Truth: Srila Prabhupada did not state he established the ritvik system because he was ill or for the period of his physical presence. This is nothing but speculation that contradicts real evidence that ritvik arrangement was made by Srila Prabhupada for the future, especially after his physical departure.
by Bhakta Alex, Russia.
In 1977, before his physical departure, Srila Prabhupada finalized the proxy initiation system in ISKCON to be continued in the future, especially after his passing away. This is proved by May 28, 1977, conversation with GBC members, July 9th,1977 directive, his Final Will, other documents and various testimonies of those who were with Srila Prabhupada in spring, summer and autumn of 1977. However, those who don’t have enough knowledge of this topic or are opposed to Srila Prabhupada’s orders in this regard, reject these orders of the acarya and claim, without any serious proof, that the ritvik initiation system was established by Srila Prabhupada just because he was ill, and it was meant to continue only until his physical departure. E.g. in 1996, Tamala Krishna Goswami, the mastermind of ISKCON coup in the 1970s and a key architect of the zonal acarya system, wrote:
“6 months before his own demise, Prabhupada had announced that he would appoint some of his disciples to perform all of the functions of initiating new disciples as he had become too ill to do so. Those so initiated would still be Prabhupada’s disciple while those who would be initiated after his demise would become his grand-disciples.” (‘The Perils of Succession’, Tamala Krishna Goswami)
This has become a widespread misinterpretation among the anti-ritvik party:
Maya-ISKCON “guru” Kadamba Kanana Swami: “Yes Srila Prabhupada did write a 9th of July letter. It shows that Srila Prabhupada started a ritvik system at the end of his life, when he was ill and not able to travel.” (KKS Letter, October 11th, 2006)
Kailasa Candra das: “Srila Prabhupada was very ill, so he authorized his rittviks to make some decisions that normally he would have made.” (‘Flaws in the Rittvik Concoction’, circa 2008)
Basu Ghosh das: “there’s just one letter [July 9, 1977], which those old timers, you know, like us, Prabhupada disciples, we know that was because Prabhupada was ill, and he couldn’t give initiations” (maya-ISKCON Indian Continental Committee meeting, 9/7/21)
Maya-ISKCON “guru” Sankarsana das: “The quote from the letter you have cited, which by the way was written by my Godbrother and close associate Tamal Krishna Maharaja on 9 July 1977, describes the system for Srila Prabhupada’s initiating disciples during his last year when he was physically present on this planet and was indisposed due to chronic illness but still accepting disciples.” [January 21st, 2009]
Comment by Krishnakant Desai:
a) The system of initiation set up on the 9th July 1977, now allowed representatives to take over accepting disciples on Srila Prabhupada’s behalf by giving a spiritual name –
“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.”
(July 9th, 1977, directive)
– with the actual initiation ceremonies themselves having already been delegated to Temple Presidents to perform:
“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.”
(July 9th, 1977, directive, emphasis added)
b) Hence the ritvik system could not have been set up because Srila Prabhupada was “indisposed due to chronic illness”, since Srila Prabhupada had not lost the use of his vocal chords or his hearing, and so he could have continued to accept disciples by issuing spiritual names in the same way the ritviks were going to. Rather, the system was set up to allow Srila Prabhupada to continue initiating without the need for his physical presence. (Source: https://iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/divinity_delusion_sad.html)
An article from ‘Back to Prabhupada’ magazine that refutes the anti-ritvik argument in more detail:
Debunking The Illness Initiation Myth. Back to Prabhupada, Issue 39, Spring 2013
On page 6 we addressed the long-standing myth that Srila Prabhupada had sanctioned non-liberated diksa gurus. Through a detailed analysis, this myth was thoroughly debunked. Another much-repeated myth is the idea that Srila Prabhupada authorised the representational (rtvik) system of initiation only because he was ill. An example of this myth is the following recent GBC statement:
“It is documented that on July 7th, 1977, Srila Prabhupada discussed how devotees who had been waiting for initiation could be initiated during his illness. At that time, Srila Prabhupada named specific senior disciples who would initiate on his behalf during his illness. Two days later, the July 9th letter was written to inform devotees about the July 7 conversation and these instructions of Srila Prabhupada.”
