Official Ramakanta vs. IRM discussion thread

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Posted by Yaduraja on Apr 10, 2006:

 

Dear Ramakanta Prabhu, PAMHO. AGTSP!

 

> If by "established himself" and "set himself up" you mean "made himself

> recognized and accepted", then why don't you just write that and in this

> way avoid a long discussion?

 

You were the one who wanted to change the wording of point a). I did not

object since in English "made himself recognized and accepted” simply

expresses the methodology by which he ‘set himself up’.

 

> We agreed that your point a) is:

>

> "Srila Prabhupada made himself recognized and accepted as the sole diksa

> guru for ISKCON in 1966."

>

> Why did you again change the phrasing? We cannot move to your point b) as

> long as you are constantly changing your stated point a).

 

I have not changed anything. Point a) as re-worded by you above is still

fine by me since it gives the process by which he established himself as the

sole diksa guru for ISKCON, by making himself recognised and accepted. Just

as if you had established yourself as the greatest yodeller in Switzerland

by making yourself recognised and accepted as such. Thus I am not changing

anything. If someone makes himself recognised and accepted in a certain

role, then it logically follows that he established himself in that role. To

make oneself recognised and accepted in a role is synonymous with

establishing oneself in that role.

 

> You claim that "set himself up as" means "made himself recognized and

> accepted as". But I did not find any dictionary that confirm this. So

> please tell us in what dictionary you found that meaning.

 

The phrase “set himself up” describes an outcome, the phrase “made himself

recognised and accepted as such” tells us the methodology for attaining that

outcome. The dictionary will not give every possible methodology for how

something becomes “set up”, I am surprised you expect it to.

 

> I found following dictionary meanings of "set himself up as" applicable

> here:

>

> "Elevate, raise; also, put in a position of authority or power".

> (It was not Srila Prabhupada who did that, but his guru.)

 

Srila Prabhupada was authorised to act as diksa guru by his spiritual

master, but he still had to act on that order. ISKCON did not just appear

out of thin air along with fully trained disciples ready to take diksa from

Srila Prabhupada did it? You are authorised to be a siksa guru, but you

still have to act on that order.

 

I have given you the definition of ‘established’ I mean as: ‘to set up’.

Your re-worded point a) simply explains how he did this. If that is all

clear we can move on.

Best wishes

Ys

Yadu