Sampradaya Acarya, Part Nine
BY: ROCANA DASA
Oct 23, 2018 — CANADA (SUN) —
The Siksa Conclusion
The abbreviated definition of "initiation" is the admission of a neophyte disciple into the unadulterated philosophical and transcendental mysteries handed down by a succession of past Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya Acaryas. As Srila Prabhupada stated:
"Well initiation or no initiation, first thing is knowledge... knowledge. Initiation is formality. Just like you go to a school for knowledge, and admission is formality. That is not very important thing."
Srila Prabhupada Press Interview, 10-16-76, Chandigarh
The past Acaryas have established the principle that a sincere candidate can be connected to the Sampradaya via the advanced siksa guru. In fact, one of the distinguishing common features of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada is that both emphasized and reinforced the concept and principle of siksa guru being as important as diksa.
[PADA: Yes. Diksha technically means (di) spiritual knowledge (divyam jnanam), which absolves sins (ksha). I am not sure why Rocana keeps saying that Srila Prabhupada's books are no longer giving that benediction? There is no longer any source of divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha? Then that is saying, the books have no potency?
And, its the so-called ritviks who have been saying ALL ALONG that all of us neophytes are minor league and are thus -- at best -- SHIKSHA gurus. Now all of a sudden -- Rocana steals our theme, he says what we said starting in 1978, we neophytes are shiksha and not diksha devotees? When Rocana was saying conditioned souls are diksha gurus, we were saying no, at best they are shiksha (teachers) and not sin absorbing messiahs. This is good news, he is in part stealing from us to make his idea work. Its progress. The ISKCON GBC is doing a similar thing, well we are agents (shiksha) -- sort of ritvik de facto.
And yet the remaining problem is, Rocana's followers keep telling us the same thing, there is no diksha aka "divyam jnanam which destroys sins" going on anymore. Where did Srila Prabhupada say that his books would all of a sudden be devoid of divyam jnanam which destroys sins? Notice that Srila Prabhupada says the main element is knowledge, divyam jnanam. That is the key to the process, not the formal ceremony. So its the divyam jnanam that is the essence of the Krishna religion. And a by product of that knowledge is that it eradicates sins. OK that is called diksha.
And if the process of "divyam jnanam destroying sins" is now null and void, how will people be saved? Rocana never tells us? He just keeps saying that the process of giving "divyam jnanam which destroys sins" is -- no longer valid. What about all of our people who are advancing by getting the divyam jnanam which is destroying their sins? Or is Rocana saying that people who are absorbing in Krishna are not having their sins erased? Or what? He never tells us?
Worse, as soon as we say there should be "a system" of shiksha devotees aka preachers and / or ritviks, then Rocana says that too is not valid? The neophytes have to act as shiksha gurus, or vartma pradarsaka devotees (those who point the way), or priests -- and they can then guide other people to take shelter of the pure devotee. Rocana says, we cannot have such a system because that would be mundane religion. How are we going to preach if we are not telling people Srila Prabhupada is the source of their divyam jnanam?
And, Srila Prabhupada himself appointed people to act as priests, and to conduct poojas and initiations and so on, the whole time he was here? When did he say this system should stop? And if there is no systematic organization, how will all the divergent people and centers keep a unified standard?]
"Thakura Bhaktivinoda was not official Spiritual Master of Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was already renounced order, Paramahamsa, but Thakura Bhaktivinoda, while He was even playing the part of a householder, was treated by Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as Preceptor, on account of His highly elevated spiritual understanding, and thus He was always treating Him as His Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master is divided into two parts; namely, siksa guru and diksa guru. So officially Bhaktivinoda Thakura was like siksa guru of Gaura Kisora das Babaji Maharaja."
Srila Prabhupada Letter to Dayananda, 05-01-69:
Over 100 years ago, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura challenged the religionists of his day, which he identified as Caste Goswamis, Smarta Brahmins, mundane intellectuals, western scholars, and even those purporting to be in direct disciplic succession to associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura introduced the relevance, significance and importance of the siksa guru as a bonafide initiator into our Sampradaya. His own brother, Lalita prasad, sided with the representatives of traditional diksa lines that traced their linage clear back to the Caitanya Lila. These "Goswami lineage" successions claimed that initiation through them was the only possible way to link to Lord Caitanya's Sampradaya.
BY: ROCANA DASA
Oct 23, 2018 — CANADA (SUN) —
The Siksa Conclusion
The abbreviated definition of "initiation" is the admission of a neophyte disciple into the unadulterated philosophical and transcendental mysteries handed down by a succession of past Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya Acaryas. As Srila Prabhupada stated:
"Well initiation or no initiation, first thing is knowledge... knowledge. Initiation is formality. Just like you go to a school for knowledge, and admission is formality. That is not very important thing."
