Sample Gods
By Surya Narayana das
A Blunt Crayon Production
I didn’t need a guru to convince me to dedicate my life to the path of KC. Srila Prabhupada had already done that.
I didn’t need another guru to purport Prabhupada’s purports so I could understand. Srila Prabhupada’s teachings were clear.
I didn’t need a guru to press me into service. His Divine Grace had already inspired me with a lifetime of enthusiasm, my conditioning not withstanding.
I didn’t need a guru to tell me to read Gita, put on tilak, wake up before dawn, sing prayers to guru and Gauranga, or perform austerity. The hard-working devotees with boots on the ground had already given me the Prabhupada program.
I didn’t need a guru to preach, “Give up intoxication.” I gave up a decade of fierce addiction just two weeks after coming in contact with Srila Prabhupada’s murti form, and a couple of years before the unwanted guru came on the scene. Prabhupada’s expectations weren’t ambiguous. He instructed, and I followed his instructions.
I didn’t need another guru to initiate me into spiritual life. My journey had already begun. Launched from the bay of Prabhupada’s divya jñana, I was already out to sea when they called me back and told me to switch vessels, to board the stone boat.
The guru they said I must have didn’t ‘save me,’ neither do I owe him my life. Without him, or perhaps in spite of him, the mercy was pouring down, a firebreak already being cut through the blazing forest.
I didn’t need someone to interpose, to tell me HDG wasn’t enough. Ultimately, the betrayal of the guru I didn’t want but was told I must have could not damage my loyalty to or faith in Srila Prabhupada and his teachings.
I didn’t need another guru…
Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s Ritvik Order
I decided not to reply to him further on this topic. I later remembered that even many non-devotees and ordinary people who had contacted Srila Prabhupada immediately recognized, at least for a while, that He was self-effulgent and not at all an ordinary man. Considering this, I wondered why several of His leading disciples lost this understanding as soon as He left this world, or even before.
Why do many of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples reject His common-sense order for ritvik initiations? Some devotees suggest it is because--due to familiarity--they had come to see Him as an ordinary man. Others suggest it is because their realizations are not yet mature. Others say it is due to ignorance only. Others say it is due to jealousy or envy. Any or all these things may be true, but I feel the primary reason is given by Srila Prabhupada Himself in the following quotes:
Srila Prabhupada often warned that personal motives among His leading disciples could ruin His mission. Due to personal motives for sense gratification people lose their intelligence by becoming lusty and greedy. There are no limits of sin or selfishness for those possessed by greed and false ambitions. They will commit any abominable action for their depraved ambitions. They may even kill their own children, parents, or spiritual master. This is the verdict of shastra.
For sincere or non-envious devotees, it is easy to conclude that Srila Prabhupada is the real acharya and jagat-guru for the golden age. He is self-effulgent. For devotees not yet pure, yet not envious, this conclusion will be the natural result of careful study without personal ambitions. Such devotees easily understand the beauty and bliss of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for ritvik initiations.
B.) When specifically asked how initiations would be continued after His disappearance, Srila Prabhupada replied, "I shall appoint some of you to act as representatives of the Acharya. Ritvik. Yes."
On the other hand, despite the GBC’s deceit and false propaganda, many sincere new devotees have understood that Srila Prabhupada is the real initiator and teacher for everyone is this age. For them, Srila Prabhupada’s order for the continuation of ritvik initiations is common sense.
PADA: Yeah, Mayesvara was helping the GBC's legal team when we had them sued for $400,000,000. He keeps good company.
=================
By Narasimha das
Many years ago, I was having a discussion with a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada who had been living aloof from ISKCON for a long time. He was unaware of the reason for the major schism among Srila Prabhupada’s disciples.
I was first trying to explain that everyone in the world should accept Srila Prabhupada as the jagat-guru or the real acharya for all sane people in this age.
I was first trying to explain that everyone in the world should accept Srila Prabhupada as the jagat-guru or the real acharya for all sane people in this age.
I politely suggested that His order for the perpetual continuation of ritvik initiations in ISKCON was meant to facilitate a united movement for spreading the benediction of Lord Chaitanya’s mission of saving all conditioned souls in this age.
He said, “Well, you seem to have a high realization of Srila Prabhupada, but not all are on that level. Other sincere devotees may not have such grandiose realizations.”
He said, “Well, you seem to have a high realization of Srila Prabhupada, but not all are on that level. Other sincere devotees may not have such grandiose realizations.”
