Winter 2006/7
 

Editor replies: Even Jayapataka Swami does not claim this. He claims the more modest figure of 10,000, stating:

However, the important thing is what Srila Prabhupada says, not what Jayapataka Swami claims Srila Prabhupada says. And the above "instruction" is not mentioned even once, not to speak of "repeatedly", in any of Srila Prabhupada's literatures. Srila Prabhupada was aware of such false statements being attributed to him, and hence gave the following warnings:

"Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 2/9/75)

"...just like in our ISKCON there are so many false things: "Prabhupada said this, Prabhupada said that."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 7/11/72)

"Sometimes they say, "Prabhupada said it." More misleading. Yes."
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, 3/2/75)

"Just like in our society, sometimes they do something nonsense and they say, "Prabhupada said."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, 9/5/75)

Thus unless Jayapataka Swami can show his written authorization from Srila Prabhupada to initiate even one disciple, let alone 10,000 or more, we will only follow what we know Srila Prabhupada authorised in writing: ritvik.
 

Editor replies: It is not possible to highlight Srila Prabhupada as the bona fide Guru in ISKCON, while at the same time NOT point out Srila Prabhupada's adversaries who falsely claim that they are his appointed successors, i.e. those "several gurus" whom you describe as "unmistakably adorable". BTP is designed to point out that these personalities are unmistakably NOT adorable, as they have illegally taken Srila Prabhupada's position. Thus it is not possible to avoid pointing out what is the wrong path, when stating the correct path. Similarly, in being positive about Srila Prabhupada, it is necessary to also point out what is NOT positive:

"To become liberated from material bondage, one must give up the association of worldly people and accept the association of devotees, positive and negative processes are mentioned in this regard."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.16, purport)

Indeed, BTP is completely positive, since it only speaks the truth. If you are able to tell us anything more positive than the truth, please do let us know.
Thus to state who the bona fide Guru is and how he should be accepted, is not only one of the "principles of true Krsna consciousness", but actually the principle which must be understood before one even begins Krsna consciousness. Thus we are actually doing what you have requested.
 

Editor replies: As you know, it is not possible for the truth to cause any offenses, for then dharma or righteousness would itself be the source of offenses, which of course is contradictory. Therefore unless one can point out anything in BTP which is untrue, which to date no one has, there is nothing which could possibly cause offense. Similarly, to speak the truth cannot be blasphemous.
However, the real offense is being committed by every second of ISKCON's existence, since its existence today is based entirely on having severely disobeyed the orders of Srila Prabhupada, and instead perpetrating a huge fraud known as the Great Guru Hoax, and such disobedience is considered the greatest offense:

Therefore those who are opposed to offenses would be better off avoiding the hoaxer gurus, rather than the pages of BTP, which is the only vehicle actively working to help devotees from being a party to such offenses.
 

Editor replies: You say you are a very newcomer and yet you have read all the debates on our website. Yet most devotees in ISKCON have never even read all the debates (over 100 papers), so it is very surprising that you have.
The fact you are unable to state ONE thing which is wrong in what we are saying, but only complain about its supposed EFFECT, is evidence that you cannot defeat what we say.
When one is unable to defeat an argument, one will either attack the presenter of the argument (argumentum ad hominem), or try and attack the supposed EFFECT of the argument. In this way, one can understand they have no ability to actually defeat the argument itself. Hence the easy option is to make a false point about the so-called effect of something to try and discredit it altogether.
Therefore, saying that IRM papers cause confusion and that therefore they must be bad, is an alternative to actually challenging WHAT the IRM papers say, since this cannot be done. Because then one would see that not only are IRM papers all correct, but that they do not cause confusion either, but rather present clarity and truth.

