What is the Local (spi) Doctrine ?

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

Tdasa -1  Lol ! Here at spi, we consider ourselves simply the modern followers of HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, as he taught and set the perfect examples. There is no such thing as "ritvik philosophy", per se,  as we are simply following Prabhupada's philosophy.

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 mean one-sided. Kṛṣṇa as 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.

"Certainly association with devotees is essential. However, we attain association according to our qualification. It is not a fact that simply by living together we can take advantage of good association and it is true that we can associate with devotees even when we live a distance from them. Association does not necessarily mean living in the same room. However, living with devotees makes it easier to hear from them, whereas hearing is more difficult over a distance."

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

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.

Kṛṣṇa Kṛpā Srī Mūrti

The Embodiment of Kṛṣṇa's Mercy

 in glorification of Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda 

by Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami  on Śrīla Prabhupāda's disappearance day

6th November, 1994, Bhubaneswar, India.

We should understand a Vaiṣṇava never dies. A Vaiṣṇava has no birth and no death like an ordinary jīva. He is no ordinary jīva, he is beyond birth and death. As the Supreme Lord appears and disappears, similarly His dear devotee, Vaiṣṇava Thākura, appears and disappears.

na karma-bandhunaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate

viṣṇur anucaratvaṁ hi mokṣam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ

 

“A Vaiṣṇava does not take birth under the jurisdiction of karmic law. His birth and disappearance are transcendental. The wise have declared that the servants of Viṣṇu are eternally engaged in the liberated service of the Lord and hence are free from the laws of material nature.” (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, 10.113)

 

2 - I myself am not too keen on the so-called july 9 letter etc., as they are written by a madman Tamal Krshna and poisonner usurper party men; we prefer to see what Srila Prabhupada himself actually did in the actual real course of his lifetime, and what he wrote in his books, as opposed to fallacious legalistic documents meant to disempower and usurp.

RM Devi Dasi  "In our society everyone, either a brahmacari or sannyasi or grhastha, who has dedicated his life and soul for this movement, they are all on the same level of sannyasi. For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor from his Godbrothers. Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position."

Srila Prabhupada said that for one godbrother to sit in a position of honor and dictate charity to other godbrothers is nonsense, maya. tdasa

-3 Srila Prabhupada is eternally the founder-acarya and initiating Guru of ISKCON, and we are but his servants' servants' servants. He is perfect, and has made good arrangements for all who would follow him. Srila Prabhupada is eternally the diksha Guru in all of his temples. We the followers will attempt to provide pure siksha.

The GBC should all be the instructor (siksa) gurus. I am the initiator (diksa) guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 4th, 1975)

"So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.".  Srila Prabhupada lecture, Srimad Bhagavatam, August 18, 1968

 

        "So far as personal association with Guru is concerned, I was only with Guru Maharaj 4 or 5 times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instruction, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my God brothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through serving."

 

        "I went to your country for spreading this information of Krishna Consciousness and you are helping me in my mission, although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you." - Srila Prabhupada letter to Nandarani, Krishna Devi and Subala, October 3, 1967

 

        "I am always with you. Never mind if I am physically absent."
  - Srila Prabhupada letter to Jayananda, September 16, 1969"

"....My success is always there!"

Hanuman: One thing he's saying, this gentleman, and I would like to know, is your successor named or your successor will...
Prabhupada: My success is always there. Yes. Just like the sun is there always. It may come before your vision or not. The sun is there. But if you are fortunate, you come before the sun. Otherwise you remain in darkness. Sun is open to everyone. Our Krsna consciousness movement--Krsna is open to everyone. But if you are fortunate, you come to the light. If you are unfortunate, do not. That is your choice.

[Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples, February 12, 1975, Mexico]

I will never die!

Reporter: Who will succeed you when you die?

Srila Prabhupada: I will never die!

Devotee’s: Jaya! Haribol!

Srila Prabhupada: I will live forever for my books and you will utilise.

[Interview, Berkley, 1975]

May 28, 1977, Vrndavan
Satsvarupa Maharaja:"Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, PARTICULAR AT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US . We want to know how initiations would be conducted."

Srila Prabhupada:"Yes, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya." [ 'Officiating' is the performance of a function on behalf of another]

Tamal Krsna Maharaja: "Is that called ritvik-acarya?"

Srila Prabhupada: "Ritvik. Yes".

Prabhupada: No, no, I can understand. The thing is that everyone can take advantage of this statement that "I am perfect." Just like so many rogues and bogus persons come. But it is your duty to know whether he is perfect. It is your duty to test whether he is perfect. That requires intelligence. If you unintelligently accept some bogus person as perfect, that is your fault. You must be assured that "The person from whom I am asking, he is perfect." Then you take it. Otherwise don't take. Caracas, February 19, 1975 Heidi Lipis; "Based on this quote, defend the perfect! Defend Srila Prabhupdada! Do not waste your time defending the imperfect. We show compassion to vicitms, to the innocent, but not to those who take positions of leadership and wrongfully mislead innocents."

I will always be with you through my books and orders. I will always remain with you in that way. (BTG 13:1-2, December 1977)
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"I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my guru maharaja" (Srila Prabhupada to Tamal Krishna, 14 July 1977)
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"So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavour. Whether I am present or not present it doesn't matter." (Srila Prabhupada, arrival conversation, May 17th, 1977, Vrindavan)
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Devotee: Srila Prabhupada when you're not present with us, how is it possible to receive instructions? For example in questions that may arise...
Srila Prabhupada: Well the questions are answ...answers are there in my books. (morning walk, Los Angeles, 13/5/73)
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- 4 There is no such thing as a written authorization to be Guru, in current ISKCON.  All should simply humbly serve the spiritual master, and if one is so advanced that Krsna Himself calls someone out to be a new diksha Guru, then they can leave Srila Prabhupada's temples to do so, pl, they cannot sit on the vyasasana in Srila Prabhupada's temples of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu want us all to be guru to the extent we are capable, without changes, so there is a general call.I hope all will prefer to remain in Prabhupada's service eternally. Sri Guru shines like the pure sun, no rubber stamp approval committees required.

