Hare Krishna Society

May 12th 1975 Perth

Indian boy: Is it possible that I live on my own and still be a devotee?

Prabhupāda: That will take long time. That, also, if you follow the regulative principles… It is difficult, little. But easier method is to live with the devotees because the situation and atmosphere in your home is different from devotion. So it is not very helpful. You have got other members in the family?

Indian boy: Yes, there is…

Prabhupāda: So if you want to do something, they may not like it. So that is impediment. But if you live with the devotees, then you learn quickly the art. You are Indian?

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(Note-Unfortunately the house that Srila Prabhupada built has now been almost totally dismantled-so it is now unfit for sane devotees-but the regulative principles still must be and can be followed in one’s home, somehow or other.)

June 22 1971

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am answering. As I told you that this propaganda is meant for creating some brāhmaṇas all over the world because the brāhmaṇa element is lacking, so one who seriously comes to us, he has to become a brāhmaṇa. So he has to adopt the occupation of a brāhmaṇa, and he has to give up the occupation of a kṣatriya or a śūdra. But if one wants to keep his profession, at the same time wants to understand also, that is allowed. Just like we have many professors. There is Howard Wheeler, professor of Ohio University. He’s my disciple. So he is continuing his professorship. But whatever money he’s getting, almost he’s spending for our, this Krsna consciousness. For gṛhasthas, those who are householders living outside, they are expected to contribute fifty per cent of the income for the society, twenty-five per cent for the family, and twenty-five per cent for his personal emergency.

Note- best to be wary of where you send your hard earned money these days-

Feb 3 1975 Hawaii

Devotee (1): No, I know, but for his actions other than just following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. He does so many other things during the day. Where does he derive his authority if he’s not, let’s say, living in the temple?

Prabhupāda: I do not follow. The authority is guru. You have accepted.

Bali Mardana: For everything.

Jayatīrtha: Say I have some outside job, I’m living outside, but I’m not giving 50% of my income. So then that work that I’m doing, is it actually under the authority of the guru?

Prabhupāda: Then you are not following the instruction of guru. That is plain fact.

Jayatīrtha: So that means that whole activity during the day, working, that means I am not following the instruction of the guru. It’s unauthorized activity.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you don’t follow the instruction of guru, then you are fallen down immediately. That is the way. Otherwise why you sing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. It is my duty to satisfy guru. Otherwise I am nowhere. So if you prefer to be nowhere, then you disobey as you like. But if you want to be steady in your position, then you have to follow strictly the instruction of guru.

Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn’t matter. You are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Mahārāja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha, I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical.So many Godbrothers recommended that “He should be in charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that…” Guru Mahārāja said, “Yes, better he lives outside. That is good, and he will do what is needed in due course of time.”

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.

Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.

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SB 1.9.27 purport-…To give charity is one of the householder’s main functions, and he should be prepared to give in charityat least fifty percent of his hard-earned money.

March 14 1976.

Acyutānanda: If someone gives to a person for spiritual…, consciously for spiritual improvement…

Prabhupāda: There is no question of…

Acyutānanda: …and the person misuses the money, does he benefit?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Acyutānanda: If a man says, “I am giving you this donation because it is a spiritual organization,” but if the money is misused, does that man benefit?

Prabhupāda: If money is misused, then both of them become implicated. If it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, then both of them becomes under the laws of karma.

(Note-once again, from hearing the above,we should be very careful where we donate our hard earned money)

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Below are some words taken from this important work of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur regarding Association.

Bhaktivinoda Sri Bhaktyaloka

This particular paper delves into devotee association and non devotee association and how to prepare oneself for it

Sanga tyaga-giving up non devotee association

There are two types sanga-association an attachment. Association is of two types-with non devotees and with women. Similarly attachment is also two types-attachment for prejudices and attachment for assets.
Those matahmas who wish to attain perfection in Devotional service should carefully give up sanga in the form of association and attachment, otherwise this sanga will gradually ruin everything.

