n order to evaluate what path needs to be taken, Srila Prabhupada gave a simple "rule" to guide such decision making:
"we should not sacrifice the certain for the uncertain."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 19/11/73)
The question then arises as to what can be considered certain or uncertain. In that regard, those devotees who consider themselves to be loyal to the current ISKCON, will naturally consider the statements made by ISKCON leaders ("IL") to be authoritative in understanding Srila Prabhupada's orders.
In a presentation that the GBC asked him to make, GBC voted-in guru HH Badrinarayana Swami stated the following in reference to a directive sent out by Srila Prabhupada to ISKCON on July 9th, 1977:
"Srila Prabhupada directed that a number of his senior disciples should answer the letters and conduct initiation ceremonies on his behalf, with the new initiates becoming Srila Prabhupada's disciples. So yes, Srila Prabhupada established a rtvik or proxy system in the latter part of 1977." [Emphasis in original]
("The Rtvik Theory" Presentation)
This states that Srila Prabhupada established a rtvik system of initiation for ISKCON just before he physically departed, which keeps him as ISKCON's diksa guru. However, it is claimed by IL that this is merely the first step of the GBC guru system. Because they claim Srila Prabhupada had already mentioned this appointment of rtviks on May 28th, 1977, wherein he supposedly also stated that these rtviks should then transmogrify into diksa gurus on his physical departure. Thus, the GBC guru system depends entirely on the prior existence of the rtvik system.
In this May 28th, 1977 conversation, Srila Prabhupada only made 7 very brief statements, which are numbered 1-7 below, and thus it will be easy to examine what IL say each statement means.
Statements 1-3
(1) "Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas."
(2) "Rtvik, yes."
(3) "He's guru. He's guru."
These first 3 statements all relate to what Srila Prabhupada will be appointing. A GBC paper, "Disciple of My Disciple" (DOMD), argued that all these three statements refer to diksa gurus, since the word "rtvik" does not mean "proxy". However, GBC voted-in guru HG Kripamoya Dasa states the opposite, that "rtvik" refers to a "proxy" who acts on Srila Prabhupada's behalf:
"initiation ceremonies conducted around the world were done by others on his behalf, it is true that those celebrants were actually ritviks."
(The Guru & Disciple Q & A Book)
Statements 4-6
(4) "Yes. That is formality. Because in my presence one should not become guru, so on my behalf, on my order... Amara ajnaya guru hana [Madhya 7.128]. Be/He is actually guru, but by my order."
(5) "Yes, they are disciples. Why consider? Who?"
(6) "They're his disciple. Who is initiating. His/He is granddisciple..."
In regard to statements (4) and (6), it cannot even be decided what is being said, never mind what they mean, as the underlined words are the different versions used by IL in their papers. And, depending on which word is used, the meaning of what they claim is being said changes.
In regard to statement (5), DOMD claims that this means Srila Prabhupada is denying that the disciples are his. However, a statement by a Chairman of ISKCON India's governing body claims the opposite, that it does also mean that the disciples will be his.
Statement 7
(7) "When I order you become guru, he becomes regular guru. That's all. He becomes disciple of my disciple."
GBC resolution 409, 2004 claims that this statement is an intention for all of Srila Prabhupada's disciples to become diksa gurus at some indefinite time in the future. Whereas others, such as GBC voted-in guru HH Sivarama Swami, claim it is a specific order for 11 rtviks to become diksa gurus on Srila Prabhupada's physical departure.
Given these diametrically opposite claims, IL cannot be said to offer the certainty of agreement regarding what Srila Prabhupada is stating about any of these 7 statements, never mind all of them! Hence, they also cannot offer certainty regarding exactly what should be concluded from them.
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IL also point to statements from Srila Prabhupada where he states that everyone should "become guru", or where he states that successor diksa gurus are only possible after he physically departs. But none of these statements order rtviks to turn into diksa gurus as soon as Srila Prabhupada physically departs.
Even if one wants to argue that they do constitute such an order, we run into an uncertainty problem. Because:
a) None of these statements are restricted to only being applicable to men.
b) Indeed, most of them state that they are applicable to everyone, or "all" of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, or even mention females specifically.
And therefore a very good portion of IL (the anti-female diksa guru camp) disagrees that such statements can possibly be diksa guru orders, due to the fact that they could also apply to females. Thus, IL are not themselves able to offer certainty regarding whether Srila Prabhupada is ordering diksa gurus.
1) IL's argument for the GBC diksa guru system depends entirely on the prior existence of the rtvik system, since this was first required in order to later be transmogrified into a diksa guru system;
2) But IL are unable to offer certainty that this transmogrification definitely occurred, since they cannot even agree when and how exactly this transmogrification was supposed to have occurred.
Thus, taking cognisance of how uncertain the situation is for their leaders that they cannot even agree, and applying Srila Prabhupada's rule given earlier: it means that loyal ISKCON members should not sacrifice the rtvik system which is certain, for a diksa guru transmogrification that is uncertain.
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