 Śrīla Prabhupāda Says - [On leadership in his ISKCON society]

"...after you, who will take the leadership?" And "Everyone will take, all my disciples. If you want, you can take also. (laughter) But if you follow. They are prepared to sacrifice everything, so they'll take the leadership. I may, one, go away, but there will be hundreds, and they'll preach. If you want, you can also become a leader. We have no such thing, that 'Here is leader.' Anyone who follows the previous leadership, he's a leader. 'Indian,' we have no such distinction, 'Indian,' 'European.' "

Brahmānanda: They wanted an Indian to be the leader?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) "Everyone, all my disciples, they are leaders. As purely as they follow, they become leader. If you want to follow, you can become a leader. You are Indian. But you don't want." I told them that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they probably wanted to propose somebody who would take over our movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Leaders. All nonsense. Leader means one who has become first-class disciple. He is leader. Evaṁ paramparā-prāpta... One who is perfectly following... Our instruction is ara na kariha mane asa **. You know this? What is that? Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, ara na kariha mane asa **.

Who is leader? A leader, to become leader, is not very difficult, provided one is prepared to follow the instructions of a bona fide guru.

[Room Conversation: Vṛndāvan 2 Nov 1977]

Srila Prabhupada had no written authorization to be guru, but was sent by his spiritual master alone to the West with a few books, to preach, and instruction to preach in English. General authorization implied. Srila Prabhupada told us his spiritual master ordered him, just as did Gour Govinda Swami.

TEXT 220: PURPORT: Although passing for a Vaiṣṇava, his only business is earning money in the dress of aVaiṣṇava. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore says that such a pseudoVaiṣṇava is not a Vaiṣṇava at all but a disciple of Kali-yuga. A disciple of Kali cannot become an ācārya by the decision of some high court. Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaiṣṇava ācārya A Vaiṣṇava ācārya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment. Prabhupada > Books > Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 > Cc. Madhya-lila >Madhya 1

- 5  There are many pure devotees! Even in our own lifetime after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, Srila Gour Govinda and possibly others, are there. Pure devotees do not agree on all things, just the essentials. The followers also will not agree on fine points, in fact, it is likely they will always disagree on something! But we all serve the Sri Guru, and each other. Srila Gour Govinda set a nice example by trying to work nicely within and reform deviant Iskcon, for which he was castigated. I accept him as a siksha guru, though spi members in general do not necessarily.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once remarked to his disciples, "You must become a general like me. I cannot be defeated."

Darshana, France 18 July 1986

Devotee: What happens when. . . .

Gour Govinda Swami: His instructions are there, vapu rūpa, vāṇī rūpa. Guru means pure devotee, Vaiṣṇava. Guru means very, very intimate associate of Lord Krishna. He isguru, spiritual master. When he is physically present, that is his presence is here, but inaprakata līlā when he disappears, at that time one should not think that guru is not there. He is always there. Krishna is always there. If you have eye you can see Krishna,

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

I have already spoken. If you have that bhakti-cakṣu, eye of devotion, and you have developed kṛṣṇa-prema, then you can see Krishna everywhere, yāṅhā yāṅhā netra pade tāṅhā kṛṣṇa sphure.  You look and see Krishna. How could Prahlad Maharaja see Krishna in a stone pillar whereas his father couldn’t?

tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi

sa ca me na praṇayśati

Bhagavad-gītā. 6.30

 Krishna says. “He always sees Me. I always see him. Spiritual master is always there. Don’t think that he is not physically present, that he is not there. He is there. He is always there. If you have developed love for the spiritual master, if you have developed that eye, you can see him, you can talk to him and he is also present in this form (banging the book), vāṇī–rūpa, his instructions are there. Don’t think so, when he is away.

- 6 Srila Prabhupada's teaching are the best for the world. He left us an ongoing process and his mercy is not diminished, rather he is fully available and is accepting followers. It is best if all simply followed and served Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati;422.How does a genuine disciple think?(p.338)


For the genuine devotee of a spiritual master, the genuine disciple, the spiritual master is his entire life, his ideal. His vow is to serve the spiritual master, and though he adores both Krishna and the spiritual master equally, he gives special preference to his spiritual master.

"The conclusion is that a spiritual master who is authorized and
empowered by Krishna and his own guru should be considered as good as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of
Visvanatha Cakravarti: saksad-dharitvenasa. [...] As Hari is free to
act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari
is not subject to mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master
empowered by Him is also not subject."  (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,
Madhya-lila 10.136, purport)

- All books of the Goswamis may be read, should be read. For new devotees, and for true bhaktas of deep heart, they may choose to read only Srila Prabhupada's books, and that is enough and a good determination. However, for a mature student, there is no bar on reading all the works of the acaryas.

"Within the past five hundred years, many erudite scholars and ācāryas like Jīva Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Vallabhācārya, and many other distinguished scholars even after the time of Lord Caitanya made elaborate commentaries on the Bhāgavatam. And the serious student would do well to attempt to go through them to better relish the transcendental messages." Srila Prabhupada's purports
Srila Prabhupad SB 1.1.2.12

These quotes are in his purports to the canto 1, part 1, chap 2, verse 12..

"A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to hear the Vedic literature like the Upanisads, Vedanta and other literatures left by the previous authorities or Gosvamis, for the benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures, one cannot make actual progress."  Srila Prabhupad SB 1.1.2.12

courtesy HG Visvambhara Priya dd.

 

- 7 Initiation is a MUST, except when there is no sanga around to work with to receive same. Currently, there are no shortages of devotees who could assist new followers. Herein at spi, we have elected temple presidents, two current, and administrators, all of whom can recommend new followers to the temple president for diksha as Srila Prabhupada's duly authorized disciples. There is a process, and its not an easy one.... but easy for those who are of pure intent.

"
From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way..."
Srila Prabhupada
.

"Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn't matter. You are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It doesn't matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Maharaja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha, I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical."

"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 descent 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]

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

- 8 I have no objections to other Gaudiya Vaisnava associations, or indeed any pure spiritual associations, and do not reject their teachers, though i may not have much to do with them directly, either, as their activities are mostly not my concern, except inasmuch as we can enjoy kirtana and prasadam together sometimes.

In a Dec 31 1976 press interview, Srila Prabhupada explained:

"We never compromise. All my students, they will never compromise. Why shall I compromise? If I am confident that I am speaking the truth, why shall I make compromise? Those who are not confident of his position, they will make compromise. One who does not know where he stands, he will make compromise. And if I know where I am standing, why shall I make compromise? Let others do whatever he likes. This is our position."

- 9 I beleive, in no changes; so far as possible in all things ISKCON.

"
From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way..."
Srila Prabhupada
.

WHATEVER I HAVE INTRODUCED SHOULD REMAIN

One thing I received one letter from Gurukula regarding the Krsna Bowl contests, and I want you to know that nothing new should be added. Whatever I have introduced should remain. Nothing new should be added. New things means their brain is not clear. Carefully manage things what I have established.

