Back To Prabhupada, Issue 44, Summer 2014
ver this page and the next, we will analyse in detail a concept that is crucial to how we practise our spiritual life. This is the concept of the "current link" which, as we shall see, dictates not only whom we accept as spiritual master, but also how we receive and understand spiritual knowledge. The GBC has casually asserted from the outset that the "current link" in the disciplic succession automatically must mean one who is "current" in the physical sense:
"Srila Prabhupada is alive for countless generations' by his instructions, but he will be followed by successive links in the disciplic succession, who in their lifetime will be the current links."
(ISKCON Journal, 1990, GBC Executive Committee)
But is this material definition of "current" applicable for the spiritual concept of "current link"?
In order to understand what "current link" means, we first need to understand something that is actually undisputed in ISKCON. And that is how the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant to be received throughout ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada gave a standardised system by which the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam was to be disseminated throughout ISKCON (emphases added):
"As far as studying my books is concerned, I have already given the order. One hour in the morning class and one hour in the evening".
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 14/2/73)
"[...] the process is that we are going through some chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam by taking one sloka each day, [...] And then we discuss the subject matter very minutely and inspect it from all angles of approach and savor the new understandings. So you introduce this system in all of the centers in your zone, and you will discover that everyone becomes very much enlivened by these daily classes. Read one sloka and discuss and then go on to the next sloka on the next day, and so on, and even you discuss one verse each day it will take you 50 years to finish Srimad-Bhagavatam in this way."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 16/6/72)
"So first thing is to instruct all of your temple presidents and the other devotees to read daily, just as we have done in our morning class in Los Angeles. You may remember that we were reading one sloka each morning in Sanskrit and reciting it altogether and then discussing it thoroughly by seeing different new things."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 16/6/72)
The key points are:
1) The Srimad-Bhagavatam is to be understood by all devotees in ISKCON by studying Srila Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam.
2) This is done via daily readings, where Srila Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam is read, studied and discussed by all the devotees together.
Thus, it is clear that the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is to be received in ISKCON directly from Srila Prabhupada, by devotees reading and discussing the translations and purports given in his Srimad-Bhagavatam. These points are made clear by the parts underlined in the quotes above, and, indeed, this system generally continues even today in every ISKCON temple in the world.
Thus, there is no dispute over the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam always being received directly from Srila Prabhupada, by directly reading his translations and purports in his Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then studying and discussing the same. Now, we can move on to the "current link" concept. The phrase "current link" is only ever mentioned by Srila Prabhupada once, as follows:
"As already stated, Brahma is the original spiritual master for the universe, and since he was initiated by the Lord Himself, the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam is coming down by disciplic succession, and in order to receive the real message of Srimad-Bhagavatam one should approach the current link, or spiritual master, in the chain of disciplic succession. After being initiated by the proper spiritual master in that chain of succession, one should engage himself in the discharge of tapasya in the execution of devotional service."
(SB, 2.9.7)
This states that:
a) The current link in the disciplic succession should be approached to receive the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
b) One should then become initiated by this spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession and engage oneself in the execution of devotional service.
Combining the undisputed conclusions from the last two sections, we arrive at the following conclusions:
1) The current link in the disciplic succession is the person from whom one should take initiation, i.e. the current link is the diksa guru.
2) The current link in the disciplic succession is the person from whom one will be receiving the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
3) The message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam will always be received in ISKCON from Srila Prabhupada.
Hence, Srila Prabhupada will be ISKCON's current link and diksa guru for as long as ISKCON exists. Thus, Srila Prabhupada, by --
a) formally establishing a system for all ISKCON members to always receive the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam via his Srimad-Bhagavatam;
b) then stating within that same Srimad-Bhagavatam that the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam will be received from the current link;
-- was taking steps to institutionally establish that he would be the current link and diksa guru for ISKCON's lifetime.
Indeed, just to make it even clearer that for ISKCON's lifetime the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam will always be received directly only from Srila Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam, the GBC has stated:
"b. Srila Prabhupada's instructions are the essential teachings for every ISKCON devotee.
c. Srila Prabhupada's books are the embodiment of his teachings and should be accepted as the standard by all future generations of ISKCON."
(GBC Resolution 35, 1994)
This resolution was passed to emphasise that Srila Prabhupada is only the "siksa" guru. But, here is yet another case of the GBC trying to relegate Srila Prabhupada to only "siksa guru" status back-firing on them, since this resolution actually proves that Srila Prabhupada is the current link, and, therefore, diksa guru for "all future generations of ISKCON"!
Via all future generations of ISKCON continuing to receive the message of the Srimad-Bhagavatam directly from Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada is firmly established as the current link and diksa guru for ISKCON's lifetime.
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