Back To Prabhupada, Issue 79, 2024, Quotes, Notes & News
In the article on page 4, we noted that HG Krsna Kirti Dasa ("KKD") had attacked the idea of only relying on Srila Prabhupada as our source of knowledge, as an argument with which to also attack the IRM's foundational paper The Final Order (TFO). In the same interview quoted in that article, whilst referring to the following letter from Srila Prabhupada –
"But as a matter of etiquette it is the custom that during the lifetime of your Spiritual master you bring the prospective disciples to him, and in his absence or disappearance you can accept disciples without any limitation. This is the law of disciplic succession."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Tusta Krsna, 2/12/75)
– KKD claims about this letter that:"this was refuted by various rtvik authorities because [...] this is just in a letter to an individual, and not only that, but Prabhupada's writing to an ambitious individual, so he's lying, you know, so he's just lying to this individual to keep him in, you know, from doing something ambitious. [...] that interpretation, that you could find in The Final Order." (Interview given by KKD on 18/8/23. All emphases in article added.)
Thus, KKD accuses TFO of claiming that Srila Prabhupada was "lying" in regard to the contents of that letter. However, TFO quotes the above letter, and then states in regard to its contents that:
"As far as statements to the effect that they would be free to initiate after his departure, that is true. Just as in England one is free to drive a car once one is 17 years old. However, we must not forget those two little provisos. First, one must be qualified to drive, and second one must be authorised by the driving license authority."
Thus, TFO does not "refute" this "law of disciplic succession" by claiming that Srila Prabhupada lied, but rather agrees with it, by stating "that is true".
TFO does also state, whilst referring in general to 4 letters from Srila Prabhupada – which deal with devotees initiating in Srila Prabhupada's physical presence, including the letter to Tusta Krsna above – that Srila Prabhupada was writing to ambitious disciples and trying to prevent them from acting on their ambition. We state this because Srila Prabhupada himself refers to these ambitions in the very same letters! Thus, two of the letters were written to Acyutananda, and in the letter to Acyutananda dated 21/8/68, Srila Prabhupada states:
"The first thing, I warn Acyutananda, do not try to initiate. You are not in a proper position now to initiate anyone. [...] Don't be allured by such maya."
In the letter to Hansadutta dated 1/10/74, Srila Prabhupada states:
"I have heard that there is some worship of yourself by the other devotees. [...] After the departure of the spiritual master, it will come to that stage, but now wait. Otherwise it will create factions."
The letter to Tusta Krsna quoted above does not itself refer to Tusta Krsna's ambitions, but Srila Prabhupada mentions these ambitions continuously in other letters from 1973-1977, wherein Srila Prabhupada refers, for example, to: Tusta Krsna thinking an ISKCON temple is his personal property; how he is deviating from the parampara and criticising ISKCON (see letters to Tusta Krsna, Madhudvisa and Bali Mardan, dated 15/10/73, 15/12/73 and 8/2/77 respectively).
Thus, KKD does not seem to be aware that it is possible for two different things to be true at once if they do not contradict each other, especially since Srila Prabhupada actually states them both! Srila Prabhupada both gives a "law of disciplic succession", and also addresses the ambitions of his disciples, and TFO states that both things are true, rather than stating that Srila Prabhupada was "lying" about the "law". Hence, it is actually KKD who is guilty of lying regarding TFO.
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