Now let us consider sanga in the form of attachment. Attachments are of two kinds-attachment for prejudices and attachment for assets. First I will discuss the attachment for prejudices. There are two type of prejudices-ancient and current. The conditioned living entity has been performing fruitive activities and endeavoring for knowledge since time immemorial and the prejudices that have developed in his subtle body as a result are called ancient prejudices. Those prejudices are known as ones nature. As stated in BG—the embodied spirit master of the city of his body does not create activities nor does he induce people to act not does he create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature.”Srila Baladev Vidyabhusana comments-The primordial material desire that is active since time immemorial is called ones nature. Due to such a desire the living entity is supplied with material bodies and other paraphernalia. False identification with the bodies causes one to act and causes others to act although this is not the pure souls real constitution or nature.” Regarding the bondage of prejudices of knowledge the BG says (14.6) O sinless one the mode of goondess being purer than the others is illuminating and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge. Srila Baladev comments-“I am wise, I am happy”. By this pride the living entity is bound by goodness.

Peoples association with karma and jnana is the result of attachment born from the prejudices of ones nature that are produced from past karma and jnana.

From ancient prejudices one develops association with karma and jnana Association with these ancient prejudices is inevitable. Despite all attempts up to suicide one cannot give up ones prejudices.

The prejudices or attachments for good and bad attained in this life due to association are called modern prejudices. Everyone in the world is under the control of these two kinds of prejudices. When a living entity is not bound by maya then by nature he is a servant of Krsna. Being bound by maya a living entity cannot give up ancient and modern wicked prejudices. At that time ancient wicked prejudices become his second nature. Only sadhu sanga can reform the attachment to prejudices. Sadhu sanga is the only remedy for this disease. Unless one reforms his attachments to prejudices, one cannot attain perfection in Devotional service by any means.

SB (3.23.55) states Association for sense gratification is certainly the path of bondage. But the same type of association performed with a saintly person leads to the path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge.”

Due to association with materialistice people the living entity is bound up in the cycle of birth and death. Even if one unknowingly associates with a materialist, the result must come.And if one unknowlingly associates with a real sadhu he attains freedom from material association.

In SB 11.12.1-2 it says-The Supreme Personality of Godhead said My dear Uddhava by associating with my pure devotees one can destroy ones attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My devotee…..”

Association with prejudices is very dangerous. By affectionately associating with pure devotees of the Lord ones association with prejudices in the form of karma and jnana is destroyed. Due to this association with prejudices a living entites propensity for ignorance and passion becomes stronger. Whatever propensities for goodness passion and ignorance are seen in peoples eating sleeping and sensual activites are all due to association with prejudices. Karmis and jnanis disrespect Vaisnvavas only due to this attachment for prejudices. Until the attachment for prejudices is destroyed the ten offenses in chanting will not be uprooted.

One should never associate with materialistic persons for by doing so all ones assets are lost and he falls from his position.

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quotes compiled by Yasoda nandan das

\”…But in devotion, there is no karma-bandha. As Kṛṣṇa is free from all reaction, similarly Kṛṣṇa’s devotee who wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa only, he is also free from all reaction. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāva-manyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27].

\”The ācārya is as good as I am,\” Kṛṣṇa says. Nāva-manyeta karhicit, \”Never neglect him.\” Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta, \”Never be envious of the ācārya, thinking him as anything of this material world.\” Ācāryaṁmāṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27].

