Mantrabliss

Bg-6.44 "O my Lord! Persons who chant the holy names of Your Lordship are far, far advanced in spiritual life, even if born in families of dog-eaters. Such chanters have undoubtedly performed all kinds of austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all sacred places, and finished all scriptural studies." The famous example of this was presented by Lord Caitanya, who accepted Thakura Haridasa as one of His most important disciples. Although Thakura Haridasa happened to take his birth in a Muslim family, he was elevated to the post of namacarya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And because he chanted the holy name of the Lord constantly, it is understood that in his previous life he must have passed through all the ritualistic methods of the Vedas, known as sabda-brahma. Unless, therefore, one is purified, one cannot take to the principle of Krsna consciousness or become engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna. Since you have chanted in the past, that means you were purified to some degree to be able to chant, somehow you have stopped chanting this does not mean you can't start again. Now you must purify again. We were not purified when chanting in the beginning and it was hard at first but after a while the chanting cleanses everything. This will happen again. Just don't stop. Hare Krishna.

This explanation will hopefully make it clear to the honest seekers of Krsna Consciousness about the actual situation with the ISKCON institution. What is presented here is not a distortion but the actual facts. It is indeed a painful reality to face and we are not proud of it but the truth must be spoken to benefit others who may not be in awareness of the true happenings. SKCON (International Society for Krsna Consciousness) a worldwide organisation meant for the propagation of Krsna Consciousness was founded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada) in 1966 in America. In simply a short period of 11 years it grew to international recognition and was revered as the movement where its members practise what they actually preach. Srila Prabhupada's vision is certainly universal and oceanic and out of compassion for suffering humanity he wanted that the pure process of Krsna Consciousness be spread all over the globe. He was, is and will continue to be the pure and direct representative of Krsna. A few months prior to the physical departure of Srila Prabhupada he made an official policy document to the entire institution wherein he had appointed 11 representatives who were to act in the capacity of performing initiation ceremonies on his behalf for the acceptance of future disciples of Srila Prabhupada. They were designated as Rittviks. A Rittvik is the Vedic term for a priest or proxy whose specific function is to act on the behalf of the person they were appointed by and not in their own right. Thus in the context of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada in fact authorised a system of initiation for his acceptance of new disciples in the movement. The specific purpose of this system was that it could run without his physical intervention in anyway. In standard initiation ceremonies where a qualified candidate is accepted as an initiated disciple the new disciple is awarded a spiritual name with the title Dasa (at the end signifying that this person is an eternal servant of Krsna) he/she is also given a set of chanting beads (consisting of 108 beads) in which they vow to chant the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra a minimum of 16 rounds per day (16 x108 beads) at the ceremony the beads are chanted on by the guru or his representative thus making them sanctified. The new disciple makes vows to also observe the four prohibitions (no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication and no illicit-sex). "The word purah means "before," and carya means "activities." Due to the necessity of these activities, we do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend arati and classes in the sastras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees . When one is actually advanced in the purascarya-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements . When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending These formalities in effect constitute only a single element in the process of initiation( Sanskrit term Diksa) the most essential part being that the disciple receives transcendental knowledge from the Guru by aural reception of transcendental sound passed down by the supreme lord Krsna himself ultimately coming through a chain of authorised predecessor spiritual masters. "Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa." (C.C madhya chp 15.108) Bearing these things all in mind it is self-evident truth that Srila Prabhupada initiating disciples in the future could run smoothly even after his physical departure from this world. As is usual in most organisations the tiger of material ambition unfortunately tends to creeper in and poison spiritually weak souls. What was not well known and even to this very day is that a group of Srila Prabhupada's leading "disciples" of which a major portion consisted of the 11 Rittviks formed a conspiracy to hijack the ISKCON organisation and claim disciples for themselves, only for the purpose of material satisfaction. "Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called swamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on…The acarya(spiritual master), 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" (Srimad-Bhagavatam chp 4.28.48) In the manner of business men these 11 Rittviks violated their roles as representatives and declared to the whole movement that they were the successors to Srila Prabhupada in this way they gathered their own rubber-stamped brand of cheap disciples. Thus within a few short years the ISKCON movement managed to kick out the majority of its sincere devotees and replace them with their fanatical sycophant "disciples" as a result it has completely degenerated into a society of cheaters and cheated. "If a so-called spiritual master accepts a disciple for his personal benefit or for material gain, the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple turns into a material affair, and the spiritual master becomes like a smarta-guru. There are many caste gosvamis who professionally create some disciples who do not care for them or their instructions. Such spiritual masters are satisfied simply to get some material benefits from their disciples. Such a relationship is condemned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who