REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACARYA

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RITVIK--REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACARYA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING INITIATIONS,

BOTH FIRST INITIATION AND SECOND INITIATION.Madhya 24.330 Similarly, a

disciple's qualifications must be observed by the spiritual master before he is

accepted as a disciple. In our Krsna consciousness movement, the requirement is

that one must be prepared to give up the four pillars of sinful life-illicit

sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. In Western countries especially,

we first observe whether a potential disciple is prepared to follow the

regulative principles. Then he is given the name of a Vaisnava servant and

initiated to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, at least sixteen rounds daily.

In this way the disciple renders devotional service under the guidance of the

spiritual master OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. He is

then recommended for a second initiation, during which a sacred thread is

offered and the disciple is accepted as a bona fide brahmana.Note:we know that

without becoming a Mahabhagavata it is an offense against the chanting of the

holy name(3rd offense in chanting) to be worshipped as good as God(Acarya).

Ritvik --the representative of the acarya allows for this function of

worshipping the acarya (Prabhupada) without slaughtering the spiritual lives of

others. Madhya 24.330 When one has attained the topmost position of

maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru AND WORSHIPED EXACTLY LIKE HARI,

the Personality of Godhead. ONLY SUCH A PERSON IS ELIGIBLE TO OCCUPY THE POST OF

A GURU.Srila Prabhupada is REVEALING HIS POSITION AS THE JAGAD-GURU(SPIRITUAL

MASTER OF THE ENTIRE WORLD). It is Prabhupada that has distributed the holy

name(thru his books) all over the world. Krishna is His pure devotee

Prabhupada'sproperty to give.Antya 7.12 "in the Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy

Krsna or Visnu only by worshiping opulently according to the pancaratriki

system, but in the age of Kali one can satisfy and worship the Supreme

Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting His holy name." Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains that unless one is directly

empowered by the causeless mercy of Krsna, one cannot become the SPIRITUAL

MASTER OF THE ENTIRE WORLD (JAGAD-GURU). One cannot become an acarya simply by

mental speculation. The true acarya presents Krsna to everyone by preaching the

holy name of the Lord throughout the world. Thus the conditioned souls, purified

by chanting the holy name, are liberated from the blazing fire of material

existence. In this way, spiritual benefit grows increasingly full, like the

waxing moon in the sky. THE TRUE ACARYA, THE SPIRITUAL MASTER OF THE ENTIRE

WORLD, MUST BE CONSIDERED AN INCARNATION OF KRSNA'S MERCY. INDEED, HE IS

PERSONALLY EMBRACING KRSNA. HE IS THEREFORE THE SPIRITUAL MASTER OF ALL THE

VARNAS (BRAHMANA, KSATRIYA, VAISYA AND SUDRA) AND ALL THE ASRAMAS

(BRAHMACARYA,GRHASTHA, VANAPRASTHA AND SANNYASA). Since he is understood to be

the most advanced devotee, he is called paramahamsa-thakura. Thakura is a title

of honor offered to the paramahamsa. Therefore one who acts as an acarya,

directly presenting Lord Krsna by spreading His name and fame, is also to be

called paramahamsa-thakura."Representative of the acarya" is also mentioned

SIMILARLY in (CC24.330madhya)---this is the secret. Ritvik is the SAME.Madhya

8.100 The name Radha is derived from this verse (Bhag. 10.30.28), from thewords

anayaradhitah, meaning "by Her the Lord is worshiped." Sometimes the critics of

Srimad-Bhagavatam find it difficult to find Radharani's holy name, BUT THE

SECRET IS DISCLOSED HERE IN THE WORD ARADHITAH, FROM WHICH THE NAME RADHA HAS

COME. Of course, the name of Radharani is directly mentioned in other Puranas.

