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> > > > Janeshevara Prabhu your questions are answered in the text where SP

> > > > writes that we should take advantage of both pancharatrika vidhi &

> > > > bhagavat viddhi.

> > >

>

> > > So, obviously adjustments have been made. I do not have a problem with

> > > that so long as it is done in a bonafide fashion based upon the

> > > overriding principle of Bhagavata-vidhi. Lord Caitanya did this when

> > > there was a problem with the Pancharatrika-vidhi regulations of

> > > grihasta-brahmana initiation. He wanted everyone who was a Vaisnava to

> > > give initiation because it was Bhagavat-vidhi and overrode the

> > > Pancharatrika-vidhi.

> >

> > ???

> >

> > In SP's writings he never discounted/rejected the pancharatrika-vidhi.

> > He has indeed recommended it strongly.

>

> "A person may be a brähmana, a sannyäsi, a sudra or whatever, but if he is

> well conversant in the science of Krsna, he can become a guru." (Cc.

> Madhya 8.128) This statement is supported by Sri Mädhavendra Puri.

> According to the pancarätra injunction, only a householder brähmana can

> initiate. Others cannot. When a person is initiated, it is assumed that he

> has become a brähmana; without being initiated by a proper brähmana, one

> cannot be converted into a brähmana. In other words, unless one is a

> brähmana, he cannot make another a brähmana. A grhastha-brähmana partaking

> of the varnasrama- dharma institution can secure various types of

> paraphernalia to worship Lord Visnu through his honest labor. Actually,

> people beg to be initiated by these householder brähmanas just to become

> successful in the varnäsrama institution or to become free from material

> desires. It is therefore necessary for a spiritual master in the

> grhastha-äsrama to be a strict Vaisnava. A spiritual master from the

> sannyäsa order has very little opportunity to perform arcana, Deity

> worship, but when one accepts a spiritual master from the transcendental

> sannyäsis, the principle of Deity worship is not at all neglected. To

> implement this conclusion, Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu gave us His opinion in

> the verse kibä vipra kibä nyäsi, etc.

>

>

> This indicates that the Lord understood the weakness of society in its

> maintaining that only a grhastha-brähmana should be a spiritual master.

>

>

> Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu indicated that it does not matter whether the

> spiritual master is a grhastha (householder), a sannyäsi or even a sudra.

> A spiritual master simply must be conversant in the essence of the sastra;

> he must understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only then can one

> become a spiritual master. Diksa actually means initiating a disciple with

> transcendental knowledge by which he becomes freed from all material

> contamination. CC Mad. 4.111

>

> ys,

> Jd

 

Prabhuji, this is all very nice; no one in ISKCON can deny/argue with it.

 

Except for your last sentence; regarding what "diksha" actually means.

 

Yes, "transcendental knowledge" is indeed the essence of diksha.

 

However, kindly note that there is a formal ceremony "conferring" that

knowledge in form of the "panchangas"; i.e. 1. "nama", the Holy name, 2.

"pundra", the tilak marks of a vaishnava, 3. "mantra" - the gayatri mantra,

4. "homa" - the fire sacrifice & 5. "tapa" - administration of the marks of

shankha & chakra.

 

Simply by referring to the "gift" of "transcendental knowledge" by the guru

to the disciple, nor by quoting 100 or 1000 places where SP talks about "

transcendental knowledge", you cannot cancel this "pancharatrika vidhi" of

"panchanga diksha". Those who do so....

 

Balaram Prabhu (LOK) has elsewhere attempted to describe them.

 

Prabhuji, ought we not take SP's instructions regarding diksha IN THEIR

TOTALITY? Instead of conveniently (or out of ignorance of them) disregard

some of his instructions?

 

Therefore I again most humbly request you to please search again in the SP

Folio using the word(s) "pancaratrika" & "pancaratriki" & satisfy yourself

in this regard.

 

dasanudas,

 

Basu Ghosh Das