calls such spiritual masters and disciples a society of cheaters and cheated. They are also called baulas or prakrta-sahajiyas. Their aim is to make the connection between the spiritual master and the disciple into a very cheap thing. They are not serious in wanting to understand spiritual life." (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chp 24. text 330) As is always the case when individuals take on the role of spiritual masters without the necessary qualification ( Maha-Bhagavata-being a perfectly self-realised soul) and specific authorisation (coming from one's spiritual master) they fall down deep into the darkest regions of immoral conduct. "Indeed, the advanced uttama-adhikari ( maha-Bhagavata) Vaisnava devotee should be accepted as a spiritual master. Everything one possesses should be offered to him, for it is enjoined that one should deliver whatever he has to the spiritual master. The brahmacari (celibate student) in particular is supposed to beg alms from others and offer them to the spiritual master. However, one should not imitate the behavior of an advanced devotee or maha-bhagavata without being self-realized, for by such imitation one will eventually become degraded ." (Nectar of Instruction Mantra 5) "The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers . A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But 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 . His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should therefore strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession ." (Nectar of Devotion chp14) "One should, therefore, follow the path of Bhagavad-gita as it is expressed in the Gita itself and beware of self-interested people after personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the actual path." (Bhagavad-gita chp4.43 purport) "Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikari as a spiritual master ." (Nectar of Instruction mantra 5) Soon enough the lack of spiritual purity amongst Srila Prabhupada's so-called successors became embarrassingly visible to the vast majority of the movement. Sadly ISKCON didn't revert to the Rittvik system as sanctioned by Srila Prabhupada to continue indefinitely in the future even after his physical departure. Rather they made a further compromise and concoction. They declared to their followers that the post of Guru could be awarded to anyone who was simply rubber-stamped by ISKCON'S GBC(Governing Body Committee) at an annual meeting wherein the aspiring "guru" would need a 2/3 majority vote to certify his so-called right to accept disciples. "Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya (spiritual master)" (Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya lilä chp 1.220) "Sri Jiva Gosvami advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding" (C.C Adi lilä chp1.35) "A devotee's attention is concentrated only upon the eternal loving service of the Lord, and therefore the power of death has no influence over him. In such a devotional state, a perfect yogi can attain the status of immortal knowledge and bliss."(SB 3.27.30) "People with a poor fund of knowledge do not know the difference between the death of a devotee and the death of a nondevotee . In this connection, an example can be given: a cat carries its kittens in its mouth, and it also catches a rat in its mouth. Superficially, the catching of the rat and the kitten appear to be one and the same, but actually they are not. When the cat catches the rat in its mouth it means death for the rat, whereas when the cat catches the kitten, the kitten enjoys it ." (SB4.12.30) "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" ( C.C Adi lilä chp 1.35) So Kishoresing. Take this instruction from Srila Prabhupada: If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Krsna Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master . However, unless one follows the spiritual master's instructions concerning the regulative principles and chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one's mental concoctions, one falls down. ( C.C Madhya lilä chp 19.157)

My spiritual master Srila Prabhupada has many times talked about this misunderstanding. I will paste some talks regarding this topic. Hari Bol. Just like from Sindhu, they have called, they have designated the inhabitants of Sindhu-desa as "Hindu." The Muhammadans, they pronounce s as h. So from "Sindhu," it has come to "Hindu." Otherwise, this "Hindu" name is not mentioned in any Vedic literature. It is given by the... This name is given by the other foreigners. Especially the Arabian countries, they used to call this nation, Bharata-varsa... Actually, Hindu is not a religion. Hindu is a name given by the foreigners. The religion is, of India, varnasrama-dharma, following the institution of four varnas and four asramas. That is varn... Or sanatana-dharma. Sanatana-dharma means eternal, eternal religion. The Muhammadans from the other side of river Sindhu, they have called us Hindu. Actually, this word "Hindu" you'll not find any Vedic scripture. Hare Krishna:pray: <kalyan97 </kalyan97

<table id="mainLayoutTable" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr> <td class="MainLayoutBottomBar" colspan="1"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table id="uxp_ftr_control" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td id="uxp_ftr_left"> </td> <td id="uxp_ftr_right"> <table id="uxp_ftr_right_nest" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td> Prabhupada's Lectures Srimad-Bhagavatam 1968 680822SB.MON Spiritual life is so nice. So fortunately, one of our students, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that. That simple life, eat simple things, grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and save your time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma. Vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicate. Morning Walk Vrindaban, March 12, 1974 740312MW.VRN Prabhupada: ...it will be constituted, that. Their business will be to exploit the poor citizens. And they will be embarrassed and harassed so much: by one side, no sufficient rain, and therefore scarcity of food, and the other side, taxation by the government. In this way, the people will be so much harassed that they'll give up their home and go to the forest. Very piti... Unless they take to Krsna consciousness, they'll not be saved. The varnasrama college has to be established immediately. Everywhere, wherever we have got our center, a varnasrama college should be established to train four divisions: one