Please accept our humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Today (July 17th), His Holiness Sivarama Maharaja has written a letter, which he has posted on his website and elsewhere, in which he claims to address the magazine Back To Prabhupada. We will here quote some of the statements made by Maharaja, and compare them to the contents of the magazine.
| The doctrine of this magazine, call it ritvika-vada, states that only Srila Prabhupada is the initiating guru for devotees of ISKCON and that none of his disciples or followers are qualified for that role. |
The magazine states NOWHERE that none of Srila Prabhupadas disciples or followers are qualified for that role. This is a complete fabrication.
Anyone who actually reads the magazine will see that such a statement is not presented anywhere within the magazine.
| This doctrine has no precedent in Vaisnava tradition, it has never been taught nor practiced by our acaryas, and it is not to be found in Srila Prabhupadas books, teachings, or will. |
Srila Prabhupadas Last Will and Testament, quoted in the magazine, actually states that all Executive directors for ISKCONs permanent Indian projects, such as Mayapura, Vrindavana etc., which are intended to last for thousands of years, MUST always be Srila Prabhupadas initiated disciples:
The executive directors who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of the death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, *provided the new director is my initiated disciple* following strictly all the rules and regulations of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as detailed in my books, and provided that there are never less than three(3) or more than five (5) executive directors acting at one time."
(Clause 3, Srila Prabhupadas Last Testament and Will, dated June 4th, 1977, emphasis added)
Clearly such a thing can only be possible if Srila Prabhupada continues to remain the Diksa Guru of ISKCON, thus ensuring there will always be a pool of Srila Prabhupadas initiated disciples from which future Executive Directors can be selected.
| I have included a refutation of ritvika-vada penned by His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami over ten years ago called, Where the ritviks are Wrong. |
These papers were refuted at the time, over ten years ago, and the refutation of these papers stand unchallenged to this very day. They can be read in English at the references given below, with the Hungarian translations to follow soon. Devotees are welcome to read these refutations and make up their own minds regarding who is correct:
Refutation of Where The Ritvik People are Wrong:
https://www.iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/a_reply_to_jayadvaita_swami.htm
Refutation of Where The Ritvik People are Wrong again:
https://www.iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/where_hhjayadvaita_is_wrong.htm
| Therefore ritviks and their literature should be ignored and devotees should keep association with Vaisnavas who increase their faith and devotion to Srila Prabhupada and his movement. |
We cannot appreciate that Maharaja does not want any devotees to read the magazine for themselves, because then the false statements he has made about its contents can go unchallenged. Nothing that Maharaja has said about the contents of the magazine is true. You do not need to take our word for it JUST READ IT AND CHECK FOR YOURSELVES.
| Devotees who have any questions about ritvik doctrine or how to deal with ritviks please speak with a local senior devotee or contact me. We will be happy to answer any questions. |
Here are some questions which need to be answered:
1) Why cant devotees read the magazine for themselves and make up their own minds, especially when Srila Prabhupada advises:
Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, (Letter to Karandhara, 22/12/72) |
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- How are devotees made to be independently thoughtful when they are forbidden to read arguments, arguments which it is claimed are supposedly easily answered?
Employing thought control is the opposite of making someone independently thoughtful as advised by Srila Prabhuapda.
2) If as Maharaja claims, His Holiness Jayadvaita Maharaja actually defeats the contents of the magazine in his papers, then what can possibly be the harm for devotees to read the magazine and the refutations to His Holiness Jayadvaita Maharajas papers, since in doing so devotees will supposedly simply find what His Holiness Sivarama Maharaja has claimed is confirmed?
We invite devotees to be independently thoughtful, as advised by Srila Prabhupada, and determine if indeed the contents of the magazine are offensive to Srila Prabhupada as claimed by Maharaja. Especially since the contents of the magazine consist primarily of quotes from Srila Prabhupada, GBC and ISKCON gurus, including His Holiness Sivarama Swami Maharaja himself!
Thank you for your time.
Your servants,
The Publishers,
Back To Prabhupada,
London,
United Kingdom