Back To Prabhupada, Issue 71, Vol 4, 2021
The Bhagavad-gita explains the consequences of having attachment:
"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory."
(Bg., 2.62-63)
Thus, the attachment grows into lust, which will then progress into one's memory being bewildered. We present a case study of this teaching in action. Emphasis added.
GBC voted-in guru HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami ("BVKS") published a book in 2015 titled Mothers & Masters in which he states that it is "dangerous" to claim that Srila Prabhupada overrode sastra to establish "feminism", of which female diksa gurus (FDG) are an expansion; and thus he claims that Srila Prabhupada "only rarely mentioned" FDG. Hence, by stating that –
"even if we say that having female diksa gurus is good for preaching in America, it is against sastra and tradition."
(BVKS Talk, 8/9/20)
– BVKS is making it clear that Srila Prabhupada did not order FDG as that would be against "sastra". He also claims in the above book that the idea of FDG, which arises from establishing gender parity for women, would be as deviant as "rtvikism" (the IRM):
"Never in a thousand years of reading Srila Prabhupada's books could anyone come to the conclusion of rtvikism. The same is true of the proposition to establish gender parity for devotee women; it is an idea imported from secular society."
Thus, BVKS has clearly and consistently rejected that Srila Prabhupada ordered FDG.
Recently, BVKS dedicated a whole lecture given on 13/10/21 to providing "many quotes" from Srila Prabhupada which supposedly show that he "definitely wanted his disciples to initiate" and become diksa gurus.
The following phrases used in each quote supplied by BVKS prove that each quote was applicable to everyone:
"everyone" (Lecture, 29/7/66)
"all sincere souls" (Lecture, 17/8/66)
"all my disciples" (Letter to Madhusudana, 2/11/67)
"you all" (Letter to Acyutananda, 21/8/68)
"Every one of us" (Lecture, 17/8/68)
"all my disciples" (Letter to Hansadutta, 3/1/69)
"all these disciples" (Conversation, 18/7/71)
"every one of his disciples" (Conversation, 29/6/72)
"everyone" (Lecture, 22/8/73)
"All of our students" (Letter to Alanatha, 10/11/75)
"Every student" (Letter to Tusta Krsna, 2/12/75)
"every one of you" (Conversation, 30/5/76)
"my disciples" (thus not restricted to only certain types of disciples) (Lecture, 3/9/71; Letter to Kirtanananda, 25/1/69)
"Everyone" (Room Conversation, 15/4/77)
The last quote above refers to Lord Caitanya's order to "become guru". Thus, two other quotes offered by BVKS – Lecture, 10/12/76, which also refers to this order, and SB, 2.9.43, which BVKS states refers to this order – must also apply to "everyone". While quotes – Lecture, 6/4/75 and Letter to Acyutananda, 16/5/72 – BVKS states apply to "all" and "all his disciples" respectively.
Thus, BVKS has to agree that all of these quotes he offered are applicable to everyone without restriction.
Conversation, 25/5/72 refers to the GBC acting as "initiators" to give Srila Prabhupada "relief" whilst he was still physically present and therefore can only refer to them initiating on behalf of Srila Prabhupada rather than as diksa gurus. 4 other quotes offered by BVKS do not mention Srila Prabhupada's disciples becoming guru and thus are irrelevant:
Interview, 24/9/68; Lecture, 16/8/74; Lecture, 18/5/72; Letter to Madhudvisa, 16/6/72.
And that covers every quote BVKS gave.
Thus, every single relevant quote offered by BVKS is equally applicable to females since, as proven above, the quotes are stated to be applicable to everyone without restriction. Therefore, BVKS's supposed evidence for successor diksa gurus would just as equally be evidence for female diksa gurus as well. Hence, BVKS dedicated a whole lecture claiming to offer evidence for orders to be diksa gurus, which he has hitherto spent many years preaching could not be orders for diksa gurus, because they then would also be ordering female diksa gurus, which he has clearly rejected.
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BVKS gave this lecture because of his desperation to "prove" that his position as a diksa guru is justified and that the IRM is wrong. Indeed, he states at the outset that the quotes will establish that the "rtvik theory" (the IRM's position) is "bogus". So, due to his intense attachment to maintaining his diksa guru position, BVKS's memory became so bewildered that he completely forgot one of his most ardent beliefs and proceeded to argue completely for FDG! We saw in the first section how BVKS claimed that the concept of FDG was as deviant as "rtvikism" (the IRM's position). But here he attacks "rtvikism" by arguing for FDG, thus claiming that one deviation needs to be replaced by another equal deviation! This merely compounds his bewildered behaviour.
Before BVKS's memory loss due to bewilderment, he would have had to conclude (due to his rejection of FDG), that these quotes he offered are not orders for successor diksa gurus. And he would have been correct. We have analysed virtually every one of the quotes he offered in detail in our many papers such as The Final Order, "The Final Order Still Stands", etc., as well as past BTP issues. And therein we show that these quotes do not establish that:
a) Srila Prabhupada renounced his position as the diksa guru of ISKCON;
b) And then ordered diksa gurus to therefore take his position as ISKCON's diksa guru.
Rather, we show that the quotes are all compatible with Srila Prabhupada remaining as ISKCON's sole diksa guru.
BVKS can overcome his guru lust bewilderment and return to sanity by giving up his unauthorised diksa guru position; indeed such bewilderment also shows how unqualified he is to act as a diksa guru.
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