Letter to: Rupanuga:
—
Vrindaban
4 September, 1974
74-09-04
Washington D.C.

- 9 1/2 In regards GBCs; we have none currently at spi, not needed.

 "United Nations is trying to come to Oneness, ONENESS of all Nation, they have no acheived it,  but instead they are increasing their plans..." Srila Prabhupada, Columbus, Ohio, May 12, 1969 

" The Great Sinister Movement has come to be within our ISKCON Hare Krishna Movement..." SP paraphrased

 In a July 9, 1971 letter to Umapati Das, Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"GBC members are simply to see that things are going on. Other centers have got president, secretary, etc. and they are managing separately. That is the formula. So how is it that the GBC are the final authority? They are simply to examine that things are going on nicely, that is all."

“GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that the
standards are maintained.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 14th, 1972)

“What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC? So for the time being, let the GBC activities be suspended until I thoroughly revise the whole procedure.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 11th, 1972)

“I made the GBC to give me relief, but if you do like this, then where is the relief. It is anxiety for me. This is the difficulty, that as soon as one gets power, he becomes whimsical and spoils everything.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 12th, 1974 )

“I am training some of my experienced disciples how to manage after my departure. So if instead of taking the training, if in my lifetime you people say I am the Lord of all I survey, that is dangerous conspiracy.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 8th, 1974)

“But the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. “
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 16th, 1974)

“The GBC should all be the instructor (siksa) gurus. I am the initiator (diksa) guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 4th, 1975)

“The GBC (Governing Body Commission) has been established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to represent Him in carrying out the responsibility of managing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of which He is the Founder-Acarya and supreme authority. The GBC accepts as its life and soul His divine instructions and recognizes that it is completely dependent on His mercy in all respects. The GBC has no other function or purpose other than to execute the instructions so kindly given by His Divine Grace and preserve and spread his Teachings to the world in their pure form.”;(GBC Resolution No.1, 1975)

“Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 10th, 1975)

"It is now evident that some of our top men are very much ambitious and there has been so many fall-downs.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 27th, 1975)

"Our mission is to serve bhakta-visesa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru—gurusu nara-matih. That is the material disease.”( Srila Prabhupada Conversation, April 20th, 1977)

 And yes, the following is for real; 

"We must not rest until we have fully implemented a NEW WORLD KC ORDER!" Jayapataka Swami, GBC letterhead sent to all GBC, Sept. 5, 1985.

Further evidences;

May 28, 1977, Vrndavan
Satsvarupa Maharaja:"Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, PARTICULAR AT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US . We want to know how initiations would be conducted."

Srila Prabhupada:"Yes, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya." [ 'Officiating' is the performance of a function on behalf of another]

Tamal Krsna Maharaja: "Is that called ritvik-acarya?"

Srila Prabhupada: "Ritvik. Yes".

Prabhupada: No, no, I can understand. The thing is that everyone can take advantage of this statement that "I am perfect." Just like so many rogues and bogus persons come. But it is your duty to know whether he is perfect. It is your duty to test whether he is perfect. That requires intelligence. If you unintelligently accept some bogus person as perfect, that is your fault. You must be assured that "The person from whom I am asking, he is perfect." Then you take it. Otherwise don't take. Caracas, February 19, 1975 Heidi Lipis; "Based on this quote, defend the perfect! Defend Srila Prabhupdada! Do not waste your time defending the imperfect. We show compassion to vicitms, to the innocent, but not to those who take positions of leadership and wrongfully mislead innocents."

Srila Prabhupada: "Ritvik. Yes" ;

Padmagarbha Das "One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari [the highest stage of spiritual realization] " (The Nectar of Instruction, text 5,
purport)

"There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down,
even though he may mix with non-devotees to preach. Conviction and
faith gradually increase to make one an uttama-adhikari, a first-class
devotee." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.71, purport]

"When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is
to be accepted as a guru and worshipped exactly like Hari, the
Personality of Godhead. ONLY such a person is eligible to occupy the
post of a guru." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 24.330,
purport)

"It is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by
the ropes of illusion. [...] Because the bound cannot help the bound,
the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krishna, or His
bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the
conditioned soul." (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.14, purport, 1972 ed.)

"A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time
eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the
Supreme Lord [...]"
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, purport)

"A spiritually advanced person who acts with authority, as the
spiritual master, speaks as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
dictates from within. Thus it is not he that is personally speaking.
When a pure devotee or spiritual master speaks, what he says should be
accepted as having been directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in the parampara system."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 5.71, purport)

"You are correct when you say that when the Spiritual Master speaks it
should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A Spiritual
Master must be liberated."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 10th, 1969)

".... such an acarya, or spiritual master, should be considered
non-different from Krishna, that is, he should be considered the
incarnation of Lord Krishna's potency. Such a personality is
krsnalingita-vigraha, that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna [...] He is the guru, or spiritual
master, for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the
maha-bhagavata stage, and a paramahamsa-thakura, a spiritual form only
fit to be addressed as paramahamsa or thakura." (Sri Caitanya-
caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25.9, purport)

"Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual
Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual
Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance
[...] So to summarize the whole thing, it is to be understood that a
bona fide Spiritual Master is a resident of Krishna Loka." (Srila
Prabhupada Letter, June 10th, 1969)

"One should understand the Spiritual Master to be as good as I am,
said the Blessed Lord [...] `the Spiritual Master is the sum total of
all demigods. That is, the acarya has been identified with God
Himself." (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, February 1936)

"The spiritual master, or acarya, is always situated in the spiritual
status of life. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him
[...] therefore, after the disappearance of an acarya, his body is
never burnt to ashes, for it is a spiritual body. The spiritual body
is always unaffected by material conditions." (Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.4.20, purport)

"The conclusion is that a spiritual master who is authorized and
empowered by Krishna and his own guru should be considered as good as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of
Visvanatha Cakravarti: saksad-dharitvenasa. [...] As Hari is free to
act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari
is not subject to mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master
empowered by Him is also not subject." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,
Madhya-lila 10.136, purport)

"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 descent 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]

"A siksa guru [instructing guru or priest] who instructs against the instructions of the spiritual master
he is not a siksa guru. He is a demon! Sometimes the diksa guru [initiating guru] is not present
always. Therefor one can take learning, instructions from an advanced devotee. That is called siksa-guru.
But siksa-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the diksa-guru. He is not a siksa-guru. He is a rascal. Because that is offense. Guru avjna, defying the authority of guru.
This is the first offense. So, one who is offensive, how can he make advance in chanting? He cannot make. Then everything is finished, in the beginning!" [Bg. 17:1-3, 07-4-74, Hawaii]

