Srila Prabhupada ;
" From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way. "
"Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not meant to be one-sided. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement also should be all-pervading. It should touch everything, even politics, sociology, everything, if required. That is the aim. Because Kṛṣṇa’s mission is: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7], paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]."
"Make your own field... and continue to be Ritvik... and act on my behalf." - Śrīla Prabhupāda: July 31, 1977.
-(Conv. 2.11.77)
Quote from ISKCON’s Certificate of Incorporation
“ It is declared that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of the Bay Area. He shall be the supreme power with respect to all matters of the Society, and that status shall not be occupied by or shared with any other individual, either during his lifetime, OR AFTER HIS DEATH. His name and title must appear on all documents, letterheads, publications and buildings of the Society or Corporation.”
From The Bhagavat, Its Philosophy, its Ethics and its Theology, By Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
" Two more principles characterize the Bhagavata which is liberty and progress of the soul throughout eternity. The Bhagavat teaches us that God gives us truth as he gave it to Vyasa, when we earnestly seek for it. Truth is eternal and unexhausted. The soul receives a revelation when it is anxious for it. The souls of the great thinkers of the by-gone ages, who now live spiritually, often approach our enquiring spirit and assist it in its development. Thus Vyas was assisted by Narada and Brahma. "
Tdasa; This corroborates everything the "ritviks" and those following Srila Prabhupada without change have been saying! "The soul receives a revelation when it is anxious for it. The souls of the great thinkers of the by-gone ages, who now live spiritually, often approach our enquiring spirit and assist it in its development." The word "approach " is used. The spiritual masters approach the enquiring soul. This is active, this is ALIVE, this is now, this is the living words of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura our great great guru, and Lord Sri Krishna.
The ceremony of diksha or initiation is that by which the spiritual Preceptor admits one to the status of a neophyte on the path of spiritual endeavour. The ceremony tends to confer spiritual enlightenment by abrogating sinfulness. Its actual effect depends on the degree of willing co-operation on the part of the disciple and is, therefore, not the same in all cases. It does not preclude the possibility of reversion on the novice to the non-spiritual state, if he slackens in his effort or misbehaves. Initiation puts a person on the true track and also imparts an initial impulse to go ahead. It cannot, however, keep one going for good unless one chooses to put forth his own voluntary effort. The nature of the initial impulse also varies in accordance with the condition of the recipient. But although the mercy of the good preceptor enables us to have a glimpse of the Absolute and of the path of His attainment, the seed that is thus sown requires very careful tending under the direction of the preceptor, if it is to germinate and grow into the fruit-and-shade-giving tree. Unless our soul of his own accord chooses to serve Krishna after obtaining a working idea of his real nature, he cannot long retain the Spiritual Vision. The soul is never compelled by Krishna to serve Him.
But initiation is never altogether futile. It changes the outlook of the disciple on life. If he sins after initiation, he may fall into greater depths of degradation than the uninitiated. But although even after initiation temporary set-backs may occur, they do not ordinarily prevent the final deliverance. The faintest glimmering of the real knowledge of the Absolute has sufficient power to change radically and for good the whole of our mental and physical constitution and this glimmering is incapable of being totally extinguished except in extraordinarily unfortunate cases.
WHY WAS SRILA PRABHUPADA MARTYRED ?
Prabhupada: ‘I know. I came here to take their suffering.
Even when I leave, I will keep continuing taking their suffering, and make them free so they can keep chanting Hare Krishna"
Prabhupāda: ".. In this institution, I am guru, and if everyone becomes guru, then who will carry out the order of guru? There must be disciple also, who will carry out the order of guru. So it is not required..."
Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:
"Now you have a very good field. Now organize it and it will be a great credit. No one will disturb you there. Make your own field and continue to become ritvik and act on my behalf."
