Five Questions, Five Answers on Diksa, Initiation

BY: BALAVIDYA DASA

Sep 4, USA (SUN) — Recently there have again been more postings at the various internet sites regarding the initiation/disciplic succession questions post November 1977. Certainly an important discussion, let us go over the topic again.

We find the discussion can be condensed to five basic questions:

    (1) Did Srila Prabhupada want his disciples to be diksa-gurus ?

    (2) Did Srila Prabhupada order a rtvik system of initiation, i.e., was Srila Prabhupada to be the "posthumous diksa-guru for the next ten thousand years?"

    (3) Did Srila Prabhupada order the GBC to approve/appoint/no-object to diksa-gurus post November 1977?

    (4) What is the actual process of selecting a guru?

    (5) What is the process of diksa?

The above five points have been centers of contention for almost thirty years. However, the fact remains that for any sincere soul who has deeply studied Srila Prabhupada's vast body of teachings, everything is perfectly clear. Srila Prabhupada's whole delivery of Vedic knowledge was based on presenting the conclusions of sastra, sadhu and guru, As It Is, without addition, subtraction, deviation or concoction. This method of delivery was his brilliance and success, and the same is our only avenue to actually becoming his servant.

Let us present the answers to the above five questions:

    (1) Did Srila Prabhupada want his disciples to be diksa-gurus?

Yes. There is no issue on this point. Right from his lessons in 22nd Avenue, New York, Srila Prabhupada continually made statements that we can paraphrase as "the present disciple becomes the next guru, this is the law of disciplic succession". This is throughout his books, lectures, conversations and letters. In fact, such statements are to be found everywhere within his teachings, the Vedas, and the history of our Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya. Of course, the caveat is that the prospective diksa-guru should meet the requisite qualifications.

    (2) Did Srila Prabhupada order a rtvik system of initiation, i.e., was Srila Prabhupada to be the "posthumous diksa-guru for the next ten thousand years?"

Absolutely Not. This outlandish idea is nowhere to be found in the Vedas and is not presented by any of the thirty-two acaryas in our line, including Srila Prabhupada. The proponents of this odd idea, and its related variants, ignore the vast body of Srila Prabhupada's teachings, which follow the age-old sastric practices, and mindlessly focus on one word, "henceforward", in a letter composed by Tamal Krsna Goswami, 7.9.'77. As their particular interpretation of "henceforward" (as extending the 'rtvik-diksa' system beyond Srila Prabhupada's departure) countermands the teachings of guru, sadhu and sastra, such interpretation cannot be accepted by the reasonable and learned Vaisnava. The rest of their case is word-jugglery and mud-slinging, which in themselves are admissions of defeat.

    (3) Did Srila Prabhupada empower the GBC to approve/appoint/no-object to diksa-gurus post November 1977?

No. Srila Prabhupada, who was remarkably clear-minded right up to his departure, never empowered the GBC to be the ultimate arbitrator of who amongst his disciples could "give diksa". In fact, Srila Prabhupada directly warned against the practice of such a system by often times quoting the history of the Gaudiya-Math. The central issue in Srila Prabhupada's condemnation of his godbrothers and the Gaudiya Math as "asara, useless" was that they did not heed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada's instruction that "guru is self-effulgent", and therefore needs no appointment, and instead went about "rubber-stamping" unqualified persons as 'diksa-gurus' with the concomitant disastrous results. In many purports, particularly to the Caitanya-caritamrta, and in copious conversations, Srila Prabhupada condemned mixing "material concoction" into spiritual practice. It is evident that the GBC have no faith in the scriptural edicts in this matter and prefer to self-serving rule ISKCON by material concoction - the very thing Srila Prabhupada warned against in this regard.

By ignoring the sastra and following their latest whimsical appointment system, the GBC are turning ISKCON into a "man-made religion" that is removed from the sastric stipulations. Their concocted 'sannyasa-waiting-list' is a similar imagined idea that ignores sastra and tradition. Most importantly, those personalities who have complied with such concocted systems cannot be seen as representing or understanding Srila Prabhupada's instructions on these matters, so therefore their qualification to be successor representatives and thus give diksa is non-existent. They are also "asara, useless" by their ignorance and disobedience. And the steady deviation, control and enjoying mood, material opulence, and gross falldown that has attended on such persons since November 1977 is practical proof of the result of straying from the "razor's edge" that is spiritual life.

Nevertheless, the GBC, like a drunk who cannot give up his wine, still clings, year after year, to their disobedient concocted "diksa-guru by GBC appointment" systemology, that has disempowered and driven away literally thousands of Srila Prabhupada disciples. This, then, must be the accepted as the real covert reason for a "guru-by-GBC-appointment" system. It certainly hasn't protected ISKCON from the "bogus guru" (the only quoted justification). Rather, it has actually created the "bogus guru" by investing the status of Srila Prabhupada's creation, ISKCON, in patently unqualified usurpers by an official rubber stamp that distracts the naive neophytes from their necessity of closely examining their prospective gurus. In this way, the guru-disciple scene in ISKCON, post Nov 1977, has become, as Srila Prabhupada would say, "the cheaters and the cheated".