"Guru cannot be self-made. No. There is NO such single instance throughout the whole vedic literature.
And nowadays, so many rascals they are becoming guru without any authority. That is NOT guru.
You MUST be authorized!" [Bg. 4.2]

"As for your next question, can only a pure devotee deliver others,.......anyone
if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he is on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will go to hell, like the blind man leading the blind." [letter to Tusta Krsna dasa, 12-14-72]

"Therefore, having a bonafide spiritual master and serving him, and pleasing him, and getting his mercy is essential. Otherwise there can be NO advancement in Krsna consciousness. And unless the spiritual master is a pure devotee of Krsna, then he has no potency to give Krsna. He is simply a cheating rascal!
So, in fact, above all the rules and regulations and offenses I have mentioned, the most important thing, the essential thing, which is required, if you want to come to the stage of purely chanting the Hare Krsna mantra,
is, you MUST have a bonafide spiritual master, who is a pure devotee of Krsna. Without having a bonafide spiritual master you can chant Hare Krsna forever, but will not be able to advance, because Krsna does
not reveal Himself in this way. He ONLY reveals Himself to those devotees who surrender to, and serve, and please His pure devotee!" [letter to his London disciples, July 1969]

"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]

"It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver the disciple". [S.B. 28.7]

May 28, 1977, Vrndavan
Satsvarupa Maharaja:"Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, PARTICULAR AT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US . We want to know how initiations would be conducted."

Srila Prabhupada:"Yes, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya." [ 'Officiating' is the performance of a function on behalf of another]

Tamal Krsna Maharaja: "Is that called ritvik-acarya?"

Srila Prabhupada: "Ritvik. Yes".

Prabhupada: No, no, I can understand. The thing is that everyone can take advantage of this statement that "I am perfect." Just like so many rogues and bogus persons come. But it is your duty to know whether he is perfect. It is your duty to test whether he is perfect. That requires intelligence. If you unintelligently accept some bogus person as perfect, that is your fault. You must be assured that "The person from whom I am asking, he is perfect." Then you take it. Otherwise don't take. Caracas, February 19, 1975 Heidi Lipis; "Based on this quote, defend the perfect! Defend Srila Prabhupdada! Do not waste your time defending the imperfect. We show compassion to vicitms, to the innocent, but not to those who take positions of leadership and wrongfully mislead innocents."

SBSSP; “We should not become subordinate (nicata) to non-devotees, but to devotees, from whom we should beg mercy and show respect. The mahajanas instructed us not to display humility before everyone. To show humility towards envious atheists like Ravana and the pretentious brahmana is not vaishnave-seva or trnad-api-suhisnuna. If we transgress this instruction we will never become qualified to chant the holy name or attain name ruci; rather, our actions will result in becoming envious of them. Rama bhakta Hanumans burning of lanka is real trnad-api-suhisnuna." ( Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati - Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava 2.222 ).

SP; Tṛṇād api sunīcena does not mean that if a Vaiṣṇava is insulted or Viṣṇu is defamed, you remain silent, "I am tṛṇād api sunīcena." No. At that time you should become fire. That is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just like Hanumānjī, he's Vaiṣṇava. But when there was need for the service of Lord Rāmacandra, he set fire in the Lanka. So when there is viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-ninda,defamation, you should not remain tṛṇād api sunīcena. You should take steps. This is the instruction. Anyway, Vaiṣṇava is never angry, but that does not mean that you tolerate insult to Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. No. He should be angry. Bhakta-dveṣi. Just like our student Govinda dāsī in Hawaii. In a meeting she became very angry when the so-called incarnation of God and God... Perhaps you know this incident. And the people did not say, of course, Govinda dāsī, but they heard her husband, Gaurasundara. But she became very angry, that "These rascals," and so many things she spoke. (chuckles) So she did right, like a heroine. I very much liked it. So we should be very much angry. When? When there is anything against God and God's devotee." Srila Prabhupada Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972

"Our only strength is chanting
Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. So if
we stick to the principle of
chanting Hare Krishna Mantra,
following the rules and regulations,
that will give us strength to work
on both sides - namely to
enlighten people in Krishna
Consciousness and cut down the
bad government full of atheistic
people."
Letter to Madhudvisa Maharaja
15 September, 1971

  Jagannatha Dasa Babaji had many disciples. He often gave the following instructions:

   (1) "You must avoid women, men who associate with women, or with a man who in any way associates with a man who associates with a woman.
 
   (2) "To realize the supreme goal of life you must repeat Harinama regularly and steadfastly. Steadiness is so important that it must be maintained even at the cost of one's life.

   (3) "Never forget Gaura who is more merciful and benevolent than Krishna. Krishna is like a just ruler who takes into account your offenses in His administration of justice. Gaura does not take your offenses into account. Whereas, Krishna is more interested in the dispensation of justice, Gaura is more interested in the distribution of mercy. From this point of view, Gaura-kirtana is more useful than Krishna-kirtana. Gaura-kirtana means: Shri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Shri Advaita, Gadadhara, Shrivasadi, Gaura bhakta vrinda.

   (4) "Krishna is the avatara of Dvapara-yuga. Gaura is the Kali-yuga avatara. We should sing the name and glories of the avatara in whose age we live; just as in a kingdom we praise the ruling king." jaya saci-nandana gaura hari, jaya saci-nandana gaura hari.

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

• mahasrnga dasa
• Today at 2:18 AM sept 2014
  

I find it amusing that devotees after so many years are still brainwashed by what the 11 propagated and have developed a mental block in regards to the simple direction Prabhupada gave for his movement.  Repeating words like "ritvik philosophy", "ritvik vada" or trying to lump in "ritviks" in the same category immediately reveals one a fool, parrot or buffoon.

 Prabhupada gave an answer to a simple question, the 11 didn't like it, disobeyed it and bastardized the word 'ritvik' and the dummies fell and after almost 40 years are still falling for it.

 Srila Prabhupada set up the morning program of singing Sri Sri Gurv-astaka in all his centers around the world and within a few weeks the active homosexual "guru" Bhavananda changed Prabhupada's system, on the ill advice of Narayana Maharaja at, Vrndavan and although Vibhavari Sesa is certainly a beautiful song, it was not authorized by Srila Prabhupada to be sung in front of the Deities for Mongal Artik.  In exactly the same way Prabhupada never "authorized" hundreds of diksa gurus to cut up the "pie" of Iskcon and to live off Prabhupada'[s hard work.  