class, brahmana; one class, ksatriya; one class, vaisya; and one class, sudra. But everyone will be elevated to the spiritual platform by the spiritual activities which we have prescribed. There is no inconvenience, even for the sudras. Room Conversation New Orleans, August 1, 1975 750801RC.NO So make, organize. I can give you the idea, but I'll not live very long. If you can carry out, you can change the whole... Especially if you can change America, then whole world will change. Then the whole world... And it is the duty because they are kept in darkness and ignorance, then the human life is being spoiled. These rascals, because they do not know how to live... Andha yathandhair... They are blind, and they are leading... Others are blind, and they are leading and they, all of them, going to ditch. So it is the duty. There is... Caitanya has explained, para-upakara. Save them. If it is not possible to save everyone, as many as possible... This is human life. This is Krsna consciousness, to save others who are in the darkness. Prabhupada: And money, spend for Krsna--for Krsna's palace, for Krsna's temple, for Krsna's worship, gorgeous, as gorgeously as... Not for false... This is the human civilization. And to organize this, varnasrama will help you to divide the society--brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya--as there is division in the body. That will help. Don't waste human form of body for sense gratification. I wanted to introduce this. Now I have given you ideas. You can do it. You are all intelligent. For Caitanya Mahaprabhu's para-upakara... So you do good to others. Not exploit others. Any human being who has been bestowed by this body has the capacity to chant Hare Krsna. Give them chance and make situation favorable. Is that clear? Over Coming Challenges Created By Western So-Called Civilisation <hr width="100%"> Prabhupada: Sraddha-sabde visvasa sudrdha niscaya. This is basic platform, that "What Krsna says, that is truth." Krsna bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya: "If I follow Krsna, then my business is complete." This is intelligence. Now... We have come to the open field. How it is nice. And so long we were passing through that congested areas--hellish, simply hellish. And now here is open space. How it is nice. Hari-sauri: To enter into a city is so imposing on your consciousness. Prabhupada: Up to that point, simply rubbish, all papers thrown here and there. People are living in... Now see here, how it is open and pleasing. Organize this farm project. Farm. (background talking) Hari-sauri: He's just saying that in the West one requires a great deal of capital. To start a farm, to get the land, you need a lot of money because land is very expensive. And also we have to use modern farming techniques because we have so few men to run the farms. Prabhupada: No, you show example. People will do automatically. When the people find it is very nice, they will take. Hari-sauri: Should we try to make an effort to have our householders go and live on the farms, a special effort? If it's ready to do that? Prabhupada: Why householders? Everyone. Hare Krsna. (japa) Ramesvara: In America there is a very big emphasis on getting people to join us by moving into our temples. The temple presidents are very eager to get as many people to move in as possible, but in the long run most people cannot come up to the standard. Prabhupada: Therefore I am [advocating]... Farms. Ramesvara: So they have to be encouraged to have a little bit of Krsna consciousness in their own home, make their home a temple. Prabhupada: No, let them go to the farm, New Vrindaban. Ramesvara: Many people... Most people in the world, they are grhamedhis, and they cannot give it up so easily. Prabhupada: "No, you remain... Come here with your wife, children. You remain grhamedhi." Jagadisa: New Vrindaban is very austere. If we build little bungalows with modern convenience... Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Jagadisa: There has to be some modern convenience. Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Then we shall do that. Ramesvara: But for many people who live in the cities, they have their jobs already. They don't want to give it up. Prabhupada: (train slows down) What is the nonsense? No, there is a station? No station. Jagadisa: Why does this train keep stopping? (train stops) Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna. Jaya. Jagadisa: Why does the train keep stopping? Prabhupada: Who is this gentleman? Hari-sauri: Pradyumna? Prabhupada: Oh, Pradyumna. Ramesvara: Say, in America, most people live in the cities, and they already have their job, and they are set in their ways. Prabhupada: But you said that there is unemployment also. Ramesvara: To a certain extent. But there are still 250,000,000 people. So most of them... Prabhupada: So those who are unemployed, let them come to us. We shall give them employment. Ramesvara: Yes. But for the mass population... Prabhupada: Well, gradually you will increase and... Ramesvara: We have to give them something that they can do in their home. Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Ramesvara: Because it is impractical to think that they will give up everything and move into the temple. Prabhupada: No, those who are unemployed, let them come. We shall give them employment. Jagadisa: On the farm. Prabhupada: Yes. Ramesvara: For those who are unemployed, that's attractive. Jagadisa: But for those who are already employed... Ramesvara: But most people have jobs. Prabhupada: Eh? Ramesvara: Many people already have their jobs and their families. Prabhupada: All right, let them not come, but those who are unemployed, let them come. Ramesvara: But what...? For those people who already have their jobs, instead of... Prabhupada: That job... They will be very soon jobless. Don't worry. (laughs) They will come. They will be obliged to come. Now they have got job, but as the days are advancing in Kali-yuga, they'll be jobless. </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Hare Krishna. Prabhupāda:When God comes Himself and shows Himself, His activities, we think it is mythology. Then how we can be convinced? Direct perception and authority. And the direct perception, when He comes you take it that it is mythology. When the direct perception history is written about Kṛṣṇa in Mahābhārata, and then you take it as mythology. Then how he will believe it? And the authority accepts, “Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. He has done it.” You say, “I don’t accept it.” Then how you will be convinced? So we have to understand that, how Bhagavān ( God), Bhagavān means All powerful. He can appear anywhere, without any restriction. We have to understand through the śāstra( Scriptures). And that understanding is possible only through bhakti ( devotion). Not by any other means. Not by jñāna ( intelligence) or yoga. That is not possible. It is simply through… Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ .