Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Rupanuga 4/28/74:
“In the latter days of my Guru Maharaja he was very disgusted. Actually, he left this world earlier, otherwise he would have continued to live for more years. Still he requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year.
Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them.”
ACARYA CREATES THE TRADITION NOT THAT TRADITION CREATES ACARYAS WAY TO PREACH !!!
Bhaktivinode Thakura writes:
“Devotees of the Supreme Lord are not controlled by the scriptures since their activities are congenial to Divine Wisdom. When self-realized devotees ordain any new arrangement, this should be accepted as religious code, even if such new arrangements are not found in the scriptural dictums of the previous sages.” (Sri Tattva- Sutra) .
NOTE: Paramahamsa Vaisnava acaryas are always transcendental to tradition:
“No. Tradition, religion–they are all material. They are also all designation.” (SP Conv., March 13, 1975)
Our only tradition is how to satisfy Vishnu.” (SP Lecture, July 30, 1973)
“Every acarya has a specific means of propagating his spiritual movement with the aim of bringing men to Krishna consciousness. Therefore, the method of one acarya may be different from that of another, but the ultimate goal is never neglected.” ( Caitanya-caritamrta purports Adi 7.37)
“Except for God, no one can establish the principles of religion. Either He or a suitable person empowered by Him can dictate the codes of religion.” (purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43)
Myth: “It cannot be the case that Srila Prabhupada intended to operate a representational ( ritvik) system of initiation within ISKCON, in which he remained the diksa guru indefinitely, since it goes completely against tradition.”
“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,
“Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and My spiritual master, Isvara Puri, are completely independent. Therefore neither the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor that of Isvara Puri is subject to any Vedic rules or regulations.” (CC Madhya 10.137)
BUSTED: Srila Prabhupada most certainly did set up a representative of acarya system, even the GBC admit as much, and there is no evidence he ever ordered it to stop. Srila Prabhupada never taught that a disciple can stop following one of his orders just because he thinks it may not be ‘traditional’. In relation to the Spiritual Master, the ‘tradition’ we follow is to accept him as Krishna’s representative and then do whatever he says:
“According to the Vaishnava tradition, we arrive at the truth through the guru, the spiritual master, who is accepted as the representative of the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead.”
(TQE = The Quest for Enlightenment 6)
“Disciple means there is no argument. Whatever the guru will say, you have to accept. That is disciple. That is final. There is no argument.” (Srila Prabhupada conversation 28.6.76)
The validity of Srila Prabhupada’s Ritvik system
It is amazing how self-motivated devotees and false IskCon gurus try to objected to the validity of Srila Prabhupada’s Ritvik system which is outlined in Srila Prabhupadas Letter of July 9th 1977 and discussed in the May 28th conversations.
This is the last written instruction we have on initiations. It is a very important letter that all members of ISKCON should be familiar with, regardless of your position. It was adressed to All G.B.C., and Temple Presidents. This is where the first eleven names originated, and how initiations were to be carried out.
This letter was based on the equally important May 28th Conversation between the GBC and Srila Prabhupada, as regards to how initiations in the future, will go on, particularly at that time when Srila Prabhupada is no longer with us.
It is essential for devotees to understand that all ISKCON members are first and foremost followers of Srila Prabhupada and that it is by his blessings that we advance in Krishna consciousness. The eternal spiritual master is a resident of Vaikuntha and is our ever well-wisher. It is he who is preparing a place for us in the spiritual world.
Srila Prabhupada’s intentions with regard to how initiations should be conducted in his physical absence was clearly stated in the May 28th, 1977 discussion with the GBC:
DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR CONTINUANCE OF THE
REPRESENTATIVE OF ACARYA SYSTEM AFTER PHYSICAL DISAPPEARANCE
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwPqWRrJvBI
Srila Prabhupada’s direct Ritvik Acarya appointment May 28, 1977 ISKCON Governing Board Commission (GBC) meeting.
Notes enclosed in [ ]Satsvarupa: By the votes of the present GBC. Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you’re no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation would be conducted.
Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas.
[Srila Prabhupada clearly did not state “diksa-guru” nor “acarya” which is a direct repudiation of the successor diksa-guru accepting their own disciples senario in ISKCON.]
Tamala Krsna: Is that called ritvik-acarya?
Prabhupada: Ritvik, yes.
[Srila Prabhupada equates “officiating acarya” with “ritvik” which is the second direct repudiation of the successor diksa-guru senario in ISKCON.]
Satsvarupa: Then what is the relationship of that person who gives the initiation and the…
Prabhupada: He’s guru. He’s guru.
Satsvarupa: But he does it on your behalf.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is formality. Because in my presence one should not become guru, so on my behalf, on my order… Amara ajnaya guru haia. Be actually guru, but by my order.
[This is the third direct repudiation of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples accepting their own disciples in ISKCON.]
Satsvarupa: So they may also be considered your disciples.
Prabhupada: Yes, they are disciples. Why consider? Who?
[This is the fourth direct repudiation of the successor diksa-guru senario in reply to Satsvarupa’s question.]
Tamala Krsna: No, he’s asking that these ritvik-acaryas, they’re officiating, giving diksa. Their… The people who they give diksa to, whose disciple are they?
