Winter 2005/6
 

Editor replies: Devotees can co-operate very nicely simply by unifying around one leader � namely His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. How is it possible to co-operate when the leader of ISKCON has been kicked out of his own movement and replaced with 80 or so competing guru cults?

BTP�s style is not one of �angry rhetoric� as you put it, but simply confronting cheating, illusion and lies with the plain truth. Of course, we appreciate that this may not be to everyone�s liking, but then neither was Srila Prabhupada�s constant attacks against �mayavadis�, �bogus gurus�, �rascal scientists�, �karmis�, �demoniac leaders�, �envious Godbrothers�, �foolish atheists� etc. etc.

�If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. �
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 10:4-5, purport)

We recognize the great results achieved by ISKCON under Srila Prabhupada when he was physically present; but we question how anything positive can result from kicking Srila Prabhupada out and usurping his position:

�As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he immediately falls down�.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.12.14, purport)

Once Srila Prabhupada is restored to his rightful position as the sole initiating Guru in ISKCON, then automatically mutual cooperation and enormously positive results will once again be manifest.
 

Editor replies: Please note, we are not restricting the position of ISKCON Guru to Srila Prabhupada only. It is Srila Prabhupada himself who has monopolized this position, and therefore we should follow his desire unconditionally:

�I am the Spiritual Master of this institution, and all the members of the Society, they�re supposed to be my disciples. They follow the rules and regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are initiated by me spiritually.�
(Srila Prabhupada Radio Interview March 12th 1968, San Francisco)

Note here Srila Prabhupada clearly claims all members of the institution as his disciples - not only those who are connected with his physical presence. Thus Srila Prabhupada�s position as Guru is linked to the existence of the ISKCON institution, and not the existence of Srila Prabhupada�s physical body.
Anyone who claims to be �bona fide� would first need to state this truth, that Srila Prabhupada declared himself the sole diksa Guru for ISKCON, a fact further confirmed by the ritvik declaration of July 9th, 1977, directing all future members of ISKCON to become Srila Prabhupada�s initiated disciples via ritvik representatives.
Srila Prabhupada never ordered that he be succeeded by any other diksa gurus, �bona fide� or otherwise.

Editor replies: There can be nothing more positive than delivering someone to Krishna. This however can only be done by first delivering them to Srila Prabhupada, since our philosophy is that one cannot approach Krishna directly. Hence we are doing the most positive work, by allowing people to come to Srila Prabhupada, rather than get cheated by unauthorised impostors, such as Harikesa et. al, which has been the �positive preaching� done by the movement after 1977.

Editor replies: Yes, history is sorting them out as they fall away and deviate like pins. Of course, the GBC side initiated the fighting by expelling and beating any devotee who claimed Srila Prabhupada was his Guru. Funny how authoritarian regimes object to war and call for �peace� and suddenly become disturbed by fighting only when those whom they are beating into submission simply dare to stand up and defend themselves. Up until that point there is deathly silence.

Editor replies: There is no question of any doubt about the plan of the Lord for ISKCON, since it is the same plan as that of the Lord�s representative, Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. And that plan was made very clear in Srila Prabhupada�s final, signed institutional directive of July 9th 1977, i.e. the institutionalisation of the ritvik system of initiations in ISKCON. We have never claimed that Srila Prabhupada forbade or stopped his followers from becoming pure devotees. On the contrary, we wholeheartedly agree that Srila Prabhupada wanted all his followers to become pure devotees. And the first step towards becoming a pure devotee is to actually follow the instructions given by the spiritual master. This ISKCON has not done, having abandoned the July 9th directive without any authorization from Srila Prabhupada, immediately on his physical departure. Thus those people who want to reject the spiritual master�s order can be considered as �one-legged blindfolded fanatics�, not those who want to follow his order.

Editor replies: We quote from where Srila Prabhupada explains exactly how to praise him:

�You can eulogize your Guru Maharaja, but you have to learn it and face the public and be strong to defend yourself. That is success. Not by praising your Guru Maharaja. You�ll praise your Guru Maharaja. That is not very difficult. But be victorious to the opposing elements. Then you will praise your Guru Maharaja nicely. At home, you can praise your Guru Maharaja, and Guru Maharaja be satisfied, �Oh, my disciples are praising me.� That is not very.... That is good. Respectful. That is the qualification. But you have to fight. Then your Guru Maharaja will be glorified.�
(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, December 26th, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada makes it very clear that what is required is to �defend�, �fight� and be �victorious�, and not to simply �praise� him. Thus taking the cue from Srila Prabhupada, BTP�s success should be measured, according to Srila Prabhupada, in terms of how much it is fighting and emerging victorious against those elements who oppose Srila Prabhupada�s position as the real and only bona fide Guru for ISKCON, and not just by how much �praise� it contains. Only then will Srila Prabhupada be truly glorified.