( One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.) The jñānīs, yogis… Karmīs, they are third-class, they cannot. The yogis, jñānīs, yogis, they have got spiritual advancement, but still, until they come to the platform of bhakti, it is not possible to understand. don’t think it is mythology. No. This is fact. Vyāsadeva or big big saintly persons, they have no business to present before you something mythology. Why they should waste time in that way? It is simply rascaldom to think all the statement as mythology. Our process is deductive, not inductive. We take knowledge, just like this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of his guru, spiritual master, Nārada. So Nārada advised him that “You have written so many books: Purāṇas, Vedas, Vedānta.” Vyāsadeva said, “Still I am not feeling very satisfied.” So Nārada Muni advised him that “You are not feeling satisfied because you have not described about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect. So now you have got mature experience. You describe simply about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.” So therefore he wrote the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses. Prabhupāda:As if Vyāsadeva wrote this Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam to put before these rascals some mythology, some imaginary things. Just see how they want to be cheated. Such an exalted personality like Vyāsadeva, who has given us the Vedic literature, he presented something which is imaginary. What business He has got? Therefore sometimes these cheated people, they deny to accept that Bhāgavata is written by Śrī Vyāsadeva. But those who are actually ācāryas, those who can guide us, like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, big, big…, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they do not say like this, that “It is mythology. It is imaginary.” They accept as it is. So we have to follow these mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ dharmasya tattvaṁ nihito guhāyām. We have to follow great personalities, ācāryas. ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who has taken shelter of ācārya, bona fide spiritual master, he knows.. It is not mythology, it is fact. But it is mythology or imagination for the non-devotees. For the devotees, it is practical. Prabhupada: Vyāsadeva compiled the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam by collecting the most important news from history. Purāṇa means old history. It is not mythology. The foolish people, they say like that, “Mythology means something created.” No. Don’t take it that way. It is the essence of important historical incidences, record. Mahābhārata is also history. Mahā means great, and bhārata means this land. Actually it is a history. But foolish people, without understanding through the guru-paramparā system, they manufacture their own way of understanding; therefore they are misled. They cannot take full advantage of this Vedic literature because they are misled. We should not be misled. We should know always that we are lame, paṅgoḥ. Just like a lame man cannot go very fast. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, even a lame man can go fast— not only go fast, but cross over the mountain. Prabhupada: Why you should say mythology? You have not seen the whole universe, how it is situated. You are simply imagining from this place. So your imagination, imaginology,. So we have got some evidence, but you have no evidence. At least we have got some support of the books. But what you have got? You are simply imagining, “I think,” “I believe.” What is this nonsense? What is your proof? Everyone is saying “I believe.” Hundreds and thousands… And what is correct? Everyone… At least, we have got something correct. We don’t say “I believe.” This is not our process of knowledge. We, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, we never say “I believe.” No, we immediately quote from the śāstra . Prabhupāda: Everything is possible by Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable energy. Everything is possible. That is inconceivable. It is called therefore “inconceivable.” You, we cannot conceive how it is done. Our intelligence is very little. We cannot conceive. Therefore we say, “Oh, this is all mythology.” Because we cannot conceive of it. Whatever we cannot conceive we take it as mythology. Nothing is mythology. Everything is possible. That is inconceivable. But they cannot understand what is inconceivable. Unless it is conceivable by them, they do not accept. That is their foolishness. We can see at night worms or flies so small Just like if you divide one grain of rice into one hundred divisions one division—such a small fly. They are independently walking, flying. Freedom. Now just imagine how their anatomic physiology is manufactured within that small (indistinct) of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Then they are suffering from what we call “Doctor Frog’s philosophy.” There was once a frog who had lived all his life in a well. One day a friend visited him and informed him of the existence of the Atlantic Ocean. “Oh, what is this Atlantic Ocean?” asked the frog in the well. “It is a vast body of water,” his friend replied. “How vast? ls it double the size of this well?” “Oh, no, much larger,” his friend replied. “How much larger? Ten times the size?” In this way the frog went on calculating. But what was the possibility of his ever understanding the depths and fur reaches of the great ocean? Our faculties, experience, and powers of speculation are always limited. The frog was always thinking in terms relative to his well. He had no power to think otherwise. Similarly, the scientists are estimating the Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes, with their imperfect senses and minds, and thus they are bound to be bewildered. The essential fault of the so-called scientists is that they have adopted the inductive process to arrive at their conclusions. For example, if a scientist wants to determine whether or not man is mortal by the inductive process, he must study every man to try to discover if some or one of them may be immortal. The scientist says, “I cannot accept the proposition that all men are mortal. There may be some men who are immortal. I have not yet seen every man. Therefore how can I accept that man is mortal?” This is called the inductive process. And the deductive process means that your father, your teacher, or your guru says that man is mortal, and you accept it.The ascending process will never be successful, because it relies on information gathered through the senses, and the senses are imperfect. So we accept the descending process. Jaya Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna, All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Hari-bol prabhus, I was wondering if I can get some clear understand concerning todays ekadasi. Today we fast all day till tomorrow sunrise? Also, Do we break the fast with or without grains? Hope some of you can clear my mind about this important matter. Hare Krishna