I then mentioned that Srila Prabhupada specifically ordered the continuation for ritvik initiations, even after His physical departure. This devotee then tried to suggest that others may have other interpretations of this order according to their own realizations.
I decided not to reply to him further on this topic. I later remembered that even many non-devotees and ordinary people who had contacted Srila Prabhupada immediately recognized, at least for a while, that He was self-effulgent and not at all an ordinary man. Considering this, I wondered why several of His leading disciples lost this understanding as soon as He left this world, or even before.
This discussion often arises:
Why do many of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples reject His common-sense order for ritvik initiations? Some devotees suggest it is because--due to familiarity--they had come to see Him as an ordinary man. Others suggest it is because their realizations are not yet mature. Others say it is due to ignorance only. Others say it is due to jealousy or envy. Any or all these things may be true, but I feel the primary reason is given by Srila Prabhupada Himself in the following quotes:
"I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaj's institution. Different Godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaj in different interpretations for sense gratification and the whole mission [was] disrupted. This is still going on for the last 40 years without any proper settlement. I am always afraid of this crack, but I am sure if our aim is to serve Krishna sincerely and the Spiritual Master simultaneously, that will be our success. That means serve Krishna and the Spiritual Master simultaneously with equal faith and serious vow, and then success is sure. " (Letter, Oct.18, 1969)
Srila Prabhupada often warned that personal motives among His leading disciples could ruin His mission. Due to personal motives for sense gratification people lose their intelligence by becoming lusty and greedy. There are no limits of sin or selfishness for those possessed by greed and false ambitions. They will commit any abominable action for their depraved ambitions. They may even kill their own children, parents, or spiritual master. This is the verdict of shastra.
For sincere or non-envious devotees, it is easy to conclude that Srila Prabhupada is the real acharya and jagat-guru for the golden age. He is self-effulgent. For devotees not yet pure, yet not envious, this conclusion will be the natural result of careful study without personal ambitions. Such devotees easily understand the beauty and bliss of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for ritvik initiations.
Some points to consider:
A.) Throughout Srila Prabhupada's books it is clearly enjoined that only a fully self-realized pure devotee who is specifically appointed by Krishna or the maha bhagavata acharya can become the bona fide spiritual master and impart diksha to new devotees. This was proven by the personal examples of many great devotees, such as Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Srila Gaura Kishora das Babaji, who did not agree to initiate their own disciples without a direct order from Lord Chaitanya or Lord Krishna.
B.) When specifically asked how initiations would be continued after His disappearance, Srila Prabhupada replied, "I shall appoint some of you to act as representatives of the Acharya. Ritvik. Yes."
C.) Srila Prabhupada gave many follow-up instructions, including an official signed document stating the same thing: ritvik initiations "henceforward."
D.) The ritvik system was already functioning in ISKCON for many years prior. He simply sanctioned the GBC to manage it without His personal oversight. (Note: “Ritvik” is not a "vada" or philosophy. Rather it is a system of management and sadhana by which priests conduct Vedic rituals under the auspices of the self-realized Acharya.)
E.) Srila Prabhupada repeatedly insisted that nothing in ISKCON management or sadhana be changed.
Srila Prabhupada: “The question may be raised that since the Lord is supposed to be worshiped by great demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, how can an ordinary human being on this planet serve Him? This is clearly explained by Pṛithu Mahārāja by the use of the word yathādhikāra, “according to one’s ability.”
If one sincerely executes his occupational duty, that will be sufficient. One does not need to become like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Indra, Lord Chaitanya or Rāmānujācārya, whose capabilities are certainly far above ours. Even a śūdra, who is in the lowest stage of life according to the material qualities, can achieve the same success.
Anyone can become successful in devotional service provided he displays no duplicity. It is explained here that one must be very frank and open-minded (amāyinaḥ). To be situated in a lower status of life is not a disqualification for success in devotional service. The only qualification is that whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, he must be open, frank and free from reservations.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 4: "The Creation of the Fourth Order" : SB 4.21: Instructions by Maharaja Prithu : SB-4.21.33 : PURPORT)
Unfortunately, immediately after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance in November of 1977, polluted leading members of the GBC made illicit plans for occupying His post, through duplicity and deceit. They avoided conducting “open and frank” discussions with senior Godbrothers conversant with Srila Prabhupada’s books.
