Back To Prabhupada, Issue 48, Summer 2015
n the previous article, we saw how the concocted idea that Srila Prabhupada must be restricted to only being the siksa guru was used as the basis for inventing a non-existent need for a GBC-authorised diksa guru "successor" to Srila Prabhupada. And we then utilised this same "siksa-guru only" thesis to eliminate the need for such a GBC-authorised diksa guru successor! As we shall now show, the very idea of promoting Srila Prabhupada as only the siksa guru as an alternative to keeping him as ISKCON's diksa guru, itself leads to a fundamental self-contradiction which causes this scheme to collapse upon itself. The quotes in the shaded boxes are from a post-class "Question and Answer" session given at Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK, on 17/5/15 by HH Bhakti Charu Swami.
"The only difference is, the difference is, the rtviks are saying that Prabhupada will continue to give initiation, but the GBC is saying that Prabhupada is the pre-eminent siksa guru. That's the difference. So when we agree in glorifying Srila Prabhupada, that doesn't mean that we are accepting rtvik philosophy."
We saw in the previous article that the GBC system for initiation in ISKCON is the following:
"That a new devotee who follows the four regulative principles and chants sixteen rounds for the first six months should chant Srila Prabhupada's pranam mantra and worship him as Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and his siksa guru. [...] At any time after the initial six month period, and after passing the required examination, the candidate may choose his future diksha guru".
(GBC Resolutions, 71, 1992)
This system is similar to the system that Srila Prabhupada established for ISKCON, with a key difference. This being that at the end of the 6 month period the new devotee would automatically become an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada following a recommendation by the Temple President. And this was the system that was practised all the time while Srila Prabhupada was on the planet, and which Srila Prabhupada did not order should be terminated or changed in ISKCON due to his physical departure. Yet, the GBC did make changes to this system established by Srila Prabhupada:
Change 1: The initiation is not given by Srila Prabhupada.
Change 2: Instead the initiation must be given by a GBC-authorised diksa guru "successor".
Change 3: Though all ISKCON devotees will continue to relate to Srila Prabhupada in the same way -- worshipping him every day during guru-puja, following his teachings and rules and regulations, and being delivered by him -- his position as ISKCON's diksa guru is now to be re-titled as "pre-eminent siksa guru".
However, since we are assured that Srila Prabhupada is considered so important that he is the pre-eminent siksa guru -- with "pre-eminent" meaning above all others -- then, by definition, these changes cannot be based on any source other than Srila Prabhupada's direct teachings. Thus, these changes would have to be specifically taught by Srila Prabhupada. But there is no mention anywhere in the entire canon of Srila Prabhupada's teachings, of Srila Prabhupada stating that these 3 changes should be made to ISKCON's initiation system once he physically departs. Given this glaring fact, and using the GBC's acceptance of Srila Prabhupada's position as ISKCON's pre-eminent siksa guru, the following conclusion emerges:
We cannot accept that Srila Prabhupada ceases to be ISKCON's diksa guru, to be replaced with a successor diksa guru system whereby he is relegated to only being the siksa guru, because he is the pre-eminent siksa guru of ISKCON and he never specifically taught this.
Therefore, though the GBC introduced the "pre-eminent siksa guru"-only title as a device to justify replacing Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON's diksa guru, it actually can be used to defeat this very same devious plan!
Q: "So then, my original question, if a "guru" falls down, was he ever actually guru then?"
BCS: "You see, these...in a minute analysis won't become relevant if we recognize the fact that Prabhupada is the principal shelter. You see, when we consider that the guru re-established my relationship or established my spiritual relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Now if he individually has some spiritual problems it doesn't really matter, because the main business was to establish relationship with Srila Prabhupada. And Prabhupada will protect and take care of those devotees."
It is stated that if a GBC-authorised "diksa guru" "falls down" (meaning that he has usually been caught having moral standards lower than even a common materialist), it does not matter. Because Srila Prabhupada, even though he is not physically present, will step in for this GBC-authorised diksa guru and "protect and take care" of the devotees who had been initiated by this fallen GBC guru. Thus, Srila Prabhupada is effectively assuming the diksa guru role which the GBC-authorised diksa guru was supposed to have carried out had he not "fallen down". But if Srila Prabhupada is able to step into a diksa guru role for these devotees after the GBC guru falls, then it is admitted that Srila Prabhupada is able to act, and is acting, as diksa guru for these devotees. Given this fact, then Srila Prabhupada could also have stepped into this same diksa guru role at the outset. There is no reason why such a spiritual consistency in his interaction and role with these devotees cannot be maintained. Otherwise we would have the absurd situation that though Srila Prabhupada is able to perform the all-important function of protecting and taking care of these devotees, he is simultaneously denied the opportunity to carry out the initial initiation that even the "fallen" diksa guru was able to perform! Therefore, the need for GBC-authorised diksa guru successors to Srila Prabhupada, whether "fallen" or not, is again eliminated!
No matter which way the GBC turns, no matter what nonsense it comes up with to try to justify taking over Srila Prabhupada's position, as this article and the previous have shown, we can use spiritual ju-jitsu to turn their own nonsense against them and defeat them! They can never defeat Srila Prabhupada's diksa guru position.
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