Back To Prabhupada, Issue 52, Summer 2016
he previous article showed what happens when one does not rely on quoting Srila Prabhupada to reach one's conclusions — which is known as the "Prabhupada-Free Paradigm" (PFP). In this article we will see why ISKCON's leaders will sometimes engage in the PFP. This is done by examining the impact that quoting Srila Prabhupada's words has on their prevailing philosophy and position that Srila Prabhupada has been replaced as ISKCON's diksa guru by themselves — known as the Great Guru Hoax. All emphases added.
"This initiation ceremony is a sacred ritual [...] So this is also another rebirth, but it doesn't happen just from the ritual. [...] One takes birth from the spiritual master and the Vedic literature. [...] Actually both of them are doing the same thing, [...] they give transcendental knowledge. [...] The transcendental knowledge isn't just information that you get from a book. [...] There's what is also called the well-wishes of spiritual master and the Vaisnavas that transforms information [...] into what's called divya-jnana. [...] So like we sing, divya-jnana hrde prokasito".
(HH Sivarama Swami ("SRS") Lecture, 21/5/16)
Here, SRS describes the process of getting initiated by the spiritual master, that is, the diksa guru. The process is described by SRS as a "rebirth", which arises not from the initiation ritual, but from the spiritual master giving transcendental knowledge, or divya-jnana. And whilst describing this process of how the diksa guru acts, at the end of the excerpt quoted above, SRS states:
"So like we sing, divya-jnana hrde prokasito"
— which, as we shall see, references Srila Prabhupada's words.
Srila Prabhupada states:
"So this guru-puja which we are doing [...] You sing daily."
(Srila Prabhupada Address, 9/7/76)
And some of the words sung daily in this "Guru-puja" are "divya-jnana hrde prokasito", regarding which Srila Prabhupada states:
"Divya jnana hrde prokasito. What is that divya jnana? [...] This is divya jnana. Diksa. Diksa means from this divya jnana."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 11/7/76)
Thus, Srila Prabhupada has explained that these words sung daily in the Guru-puja ceremony, that SRS quotes, refer to the person who is giving divya-jnana, and hence diksa, and therefore the diksa guru. However, this phrase is sung daily during the Guru-puja ceremony in every ISKCON temple today to Srila Prabhupada.
Thus, while explaining the process of getting initiated by the diksa guru, SRS does not even quote Srila Prabhupada's words verbatim here, but merely ends up unwittingly referencing them by stating something that Srila Prabhupada has also stated and commented on. But by doing so, SRS's whole lecture ends up becoming an explanation of how Srila Prabhupada is actually the diksa guru!
Therefore, in order for ISKCON's leaders to maintain the guru hoax, they must stick very strictly to the PFP. Otherwise, even a stray reference to something Srila Prabhupada has stated will lead to his position as ISKCON's diksa guru being established — such is the power of referencing something Srila Prabhupada has stated.
Another example of this phenomenon in action is the GBC's Foundational Document, Srila
Prabhupada — The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON ("SPFAI"). This document explains what the "Acarya" in Srila Prabhupada's "Founder-Acarya" title means, as follows:
"An Acarya, or, in Prabhupada's words, ‘a transcendental professor of spiritual science,' 3 [...] takes charge of the disciples and after initiating them into their sacred studies, thoroughly schools them in Vedic knowledge and trains them in its requisite regulations and disciplines." [...] "The ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called upaniti, or the function that brings one nearer to the spiritual master." [...] An acarya, then, has mastery of the means to bring the receptive students close to him (upaniti)".
(SPFAI, p. 30, 32)
This states that the Acarya in Srila Prabhupada's ‘Founder-Acarya' title refers to one who initiates disciples, i.e., is the diksa guru. The document is forced to give this definition because it is based on footnote 3, which is referenced above, and this footnote refers to Srila Prabhupada's following statement from the purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 1.46, which states the same:
"The spiritual master is also called acarya, or a transcendental professor of spiritual science. The Manu-samhita (2.140) explains the duties of an acarya, describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth. The ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called upaniti, [...] In the Vayu Purana an acarya is defined as one who knows the import of all Vedic literature, explains the purpose of the Vedas, abides by their rules and regulations, and teaches his disciples to act in the same way."
(Cc., Adi-lila, 1.46)
Thus, by referring to Srila Prabhupada's words, the guru hoaxers are again forced into establishing that Srila Prabhupada is ISKCON's diksa guru! Our book Srila Prabhupada, The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON: Presenting the Conclusions of the GBC Foundational Document, explains this in detail.
We have previously noted how BTP is continually demonstrating that the leaders of ISKCON alternate between speaking straightforward nonsense or being bounced into unwittingly having to agree with the IRM. One of the reasons for this dichotomy is the fact that the IRM's position is based entirely on Srila Prabhupada's words. Therefore, when ISKCON's leaders adhere to the PFP they will speak nonsense, but sometimes when they reference Srila Prabhupada's words they will unwittingly agree with the IRM that Srila Prabhupada is ISKCON's diksa guru.
Hence, it is clear why ISKCON's leaders may adhere to the PFP. For whilst the PFP may lead one to deviate from Srila Prabhupada's teachings, not following the PFP is potentially hazardous for those who are ambitious to usurp Srila Prabhupada's position! Because quoting Srila Prabhupada's words can lead to their cheating being exposed. Such is the power of his words.
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