By IRM

5th December 2001

Unfortunately Locanananda has returned with another bizzare reply. He states: 

"Because Srila Prabhupada did not object to the wording "an initiated disciple" or "my initiated disciple", either would have been acceptable." (Locanananda das)

By that logic two different Wills would also have been 'acceptable', since as pointed out there were many changes made to the draft of the will read out to Srila Prabhupada which are not recorded on tape, but which are in writing and which Srila Prabhupada APPROVED by his signature. The draft read out was NOT approved since it was only half-complete, and many more changes and additions were made. By this logic there would have been no need for Srila Prabhupada to even have prepared a final WRITTEN and SIGNED will, since what was read out Srila Prabhupada would also have been 'acceptable'. The very REASON SIGNED DOCUMENTS are given is so that the very speculation you are presenting can be avoided. Just as the very reason Srila Prabhupada gave us final WRITTEN and APPROVED books, is so that one does not need to go through and analyse his manuscripts and dictation tapes to 'figure out' what Srila Prabhupada really wanted, as some persons have done. And in any case Srila Prabhupada's written and signed version coming AFTER the draft refines and supersedes the draft, so that an 'initiated disciple' is now made more specific in the form of 'my initiated disciple'. This is the actual sequence. It’s not that you get to pick and choose.

"Please don't bother me with this divisive nonsense again." (Locanananda das)

We were only responding to what YOU posted. It is YOU who originally bothered US with this supposed 'divisive nonsense', when you decided to educate us that Srila Prabhupada's final signed written will was not really final and we could also pick another version if we felt like it. So if you really felt it was 'divisive nonsense' why did you bring it up in the first place? Why did you not just accept the final signed written will as FINAL, like those who honour the written words of the acarya are supposed to do?

"I am not interested in arguing with hair-splitting lawyers about non-philosophical issues. That is no way to prepare for death. Because life is so short, we should be trying to follow the final order which is to always think of Krishna." (Locanananda das)

Yet you seemed to find plenty of time to do just this when you thought there was a chance to discard Srila Prabhupada's final will and supplant it with another version. Even the GBC to their credit have not tried to do this. Instead they have tried to give other nonsense arguments like the GBC can change Srila Prabhupada's will or that 'initiated disciple' can also mean siksa disciple like Jayadvaita has done! But they all took as their starting point the fact that the signed written words of the acarya are final. And as soon as your faulty logic has been exposed you suddenly find you have no time and wish to withdraw from the debate!