Back To Prabhupada, Issue 44, Summer 2014
aving established that Srila Prabhupada is the "current link" in the chain of disciplic succession, we can now examine the implications of this significant finding in the light of the teachings regarding the parampara.
"So if you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, then we must understand in the same way as the person who directly heard from. This is called parampara system. Suppose I have heard something from my spiritual master, so I speak to you the same thing. So this is parampara system. You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. Or even if you read some books, you cannot understand unless you understand it from me. This is called parampara system. You cannot jump over to the superior guru, neglecting the next acarya, immediate next acarya."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 8/12/73)
"This is parampara system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the parampara system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvamis, and through the Gosvamis you will have to approach Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu you have to approach Krsna. This is the way."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 28/3/75)
"We cannot jump over the highest authority directly. That is not possible. That is not the etiquette or rules, regulations we have to go. [...] So in order to become Krsna's servant, we have to become the servant of the servant of Krsna. So, my Guru Maharaja is servant of Krsna, his guru, his guru is servant of Krsna, his guru is servant of Krsna. I am also servant of Krsna, but I have to approach through the other servants, not directly. That is not possible. Krsna will not accept that service."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 8/1/73)
"Anyone strictly following the instruction of the guru is following Nityananda. [...] You should approach Nityananda Prabhu through your Spiritual Master."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 24/10/76)
"We should not try to approach directly Krsna. [...] So you have to serve your immediate master, dasa-dasanudasah, servant of the Supreme Lord. If you want to jump over the original master, that is not good."
(Room Conversation, 16/3/74)
Some of the quotes above were used in the GBC's ISKCON Journal mentioned in the previous article to argue that one cannot jump over their gurus to approach Srila Prabhupada directly! Similarly, it is falsely argued that if one could approach Srila Prabhupada directly, why can one not approach Srila Rupa Goswami directly? Having now established Srila Prabhupada as the current link in the parampara, it is Srila Prabhupada whom we must directly approach, and Srila Prabhupada whom we should not jump over. And the GBC's guru hoax is, indeed, exposed as being a hoax!
"Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer, if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Krsna sends His representative. Acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit. So, so pleasing the acarya means pleasing Krsna."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 30/10/72)
"If a student tries to satisfy his immediate Acarya or the Spiritual Master, that is the only qualification for advancing in Krsna consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 17/6/70)
"Your immediate boss, representative of Krsna, he is to be satisfied. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasya. Therefore the guidance of spiritual master is required."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 3/11/73)
"If spiritual master, acarya, is pleased, then you should know that Krsna is also pleased. You should know through. This is not very difficult. Just like you are working in office. If your immediate officer, boss, is pleased, that means the proprietor of the firm, he's also pleased. Although you do not see him. This is fact. Your immediate boss, if he's pleased. So similarly, we, our business, this spiritual line, is guru-krsna-krpa. We have to first receive the merciful benediction from the acarya, and then Krsna will be pleased and He'll also give His blessings."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 3/9/71)
Since Srila Prabhupada is the current, immediate link in the chain of the disciplic succession, the secret of success in spiritual life, in pleasing Krsna, is to first only and directly please Srila Prabhupada.
Paramahamsa: "Practically speaking, Srila Prabhupada, you are giving us the essence of all the previous acaryas' books in your books."
Prabhupada: "Yes. Yes."
(Morning Walk, 13/5/75)
"The immediate spiritual master is the representative of Narada Muni; there is no difference between the instructions of Narada Muni and those of the present spiritual master. Both Narada Muni and the present spiritual master speak the same teachings of Krsna [...]"
(SB, 6.5.22)
"Similarly, in the Katha Upanisad it is said that "in order to learn the transcendental science, one has to approach the Spiritual Master.'' This spiritual master means one who has heard correctly from his Spiritual Master. In this way, ultimately it goes to Krishna, the Supreme Spiritual Master. There is no possibility of understanding the Vedic knowledge without this descending process."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 28/2/69)
And, establishing Srila Prabhupada as the current link helps cement the POP (Prabhupada-Only Paradigm) established in previous BTP issues, which states that we must understand everything only through Srila Prabhupada's words.
Understanding that Srila Prabhupada will always be ISKCON's current link in the parampara is key to practising, and achieving, success in spiritual life. Otherwise, we will be deviated into following other persons, and other teachings, rather than always only staying at the lotus feet of, and understanding everything directly from, Srila Prabhupada.
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