"If we adopted the ritvik system, what would stop us taking initiation from any previous acarya, such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta? Two things prevent this from being a bona fide option: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and other previous acaryas, did not authorise a ritvik system to run 'henceforward'. We must approach the current link: "...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, purport)It is self-evident that Srila Prabhupada is the sampradaya acarya who succeeded Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Srila Prabhupada is therefore our current link, and is thus the correct person to approach for initiation. <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="4" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">14) "In order to be the current link you must be physically present." </td></tr></tbody></table> Srila Prabhupada never states the above injunction. So let us consider: Can a spiritual master be 'current' if he is physically absent? The term 'current link' is only used in one passage in all of Srila Prabhupada's books; there is no reference to physical presence adjacent to the term. Were physical presence essential it would certainly have been mentioned. The dictionary definitions of the word 'current' do not refer to physical presence. Dictionary definitions of the word 'current' can be readily applied to a physically absent spiritual master and his books: 'most recent', 'commonly known, practised or accepted', 'widespread', 'circulating and valid at present'. (Collins English Dictionary) As far as we can see all the above definitions can be applied to Srila Prabhupada and his books. The very purpose of approaching a 'current link' can be fully satisfied by reading Srila Prabhupada's books: "...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, purport) Srila Prabhupada also uses the term 'immediate acarya' as synonymous with 'current link'. The word 'immediate' means: 'Without intervening medium', 'closest or most direct in effect or relationship'. (Collins English Dictionary)These definitions lend validity to a direct relationship with Srila Prabhupada without the need for intermediaries, again all regardless of physical presence/absence. Since there are examples of disciples initiating when their guru was still on the planet, there would appear to be no direct relationship between current link status and physical presence/absence. In other words if it is possible to be the next current link even whilst your own guru is physically present, why should it not be possible for a departed acarya to remain the current link? In conclusion, we see no evidence to suggest that the emergence of a current link is based on physical or non-physical considerations. <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="4" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">15) "Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers all became initiating acaryas after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, so what is wrong with Srila Prabhupada's disciples doing the same?" </td></tr></tbody></table> In posing as initiating acaryas, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's disciples acted in direct defiance of their spiritual master's final order (to form a GBC and await a self-effulgent acarya). Srila Prabhupada roundly condemned his Godbrothers for their insubordination, describing them as useless for preaching, what to speak of initiating: "Amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya." (SP Letter to Rupanuga, 28/4/74) "On the whole you may know that he (Bon Maharaja) is not a liberated person, and therefore he cannot initiate any person to Krsna Consciousness. It requires special benediction from higher authorities." (SP Letter to Janardana, 26/4/68) "If everyone just initiates there will be contradictory result. As long as it goes on, there will be only failure." (SP Phalgun Krishnan Pancami, verse 23) We can see from recent experience what havoc just one of these personalities can cause to Srila Prabhupada's mission. We would suggest respect from as great a distance as possible. Certainly we cannot afford to use them as role models for how a disciple should carry on their spiritual master's mission. They destroyed their spiritual master's mission, and are more than capable of doing the same to ISKCON if we were to allow them. With regards to the Gaudiya Matha's guru system, this may be the only historical precedent the M.A.S.S. can lay claim to, i.e. that it was also set up in direct defiance of clear orders from the Founder-acarya. <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="4" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">16) "When Srila Prabhupada said they should not be acaryas, he meant acarya with a big 'A'. That is, an acarya who heads up an institution." </td></tr></tbody></table> Where does Srila Prabhupada ever differentiate between big 'A' and small 'a' initiating acaryas? Where does he ever talk about a specific breed of initiating acarya who can head up institutions, and indicate that there is an inferior species who, through some disablement, cannot? <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="4" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">17) "It is just common knowledge that there are three types of acarya. Everyone in ISKCON accepts that." </td></tr></tbody></table> But this idea was never taught by Srila Prabhupada, it was introduced by Pradyumna dasa in a letter to Satsvarupa dasa Goswami dated 7/8/78. This letter was later re-printed in the paper Under My Order, and was used as one of the corner stones of that paper's thesis on how the guru system within ISKCON should be reformed. In turn it is this paper 'Understood', that forms the basis of GII's doctrine on initiation (as mentioned in the Introduction). This paper led to the transformation of the zonal acarya system into the present day M.A.S.S.: "I have taken this definition of acarya from the letter of August 7^th 1978, from Pradyumna to Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. The reader should now turn to this letter (which I have appended) for careful study." (Under My Order, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, August 1985) In his letter, Pradyumna explains that the word acarya may be taken in three senses: 1. One who practices what he preaches. 