And after 50 of the voted in gurus have fallen the cheaters continue to foolishly enjoy the pratishta for a moment on their royal road to repeated births and deaths.

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

• tim lee

good except GGM told me our idea is "not in the tradition, you need a living person."

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

Puranjana Prabhu; Yes, that is the usual way, traditional, but also, ritvik priests representing the acarya is also traditional, so the pure devotee Srila Gour Govinda Swami has a different angle on this than other acaryas, but it is superficial, regarding practicds and specifics, and is up to the current acarya if he wants to adjust accordingly, as did our Srila Prabhupada.

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

Comments of SPI Beliefs

From Arnold Smith to You
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Hare Krishna! Here are a few initial thoughts:

Srila Prabhupada's philosophy is grounded in thousands of years of history and practice. His teaching comes from the original source, Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is revealed to all of humanity through the Bhagavad-Gita as a combination of Samkya philosophy and Bhakti-yoga. This being said, since these teachings come from the original source, they surpass all philosophy and religion, hence their transcendence.

The key to Prabhupada's mission is to bring Krishna Consciouness to everyone. It is not necessary to live in a temple or dress a certain way. George Harrison, for example, was very spiritual, but dressed as a plain-clothes Krishna. In addition, he used his talents to spread Krishna Consciousness to many people around the world. This is an example of true meaning behind the Varnasrama system. Each person has different talents and skills, but regardless of what they are, they can be used to serve Krishna.

In the quote from RM Devi Dasi, I think Prabhupada was simply trying to avoid the problems experienced by the Gaudia Math after the death of Bhaktisiddanta Saravati. Rather than move forward with the spiritual goals set forth by their guru, they chose to engage in all manner of political and legal disputes that made the Math ineffective. Prabhupada did not want his movement to suffer such an end.

"So far as personal association with Guru is concerned..."

This is an excellent quote. Anytime we read the words of Prabhupada or other acaryas, they are speaking to us, just as if they were in the room. We can learn from them, follow their example and instruction, but only if we are open to receiving the words. A person can read, or even memorize a text, but that does not mean that they understand it. One must experience the presence of the author and submit. When the presence is felt, the Truth is revealed. It is the loving service that produces the connection.

Similarly, Krishna is everywhere and in all things. If a person's eyes are open to this, they will see; if not, they will fail to see. No one can see what he refused to see.

"Within the last five hundred years..."

The modern literature is vast, just as the ancient literature is vast. One could sample from the Vedas, Upanishads, etc; but most chose not to and lacked the time to, so Sri Krishna, in His mercy, gave us the Bhagavad-Gita as a basic textbook. Still today, we can pick up this work and come to know Krishna, and enter into His service. However, we can get a much fuller understanding through Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as other texts from Prabhupada and the acarya's before him. There are multitudes of lifetimes worth of literature for those who wish to delve into it. There is no reason to reject it.

These are just some initial comments. I will likely have more later. Please feel free to reply or question.

Haribol!

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

"Certainly association with devotees is essential. However, we attain association according to our qualification. It is not a fact that simply by living together we can take advantage of good association and it is true that we can associate with devotees even when we live a distance from them. Association does not necessarily mean living in the same room. However, living with devotees makes it easier to hear from them, whereas hearing is more difficult over a distance."

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

 

There are two kinds of instructing spiritual masters. One is the liberated person fully absorbed in meditation in devotional service, and the other is he who invokes the disciple's spiritual consciousness by means of relevant instructions. (Adi 1.47)

 

"...in order to receive the real message of Srimad Bhagavatam one should approach the current link, or spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession." (S.B. 2.9.7)

 

"...disciplic succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic succession means to accept the disciplic conclusion. (Letter Dinesh 10/31/69)

 

In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Visnu. This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness. (Madhya 9.61)

 

Diksa actually means initiating a disciple with transcendental knowledge by which he becomes freed from all material contamination. (Madhya 4.110)

 

Initiation or no initiation, first thing is knowledge. (break) ...knowledge. Initiation is formality. Just like you go to a school for knowledge, and admission is formality. That is not very important thing. (Conv. 10/16/76)

 

In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully, so if there is anything which you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop.(Letter Baharupa 11/22/74)

 

Everyone of you must regularly read our books at least twice, in the morning and evening, and automatically all questions will be answered. (Letter Ranadhir 1/24/70)

 

"I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaja." (Conv. 7/14/77)

 

Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on." (Adi 1.35)

 

Sometimes a diksa-guru is not present always. Therefore one can take learning, instruction, from an advanced devotee. That is called the siksa-guru. (Lec 7/4/77 Honolulu)

 

You simply say, "Krsna said four things: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. 'Just always think of Me.' Krsna said. 'And just become My devotee. Just worship Me and offer obeisances.' Kindly do these things." So if you can induce one person to do these four things, you become guru. Is there any difficulty? (Conv. 2/8/76 Paris)

 

It is not that to be a representative of Krsna or to be a spiritual master one has to have any extraordinary qualification. He simply has to carry the message from the authority as it is without any personal interpretation. (EK6 pg. 80)

 

In our Krsna Consciousness Movement the requirement is that one must be prepared to give up the four pillars of sinful life- illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. In Western countries especially, we first observe whether a potential disciple is prepared to follow the regulative principles. Then he is given the name of a Vaisnava servant and initiated to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, at least sixteen rounds daily. In this way the disciple renders devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master or his representative for at least six months to a year. (Madhya 24.330 Purport)

 

Narottama dasa Thakura says, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: without serving a pure devotee, one cannot advance in spiritual life." (S.B. 4.22.22)

 

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service to him. The self realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." (Bhagavad Gita verse 4.34)

 

The service of the spiritual master is essential. If there is no chance to serve the spiritual master directly, a devotee should serve him by remembering his instructions. There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple. (Adi 1.35)

 

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, when you're not present with us, how is it possible to receive instructions ? For example in questions that may arise...

Srila Prabhupada: Well the questions are answ...answers are there in my books. (Conv. 5/13/73)

 

So utilize whatever time you find to make a thorough study of my books. Then all your questions will be answered. (Letter Upendra 1/7/76)

 

These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing. (Letter Rupanuga 10/19/74)

 

Narayana: So those disciples who don't have the opportunity to see you or speak with you...

