IRG v GBC Court Case Update No 3

[Guest guest]

Srila Prabhupad told us not to go to court and settle everything thro the

mechanism of the GBC. Disregarding this you have gone to court saying you

are trying to protect SP's movement.

 

Though SP might not have wanted to associate closely with the GM, he used

them wherever/whenever required and that is precisely what the GBC are

trying to do now. Even assuming that SP did not want the GBC to be guided by

the GM, the GM here are not guiding the GBC but only strengthening the

position of the GBC stance in the eyes of the court.

 

Even otherwise, if you can disregard the feelings of SP by going to court,

why cant the GBC get support from GM to protect SP's movement. This is not

as bad as going to court and putting so many people in a confused state of

mind.

 

SP in other words "expelled" the GM and wanted us who are under the umbrella

of ISKCON to keep distance from them. But he also encouraged the GBC to try

and improve relationship with those GM's which are favourable inclined to

ISKCON and SP's movement. You are doing worse than the GM and you are

fighting because you have been "Expelled".

 

It is only your ego, thinking that you are a highly educated intellectual

that is making you do all this nonsense. You guys are depending only on word

jugglary to prove your point. You are not ready to accept guru/shastra &

sadhu.

 

We sincerely pray to Krsna Balaram of the Bangalore temple to smash your

wrong concepts and throw you out to teach you a lesson.

 

Hare Krishna,

Sri Vallabha Das

 

COM: Madhu Pandit (das) JPS (Bangalore - IN)

[sMTP:Madhu.Pandit.JPS (AT) bbt (DOT) se]

Sent: 31 May 1999 21:11

To: COM: ICC (Indian Continental Committee); COM: ISKCON India

(news & discussion); COM: Basu Ghosh (das) ACBSP (Baroda - IN)

Cc: COM: India (Continental Committee) Open (Forum)

Subject: IRG v GBC Court Case Update No 3

 

[Text 2354236 from COM]

 

GBC Join Forces With the Gaudiya Matha to Fight IRG

 

The GBC have submitted their affidavit-in-opposition to the IRG

petition,

which itself was posted in full in our court update No. The GBC

were

supposed to have submitted their affidavit by the 16th April, after

which we

were given 2 weeks to reply. Due to the GBC affidavit being

submitted late,

the next court hearing to hear their affidavit-in-opposition and our

reply

to this, will be on June 12th.

 

In an unprecedented move, the GBC reply rather than tackle our

arguments and

evidences head on, have instead gone for appeals to historical

tradition and

relied on the help of the Gaudiya Matha. They have presented as one

of their

main pieces of evidence, a letter which they have managed to get

signed by

all 20 or so odd Gaudiya Matha missions currently existing in West

Bengal.

Such cosy co-operation makes a mockery of the GBC attempts to

portray the

IRG as simply being another 'camp' along with the Gaudiya Matha,

that is

attacking ISKCON. Rather as this action has shown, it is clear that

there

are only 2 'camps' - the 'Prabhupada is the acarya' camp of the IRG,

and the

'Prabhupada substitute' camp headed by the GBC, Gaudiya Matha, and

dozens of

many other mayavadi and Hindu groups. It demonstrates that the GBC's

so-called opposition to the Gaudiya Matha is simply is one based on

competition for men and money, but when it comes to philosophy and

principle, and in particular their desire to keep Srila Prabhupada

substituted with inferior 'physical body' versions, they are two

peas in the

pod. I shall quote here from paragraph 10 of the GBC's

affidavit-in-opposition:

 

"The Guru Parampara tradition and system is that initiations

(diksas) are

granted by a spiritual master during his natural lifetime to

disciples.

After the physical departure or demise of such a guru, one of more

of his

disciples in turn are authorised to give initiations to new

disciples and

thus become spiritual masters. This system is authorised not only by

sastras

but by all Acharyas. For example, the "gaudiya math" was established

by His

Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, but after his

physical

demise Tridandi B.V. Puri Goswami Maharaj, who is an initiated

disciple of

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, is at present an initiating

acharya

of Sree Krishna Chaitanya Mission. This is the standard system of

Vaishnava

line of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya mahaprabhu. In this connection, I

shall

rely on various certificates given by the old and established

Vaisnava

Institutions, copies whereof are collectively annexed hereto and

marked with

the letter "A"."

