Suriya Prabhu's Analysis of the July 9th Letter
BY: GADADHAR DASA
Mar 15, DALLAS, TEXAS, USA (SUN) — A partial response to Suriya Prabhu's analysis of the July 9th Letter.
(1) Suriya Prabhu states:
"The letter was clearly addressed to these 11 representatives, and nobody else."
That is way off. The title of the letter says: "Letter to: All G.B.C., All Temple Presidents". Suriya Prabhu needs to calm down. Don't let your expectations color your perceptions.
(2) Suriya Prabhu states:
"Why did this letter came about? Simple, Srila Prabhupada was not well. Here is the evidence:
Tamal Krsna Maharaj: "Srila Prabhupada, we are receiving a number of letters now. These are people who want to get initiated. So, up until now, since you're becoming ill, we asked them to wait" (July 7, 1977 Room Conversation)
Srila Prabhupada was sick and he could not conduct letter initiation. He had to depute his disciples to act on his charge, as it is a custom that during the lifetime of a Spiritual Master one cannot be Guru himself unless ordered, which he didn't."
Suriya Prabhu needs to calm down and stop speculating. The letter itself gives the real reason for its existence:
"Recently when all of the 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"
Please note that all GBC members were with Srila Prabhupada in May 1977 and on May 28th, 1977, a GBC delegation went to see Srila Prabhupada to get answers to a list of questions they had prepared.
(3) Suriya Prabhu gives the following quote:
"Every man, whoever is initiated, he is competent to make disciples. But as a matter of etiquette they do not do so in the presence of their spiritual master. This is the etiquette. Otherwise they are competent. They can make disciples and spread they are competent to make disciples. (Detroit ,July 18 1971)
If that is the case, then the GBC should demolish their Guru Rubber Stamping Factory and let every Tom, Dick, and Harry become Guru.
If the above quote was to be followed after Srila Prabhupada's departure, then why did the GBC delegation go to Srila Prabhupada on May 28th and ask the following question:
SDG: "Then our next question concerns in the future, particularly at that time when you are no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation(s) will be conducted.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya(s).
TKG: Is that called rittviks acarya?
Srila Prabhupada: Rittviks. Yes.
Please note that Srila Prabhupada did not say follow my words spoken on "Detroit, July 18, 1971". Nor did he say the GBC can decide as they like. Nor did he say follow the tradition. He gave a specific and clear answer.
It is very clear that on May 28th, Srila Prabhupada said he would "recommend", and on July 9th he actually did. Simple fact is that Vapuvadis do not like the clear answer Srila Prabhupada gave to Satsvarupa's (SDG's) clear question, and followed it up with the July 9th Letter because they want to be Gurus.
(4) Suriya Prabhu states the following as part of his reasons why this letter was a temporary provision:
"The writer of the letter was HH Tamal Krishna Maharaj, on the orders of Srila Prabhupada. He knows the intention and meaning of the letter and what Srila Prabhupada actually wants. Just imagine this, if I were to draft a letter, I would surely know the intention of the letter. Some years later, some man on the street interprets my letter in a different way and influences his followers how it should be. Isn't it foolish that I'm the one who drafted the letter, surely I know the meaning of it, and yet somebody else comes in later on and interpret in a different way."
Tamal Krishna Goswami is the worst demon anyone can quote on this matter. Read how he has flip flopped on this issue at the VNN Editorial, "Colorful History Of Tamal Krishna Goswami.
(5) Suriya Prabhu quotes HH Bhakti Bhavana Vishnu Maharaj:
"All those who are associated directly or indirectly with formal ISKCON movement accept that Srila Prabhupada appointed ritvik priests to initiate on his behalf during his final manifest days. However, the concept that all initiations in ISKCON after the departure of Srila Prabhupada would be done by ritvik priests is inconsistent with all of his teachings, all sastra, all predecessor acaryas, all sampradyas, and all Vedic and Pancaratika tradition."
But the following conversation says that Srila Prabhupada is going to appoint rittviks to perform first and second initiations after he is no longer with us. Sure it is different, and not what you Vapuvadis want.
SDG: "Then our next question concerns in the future, particularly at that time when you are no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation(s) will be conducted.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya(s)."
(6) Suriya Prabhu quotes HH Bhakti Bhavana Vishnu Maharaj:
"Taking into consideration all the available documents, tapes and instructions of Srila Prabhupada we see that he did not leave clear instructions regarding the managerial aspect of the process in initiation after the departure, although he did give clear understanding of it's spiritual principles."
Well, the May 28th tape gives a clear answer, as follows:
SDG: "Then our next question concerns in the future, particularly at that time when you are no longer with us. We want to know how first and second initiation(s) will be conducted.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya(s)."
The same is given in the July 9th Letter, but you Vapuvadis cannot accept it because you want to be Guru.
You do not count them as "tape and document".
(7) Suriya Prabhu quotes HH Bhakti Bhavana Vishnu Maharaj:
"Srila Prabhupada many times mentioned his Guru Maharaj's desire in this matter and he left it up to the GBC to manage all material and spiritual affairs.
His idea was 'let them manage; then whoever will be qualified for becoming acarya, they will elect. Why should I enforce it upon them?' That was his plan. 'Let them manage by strong governing body, as it is going on. Then acarya will come by his qualifications'" (SPL 21.9.73)"
But he leaves out the following quote, which HH Bhakti Bhavana Vishnu Maharaj quotes in his article, "Ritvik - Illuminations on Guru Parampara":
"Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment. (C.c. Madhya-lila 1.220, purp.) 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. (SPL 28.4.74)"
Here Srila Prabhupada describes the idea of his Guru Maharaj, HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami.
But the GBC is not even following this. First 11 of them proclaimed themselves as uttama-adhikaris and then they have been rubber stamping fly-by-night sickly glow worm characters and bait and switch operators as Gurus, as shown by the history of the last 30 years. We have seen so many self-effulgent crooks. The question is, where are the self-effulgent acaryas?
Srila Prabhupada had seen what had happened in the Gaudiya Math after the departure of HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. So he did not want to leave anything to chance. He had warned ISKCON leaders many times as to why the Gaudiya Math failed. On April 22nd, 1977 he also knocked down Tamal Krishna Goswami's idea of "rubber stamping of Gurus" as, "you can cheat, but it will not be effective", and said "what is the use of producing a rascal Guru"? That is the reason the GBC went to Srila Prabhupada to get a clear answer about managing initiations in future, before he left this world.
Therefore, on May 28th, 1977 he made a clear statement of his intention to appoint rittviks to perform first and second initiations, particularly after he will no longer be with us, and he followed it up with the July 9th Letter.
Sure it is different, and not what the Vapuvadis want.
Wishing All of You Well,
yhs- Gadadhar dasa