Srila Prabhupada Press Interview, 10-16-76, Chandigarh
The past Acaryas have established the principle that a sincere candidate can be connected to the Sampradaya via the advanced siksa guru. In fact, one of the distinguishing common features of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada is that both emphasized and reinforced the concept and principle of siksa guru being as important as diksa.
[PADA: Yes. Diksha technically means (di) spiritual knowledge (divyam jnanam), which absolves sins (ksha). I am not sure why Rocana keeps saying that Srila Prabhupada's books are no longer giving that benediction? There is no longer any source of divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha? Then that is saying, the books have no potency?
And, its the so-called ritviks who have been saying ALL ALONG that all of us neophytes are minor league and are thus -- at best -- SHIKSHA gurus. Now all of a sudden -- Rocana steals our theme, he says what we said starting in 1978, we neophytes are shiksha and not diksha devotees? When Rocana was saying conditioned souls are diksha gurus, we were saying no, at best they are shiksha (teachers) and not sin absorbing messiahs. This is good news, he is in part stealing from us to make his idea work. Its progress. The ISKCON GBC is doing a similar thing, well we are agents (shiksha) -- sort of ritvik de facto.
And yet the remaining problem is, Rocana's followers keep telling us the same thing, there is no diksha aka "divyam jnanam which destroys sins" going on anymore. Where did Srila Prabhupada say that his books would all of a sudden be devoid of divyam jnanam which destroys sins? Notice that Srila Prabhupada says the main element is knowledge, divyam jnanam. That is the key to the process, not the formal ceremony. So its the divyam jnanam that is the essence of the Krishna religion. And a by product of that knowledge is that it eradicates sins. OK that is called diksha.
And if the process of "divyam jnanam destroying sins" is now null and void, how will people be saved? Rocana never tells us? He just keeps saying that the process of giving "divyam jnanam which destroys sins" is -- no longer valid. What about all of our people who are advancing by getting the divyam jnanam which is destroying their sins? Or is Rocana saying that people who are absorbing in Krishna are not having their sins erased? Or what? He never tells us?
Worse, as soon as we say there should be "a system" of shiksha devotees aka preachers and / or ritviks, then Rocana says that too is not valid? The neophytes have to act as shiksha gurus, or vartma pradarsaka devotees (those who point the way), or priests -- and they can then guide other people to take shelter of the pure devotee. Rocana says, we cannot have such a system because that would be mundane religion. How are we going to preach if we are not telling people Srila Prabhupada is the source of their divyam jnanam?
And, Srila Prabhupada himself appointed people to act as priests, and to conduct poojas and initiations and so on, the whole time he was here? When did he say this system should stop? And if there is no systematic organization, how will all the divergent people and centers keep a unified standard?]
"Thakura Bhaktivinoda was not official Spiritual Master of Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was already renounced order, Paramahamsa, but Thakura Bhaktivinoda, while He was even playing the part of a householder, was treated by Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as Preceptor, on account of His highly elevated spiritual understanding, and thus He was always treating Him as His Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master is divided into two parts; namely, siksa guru and diksa guru. So officially Bhaktivinoda Thakura was like siksa guru of Gaura Kisora das Babaji Maharaja."
Srila Prabhupada Letter to Dayananda, 05-01-69:
Over 100 years ago, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura challenged the religionists of his day, which he identified as Caste Goswamis, Smarta Brahmins, mundane intellectuals, western scholars, and even those purporting to be in direct disciplic succession to associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura introduced the relevance, significance and importance of the siksa guru as a bonafide initiator into our Sampradaya. His own brother, Lalita prasad, sided with the representatives of traditional diksa lines that traced their linage clear back to the Caitanya Lila. These "Goswami lineage" successions claimed that initiation through them was the only possible way to link to Lord Caitanya's Sampradaya.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati dismissed this self-serving concept, stating that regardless of one's spiritual genealogy, the prerequisite qualifications for successfully linking up to the Sampradaya are achieved wholly and solely upon the genuine advancement in Krsna consciousness by contacting a genuine Sampradaya Acarya. As such, he included Jagannatha dasa Babaji and Gaura Kisora das Babaji as qualified members of the Sampradaya, and he excluded all the established diksa lines who traced themselves back to the Caitanya Mahaprabhu lila period.
