Try To Imagine
BY: BHAKTA WALLACE DORIAN
Oct 2, USA (SUN) — I have very much appreciated Rocana das's illuminating and very eloquent articles that have appeared in the pages of Sampradaya Sun. After following this whole issue of diksa/siksa and re-initiation these past few weeks, I have given it a lot of consideration and although I agree with much of what has been said on both sides of the aisle in this regard, the bottom line is this. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
That is, very simply, let's say a devotee (future disciple) coming to ISKCON is initiated by HH Danavir Goswami Maharaja and/or a devotee formerly initiated by a fallen guru is re-initiated by him (as an example.) Now, let's suppose that devotee initiated by HH Danavir Goswami goes off and becomes empowered by Krsna to spread the ISKCON movement and/or never falls down from his/her sadhana. Thus, we can say two things:
1. The initiation by Danavir Goswami and his disciple was authorized by Krsna Himself, AND,
2. In the event of the initiating Guru's eventual falldown (if that ever happens), that same disciple still goes on to preach purely and spread krsna consciousness all over the world without ever falling down. Then, as Srila Prabhupada once said regarding one pure devotee, "We will consider our mission a success."
Who is that pure devotee?? We don't know. Only Krsna will reveal that person or persons in due course of time if He so desires.
In other words, pure devotional service manifests in "action". And then, judging the results of those actions, despite the ulterior motives which may have plagued past devotees (or gurus), in the early days of ISKCON, (or presently as disturbing as it may be, ) due to insincere motivations, hidden desires and/or realizations. What are the guru's and disciple's results of preaching? And I believe this rests with the fact that a pure devotee is judged by how many people (not disciples necessarily) he can attract to ISKCON. The fact is, there are hundreds of thousands of "devotees" who have never been initiated for many reasons. I don't feel this is due to a lack of "pure" gurus but other extenuating circumstances. These people still consider themselves devotees by virtue of reading Srila Prabhupada's purports and by "hearing" from his many disciples and the disciples of his disciples. Otherwise, how would they know Krsna is God??
Can an uninitiated devotee go back to Godhead? This seems to be the central dilemma and very problematic. Perhaps there is some sastric evidence a devotee could quote in this regard. In my opinion, possibly. I say "possibly" because it is also a fact that many devotees parents over the years have taken higher births as a result of their son or daughter being devotees and present at their death beds when they left their bodies. Did they go back home? I don't know. I'm not Krsna. Only Krsna knows the ultimate desination of a jiva. After spending 25 years reading and scrutinizing Srila Prabhupada's books, including those written by his disciples, that the Vedic conclusion may be "no," no one is eligible to go back to Goloka Vrndavana unless one is initiated into the parampara. I would say off hand, this makes sense. After all, millions will come to Krsna consciousness in the next 50 years, who will give formal initiation? In my mind, it seems reasonable under the circumstances that it would be the disciple of the disciple of the disciple ad infinum. Thus, if the guru is "pure" all well and good. If he falls down, take re-initiation seems like a good choice as to not inhibit that devotee's spiritual progress, notwithstanding the trauma of placing one's trust in that fallen guru. It's very sad but again, this is Kali-yuga. That is, I think it is best for an aspring disciple to have a "living" guru. I believe that this is the best transmission of transcendental knowledge that is available even though one could, strictly speaking, take initiation from Srila Prabhupada and his books. But this is true only in very rare, rare cases such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta etc. In fact, I was just contemplating an ISKCON movement without any initiating gurus. I can't. This would be like having a Ford Motor Company without any foremans, as a crude example. And every foreman has their own personality.
Some devotees may come forward and say that a "pure" devotee within ISKCON has not become manifest since Srila Prabhupada's disappearence, but that is not a fact. There are many gurus within ISKCON who are making and have made very nice devotees. They have been rays of light for the fallen souls all over the world in ways that are never advertised on the Hare Krsna web pages like Chakra, Sampradaya Sun, Dipika et al. People who's lives have been changed forever by just coming into contact with a devotee, never mind who, such as my humble self. I'm speaking objectively now even though I sympathize with those devotees who put their faith in gurus that fell.
