Spring 2004
Guru Hoax, Part 1: |
| 1978 - '11 disciples appointed as Gurus' |
| "During his last months in this world,
Srila Prabhupada selected eleven senior disciples to act as
initiating gurus who could accept disciples after his
disappearance." ('Notes from the Editor', Back to Godhead #13-01/02, 1978) H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami, one of the original 11 self-authorised ISKCON Gurus and Editor-in-Chief, BTG, 1978. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 1990 - Public confession of Guru hoax |
| "Srila Prabhupada never said 'here are the next eleven acaryas, and they
are authorised gurus for the movement'. He did not do that." (Video, San Diego Debate, 1990) Ravindra Svarupa das, ISKCON GBC voted-in Guru and architect of the 'Guru Hoax, part 2'. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 1991 - Public apology for Guru hoax |
| "By the influence of maya, illusion, a different idea soon evolved that
Srila Prabhupada had appointed eleven "pure devotees" to serve as the
only gurus after him… This zonal guru system, as it came to be called, prevailed in ISKCON for about ten years, until its falseness became clear… In 1986, ISKCON's Governing Body Commission formally dismantled the system. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, editor in chief during those years, joins with me in apologizing to our readers for BTG's conformity to the "zonal guru" error. In particular, we express our heartfelt apologies for contributing to the hurts and wrongs devotees endured when ISKCON diverged from Srila Prabhupada's instructions." ('An Apology', Back to Godhead #25-01, 1991) HH Jayadvaita Swami, ISKCON GBC voted-in Guru and Editor-in-Chief, BTG, 1991. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 2002 - Guru Hoax, Part 1: Myth resurrected |
| "Almost immediately after Srila Prabhupada's departure, devotees he had
requested to give diksa fell down.
(Of the eleven he named, only four have not fallen.)" (Siksa outside ISKCON?, p.28, Lal Publishing, 2002) HH Sivarama Swami, ISKCON GBC voted-in Guru. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 2004 - Guru Hoax, Part 1: Alive and well |
| "A little before departing from this world on November of 1977, His
Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada asked Srila Acharyadeva, as well as ten
other prominent disciples, to accept the role of spiritual masters and
initiate disciples to give continuity to the disciplic succession
starting with the Supreme Lord, Krishna." (From the biography on the offcial website of Hridayananda das Goswami, http://www.gopala.com/hdg/ viewed April 2, 2004) HH Hridayananda das Goswami, one of the original 11 self-authorised ISKCON Gurus. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru) |
Guru Hoax, Part 2: A catalogue of contradictions, confusion and confessions |
| 1978 - Guru-by-vote ridiculed |
| "You cannot simply elect a person to the post of the most exalted
sainthood" ('Notes from the Editor', Back to Godhead #13-01/02, 1978) HH Satsvarupa das Goswami, one of the original 11 self-authorised ISKCON Gurus and Editor-in-Chief, BTG, 1978. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 1986 - Guru-by-vote implemented |
| "…any GBC can present a diksa guru candidate before the GBC body. Unless
the majority of voting members objects to the nomination, the candidate
will be placed on a required one year waiting period…upon majority
approval of the body, he may take up the responsibilities of an
initiating guru in ISKCON." (ISKCON GBC Resolution No. 3, March 30th, 1986) GBC: Still "electing people to the post of the most exalted sainthood" |
| 1991 - Guru reform: "reasserts Srila Prabhupada's instructions" |
| "…an ever-growing reform movement overthrew this zonal guru system and
reasserted Srila Prabhupada's original instructions." ('An Apology', Back to Godhead #25-01, 1991) HH Jayadvaita Swami, ISKCON GBC voted-in Guru and Editor-in-Chief, BTG, 1991. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| 2003 - No Guru reform: "defective system...going in the wrong direction" |
| "My perception is that it was not actually a reform. It was kind of
watering down the same misconception and continuing…that defective
system may have been watered down to some extent but it's still
prevailing. After Harikesa fell down in 1998, in 1999 I proposed that
it's obvious that we are going in the wrong direction." (July 20th 2003 Meeting, Toronto) HH Bhakti Caru Swami, ISKCON GBC voted-in Guru. (Still acting as unauthorised Guru). |
| TIMELESS - Srila Prabhupada condemns Guru-by-vote hoax |
 |
"Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court
judgment. A false acarya may try to override a Vaisnava by a highcourt
decision, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a
disciple of Kali-yuga." photo left: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: the REAL Initiating Guru of ISKCON. (Still acting as fully authorised Guru). |