Creating a worldwide network of siksa gurus helps to prevent the transgression away from the Sampradaya Acarya's transcendental spiritual movement into another world religion. This doesn't just apply to western style over-institutionalization, but also to reverting back to the traditional diksa linage. In Kali Yuga, diksa guru ashrams are essentially an Indian cultural format for decentralized religiosity.
[PADA: Yet as soon as we say lets make a worldwide network of shiksha gurus, aka preachers or ritviks, Rocana says that too is bogus? He says that we must make a network of shiksha devotees aka ritviks, then he says, that too is a bogus process? So it appears that he wants anarchy, there will be no organized anything?
How can the shiksha system be developed if its not in some formalized religion? And isn't ISKCON supposed to be a formalized institution with a common Governing Body, and agreed upon rules, laws, aims, objects -- and a common system of certain accepted books, authorized pooja, worship and so forth? How can all this be organized without "institutional" programs?]
The current ISKCON has experimented with merging and mixing the traditional independent diksa gurus within the western religious institutional model. In all honesty, it has proven to be a failed attempt even if the goal was the creation of a worldwide religion. The more traditional diksa guru formats, like those existing within the Gaudiya Matha community, are nothing more than Vedic mini-mathas with diksa lineage religious format.
Creating a worldwide network of siksa gurus helps to prevent the transgression away from the Sampradaya Acarya's transcendental spiritual movement into another world religion. This doesn't just apply to western style over-institutionalization, but also to reverting back to the traditional diksa linage. In Kali Yuga, diksa guru ashrams are essentially an Indian cultural format for decentralized religiosity.
[PADA: Yet as soon as we say lets make a worldwide network of shiksha gurus, aka preachers or ritviks, Rocana says that too is bogus? He says that we must make a network of shiksha devotees aka ritviks, then he says, that too is a bogus process? So it appears that he wants anarchy, there will be no organized anything?
How can the shiksha system be developed if its not in some formalized religion? And isn't ISKCON supposed to be a formalized institution with a common Governing Body, and agreed upon rules, laws, aims, objects -- and a common system of certain accepted books, authorized pooja, worship and so forth? How can all this be organized without "institutional" programs?]
The current ISKCON has experimented with merging and mixing the traditional independent diksa gurus within the western religious institutional model. In all honesty, it has proven to be a failed attempt even if the goal was the creation of a worldwide religion. The more traditional diksa guru formats, like those existing within the Gaudiya Matha community, are nothing more than Vedic mini-mathas with diksa lineage religious format.
The telltale symptoms of religiosity are found in both settings. The most serious and obvious sign is the predominant de-emphasis on the unalloyed purity, power, and teachings of the true Sampradaya Acarya, and the transference of focus to imperfect via-medias (matha acarya or GBC).
[PADA: Which is what Rocana does all the time? He keeps saying Srila Prabhupada's books have no potency to give the divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha. He is minimizing the potency of the acharya.]
Individually, we all now stand at the crossroads of Vaisnava history.
[PADA: Which is what Rocana does all the time? He keeps saying Srila Prabhupada's books have no potency to give the divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha. He is minimizing the potency of the acharya.]
Individually, we all now stand at the crossroads of Vaisnava history.
[PADA: Yes, do we agree with either the GBC and Rocana, that Srila Prabhupada's books are no longer giving divyam jnanam which destroys sins, or not? And if Srila Prabhupada is no longer the source of the divyam jnanam which destroys sins (aka diksha), then who else is?]
The Sampradaya Acaryas' spiritual movements have all been diverted down the slippery slope towards organized religion. The litany of persuasive arguments woven together with sastric sophistry, institutional rationalizations, and relationship psychology has replaced pure siddhanta. The underlying motivation of the leadership is to eclipse and/or minimize the Sampradaya Acarya, replacing him with a less-than perfect personality or oligarchy such as the GBC. Some well-known examples of the under-valuation of the Sampradaya Acarya are:
the GBC decree that only their approved representatives are via media to Srila Prabhupada;
the proposal that B.V. Narayana Maharaj is the next Sampradaya Acarya;
Rtvik-ism, with approved priests performing post-samadhi proxy diksa; and
[PADA: There is no post samadhi diksha mentioned by Srila Prabhupada anywhere? He says his books will continue to act, and they will give the divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha in perpetuity. He never said that the books will not do that after he physically departs. Everyone who is not a diksha guru is a proxy for the diksha guru.
And if we are not proxies, what are we?
Rocana never tells us? He simply says we are not proxies, really? The proxies also do not perform post samadhi diksha, that diksha is STILL coming from the lectures and books, while the neophytes / priests simply formalize the connection with a ceremony to indicate that an aspiring devotee is formally entering the religion. The main divyam jnanam still comes from the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. And then the people who are formally accepted can perform temple functions like poojaris and so on. How else can we certify people for these functions? Rocana never tells us?]
changing the Sampradaya Acarya's transcendental literatures under the guise of improving them.