This gopi's worship of Krsna is topmost, and therefore Her name is Radha, or

the topmost worshiper.77-07-09.All Letter: All G.B.C., All Temple

PresidentsPlease accept my humble obeisances at your feet. Recently when all

ofthe GBC members were with His Divine Grace in Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada

indicated that soon He would appoint some of His senior disciples to act as

"RITVIK--REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACARYA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING

INITIATIONS, BOTH FIRST INITIATION AND SECOND INITIATION. His Divine Grace has

so far given a list of eleven disciples who will act in that capacity:His

Holiness Kirtanananda SwamiHis Holiness Satsvarupa dasa GosvamiHis Holiness

Jayapataka SwamiHis Holiness Tamala Krsna GosvamiHis Holiness Hrdayananda

GosvamiHis Holiness Bhavananda GosvamiHis Holiness Hamsaduta SwamiHis Holiness

Ramesvara SwamiHis Holiness Harikesa SwamiHis Grace Bhagavan dasa AdhikariHis

Grace Jayatirtha dasa AdhikariIn the past Temple Presidents have written to

Srila Prabhupadarecommending a particular devotee's initiation. Now that Srila

PRABHUPADA HAS NAMED THESE REPRESENTATIVES, Temple Presidents may henceforward

send recommendation for first and second initiation to whichever of these

eleven representatives are nearest their temple. After considering the

recommendation, THESE REPRESENTATIVES MAY ACCEPT THE DEVOTEE AS AN INITIATED

DISCIPLE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA by giving a spiritual name, or in the case of

second initiation, by chanting on the Gayatri thread, just as Srila Prabhupada

has done. THE NEWLY INITIATED DEVOTEES ARE DISCIPLES OF HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C.

BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPAD, the above eleven senior devotees acting as His

representative. After the Temple President receives a letter from these

representatives giving the spiritual name or the thread, he can perform the

fire yajna in the temple as was being done before. The name of a newly

initiated disciple should be sent by the representative who has accepted him or

her to Srila Prabhupada, to be included in His Divine Grace's "Initiated

Disciples" book.Srila Prabhupada’s signature appears in the original

Note: this July 9th 1977 letter was NEVER REVOKED BY SRILA PRABHUPADA. This

being the case ALL THE NEWLY INITIATED DEVOTEES ARE DISCIPLES OF HIS DIVINE

GRACE A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPAD for as long as ISKCON EXISTS.

Note: A History below was compiled by another devotee which shows Srila

Prabhupada's intentions.

History:

July 9th, 1977 - "Now that Srila Prabhupada has named these representatives,

Temple Presidents may henceforward send recommendation for first and second

initiation to whichever of these eleven representatives are nearest their

temple. After considering the recommendation, these representatives may accept

the devotee as an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada by giving a spiritual

name, or in the case of second initiation, by chanting on the Gayatri thread,

just as Srila Prabhupada has done. The newly initiated devotees are disciples

of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the above eleven senior

devotees acting as His representative."

July 11th, 1977 - "A letter has been sent to all the Temple Presidents and GBC

which you should be receiving soon describing the process for initiation to be

followed in the future. Srila Prabhupada has appointed thus far eleven

representatives who will initiate new devotees on His behalf."

(Letter from Tamala Krishna Goswami to Kirtananda describing the above system)

July 19th, 1977 - "Make your own field and continue to be ritvik and act on my charge."

(Room Conversation, above dictated by Srila Prabhupada to his secretary Tamala Krishna Goswami)

July 31st, 1977 - "Make your own field and continue to become ritvik and act on my behalf."

(Above dictation sent out to Hamsaduta Swami by Tamala Krishna Goswami in a letter)

Nov 1977 - "The system of management will continue as it is now and there is no need of any change."

(Srila Prabhupada's Last Will and Testament, which now comes into force for the lifetime of ISKCON)

Nov 1977 - "In the event of death or failure to act for any reason of any of the

said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the

remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple ..."

(Srila Prabhupada's Last Will and Testament, which now comes into force for the

lifetime of ISKCON. The above system of selecting directors can only work if

Srila Prabhupada's initiated disciples exist throughout ISKCON's lifetime.)