Therefore, ācārya’s position is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair **. Ācārya is always cautious that he may not be subject to criticism. But who criticizes ācārya, he becomes immediately offender. Because he is playing the part of ācārya, he plays as far as possible. But sometimes for preaching work, he might have to do something which is not consistent. But if he is criticized, then that man who criticizes, he becomes... Of course, he must be ācārya, not a bogus. Ordinary man cannot transgress the laws, but Kṛṣṇa and His representative, ācārya, might be sometimes seen that he has transgressed. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27]

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March 6 1974 Mayapur

There is that story that one old woman, she was suffering. And she had to collect woods from the forest and sell in the market. So one day, how do you say, she was praying to Kṛṣṇa, or God, that “Kindly help me. I am in very poverty-stricken.” So one day, she was carrying that load of fuel. It fell down. So nobody was there to help him. So she began to cry, “Who will help me?” So she began to pray to God “Kindly help me.” And God came: “What do you want?” “Who are you, Sir?” “I am God.” “Kindly help me to take this burden on my head.” Yes. “All right.” From God, she’s asking, “Please help me to get this burden on my head.” That’s all. So everyone is going on, “Let family be very happy, my son be married. He may… Let him pass MA examination.” But it is the same thing, “Give me the burden on my head.” This is the prayer. Mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. The life was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa and worship Him, and he’s asking, “Give me the burden on my head.” Therefore mūḍha, rascal, fool. He’s asking something which will never make him happy, even by merging into the effulgence, Brahman effulgence. It will never make him happy. But he does not know. Therefore he’s mūḍha, rascal.

Siddha-svarūpānanda: That’s a very clear example.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Siddha-svarūpānanda: Very clear.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is asking, “Please help me to get this burden on my head.” Everyone is asking. [break] Kṛṣṇa mantra means asking nothing from Kṛṣṇa, but only praying, “Please engage me in Your service.” This is Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now let him engage, whatever service He likes. I don’t dictate that “Give me this service.” That is also sense gratification. As soon as I’ll say that “Engage me in this type of service,” that is also sense gratification. When one surrenders fully that “Engage me in Your service in whatever way You like,” that is pure devotion. You cannot dictate Kṛṣṇa.Because He wants, sarva-dharmān… “First of all surrender, then I will give you. I will allot what kind of service you can do.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva… [Bg. 18.66]. But if I dictate, then Kṛṣṇa will be…, “All right, you take this.” Then you again become unhappy. Don’t dictate Kṛṣṇa. Be dictated. That is happiness. But everyone is dictating, “Please give me this. Give me this. Give me that. Give me that. Give me this.” Why should you dictate Kṛṣṇa? As soon as I dictate, that is my sense gratification. That is not pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Make zero all your desires. It doesn’t matter, this desire or that desire. Any kind of desire. Whatever you desire, that is material. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. That is pure devotee.

Devotee: That takes practice.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: That takes practice, to stop desiring for oneself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And therefore…

Devotee: You have to practice…

Prabhupāda: …the practice is that you should simply desire what your spiritual master says. Don’t desire yourself. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you fulfill the desires of your spiritual master, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased.”Because he’s the representative, the immediate representative, boss, if you satisfy him, the master, supreme master, is also satisfied. If he gives report, “This clerk is doing nice,” that is sufficient. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the injunction.

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Hare Krsna-

One day ago, I received an email from a mataji that I met some years ago, and have not heard anything before that email from her, in years. She gets my emails regularly and she is not, as far as I know a so called” Prabhupadanuga.” She told me once, years ago, when I tried to give her one of our books-Srila Prabhupada Siddhanta, that she didnt believe in the ritvik idea. She also is married to one of Iskcons GBC., and is basically separated from him for many reasons and years.

About three days ago, prior to getting her email, I put out the article about Srila Prabhupadas proper method of worshiping the Deity. Apparently she liked it so much she sent me a “thanks” in return as well as another article I wrote way back in Jan of this year basically,about the same thing .

So what amazed me are two things. First she must be keeping a file of my articles, otherwise how could she send me back my article put out over 4 months ago? For many of them, I just put them in a file and then move on to the next articles. She kept them and then re sent it back to me in her reply of thanks. This tells me, she, being part of some Iskcon temple and as one of their pujaris, must be doing things correctly-against Iskcon policy of deity worship.