Furthermore, by focusing practically every devotee's attention on the formality of diksa, rather than the all-important siksa, the understanding of how Krsna-consciousness is attained (by siksa) has become unbalanced within ISKCON. It is not an understatement to say that diksa and diksa-guru have become obsessive topics within ISKCON and the content of siksa has been marginalized.

The solution is simple: the GBC should stop appointing diksa-gurus. Naturally then, new devotees, having been educated to examine their guru, would gravitate to those devotees whose siksa they find the most inspiring. In this way, siksa would be re-emphasised automatically, and diksa would return to its rightful position as a natural part of the siksa process of Krsna-consciousness. Furthermore, those devotees possessed of the ability and dedication to give good siksa, the real attribute of a guru, would be recognized as "self-effulgent gurus". This would then bring ISKCON in the direction of being a brahminical society. And the GBC could get on with the real duty designated to them by Srila Prabhupada, that of being the enthusers of hearing and chanting the Glories of Sri Krsna. A sankirtana party is led, not managed.

If the GBC continue to insist on their over-intelligent concoctions, then they will never realize the vision of Srila Prabhupada for ISKCON as league of brahminical devotees.

The fundamental mistake of the GBC is that they think their role is to rule and control the devotees, when actually their role is to serve and enthuse the devotees.

    (4) What is the actual process of selecting a guru?

The sastra prescribes a period of close mutual examination between prospective guru and disciple. Here follows verses from Sanatana Goswami's Hari-Bhakti-Viala, Ist Vilasa:

Text 74

The Mantra-muktavali instructs, "The guru and aspiring disciple should live together for a year. They should examine each other to find out their nature, character and compatibility. There is no other way of achieving this."

Text 75

The Sruti states, "An aspiring disciple who does not stay together with the guru for a year should not be given diksa-mantra by the guru."

Text 76

The Sarasangraha also declares, "The guru should examine an aspiring disciple under his tutelage for a year."

Text 78

It is described in the Krama-dipika, "The disciple who is desirous to receive diksa [in the Gopala-mantra] must serve the guru for three years employing his wealth, simplicity of heart, affectionate behaviour, full physical endeavour, gentle speech and favourable attitude with the understanding that the guru is as good as the Supreme Lord. In this manner, when the disciple satisfies his guru, he may beg for diksa."

The process of examination is based on the requisite qualifications mentioned within the sastra. Thus accepting a guru is not an off-hand casual affair. One should be educated in sastric standards and spend time in respectful examination. Accepting a guru superficially on the basis of an institutional rubber-stamp is pure foolishness. And the GBC, to their discredit, have created the dynamics for such foolishness within ISKCON.

    (5) What is the process of diksa?

Srila Bhaktivinoda in his wonderful elucidation, Panca-Samskara, the Five Purifications, has described the initiation process in terms of five distinct elements that are progressively introduced and taught to the disciple. What is remarkable in this process is to see how closely Srila Prabhupada followed this process. In brief, the five elements are:

    (1) Tapa, Austerity: The disciple is given austerities to practice for his initial purification. Srila Prabhupada gave the four regulative principles and various austerities for sacred days, etc.

    (2) Tilak, (Vaisnava Markings): Seeing the disciple purified and established in Tapa, the guru consecrates the body of the disciple as a temple of the Lord by bestowing vertical tilak marks and tulsi necks beads, etc.

    (3) Nama, (the Sacred Name): Pleased with the regular performance of the disciple the guru bestows Nama. This is twofold: Firstly the disciple receives a Vaisnava name, such as Krsna dasa or Govinda dasa; secondly, the guru formally blesses the disciple to chant the Holy Name a fixed number of rounds daily, for instance the Maha-mantra, sixteen rounds. Within ISKCON this element is know as '1st Intiation'.

    (4) Mantra, Gayatri Mantras, Specific Esoteric Prayers to the Lord: Seeing the purification of the disciple by regularly chanting Nama, the guru blesses the disciple with esoteric prayers, generally the name of the Lord combined with a prayer in the dative case. These prayers contain the potency to awaken the devotional mood within the sadhaka necessary to perfect his chanting. The Gopala-mantra is an example. Within ISKCON, this element of samskara is known as '2nd Initiation'.

    (5) Yaga, Sacrifice, specifically Deity Worship: Seeing the progress of his disciple, the guru now teaches the disciple the worship of the Deity, (salagrama, Govardhana, Gaura-Nitai, Radha-Krsna, etc.). Initially this Deity Worship is primarily based on the exoteric Vidhi-Marg. However, as the disciple progresses the guru teaches the esoteric principles of Raga-Marg worship as given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Deity Worship is the path of pleasing the Lord, and when the Lord is so pleased, the disciple attains the spiritual world.

