus are the same and then mix up the teachings into one big ball. Jesus and Krishna are not the same. They are different manifestations of Krishna's potencies and they have appeared for specific reasons unique to that particular incarnation.
If Jesus did not stress regulative principles that was His way of preaching. But if the acaryas in line of succession from Krishna do prescribe regulative principles then the two cannot be switched. I like this from Jesus but not that and I like this from Krishna but not that so let me mix and match. This is concoction.
There are different types of rules and regulations. The four regulative principles prescribed by Srila Prabhupada are not spiritual principles. No meat eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling (speculation on the philosophy is included in gambling) are to bring a person to the civilized human platform of behavior. From there further progress can be made in engaging in behavior conducive to developing Krishna Consciousness.
Jesus on the other hand was accepting the most fallen by accepting loving service from his followers. In that way they were becoming purified of the base activities of subhuman behavior. But it is not that they continued to engage in all sorts of sinful behavior after taking shelter of Jesus.
As we know from John 8.7-11
The adulteress was to be stoned to death but with intervention from Jesus, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” the brutal act was prevented. But then when the would- be accusers leave Jesus requests of the woman, "And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.' ” Out of love for Jesus she would gain the strength to conquer the lower self by the higher self. It is not that she claimed, "Oh, I now have love for Jesus so I can do any damn thing I want to."
The adulteress was to be stoned to death but with intervention from Jesus, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” the brutal act was prevented. But then when the would- be accusers leave Jesus requests of the woman, "And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.' ” Out of love for Jesus she would gain the strength to conquer the lower self by the higher self. It is not that she claimed, "Oh, I now have love for Jesus so I can do any damn thing I want to."
So if Srila Prabhupada is requesting, "Go and sin no more. Follow these four basic regulative principles of sinless life and practice devotion to Krishna" how is that any different. It isn't.
What the person who wants to twist this does is to read some of the previous acaryas books where spontaneous loving service is described. There it is stated that such a devotee engaged in spontaneous devotional service is not inclined to follow regulative principles. For them the regulative principle is hearing and chanting.
These "twisters" misunderstand this.. manipulating it by their own desire for sense gratification to mean that it is not necessary to follow the four basic regulative principles... no meat eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling.
However that is a mistake. The regulative principles that a raganuga bhakta (a devotee serving Krishna by spontaneous devotion) may not be particularly interested in following are the rules and regulations for Deity worship...reciting so many mantras, and performing so many arotikas and achamanas, etc. Their time is rather spent in hearing and chanting and writing and speaking to others. The glorification of Krishna through sound becomes their deity.
But these rascals offend the Vaishnavas by criticizing them for engaging in regulated devotional service of Deity worship and even criticize following the four basic regulative principles of civilized human life. These misguided people get the first part of John 8.7, "Neither do I condemn you" but drop the last part, "Go and sin no more." They are better know as "prakrta sahajiya."
I learned recently that the word "sahajiya" is actually a very nice word. It is devotional. It means emotions, feelings.. But when it is combined with "prakrta" it becomes undesirable. Prakrta refers to material attachment.
The Lord is inconceivably powerful. The sun is a tiny spark of His splendor. Any contact with Him has it's benefit. But let us not confuse the pure path.
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