Srila Prabhupada: That he was speaking, vani and vapu. Even if you don't see his body, you take his words, vani.

Narayana: But how do they know they're pleasing you ?

Srila Prabhupada: If you actually follow the words of Guru, that means he is pleased. And if you do not follow, how can he be pleased ? Sudama: Not only that, but your mercy is spread everywhere, and if we take advantage, you told us once, then we will feel the result. Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayadvaita: And if we have faith in what the Guru says, then automatically we'll do that.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. My Guru Maharaja passed away in 1936, and I started this Movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then ? I am getting the mercy of Guru. This vani. Even if Guru is not physically present, if you follow the vani, then you are getting help.

Sudama: So there is no question of ever separation as long as the disciple follows the instructions of Guru.

 

"Whether I am present or not present, it doesn't matter. As Krsna is living eternally, similarly, living being also lives eternally. But kirtir yasya sa jivati: "One who has done service to the Lord lives forever." So you have been taught to serve Krsna, and with Krsna we'll live eternally. Our life is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. A temporary disappearance of this body, it doesn't matter. Body is meant for disappearance. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So live forever by serving Krsna. (Conv. 5/17/77 Vrndavana)

 

Sometimes a diksa-guru is not present always. Therefore one can take learning, instruction, from an advanced devotee. That is called the siksa-guru. (Lec 7/4/77 Honolulu)

 

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, this Krsna consciousness movement propagana, what is this propaganda? He says that "Every one of you become guru." He wants not rascal imitation guru but real guru. That He wants. Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa. You haven't got to go foreign countries. Wherever you are, you teach; become guru. It doesn't matter. Ei desa. He says, ei desa. If you have got power, you can go other country, but it doesn't require. In whichever village, whichever country or town you are, you become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa. "This country, this place." So, "But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?" There is no need of qualification. "Still I can become guru?" Yes. "How?" Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa: "Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Krsna has said. That's all. You become guru."

(Lec. 5/21/76)

 

There are two kinds of instructing spiritual masters. One is the liberated person fully absorbed in meditation in devotional service, and the other is he who invokes the disciple's spiritual consciousness by means of relevant instructions. (Adi 1.47)

 

Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on." (Adi 1.35)

 

"A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept.

 

"The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class..." (Madhya 24.330) "When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata (perfected devotee), he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactky like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of guru." (Madhya 24.330)

 

"Srila Rupa Goswami advises the devotee to be intelligent to distinguish between the kanistha-adhikari (neophyte), madhyama-adhikari (intermediate), and uttama-adhikari (fully self-realized)...Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given some hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikari vaishnava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaishnavism.One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama adhikari. A neophyte vaishnava or a vaishnava 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 adhikari as a spiritual master." (Nectar of Instruction txt 5)

 

Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance. (Letter Mukunda 6/10/69)

 

...sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples." (NOD 14 p.116)

 

As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post he immediately falls down. (S.B. 5/12/14 P)

 

The so called spiritual master without sense control is certainly the cheater, and the disciple of such a so called spiritual master is the cheated." (S.B. 2.9.43)

 

Such cheating gurus should not be accepted. Anyone can see how the bona fide spiritual master accepts disciples from all over the world. The guru is a qualified brahmana; therefore he knows Brahman and Parabrahman. He thus devotes his life ... teaches his disciples to follow in his footsteps. Thus he is an acarya or jagad-guru. (Madhya 24.330)

 

Srila Rupa Gosvami, however, has explained that jagad-guru properly refers to one who is the controller of his tongue, mind, words, belly, genitals and anger. Prthivim sa sisyat: such a jagad-guru is completely fit to make disciples all over the world. (Adi. 7.64)

 

23. If everyone just initiates then there will only be a contradictory result. As long as it goes on there will be only failure. 29. O shame! My dear brothers, aren't you embarrassed? In the manner of businessmen you increase your disciples. 40. The one who renounces the guru's order (guru tyagi) and the one who tries to enjoy the assets of his spiritual master (guru-bhogi) are two kinds of useless persons. First become a servant of your spiritual master (guru-sevi) and then you will understand things clearly. (Phalguna Krishna Pancami)

 

Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that "This man should ... began to fight, who shall be acarya. That is the failure. They never thought, "Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man ... somebody acarya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why did he not say? He said so ... missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another man came, then another, acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Maharaja is dead, "Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru." Then he's finished. (Lec. Aug 16, 1976 Bom.)

 

"In the latter days of my Guru Maharaja he was very disgusted. Actually, he left this world earlier, otherwise he would have continued to live for more years. Still he requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year.THEREFORE WE MAY NOT COMMIT THE SAME MISTAKE IN OUR ISKCON CAMP. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them." (Letter Rup. 4/28/74)

 

The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want. (Letter Madhudvisa 8/4/75)

 

...the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. (Letter Jayatirtha 12/16/74)

 

I think it is best thing if the GBC members always travel on Sankirtana Party in their zone and go from one village to another and visit the temples to see how the students are learning and do my work. In this way, they will avoid the propensity to sit down and plot and scheme how to eat and sleep. So you can advise them all to travel extensively on Sankirtana all over their zone. (Letter Karanandhara 5/4/72)

 

"Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect. All of our students will have to become guru, but they are not qualified. This is the difficulty." (Letter Alanatha 11/10/75)

 

"Unfortunately in this Age of Kali there are many mundane persons in the dress of Vaisnavas, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has described them as disciples of Kali. He says, kali-cela. He indicates that there is another Vaisnava, a pseudoVaisnava with tilaka on his nose and kanthi beads around his neck. Such a pseudo Vaisnava associates with money and women and is jealous of successful Vaisnavas. Although passing for a Vaisnava, his only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaisnava. Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore says that such a pseudoVaisnava is not a Vaisnava at all but a disciple of Kali-yuga. A disciple of Kali cannot become an acarya by the decision of some high court. Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment. A false acarya may try to override a Vaisnava by a high-court decision, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a disciple of Kali-yuga." (Madhya 1.220)

 

"Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called acaryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the acaryas. These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in the Bhagavad-gita that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell (Bg. 16.19-20). Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification." (ISO 12)

 

"Unfortunately, when the acharya disappears, rogues and non-devotees take advantage and immediatly begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. [...] The acarya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. (SB 4.28.48)

 

...twelve men are authorized to preach Krsna consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Therefore we have created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a sudra. Although Yamaraja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He was punished to become a sudra. So those who are GBC's, they should be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they will be punished. As the post is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great. (Lec. Gen. 6/4/74)