(Śrīla Prabhupāda to Hansadutta : July 31, 1977)
ANYONE who tries to con you and says that formal diksha is not Srila Prabhupada's orders for us all, is lying
Dasa Tamohara
ANYONE who tries to con you and says that formal diksha is not Srila Prabhupada's orders for us all, is lying;
Srila Prabhupada said "You must take diksha!" He travelled the world doing dikshas. He appointed ritivks to do dikshas. He said don't change anything. All who took formal diksha are written into his book of disciples' names, no one else. All our acaryas did dikshas, Even Mahaprabhu Himself took formal diksha and was transformed. Puri Maharajaha says SP appointed ritviks, but the cons have no process, being unqualified, so they say not necessary to take diksha. They are making this nonsense up. Without brahminical diksha and mantras there is no Deity worship nor preaching to other brahmanas. Thus it ends our movement like a knife in the back.
The bhakti train runs on two rails; bhagavata dharma and pancaratriki vaidhi, ie pure spirit life, and formal rules etc. for us in this world and culture. You are wrecking our train with this nonsense! Brahmanas are to guide, and they are all duly initiated, not just "read some books."
FIRST INITIATION IS DIKSHA - SRILA PRABHUPADA OUR DIKSHA GURU
My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. I have been instructed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada to reply your letter dated July 25th, 1977.
Srila Prabhupada explained the difference between first and second initiation as follows: “Why do you believe in rumors, that first initiation is not so important as second? I have already said that it is equally important, but you say rumor. Actually first initiation is more important. You can go without second initiation; if the first initiation is executed very thoroughly that is sufficient. First initiation stands strong. The spiritual master accepts the disciple’s sinful reactions upon giving first initiation. The Vedic system was to give the sacred thread at the first initiation. We are following Pancaratriki. Vedic initiation was given to a person born to a brahmana. That is not possible in this age. Therefore he has to be prepared by Hari Nam initiation and then second initiation. He is given a chance. Therefore others protest that I am giving initiation: He is not born of a brahmana, how can he be initiated?”
YOU MUST TAKE DIKSHA, OR YOUR SERVICE IS USELESS !
Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it appears that there is a group of persons here in Australia who think, judging from the different questions that are being asked, they are thinking that it is not required to formally accept...
Prabhupāda: There are so many rascal svāmīs come. They say like that, "There is no need of guru."
Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, right. They think that Kṛṣṇa is in the heart, and you can accept initiation by that way.
Prabhupāda: You do not know where to find out Kṛṣṇa in the heart. [end]
"Unless one takes shelter of a bonafide, fully Krsna conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Krsna... ....Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Krsna can understand Krsna." [SB 7-5-32]
"Unless one is initiated by a bonafide spiritual master, ALL his devotional activities are USELESS.
A person who is not properly initiated can again descend into the animal specie." [Madhya Lila 15 .
"One should take initiation from a bonafide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is AUTHORIZED by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called dikshan-vidhana. [SB 4.8.54]
"Unless one takes shelter of a bonafide, fully Krsna conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Krsna.... Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Krsna , and has taken the dust of his lotus feet can understand Krsna..... One must take shelter of a self-realized spiritual master, that is the way to return home, back to Godhead." [SB 7.5.32 purport]
According to the Vaiṣṇava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brāhmaṇa. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Viṣṇu-yāmala:
adīkṣitasya vāmorukṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam
paśu-yonim avāpnotidīkṣā-virahito janaḥ
“‘Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.’”
Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.10) further quotes:
ato guruṁ praṇamyaivaṁsarva-svaṁ vinivedya ca
gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavaṁ mantraṁdīkṣā-pūrvaṁ vidhānataḥ
“‘It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything — body, mind and intelligence — one must take Vaiṣṇava initiation from him.’”
"One should not proudly think that one can understand the transcendental loving service of the Lord simply by reading books... One must accept a Vaisnava guru (adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions and answers one should gradually learn what pure devotional service to Krsna is. That is called the parampara system." (Cc. Antya-lila 7.53, purp.) — AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
** Srila Prabhupad is not a dead Guru. He is always present to guide us provided we are sincere and serious. **
Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get... Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called... Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is non different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's... Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He's eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious. All right.
(Srila Prabhupada's Lecture on the Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur London, September 3, 1971)
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