Back to Prabhupada, Issue 23, Spring 2009
Continuing on from the article on page 5, we present yet another admission from an ISKCON guru adopting the IRM’s position. All quotes in the panelled sections below are taken from a lecture given by GBC voted-in guru hoaxer HH Trivikrama Swami (“TKS”) in the Czech Republic on June 14th, 2008 which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/user/108krsnadasi#p/a/u/0/Dxnk2lScPIw
and
http://www.youtube.com/user/108krsnadasi#p/a/u/1/xVGHaY7zP0Y
(both videos archived 11/3/09).
The lecture was in response to local devotees asking about the ritvik system, which itself was prompted due to the IRM’s active preaching in the Czech Republic.
Traditional contradiction
“They just think that Prabhupada is initiating them. But there’s no precedent to that thinking, precedent or tradition.”
Before we get to the admissions, TKS does at least maintain a good old-fashioned GBC tradition by stating a contradiction. He claims here that we need to consider that there is no “precedent or tradition” for the idea that Srila Prabhupada continues to initiate us. Yet it was TKS who himself stated that the whole basis of ISKCON itself is unprecedented:
“This is the first time in Vaisnava history that we see a functioning worldwide institution with a committee in charge. We are in uncharted waters!”
(HH Trivikrama Swami, “Dandavats” website, June 18th, 2007)
So how can an unprecedented institution look to precedence as the basis for its operation?
No Problem if GBC accepted
“So, of course, their answer is that Prabhupada is not an ordinary guru. He’s special for the next 10,000 years so he can do that. So, even if we allow that, the idea, but then the problem comes, what about Prabhupada’s society? So it is very clear what he did want, he wanted that his organisation to go on, but he wanted the movement to go on in an organised way so that the GBC is the final authority. So they’re not accepting that philosophy.”
TKS states that the real problem is not the idea that Srila Prabhupada continues to be the
diksa Guru, but that we must accept the GBC is the final authority. Meaning there is nothing inherently deviant in continuing to accept Srila Prabhupada is the diksa Guru as long as we also accept that the GBC is the final authority.
Srila Prabhupada can continue to be diksa Guru
“Otherwise, personally, I think that Prabhupada may be able to initiate people.”
TKS now goes further and confirms there is indeed nothing at all inherently deviant in the idea that Srila Prabhupada continues to initiate. Rather, TKS states that he thinks Srila Prabhupada may actually be able to continue to do this.
The current GBC position is that such a concept is actually impossible:
“The GBC hereby declares that the posthumous ritvik initiation theory is a dangerous philosophical deviation.”
(GBC Resolutions 1990)
So TKS agrees with the IRM and disagrees with the GBC on the central issue of whether or not Srila Prabhupada can continue to give diksa in ISKCON.
Take a ritvik initiation
“But still, what is the harm of getting a formal initiation in ISKCON? You can explain to your spiritual master that you think Srila Prabhupada is your main link to
Krishna.”
Having stated that a devotee can accept that Srila Prabhupada has initiated him, TKS now states that there is still no harm for such a person to have a “formal initiation” from an ISKCON guru because they can then explain to that initiator that actually Srila Prabhupada is their main link to Krishna. When someone accepts that Srila Prabhupada is initiating and linking them to Krishna but has someone else stand in to perform the formal initiation ceremony, then this is simply an in toto description of the ritvik system Srila Prabhupada established.
We will go along with it!
“And so we’ll go along with their system rather than attack it. So that’s my main complaint with the ritviks is that they are political.”
Hence TKS says that he is happy to go along with the ritvik system - because he has already
accepted it is bona fide and also workable within ISKCON. His only objection is that the ritvik movement itself is “political” i.e. they will not accept the authority of the GBC.
HH Trivikrama Swami:
Moving closer to the IRM
|
Speak Out!
“If we’re sincere about that, that we want to improve Prabhupada’s movement, then we’ll be protected. We need that kind of input. But of course, those in our position they may not like that. Because in position, it’s easy to be attached to a position. Therefore, Prabhupada wanted sannyasis and others independently thoughtful to travel so they could speak plainly without worrying about somebody’s going to say, you know, you don’t have position.’ |
TKS here encourages people to speak out with a view to improving Srila Prabhupada’s movement, even though ISKCON leaders may not like this due to being attached to their position, and that Srila Prabhupada specifically wanted independently thoughtful persons who themselves did not have positions to do this. Ironically, such a state of affairs does not actually apply to TKS himself, since he has the position of being an ISKCON guru. It does, however, apply to the IRM members, who have no positions to defend, and are independently thoughtfully speaking the truth with a view to improving Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
Conclusion
Due to the dynamic singular preaching of the IRM, we are witnessing a sea-change in ISKCON. As we have documented in the BTP Special Issue 2, and this and the previous issue of BTP, ISKCON is finally accepting that the IRM is correct. TKS’s admission here is probably one of the most stunning yet, having admitted that:
a) Srila Prabhupada can continue to initiate us;
b) Those who accept this should be allowed to take a ritvik initiation in ISKCON and ISKCON should accommodate and “go along” with the ritvik system;
c) Those who do not have a position to lose in ISKCON should be encouraged to speak out to improve the movement.