Mar 23 2009, High Sprigs, Florida, USA — I have been following this debate on the Ritvik issue. In my article, I will not present any arguments about who is right or who is wrong. I will present my study based on real observations of why Ritviks are not accepted in ISKCON.
ISKCON Gurus have no problem in accepting people from other faiths, they may be Christians or Muslims or any other Religion. They are happy to accept Homosexuals as well. Then why they cannot accept Ritviks? Why are Ritviks not allowed to live in ISKCON temples? Ritviks follow four regulative principles, chant Hare Krsna Mantra, follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. Then why they cannot be accepted? This question led me to this study, which is presented here for consideration of Sun readers.
If one goes to an ISKCON temple, in the age group of 25 to 35 years, when a person is asked, “Who is your Spiritual Master?” and he answers, “Srila Prabhupada”, immediately the bright smile from the face of temple authorities disappears, and they start planning how to get rid of this person. In most of the cases, he is straight out asked to leave the temple. One Temple President, who is Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and a friend of the Gurus, told me that he would let cockroaches stay in his temple, but not a Ritvik devotee.
What are the reasons for such a negative atmosphere, not only from temple authorities, but they have instilled fear in the mind of ordinary temple devotees. If they try to have any kind of dealing with a Ritvik devotee, their position will also be in danger. Who has created this atmosphere and why? These are our Gurus and GBCs who are afraid to lose control over temples, control over the lives of people. If devotees will accept Srila Prabhupada as their Guru, they won’t be slaves anymore and then who will worship them? Who will bathe their feet?
They constantly instill fear in the mind of their disciples by threatening them with becoming demons, or threatening to kick them out of their positions.
Ritvik devotees are those who are hurt by the falldown of their Gurus, or other devotees who are not able to see a pure Messiah in our Gurus. They need compassion, not hate. Even if Ritvikism is wrong, there is no reason why Ritviks are not allowed to live in an ISKCON ashram.
The real reason to treat Ritvik devotees in this way is that our Gurus are afraid. They are full of fear. They fear that if Srila Prabhupada is made available as Guru, then who will come to them? Who will care for taking initiation from them? They will be simply finished. Their disciples will leave them. So if they are to survive, Ritvikism must be destroyed. They are ready to fight in courts, even if it brings a bad name for our society. They do not care, by any means, Ritvikism must be finished. Even some of the second generation devotees who are against Ritvikism are having a strong desire to become Guru in future and get worshipped.
That’s why there is a great need for Gurus to stand by each other in this time of crisis. That’s why they support Satsvarup, they don’t utter one word when Hridayananda blesses gay marriage. They desperately need each other’s support.
If they were genuinely pure devotees, there would be no need for them to fear. If their disciples leave them because the option to choose Srila Prabhupada as their Guru has been made available to other people, it means their faith in their Guru was worth two cents, and with this two cents of faith they were not going to reach back to Godhead. It will be better if this type of devotees put their cent per cent faith in Srila Prabhupada and follow his instructions. Doing this, they might reach back to Godhead.
I request our GBCs and Gurus to please drop these politics immediately and accept Ritviks as equal seekers of Spiritual truth, just as other devotees. They are serious people, they are not just fooling around. I have observed that.
If they are able to do this, it will bring the smile back on the face of our beloved master, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Hare Krsna.
Aniketa dasa
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