Back To Prabhupada, Issue 79, 2024
This is a column in which we answer various challenges that our readers have come across and forwarded to us for answering.
The statements in the shaded boxes below are from an interview given by Rupanuga Dasa ("RD"), published on 30/5/23 (emphases added). RD was one of the first members of the GBC and was present in the room when the May 28th, 1977 conversation (which we covered in depth in the last issue) took place. The GBC also voted him in as a guru in 1986.
"That meeting had nothing to do with all the hundreds of devotees who were praying, crying, screaming, begging for Srila Prabhupada to initiate them before he left. That came up later. That wasn't even mentioned at that meeting, the last meeting on May 28th."
RD refers to the May 28th, 1977 meeting, and states that in the conversation that took place, there was no mention of those who were to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada before he physically departed. However, right at the beginning of this very same conversation, the following exchange took place:
Satsvarupa: "Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you're no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation would be conducted."
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas."
Tamala Krsna: "Is that called rtvik-acarya?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Rtvik, yes."
Srila Prabhupada states that he will be appointing rtviks. Thus, according to RD, Srila Prabhupada's purpose in mentioning this appointment cannot be because he was specifically addressing how initiations should be conducted whilst he was physically present, because RD stated that this:
"wasn't even mentioned at that meeting, the last meeting on May 28th."
Thus, if Srila Prabhupada did not even mention how initiations were to be conducted in his physical presence, then it means that rtviks were mentioned in order to deal with initiations for after his physical disappearance. Thus, according to RD's testimony, Srila Prabhupada was appointing rtviks to conduct initiations for after he physically departed. Which makes perfect sense since, as we can see in the transcript of the conversation just presented, Srila Prabhupada answers that his rtvik appointment is to be made in response to being asked how initiations will be conducted "particularly at that time when you're no longer with us".
"And so he says, ‘when I order', which is meaning then and there, and he was gonna pick the men that he was ordering to be gurus."
RD claims that "when I order" means "then and there". But the word "when" in "when I order" does not mean "then and there". It means when the order is actually given. Thus, if you say "when I order a taxi", it refers to when the taxi is actually ordered, since simply saying "when I order a taxi" does not mean the taxi has been ordered. If you do not believe me – try it – simply say "when I order a taxi", and see if a taxi magically arrives at your front door! Rather, "when I order a taxi" refers to the time when the order for a taxi is actually given. Hence, RD's next statement that "he [Srila Prabhupada] was gonna pick the men that he was ordering to be gurus", makes no sense, since "when I order" does not mean anything is actually being ordered, and therefore there is no "ordering" of gurus going on. For that, you have to first actually give the order. For proof, see the "taxi experiment".
RD had claimed in the interview that his explanation of what occurred in the May 28th, 1977 conversation is especially relevant because:
"And the reason it's clear to me is because I was there in the room. And when we came out of the room and explained it to others, it was clear what we were doing."
But it is clear that what was "clear" to RD and explained to others, relied on inventing a brand new language in which the words "when I order" mean "I am giving the order right now"!
Thus, in conclusion, although in this interview RD attempts to claim that Srila Prabhupada ordered diksa gurus, he only ends up establishing that:
a) Rtviks were ordered to conduct initiations for after Srila Prabhupada's physical departure;
b) No diksa gurus were ordered, since "when I order" does not mean that an order has actually been given.
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