SRILA PRABHUPADA GURU-TATTVA

Submitted by: Harinam Das

It is widely known that Srila Prabhupada instituted a ritvik or representative (proxy) initiation system throughout ISKCON as early as 1971 in order to meet the growing need to initiate his disciples worldwide. However what is not widely known is that he instructed his disciples to continue initiating new disciples on his behalf even after his physical disappearance. He called those disciples who performed the initiation ceremonies ritvik representatives of the acharya (officiating acharyas). Below are quotes directly from Srila Prabhupada for the evidence of these intructions as well as explanations, philosophical insights, and historical background. Harinama dasa (07-17-04)

I. DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR CONTINUANCE OF THE RITVIK SYSTEM AFTER PHYSICAL DISAPPEARANCE

A. Srila Prabhupada’s May 28, 1977 ISKCON Governing Board Commission (GBC) meeting.
Notes enclosed in [ ]

Satsvarupa: By the votes of the present GBC. Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly at that time when you’re no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation would be conducted.

Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas.

[Srila Prabhupada clearly did not state “diksa-guru” nor “acarya” which is a direct repudiation of the successor diksa-guru accepting their own disciples senario in ISKCON.]

Tamala Krsna: Is that called ritvik-acarya?

Prabhupada: Ritvik, yes.

[Srila Prabhupada equates “officiating acarya” with “ritvik” which is the second direct repudiation of the successor diksa-guru senario in ISKCON.]

Satsvarupa: Then what is the relationship of that person who gives the initiation and the…

Prabhupada: He’s guru. He’s guru.

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Sri Vrindavan dasa Thakura avirbhava tithi [appearance day].

Compiled by damqaghosa saa, Narasimha dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa

Srila Prabhupada glorifies Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

Sri Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s birth.

nārāyaṇī–caitanyera ucchiṣṭa-bhājana

tāṅra garbhe janmilā śrī-dāsa-vṛndāvana

SYNONYMS

nārāyaṇī—of the name Nārāyaṇī; caitanyera—of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ucchiṣṭa-bhājana—eater of the remnants of food; tāṅra—of her; garbhe—in the womb; janmilā—took birth; śrī-dāsa-vṛndāvana—Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Thākura.

TRANSLATION

Nārāyaṇī eternally eats the remnants of the food of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was born of her womb.

PURPORT

In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, a book written by Kavi-karṇapūra that describes all the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and who they previously were, there is the following statement regarding Nārāyaṇī:

ambikāyāḥ svasā yāsīn
nāmnā śrīla-kilimbikā
kṛṣṇocchiṣṭaṁ prabhuñjānā
seyaṁ nārāyaṇī matā

When Lord Kṛṣṇa was a child, He was nursed by a woman named Ambikā, who had a younger sister named Kilimbikā. During the time of Lord Caitanya’s incarnation, the same Kilimbikā used to eat the remnants of food left by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That Kilimbikā was Nārāyaṇī, who was a niece of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s. Later on, when she grew up and married, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was born from her womb. A devotee of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is celebrated in terms of devotional service rendered to the Lord; thus we know Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura as the son of Nārāyaṇī. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura notes in this connection that there is no reference to his paternal ancestry because there is no need to understand it.

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 8: The Author Receives the Orders of Krsna and Guru : Adi 8.41 : PURPORT :
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Srila Prabhupada’s Murti takes away all our suffering

Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

 

This is an inspirational, and as far as I know, previously untold story about a private conversation between Srila Prabhupada and a Pancaratriki Pandit named Sampat Kumar Bhattacarya.

The story is told by HG Atma Tattva Das in a Bhagavad Gita class on 9.34 in Los Angeles on the 20th of March 1993. I found it in our old tape collection.

He was not there when the conversation took place, since it was private. However, a tape recorder (which was later lost) was left recording, which he heard; and Sampat Kumar told him what happened straight after.