(GBC letter to Bangalore devotees, 9/3/2013)
Below we provide a detailed analysis which thoroughly debunks this myth. The quotes in the shaded boxes are from the July 7th, 1977, room conversation, with all emphases added.
Initiation stoppage
Tamala Krsna: “We’re receiving a number of letters now, and these are people who want to get initiated. So up until now, since your becoming ill, we asked them to wait. […] I mean, one thing is that it’s said that the spiritual master takes on the … You know, he takes on the … He has to cleanse the disciple by … So, we don’t want that you should have to … Your health is not so good, so that should not be … That’s why we’ve been asking everybody to wait […] Some devotees are writing you now for second initiation, and I’m writing them to wait a while because you’re not well.”
Tamala Krsna states:
a) All initiations have been stopped due to the concern of Tamala Krsna and other devotees over Srila Prabhupada’s health (“we don’t want that you should have to”).
b) This concern of theirs is that after the spiritual master takes disciples he has to cleanse them spiritually and Srila Prabhupada’s health may be adversely affected by this task (“that’s why we’ve been asking everybody to wait”).
Initiations resumed
Tamala Krsna: “We’re receiving a number of letters now, and these are people who want to get initiated. So up until now, since your becoming ill, we asked them to wait.”
Srila Prabhupada: “The local, mean, senior sannyasis can do that.”
Tamala Krsna: “[…] So should that process be resumed, or should we…? I mean, one thing is that it’s said that the spiritual master takes on the […] That’s why we’ve been asking everybody to wait. I just want to know if we should continue to wait some more time.”
Srila Prabhupada: “No, the senior sannyasis…”
Having heard the health concern for why the initiations were stopped, Srila Prabhupada immediately rejects it and asks that initiations be resumed. He wants to continue initiating, and thus does not accept that his health will not be able to take the effects of continuing to accept disciples.
Last aspect devolved
Tamala Krsna: “That’s what we were doing … I mean, formerly we were … the local GBC, sannyasis, were chanting on their beads, and they were writing to Your Divine Grace, and you were giving a spiritual name. […] I just want to know if we should continue to wait some more time.”
Srila Prabhupada: “No, the senior sannyasis […]”
Tamala Krsna: “So supposing someone is in America, should they simply write directly to
Kirtanananda or Satsvarupa?”
Srila Prabhupada: “Nearby.”
Up until this time, as explained above, the initiation system had been largely devolved to the senior sannyasis, with Srila Prabhupada only giving a spiritual name. Srila Prabhupada states that the senior sannyasis can resume the initiation system, and now give the spiritual name as well.
Summary
1. The issue of health was only relevant to why the leaders had stopped initiations.
2. Even then the health issue was not Srila Prabhupada’s physical capacity to continue initiating, but the health effects from spiritually “cleansing” future disciples.
3. These health concerns were rejected and Srila Prabhupada asked that initiations be resumed.
July 9th confirmation
Thus, the July 7th conversation does not document, as the GBC falsely claimed, that the rtvik system was set up by Srila Prabhupada only to initiate devotees “during his illness”. Further, the July 9th directive, which sets out the rtvik system of initiating on Srila Prabhupada’s behalf, makes zero mention that the system was set up only for during Srila Prabhupada’s illness. Indeed, it makes no mention of Srila Prabhupada’s illness at all. Rather, it only states that the system is for all initiations generally — “for the purpose of performing initiations, both first initiation and second initiation”. Ironically, here the GBC are defeated by their own statement. They claimed that “the July 9 letter was written to inform devotees about the July 7th conversation and these instructions of Srila Prabhupada.” Since the July 9th directive makes no mention of the illness theory, they have to accept, by their own reasoning, that the July 7th conversation does not either!
