Back To Prabhupada, Issue 81, 2024, Interactive
The following letter was sent to us by Advaita Dasa (ACBSP) from Putaruru, New Zealand, with his statements in the shaded boxes. Our response is interspersed in coloured text between his statements below:
"Hare Krsna, Krsnakant,
The Institution has been hijacked by un-authorised persons."
Yes, as we demonstrate in every BTP issue.
"You make the statement in Issue 80 on page 12 (end) that "...he has to accept that Srila Prabhupada is ISKCON's diksa guru." This statement is incomplete as HDG is the diksa for the Movement not just the Institution."
1) We never say that Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru "just for the institution." We actually say "ISKCON's diksa guru". You refer above to "the Institution" to mean the current "hijacked" organisation, but when we said "ISKCON" above, we did not mean just that. When we said "ISKCON's diksa guru", this is what we were saying Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru for:
a) If you read just before the few words you have quoted above from BTP, you will see that we are referring to "ISKCON when Srila Prabhupada was physically present".
b) At the beginning of every BTP, in our "Mission Statement", we define that original ISKCON founded by Srila Prabhupada as "the great movement", which is "the only hope for humanity";
c) Therefore, on the front cover of every BTP issue, we say that it is the magazine of the "Real Hare Krsna Movement".
d) As we have documented in previous issues, IRM supporters are not even allowed to visit the temples of the deviant institution, never mind be a part of it. Thus, if what you claimed was true, then it would mean that we are preaching that Srila Prabhupada can be the diksa guru for deviants, but not for the devotees who actually want to sincerely follow Srila Prabhupada and are not deviating! But we do not preach that.
Hence, it is actually you who are claiming that when we say "ISKCON's diksa guru" here, it means that Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru for only the current, deviant ISKCON institution. Thus, by actually reading all our statements, it is clear that we do not claim that Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru only for those persons who exist within the walls of the current, hijacked institution. Hence, our statement is not "incomplete". We can note, however, that your statement is "incomplete", because you state that Srila Prabhupada is the "diksa for the Movement". But "diksa" is a process not a person, and thus you would need to refer to him as "diksa guru", to give a complete statement.
2) On page 5, in regard to the meaning of "uttama-adhikari", we saw the danger in quoting only a snippet that may support one's case rather than reading fully what is actually stated, as this will lead one to reach the wrong conclusion. And the same has happened here.
"You are indirectly minimising HDG's position."
We have just seen that is not the case.
"To correctly give HDG respect you must state that he is the diksa for the Movement."
To correctly give HDG respect you must state that he is the diksa guru for the Movement, as explained above.
"Please allow me to thank you for your sincere service and offer my support and assistance to you."
Thank you very much.
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