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| Last updated: October 13, 2011. |
R T V I K . C O M
Dedicated to my Guru Maharaja
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON - The Hare Krishna Movement)
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September 19, 2011:
Dear Prabhus, Hare Krsna! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
So far, the only objection that I’ve heard to this one-page website is that “Srila Prabhupada left things unclear.” This is extremely offensive to Srila Prabhupada! What the objector is saying, in effect, is that “Srila Prabhupada was irresponsible.” How initiations were to be carried out for the future of ISKCON is simply a management decision. There is no mysterious hocus-pocus involved whatsoever. All of the mysterious hocus-pocus is being carried out by Lord Sri Krsna behind the scenes.
Srila Prabhupada always made important management decisions regarding his beloved ISKCON in the form of signed, written documents, such as the July 9, 1977 letter to all GBC men/temple presidents. As usual, it’s crystal clear and doesn’t leave any room for the mental masterbations of the “intellectual class” rascals. Whenever Srila Prabhupada made such a decision, none of his disciples ever dared to say, “Wait, Srila Prabhupada, we have to research whether or not that decision is bona fide!”
So, why do they dare to say such things now? Obviously, they are envious, self-motivated, “I wanna be a guru like Srila Prabhupada” rascals who think, “Srila Prabhupada is dead and gone so now I can do whatever I want.” IMHO, they are atheistic demons who don’t even believe in the law of karma!
[Krsna consciousness] is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. (Initiation lecture, Boston, December 26, 1969)
Your servant, Pratyatosa Dasa
Dear Prabhus, Hare Krsna! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Srila Prabhupada’s prescription for future initiations within ISKCON is via “Rtvik representatives of the Acarya.” It doesn’t take an entire book to prove this. This relatively short, one-page website is more than sufficient:
1. What was Srila Prabhupada’s definition of the word, “henceforward?”
3. What was Srila Prabhupada’s formal, written, signed document in response to this same question?
1. The following is Srila Prabhupada’s final, written, signed order on Sanskrit diacritics. As usual, it’s crystal clear and doesn’t leave any room for speculation and/or interpretation by the “intellectual class.”
Prabhupada: In reply to Jayadvaita’s questions, henceforward the policy for using diacritic markings is that I want them used everywhere, on large books, small books and also BTG. If there is any difficulty with the pronunciation, then after the correct diacritic spelling, in brackets the words “pronounced as _,” may be written. So even on covers the diacritic markings should be used. We should not have to reduce our standard on account of the ignorant masses. Diacritic spelling is accepted internationally, and no learned person will even care to read our books unless this system is maintained. (Letter to Jadurani, 31 December, 1971)
Here, it’s obvious that Srila Prabhupada’s definition of the word “henceforward” is the same as the dictionary definition:
henceforward - from this time forth; from now on
Obviously, the GBC and the BBT Trustees understood this directive to mean the dictionary definition, because they didn’t suddenly stop using Sanskrit diacritics in Srila Prabhupada’s books and in BTG magazine after Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure!
2. Satsvarupa Maharaja: Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you are no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiations will be conducted.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up. I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya.
Tamala Krsna Maharaja: Is that called rtvik-acarya?
Srila Prabhupada: Rtvik. Yes.
(GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada — May 28, 1977, Vrndavana)
The rest of the conversation is confusing, but irrelevant. Srila Prabhupada said, “You can say anything; just don’t put it in writing!” If anything, the rest of the conversation authorizes his disciples to initiate disciples of their own outside of ISKCON, but certainly not within ISKCON!
