Back To Prabhupada, Issue 65, Vol 1, 2020
In the last issue, we exposed how support for female diksa guru successors ("FDG") to Srila Prabhupada, and only-male diksa guru successors ("MDG") to Srila Prabhupada, were both defeated, leaving only Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON's authorised diksa guru (please see "Guru Proponent Accepts IRM Arguments" and "Both Sides Defeated by the Same Quotes"). There we showed how Basu Ghosh Dasa ("BGD"), a leading proponent of MDG, used the IRM's arguments to oppose FDG, and thus unwittingly ended up opposing MDG as well! Below we document how contradiction and confusion over this issue still continues.
BGD is also the vice chairman of the ISKCON India governing Bureau ("the Bureau"), the organisation that has authority over ISKCON in India. In this capacity, he communicated the resolution passed by the Bureau on 25/11/19 on behalf of ISKCON India to strongly oppose FDG. BGD stated that the Bureau had taken this decision because allowing FDG would be "opposed in heart and spirit to Srila Prabhupada's teachings." (BGD letter, 30/11/19). However, the Bureau's decision relied on falsely claiming that MDG had been authorised by Srila Prabhupada, and thus is a claim that is also "opposed in heart and spirit to Srila Prabhupada's teachings"! For the Bureau's resolution claims:
"Whereas, Srila Prabhupada had so many sincere and senior female disciples, but still he never appointed a single woman as a TP, GBC, or ritvik (guru – as per the July 9 letter)"
1) It claims that "as per the July 9 letter", those appointed in this letter were appointed as "guru". However, "as per the July 9 letter", there is no mention of "guru". Rather, the letter only mentions "ritvik", and that such persons would function to:
"accept the devotee as an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada", who "are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad", with those mentioned in the letter "acting as His representative".
One is able to establish this fact of what is stated "as per the July 9 letter" by the revolutionary act of "reading" the said letter! Thus, the Bureau's official resolution, in order to promote MDG, has stated a bald-faced lie, which anyone able to engage in this activity of "reading" may verify for themselves.
2) In addition, the resolution gives reasoning based on precedent – that because Srila Prabhupada never appointed FDG, this is evidence that Srila Prabhupada did not want FDG. However, this is self-defeating, because, as we have just established in point 1), Srila Prabhupada also never appointed male diksa gurus either. Thus, by the same reasoning, this would also support the proposition that Srila Prabhupada did not want male diksa guru successors either!
As part of his campaign for MDG, BGD also posted an article on his social media account by Krishna Kirti Dasa ("KKD"). KKD is the person who was chosen by the GBC as their representative for the official IRM v. GBC debate, which can be read here:
www.iskconirm.com/debate
However, as we shall see, just as he did with the Bureau resolution, BGD also promotes falsehoods by posting this article. Quotes from the article will be given in shaded boxes.
"it is a fact that when SP talked about guru, or acharya, he generally talked about the one who is on the topmost level of devotional service, like in the descriptions of the guru in the Gurvashtaka. And only occasionally he spoke of the lesser qualified guru."
Yes, as admitted, "it is a fact" that Srila Prabhupada spoke about the diksa guru as being someone on the topmost level of devotional service, just like himself. And Srila Prabhupada mentions a "lesser qualified guru" to tell us to not accept such a person as a diksa guru:
"One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari. A neophyte Vaisnava or a Vaisnava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikari as a spiritual master."
(Nectar of Instruction, Verse 5)
"But don't have anyone so qualified, [...] What do you do? [...] The shastras authorize sadhakas (lesser advanced devotees) to act as mantropadesh gurus (diksa-gurus), [...] he is not yet liberated from the influence of the material energy."
However, as we have just seen, Srila Prabhupada did not authorise such a lesser qualified "diksa guru" who is still in maya ("influence of the material energy"). Indeed, he never authorised a successor diksa guru to himself, whether male or female, period.
"Anything else (ritvikism, female diksa-guru-ism, etc.) will be unauthorized either because it lacks support of shastras (ritvikism) or directly contravenes them (female diksa-guruism)."
1) By "ritvikism", the article refers to Srila Prabhupada remaining the Acarya and diksa guru of his own Society, ISKCON, which he founded. It is accepted that this does not "directly contravene" the "shastras".
2) Instead, it is claimed that this would not have the "support" of the "shastras". However, the author fails to grasp the basics of guru-tattva. Srila Prabhupada teaches:
"Guru means who follows the sastra and sadhu. So there are three, the same."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 30/11/76)
Thus, if Srila Prabhupada "supports" something, we already know that it is automatically supported by "sastra", since the actions of Srila Prabhupada are always "the same" as sastra. And we know that Srila Prabhupada does support that he remains the Acarya and diksa guru of ISKCON, because he ordered it, as documented in the book: Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON – Presenting the Conclusions of the GBC Foundational Document.
The fight over male and female diksa guru successors simply reveals that neither side wishes to follow Srila Prabhupada's orders to keep him as ISKCON's sole diksa guru. And hence, it is a fight over nothing, since there is no vacancy for successor diksa gurus, whether male or female, to begin with!
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