2. One who grants initiation to a disciple. 3. The spiritual head of an institution who has been specifically declared by the previous acarya to be his successor. We accept definition 1, since it was used by Srila Prabhupada. This definition would automatically apply to any effective preacher, be he siksa or diksa guru. Moving on to definition 2: Pradyumna explains that this type of acarya can initiate disciples and be referred to as acaryadeva, but only by his disciples: "Anyone who grants initiation or is a guru may be called as "acaryadeva", etc - by his disciples only. Whoever has accepted him as guru must give all respects to him in every way, but this does not apply to those who are not his disciples." (Pradyumna 7/8/78) This is a concoction. Nowhere does Srila Prabhupada ever describe an initiating guru whose absolute nature must only be recognised by his disciples, but not by the world at large, or even other Vaisnavas in the same line. Let us see how Srila Prabhupada defines the word acaryadeva. The following are excerpts from Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-Puja offering printed in The Science of Self Realisation (chapter 2) where he uses the term in relation to his own spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta: "The guru, or acaryadeva, as we learn from bona fide scriptures, delivers the message of the absolute world,..." "...when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application." "The acaryadeva for whom we have assembled tonight to offer our humble homage is not the guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many differing exponents of the truth. On the contrary, he is the Jagad-Guru, or the guru of all of us..." Srila Prabhupada's use and definition of the word acaryadeva is diametrically opposed to that of Pradyumna. Implicit in what Pradyumna says is that the term acaryadeva can be falsely applied to persons who are not actually on that highly elevated platform. Thus, he relativises the absolute position of the diksa guru. The term acaryadeva can only be applied to someone who is factually 'the guru of all of us'; someone who should be worshipped by the entire world: "...he is known to be the direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Such a spiritual master is known as acaryadeva."(C.c. Adi, 1.46) In definition 3, Pradyumna explains that the word acarya indicates the head of an institution, and that this meaning is very specific: "It does not mean just anyone. It means only one who has been specifically declared by the previous acarya to be his successor above all others to the seat of the spiritual institution which he heads. [...] This is the strict tradition in all of the Gaudiya Sampradaya." (Pradyumna's letter to Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, 7/8/78) We certainly agree that to initiate one must first be authorised by the predecessor acarya (a point which is not even mentioned in the elaboration of definition 2) : "One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorised by his predecessor spiritual master." (S.B. 4.8.54, purport) However, what this has got to do with taking over the 'seat of the spiritual institution' is rather baffling, since Srila Prabhupada is the Acarya of an entirely separate institution from that of his Guru Maharaja. According to Pradyumna's philosophy therefore, Srila Prabhupada might only come in as a definition 2 acarya. Whatever 'strict tradition' Pradyumna is referring to, it was certainly never mentioned by Srila Prabhupada, and thus we can safely discard it. Further down the page, we see exactly from where Pradyumna's insidious ideas originated: "Indeed in the different Gaudiya Mathas, even if one Godbrother is in the position of acarya, he usually, out of humility, takes only a thin cloth asana, not anything higher." None of Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers were authorised acaryas. One would think that genuine humility should translate into giving up one's unauthorised activity, whatever it may be, recognising Srila Prabhupada's pre-eminent position, and then surrendering to the true Jagad-Guru. Unfortunately, few members of the Gaudiya Matha have ever done this. The fact that Pradyumna cites these personalities as bona fide examples means he is once more denigrating the position of the true acaryadeva. "Regarding Bhakti Puri, Tirtha Maharaja, they are my Godbrothers and should be shown respect. But you should not have any intimate connection with them as they have gone against the orders of my Guru Maharaja." (SP Letter to Pradyumna, 17/2/68) It is a shame Pradyumna prabhu ignored this direct instruction from his Guru Maharaja, and quite remarkable that his deviant views were allowed to shape ISKCON's current guru 'siddhanta'. Thus, when Srila Prabhupada said none of his Godbrothers were qualified to be become acarya, whether he meant definitions 1 or 3 acarya is irrelevant. If they were not qualified for definition 1 then that meant they did not teach by example, which would automatically disqualify them from definition 3, and hence from initiating altogether. And if they were not qualified as per definition 3, then they were not authorised, and hence once more they could not initiate. <table style="border: 4.5pt outset ; background: navy none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" bordercolordark="#ffff00" bordercolorlight="#ff0000" bgcolor="navy" border="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 0.75pt inset ; padding: 0.75pt;"> In Conclusion: </td></tr></tbody></table> All preachers should aspire to become a definition 1 acarya, or siksa guru. The elaboration of Definition 2 by Pradyumna Dasa is completely bogus. It is forbidden for anyone, disciple or not, to regard the bona fide guru, or acaryadeva, as an ordinary man. And if he is, in fact, an ordinary man then he cannot initiate anyone and be referred to as acaryadeva. Furthermore