by Krishnakant

Introduction  

Various devotees have put forward proposals as to how we could make Srila Prabhupada more prominent and thus keep him in the centre of ISKCON. Unfortunately all these suggestions suffer from two serious problems: 

1. They miss the real point or ‘beg the question’ – for they tactfully avoid the real issue of HOW Srila Prabhupada became LESS prominent in the first place, that we now need to FIX the problem. It reminds us of Srila Prabhupada commenting in ‘Life Comes from Life’ about how when the scientists discuss the origin of life they start in the middle to avoid the thorny issue of how even the laws of nature were created. Similarly once we tackle the issue of HOW Srila Prabhupada became LESS prominent  - we will automatically have the answer as to how to make him more prominent.

2. They are all based on SPECULATION and EXTRAPOLATION. None of them are backed up with any written directive to the society from Srila Prabhupada. Thus to figure out HOW we should do things in ISKCON, rather than follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for ISKCON – which would be the logical and sane thing to do – we instead take information NOT given in Srila Prabhupada’s books about how things may have happened in the past – and then try and say that this is how they should be done in ISKCON. Thus to find out what SRILA PRABHUPADA wanted to be done in ISKCON in regards to HOW he should be prominent – instead of consulting Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on EXACTLY this subject – we instead prefer to consult SOMEONE ELSE’S instructions which were applicable to a different time-frame and a different circumstance. This is madness.

We now present a novel and sane proposal –  

Let us make Srila Prabhupada prominent and and thus keep him in the center, in the way he wanted!  

As disciples of Srila Prabhupada this should actually be the ONLY proposal on the table – for how can we suggest or institute anything without direct written and express authority from Srila Prabhupada? 

Right from the very beginning Srila Prabhupada gave the formula for HOW HE wanted to be kept in the center: 

None of these instructions were ever countermanded, and neither did they become inoperable once Srila Prabhupada departed. Rather they set out in broad terms the system for how Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON managed in regards to how the temples should be run and the GBC should act. Both these instructions are based around Srila Prabhupada acting as the diksa GURU in ISKCON.

Then just before his passing, Srila Prabhupada sent out a clear directive to the whole movement, and also registered a Last Will and Testament. Both these WRITTEN documents re-iterate the points made above of the dual system of – GBC manages, and Srila Prabhupada initiates. Thus in the Will it is stated that the GBC shall be the ultimate managing authority, and that the system of initiation in place in the temples would not change. It also makes reference to all future disciples in the movement only ever being Srila Prabhupada’s initiated disciples:

And in the July 9^th directive, it states 3 times that Srila Prabhupada will be the diksa guru for ISKCON – a very significant number:
 

And the directive was distributed by and addressed to the GBC, who would be responsible for its continued implementation. 

So Srila Prabhupada’s solution as to how we should keep him in the center is very clear, and we do not need to speculate. He would be the diksa and PREDOMINANT siksa guru, and we would be SUPPORTING siksa GURUS, by “teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing”, as he stated in the letter to Madhudvisa. And indeed this was the system when Srila Prabhupada was ON the planet – and he has not authorised any CHANGE to the systems and processes which he set up whilst he was on the planet. On the contrary he directed that there should be ‘NO CHANGE’. 

So from every angle of vision  - Srila Prabhupada’s specific written directives, as well as the way he set things up to run before he departed – it is very clear what should be done – and there is no need to speculate or come up with any new proposals. Rather let us follow Srila Prabhupada’s proposal.

And this also automatically answers the point which we raised at the beginning of this paper – which was HOW did Srila Prabhupada become LESS prominent in the FIRST place, that we now need address this problem. Remember we stated that in the answer to this question would also lie the solution. And the answer is that Srila Prabhupada only became less prominent because we disobeyed his July 9^th directive, and instead instituted an unauthorised Diska Guru system, which was then further expanded by the so-called ‘reforms’ in 1986. Thus the remedy is simply to re-institute the July 9^th directive as Srila Prabhupada directed, and this would also automatically remove the CAUSE of Srila Prabhupada having become less prominent in the first place. 

So we prove from even ANOTHER angle of vision, how the only solution is Srila Prabhupada’s solution – and that is to re-institute the July 9^th directive. 

Finally let us clear up some of the common false proposals which have been put forward as an ALTERNATIVE to implementing Srila Prabhupada’s solution.

It is SPECULATED that since all the teachings are coming from Srila Prabhupada, he is the natural predominant siksa Guru, but that somehow WE should retain a role as diksa Gurus. Unfortunately this completely mis-understands the nature of diksa. Of course Srila Prabhupada IS the siksa Guru – but he is also the diksa Guru, for diksa IS NOT A FIRE CEREMONY – but the transmission of transcendental knowledge:

diksa and initiation is clearly defined as the transmission of transcendental knowledge. It is clear to everyone that SRILA PRABHUPADA ALONE fits the description given in the quotes above, for how could we even posit that he is the predominant siksa Guru, unless he is also the deliverer of transcendental knowledge, as given above. 

As already demonstrated above, diksa is NOT a ceremony, but the transmission of transcendental knowledge – so where THAT takes place – diksa takes place. Further in this connection Srila Prabhupada stated:

So in conclusion – diksa or Initiation is NOT the ceremony – but the transmission of transcedental knowledge which Srila Prabhupada is delivering. Thus he will always be our diksa AND siksa Guru. 

It is also speculated that our parampara involves siksa links, and thus we can make Srila Prabhupada ONLY our siksa Guru. However this idea of our parampara being a siksa parampara does not originate from Srila Prabhupada. This idea has not been mentioned anywhere by Srila Prabhupada. Rather this information comes from OUTSIDE of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Indeed Srila Prabhupada states the OPPOSITE. He states that Jagannatha Das Babaji INITIATED Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

In fact so damaging is this teaching of Srila Prabhupada, that the BBT have admitted that they have CHANGED the above verse with the word ‘initiated’ substituted with ‘accepted’ to fit in it with the GBC’s bogus Guru philosophy. This even though the BBT also admit that Srila Prabhupada taught that Jagannatha Das Babaji DID INITIATE Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

Here the BBT admit that the verse has been changed to fit in with the understanding that exists in ISKCON even though Srila Prabhupada taught something different.

We have a history in ISKCON of coming up with one unauthorised scheme after another: 

1. In 1978 – 11 Successor acaryas

2. In 1986 – Everyone is diksa Guru

3. 1998 – ‘Humble’ diksa Gurus

4. Now – Srila Prabhupada is Main siksa Guru????  

All these adjustments have 2 things in common: 

1. None of them are based on any written directive to the society from Srila Prabhupada, but are based on speculation or by borrowing the same deviations from the Gaudiya Matha.

2. They are all designed to AVOID implementing Srila Prabhupada’s solution – which is the July 9^th directive, with the GBC acting as managers and siksa Gurus.

So again for the 4^th time we have the same choice – Srila Prabhupada’s solution or another made-up and fabricated solution, not authorised by Srila Prabhupada’s written directives to the society. The choice is yours. We have already wasted 23 years, whilst Srila Prabhupada’s prominence has diminished. We now have a historic chance to grasp the nettle and finally implement what Srila Prabhupada wanted, and not another evasive stop gap measure to avoid implementing the July 9^th directive, which is Srila Prabhupada’s solution. Isn’t 23 years enough? Do we really want to miss this opportunity again, for who knows how many years?  

Please Implement Srila Prabhupada’s Solution