Editor replies: First of all we have to know who is exactly a Vaisnava. The first qualification of a Vaisnava is that he will obey the orders of his spiritual master. If one disobeys the orders of the spiritual master, then he cannot be a Vaisnava; not to speak of trying to usurp the seat of his spiritual master as the GBC have been trying to do for the past 30 years:

�Our mission is to serve (...).
Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru - gurusu nara-matih. That is the material disease.�
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, April 20, 1977)

�If one is disobeying the spiritual master, he cannot remain in the pure status of life. He cannot be siksa-guru or anything else. He is finished, immediately.�
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, July 4th, 1974)

Secondly, we know that Srila Prabhupada himself stated that there are many non-Vaisnavas in ISKCON who are posing as Vaisnavas:

�There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaisnavas in this Krsna consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a Vaisnava.�
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 1.218 purport)

Clearly, those who unauthorisedly �take the place of the guru� are these very same �jealous people in the dress of Vaisnavas�.

Editor replies:
1) Srila Prabhupada never used the term �living guru�. Therefore, it can have no relevance to initiation.
2) The vast majority of Srila Prabhupada�s thousands of disciples were initiated via the ritvik system without ever having met Srila Prabhupada.
3) Therefore, the physical presence of the spiritual master cannot at all be relevant to initiation.
4) Initiation is not a ceremony. It is a spiritual process which begins with the disciple�s serious determination to follow the rules and regulations as laid down by the spiritual master:

�The chanting of Hare Krsna is our main business, that is real initiation. And as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is already there.�
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 19/8/68)

The fact that Srila Prabhupada is no longer physically present before us has no bearing on the transcendental process of diksa, or initiation. There is nothing in sastra (scripture) which states that initiation can only occur when the spiritual master is on the planet. Rather it occurs due to the receipt of transcendental knowledge from Srila Prabhupada, which does not depend on his physical presence:

�This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness.�
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila,9.61 purport)

�Reception of spiritual knowledge is never checked by any material condition.�
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.7.1 purport)

 

Editor replies: Because Srila Prabhupada set up the system whereby he delegated acceptance of future disciples to the ritviks, who would accept future disciples providing the Temple President has recommended that the disciple was following. Srila Prabhupada was not involved. This was the system even whilst Srila Prabhupada was on the planet.

 

2) �Also, if a ritvik initiator falls down, how far is the guidance of the aspirant who gets initiated by such a ritvik into Srila Prabhupada�s care be guaranteed?�

Editor replies: The ritvik is not some special �guide� to the aspirant. He merely accepts the disciple on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. The Guru is, and initiation is actually given by, Srila Prabhupada. Hence the falldown of the ritvik cannot affect the initiation, anymore than the subsequent falldown of the Temple President who recommended the devotee for initiation.

 

3) �I can�t just imagine the unlimited karmic reactions Srila Prabhupada has to bear for countless sinful generations.�

Editor replies: We have to obey what Srila Prabhupada actually ordered, not speculate what we think would be best for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada established himself as the diksa Guru for ISKCON, and we must obey him in this regard. He never ordered us to stop him initiating, so why should we stop him?

 

�Blasphemy of Vaisnavas is not desirable. All Vaisnavas are merely servants of the Lord and justice lies in the hands of the Lord Himself only.� - Mukunda Das Calcutta, India

Editor replies: We completely agree that blasphemy of Vaisnavas is not desirable. As we mentioned above, we first have to know who is actually a Vaisnava. Clearly, if one is disobeying his spiritual master, he cannot be a Vaisnava. And what greater disobedience of the spiritual master can there be than trying to usurp his seat and take his place? Kicking the Guru out is blasphemy, not simply STATING that the Guru has been kicked out!