there is no mention of the need to receive specific authorisation from the predecessor acarya in disciplic succession, without which no one can initiate. Definition 3 is the only type of acarya who may initiate; i.e. one who has been authorised by his own sampradaya acarya- spiritual master. Having been so authorised he may or may not head up an institution, that is irrelevant. Within ISKCON all devotees are instructed to become definition 1 acaryas, teaching through example, or siksa gurus. A good start on the path to becoming this type of acarya is to begin strictly following the orders of the spiritual master. <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="4" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">18) "It seems a small point, so how could these ideas regarding the acarya have had any noticeable adverse effect on ISKCON?" </td></tr></tbody></table> In fact, the relativisation of the initiating diksa guru has led to all kinds of confusion within ISKCON. Some ISKCON gurus claim they are taking their disciples back to Godhead by acting as current links to Srila Prabhupada who is the Founder-acarya; and some say they are simply introducing disciples to Srila Prabhupada who is the actual current link who is taking them back to Godhead (almost ritvik philosophy). Some gurus say Srila Prabhupada is still the current acarya, others say that he is not; whilst a couple have claimed themselves to be the sole successor acarya to Srila Prabhupada. Some ISKCON gurus still believe Srila Prabhupada appointed 11 successor acaryas (a myth which was recently reported as fact in the LA Times); others that he appointed 11 ritviks who were to turn into small 'a' acaryas immediately on his departure; others that it was not just the 11 who should have turned into small 'a' acaryas on departure, but all Srila Prabhupada's disciples (except the women it seems). If we return once more to GII, we can see that the GBC is highly ambivalent towards the gurus it 'authorises'. Whilst acknowledging the rubber-stamping of sampradaya acaryas is bogus (GII, p.15, point 6), the GBC nevertheless, in effect, performs precisely this function every Gaura-Purnima at Mayapur, year after year. We now have close to a hundred initiating gurus, all anointed with the 'no objection' stamp of approval. All these gurus are being worshipped as saksad hari (as good as God) in accordance with the GBC's own directives for disciples (GII, p.15, point 8). These initiating acaryas are heralded as current links to a disciplic succession of maha-bhagavatas stretching back thousands of years to the Supreme lord Himself: "Devotees should take shelter of the representatives of Srila Prabhupada who are the 'current link' in the disciplic succession." (GII, p. 34) At the same time however the aspiring disciple is sternly warned that ISKCON approval... "...is not automatically to be taken as a statement about the degree of God-realisation of the approved guru." (GII, p.9, section 2.2) Elsewhere we are further cautioned: "When a devotee is allowed to carry out the "order" of Srila Prabhupada to expand the disciplic succession by initiating new disciples it is not to be taken as a certification or endorsement of his being an "uttama adhikari", "pure devotee", or to having achieved any specific state of realisation." (GII, p.15) These gurus are not to be worshipped by everyone in the temple, but only by their own disciples in a separate place. (GII, p.7) - (Pradyumna's acaryadeva definition). We have shown that the only type of bona fide diksa guru is an authorised maha-bhagavata; (we have also shown that the actual "order" was for ritviks and siksa gurus). Thus, to describe anyone as a current link or initiator guru, is synonymous with claiming he is a large 'A' or definition 3 acarya, an 'uttama adhikari' or a 'pure devotee'. We would venture that it is infelicitous to approve, or 'not object' to, the creation of diksa gurus, and simultaneously disavow any blame or responsibility should they deviate. This is what's termed 'living in denial' according to modern psychological parlance. We are sure Srila Prabhupada did not intend ISKCON to be a type of lottery, or Russian roulette, where the stake is someone's spiritual life. Perhaps the GBC should refrain from further rubber stamping until they can stand one hundred percent behind those they approve. After all, every one of us stands one hundred percent behind Srila Prabhupada as a bona fide spiritual master; so such consensual recognition of personal qualification is not impossible. GBC guru ambivalence was recently summed up quite succinctly by Jayadvaita Swami: "The word appointed is never used. But there are "candidates for initiating guru", votes are taken, and those who make it through the procedures become "ISKCON-APPROVED" or "ISKCON-authorised" gurus. To boost your confidence: On one hand the GBC encourages you to be initiated by a bona fide, authorised ISKCON guru and worship him like God. On the other, it has an elaborate system of laws to invoke from time to time when your ISKCON-authorised guru falls down. One might perhaps be forgiven for thinking that for all the laws and resolutions the role of guru is still a perplexity even for the GBC." <o></o> <table style="width: 95%; text-align: left;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 15%; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: right;"></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 15%; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: right;"></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 15%; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: right;"></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 15%; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: right;"></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"></td></tr></tbody></table> Newcomers to ISKCON are told that the onus is on them to carefully examine ISKCON gurus on the basis of Srila Prabhupada's books and instructions, to make sure for themselves that they are qualified to initiate. However, should such a prospective disciple come to the conclusion that none of the 'physically present' gurus on offer are up to standard, and that he wishes instead to repose his faith in Srila Prabhupada as his diksa guru, he is ruthlessly hounded from the Society. Is this really fair? After all, he is only doing what the GBC has told him to do. Should he be punished for not coming to the 'right' conclusion, especially since there is such clear and unequivocal evidence that this choice is precisely what Srila Prabhupada wanted all along?

