Back To Prabhupada, Issue 29, Autumn 2010
Though The Great Guru Hoax is indeed a hoax of monumental proportions, we will show that it is executed via a technique that is so transparent and simple, that even an 8 year-old child would not fall for it. Yet, unfortunately, it seems that many have fallen for the proposals of the acting GBC.
ISKCON pre-1978
The situation in ISKCON, whilst Srila Prabhupada was physically present, was as follows:
a) As a result of reading Srila Prabhupada's books, a devotee would join the movement. He would get all his knowledge from Srila Prabhupada, follow all of Srila Prabhupada's disciplines and rules, and serve Srila Prabhupada by following the instructions Srila Prabhupada gave, and then get delivered spiritually by Srila Prabhupada.
b) Senior devotees, such as GBCs, temple presidents and ritviks, would simply help bring such persons to Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet, by training them, initiating them as Srila Prabhupada's disciples, giving classes, preaching, and engaging them in Srila Prabhupada's service, while Srila Prabhupada would actually be engaging them in Krishna's service and taking them to Krishna. Many devotees would never meet or even see Srila Prabhupada.
c) Most initiation ceremonies were conducted often by empowered representatives on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. At the ceremony the initiate is told that he is being initiated on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, by these empowered representatives.
ISKCON today
The situation today in ISKCON is the same as above, and we present the evidence for this below:
"ISKCON leaders shall teach that Srila Prabhupada's books and teachings are the foundation of the spiritual lives of all ISKCON members."
(Law 405 (F), GBC Resolutions, 1999)
"Therefore our responsibility is to mediate between you and Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada will take you to Krsna."
(HH Bhakti Charu Swami, Durban Disciples' Meeting, 7/4/2006)
"our responsibility is to help you approach the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada, as the pre-eminent acharya, takes you to Krsna and engages you in His service."
(HH Bhakti Charu Swami, Text PAMHO:13658994, 10/6/2007)
"if you are surrendering to me, formalizing your surrender, then what kind of responsibility do I have to you? It is to transmit your surrender to the institution of ISKCON. Generally the guru transmits this to Krsna, but here I am not directly representing Krsna. I am representing Krsna through the via medium of Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON."
(HH Bhakti Charu Swami, Durban Disciples' Meeting, 1/8/2007)
"Everyone's spiritual life is actually anchored onto Srila Prabhupada […] to Srila Prabhupada's mercy and Prabhupada is going to deliver them."
(HH Bhakti Charu Swami, Toronto, 20/7/2003)
Further, it is routine in initiation ceremonies today for the initiate to be told he is being initiated "on behalf" of Srila Prabhupada, as the following report illustrates:
"fifty candidates received initiation from His Holiness Radhanath Swami, a spiritual teacher and travelling monk [...] Radhanath Swami spoke to me as follows, "On behalf of Srila Prabhupada, I am honoured to give you the name Jagannath Sharan das."
(http://iskconuk.com/?p=352)
Name-tag hoax
During the pre-1978 scenario, Srila Prabhupada was functioning as the diksha, or initiating, guru (and main siksha, or instructing, guru), with all others acting, at best, as assistant siksha gurus:
"The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 4th, 1975)
Though the functions of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples today have remained the same, with his disciples simply "teaching and doing" what Srila Prabhupada taught and did, the GBC has decided to exchange name-tags. Those who are actually, at best, only assistant siksha gurus assisting the diksha guru, are now called diksha gurus, while Srila Prabhupada is now considered at best to be acting only as siksha guru. This name-change is the key to the whole hoax, because simply as a result of the change in title, but not activity or function, ISKCON's followers have accepted:
a) Those who were actually at best assistant siksha gurus, have magically turned into diksha gurus.
b) Srila Prabhupada who is actually the diksha guru, is magically no longer the diksha guru.
c) Those calling themselves diksha gurus have now been conferred all the benefits, honour and worship that previously belonged to Srila Prabhupada.
So, essentially, a huge hoax, and the attendant grab of power and position has been based on something as simple and silly as changing name-tags.
Even a child can see
If the milkman and mailman decided to play a trick on a child, with the milkman claiming he is the mailman, and the mailman claiming he is the milkman, even an 8 year-old would not fall for such a stupid trick. Because he would see that the milkman, regardless of what he is calling himself, still delivers the milk, not the mail, and the mailman, regardless of what he is calling himself, still delivers the mail, not the milk. Similarly, today Srila Prabhupada alone is still delivering everyone in ISKCON, just as he did pre- 1978. Indeed, the situation is so absurd that it reminds one of the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes", where everyone (apart from, ironically, a child) could see that the Emperor was wearing no clothes, but went along with the Emperor's hoax, simply to please the Emperor. In ISKCON's case, however, the situation is even more absurd, because the "Emperors" (ISKCON's diksha gurus) actually admit they have no clothes (they do nothing different to what they did pre-1978), and still everyone falls for it!
Conclusion
The guru hoax is basically nothing more than "ritviks" (officiating priests) continuing as "ritviks", with the ritviks simply deciding to call themselves "diksha gurus". And through this simple device alone, they get treated and worshipped as such. Unfortunately, the words "brainwashed" and "gullible cult-members" immediately come to mind!