(Paragraph 10, GBC Affidavit-in-opposition)

 

To illustrate this new level of love and co-operation, we have

appended one

such letter supplied to ISKCON by the Gaudiya Matha of the late Bon

Maharaja, at the end of this posting. (All the letters are the same

with

just the names of the various Gaudiya Matha personalities changed).

 

Please note that in presenting this evidence, the GBC are validating

that

the present Gaudiya Matha are in the parampara and are following the

standard system

in the vaishnava line of Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That

they are

in effect a bona fide branch of the disciplic succession just as

ISKCON are.

We would ask the readers to keep this in mind the next time the

ISKCON

authorities 'warn' them to stay away from the 'poison' of the

Gaudiya Matha,

and also when they ban various Gaudiya Matha leaders from even

visiting

ISKCON temples for taking darshan. Indeed this new era of love and

co-operation between ISKCON and the Gaudiya Matha should accelerate

the mass

exodus and defections from ISKCON to the Gaudiya Matha that have

taken place

since the physical departure of Srila Prabhupada. The irony is that

the

ISKCON propaganda has always been that it is the 'ritviks' that are

driving

people to the Gaudiya Matha. Now the truth has been revealed. ISKCON

have

validated the Gaudiya Matha as a bona fide organisation, worthy of

shelter

for ISKCON devotees,and one from whom they are desperate to seek

assistance

for their most important court case.

 

Indeed this new liberality and inclusiveness towards other groups is

not

restricted to the Gaudiya Matha. In a spirit of generosity and a

sudden

new-found humility, the GBC has decided to endorse virtually every

Hindu

and mayavadi group in India: "On the contrary, I respectfully submit

that

what has been presented by the plaintiffs, as the Posthumous Ritvik

Doctrine

is in utter contradiction with all other established Vedic,

vaishnava and

Indian religious and philosophical systems and has therefore been

rejected

and declared a dangerous philosophical deviation by the GBC body."

(GBC

affidavit-in-opposition, paragraph 24, emphasis added)

 

It seems after years of telling us that ISKCON was the ONLY way to

salvation, as soon as their backs against the wall, the GBC will

ditch any

principles it has, in a mad struggle for survival. We also see how

they have

justified their rejection of the IRG stance by taking guidance from

these

outside groups, instead of basing it solely on the instructions of

Srila

Prabhyuada, as the IRG has done.

 

Of course the GBC may try and weasel out of the above embarrassing

situation

by saying that they are willing to take help from anyone, no matter

how

bogus they are, simply as an expedience measure to curry favour with

the

Judge. We heard the same line of argumentation to justify portraying

Srila

Prabhupada as a 'hired hand' of ISKCON, who was given pencils and

paper to

write his books, in the BBT case against Hamsaduta.

 

Fortunately such unprincipled arguments did not work then, and they

won't

work here either, for the courts are concerned with truth and

integrity, not

expedient humbug. And the ambivalent and hypocritical attitude of

the GBC

towards the Gaudiya Matha right up until the present day, has been

detailed

with evidence in our reply, and we shall see then just how seriously

the

judge will take ISKCON's offering evidence from the Gaudiya Matha.

 

Your servant

Madhu Pandit Das

 

(Please look out for more court updates, as and when we can supply

the

information)

----------

 

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadharaya Namah

Founder-Acharya : Tridandi Swami Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj

 

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhara Ashram

Sree Mayapur, P.O. - Sree Mayapur, Dist. : Nadia,

Pin - 741313

 

To Whom It May Concern

 

The Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhar Ashram is a member of the

Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Saraswata Vaisnava Disciplic Succession also

known as

Guru-Parampara. We are coming in the disciplic line of Lord Sri

Krishna

Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

It is our Guru Parampara tradition and system that initiations

(diksas) are

granted by a spiritual master during his natural lifetime to

disciples.

After the physical departure or demise of the spiritual master one

or more

of his disciples in turn are then authorized to give initiations to

new

disciples and thus become spiritual masters. This is the system

authorized

by sastra and our previous Acharyas. For example, the Gaudiya matha

was

established by by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati

Thakur

Prabhupada. In our institution the founder is Sri Srimad Rasananda

Bon

Maharaj who is an initiated disciple of Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti

Hriday Bon

Maharaj. Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj is the initiating Acharya

on

behalf of our institution. This is the standard system of our

spiritual

line.

 

There is no precedence of any other system and particularly no

system

whereby a guru continues to accept disciples by accepting them after

his

physical demise through a ritvik representative. This system doesn't

exist

in our Disciplic Succession. The whole concept of disciplic

succession is

that one generation of disciples succeed the previous generation of

disciples and in this way perpetually keep the disciplic succession

current.

