Back To Prabhupada, Issue 47, Spring 2015, Quotes, Notes & News
GBC member and ISKCON GBC-elected guru, HH Sivarama Swami ("SRS"), speaks about the lack of support in both scripture and Srila Prabhupada's teachings for how guru-disciple relationships, with the gurus being subordinate to the GBC, currently function in ISKCON (emphases added to all quotes that follow):
"So how is it that the body of the devotees can appreciate more, and we can actually inculcate more this vision, that the GBC is what it is? [...] It's above the authority of the spiritual masters, indeed the Society as well as the GBC is where devotees get the empowerment to act as Srila Prabhupada's representatives [...] Scripture, tradition talks a lot about guru-disciple because it's very important, and the translation of that guru-disciple in some institution, because it is a relatively new thing, therefore it doesn't find the same type of frequency in terms of scriptural support or even in terms of Srila Prabhupada's statements."
(SRS, Podcast, 3/2/15)
1) In reality, Srila Prabhupada does not mention at all that the diksa guru in ISKCON will be under the authority of the GBC.
2) On the contrary, the model he established in ISKCON for how the guru, which was himself, would function with the GBC, was that the GBC was under the authority of the spiritual master, and not the other way around:
"We are managing our Krsna consciousness movement by GBC. We have got about twenty GBC's for looking after the whole world affair, and above the GBC, I am there, and under the GBC's there are presidents, treasurers, secretaries in each and every center. So the president is responsible to the GBC. GBC is responsible to me. In this way we are managing."
(Room conversation, 28/6/76)
3) That the guru is above the GBC, has to be the case, since Srila Prabhupada taught that the guru could not be subject to control by anyone, whether it is a managing body or others:
"It is also an offense to consider an empowered Vaisnava an object of disciplinary action. It is offensive to try to give him advice or to correct him. [...] The spiritual master must not be subjected to the advice of a disciple, nor should a spiritual master be obliged to take instructions from those who are not his disciples. This is the sum and substance of Srila Rupa Gosvami's advice in the sixth verse."
(The Nectar of Instruction, Verse 6)
4) However, Srila Prabhupada also taught that after his physical departure, the GBC would be the ultimate managing authority for all of ISKCON:
"The Governing Body Commission (GBC) will be the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada's Declaration of Will, Clause 1)
a) By facts 1, 2 and 3, we know that if any successor diksa gurus to Srila Prabhupada were to exist in ISKCON, they could not be under the authority of the GBC in any way.
b) However, by fact 4, we know that the GBC, which is to function always as Srila Prabhupada's representative, will be the managing authority for all entities within ISKCON.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada did not order successor diksa gurus, as this would be incompatible with his establishing fact 4.
Hence, this is yet another proof that Srila Prabhupada remains as ISKCON's sole diksa guru.
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