[Here Srila Prabhupada ends his conversation with Satvarupa and replies to Tamal’s misunderstanding. Tamal’s misunderstanding is clearly evident as he repeats Satvarupa’s same question which was already clearly answered by Srila Prabhupada. Further, Tamal’s misunderstanding is clear in his saying that ritviks and officiating acaryas give diksa which they clearly don’t, as they merely are representing the uttama-adhikari diksa-guru. Tamal’s misconception of “diksa” and “diksa-guru” is that both diksa-guru and disciple must be physically present for diksa which clearly contradicts Srila Prabhupada’s teachings as i pointed out later .]
Prabhupada: They’re his disciple.
Tamala Krsna: They’re his disciple.
Prabhupada: Who is initiating. He is grand disciple.
Satsvarupa: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: That’s clear.
[Here Tamal draws his own conclusion and foolishly accepts only the sentence (“There’re his disciple.”) which he likes or understands. He ignores Srila Prabhupada’s clear answers to Satvarupa’s previous questions which repudiated the “disciples accepting their own disciples” senario in ISKCON four times and thus Tamal misses Prabhupada’s concluding statement as follows.]
Satsvarupa: Then we have a question concer…
Prabhupada: When I order, “You become guru,” he becomes regular guru. That’s all. He becomes disciple of my disciple. That’s it.
[Here Srila Prabhupada clearly concludes his reply to Tamal and says that his disciples can become regular guru and accept their own disciples only when he orders them to. This clearly indicates that he did not yet give the specific order for his disciples to become regular gurus and accept their own disciples in ISKCON in this meeting.
He already repeatedly confirmed this fact with his prior repudiation (four times) in reply to Satsvarupa’s original question on what the GBC were to do for 1st and 2nd initiations “WHEN WHEN WHEN when you no longer are with us” as already pointed out. So it is inconceivable that he changes his mind in replying to what is essentially the same question from Tamal vis-a vis, “Whose disciples are they?”.
Tamal’s misunderstanding of this crucial meeting was later confirmed in the 1980 Topanga Canyon guru meeting detailed in subsection Unfortunately as secretary, his deviation was also written into the minutes of the May 28, 1977 meeting.
Tamal Krishna:
“Actually Prabhupada never appointed any gurus, he appointed eleven ritviks. He never appointed them gurus. Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement for the last three years because we interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus. […] Srila Prabhupada said: ‘All right. I will appoint so many …’ and he started to name them. He made it very clear that they are his disciples. At that point it was very clear in my mind that he were his disciples. […] You cannot show me anything on tape or in writing were Prabhupada says: ‘I appoint these eleven as gurus’ it does not exist. Because he never appointed any gurus. This is a myth.” (Tamala Krishna Goswami: Pyramid House Confession December 3rd 1980)
So it is plain to see that those giving diksa would be acting as officiating acaryas, and those receiving diksa from them would be their disciples. It is the duty of the GBC to create the post of Officiating Acarya so that we may all be properly connected to the disciplic succession.
“Who is Initiating” refers to the Officiating Acarya who is giving diksa, and those who receive diksa are his initiated disciples and Srila Prabhupada’s grand-disciples.
So it is plain to see that those giving diksa would be acting as officiating acaryas, and those receiving diksa from them would be counted as their disciples in terms of the formalities of initiation. It is the duty of the GBC to create the post of “Officiating Acarya”, as per Srila Prabhupada’s May 28, 1977 instructions, so that we may all be properly connected to the disciplic succession.
In the above conversation “Who is Initiating” refers to the Officiating Acarya who is giving diksa, and those who receive diksa from him are his initiated disciples and Srila Prabhupada’s grand-disciples.
That’s clear. (However that instruction was never followed).
How stupid people can be? Satsvarupa questions: “…initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you’re no longer with us. Srila Prabhupada answers to the question: (in the future, particularly at that time when I am no longer with you) I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas. Tamal Krishna confirms this by asking: is this called ritvik-acarya? whereupon Srila Prabhupada replies: Ritvik, yes.
So it clearly states: in the future, particularly at that time when Srila Prabhupada is no longer with us, he will recommend some to act as officiating acaryas, to act as ritvik representative of the acarya, for the purpose of performing initiations (on HIS behalf). The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, The name of a newly initiated disciple should be sent by the representative who has accepted him or her to Srila Prabhupada, to be included in His Divine Grace’s “Initiated Disciples” book. (Letter to: All G.B.C., All Temple Presidents)
CONCLUSION
Srila Prabhupada’s specific instructions for carrying out initiations in Iskcon after his physical disappearance as asked directly of him by his Governing Board Commissioners on May 28, 1977 was that he would soon recommend some of his disciples to act as officiating acaryas or ritviks representatives. In the following week on June 4, 1977 he wrote in his will that Iskcon directors would have to be his duly initiated disciples. This also confirms his no change “henceforward” order sent to all GBCs and temple presidents the following month (July 9, 1977) proclaiming his 11 chosen ritvik representatives that would initiate future disciples on his behalf even after his physical disappearance. These three seperate instructions are Srila Prabhupada’s actual replies to the direct question from his GBC disciples in charge of ISKCON management on how they should carry on initiations. Over the next 4 months until his physical disappearance, Srila Prabhupada never changed these orders either written or spoken.
• He would appoint some of His senior disciples to act as ritvik – representative of the acarya,
• the above eleven senior devotees acting as His (Prabhupadas) representative.
• The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad,
• The name of a newly initiated disciple should be included in His Divine Grace’s “Initiated Disciples” book.
• “…the process for initiation to be followed in the future.” (July 11th)
• “…continue to become ritvik and act on my charge.” (July 19th)
• “…continue to become ritvik and act on my behalf.” (July 31th)
Your servant,
Mathias Sabji
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