Siksa as most important guru

[Guest guest]

On 21 May 1999, Mahanidhi das wrote:

 

> Just as someone may settle himself for taking

> diksa from Srila Prabhupada, so can I "approach" Bhaktisiddhanta

> and become a godbrother to Prabhupada.

 

You can try. But I believe Bhaktisiddhanta would say to approach his disciple

who has shown clearly the full qualifications of being a bonafide guru. Diksa

actually means receiving transcendental knowledge by which the disciple

becomes freed of material contamination. I believe all of the members of the

parampara would advise all serious candidates to approach A.C. Bhaktivedanta

Swami. A.C. Bhaktivedanta has set up a program through which to approach him -

ISKCON, which, of course, should have been putting a lot more time into

varnasrama-dharma development so that when the different types of varna/asrama

candidates came to them they would know how to divide them AND give them full

exposure to the bonafide guru - Srila Prabhupada.

 

>Or why not Arjuna or Sukadeva?

> Any objection?

 

You can if you want to, but it will be very difficult I think. Why bother when

Srila Prabhupada is so easily accessible? It is not recommended. Ekalavya

"approached" Drona without going through the proper channels and, though he

received benedictions from Drona, it was considered unauthorized. If one wants

to approach Srila Prabhupada the authorized program is there - ISKCON. I feel,

if one approaches Srila Prabhupada through his authorized program he will

accept him as his disciple. In my opinion, he expected his disciples to usher

the candidates into his varnasrama-dharma program and help them make gradual

advancement on the path of spiritual life and thus obtain real diksa from him.

When people have been very, very consistent (40, 50, 60 years, even lifetimes)

in following the program (VAD) (if we ever set it up) I am confident we will

see highly developed varnas and Vaisnavas produced.

 

Pure devotees can be developed from Prabhupada's program. I am convinced of

this. Until then, however, everyone should be acting as representative of

Srila Prabhupada, not taking his place as guru without the qualification. This

failed attempt has proven very unbeneficial to everyone.

 

I am not blanket stating that I KNOW that none of my godbrothers or

godsisters, or for that matter someone outside of ISKCON has not progressed to

that qualified stage. But I think if someone has they will be sure to

institute ( or at least try very, very hard) A.C. Bhaktivedanta's version of

daiva varnasrama-dharma for this world for the foreseeable future. That is the

symptom I will watch for and have been watching for for 25 years, 2 months and

one week.