In BTP 22 we documented how, due to the preaching efforts of the IRM, the GBC have gradually changed their position so that it has now begun to match that of the IRM, with ISKCON gurus indirectly and directly admitting they are only ritviks (priests), and not actually giving diksa, or spiritual initiation (please see “History of the GBC’s climbdown”). In this vein we present here a new series of admissions from another GBC voted-in guru hoaxer, His Holiness Sivarama Swami (“SRS”).
Srila Prabhupada gives diksa
“Caitanya-caritamrta describes that when one is, performs those purificatory activities by which Krsna accepts someone as His very own within His family, that is called diksa. And then in further detail, what does that mean? It means divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam, that... that divyajnana, or that, one has the transcendental knowledge; just like we sing every day, divya-jnana hrde prokasito. Transcendental knowledge by which ignorance is destroyed, because that’s the real sum and substance of what purification is about.”
(Podcast, “Scotland Initiations”, 9/1/2008)
In BTP 21 we demonstrated that the Guru-puja prayer sung to Srila Prabhupada every morning in every ISKCON temple by every ISKCON member is actually a glorification of Srila Prabhupada as the diksa Guru of ISKCON (please see BTP 21: “The proof is before us every morning”). Now SRS confirms this by stating that diksa means receiving divya-jnana,
or transcendental knowledge, just as “we sing every day, divyajnana hrde prokasito”. But this is sung by us everyday to SRILA PRABHUPADA, as the person who is delivering this divya-jnana, for this is a key verse from the Gurupuja prayers. It is NOT sung by any of SRS’s “disciples” to him, nor indeed is it sung by anyone to any of ISKCON’s guru hoaxers!
ISKCON gurus not giving diksa
“Srila Prabhupada does make this statement that generally speaking the diksa guru is the
person who’s giving the most siksa. […] And by dint of the fact that he gives diksa, which is actually a principle that’s based on siksa. Divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam. So Srila Prabhupada says initiate him with transcendental knowledge. […] I usually call the siksa gurus the diksa guru because very often the diksa guru, it’s like here two weeks a year is how much I spend in the U.K. So I’m not a resident here anymore. So diksa gurus, diksa gurus aren’t there.”
(Bhaktivedanta Manor Lecture, 11/1/2009)
Following on from the previous point, SRS now emphasizes that diksa is given by the person
who is giving the most siksa, for they initiate the person with transcendental knowledge. And this definitely cannot be the ISKCON initiating “diksa” gurus since they are not even around! Rather, as we saw in the last point, this transcendental knowledge is given by Srila Prabhupada.
ISKCON “diksa” guru just another devotee
“So if a temple president is going to have authority, then he’s also going to be responsible, so then he also has to take karma. Srila Prabhupada also had said as much that he has to also take karma. Everyone takes karma. […] So it’s not a question of it’s some kind of such a(n) exclusive thing that people take karma. […] So it’s not just the diksa guru who takes karma. And it’s not just the diksa guru who’s contributing to or taking responsibility for taking someone back home, back to Godhead.”
(Bhaktivedanta Manor Lecture, 11/1/2009)
Following on from the last point, SRS further emphasizes that the ISKCON “diksa” guru does not take any special karma on behalf of his “disciple”, nor is he singularly responsible for taking his “disciple” back to Godhead. Rather, he is just one amongst a number of players involved. SRS makes it clear that the ISKCON “diksa” gurus are therefore not performing any special function different from other ISKCON leaders that a devotee may interact with.
The No Change in ISKCON Paradigm
“And Srila Prabhupada knew of our intense meditation on his every word. And he encouraged us both by spoken instructions and by messages through the heart […] Today as it was 30 years ago, as it will be a thousand years from now, ISKCON devotees can live with the mission of Prabhupada - the mission of their guru - by printing and distributing books.”
(SRS text message, 4/12/2008)
The above statement perfectly encapsulates the IRM’s “No Change” position, stated in our position paper The No Change in ISKCON Paradigm, published by Columbia University Press, (and available here: www.iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/no_change_in_iskcon_paradigm.htm), that ISKCON was meant to run unchanged from how it was run when Srila Prabhupada was physically present. And indeed, SRS makes it clear that this will be the case even 1000 years from now, and that Srila Prabhupada will be the guru of ISKCON then in the same way as he was previously when he was physically present and personally encouraging SRS via spoken instructions. Which was as everyone’s diksa and siksa Guru.
HH Sivarama Swami:
Moving closer to the IRM
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I’m not ritvik – honest!
“But within the framework of Srila Prabhupada’s organization, and then of course, which really shows our commitment that we’re also in one sense and – don’t think anyone’s gonna charge me for being a ritvik - but we’re also taking initiation through the parampara and particularly establishing a very real connection with Srila Prabhupada, which is another onus on all members of this movement.”
(Bhaktivedanta Manor Lecture, 11/1/2009)
Mindful that he may be accused of being an IRM follower, SRS here takes the unusual step of claiming he is NOT ritvik, when he makes yet another point establishing his IRM credentials, saying how initiation actually results in establishing a real connection with Srila Prabhupada,which is exactly what would happen if one was taking initiation from Srila Prabhupada via the ritvik system! |
Conclusion
The facts are so clear-cut that even the guru hoaxers themselves are forced to admit them. But being Kali-yuga, the age of hypocrisy, they must live their lives by doing the exact opposite of what they preach, and masquerade as if they are the diksa guru, thus ensuring they can receive worship and honour from their misled “disciples” (otherwise known as “The Great Guru Hoax, Part 3”).