This story has two parts – the background is common knowledge, and recorded in the Lilamrta. The conversation is the new addition.

It was the beginning of 1977. Prabhupada was in Bombay temple. He was very sick. He had stopped all food intake – he was taking 1/4 a cup of orange juice per day. His body had only bones left – there was no flesh. And yet, he was insisting that he wanted to go to London. The doctors had given up responsibility. But as always, he was adamant.

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The Devotees are Always Kind

Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

“Even though a person is rejected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees of the Lord do not reject him; therefore the Lord’s devotees are more merciful than the Lord Himself. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura thus sings, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: one cannot be relieved from the material clutches without engaging in the service of pure devotees. The Lord Himself may sometimes be very hard, but the devotees are always kind.”

 

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 10.67, Purport)

Source: https://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/The-Devotees-are-Always-Kind.html

You can DIRECTLY associate with Srila Prabhupada by reading his books

Compiled by Mahesh Raja  UK

7. April 2015 by Prabhupada News 3 Comments

 

Lecture – Atlanta, March 2, 1975

So he wanted this, and he is not… It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. And what to speak of such exalted, authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhanta. He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone. Of course, when I came to your country without any friend, without any means… Practically, just like a vagabond I came. But I had full faith that “My Guru Maharaja is with me.” I never lost this faith, and that is fact. There are two words, vani and vapuh. Vani means words, and vapuh means this physical body. SO VANI IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE VAPUH. VAPUH WILL BE FINISHED. THIS IS MATERIAL BODY. IT WILL BE FINISHED. THAT IS THE NATURE. BUT IF WE KEEP TO THE VANI, TO THE WORDS OF SPIRITUAL MASTER, THEN WE REMAIN VERY FIXED UP. It doesn’t matter. Just like Bhagavad-gita. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Krishna, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Krishna about the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gita as it is, then you should know that Krishna is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gita. This is called spiritual realization. It is not mundane historical incidences. If we keep…

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha (mahata)
yogo nastah parantapa

If you don’t keep in touch with the original link, then it will be lost. And if you keep touch with the original link, then you are directly hearing Krishna. SIMILARLY, KRISHNA AND KRISHNA’S REPRESENTATIVE, SPIRITUAL MASTER, IF YOU KEEP ALWAYS INTACT, IN LINK WITH THE WORDS AND INSTRUCTION OF THE SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES, THEN YOU ARE ALWAYS FRESH. THIS IS SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING.

 

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Srila Prabhupada re Guur tattva principle made simple

Submitted by: Damagosha Dasa

Adi 1.35 : PURPORT :

The service of the spiritual master is essential. 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. If one thinks that he is above consulting anyone else, including a spiritual master, he is at once an offender at the lotus feet of the Lord. Such an offender can never go back to Godhead.

In the above quote Srila Prabhupada tells us that service to the guru is essential and if we don’t have a chance to serve him directly,physically, then we can still serve him by remembering his teachings or instructions. He also give us hints into the spiritual realm by saying there is no difference between the spiritual master and his instructions.

Not just a few, but many people may wonder how some words written on a piece of paper in a book , or a tape recording,can be the same thing as a “living, physical, spiritual master”? Herein lies the main problem facing grossly materialistic people. They cannot understand how a bona fide guru is the same as his words of instructions, just like they similarly cannot understand how Krsna is present in His Holy Names. If we can understand one, then we can understand the other, since both guru, his instructions, and Gods Holy Names are of  the same Absolute substance. They both are not on the material plane but are coming from the spiritual strata and filter down to the material plane  thru the material energies of false ego, intelligence, and mind to be grasped only by those who WANT to understand them. For those who are unfortunately polluted with too many material desires, this guru tattva principle to them, is like rocket science, or simply put, unobtainable to their intelligence. So they falsely conclude that one must have a “physically  living guru”-a concept totally the opposite of what Srila Prabhupada teaches.

