Back To Prabhupada, Issue 51, Spring 2016
he IRM usually presents evidence to convince ISKCON's leaders that their gurus are not bona fide. However, ISKCON's leaders themselves believe that their gurus are not bona fide -- but still accept them as being bona fide!
GBC-elected guru, HH Jayadvaita Swami ("JAS") writes regarding fellow GBC-elected guru HH Romapada Swami ("RPS"):
"Sivarama Swami, at the GBC's midterm meeting in October, had put forward a proposal that the permission to sell be reconsidered at this year's annual Mayapur meeting. The proposal was accepted. Romapada Swami, the GBC man for New York, was present at the meeting. In fact, two GBC members have both confirmed that they talked directly with Romapada Swami in October about reviewing the Brooklyn sale one more time at the 2016 annual meeting and that Romapada Swami agreed. What Romapada Swami kept secret was that in mid September he and the others involved had already signed a contract to sell."
(JAS, 24/1/16, emphases added)
Hence, JAS clearly believes that RPS has behaved diplomatically and duplicitously, having agreed to discuss whether or not the Brooklyn temple sale should go forward, when he had already agreed to the sale and deliberately kept it secret.
JAS also states:
"ISKCON law imposes on property trustees weighty obligations -- including the obligation to keep the GBC informed. The leaders signed the deal in mid-September. Yet even more than three months later, starting into January, they still kept mum."
(JAS, 8/2/16, emphasis added)
Hence, JAS clearly also believes that RPS is not respecting the authority of the GBC.
According to JAS, RPS is therefore behaving in such a way that would mean he is not qualified to be a GBC diksa guru, because the GBC "Mandatory Qualifications" for being a GBC diksa guru are:
"4. Must be free from the following undesirable qualities: [...] d. Kuti-nati, diplomatic or duplicitous behavior [...] 11. Must recognize the GBC as the ultimate managing authority in ISKCON, support the GBC system, and follow the GBC."
(GBC Resolution 308, 2010)
Yet, JAS refuses to accept the logic of his own conclusions and instead accepts that RPS is still a ‘good as God' diksa guru. It is ironic that JAS used to run a "seminar" for ISKCON devotees called "Straight Thinking, Strong Speaking". His illogical stance regarding RPS means that he should now give a seminar titled "Muddled Thinking, Weak Speaking"!
The North American GBC (amongst others) has banned a book by GBC-elected guru, HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami ("BVKS"). Their justification for such a ban is given in a statement which was sent by the North American GBC Executive Committee to ISKCON temples. In this statement, they claim BVKS presents:
"1. contrary conclusions to KC philosophy and the teachings of Srila Prabhupada that have potential for harming the movement and it's members due to misguided perceptions,"
And that his book:
"4. can cause harm to the movement and it's members as well as misguiding innocent readers by presenting a questionable image of Srila Prabhupada as an elderly irrelevant Indian from another century;"
And that his book indicates:
"a mission disconnect on the part of BVKS that puts an unfavorable slant on Srila Prabhupada and his mission;"
Hence, regardless of whether or not the GBC's claims are merited, they clearly believe that BVKS is deviating from the mission of ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada's teachings. According to them, BVKS is therefore behaving in such a way that would mean he is not qualified to be a GBC diksa guru, because the GBC "Mandatory Qualifications" for being a GBC diksa guru are:
"10. Must show understanding of and dedication to Srila Prabhupada's mission".
(GBC Resolution 308, 2010)
Yet, the North American GBC refuses to accept the logic of its own conclusions and instead accepts that BVKS is still a ‘good as God' diksa guru. They will ban his book but will not ban him from being a diksa guru!
BVKS himself claims that ISKCON's leadership -- most of whom are GBC diksa gurus -- is responsible for ISKCON no longer adhering to:
"many of the essential, non-negotiable principles Srila Prabhupada taught, for which I joined ISKCON and dedicated my life to spreading."
(BVKS, 22/4/12)
Thus, by the same GBC resolution quoted in the last section, BVKS should also be calling for all GBC members who are diksa gurus to be removed as diksa gurus (as well as from the GBC). Because he clearly believes that they do not have an "understanding of and dedication to Srila Prabhupada's mission". Yet, he refuses to do so, accepting instead that the same body which is responsible for ISKCON deviating on such a mass scale, is also qualified to both authorise and act themselves as bona fide diksa gurus. (Two-thirds of the GBC are ‘good as God' diksa gurus).
a) If RPS deviates, then he is also a deviant.
b) If BVKS produces a deviant book, then he is also a deviant.
c) If the entire leadership is responsible for mass deviation, then they are also deviants.
Yet, certain ISKCON leaders maintain that, although they believe these persons are deviants, they are still bona fide gurus. This is not surprising, since many of these same leaders are GBC gurus themselves. Hence, they all share the same aim of keeping this unauthorised GBC guru program alive at all costs.
ISKCON's leaders already claim that their gurus who "fall down" were still gurus before they "fell", because according to them, bona fide gurus can fall down. Now, they have gone a step further, and claim their gurus are still qualified to remain as gurus even whilst these gurus engage in behaviour that they believe is deviant! However, Srila Prabhupada teaches that a bona fide guru does not deviate at all:
"A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all".
(Bg., 4.42)
But ISKCON's leaders will happily jettison both Srila Prabhupada's teachings and the logic of their own conclusions, if it threatens their false guru program.
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