Ananda das recently accused me of being a con-artist, and Adridharan das of being illusioned with regards to my statement broadcast on the BBC that:
"Srila Prabhupada ensured that his spiritual legacy would continue through his books and instructions to guide and teach, and to take disciples."
I will demonstrate very clearly that it is in fact Ananda das who is the con-man, and that it is Ananda das who is in illusion, by his rejection of Srila Prabhupada as the living diksa guru for ISKCON. Ananda das' comments appear first; my response follows.
| It is
unfortunate, however, that the IRM misused this historic broadcast as
an occasion for its own sectarian anti-Vaishnava-parampara propaganda |
Since Srila Prabhupada is in the Vaishnava parampara, and since, according to Srila Prabhupada's own description of the Vaishnava parampara in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, he is the current link, then I fail to see how my statement that Srila Prabhupada continues to guide, teach and take disciples is either "sectarian" or "anti-Vaishnava-parampara". On the contrary, Ananda das' assertion that Srila Prabhupada is no longer the current guru for ISKCON is both anti-Vaishnava and anti-parampara.
| the text
which purported to show that SrilaPrabhupada continues in some
imaginary way to give Vaishnava mantra-diksha after his maha- samadhi in 1977 |
The text does not say or even intimate that Srila Prabhupada continues to give diksha "in some imaginary way". The text states that Srila Prabhupada continues to give diksha by taking disciples. There is no question of imagination. Again, Ananda das is the one who is illusioned by stating that Srila Prabhupada's giving of diksha (diksha means ‘transmission of transcendental knowledge’) suddenly became an imaginary concept after his maha-samadhi in 1977. This is an assertion Ananda das repeats at the end of his diatribe:
| >Srila
Prabhupada will forever be the one and only diksha guru for all those
who took initiation
>from him during his sojourn among us, from about 1965 till 1977. |
Ananda das somehow believes that Srila Prabhupada's physical disappearance in 1977 prevents him (Prabhupada) from imparting spiritual diksha, since diksha could only be received from Prabhupada between the years 1965 and 1977. Here, I am afraid to say that Ananda das is in direct contravention of Srila Prabhupada's stated teachings on this matter:
| "Reception of spiritual
knowledge is never checked by any material condition" (SB 7.7.1,
purport) "The potency of transcendental sound is never minimised because the vibrator is apparently absent" (SB 2.9.8, purport) "So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the Spiritual Master, vibration. What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living" (Lecture, 13/1/69, LA) |
 Srila Prabhupada-"the vibration should be accepted" |
| Adridharana then cites the fact that the BBC broadcast this concocted pseudo-philosophy as ‘evidence’ for his own contention that this imaginary ultrametempsychosis of his has some basis in fact. |
According to the Oxford
Dictionary, 'metempsychosis' = 'transmigration of the soul at death
into a new body of the same or different species'.
What on earth this
has to do with Srila Prabhupada giving diksha is anyone's guess.
| Deepak Vohra claims, without reference to shastra, guru or sadhu, that he can force Srila Prabhupada to accept any nonsense person as his disciple, forever into the future, without giving Srila Prabhupada any opportunity to accept or reject such so-called disciples. |
I never claimed that I can force
Srila Prabhupada to do anything. This is patently absurd. What I did claim was that Srila Prabhupada continues to accept disciples. This is
entirely in line with Srila Prabhupada's statement in his Declaration of Will of 4th June 1977 that executive
directors of ISKCON properties must be "my initiated disciple".
For Ananda das' information - a Will is written for what happens after a person leaves their body.
My statement is also in line with Prabhupada's signed directive dated July 9th 1977, where it is stated three times that all future disciples are initiated disciples of His Divine
Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
As for Ananda das’ point that Srila Prabhupada has no opportunity to
accept or reject such so-called disciples, I suggest he reads the July 7th, 1977 Room Conversation between
Srila Prabhupada and Tamala Krishna Goswami in Vrindavan, where
Prabhupada devolves the power of attorney to the
ritviks:
So without waiting for me, wherever you consider it is right... That will depend on discretion.
(Srila Prabhupada to TKG, July 7th, 1977).
Perhaps if Ananda das had actually bothered to read Prabhupada’s words, he wouldn’t make such nonsensical statements.
| and without affording any opportunity for ongoing direct personal guidance, correction or discipline. |
Yet again, Ananda das decides to directly oppose Srila Prabhupada's clear statements that he continues to personally guide, correct and discipline, even after his maha-samadhi:
"I shall remain your PERSONAL GUIDANCE, physically present, or NOT PHYSICALLY, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaja."
(Room Conv., 14/7/77. Vrindavan)
"As far as my blessing is concerned, it does NOT require my physical presence." (SPL Bala Krsna, 30/6/74)
| Indian Lady | ...is that Spiritual Master guiding after the death? |
| Srila Prabhupada: | Yes. Yes. Just like Krsna is guiding us, similarly Spiritual Master will guide (Lecture, 23/9/69) |
| Full congratulations are due to Yaduraja prabhu, the author, to all the devotees who cooperated in performing this play and those who arranged for its broadcast. Jai!! |
I trust these congratulations are also extended to the evil, illusioned con-artist that is my humble self, since I cooperated in performing this play and it was I who arranged for its broadcast.