Unable to perform yajna
Over 3 months later, Srila Prabhupada was unable to perform a fire yajna for someone who had travelled all the way from New York to Mayapur to be personally initiated by Srila Prabhupada, and in response Srila Prabhupada states:
“So, deputies, Jayapataka’s name was there? […] So I depute him to do this at Mayapur, and you may go with him. I stop for the time being. […] And if by Krsna’s grace I recover from this condition, then I shall begin again, or I may not be pressed in this condition to initiate. It is not good.”
(Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation, 18/10/1977)
The “stopping” here cannot refer to the representational (rtvik) system of initiation, since:
a) The representational system of initiation had already been running for over 3 months and had never been stopped.
b) Srila Prabhupada asks one of the rtviks, Jayapataka, to perform the initiation on his behalf.
So, the stopping and beginning again refer only to Srila Prabhupada physically performing initiation ceremonies himself, with initiations on his behalf continuing normally.
Conclusion
Hence, it is not that the representational initiation system was set up because of Srila Prabhupada’s illness. Rather, the leaders had stopped the initiations because of their concern for Srila Prabhupada’s health, and Srila Prabhupada rejected this health concern and simply asked that initiations be immediately resumed. (End of article)
One evidence anti-ritviks may extrapolate their opinion from is the following message given in Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s newsletter by Ramesvara Swami dated June 20th 1977 (before the July discussions):
“We have received one letter from Tamal Krsna Maharaja who discussed the question of new requests for first and second initiation with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada told Tamal Krsna that he does not want to consider any requests until his health has returned. Tamal Krsna Maharaja requested that I inform all the GBC members to instruct their temples to hold all requests for initiation until further notice.”
However, if we carefully look at this message, we will see the following:
1. In the second half of June 1977, initiation requests were postponed until Srila Prabhupada’s health was improved. But this in itself doesn’t prove what anti-ritviks claim: that the system of ritvik initiations, formalized later in July 1977, was introduced only because of Srila Prabhupada’s illness and was intended only until physical departure of the acarya. This is not stated in the above letter.
2. This evidence is not signed by Srila Prabhupada, and it is not an audio recording. Where is the tape of the conversation? Why was it among the many audio recordings from 1977 that disappeared under Tamal’s care? This means Tamal could have incorrectly reported what was actually said in June since he is proven mastermind of the coup that was already secretly being prepared by him and carried out at that time- in summer of 1977. He may have distorted or omitted important aspects mentioned by Srila Prabhupada. Thus, at present moment, this document is just a third hands retelling (Srila Prabhupada-Tamal-Ramesvara) not confirmed by Srila Prabhupada’s recorded words or signature.
3. This message from Tamal to Ramesvara doesn’t look to fit in with the conversation on July 7th 1977, when Tamal said that “we” do not want Srila Prabhupada to get the burden of karma of new disciples during illness, but Srila Prabhupada replied “no”, rejecting the idea that initiations should not be conducted because of his health. Srila Prabhupada said to resume initiations, and to send new letters with requests for initiations to the nearest “senior sannyasi”/ritvik, 9 of whom he named during this July 7th conversation. Srila Prabhupada didn’t emphasize anywhere that all this was introduced only for the period of illness of his body. For some reason, there is no reference or hint in July 7th conversation to the decision allegedly made in June. But even if the document quoted above correctly stated Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, then in this case it was a temporary solution “until further notice”, and later, in July 1977, this decision was changed.
4. What exact participation on the part of Srila Prabhupada was meant in June 20th newsletter? If it was meant his personal physical involvement in initiation procedures, it was postponed but then solved by the ritvik system: his personal participation was difficult or impossible at that time, but his remaining the spiritual master who delivers transcendental knowledge, taking spiritual charge of the disciple up to his/her spiritual liberation cannot be checked by physical difficulties, and his representatives would continue doing the formal part of initiations on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. This arrangement, unlike Srila Prabhupada’s personal participation in yajna, etc., was possible regardless Srila Prabhupada’s health condition. Why could it continue until Srila Prabhupada physical departure only if all the physical ceremonial aspects of initiation were anyway devolved to ritviks?
