George A. Smith, Sep 24, California, USA:
“Of course, Vaikunthanath doesn’t mention the fact that in the May 28th Room Conversation, Srila Prabhupada himself used the word “rtvik” synonymously with “officiating acharya”, nor does he explain to us exactly how the Rtviks have exploited the use of this term in support of their vada. This would have been more helpful than simply harping on the idea that the ‘PITYs are deviant’. But to my mind, suggesting that one’s use of the term “rtvik” automatically makes them demoniac is a real stretch.”
Vaikunthanath's Pity Partyby Rocana dasa
I am sure glad that Rocana prabhu caught that too. I think, however, that he is too kind. By Vaikunthanath das’s line of reasoning, Srila Prabhupada is demoniac.
“Rtvik priests, as mentioned in the Bhagavatam, are quite bona fide parts of Vedic culture; they are expert brahmanas that perform fire yajnas on behalf of perhaps a kshatriya or vaisya. It is offensive to the Vedas that a bona fide Vedic term and practice should be purloined and twisted into an unintended meaning. This is demoniac.”
While talking all about the supposed logical fallacies of the Rtviks, Vaikunthanath das presents us with his own fallacious reasoning, his argument is this:
Anyone who “purloined” and “twisted” Rtvik to propose another meaning other than what is Vedic is doing something demoniac.
Srila Prabhupada “purloined” and “twisted” Rtvik into a meaning other than Vedic, therefore Srila Prabhupada was doing something demoniac.
Oh well “When in Rome….”
You know, if I had a bunch of people breathing down my neck wanting me to appoint them as the leader of my organization before I died, and probably ready to kill me if I don’t, I might try to trick them, give them something that wasn’t exactly what they wanted, but close enough to at least take the pressure off while at the same time denying them absolutely what they intended to get from me, and I am just a normal man. That Srila Prabhupada of yours, he was a genius, he never intended to appoint anyone and he didn’t, but in their own minds he did. The word that they were focusing on wasn’t “Rtvik”, it was the word behind it – “Acarya”. “Rtvik Acarya”. Hey, it’s an acarya, isn’t it? Kinda like giving someone a hood ornament and telling them it’s a Rolls. God bless their pointed little heads.
What if?
What if they had accepted it, accepted Srila Prabhupada’s appointment of them as Rtviks instead of going on to proclaim themselves his successors? We’ll never know, but they had that choice. Srila Prabhupada gave it to them. If that had have happened, how many persons in ISKCON would be screaming against the Rtviks today? Not any, for ISKCON would be Rtvik.
That didn’t happen, but if it had, which of you would be going around now saying that Rtvik was not authorized? So what is this, your whole antipathy towards the Rtviks can be attributed to the failures of these men?
Not according to Vaikunthanath das.
According to Vaikunthanath’s article, Rtvik is a demonic creation. It cannot be because it does not have the support of 1) Guru, and 2) Sastra.
So as to #1, whoever wrote the letter, it is clear the name that signed it, so what is his suggestion? That Srila Prabhupada didn’t notice, that he “made a mistake”, that Srila Prabhupada was a normal man?
To number #2, the Rtviks will have to go find the sastric evidence themselves because I forgot where I read it, but if I recall correctly, Krsna is not bound by the Vedas. Krsna is not bound by anything but the promise of His devotee. “What man proposes God disposes”? So if Srila Prabhupada wanted to establish Krsna Consciousness in the West as a Rtvik tradition, let someone else go up to Krsna and tell them that He can’t. Nonsense?
One thing is clear to me from Srila Prabhupada’s recognition of Christianity as not only a Church, but also as a devotional tradition, and Christians as devotees of Lord Jesus. What is clear is that you’rE stuck with the Rtviks as long as you accept Srila Prabhupada, simply by the two facts that he validated Christianity, a Rtvik type of tradition, and established himself a Rtvik system before his disappearance with no clear instructions that it should never end.
Now if, on the other hand, to ascribe to Srila Prabhupada a lesser position, start with just another guru and then introduce the consideration that he is quite frequently in error, why then you will be able to do it. Why, then you will not have to listen to Srila Prabhupada at all because you will have gurus of the status of Radhanatha, Narayana Maharaja, et al. to assure you that Swamiji was just…we won’t even go there.
OK, My question is, why does it bother you so much, because “it isn’t Vedic”, because it is standing in the way of so many qualified Maha-bhagavata’s from those who would be accepting them as their diksa gurus if they were not blinded by a Rtvik haze?
Following on the consideration of what might have happened had the Zonals remained Rtviks, as Srila Prabhupada authorized them to be, would any of those who had taken initiation from them, or any of those who did take initiation when they were Zonals become Srila Prabhupada’s disciples?
Another interesting question is, what if ISKCON decides to throw the whole rubber stamp guru business in the toilet and take up Rtvik initiations again?
Anyway, two thousand years ago the first Rtviks, Jesus’ apostles, were arrested and hauled off to court where they were placed on trail for their lives. One of the judges of that August body, a Pharisee pleaded for their lives like this:
“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”
(Acts 5:38 New King James Bible)
I think it’s still good advice and it worked; they got off with only a beating and an instruction to stop preaching their Rtvik vada, which of course they didn’t. I think that it’s still good advice. Gamaliel, the head of the Pharisees, isn’t begging the August body of the Court to accept their arguments, just to let them live and live unmolested. What harm are they really doing?
Just my thoughts, those and a buck fifty will get you a piece of burfee at the temple store.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Haribol.
George Smith
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