While it is also a fact that we are all reading Srila Prabhupada's books, Srila Prabhupada also wanted his disciples to write books from practical experience, sharing their realizations. Therefore, we must not forget Satsvarupa dasa Goswami's brilliant, heartfelt biography of Srila Prabhupada (which future generations will come to know), and HH Hridayananda Goswami's brave, monumental and difficult task (in the wake of Srila Prabhupada's brilliant purports), of translating the 11th and 12th Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam that will enlighten generations to come as well. In fact, had the 11th Canto never been translated, I would have never had the profound realizations from reading the Uddhava-gita.
These writings are not ordinary and if Krsna didn't want it, it would have never taken place. We must not forget Kusakratha dasa (who may be leaving his body very soon in Vrndavana). He devoted his life to translating hundreds of Sanskrit verses into english of most major Vaisnava literatures tantamount to this writer comparing Kusakratha Prabhu to a modern-day Vyasadeva. Kusakratha dasa has a very definite place in Goloka Vrndavana without any doubt.
Let us also not forget, in the fog of recrimination, the many translations by other senior Sanskrit scholars within ISKCON who are translating and purporting Srila Jiva Goswami's Sat-Sandharbas and the eagerly awaited, multi-volume "Garga-Samhita" with purports by HH Danavir Goswami. I have no doubt Srila Prabhupada would be very proud of these devotees attempting to broaden the scope of Vaisnavism for future generations. I don't believe that the currenmt ISKCON translations are being written to "jump-over" or super-sede Srila Prabhupada's writings nor to place them on a pedestal in competition with Srila prabhupada. But then again, maybe I'm naive. Maybe I'm lucky. I haven't been initiated yet. But this has more to do with me and not ISKCON, the GBC or it's current initiating gurus. That's another article or perhaps I will include that unusual story in my memoirs one day.
But the facts are these, ISKCON will prevail through the storm of obstacles that have, and may in the future, befall the Institution, but in the end, it will endure and even redefine itself in ways we cannot envision while still embracing the chanting of the maha-mantra and the regulative principles. Krsna will send a representative from the next generation of devotees if need be. But what if it's in 200 years? We are not like the Christians waiting for the messiah necessarily. Time is of the essence. The world is going to hell and we are in an emergency situation at this particular epoch in time. However, I do believe that those devotee men and women who are in positions of power and especially the leaders or gurus of a transcendental "religious" movement, should be held accountable for their actions if they are not in line with proper Vaisnava etiquette and should be held to the highest moral standards to those who place their trust in them.
It is also interesting to note that Srila Prabhupada once said that our "children's children will be pure devotees." We don't know how this will take place but I'm sure it will.
There is another very deep and complex aspect to the issues at hand. And I believe this has more to do with desperartely wanting that "Acarya" that "pure devotee," someone we can embrace to appear before us "in the flesh" as it were. Someone of the stature of another Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Lord Caitanya Himself, who we know will never fall down. We all want to feel safe and spiritually protected. We want someone to inspire us in our preaching. But the reality is that ISKCON, while taking from sastric evidence in regard to the diksa line of initiation, must follow that line even in the wake of not being able to find that elusive "uttama-adhikaris" or "living" guru that we all want to be another "Srila Prabhupada." I know this seems unfathomable in itself
We all wish we could magically transport oursleves back to the time of Lord Caitanya and His associates because we know how cozy, spiritual and blissful it all was to take shelter of their lotus feet in that sublime pastime and meet with their lordships in Advaita Acarya's house for Sankirtana and then gather together to honor prasadam. And perhaps that day will come again even in the 21st Century. What will it be like 500 years from now? We don't know. But until that day comes, the movement must prevail.
I don't see how there can be two ISKCON movements. One for siksas and one for diksas. I don't believe this is what Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada envisioned. This is just my psychic hunch.
Imagine us all going into a time machine, say 100 years from now, and seeing the world having already accepted Krsna consciousness. No hard preaching. Almsot like a satya-yuga. Everyone knows Krsna is God just like Catholics and Christians know who Jesus is.
Try to imagine a world where everyone is vegetarian and chanting Hare Krsna. No more slaughterhouses. No more abortion. No more gambling. No more intoxication. Imagine Srila Prabhupada's books being the lawbooks for mankind for the next 10,000 years and reading the many books of his disciples and their disciples. Try to imagine a flood of love of God. I don't think Srila Prabhupada would be disappointed. He would have only wished we all co-operated together in harmony in the latter and early part of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
