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Autumn 2006

One of ISKCON's GBC voted-in gurus, HH Sivarama Swami (SRS), states:

"But when new people are brought to the Krishna consciousness movement and they are introduced to Srila Prabhupada, Krishna our teachings and way of life, then they should be able to do so and become familiar with all of these things without necessarily being guided to a particular spiritual master who may happen to be the preacher's spiritual master or who may be the spiritual master of most of the devotees in that temple."
(SRS, "GBC resolutions on the worship of guru", podcast July 21st, 2006)

Here SRS states that new devotees should be allowed to be "introduced to Srila Prabhupada", without the burden of "being guided to a particular spiritual master" - like himself, perhaps! This is, in fact, a tacit admission that being guided to one of ISKCON's 80 unauthorised spiritual masters will block the way to Srila Prabhupada.

SRS then reveals his lack of faith in the authenticity of ISKCON's gurus as spiritual masters who can be glorified to the whole world:

"and therefore devotees' enthusiasm and worship for their spiritual master should be kept more or less to themselves in the public domain of ISKCON, or it should be kept amongst svajatiya Godbrothers and Godsisters, and in this case I'm talking about those who are initiated by the same spiritual master, and it should not be imposed on others."
(SRS, "GBC resolutions on the worship of guru", podcast July 21st, 2006)

This idea of restricting the worship and glorification of a bona fide spiritual master to a limited circle is completely bogus, and simply exposes the fact that such gurus are not bona fide; for Srila Prabhupada states:

"The bona fide spiritual master who accepts disciples from all over the world is also worshiped all over the world because of his qualities.
Lokanam asau pujyo yatha harih: the people of the world worship him just as they worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 24.330 purport)

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Further, SRS adds:

"The other aspect of this making propaganda for your spiritual master is that when devotees, spiritual masters, I hate to use the word, I don't like it so much I would rather prefer sannyasis, senior vaisnavas, GBCs; when they are preaching in public they should be advertised, but such advertisement is necessary but not on the basis of their being gurus, but on the basis of their actual service in the society such as a sannyasi, a grihastha etc. This is the rule you are referring to, Bill."
(SRS, "GBC resolutions on the worship of guru", podcast July 21st, 2006)

Here SRS again reveals a lack of faith in propounding the glories of ISKCON's gurus. He hates to use the word "spiritual master" when referring to his GBC-elected guru Godbrothers, and any advertising of their preaching should not refer to them as "gurus".

We can, of course, completely concur with SRS's sentiment, since none of the GBC gurus were authorised by Srila Prabhupada to be gurus in the first place. And that includes SRS himself.