They “displayed duplicity” by not carefully consulting Srila Prabhupada directly through His books and instructions. They decided instead to go against Srila Prabhupada’s many direct instructions and warnings, for the sake of consulting a Gaudiya Matha sannyasi whom Srila Prabhupada had explained played a major part in the severe disruption of the Gaudiya Matha in 1937.
On the other hand, despite the GBC’s deceit and false propaganda, many sincere new devotees have understood that Srila Prabhupada is the real initiator and teacher for everyone is this age. For them, Srila Prabhupada’s order for the continuation of ritvik initiations is common sense.
PADA: Yes. Many of our God brothers went along with the GBC's "illicit sex with men, women and children / Vodka drinking / offering LSD to the shalagram / Mott Street Boys homo's club / porno swamis / gambling in Reno / gurus wearing condoms while having sex with the therapist / etc." so-called "guru parampara," because they got some sort of a managerial post, and / or side benefits like a GBC guru's disciple wife, salary, free rent, or even some got voted in as gurus -- and so on. They sort of sold their souls to the Devil in exchange for some payback.
Jayatirtha told me I would never be allowed into an ISKCON temple again. Wow. What a blessing. I would not have to witness their illicit sex with men, women and children messiah's being worshiped as good as God. He saved me, from them and -- himself.
ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com
===============
KAILASA FOLKS UPDATE:
Yes, it is kind of a circular argument. People tell me that all the time, well prabhu, if a person is sincere, Krishna will manifest a pure devotee for them. OK, and the pure devotee is not manifesting for them, because they are not sincere? So that proves what exactly? Hee hee.
Meanwhile, we meet sincere people all the time. And they ask me nice questions about the siddhanta, where to get original books, if they can translate our stuff into Russian, Italian, Spanish and so on and so forth. Getting nice sincere messages and inquiries, all the time. We have many sincere people coming to our Prabhupadanuga process on a regular basis. Why? Because self evidently, Krishna is sending them.
We are in the process of liberating yet another ISKCON temple, the managers are writing me now, so that is one of Krishna's many ways of getting things done. As for me personally, I always doubt my own sincerity, and that is why I never advertise that I am on the verge of manifesting some personal resident of Vaikuntha to physically appear on somone's doorstep soon, that is way over my pay grade. But I can give them a book made by one such person, that is in my reach. ys pd
=============
=============
Yep, in 1980 the Berkeley law enforcement told me, the ISKCON leaders are getting rid of all the good devotees and they are replacing them with crooks and criminals. They had made 72 felony arrests in 12 months from that temple. So when a religion turns into a criminal operation, and worships a criminal as its guru parampara, it annihilates itself.
People will abandon that pseudo religion, and it will gradually become another disintegrated and discredited Gaudiya Matha. History will repeat, and that is Krishna's method of annihilating pseudo religions, He discredits them -- and makes them into empty ghost towns. He had already done that millions of times, and yet they thought -- He will not do that again for us in ISKCON, because they are bewildered. ys pd
=================
PADA: Sorry, but no. I was writing "Our Living Guru," starting around maybe 1982. That document says we have to take shelter of Srila Prabhupada. Sorry, that is what I always said since 1978, there will only be a GBC, they should not make artificial gurus like the Gaudiya Matha, and so on. Ask my kids who was going to be their guru, they will tell you what I told them their entire lives.
We did not have the appointment tape until 1984, and that is why people did not understand the ritvik issue. But Sulochana got the the May 28th tape in 1984, and it says initiations will be conducted by ritviks, and that is how the issue became prominent, the evidence started to come out later.
Then Rohini Kumar swami got got the Topanga transcript from Hansadutta's safe, and in December 1980 Tamal and Hansadutta were saying they were only appointed ritviks. We did not have these documents until later.
As for Kailasa, he has said that we need to worship conditioned souls like a Madhyam, and that is what Ravindra was saying. Neither me nor Sulochana ever advocated for worshiping conditioned souls, that is what Ravindra said, we need to find a Madyam. So if i was writing Our Living Guru in the early 1980s, that means, I was saying Srila Prabhupada is going to be the guru, it appears you have never read my documents.
Srila Prabhupada is our living guru was always my idea, and I did not need any further documents to know that when I started saying that in 1978. Further documents helped along the idea, but he had already told us a thousand times, make a GBC and not gurus. And do not change anything.
As far as Kailasa in 1989, yes he was writing papers for Trivrikrama and Ravindra then, and the GBC circulated his writings at the 1990 GBC meeting. Later on Kailasa was writing for GBC reformer Rocana, probably for decades. ys pd
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.