Editor replies: At the IRM we prefer to follow the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, rather than anyone�s opinion, especially when, as in your case, it is not supported by even one statement from Srila Prabhupada. You are resentful of Srila Prabhupada being seen as a messianic figure, but according to Srila Prabhupada, anyone who comes to deliver the fallen souls should be seen as a messiah:

�All the messiahs�saints who have come before or who will come in the future to preach the transcendental message of the kingdom of Godhead�are to be understood as the most confidential servants of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Jesus Christ appeared as the son of Godhead, Muhammad introduced himself as the servant of Godhead, and Lord Caitanya presented Himself as the devotee of Godhead. But whatever may be their identity, all such messiahs were of the same opinion about one thing.�
(Message of Godhead, chapter 1, �Transcendental Knowledge�)

�Such persons, being fully aware of knowledge both mundane and transcendental, have no interest in either the mundane or transcendental worlds [�]
Then why do they come to the mundane world? They descend on different planets as messiahs by the order of the Lord to deliver the fallen souls.�
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.19.23, purport)

 

Editor replies: There is no danger in forfeiting your spiritual life by reading BTP, since BTP extensively quotes the words and conclusions of Srila Prabhupada. If quoting the words and conclusions of Srila Prabhupada means we forfeit our spiritual life, then we are already in hell. However, for the false gurus in ISKCON who have illegally usurped Srila Prabhupada�s position, and those who continue to follow them as so called disciples, their destination has already been chalked out:

�Anyone, if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he is on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will go to hell, like blind men leading the blind.�
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 14/12/71)

�By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. [...]
These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society [...]
They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in Bhagavad gita that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell. Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification.�
(Sri Isopanisad, mantra 12, purport)

Editor replies: We do not say that there will only be one guru forever. We say that Srila Prabhupada is the current link in our parampara (disciplic succession), and he will remain the current link as ISKCON�s Guru until the predicted demise of ISKCON within 10,000 years:

�Hare Krishna will be finished within 10,000 years. There will be no more Hare Krishna.�
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 11th-14th, 1969)

For Srila Prabhupada to remain as the current link only invalidates bogus gurus in ISKCON from succeeding him. So anyone claiming to succeed Srila Prabhupada, whether ISKCON gurus, or your new guru Narayana Maharaja, must present orders from Srila Prabhupada to this effect:

We have shown in BTP, that just like the ISKCON gurus, Narayana Maharaja has no order from Srila Prabhupada to be guru for ISKCON devotees, nor is he even teaching the same as Srila Prabhupada (see �The Real Teachings of His Holiness Narayana Maharaja�, BTP 5).
Since you were once Srila Prabhupada�s disciple, we urge you to return to Srila Prabhupada�s lotus feet, instead of following those who are not correctly representing him.

Editor replies:

1) Our actions are helping people in the pursuit of developing love for Krishna because only by knowing that Srila Prabhupada is the bona fide Guru can one develop love for Krishna.

2) ISKCON does not own the public spaces in which they conduct a parade. In Western democracies the public have the right to decide what they wish to read. You cannot decide for them.
You will see on the video clip that many of them are enthusiastically approaching our distributor and asking for a magazine. The last time we checked America was still a free country.

3) Neither did we set out to provoke anyone, since we expect those who attend the festivals to obey the law, which allows us to practice our First Amendment right to free speech, and distribute freely. Thus we are associating with everyone peacefully.

4) Even if our actions do provoke others, that cannot be justification for us not continuing.
Just like many people do not like us distributing Srila Prabhupada�s books in airports either. Should we also go and have �our own airports� in that case?! According to your twisted logic if devotees get attacked by fundamentalist Christians whilst distributing books, it was their fault!

