Dear Prabhu,
Hare Krishna! Thank you for your letter.
1) Puri Maharaja was given sannyasa , and promoted right until the end, by, Sivarama Maharaja especially because he was giving lots of money. As you correctly say “money is a big lord”! Those who promote false persons as bona fide gurus cannot themselves also be bona fide gurus even though they may have yet to fall externally. You are correct everyone, apart from the IRM, was saluting this person.
2) The real issue isn’t ‘RE-initiation’ but REAL initiation. Real initiation can only be received from the bona fide spiritual master, which is Srila Prabhupada. Those who were not authorized by Srila Prabhupada to replace him as diksa guru successors cannot offer either initiation or “re-initiation”. There is such concept of ‘re-initiation’ taught by Srila Prabhupada, but neither did he teach ‘false’ initiation from unauthorized persons.
(Just as a matter of correction Suhotra Prabhu did fall down. This is what he said:
“But the depression persisted and conspired with unhealthy, restless travel, lack of regulation, and lust, to knock me out of the race again. Since I have not kept up the vows and duties of sannyasa […] I relinquish the position of diksa and siksa guru …”
(Suhotra Prabhu letter, 15/3/2005)
3) You are correct that everyone gets what they want – Srila Prabhupada called this the society of the cheaters and the cheated. But those such as Braja and others who were being cheated previously do not need to remain cheated forever. They can accept the truth and come out into the light.
By the way there is nothing on this site which is either finger-pointing or word-jugglery. We are simply reproducing the directions of Srila Prabhupada and comparing them with what is being claimed by Sivarama Maharaja and other ISKCON gurus. I request you to please point out one word we have stated which is not true and not in line with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.
We thank you for your continued interest.
Your servants,
Publishers Back To Prabhupada
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1.) Money is a big Lord!
This is why we "loved" Puri m. so much. He was coming more frequently, and disciples were sticking on to him. I remember. From my point of view... well how should I say. During one of his lectures he moved around so much, that I got a glimpse of his penis, after that I decided, never again... I never went to another lecture he gave. After this I always kept distance from. This was one everyone was still saluting him. Including you Braja. What happened to him, was an obvious outcome of his behaviour. I wasnt surprised at all.
2.) re-initiation
This was always strange to me. Why do we have to re-initiate? Why do we need a new name? There are many devotees who arent re-initiated - at least in the west. But many need someone, on whom the can hang on to. Like a siksa guru. And then they strengthen this relationship say with, getting the gayatri mantra. This new name is very strange.
What bothers me is that those devotees get new names too, whose guru didnt even fall down. e.g. Suhotra M. He called his disciples together from many countries and openly told them that, he had lots of personal problems, so he cannot deal with their problems in the future. He was sick. But is this a reason for re-initiation?
By the way, I dont like this "He is ritvik, she is ritvik" (There is a special word for this in hungarian, this should be the closest to it). I get goose bumps on my back from the word already...
A devotee once told me that, it depends on our karma, and our spritiual lives, in our previous births, that what kind of guru we start getting attracted to.
I agree with this.
So Braja, or anyone, who have problems with their gurus, think about this. Dont point your fingers on others, and dont refute and juggle others words.
You now when you point your finger on others, three fingers point at you...