The other thing , which was even more amazing to me, was that her reply came just one day after I concluded a long and somewhat distasteful email exchange with a very old Prabhupada discple and friend, who knows over a thousand slokas, did pujari work for years and was a bramacari for years as well. He basically does not ascribe to the ritvik system outlined by Srila Prabhupada and worse still, agrees with all the Deity changes now present in Iskcon-specifically offering aratik-fiirst to Lord Krsna, then DOWN thru the param para until you get to Srila Prabhupada . The complete opposite way he used to do it for years he lived in iskcon temples. He called this change in worship method “minutia” or something not that important or just trivial. Yet Srila Prabhupada calls changing the way we worship the Lord-“the greatest danger to the Movement”.

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Hare Krsna-below we have given two completely different approaches to worship of the Deity form of the Lord. The first and correct one is Srila Prabhupadas. The second and last one is taken from Iskcons deity worship website. See for yourself, how critical is the disease of concoction that has entered that institution. It is very unfortunate that they disobey the Acarya Srila Prabhupada, and this is just one but a very major example of disobedience and how just this alone, will destroy all that Srila Prabhupada gave to us.

The good news is that most of the worlds devotees don’t live within an iskcon temple, so they can follow the proper procedures on their own.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

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Srila Prabhupadas system for offering bhoga to the Lord

16 June, 1969 New Vrindaban Letter to Arundhati

“Regarding your question about offering Prasadam, whatever is offered to the Deity actually it goes through the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master offers to Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya offers it to Krishna. Then Radha Krishna eats, or Jagannatha eats, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu eats, then the Spiritual Master eats, and it becomes Mahaprasadam. So when you offer something, you think like that and chant the Gayatri mantra, and then everything is complete.At last, ring the bell, take out the plate and wipe the place where the plate was kept.”

Srila Prabhupada’s system for offering arati

Letter to Himavati, Los Angeles, 1 April 1970

Regarding taking Lord Jagannatha to your next center, that will not be very good because you already do not have enough devotees to engage in Arcana. Unless there is a Deity worshipper available, we may worship Panca-tattva and Guru. That can be done by all initiated students whether they are once or twice initiated. Before an altar with pictures of Lord Caitanya, Pancatattva and Acaryas, everyone can offer Aratrik and Bhoga.

Yes, it is nice that you are worshiping Lord Caitanya along with Radha Krsna. That is alright. Lord Caitanya should be placed to the right side of Krsna. There is nothing special for His worship, but you may continue as you are doing now. The order of worshiping is first Spiritual Master, and then Lord Caitanya, then Radha Krsna (as in the mantras or Bunde aham prayer).

Your confidence to do whatever you are instructed by the Spiritual Master is very encouraging. Yes, this is the method of the Vedic injunction, staunch faith in Spiritual Master and Krsna makes one perfect in spiritual understanding.

lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.10, Los Angeles, Jun 23, 1975

Therefore our first duty is to worship Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We keep the Deity. In the first we offer our obeisances to Caitanya Mahaprabhu along with His associate, and then, Guru-Gauranga, then we offer Radha-Krishna or Jagannatha.

lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.2, London, Aug 10, 1971

We begin from our first disciplic succession. Vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaishnavamsh cha. Vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam. “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my guru, spiritual master.” Vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaishnavamsh cha. And then, his guru, his guru, his guru, they’re all Vaishnavas. Vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaishnavamsh cha. Sri-rupam. Then we offer respect to Sri Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. All the Gosvamis, six Gosvamins. Vande rupa-sanatana… Sagraja. Sa agraja. Agraja means elder brother. Sanatana Gosvami was the elder brother of Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami accepted him as his spiritual master. Sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam. Associated by Raghunatha. There are two Raghunathas: Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. Sa-jivam, with Jiva Gosvami. This is the process. Vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaishnavamsh cha sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam. Then we go to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s status: sadvaitam savadhutam. That is also… First of all, Advaita Gosañi, then Nityananda Mahaprabhu, Prabhu. Mahaprabhu is applicable only to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Others, all prabhus.Ekale ishvara krishna ara saba bhritya [Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 5.142]. Krishna, and He has got innumerable servants. Krishna is Mahaprabhu, and all others, they are prabhus. And the spiritual master who has got many prabhus to abide by his order, he is addressed as Prabhupada. This is the system. So sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krishna-chaitanya-devam. After offering all these obeisances to Gosvamis, to guru, and Advaita, Nityananda, then you come to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then Sri Radha. Not Krishna directly. Sri-radha-krishna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-vishakhanvitamsh cha. Radha-Krishna means they are always associated by thegopis, of whom Lalita-Vishakha are the chief out of the ashta-sakhis