 

Editor replies: Since what we are speaking is the truth, other devotees who have come to understand this truth about Srila Prabhupada have not felt pain but rather great joy that Srila Prabhupada actually wanted everyone in ISKCON to become his direct disciple. BTP has received over 1000 letters testifying to this fact. Thus, by not giving devotees the truth, we are actually causing them pain. In the western world, we have freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This means everyone has the right to receive information and decide for themselves if they wish to accept it. It is ironic that today about the only places where literature distribution about Srila Prabhupada is banned are certain Islamic countries and ISKCON festivals! And it's very interesting that at the ISKCON festivals many devotees happily take our literature, because they want to know the truth and make up their own minds. Only the GBC's thugs try and prevent this distribution, but the devotees eagerly take the literature.
Otherwise if no one wanted it, why would ISKCON need to try and stop the distribution? Hence we are performing a public service, which has been appreciated by the vast majority of devotees who have received the truth from us. Indeed, if what we say is so pathetic, why not let the devotees read it and make up their own minds, or even rebut what we say? Why physically attack our distributors?

Editor replies: Please note that the IRM has never argued that Srila Prabhupada was not competent enough to make pure devotees. Rather, we state that one cannot act as a diksa guru unless he is specifically authorised to do so by the spiritual master (Srila Prabhupada). This is clear from Srila Prabhupada's teachings

"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorised by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa vidhana."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.54, purport)

"A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru."
(Lecture, 28/10/75)

"Self made guru cannot be guru. He must be authorised by the bona fide guru. Then he's guru. This is the fact...Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorised by the superior guru."
(Lecture, 31/10/72)

"Vallabha Bhatta wanted to be initiated by Gadadhara Pandita, but Gadadhara Pandita refused, saying, 'The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me. I am completely dependent. My Lord is Gauracandra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I cannot do anything independently, without His order.'"
(C.c. Antya 7:150-151)

And Srila Prabhupada only authorised ritviks, not diksa gurus, to initiate on his behalf, as per his July 9th 1977 directive and Last Will and Testament.

Editor replies: The argument you have made is made by every group with a guru other than Srila Prabhupada, including ISKCON, other branches of the Gaudiya Matha etc. " 'Our' guru is bona fide, we are getting the best of both worlds", etc. Yet all these gurus contradict each other, so they cannot ALL be right! Obviously, the only correct Guru is Srila Prabhupada, and not the hundreds of competitors, from ISKCON, Gaudiya Matha and other groups. Everyone is claiming they are a pure devotee of the Lord, yet all these rival gurus are teaching differently from Srila Prabhupada, beginning by falsely claiming that Srila Prabhupada did not institute a ritvik system which would allow him to remain as the Guru for ISKCON. Conveniently and coincidentally, such a belief means that now we must instead accept these rival "pure devotees" as successor substitutes to Srila Prabhupada. If you look under our website under 'Narayana Maharaja', and also read BTP issue 5, you will get proof that Narayana Maharaja teaches differently to Srila Prabhupada.
And since Narayana Maharaja is teaching differently to Srila Prabhupada, he obviously cannot be representing him.
 

Editor replies: Service to the spiritual master is defined by Srila Prabhupada thus

"Suppose I were to ask a disciple, 'My dear student, please give me a glass of water.' It is then his duty to give me a glass of water. If he thinks, 'Prabhupada wants a glass of water, but why not give him something better? Why not a glass of hot milk?' that is not service. In his consideration, hot milk is very palatable and is better than water, yet because I have asked for water, he has to give me water, not milk. That is favorable service."
(Science of Self-Realization, chapter 8)

Similarly, since Srila Prabhupada specifically ordered a ritvik system of initiations, and instead we disobeyed this order and replaced Srila Prabhupada with a guru-by-majority-vote system, this is hardly going to please Srila Prabhupada! So given that such an horrendous disservice was done by the GBC to Srila Prabhupada, and given that this disservice is still continuing today, it is the disciple's duty to speak out against this disservice so that everyone will know what the truth is. Therefore BTP is actually rendering the highest service.
Regarding your second point, WE are not attacking ISKCON. Rather, ISKCON is attacking Srila Prabhupada as explained above. We are DEFENDING Srila Prabhupada, and therefore his ISKCON body, from this guru hoax which has wreaked havoc on the movement.