Rupanuga vada khandana – Part 3 A refutation of Rupanuga dasa’s intepretation of the October 18, 1977 conversation, by Damaghosa dasa
Dear Rupanuga Prabhu
Obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Thank you for putting up this website about Prabhapada’s position and his books.
I had a few comments below I wanted to make…if I may
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das… my reply is in italic, for clarity sake…
you write…
“In the article, this last sentence was paraphrased from memory, but the meaning is still the same as Srila Prabhupada’s statement, which now becomes enhanced when taken in the context of his speech. He is obviously referring to his present disciples as the next in the disciplic succession he has just named and numbered, all of whom are directly initiating their own disciples.
This is a very contentious point, as you well know. Many of our Godbrothers ARE initiating disciples, but where is the actual order for them to do that?
To my knowledge, there is no order. The only order he gave just prior to leaving his body was for the GBC (and others in the future) to become officiating acaryas. To initiate on his behalf. That’s all.This order was never amended or stopped. This lecture given in 1972 could also mean he wanted us, his disciples to continue as siksa gurus and not diksa gurus, especially after seeing what happened in his Gaudiya matha. And you were the recipient of that famous letter in 1974..
74-04-28.Rup Letter: Rupanuga
His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said
openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst
the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent
acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his
two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later
it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be
acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to
preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a
year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp.
Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya.
So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because
instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes
pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially
Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or
other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very
careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to
you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very
competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful
about them.
His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said
openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst
the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent
acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his
two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later
it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be
acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to
preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a
year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp.
Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya.
So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because
instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes
pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially
Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or
other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very
careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to
you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very
competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful
about them.