3. “I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya” was done by Srila Prabhupada in the form of a formal, signed document, the letter to all GBCs and temple presidents dated July 9, 1977. It is perfectly clear to anyone who is not self-motivated: “Rtvik initiations, henceforward!” (Paraphrased)
4. Srila Prabhupada’s will states that “The system of management will continue as it is now and there is no need of any change.” My question is, “Since a will, by definition, goes into effect immediately after a person leaves his material body, why were changes made to the system of initiations immediately after Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure? Also, his will states, “…a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple…” My question is, “How can the property directors always be, in the future, ‘my initiated disciples,’ unless Srila Prabhupada’s system of rtvik initiations is continued now and in the future?” (http://pratyatosa.com/?P=3v)
5. Srila Prabhupada always kept who got 1st and 2nd initiation and when he or she got it under the strict control of himself, the GBC representatives, and the temple presidents. Why should today be any different? (a) “… as a matter of etiquette it is the custom that during the lifetime of your spiritual master you bring the prospective disciples to him, and in his absence or disappearance you can accept disciples without any limitation.” (b) “I will never die. … I shall live forever in my books …” (c) “He reasons ill that Vaisnavas die …” (d) “Iskcon Is Srila Prabhupada’s Body …” Therefore, we shouldn’t think that, within Srila Prabhupada’s own institution, we can accept disciples on our own behalf. Lord Sri Krsna obviously tricked the “guru wannabes” by instructing Srila Prabhupada to write what he did in (a) above. Since Srila Prabhupada is eternally present in his books and especially in his beloved ISKCON, we are therefore prohibited by statement (a) from taking on disciples on our own behalf, especially within ISKCON.
Another explanation of statement (a) above, an explanation which would stand up in any court of law, is that Srila Prabhupada changed his mind. Even if one takes this statement as a license for becoming an initiating spiritual master (diksa-guru) within ISKCON, it was obviously superseded by the July 9th “Rtvik henceforward!” order. (See point #3 above.)
As disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada, some things we follow blindly. Some things we do not.
Written, signed, legally viable documents containing Srila Prabhupada’s management decisions for ISKCON, such as the 7/9/77 letter to all GBCs and temple presidents, we follow blindly. This is our duty as disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada. When Srila Prabhupada gave women the first line of Gayatri Mantra, a policy which is completely unprecedented in the history of Vaisnavism, we all simply accepted it. When Srila Prabhupada made the management decision that his disciples could receive Gayatri Mantra via audio cassette tape, even though such a policy is nowhere to be found in the Vaisnava scriptures (sastra) and is completely unprecedented, we all simply accepted it without question. Why should the July 9th letter be any different? The reason is obvious: Some of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have the “I wanna be a guru like Srila Prabhupada” disease. In other words, they are strongly self-motivated to find some excuse not to accept the July 9th letter on blind faith.
However, to blindly follow everything that Srila Prabhupada says in casual conversations is not what Srila Prabhupada intends for us to do. Srila Prabhupada didn’t want blind followers. He wanted followers who use their God-given intelligence in the service of God (Krsna). We have to learn to use some common sense discrimination.
Speaking of common sense, more than one initiating spiritual master within an organization causes disunity. This has been more than amply demonstrated within ISKCON since 1978!
Some devotees say it’s a matter of “rtvik vs. traditional,” but the Vaisnava tradition is to follow the orders of the guru. Therefore, rtvik is the tradition, and everything else is a concoction.
My thanks to Visvamitra Prabhu for informing me of the following video from ISKCON Bangalore. Please watch and listen to the highly intelligent, highly educated devotees from South India testifying on behalf of Srila Prabhupada’s rtvik system of initiations. (The volume level is unusually high, so, before playing it, be sure to turn down your computer’s audio level. Also, the sound is slightly out-of-sync with the video, but the message is crystal clear nonetheless):
http://krishnatube.com/video/63/The-Philosophy-of-ISKCON-Bangalore
Srila Prabhupada’s ingenious rtvik system of initiations will inevitably be reinstated within ISKCON because it is clearly what he prescribed. In fact, the process has already begun. The outstanding success of ISKCON Bangalore is a practical demonstration of how extremely well it works!
Your servant, Pratyatosa Dasa http://groups.google.com/group/istagosthi http://causelessmercy.com/ http://rtvik.com/ http://pratyatosa.com/ http://feedacow.com/ http://llbest.com/
Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome.
Pratyatosa Dasa ()
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