5. In the beginning of the July 9th 1977, directive that officially introduced the ritvik initiation system in ISKCON there is reference to GBC meeting at Vrindavana when during May 28th, 1977, conversation GBC members asked Srila Prabhupada questions about initiations after his physical departure. His Divine Grace replied he would appoint ritviks. The July 9th directive also gives information from July 7th, 1977, discussion (9 of the first 11 ritviks were named on July 7). It is also based on other instructions from Srila Prabhupada (names of 2 ritviks not mentioned on July 7, and probably conversations held before May 28, 1977, about ritviks, etc.).
However, on the July 9th directive and private letters written by Tamal (as Srila Prabhupada’s secretary) during the same period to some ritviks (Kirtanananda, Hamsaduta, Harikesa), absolutely nothing is said that this system is being introduced for reasons related to Srila Prabhupada’s health and only for the period until his physical departure. In these letters, Tamal wrote vaguely “henceforward”, “in the future”, trying to avoid any direct mention that this system is being introduced “particularly” for the period when Srila Prabhupada is “no longer with us” (as per May 28th 1977, conversation). However, Srila Prabhupada’s Final Will confirms that in the future, all executive directors of all ISKCON properties, even their “successors”, must be “my initiated disciple[s]” (which is possible only if the ritvik initiations on behalf of Srila Prabhupada are to be maintained), and no successor gurus are appointed in the Will.
6. There are a number of testimonies that confirm that Srila Prabhupada ordered ritvik-representational system of initiations for the period of his departure.
Gauridas Pandit Das, one of Srila Prabhupada’s personal servants in 1977: “The next few days after the ritvic appointments I heard more instructions from Srila Prabhupada. Tamal K.G. asked him the next morning, July 8th, if there should be vyasasana’s for the ritviks in the temples. Srila Prabhupada said, “No; that would create enmity among my disciples.” […] Tamal K.G. also asked Srila Prabhupada if there could be more ritviks in the future. Srila Prabhupada said that more could be appointed by the GBC at Mayapura. Tamal K.G. asked Srila Prabhupada what to do if a ritvik falls down and Srila Prabhupada replied that the GBC could remove them. […] I told some of the devotees what I heard about this and Yasodanandan wrote it down in his diary.
On July 8th Yasodanandan Prabhu wrote, “Tamal Krishna Maharaja was talking about [with Prabhupada] rtvik gurus to initiate on behalf of Prabhupada after he leaves the planet.” On July 9th Yasodanandan wrote, “I heard from Tamal Krishna Maharaja in the afternoon that Srila Prabhupada had told him to send a letter to ‘all the temples’ to explain the ritvik initiation system for the future.”
On July 10th Yasodanandan wrote, “Tamal Krishna Maharaja comes out of Prabhupada’s room.
TKG: “Haribol, Yasoda, did you see this?”
Yasoda: “No, what is it?”
TKG: “This is signed by Prabhupada.”
Yasoda: “What does all this mean?”
TKG: “Devotees have been writing to Prabhupada asking for initiations and now Prabhupada has named eleven ritviks who can initiate on his behalf. Prabhupada said others can be added.”
Yasodanandan: “And when Prabhupada departs?”
TKG: “They’ll be ritviks. That’s what Prabhupada said. It’s all on tape.”
(R.C.5-28-77 & 7-7-77etc.)” (On My Behalf, by Gauridasa Pandita Dasa, 01/19/98, VNN)
According to the testimony of Cyavana Swami Srila Prabhupada said, “I will continue to accept disciples and give them my blessings even after I am no longer physically present, you may initiate them on my behalf”. To that he added, “I will have millions of disciples”… (Posted by HH Cyavana Swami on his Facebooks page on September 7, 2016)
Pita das recollected in 1998, “The fact of the matter was Srila Prabhupada made himself very clear on how new devotees coming into his movement were to be accepted into it after his disappearance. The word ritvik was first heard by me from Srila Prabhupada’s Lotus mouth and His Divine Grace used the term many times during his last two weeks in Vrindaban. I remember this clearly because I didn’t know what a ritvik was.” (from ‘Srila Prabhupada Coined the Term Ritvik’, December 1, 1998, VNN).