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Iskcons method of how to worship the Lord-taken from their website on deity worship

Offering Procedure for arotik

While standing on an asana and ringing a bell, present the incense first to your spiritual master by waving it in three or four graceful circles, and then present it to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya in the same manner.

Then, with the consciousness that you are offering it on behalf of your spiritual master and with the blessings of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya, offer it with the full number of circles (listed below) to the main deity.

After offering the incense to the main deity, offer it as prasada to the Lord’s associates in descending order, and to the guru-param- para—senior to junior.

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Organized Religion

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

Sri Krishna manifests His eternal birth, the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations. King Kamsa [the demon king who wanted to kill Lord Krishna] is the typical empiricist, ever on the lookout for the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to develop. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the transcendent. He is disposed to link that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy in the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is no real dividing line between the material and the spiritual. He is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of scriptures by persons who are like-minded with himself. This includes all the lexicographic interpreters.

The lexicographical interpretation is upheld by Kamsa as the real scientific explanation of the scriptures, and is perfectly in keeping with his dread of and aversion for the transcendental. These lexicographical interpreters are employed by Kamsa in putting down the first suspected appearance of any genuine faith in the transcendental. King Kamsa knows very well that if the faith in the transcendental is once allowed to grow it is sure to upset all his empiric prospects.

There is historical ground for such misgivings. Accordingly if the empiric domination is to be preserved in tact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in earnest. King Kamsa, acting on this traditional fear, is never slow to take the scientific precaution of deputing empiric teachers of the scriptures, backed by the resources of dictionary and grammar and all empiric subtleties to put down, by the show of specious arguments based on hypothetical principles, the true interpretation of the eternal religion revealed by the scriptures.

Kamsa is strongly persuaded that faith in the transcendental can be effectively put down by empiricism if prompt and decisive measures are adopted at the very outset. He attributes the failure of atheism in the past to the neglect of the adoption of such measures before the theistic fallacy has had time to spread among the fanatical masses.

But Kamsa is found to count without his host. When Krishna is born, He is found to be able to upset all sinister designs against those who are apprized by Himself of His advent. The apparently causeless faith displayed by persons irrespective of age, sex and condition may confound all rabid empiricists who are on principle adverse to the Absolute Truth Whose appearance is utterly incompatible with the domination of empiricism.

But no adverse efforts of the empiricists whose rule seems till then to be perfectly well-established over the minds of the deluded souls of this world can dissuade any person from exclusively following the Truth when He actually manifests His birth in the pure cognitive essence of the soul.

Putana [the demoness who tried to kill Krishna] is the slayer of all infants. The baby, when he or she comes out of the mother’s womb, falls at once into the hands of the pseudo-teachers of religion. These teachers are successful in forestalling the attempts of the good preceptor whose help is never sought by the atheists of this world at the baptism of their babies. This is ensured by the arrangements of all established churches of the world. They have been successful only in supplying watchful Putanas for effecting the spiritual destruction of persons from the moment of their birth with cooperation of their worldly parents. No human contrivance can prevent these Putanas from obtaining possession of their pulpits. This is due to the general prevalence of atheistic disposition in the people of this world.

The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest form of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil.

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SB 4.9.16 purport…Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes that this impersonal feature, or Brahman manifestation, of the Supreme Lord is meant for persons who are essentially very advanced but still not able to understand the personal features or variegatedness of the spiritual world. Such devotees are known as jñāna-miśra-bhaktas, or devotees whose devotional service is mixed with empiric knowledge. Because the impersonal Brahman realization is a partial understanding of the Absolute Truth, Dhruva Mahārāja offers his respectful obeisances.