Letters : 68-05-28 :In the absolute world there is no distinction as me, or he, and I. Krishna and His representative is the same. Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring.

This quote above is one of my all time favorite sayings from Srila Prabhupada because he is explaining in clear English, not Hindi, Bengali or Sanskrit, that the guru is not his body, but is a principle. So for the vapuh vadis, or those accustomed to thinking in terms of matter only, they cannot adjust this truth in their minds. It just goes right on by them and wont even try to discuss it with others. I am reminded of an example Prahbupada once gave regarding animal intelligence. He told us that when a cow’s calf dies, the cowherd man will put the dead calf next to the mother and in this way she can “think” this is my calf, will lick its dead body, and in this way give some comfort to itself by feeling my calf is still here. In this way the dairy man gets the cow, who now feels some relief by seeing its dead calf, to let down its milk into the udder and he can then milk her.
Similarly in the same way, materialistic people only feel their “guru” is present when he has a physical body. Otherwise, he is also “dead and gone.” So because of this limited  and perverted intelligence they falsely conclude-you need a “physically living guru”. This is the sad state of affairs now plaguing Iskcon , its leaders, and ending with its Sastric Advisory Committee (SAC)

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A sankirtana story

Submitted by Padmapani Dasa

One time we were distributing Arabic Bhagavad-gitas in Beirut during the civil war (1978).  Bombs were blowing off everywhere and machine gun fire riddled the buildings around us.  We ended up in a very dangerous area of the city, so we ran from door to door like mad trying to distribute as many books as possible and get the hell out of the there.  The next day that entire neighborhood was bombed to smithereens.  By Krishna’s grace, many of those people purchased a book and saw the picture of Krishna on the front cover and the photo of Srila Prabhupada on the back cover before they left their bodies.

Srila Prabhupada’s causeless mercy ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada never appointed acharyas

By: Yashodanandana Dasa

Srila Prabhupada explained that his Guru Maharaja never appointed anybody as acharya. 

“…They wanted to create artificially somebody acharya,”…

Note:  1) The ISKCON GBC artificially created 11 acharyas in March of 1978.

            2)  If Srila Prabhupada wanted to appoint 11 acharyas [diksha-gurus] for ISKCON, why did he not directly say?

“He said so many things, and this point He missed? The real point?” 

Note: Similarly Srila Prabhupada said so many things in the last few months of 1977, and the real point He missed?

“…and they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become…”

– Srila Prabhupada, Conversation, August 16, 1976, Bombay

Note:  And the GBC misheard, misunderstood, and misrepresented to the body of ISKCON devotees that 11 had been “appointed” as acharyas.  And they insisted upon it.  And they declared some unfit persons to become acharyas.

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Srila Prabhupada Letters

Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

Letters : 1977 Correspondence : May : Letter to: Dasanudasa — Hrsikesa 13 May, 1977 : 77-05-13 :

The two essays which you have sent are very nicely written. It appears that you have good talent for writing, so kindly continue to develop in this way and write more and more of your realizations based upon our books. There is no need to concoct anything new. You simply have to study carefully our books and then in your own words try to express what you have read. This will automatically make you a very successful preacher.

Letters : 1976 Correspondence : October : Letter to: Srutadeva — Vrindaban 30 October, 1976 : 76-10-30 :

If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don’t take this movement as something cheap.

Letters : 1976 Correspondence : October : Letter to: Krsna Vilasini — Vrindaban 25 October, 1976 : 76-10-25 :

As long as the body will be there, there will only be pain. Pleasure is only a misconception. Do not be sorry if you are in an “unfortunate” situation. It can also be fortunate if you take advantage by becoming serious to become Krsna consciousness. Follow the regulative principles, chant 16 rounds and as far as possible render service and study my books. Success is sure.

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They are Vaikuntha Children

Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

“These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Your duty is very clear.”

 

(Srila Prabhupada letter, July 30, 1972)

Source: https://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/They-are-Vaikuntha-Children.html