Back To Prabhupada, Issue 33, Autumn 2011
n the last issue we explained how the guru hoax is merely a symptom of the deeper disease of personal motivation. Here we will detail, with an example, the nature of this personal motivation.
In the last issue (please see article “Bhakti Charu Swami’s ritvik initiations”), we documented HH Bhakti Charu Swami (“BCS”):
- conducting an initiation ceremony whose rituals would be the same as a ritvik initiation ceremony;
- admitting he is only conducting the initiation on behalf of Srila Prabhupada;
- admitting he will have a very minimal role in the life of an initiate;
- admitting that actually Srila Prabhupada will provide the spiritual shelter and teaching for the initiate.
In other words, via his own admission, his role and position is no different to that of a ritvik priest initiating on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. Given this reality, an honest person would behave accordingly, and not claim any honour for oneself which is not befitting him.
The GBC have prohibited the use of “Divine Grace” for any ISKCON gurus because this title is rightly reserved in ISKCON only for Srila Prabhupada:
“No one in ISKCON will be addressed either publicly or privately with honorific title “His Divine Grace” or the honorifics ending in “-pada”. Disciples may address their ISKCON diksa or siksa gurus as “Gurudeva” or “Guru-maharaja”.”
(GBC resolution 406, 1999)
The GBC are hardly opposed to persons taking Srila Prabhupada’s position, having run the guru hoax in ISKCON for 35 years now, but it seems even they understand that some special title should be reserved for Srila Prabhupada!
It should also be noted that the GBC have prohibited the use of the “Divine Grace” title even in the case of those whom they believe are actually behaving as bona fide diksa gurus, and not just merely acting as ritviks. The Governing Body Commission is supposed to be the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON, and BCS is a member of this body and has pledged to uphold its authority and obey it.
However, BCS insists that he be promoted as being on the same level as Srila Prabhupada, ordering that glorification of himself as “Divine Grace” be broadcast to others. He has done this for a number of years, with the excerpt below merely being one recent example:
“Guru Maharaja (BCS) asks to me to post my ‘Thank You’ letter related to his recent preaching tour in Europe. […]
Still a word Guru Maharaja to sincerely thank Your Divine Grace so much for all the indescribable association.“ (letter continues on in similar vein, with many more “Divine Graces”).
(BCS Istaghosti, 10/8/2011)
Therefore, though BCS:
a) himself admits that he is behaving in the capacity of one who is no different to a ritvik priest;
b) is a member of the GBC and is supposed to obey them;
he acts contrary to his own admissions and the authority of the GBC to ensure that he is promoted as being on the same level as Srila Prabhupada. This fits in with the pattern we documented with pictures in our 100 Contradictions book of BCS receiving lavish Vyasa-Puja worship even after insisting that he will not receive such worship, since such worship should only be offered to Srila Prabhupada!
So when one promotes oneself:
a) as being on a level which they themselves admit they are not on;
b) as being on a level on par with Srila Prabhupada;
c) as being on a level that is expressly forbidden by the managing authority of which one is a member;
it is clear evidence of an overwhelming personal motivation to be adored. Such a desire for adoration, along with the desire for profit and distinction, is nothing but the product of sex desire and is rooted in the mode of passion:
“bhakti-yoga leads to gradual evaporation of the sex desire, which is summarized in three headings, namely profit, adoration and distinction. All conditioned souls are mad after these different forms of sex desire, and one shall see for himself how much he has been freed from such material hankerings based primarily on the sex desire.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2:2:12, purport)
“Persons in the mode of passion arrange to be worshiped by subordinates and let them wash their feet and offer riches.”
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 17:18, purport)
Additionally, BCS, by his own admission, is receiving a false honour, because he is not acting on the level of Srila Prabhupada, as a “Divine Grace”, but rather acting no different to any preacher who brings people to Srila
Prabhupada’s teachings and movement:
“Although such demoniac people are most abominable in the world, still, by artificial means, the world creates a false
honor for them. Although they are gliding toward hell, they consider themselves very much advanced.”
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 16.10, purport)
This desire to be honoured also disqualifies one from surrendering to Krishna:
“For one who is always expecting some honor in this material world, it is not possible to surrender to the Supreme
Person.”
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 15:5, purport)
The guru hoaxer position, with its attendant fawning disciples, is the vehicle via which one is able to fulfil one’s personal motivations for profit, adoration and distinction (“PAD”). And it is because of this desire for “PAD” that the guru hoaxers are unable in practice to give up their guru position, even though via their words they have been forced to agree with the IRM. However, this desire for “PAD” is not dependent on the guru hoaxer position, but can
be fulfilled by any suitable vehicle. For example, “The Great Guru Hoax, Part 3” cleverly utilises the ploy of ostensibly opposing the guru hoax position in order to actually garner position, power and property for oneself.
And the deviations of philanthropy, Hinduisation, secularisation and commercialisation, which also do not depend on the guru hoaxer post, are also driven by the desire for “PAD”, since they assist in making money (profit) and in getting honour and respect from others (adoration and distinction). In this way, the desire for “PAD” explains the
personal motivation that is generating the many deviations we have documented in BTP, with the guru hoax merely being a prominent example. For the root cause of all these deviations is the result the deviation seeks to achieve, with the deviation merely being the means.
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