I'm sure we could all add many more illustrations to this devolution.
Anyone aligning themselves with today's ISKCON, Gaudiya Matha or Rtvik groups are inadvertently contributing to an unwanted transformation from spirituality to religiosity. In a religious setting, our spiritual advancement stagnates due to the institutional restrictions placed on inquisitive philosophical spirituality. The current guru-tattva positions deceive us into thinking the diksa / acarya, organizational elite or the Rtvik group-think have some measure of exclusive control over the transcendental knowledge offered by the Sampradaya Acaryas.
the GBC decree that only their approved representatives are via media to Srila Prabhupada;
the proposal that B.V. Narayana Maharaj is the next Sampradaya Acarya;
Rtvik-ism, with approved priests performing post-samadhi proxy diksa; and
[PADA: There is no post samadhi diksha mentioned by Srila Prabhupada anywhere? He says his books will continue to act, and they will give the divyam jnanam which destroys sins aka diksha in perpetuity. He never said that the books will not do that after he physically departs. Everyone who is not a diksha guru is a proxy for the diksha guru.
And if we are not proxies, what are we?
Rocana never tells us? He simply says we are not proxies, really? The proxies also do not perform post samadhi diksha, that diksha is STILL coming from the lectures and books, while the neophytes / priests simply formalize the connection with a ceremony to indicate that an aspiring devotee is formally entering the religion. The main divyam jnanam still comes from the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. And then the people who are formally accepted can perform temple functions like poojaris and so on. How else can we certify people for these functions? Rocana never tells us?]
changing the Sampradaya Acarya's transcendental literatures under the guise of improving them.
I'm sure we could all add many more illustrations to this devolution.
Anyone aligning themselves with today's ISKCON, Gaudiya Matha or Rtvik groups are inadvertently contributing to an unwanted transformation from spirituality to religiosity. In a religious setting, our spiritual advancement stagnates due to the institutional restrictions placed on inquisitive philosophical spirituality. The current guru-tattva positions deceive us into thinking the diksa / acarya, organizational elite or the Rtvik group-think have some measure of exclusive control over the transcendental knowledge offered by the Sampradaya Acaryas.
[PADA: Yet Rocan says what the GBC says, the acharyas are post - samadhi, posthumous and postmortem, and thus we need to find a living guide (like the GBC or Rocana) to give us the real process. Where does Srila Prabhupada say the acharyas are post samadhi, posthumous and post mortem? We never find him using these terms?]
The Absolute Truth clearly states that no living entity or worldly institution can claim to have controlling power over the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If the Caitya guru / Lord of the Heart chooses to benedict the sincere seeker with admission to the secrets of the Sampradaya, there is no restriction -- not even by protocol such as "only through diksa initiation".
[PADA: Divyam jnanam which destroys sins (aka diksha) -- is the process?]
Granted, under ideal circumstances such as those found in ancient Vedic culture, it is preferable to follow the prescribed sequence of events: when the diksa guru departs, his disciples begin to initiate. In that age, however, highly qualified diksa gurus were abundant. For us, the reality of spreading Krsna consciousness worldwide requires practical arrangements other than the traditional formula, which cannot facilitate this phenomenon today.
Srila Prabhupada's initiation program, for example, was far from traditional. The current Sampradaya Acarya advocated the proliferation of the Sampradaya teachings by massive book distribution throughout the planet. Those who are impacted by books authored by the bonafide representative of the Sampradaya may come to the temples, ashrams, and even the Internet for association. This is the merciful, far-reaching, visionary spirit of the Sampradaya Acarya, which cannot be compared to the restrictive, artificial barriers imposed by the institution or the religionists.
[PADA: Lets sum things up here. Rocana is against any organized formal program of anything, especially of spreading the religion, which he says is mundane religion. Except, Srila Prabhupada wanted a formal institution called ISKCON?
And if the people independent from ISKCON have no formal structure, then how will they:
*** Make temples?
*** Make varnasrama / farms?
*** Certify temple poojaris?
*** Print books in an organized manner?
*** Decide who gets gayatri mantras and so on?
*** Hold big festivals where people from the smaller centers can once in awhile participate in a regional, national or international programs -- all of which was wanted by Srila Prabhupada?