It is said that this impersonal Brahman is the distant realization of the Absolute Truth. Although apparently Brahman seems to be devoid of energy, factually it has different energies working under the headings of knowledge and ignorance. On account of these different energies, there is continually a manifestation of vidyā and avidyā. Vidyā and avidyā are very nicely described in Īśopaniṣad. It is said there that sometimes, due to avidyā, or a poor fund of knowledge, one accepts the Absolute Truth as ultimately impersonal. But in fact the impersonal and personal realizations develop in proportion to the development of devotional service. The more we develop our devotional service, the more closely we approach the Absolute Truth, which, in the beginning, when we realize the Absolute Truth from a distant place, is manifest as impersonal.

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Lord Krsna’s bona fide representative the Acarya, can establish his own Tradition He is not held to Vedic so called –Tradition

( See quotes below.)

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May 13 1973 conversations

Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, when you are not present with us, how is it possible to receive instructions, for example, on questions that may arise?

Prabhupāda: Well, the questions… Answers are there in my books.

Paramahaṁsa: Other than that, for example, that we would ask you in…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: Do you direct us also through the heart? Besides the Paramātmā?

Prabhupāda: If your heart is pure. Everything depends on purity.

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*There is a nice story in the Caitanya Bhagavat where Srivas Thakur tried to sneak in a pure brahmana friend of his to the nocturnal kirtans of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When found out, he was severely chastised by Mahaprabhu for letting in a non associate of His pure devotee entourage. Long story short, Srivas tried to persuade Mahaprabhu to let his friend stay by arguing that this pure brahmana never broke the regulative principles, was celibate from birth, and subsisted daily by drinking only milk. Sri Caitanya was furious saying-do you think I can be purchased by someone who only drinks milk and is very austere? I can only be purchased by pure devotional service, and nothing else.

So this story should show us along with the above quote that access to the Lord depends not only on purity of self, but also on pure bhakti, which comes from developing pure sambhandha jnana.. Even if someone has followed all the rules of religion his whole life, but is not a pure bhakta, and is ignorant of various things,, he cant directly approach the Lord. Seeing Krsna personally or giving Krsna to others thru diksa, is not a cheap affair. One must be completely pure and authorized..

Iskcon Argument -they say by following the ritvik system, one would be violating the Vedic system of tradition.

(SB 4.8.54)Translation- Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This is the twelve-syllable mantra for worshipping Lord Krsna. One should install the physical forms of the Lord, and with the chanting of the mantra one should offer flowers and fruits and other varieties of foodstuffs exactly according to the rules and regulations prescribed by authorities. But this should be done in consideration of place, time, and attendant conveniences and inconveniences.
Purport-The prescribed rules, as stated here by Narada Muni, are that one should accept the mantra through a bona fide spiritual master and hear the mantra in the right ear. Not only should one chant or murmur the mantra, but in front of him he must have the Deity, or physical form of the Lord. Of course, when the Lord appears it is no longer a physical form…..The method of worship–chanting the mantra and preparing the forms of the Lord–is not stereotyped, nor is it exactly the same everywhere. lt. is specifically mentioned in this verse that one should take consideration of the time, place and available conveniences. Our Krsna consciousness movement is going on throughout the entire world, and we also install Deities in different centers. Sometimes our Indian friends, puffed up with concocted notions, criticise, “This has not been done. That has not been done.” But they forget this instruction of Narada Muni to one of the greatest Vaisnavas, Dhruva Maharaja. One has to consider the particular time, country and conveniences. What is convenient in India may not be convenient in the Western countries. Those who are not actually in the line of acaryas, or who personally have no knowledge of how to act in the role of acarya, necessarily criticise the activities of the ISKCON movement in countries outside of India. The fact is that such critics cannot do anything personally to spread Krsna consciousness. If someone does go and preach, taking all risks and allowing all considerations for time and place, it might be that there are changes in the manner of worship, but that is not at all faulty according to sastra. Srimad Viraraghava Acarya, an acarya in the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya, has remarked in his commentary that candalas, or conditioned souls who are born in lower than sudra families, can also be initiated according to circumstances. The formalities may be slightly changed here and there to make them Vaisnavas. (S.B. 4.8.54.)

