Back To Prabhupada, Issue 83, 2025
In three articles in this issue, we have demonstrated the following three points:
1) On page 3, we presented an example of how ISKCON's leadership could have benefited significantly from studying BTP.
2) On page 4, we showed how making just one error can prove fatal to one's cause, leading to it being demolished.
3) On pages 8-9, we showed how what ISKCON India ("II") and their "Scholars Board" ("IISB") state in opposition to The Final Order can be defeated just by quoting their own contradictory statements back to them.
Below we present an example where all 3 points are demonstrated simultaneously!
a) A leader of II and senior member of IISB, Basu Ghosh Dasa ("BGD"), has stated that all women are prohibited from being dīkṣā gurus:
"It's clear from this purport that: [...] A woman is prohibited from being a diksha guru."
(BGD, "Akincana Gocara" website, 23/1/23)
The "purport" cited here, which is claimed to mean that all females are prohibited from being dīkṣā gurus ("FDG "), is the purport to SB, 4.12.32.
II have stated that their opposition to FDG is so strong that they would consider splitting from ISKCON's leadership altogether rather than accept FDG ("Bureau" below refers to the legal governing body of ISKCON India):
"To go ahead and implement women diksha gurus in spite of these and other evidence cited in the Bureau resolution of November 2019, will result in a loss of faith in the GBC by the leaders of ISKCON India, and lead to a call for separation from the GBC."
(ISKCON India Advisory Council (IIAC), Letter to GBC, 8/8/22)
The "evidence cited" as opposition to FDG mentioned in the above "Bureau resolution" includes the purport to SB, 4.12.32 which, as just seen, is claimed to mean that all FDG are "prohibited" from being dīkṣā gurus.
b) IISB states that any qualified female can become a dīkṣā guru or Ācārya, and to prevent this would be against śāstra:
"Under all times, places, circumstances any qualified candidate shall not be denied Guruship or Ācāryatvam. Preventing \"qualified women and śūdras\" as per śāstric guidelines through \"cultural sensitivity\" will violate śāstras (Ref. Upadeśāmṛta 1)"
(IISB Presentation, 4/9/24)
In the above, it states that this qualification required for FDG is from "Upadeśāmṛta 1", or The Nectar of Instruction, Verse 1, which states that:
"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world."
(The Nectar of Instruction, Verse 1)
This states that this qualification applies to men and women equally, as it simply states this qualification applies to any "sober person", rather than a "male sober person". II are already happy to accept many male dīkṣā gurus in India, and since they have now declared that FDG require the same qualifications as the men, then they should also be happy to similarly accept many female dīkṣā gurus who simply possess the same qualifications as their many male dīkṣā gurus. But this is in direct contradiction to II's earlier statement just given above, that all women are prohibited from ever becoming dīkṣā gurus, period!
Thus, points 2) and 3) given at the outset of this article have been demonstrated by:
IISB's whole movement to oppose FDG , as shown in point a), being fatally wounded by the tendency of IISB to contradict itself as shown in point b);
c) This can be utilised by the GBC in its battle with II over FDG , thus demonstrating point 1) given at the outset of this article. You're welcome.
But we have already demonstrated numerous times in previous issues that both sides are wrong in their fight over who gets to be a dīkṣā guru successor in ISKCON. Because Śrīla Prabhupāda did not renounce his position as ISKCON's dīkṣā guru, but rather, he ensured that he would continue to remain ISKCON's dīkṣā guru, via the July 9th, 1977 directive enabling representatives to initiate on his behalf. And, thus, he did not create the requirement, nor did he provide the authorisation, for him to be succeeded. Hence rendering the issues of the necessary qualification and gender of potential successor dīkṣā gurus irrelevant.
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