Back To Prabhupada, Issue 34, Winter 2011/12
We have documented numerous times, in copious detail in BTP and our other publications, that following the inauguration of the Great Guru Hoax, what occurred in ISKCON from 1978 onwards was that Srila Prabhupada’s position was usurped by many guru hoaxers. This means, as explained in the editorial, that the “falldown” of ISKCON’s guru hoaxers had already occurred as soon as they attempted to usurp Srila Prabhupada’s position as diksa guru of ISKCON. If they then later get caught breaking their initiation vows, this is merely a further fall from the most serious falldown of attempting to “kill guru” by occupying his position without authorisation. The irony, therefore, is that guru hoaxers who manage to not get caught breaking their initiation vows appear to have not “fallen”, whereas the reality is the exact opposite - since there appears to be no reason for removing them from their false guru positions, they manage to remain in their already fallen positions. Srila Prabhupada explains below how unauthorisedly occupying the position of one’s guru is a very great spiritual transgression.
“Our mission is to serve bhakta-visesa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru -gurusu nara-matih. That is the material disease.”
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, 20/4/1977, emphasis added)
“One cannot attain perfection without smearing the dust from the lotus feet of an exalted devotee on his head. If one always follows the orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling down. As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he immediately falls down. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi” (“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna consciousness”).
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.12.14, emphasis added)
“I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little Sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become more than their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 18/9/1976, emphasis added)
“There is one Bengali proverb, guru-mara-vidya. “Guru, you learn from him first of all, then kill him. Don’t care for guru.” This is demonic.”
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 4/10/1976, emphasis added)
“These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in the Bhagavad-Gita that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell (Bg. 16.19-20). Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification.”
(Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 12, purport, emphasis added)
“But just after his passing away, his leading secretaries made plans, without authority, to occupy the post of acarya, and they split in two factions over who the next acarya would be. Consequently, both factions were asara, or useless, because they had no authority, having disobeyed the order of the spiritual master.”
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 12:8, purport, emphasis added)
“Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that “This man should be the next acarya.” […] They declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another man came, then another, acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Maharaja is dead, “Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.” Then he’s finished.”
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, 16/8/1976, emphasis added)
“There are some of my Godbrothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed-up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 20/2/1972)
Bhavananda: “There will be men, I know. There will be men who want to try and pose themselves as guru.”
Tamala Krishna: “That was going on many years ago. Your Godbrothers were thinking like that. Madhava Maharaja...”
Bhavananda: “Oh, yes. Oh, ready to jump.”
Srila Prabhupada: “Very strong management required and vigilant observation.”
(Conversation, 27/5/1977)
“Kirtanananda is a crazy man. That is proved. He says that he has become equal to the spiritual master but he is such a fool that he does not understand the principle of disciple even in ordinary worldly affairs. Even if one becomes equal to the spiritual master in education and knowledge, still one has to maintain the disciplinary principle of obeying one chief man in any establishment. If such a discipline is not maintained, no establishment can make any progress.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 9/11/1967)
“Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. [...] The acarya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.28.48, purport)
“So the cheaters are there. If our men are cheated, if they agree to be cheated, how can I stop them? In Vrndavana also they have done like that, the babajis. […] So you can publish this in our Back to Godhead. These things are going on. Devotees should be very careful not to be victimized by this cheater.”
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation about bogus guru, 25/4/1977)
Note: As seen here, previously Srila Prabhupada wanted his Back To Godhead magazine to warn ISKCON devotees about the danger of them being cheated by guru usurpers from outside ISKCON. Today, since these usurpers are unfortunately within ISKCON itself, Back To Prabhupada is required to carry on this work of warning devotees to be careful not to be victmised by the guru hoaxer cheaters inside ISKCON.
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