Locanananda das: “One other thing he [Pita das] mentioned in the same letter [to Locanananda] was that he heard Srila Prabhupada say at least a dozen times in Vrndavana in 1977 that initiations would be performed after his departure by the ‘ritvik acharya'”. (‘Srila Prabhupada Hidden Glories’, book 1, chapter 63, pg. 343)
7. Of course, Srila Prabhupada’s severe health crisis in May 1977 incited formalizing the ritvik-representative system for the future, but not just until his physical departure, like anti-ritviks claim. It was Srila Prabhupada’s divine arrangement for the future of his movement, especially after his disappearance. Proxy initiation system had already been de facto practiced in ISKCON throughout the world during 1970s since it wasn’t possible for Srila Prabhupada to examine and personally initiate all the ever-growing number of disciples in each temple, and this factor alone could have caused finalizing the ritvik system in some time even if Srila Prabhupada wouldn’t get ill. Srila Prabhupada wrote in 1973:
“Just now I have received some more requests for giving first initiation from Dhananjaya, and now I am receiving weekly not less than ten to fifteen such requests from new students. So, it is becoming very expensive to send so many sets of beads such long distance, and it has become little bothersome for me also, so I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is going that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples. They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting. They may continue to send me their letters of request, along the President’s recommendation, and I shall give them name and it will be entered by my Secretary in our records, only I will send my letter of reply to you and you will purchase beads there and chant them and send, along with my letter to the new initiates. Is that all right? I shall continue to deal with the matter of second initiations. The sacred threads do not require so much postage to send airmail.” (SP Letter to: Revatinandana — Bombay 4 January 1973)
So, at some point, due to even more increased number of temples and disciples, the second initiation and other remaining aspects of initiation procedure would take too much time as well, even if Srila Prabhupada would remain perfectly healthy. So, Srila Prabhupada made arrangements to remain the current spiritual master for his worldwide movement, not necessarily due to illness alone.
8. Thus, neither the above quoted message in the BBT newsletter, nor the subsequent conversation dated July 7th, 1977, nor the July 9th, 1977 directive, nor the Will of June 4th, 1977, nor personal letters to first ritviks, etc. – nowhere does actual evidence prove what anti-ritviks claim: that the representative initiation system was introduced only for the period of Srila Prabhupada’s illness. Srila Prabhupada himself does not state this anywhere. Why do anti-ritviks insist on something they have no solid evidence of? Is this a serious approach? No, this is just their interpretation based on their unwillingness to understand and follow the real instructions of Srila Prabhupada.
In conclusion: Srila Prabhupada established the ritvik initiation system for the future, particularly when he is no longer with us. But some individuals don’t want to accept the acarya’s order. So, what they are left with? With the argument, “Yes, he set this system, but only temporary, until his physical departure”. And why temporary, until the departure, when the actual orders don’t state this at all, but indicate the future after the departure as well? So, they can only indulge in wishful thinking, “Oh, until departure because he was ill”. And then continue to state this dogmatic opinion countless times, as if it in itself constitutes a proof. How can one terminate the acarya’s order on such a shaky basis and then introduce a completely different system of new diksa gurus whom Srila Prabhupada never authorized in this capacity and never gave descriptions of the new multiple guru system in ISKCON?
So, this anti-ritvik argument is a speculation and myth, because Srila Prabhupada never stated anywhere in the recorded evidence that representational initiation system is introduced only due to his illness and only until his physical departure. Sincere devotees should be careful not to blindly accept and then not to repeat this bogus argument introduced by some deviated persons.