What changes to” Tradition” did Srila Prabhupada make?? He allowed both men and women to live in the same temple building. He initiated thousands thru only letters and gave brahmana initiation to both men and women thru a tape recording. He married devotees, something sannyasis are not allowed to do. He also used machines abundantly in preaching work. He allowed ritviks to chant on new initiates beads, etc etc So to say an Acarya cannot make changes to tradition is simply incorrect. None of these things were ever done by any Acarya before,nor mentioned in the Vedas, yet Srila Prabhupada did it and was very successful at it. And the authorization for such activities is given above.

The iskcon argument-Nobody has ever done this so called “ritvik initiations business before. Here are some examples of those doing it now and those doing it in the past.

Declaration of the Spiritual Succession of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

byHis Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj Founder-Acarya of the Sri Caitanya Sarasvat Math

(Gaura-purnima, 26th March, 1986)

According to the desire of my Divine Master, I have been maintaining this disciplic succession but it is no longer possible for me, as I am now too old and invalid. You all know that from long ago I have chosen Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja and I have given him sannyasa. All my Vaisnava Godbrothers are very affectionate towards him and it is also their desire to give him this position. I have previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving Harinama, diksa, sannyasa, etc. as an Acarya of this Math on behalf of myself.

Those who have any regard for me should give this respect and position to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have faith in my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has got the capacity of rendering service in this way. With this I transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as Rtvik. The Rtvik system is already involved both here and also in the foreign land. The Rtvik is the representative.So if you want to take from me, and you take by his hands,then it will be as well and as good as taking from me.

Note-It is very interesting that Sridhar Maharaj utilized the ritvik system for his matha’s succession (before he died) which already was begun by our Srila Prabhupada in iskcon, yet for many of his earlier years, he (Sridhar) assumed the post of acarya of his matha in Navadvipa. And this was against the order of his guru maharaja Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja who wanted all his disciples to work together and a real acarya would emerge by his preaching from amongst them all.. So this is only one example.

Another example is this….

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So the first stage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is full of offenses.

But if one sticks to the principle… Therefore we have to chant regularly sixteen rounds at least. So even there are offenses, by simply chanting and being repentant that \”I have committed this offense unnecessarily or without knowledge,\” so simply be repentant and go on chanting.

Then the stage will come. It is called nāmābhāsa. That is offenseless, when there is no more offenses. That is called nāmābhāsa. At nāmābhāsa stage one becomes liberated immediately. And when one is liberated, if he goes on chanting—naturally he will go on chanting—then his love of Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest.
These are the three stages of chanting:
chanting with offense,
chanting as a liberated person
and chanting in love of God.
There are three stage of chanting. The same thing, the example is just like a mango, unripe mango, going on, changes.

It is not that chanting brings another thing as a result. No. The same thing becomes manifest in different feature.
Just like unripe mango, you taste in a different way; it is very sour. But when it is ripened and it is fully ripened, the taste is changed. The taste is now sweet.
So in the beginning we may be very much reluctant in the matter of chanting, but when you become liberated the chanting will be so sweet that you cannot give up.
Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. He has composed a śloka. He says in that śloka that \”If I had millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra would have been relishable. How, what can I do with one tongue and two ears?\” So that is liberated stage.
That is prema.
But that stage is attainable. If you follow regularly the principles, everyone will attain to that stage when he simply likes to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rama, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

(Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 — Allahabad, January 15, 1971)

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Vedic Tradition-Srila Prabhupada started his own and this is bona fide

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