*** Worse, if the bogus ISKCON institution is illegally changing the books, kicking people out, or allowing crimes including -- say for example -- child molesting, how can that be countered legally unless there is some formal counter organization that can put together a proper legal resistance? Who else can challenge these things (such as changed books etc.) unless they have some formal structure that can launch a large scale fight over the important issues of preserving the things Srila Prabhupada wanted?; or taking down the things that misrepresent what he wanted?
It appears that there has been an effort to dismantle any formal organized counter structure to the bogus GBC. That leaves us with unchecked changed books, unchecked bogus preaching, and the legal take over of the name and assets of ISKCON, including the the buildings, the residents, the BBT and so on, with no solid counter check, which needs to be an organized counterpoint.
Failing that, we have allowed the ISKCON society to deteriorate dramatically to the point they are changing the books, emptying and selling buildings, burying deviants in the holy dham, and declaring that acharyas are often deviants, criminals, sexual predators and molesters. That is the end result of breaking down any effort at making a counter structure. The good news is, at least Rocana is finally agreeing, we neophytes are shiksha devotees, that means he is finally realizing bhakta Joe Bob is not a diksha guru like Jesus. Its progress. ys pd
[PADA: Divyam jnanam which destroys sins (aka diksha) -- is the process?]
Granted, under ideal circumstances such as those found in ancient Vedic culture, it is preferable to follow the prescribed sequence of events: when the diksa guru departs, his disciples begin to initiate. In that age, however, highly qualified diksa gurus were abundant. For us, the reality of spreading Krsna consciousness worldwide requires practical arrangements other than the traditional formula, which cannot facilitate this phenomenon today.
Srila Prabhupada's initiation program, for example, was far from traditional. The current Sampradaya Acarya advocated the proliferation of the Sampradaya teachings by massive book distribution throughout the planet. Those who are impacted by books authored by the bonafide representative of the Sampradaya may come to the temples, ashrams, and even the Internet for association. This is the merciful, far-reaching, visionary spirit of the Sampradaya Acarya, which cannot be compared to the restrictive, artificial barriers imposed by the institution or the religionists.
[PADA: Lets sum things up here. Rocana is against any organized formal program of anything, especially of spreading the religion, which he says is mundane religion. Except, Srila Prabhupada wanted a formal institution called ISKCON?
And if the people independent from ISKCON have no formal structure, then how will they:
*** Make temples?
*** Make varnasrama / farms?
*** Certify temple poojaris?
*** Print books in an organized manner?
*** Decide who gets gayatri mantras and so on?
*** Hold big festivals where people from the smaller centers can once in awhile participate in a regional, national or international programs -- all of which was wanted by Srila Prabhupada?
*** Worse, if the bogus ISKCON institution is illegally changing the books, kicking people out, or allowing crimes including -- say for example -- child molesting, how can that be countered legally unless there is some formal counter organization that can put together a proper legal resistance? Who else can challenge these things (such as changed books etc.) unless they have some formal structure that can launch a large scale fight over the important issues of preserving the things Srila Prabhupada wanted?; or taking down the things that misrepresent what he wanted?
It appears that there has been an effort to dismantle any formal organized counter structure to the bogus GBC. That leaves us with unchecked changed books, unchecked bogus preaching, and the legal take over of the name and assets of ISKCON, including the the buildings, the residents, the BBT and so on, with no solid counter check, which needs to be an organized counterpoint.
Failing that, we have allowed the ISKCON society to deteriorate dramatically to the point they are changing the books, emptying and selling buildings, burying deviants in the holy dham, and declaring that acharyas are often deviants, criminals, sexual predators and molesters. That is the end result of breaking down any effort at making a counter structure. The good news is, at least Rocana is finally agreeing, we neophytes are shiksha devotees, that means he is finally realizing bhakta Joe Bob is not a diksha guru like Jesus. Its progress. ys pd
Rocana is now saying what we said all along, there needs to be shiksha gurus. And the ritvik idea is is: that all of us neophytes are shiksha gurus. Unfortunately, Rocana does not want any formal shiksha organized institution. That means, there cannot be any temples, training of newcomers, making brahmana poojaris, book printing, organized samkirtana, deity program, sunday schools and all the rest of it, which can only be done with a formal institution. So we have to simply live alone and shun the GBC, the Gaudiya Matha and the ritviks, and have no program whatever. There is no preaching process in his formula. And that is why Rocana promotes people like Kailash Chandra, who lives alone in Moab Utah with no program, no group of association, no preaching, no book printing, no temples, no deities, no nothing whatever. That is not what Srila Prabhupada wanted. There is a nice group of Prabhupadanugas in vancouver and Rocana should help them and work with them if he wants to do something useful for human society. ys pd
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