Mar 01, 2020 — EUROPE (SUN) —
In GBC papers, the distinction between managerial and spiritual successor is blurred. The GBC simply says it is the successor of Srila Prabhupada.
ISKCON law (6.4.3.2) states that gurus "Must respect the GBC as Srila Prabhupāda's chosen successor as the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON and maintain a respectful serving attitude towards the GBC."
In a recent GBC legacy paper it is argued that the GBCs should be selected by themselves and the term of office is for life. The justification is that the later instructions of Srila Prabhupada just before his departure override what is written in the Direction of Management.
"The "Direction of Management" of July 18,1970, laid out a plan for election of the GBCs by the temple presidents and that they would hold a three year term of office. Yet Srila Prabhupada never put this procedure into practice."
Srila Prabhupada: So there is no question of changing GBC.
Satsvarūpa: No.
Srila Prabhupāda: Rather, one who is competent, he can be selected to act by the board of the GBC."
(Conversation, May 28, 1970, Vrindavana)
But as we shall see below, the same principle that later statements trump earlier ones calls into question the GBC claim that it is the successor of Srila Prabhupada. In the section of the legacy paper entitled "The GBC as Spiritual Authority", justification is given for the claim that the GBC is the successor of Srila Prabhupada.
Interviewer: What happens when that inevitable comes when a successor is needed?
Ramesvara: He is asking about the future, who will guide the movement in the future?
Prabhupada: They will guide. I am training them.
Interviewer: Will there be on spiritual leader, though?
Prabhupada: No, I am training GBC, eighteen all over the world.
(Magazine Interview / June 10, 1976)
But the paper omits an important statement Srila Prabhupada made shortly before his departure which indicated that everyone who follows is the successor.
Bhakti Caru Swami: "Just a few days before Srila Prabhupada left the planet, two prominent Indian gentlemen came to see him. One was Sriman Narayana, the Governor of Madras, and the other was his brother-in-law, Rama Krishna Bajaj, a big industrialist. At one point, they said that they wanted to discuss something with Srila Prabhupada privately, and Prabhupada asked us to leave the room. We left the room, although we didn't want to, but while leaving I pressed the recording button on the tape recorder. These two men asked Prabhupada, "Who will continue your legacy after you leave the planet? Who will become your successor?" Prabhupada said, "I am giving the legacy to all my disciples, all my followers, and whoever follows will have the legacy." Then those two realized that the tape recorder was on and they asked Prabhupada if they could switch it off. After that I don't think they had any serious discussion. Srila Prabhupada made it clear that whoever follows him has his legacy. Prabhupada didn't want to appoint a successor as such."
So we may note the the GBC is selectively employing the principle that later statements override earlier ones. Srila Prabhupada chose the GBC as the legal and managerial successor, and left the spiritual succession to whomever properly follows him. Of course, the GBC can also qualify itself to be the spiritual successor, but Srila Prabhupada did not appoint the GBC as such.
The legacy paper points out, the GBC's "role as "ultimate" or "final" authority does not mean the GBC has "absolute" authority". We thank the GBC for not claiming to be the absolute authority, but suggest the less ambiguous terms, "acting spiritual authority" and the "managerial successor" should be used to describe the GBC. The current labels of "spiritual authority" and "successor of Srila Prabhupada" are easily misinterpreted to mean "absolute spiritual authority" and "spiritual successor of Srila Prabhupada."