 

What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC ? (Letter Hansadhutta 4/11/72)

 

The standards I have already given you, now try to maintain them at all times under standard procedure. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything, that will ruin everything. (Letter Bali Mardana 9/18/72)

 

Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment. (Madhya 1.220)

 

Sri Jiva Gosvami advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. (Adi. 1.35 P)

 

Prabhupada: Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A guru can become guru when he's ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru. (Lec. 10/28/75)

 

Tamal Krsna: The process of purification must be there. Prabhupada: Oh, yes, must be there. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants that. Amara ajnaya guru hana. "You become guru." (laughs) But be qualified. Little thing, strictly follower... Tamala Krsna: Not rubber stamp. Prabhupada: Then you'll not be effective. You can cheat, but it will not be effective. Just see our Gaudiya Matha. Everyone wanted to become guru, and a small temple and "guru." What kind of guru? (Conv. 4/22/77)

 

"When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata (perfected devotee), he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactky like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of guru." (Madhya 24.330)

 

" So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the spiritual master, that is living." (Lec 1/13/69 L.A.)

 

"So far as personal association with Guru is concerned, I was only with my Guru Maharaja four or five times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instruction, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my Godbrothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through service." (Letter Satyadhana 2/20/72)

 

"...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 Malati 5/28/68)

 

I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in His service His pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve the Spiritual Master's word is more important than to serve him physically. (Letter Syamasundara 7/19/70)

 

Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is the real touch. (Letter to students 8/2/67)

 

The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent. (S.B. 2.9.8 purport)

 

There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple. (Adi 1.35)

 

"After 80 years, no one can be expected to live long. My life is almost ended. So you have to carry on, and these books will do everything." (Conv. 2/18/76)

 

"So there is nothing new to be said. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue in your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present it doesn't matter." (Arrival Conv. 5/17/77 Vrn.)

 

Madhudvisa: Is there any way for a Christian to, without the help of a spiritual master, to reach the spiritual sky through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?

Prabhupada: I don't follow.

Tamala Krsna: Can a Christian in this age, without a spiritual master, but by reading the Bible and following Jesus's words, reach the...

Prabhupada: When you read Bible, you follow spiritual master. How can you say without? As soon as you read Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ, that means you are following spiritual master. So where is the opportunity of being without spiritual master?

Madhudvisa: I was referring to a living spiritual master. Prabhupada: Spiritual master is not the question of... Spiritual master is eternal. Spiritual master is eternal. So your question is without spiritual master. Without spiritual master you cannot be, at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. As you say that "by reading Bible," when you read Bible that means you are following the spiritual master represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So any case, you have to follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question without spiritual master. Is that clear?

Madhudvisa: I mean like we couldn't understand the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita without your help, without your presentation.

Prabhupada: Similarly, you have to understand Bible with the help of the priest in the church. (Lec. 10/2/68 Sea.)

 

 

Regarding parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big gaps.[...] we find in the Bhagavad-gita that the Gita was taught to the sungod, some millions of years ago, but Krishna has mentioned only three names in this parampara system--namely, Vivasvan, Manu, and Iksvaku; and so these gaps do not hamper from understanding the parampara system. We have to pick up the prominent acaryas, and follow from him.[...] We have to pick up from the authority of the acharya in whatever sampradaya we belong to. (Letter Dayananda 4/12/68)

 

Narottama dasa Thakura, who accepted Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti as his servitor.(Adi 1) Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. He accepted his guru, Narottama dasa Thakura. (Lec 4/17/76)

(*Note: 100 years between Narottama dasa Thakura and Srila Visvanatha Cakravati)

 

"if you want to make your life successful, then you must keep the tradition of brahmana-vaisnava. So our, we are Vaisnava. Our only tradition is how to satisfy Visnu.(Lec. 7/30/73)

 

"Therefore, when the self-realized devotees ordain any new arrangements they should be agreed with as a religious code, even if such new arrangements are not found in the scriptural dictums of the previous sages" (Bhaktivinode' Thakuras Sri Tattva-Sutra)

 

Srimad Viraraghava Acarya, an acarya in the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya, has remarked in his commentary that candalas, or conditioned souls who are born in lower than sudra families, can also be initiated according to circumstances. The formalities may be slightly changed here and there to make them Vaisnavas. (S.B. 4.8.5 P)

 

Vaisnava who is preaching, it may be in a different way, according to time and place and the party--they have to change something, desa-kala-patra--but we have to see the essence. (S.B.Lec. 10/18/74)

 

Interviewer: What happens when that inevitable time comes when a successor is needed?

Ramesvara: He is asking about the future, who will guide the movement in the future.

Prabhupada: They will guide. I am training them.

Interviewer: Will there be one spiritual leader, though?

Prabhupada: No, I am training GBC, eighteen all over the world. (Conv. 6/10/76 L.A.)

 

Reporter: Do you expect to name one person as your successor or have you already?

Prabhupada: That I am not contemplating now. But there is no need of one person. (Int. 6/4/76)

 

Interviewer: I was wondering if he had a successor to do... Do you have a successor to take your place when you die?

Prabhupada: Not yet settled up. Not yet settled up.

Interviewer: So what process would the Hare Krsnas...?

Prabhupada: We have got secretaries. They are managing. (Conv. 7/14/76 N.Y.)

 

"Only Lord Caitanya can take my place. He will take care of the movement." (Conv. 11/2/77)

 

The whole situation has been spoiled by these so-called rascal gurus who gives his own opinion. This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking DIFFERENTLY ....So guru is one. Guru cannot be two. As soon as you find two opinions of guru, either both of them are rascals, or one is still at least rascal.

(Lecture: What is a Guru? London, August 22, 1973)

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

 

"A devotee should have intelligence to know who is deviating. Surrender by your intelligence but don’t surrender your intelligence.”

(SP to Bali Mardana, 1974)

 

“Humility implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. A person who entertains any partiality for untruth is unfit to chant the kirtana of Hari.”

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada).

 

"The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect. All of our students will have to become guru, but they are not qualified. This is the difficulty." (Letter Alanatha 11/10/75)

 

Satsvarupa: Then our next question concerns initiation in the future, particularly at the time when you are no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiations would be conducted.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this settled up I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya.

Tamal Krsna: Is that called ritvik acarya ?

Srila Prabhupada: Ritvik. Yes. (Conv. May 28 1977)

 

Prabhupada: So without waiting for me, wherever you consider it is right... That will depend on discretion.