Above, I have given only a brief summary, the interested reader should read the original of Srila Bhaktivinoda. Thus initiation is a progressive ongoing affair of instruction (siksa) between the disciple and the guru. The guru may, of course, introduce the five constituents when and how he sees fit. The basic elements, however, are as given above. And the duty of the guru is to teach the disciple these elements, along with all Vaisnava siddhanta. Thus, in time, the present disciple becomes qualified to become a true Vaisnava guru, either with the blessing of his guru in his guru's lifetime, or after the departure of his guru. Lord Caitanya has decreed: "On my order, become guru….". The learned will note that this is not a 'request' by the Supreme Lord, but rather an 'order'.

If a spiritual society is to attain the blessing of the Supreme Lord, then it cannot institute protocols that cover and actively subvert the above principles. Unfortunately, so many GBC resolutions have clearly acted against the clear and simple sastric guidelines, like Putana trying to poison Krsna. Of course, the result has been that the poisoners have been killed, and they will continue to be killed.

If we are summarise Srila Prabhupada's qualification for guruship, we must say he emphasized that the message of the parampara should be delivered unchanged. However the GBC appointment system induces persons to ignore that message and follow a concoction against the directions of Srila Prabhupada, so where then is the qualification?

Bhagavad-gita, 16.23:

yaů sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti na sukham na param gatim

"He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination."


We hope this is found helpful,

Your servant,
Balavidya dasa


Appendix One: "No Such Thing as Here is Leader"

On November 2nd 1977, just twelve days before his disappearance lila, Srila Prabhupada was asked privately by some Indian guests who would succeed him as acarya. He described his answer moments later to his disciples (emphasis mine):

    Prabhupada: "[They asked] ...after you, who will take the leadership?" And [I replied] "Everyone will take, all my disciples. If you want, you can take also. (laughter) But if you follow. They are prepared to sacrifice everything, so they'll take the leadership. I may, one, go away, but there will be hundreds, and they'll preach. If you want, you can also become a leader. We have no such thing as 'Here is leader'." Anyone who follows the previous leadership, he's a leader. 'Indian,' we have no such distinction, 'Indian,' 'European.' "

    Brahmananda: "They wanted an Indian to be the leader?"

    Prabhupada: "Yes. (laughs) 'Everyone, all my disciples, they are leaders. If you want to follow, you can become a leader. You are Indian. But you don't want.' I told them that."

"As purely as they follow, they become leader." This is a restatement of the eternal principle of guru-parampara: One must be a perfect disciple-that is the basis of any spiritual qualification, particularly the qualification to be 'guru'. And it restates Srila Prabhupada position on those qualified to be gurus after his departure, given in the GBC May 28th conversation:

    Prabhupada: "And Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya guru hana [Cc. Madhya 7.128 ]. One can understand the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he can become guru. Or one who understands his guru's order, the same parampara, he can become guru."

With, "We have no such thing, that 'Here is leader'." Srila Prabhupada indicates that he did not intend to appoint a successor acarya, or have such a system institutionalized within ISKCON-particularly, as this was the specific thrust of the question. Incidentally, the questioner was 'Mr Baja', the owner of Baja Scooters, India. He wanted to known if Srila Prabhupada was going to appoint a successor. Srila Bhaktivinoda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta P., Srila Prabhupada have not appointed specific, exclusive successors or enacted an institutionalized appointment system. The GBC have ignored this path chalked out by the great personalities.

Therefore from this conversation, twelve days before his samadhi, which started with the enquiry as to who would succeed him, two conclusions are irrefutable: (1) Srila Prabhupada wanted all his disciples to continue the disciplic succession on the basis of their obedient following of him and upon attaining the requisite qualification, (2) Srila Prabhupada did not want an institutionalised guru-by appointment system for the society-"We have no such thing as leader (i.e., appointed guru)".


Appendix Two: The GBC Role in ISKCON

Letter to: Karandhara (GBC), From Bombay, 22 December, 1972 to Los Angeles

My dear Karandhara,

…Regarding your points about taxation, corporate status, etc., I have heard from Jayatirtha you want to make big plan for centralization of management, taxes, monies, corporate status, bookkeeping, credit, like that. I do not at all approve of such plan. Do not centralize anything. Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient. That was my plan from the very beginning, why you are thinking otherwise? Once before you wanted to do something centralizing with your GBC meeting, and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed. Do not think in this way of big corporation, big credits, centralization-these are all nonsense proposals. Only thing I wanted was that books printing and distribution should be centralized, therefore I appointed you and Bali Mardan to do it. Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple's concern, not yours. Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each centre, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gayatri, keeping always clean-then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar of Devotion. So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Each centre remain independent, that's all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders.

So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty-by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati-our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles-Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami


Points are clear. Many voices are crying from the wilderness: "Why don't the GBC just follow?" After all it would be for their own good.



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