Back To Prabhupada, Issue 43, Spring 2014
common tactic has been to try to disparage the conclusion that Srila Prabhupada is ISKCON's permanent diksa guru (a conclusion which ISKCON's leadership labels as "rtvik") by claiming that such a conclusion would be a "Christian idea", and, therefore, has no place in "Vaisnavism". For example, GBC-elected guru Kripamoya Dasa ("KMD") uses this smear tactic in an article posted on his website on 10/3/14, in which he states:
"ISKCON members [...] should be aware when someone seeks the imposition of Judaeo-Christian notions upon Vaishnavism, such as the 'rtvik' idea of a truncated parampara*".
*disciplic succession
However, as we shall now show, this smear tactic does not work for the simple reason that ISKCON's leaders have themselves already accepted "Judaeo-Christian" notions regarding Srila Prabhupada's exalted status!
Srila Prabhupada teaches that Jesus is the spiritual master who accepts the sinful reactions of his followers, in a similar way to how a diksa guru accepts the sinful activities of his disciples:
"The spiritual master has to take the responsibility for all the sinful activities of his disciples. Therefore to make many disciples is a risky job unless one is able to assimilate all the sins. [...] He takes responsibility for all the fallen souls. That idea is also in the Bible. Jesus Christ took all the sinful reactions of the people and sacrificed his life. That is the responsibility of a spiritual master. [...] Actually, one who is guided by Jesus Christ will certainly get liberation."
(Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Ch. 6 & 9)
"Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity."
(Cc. Madhya-lila, 15.108)
KMD's ISKCON guru colleagues, HH Bhakti Charu Swami and the deceased HH Tamala Krsna Goswami, both state that the position of Srila Prabhupada is equal to that of Jesus Christ in every way:
"Therefore, when people ask 'what do you mean by Srila Prabhupada's having the position of Founder-acarya', my reply is, 'What Jesus is to Christianity and what Muhammed is to Islam, Srila Prabhupada should be that to ISKCON'".
(BCS, Day 3, LA Seminar, 'Questions and Answers', published 11/6/00)
"I had no doubt that Srila Prabhupada was equal to Lord Jesus in every way. [...] Just as Jesus Christ had sacrificed his life for the redemption of the fallen, similarly Srila Prabhupada was suffering on our behalf, absorbing our karma to raise us to transcendental life."
(Tamala Krsna Goswami, Servant of the Servant, BBT, 1984)
Therefore, in trying to discredit Srila Prabhupada's position as ISKCON's diksa guru by claiming that such a concept would be imposing "Judaeo-Christian" notions, KMD has only ended up discrediting himself, for:
a) Srila Prabhupada, whom KMD accepts as bona fide, states that Jesus' position is similar to that of a diksa guru who accepts the sinful activities of, and liberates, his followers.
b) His own guru colleagues, whom KMD also accepts as bona fide*, accept that Srila Prabhupada's position in ISKCON is equivalent to that of Jesus Christ in Christianity.
Therefore, since KMD accepts both Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON guru colleagues as bona fide, he also has to accept that Srila Prabhupada's position in ISKCON today is that of a spiritual master who accepts the sinful activities of, and liberates, his disciples, i.e. he is the diksa guru.
KMD also implies that those who have rejected the GBC's guru hoax program by continuing to accept Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON's diksa guru, are disobeying Srila Prabhupada by "splintering":
"In the Hare Krishna movement, the splintering tendency was regularly subjugated by the single, commanding voice of its founder-acarya who confessed "I am always afraid of this crack." [...] So it was that the 'true' followers of Srila Prabhupada began a campaign against all his other followers when they failed to support their views on how initiations would be conducted after his physical demise."
However, Srila Prabhupada's statement about the "crack" which KMD quotes actually refers to disobeying Srila Prabhupada's orders for the purpose of sense gratification, just as the Gaudiya Matha did:
"the central point is the order of the Spiritual Master, [...] The difficulty is sometimes things are interpreted in a manner dovetailing one's own sense gratification. I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaja's institution. Different Godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaja in different interpretations for sense gratification and the whole mission disrupted. This is still going on for the last 40 years without any proper settlement. I am always afraid of this crack, but I am sure if our aim is to serve Krishna sincerely and the Spiritual Master simultaneously, that will be our success."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 18/10/69, emphases added)
And, by usurping Srila Prabhupada's position as ISKCON's diksa guru, it is KMD and his GBC guru colleagues who have "dovetailed" for "one's own sense gratification", just like the Gaudiya Matha. This fact is documented conclusively here: www.iskconirm.com/crack
KMD prefaced his remarks about the imposition of "Judaeo-Christian" notions by saying:
"ISKCON members [...] need to learn sufficient Vaishnava theology to identify and understand the veracity of ideas that arise from time to time within their own community."
As we have just shown, one ISKCON member who would do well to learn sufficient Vaisnava theology, as well as the ideas that have arisen in his own community, is KMD himself! Then he would be able to "identify and understand" that the conclusions he puts forward regarding "rtvik" actually have no veracity.
* See BTP 37, "Book Exposes Force Desperate Response" for KMD's support of BCS, and KMD dedicated a kirtana at Mayapur this year to the "blessed memory" of HH Tamala Krsna Goswami.
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