Hare Krishna Vee. All Glories to God's Pure Devotee Srila Prabhupada! All honest devotees are outraged about the deterioration of Prabhupadas original books. Prabhupada said many times over and over how changing his words will diminish and ruin the potency of the message. To guarantee that his teachings would not be forgotten in the oblivion of time, Srila Prabhupada created the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and, assisted by his disciples, he astounded the academic community with his literary output. What follows is a brief account of Srila Prabhupada's struggle with the BBT staff to keep the final version of his books intact by resisting what he called the "American disease" of always wanting to change things. As will be seen from the letters and conversations cited in this article, Srila Prabhupada would finally insist on an "absolutely no change" policy based on the principle of "arsa prayoga". That unwanted changes were being made to his books came to his attention as early as 1975, and it quickly became a pressing matter. In a letter to the production manager of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Srila Prabhupada expressed his alarm that changes he had not approved were appearing in print. "I will have to see personally what are the mistakes in the synonyms and also how you intend to correct them. I was not satisfied with the corrections that were made before. I saw some changes which I did not approve. Nitai may correct whatever mistakes are there, but the corrected material must be sent to me for final approval." (Letter to Radha-vallabha dasa dated 1-5-76) Srila Prabhupada never gave anyone carte blanche to make revisions in his books. This letter confirms that any changes to his books would require his personal approval before being printed. A few months later, the issue of change was raised again by Radha-vallabha dasa regarding the text of several volumes of the Srimad Bhagavatam which were soon to be reprinted. Srila Prabhupada advised him, "There is no need for corrections for the First and Second Cantos. Whatever is there is all right." (Letter of 5-4-76) Seeing how persistent his BBT managers were to implement change in the text and presentation of his books, His Divine Grace wrote again to Radha-vallabha dasa in August, 1976, this time more firmly: "Do not try to change anything without my permission." Srila Prabhupada consistently stated that he did not want anything to be changed unnecessarily. Any changes they thought would be an improvement in the text would require his written authorization. Stay away from the False and Stay with the REAL Guru. SRILA PRABHUPADA. HARE KRISHNA.

Hare Krishna Shelly! All Glories to The Lords pure devotee Srila Prabhupada! I welcome you here. you will find good information. the Fastest way to enlightment is to listen to a "pure devotee" and that is The Guru. The Guru is no other than His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Just follow his instructions and your life will be Sublime! Hear him here ... prabhupadavani.org Hare KRISHNA!

Thank yiu everyone for trying to help my situation. I think i like the lizzard idea. Hare Krishna. ;0

When you have a bona-fide Guru you are in pure bhakti. If you have a pretending guru like the unauthorized and evil ISKCON gurus then you are lost and it shows you are just as "Showbottle" as they are. Whenever an acarya comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion, as enunciated in Bhagavad-gita. Religion means abiding by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious principles begin from the time one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the acarya's duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting and remembering. Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately 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….Similarly, a devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master's mission. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down upon this earth to re-establish the principles of religion, so His representative, the spiritual master, also comes to re-establish religious principles. It is the duty of the disciples to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. Otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations…. When one becomes serious to follow the mission of the spiritual master, his resolution is tantamount to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained before, this means meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the instruction of the spiritual master. This is technically called vani-seva. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura states in his Bhagavad-gita commentary on the verse vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (Bg. 2.41) that one should serve the words of the spiritual master. The disciple must stick to whatever the spiritual master orders. Simply by following on that line, one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.48,50,51)

Hare Krishna! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I want to know how to handle this cockroche problem I have in my apartment. being a devotee is sure hard in this age of kali, especially when you have cockroches! Even though I know that they are also living entities in a lower life form, they are gross and not really beneficial when trying to cook for the lord. looking at a bunch of bugs around plates and utensils makes bhakti very hard, it makes me irritated.. I really don't know what to do. I cant just kill them right? I need proof if ever Prabhupada talked about this sort of thing. When is it ok to terminate this roches? I know I can kill them if they Attack me!! so I'll hope for that