ne would expect that the one group of people who would be most knowledgeable regarding the diksa guru would be the voted-in GBC gurus, since they are allegedly such diksa gurus themselves. Unfortunately, as we shall see, they do not even know what a diksa guru is. The quotes in the shaded boxes are from an interview given by GBC voted-in diksa guru HG Kalakantha Dasa ("KAL"), which was published on 3/8/24.
"that initial mistake, that it's such an elevated, special thing to be a diksa guru [...] All the glorification that goes with the diksa gurus dating back to the zonal acaryas. It's such an obstacle for us and it's so artificial."
KAL complains about the "mistake" of thinking that to be a diksa guru is "such an elevated, special thing". Which in turn has led to "all the glorification" received by the GBC diksa gurus being an "obstacle" and "artificial".
1) But, the bona fide diksa guru is supposed to be an "elevated, special" person who is thus worshipped "as good as God". Therefore, Srila Prabhupada directed that every morning the diksa guru be worshipped during mangala-arati with the following prayer:
"The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord."
(Sri Gurv-astaka 7)
2) Hence, KAL's point that the worship of ISKCON's diksa gurus is a problem cannot be because the bona fide diksa guru needs to be an "elevated, special" person. Because that is actually our philosophy. Rather, such worship would be an "obstacle" and "artificial" if the GBC voted-in gurus were not bona fide diksa gurus to begin with. And, thus, KAL is correct that the worship of the GBC voted-in diksa gurus is artificial, because they are artificially claiming to be something they are not!
"I mean, if somebody– in The Nectar of Instruction, Prabhupada defines an uttama-adhikari; somebody who follows the principles and is enthusiastic for preaching. Such a person."
To try to support his point that the diksa guru is not an elevated, special person, KAL then immediately states the above. KAL claims that in The Nectar of Instruction (NOI) an uttama-adhikari is defined simply as one who is following the principles and enthusiastic for preaching. However, though the purport to NOI Verse 5 does state this, if KAL had read the purport in full, then he would know that it also states that the uttama-adhikari is the:
"highest devotee, is one who is very advanced in devotional service. [...] his heart is completely clean, and he has attained the realized state of unalloyed Krsna consciousness. [...] such a maha-bhagavata, or perfect Vaisnava [...] highly advanced devotee [...] highest platform"
(NOI, Verse 5, purport)
Thus, the uttama-adhikari is a very "elevated, special" person, having reached the highest possible level of spiritual realisation.
"we can't make this guru thing so impossibly high and difficult that nobody wants to do it, very few will be willing [...] Godbrothers, so very few are willing and it's always the same response: ‘I'm not qualified'."
KAL then complains that we cannot make the qualification required for being a diksa guru so high that it puts people off. However, Srila Prabhupada states that only an uttama-adhikari should become a diksa guru:
"One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari."
(NOI, Verse 5, purport)
A point KAL already tacitly acknowledged by trying to "explain" in the previous section that such an uttama-adhikari diksa guru only needs to be someone who follows the principles and preaches. However, we have proven that an uttama-adhikari is one who is on the highest possible level of devotional service. And, thus, though KAL may not want the qualification for a diksa guru to be so high, Srila Prabhupada does.
"diksa is, okay, the special thing about it is: okay, this is one person from whom I'm taking my primary instruction."
KAL states that the diksa guru is the one who gives "primary instruction". However:
1) The dictionary lists "preeminent" as being a synonym for "primary".
2) KAL's authority, the GBC, without whom he would not even be a GBC guru, states that in ISKCON Srila Prabhupada is everyone's "preeminent and compulsory siksa-guru" (GBC Resolution 409, 1999).
3) Combining the above two points means that, in ISKCON, everyone gets their "primary instruction" from Srila Prabhupada, due to his being everyone's "preeminent siksa" guru.
4) Which, according to KAL, would mean Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru of ISKCON!
"that person is attracting people, teaching them, then the natural thing - Prabhupada, again in the Caitanya-caritamrta - is the natural thing is that the siksa guru becomes the diksa guru."
KAL refers to the preachers in ISKCON who are personally teaching people to become devotees, and thus acting as their siksa gurus. He states they should then go on to become these people's diksa gurus because the siksa guru becomes the diksa guru according to the following statement from Srila Prabhupada:
"Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on."
(Cc., Adi-lila, 1.35, purport)
During Srila Prabhupada's physical presence, many of his disciples never met him, and thus other senior devotees would instruct them daily. However, Srila Prabhupada still became their diksa guru, because he would "constantly instruct" them via his books. And that is still the system in ISKCON today. Thus, now as then, even though Srila Prabhupada may not be the only siksa guru in ISKCON, he is the primary/preeminent siksa guru who should go on to become the diksa guru.
As we have shown above, KAL has made some basic elementary errors regarding the position of the diksa guru. This alone disqualifies him from being even a siksa guru, never mind a diksa guru.