Tamala Krsna: On discretion. Prabhupada: Yes. (Room conv. 7/7/77 Vrn.)

 

"Continue to be a ritvik and act on my charge." (Conversation July 19, 1977)

 

The executive directors who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of 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. (Srila Prabhupada's Will)

 

 

"The one who renounces the guru's order (guru tyagi) and the one who tries to enjoy the assets of his spiritual master (guru-bhogi) are two kinds of useless persons." (Phalguna Krsna Panchami)

 

 

 

Prabhupada: Anything change means it is the domain of rascals, pandemonium. Just like in Manu-samhita it is said that, nasyam svatantratam arhati, women should not be given independence. Once said, that is fact. If you want to change, you suffer. That's all. (Conv. 12/14/75 Del.)

 

 

 

"The entire world is now full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, GURUS , sādhus, yogīs and incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society."

(SB 10.3.21 purport)

 

“Therefore having a bona fide spiritual master and serving him and

pleasing him and getting his mercy is essential. Otherwise there can be no advancement in Krishna consciousness. And unless the spiritual master is a pure devotee of Krishna then he has no potency to give you Krishna. He is simply a cheating rascal.

 

So in fact above all the rules and regulations and offenses I have

mentioned the most important thing, the essential thing, which is

required if you want to come to the stage of purely chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is you must have a bona fide spiritual master who is a pure devotee of Krishna. Without having a bona fide spiritual master you can chant Hare Krishna forever but you will not be able to advance because Krishna does not reveal Himself in this way. He only reveals Himself to those devotees who surrender to and serve and please His pure devotees.”

(Letter to his London disciples, July, 1969)

 

"The obvious conclusion is that these people in the guise of a pure

devotee are scurvy foam disguised as advanced “GURUS”. Their dishonesty is despicable and the karma for destroying another person’s spiritual life is millions of times worse than personally struggling with the rules and regulations.

 

“A cheater is taking the place of teacher. Therefore the whole world is degraded. You can cheat others that, ‘I am in dress of a devotee.’ But what is your character? What is your actual value? That has to be judged. That is called bona fide teacher.”

(Srila Prabhupada letter to Hawaii, Jan. 17 1974)

 

“I am training some of my experienced disciples how to manage after my departure. So if instead of taking the training, if in my lifetime you people say I am the Lord of all I survey, that is dangerous conspiracy.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 8th, 1974).

 

“GBC members are simply to see that things are going on. Other centers have got president, secretary, etc. and they are managing separately. That is the formula. So how is it that the GBC are the final authority? They are simply to examine that things are going on nicely, that is all.”

(In a July 9, 1971 letter to Umapati Das, Srila Prabhupada)

 

“GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that the standards are maintained.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 14th, 1972)

 

“What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC? So for the time being, let the GBC activities be suspended until I thoroughly revise the whole procedure.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 11th, 1972)

 

“I made the GBC to give me relief, but if you do like this, then where is the relief. It is anxiety for me. This is the difficulty, that as soon as one gets power, he becomes whimsical and spoils everything.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 12th, 1974 )

 

“But the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. “

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 16th, 1974)

 

“The GBC should all be the instructor (siksa) gurus. I am the initiator (diksa) guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 4th, 1975)

 

“The GBC (Governing Body Commission) has been established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to represent Him in carrying out the responsibility of managing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of which He is the Founder-Acarya and supreme authority. The GBC accepts as its life and soul His divine instructions and recognizes that it is completely dependent on His mercy in all respects. The GBC has no other function or purpose other than to execute the instructions so kindly given by His Divine Grace and preserve and spread his Teachings to the world in their pure form.”;(GBC Resolution No.1, 1975)

 

“Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 10th, 1975)

 

“It is now evident that some of our top men are very much ambitious and there has been so many fall-downs.”

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 27th, 1975)

 

“Our mission is to serve bhakta-visesa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru—gurusu nara-matih. That is the material disease.”

( Srila Prabhupada Conversation, April 20th, 1977)

 

 

 

"Regarding the poisonous effect in our Society, it is a fact and I know where from this poison tree has sprung up and how it affected practically the whole Society in a very dangerous form...I have tried to give you all Krsna Consciousness, now it is your duty to develop it. If you remain strong on the spiritual platform then your progress will not be checked or blocked...It is a fact however that the great sinister movement is within our Society...so all of you may try to save the Society from this dangerous position." !!!

 

"A devotee should have intelligence to know who is deviating. Surrender by your intelligence but don't surrender your intelligence."

(SP to Bali Mardana, 1974)

 

Now, Canakya Pandita gives three things, formula, "If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things." What is that? Murkha yatra na pujyante: "Do not give any credit to the rascal." That is first qualification. Don't be carried away by the rascal. Murkha yatra na pujyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled. You must worship a really learned representative of God. That is very good. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.31 San Francisco, July 16, 1975)

 

"There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaishnavas in this Krishna Consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. A false acarya may try to override a vaishnava by a high-court decision, (2/3 hand vote) but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a disciple of Kali-yuga.".

 

"Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, Kali-cela. He indicates that there are other Vaishnavas, pseudo-Vaishnavas, with tilaka on their nose and kunti beads around their neck. Such a pseudo-Vaishnava associates with money and women and is jealous of successful Vaishnavas. Although passing for a Vaishnava, his only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaishnava". (CC.Madhy.,Ch.1, Text 218 / 220, purport)

 

Now, Canakya Pandita gives three things, formula, “If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things.” What is that? Murkha yatra na pujyante: “Do not give any credit to the rascal.” That is first qualification. Don’t be carried away by the rascal. Murkha yatra na pujyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled. You must worship a really learned representative of God. That is very good. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.31 San Francisco, July 16, 1975).

 

“So there may be attempt like that. And Lord Jesus Christ was killed. So they may kill me also. So it will be there; it is already there” “Someone says that I’ve been poisoned. It is possible.” (S.P.Room Convers. May 3, 1976, Honolulu and Nov. 9, 1977, Vrindavana)

 

Srila Prabhupada: “someone has poisoned me.” ( S.P.Room Conversation November 10, 1977, Vrndavana )

 

"These great souls (members of the disciplic succession) were not mere luminaries like the comets appearing in the firmament for a while and disappearing as soon as their mission is done. They are like so many suns shining all along to give light and heat to succeeding generations. Long time yet to roll on when they will be succeeded by others of sublime mind, beauty and calibre." (Bhaktivinoda Thakura)