Iskcon gurus declare they're not qualified as Gurus in 1981-Iskcon World Magazine June 1981 -
Joseph Langevin <yasoda1008@yahoo.com>
To:Laksman Dion
Cc:Yasoda Nandana Prabhu
Sun., Feb. 28 at 1:50 p.m.
Iskcon gurus declare they're not qualified as Gurus in 1981-Iskcon World Magazine June 1981 -
"The present acaryas expressed that although they are supposed to be
the senior most Vaisnavas of the movement, they are still learning about their responsibilities as gurus."
Hare Krsna. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. All glories to all Vaisnavas.
The following article published in June 1981 in the Iskcon's World Magazine shows that the self appointed Gurus themselves declared that they were "still learning their responsibilities as Gurus".
It is also admitted by Satsvarupa Das Goswami here where he says the ISKCON gurus are imitators and fake Gurus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz37qsyc8-M
Now, isn't a Guru supposed to be on the topmost platform of devotional service and an eternally liberated soul(nitya-siddha)? If the Gurus themselves do not know how to liberate others and are still "not fully responsible enough", then it clearly shows that Srila Prabhupada didn't appoint them. Becoming a Guru is not a child's play. Let's first see what qualifications one should have to be called as a Guru.
"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world."[Translation, Nectar Of Instruction Verse 1,1975 Edition]
In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. The devotee should also know his own position and should not try to imitate a devotee situated on a higher platform. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaiṣṇavism. One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikārī. A neophyte Vaiṣṇava or a Vaiṣṇava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikārī as a spiritual master.
[Nectar Of Instruction, Verse 5, Purport,1975 Edition]
Guru says on the strength of śāstra. Therefore sādhu-guru-śāstra, three things must be there. Guru must be speaking on the strength of Vedic knowledge, not manufacturing. He's a rascal. Guru cannot become by manufacturing nonsense ideas. He's not guru. He's a rascal. Whatever guru will speak must be evidenced by the śāstra. That is guru. So you go to guru.
[Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974]
Please read the following article which makes some hilarious statements regarding Guruship.
Source: https://surrealist.org/jpgspdfs/iwr-vol1.pdf (Page 41)
GBC ‘no new gurus’ vote based on committee report
[June 1981,Vol. 1,No. 2]
S RI M A Y A PU R —The GBC subcommittee of initiating spiritual masters has decided against nominating any new gurus. The vote came at a subcommittee meeting here last March. In their report entitled “The Descending Process of Selecting a Spiritual Master,” the present acaryas proposed an indefinite moratorium on new spiritual masters (later approved by the GBC), stating that they did not now feel qualified to bestow guruship on others. The paper concludes, “ When Krishna wants more persons to initiate on His behalf, that fact will be revealed in the hearts of all...No trace of politics, controversy, or personal interest will cloud the issue.” But the acaryas did establish criteria for future selection, under the categories “ necessity,” “ qualification,” and “vows.” Types of necessity were defined. If a spiritual master's preaching area is too large for him to see devotees regularly, or if he is unwilling to accept more disciples, an additional guru is needed. And if an outstanding devotee is recognized by a significant number of advanced Vaisnavas, that could create a need. Next, the qualifications of guruship candidates were described. A candidate must be learned in the sastras and preach according to their siddhanta, conclusion, with practical effect. He must demonstrate realization of the primacy of Srila Prabhupada's mission, especially book distribution. He must recognize the GBC as the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON. He must excel in his preaching work and be free of kamini (attachment to sense gratification), pratistha (false prestige and personal ambition), kancana (the accumulative spirit), nisiddhacara (behavior against Vaisnava principles), kuti-nati (duplicity), puja (desire for personal worship), and labha (mundane profiteering). The vows prescribed by the committee for a candidate begin with agreeing that one’s personal mission is non different from Srila Prabhupada’s—to profusely distribute transcendental literatures, such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. and follow in Srila Prabhupada’s footsteps to establish ISKCON worldwide. He must agree that Srila Prabhupada is represented by ISKCON and that ISKCON is governed by the GBC, that he will be a guru for and within ISKCON. He must agree that external behavior is a sign of internal realization. and that he will never act in a way that might unnecessarily jeopardize ISKCON's worldwide mission. Finally, he must agree to carefully study aspiring disciples so as to not degrade the initiation process, and to direct his disciples following Srila Prabhupada’s example, and teach them that they are part of ISKCON. The paper said that in selecting a guru, the proper standard of Vaisnava behavior for a guru must be considered, noting that “becoming a guru should not be seen materially, as a prize feather in the cap, a higher rung on the ladder of success, or as a top administrative post.” Concerning the link between ISKCON gurus and their disciples, the committee resolved to deepen understanding of the relationship between spiritual master and disciple. All agreed that they were still evolving in their realization of the import of their eternal connection with their disciples. They also expressed that they were learning better how a guru relates to his own godbrothers. The present acaryas expressed that although they are supposed to be the senior most Vaisnavas of the movement, they are still learning about their responsibilities as gurus. “ We had to encounter difficult learning episodes during the year and therefore reasoned that we would have to be extremely cautious before presenting others with the post,” their report stated. “ We feel that by Prabhupada’s grace we are successfully discharging the duties of spiritual masters in Krishna Consciousness, but we are becoming increasingly aware that it is a difficult and demanding burden. “ We, as the initiating gurus who have to nominate a new candidate, as well as the GBC, who have to consider whether to confirm our nomination—do not feel our own qualification is as yet such that we can bestow guruship upon others as an act of our ‘mercy.’ “ We have to be aware that such ‘mercy’ on our parts could possibly be an act of violence on those whom we prematurely bestowed it, as well as their disciples. If a guru were selected under less than ideal circumstances, and later had major difficulty, the bad karmic effect of such a mistake would also come back heavily to us.” The committee unanimously concluded that perfecting their relationships with Srila Prabhupada was of the utmost importance. By strengthening their individual links with Srila Prabhupada, not only will they become qualified to link new acaryas to him, but they will also insure that the movement will never be compromised by impure quarrels and disunity like those which immobilized the Gaudiya Math. “ In summary, the spiritual master selection process is by the descending process. For the Krishna Consciousness movement in the modern age, this means direct contact with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The descending process means to glorify the pure and dynamic leadership of ISKCON by Srila Prabhupada, who is directly in touch with Lord Krishna and His transparent medium. “ In order to contact Krishna in disciplic succession, we have to catch hold of the merciful disciplic link shown as Srila Prabhupada. Once that connection is established, then others may link to us without any fear or doubt. “ Srila Prabhupada was the most perfect link and therefore we have to make perfectly sure that our link—connection to him—is strong and firm. All our activities should be to strengthen that link by which ISKCON is connected to Prabhupada. In this specific way, we will gain the eternal protection of the Krishna Conscious society and the blessings of the previous Vaisnavas. “ Establishing this eternal link is a most grave affair and has to be undertaken most seriously and purely. Therefore, we repeatedly prostrate ourselves before all the assembled Vaisnavas and request them to help us in living in the eternal protection of the Krishna Consciousness movement.” the report said.
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Some comments about the article:
1.
The committee unanimously concluded that perfecting their relationships with Srila Prabhupada was of the utmost importance. By strengthening their individual links with Srila Prabhupada, not only will they become qualified to link new acaryas to him, but they will also insure that the movement will never be compromised by impure quarrels and disunity like those which immobilized the Gaudiya Math.
If these Gurus here say that they are still "perfecting" their individual links to Srila Prabhupada, then how can they make their disciples link to the parampara if their link is itself imperfect?
"The Vedas declared:
yasya deve parā bhaktiryathā deve tathā gurautasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥprakāśante mahātmanaḥ
"Only unto one who has unflinching devotion to the Lord and to the spiritual master does transcendental knowledge become automatically revealed." Such a relationship between the disciple and the spiritual master is eternal. One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one has been strictly obedient to his spiritual master.
[SB 2.9.43,Purport,Original First Print 1972 Edition] "
Yes, here Srila Prabhupada does say the present disciple becomes future spiritual master but with a condition. The condition is that one should be "strictly obedient" to the Guru. Was that condition satisfied? The problem with them is that they want to jump the process with no qualification or obedience.
2.
"For the Krishna Consciousness movement in the modern age, this means direct contact with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada."
Here, these Gurus themselves agree that there should be a direct contact with Srila Prabhupada. But the problem is, they think that only through them can one achieve the contact. So where is their qualification? Srila Prabhupada directly mentions that we can still associate with him via "Vani"(sound). This direct contact is easily achieved by reading his Original books, regularly hearing more and more lectures, his BTG articles, his kirtan recordings etc. He is present "fully" in his words of which there is no doubt.
3.
We, as the initiating gurus who have to nominate a new candidate, as well as the GBC, who have to consider whether to confirm our nomination—do not feel our own qualification is as yet such that we can bestow guruship upon others as an act of our ‘mercy.’
If they are not qualified then why are they sitting on that position? So this is not parallel with Srila Prabhupada's purport below.
One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikārī. [NOI, 5, Purport, 1975 Edition]
In the absolute world there is no distinction as me, or he, and I. Krishna and His representative is the same. Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring.
[Letter to Malati -- Allston, Mass 28 May, 1968]
Srila Prabhupada explains about the so-called Gurus that take a little bit here and a little bit there
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What about the so-called gurus that take a little bit here and a little bit there?
Prabhupāda: So-called gurus, they are so-called gurus. They are not gurus. That is already explained. If one does not speak what Kṛṣṇa speaks, he is not guru. If you accept so-called guru, that is your misfortune. What can be done?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Some of them will say some things that Kṛṣṇa says, but they'll take from other places also. What is the position of such persons?
Prabhupāda: He's most dangerous. He's most dangerous. He is opportunist. He's finding out customer, something here... According to the customer he is giving something, as the customers will be pleased. So he is not guru. He's a servant. He wants to serve the so-called disciples so that he may be satisfied and pay him something. He's servant. He's not guru. Guru is the master. You cannot disobey guru. But if you become a servant, you want to please the disciple by flattering him to get his money, then you are not guru, you are servant. Just like a servant pleases the master. He's not guru. He's servant. So our position should be servant, yes, but servant of the Supreme. So guru means heavy. You cannot utilize him for satisfying your whims. That is not guru. (pause) Now? What other question?
[Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana]
"Don't follow any rascal. You follow the ācārya, you get the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our request. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then your human form of life will be blessed. You'll get success in obtaining this human form of life."
[Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972]
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