�They declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another man came, then another, acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Maharaja is dead, �Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.� Then he�s finished.�
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, August 16th, 1976)

As far as �justice lies in the hands of the Lord Himself only�, the Lord advised Arjuna as follows:

"Krsna never said that �My dear Arjuna, you are My first-class devotee. Now you sit down and I�ll do everything for you.� No. Krsna never said. Rather, Arjuna was not willing to fight, and Krsna was inducing him, �You must fight. You must fight.� Krsna never said that �You become idle krsna-bhakta,� never said. So those who are trying to be idle krsna-bhakta, they are not devotees.�
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, February 5th, 1975)

 

�Sometimes I read BTP. There is not much about Bhakti and Dharma. Please start giving discourse step by step on Sri Mahabhagwat. Lord Krsna�s reference and His sayings may please be included. Prabhupada lived for this - please set up more temples and create �real� centres of Bhakti and religion.� - BK Singhania, Calcutta, India

Editor replies: BTP contains many direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada, who is both the personification of bhakti (devotion) and dharma (religion), as well as Lord Krishna�s pure representative. The purpose of the magazine, however, is not to elaborate on Lord Krishna�s pastimes (Krsna-katha) � these are perfectly described in Srila Prabhupada�s books and you are at liberty to read them. BTP�s mission is first and foremost to establish WHO is the bona fide guru one must surrender to! At the moment, the entire ISKCON world is in illusion that Srila Prabhupada is �dead and gone�, and that one must therefore surrender to a substitute personality elected by the GBC. Without even knowing the identity of the genuine spiritual master, there is NO question of bhakti, dharma or anything else:

�By the Grace of Guru one gets Krishna and by the Grace of Krishna one gets a bona fide Guru. Therefore Krishna consciousness means staunch faith both in Guru and Krishna. One minus the other is no good for the devotee. So your faith in the principles of devotion to Guru will certainly help you more and more Krishna. Do not ever try to approach Krishna directly. Anyone who talks of Krishna without service to Guru will not be successful.�
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 27th, 1967, emphasis added)

Please also refer to this article.

 

�I have read most of the contents of these magazines and they seem to be very negative about Iskcon and the Sanatan Dharma, as though you have an axe to grind against Iskcon. The contents also seem to be libellous and bitter. This does not make sense to me since Iskcon is the only major organization that is fighting for, and spreading, Vedic dharma around the globe. [...] If our own Hindus undermine these efforts, that is not very good. � - Jai Ram, White City, Canada

Editor replies: The contents of the magazine cannot be libellous since they simply state documented truth, facts and words - most of it from the GBC themselves! Srila Prabhupada wrote first and foremost that we must be truthful and follow the truth. In Back To Prabhupada we are simply speaking the truth � that Srila Prabhupada started a great movement called ISKCON, and that now it has been hijacked by others who have illegally removed Srila Prabhupada from his rightful position as the Guru of the movement, and instead unauthorisedly installed themselves as his successors.
You speak of spreading Sanatan-dharma. But dharma cannot be spread built on a lie. Dharma is nothing if not truth personified. Thus we are actually helping the cause of dharma by educating everyone about the truth regarding what is happening in ISKCON, for armed with this truth ISKCON will actually be better placed to spread true Sanatan-dharma.
You also speak of Hindus undermining each other�s efforts � so I am surprised you have not commented on the fact, which we have highlighted repeatedly in the magazine, that ISKCON bans other Hindus from visiting its temples.

 

�There are millions of conditioned souls suffering for lack of Krishna consciousness. What does BTP do to help them? I hear some devotees say that your magazine harms people�s spiritual life. How do you answer this charge?� - M K Singh, Mumbai, India

Editor replies: The first step in helping any suffering soul come to Krsna Consciousness is to bring them to the shelter of the bona fide Guru - that Guru is Srila Prabhupada. Without the shelter of the bona fide guru, there is NO question of giving relief to any suffering soul in this world:

�No one can get out of this struggle for existence, which is full of miseries, without accepting a pure devotee of the Lord.�
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.24, purport)

BTP, as we have many times stated, is designed specifically to inform people that the bona fide Guru who can give one relief from suffering is His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. ISKCON, on the other hand, is ensuring that all these millions of suffering people will continue to suffer because the GBC has legislated that Srila Prabhupada is NO LONGER available to give shelter directly as one�s spiritual master. Rather, one must take shelter of an unauthorised, fallible substitute - namely, one of the GBC�s own 2/3 majority elected �gurus�. Therefore, it is the GBC, not our 16-page magazine, that is harming people�s spiritual lives. Indeed, as the many letters we are receiving prove, people are happy to know that Srila Prabhupada is their Guru and attest to the fact that BTP is helping them advance in their spiritual life.