 

Our institution doesn't agree to any system whereby a former

spiritual

master is said to be the diksa guru (initiating spiritual master) of

a

disciple except those disciples who are initiated during the

physical

presence of the spiritual master in the manner approved by him.

 

Yours truly,

 

(Sign of Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj)

Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhar Ashram,

Sridham Mayapur, Nadia,

April 5, 1999

[Guest guest]

GBC Join Forces With the Gaudiya Matha to Fight IRG

 

The GBC have submitted their affidavit-in-opposition to the IRG petition,

which itself was posted in full in our court update No. The GBC were

supposed to have submitted their affidavit by the 16th April, after which we

were given 2 weeks to reply. Due to the GBC affidavit being submitted late,

the next court hearing to hear their affidavit-in-opposition and our reply

to this, will be on June 12th.

 

In an unprecedented move, the GBC reply rather than tackle our arguments and

evidences head on, have instead gone for appeals to historical tradition and

relied on the help of the Gaudiya Matha. They have presented as one of their

main pieces of evidence, a letter which they have managed to get signed by

all 20 or so odd Gaudiya Matha missions currently existing in West Bengal.

Such cosy co-operation makes a mockery of the GBC attempts to portray the

IRG as simply being another 'camp' along with the Gaudiya Matha, that is

attacking ISKCON. Rather as this action has shown, it is clear that there

are only 2 'camps' - the 'Prabhupada is the acarya' camp of the IRG, and the

'Prabhupada substitute' camp headed by the GBC, Gaudiya Matha, and dozens of

many other mayavadi and Hindu groups. It demonstrates that the GBC's

so-called opposition to the Gaudiya Matha is simply is one based on

competition for men and money, but when it comes to philosophy and

principle, and in particular their desire to keep Srila Prabhupada

substituted with inferior 'physical body' versions, they are two peas in the

pod. I shall quote here from paragraph 10 of the GBC's

affidavit-in-opposition:

 

"The Guru Parampara tradition and system is that initiations (diksas) are

granted by a spiritual master during his natural lifetime to disciples.

After the physical departure or demise of such a guru, one of more of his

disciples in turn are authorised to give initiations to new disciples and

thus become spiritual masters. This system is authorised not only by sastras

but by all Acharyas. For example, the "gaudiya math" was established by His

Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, but after his physical

demise Tridandi B.V. Puri Goswami Maharaj, who is an initiated disciple of

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, is at present an initiating acharya

of Sree Krishna Chaitanya Mission. This is the standard system of Vaishnava

line of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya mahaprabhu. In this connection, I shall

rely on various certificates given by the old and established Vaisnava

Institutions, copies whereof are collectively annexed hereto and marked with

the letter "A"."

(Paragraph 10, GBC Affidavit-in-opposition)

 

To illustrate this new level of love and co-operation, we have appended one

such letter supplied to ISKCON by the Gaudiya Matha of the late Bon

Maharaja, at the end of this posting. (All the letters are the same with

just the names of the various Gaudiya Matha personalities changed).

 

Please note that in presenting this evidence, the GBC are validating that

the present Gaudiya Matha are in the parampara and are following the

standard system

in the vaishnava line of Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That they are

in effect a bona fide branch of the disciplic succession just as ISKCON are.

We would ask the readers to keep this in mind the next time the ISKCON

authorities 'warn' them to stay away from the 'poison' of the Gaudiya Matha,

and also when they ban various Gaudiya Matha leaders from even visiting

ISKCON temples for taking darshan. Indeed this new era of love and

co-operation between ISKCON and the Gaudiya Matha should accelerate the mass

exodus and defections from ISKCON to the Gaudiya Matha that have taken place

since the physical departure of Srila Prabhupada. The irony is that the

ISKCON propaganda has always been that it is the 'ritviks' that are driving

people to the Gaudiya Matha. Now the truth has been revealed. ISKCON have

validated the Gaudiya Matha as a bona fide organisation, worthy of shelter

for ISKCON devotees,and one from whom they are desperate to seek assistance

for their most important court case.

 

Indeed this new liberality and inclusiveness towards other groups is not

restricted to the Gaudiya Matha. In a spirit of generosity and a sudden

new-found humility, the GBC has decided to endorse virtually every Hindu

and mayavadi group in India: "On the contrary, I respectfully submit that

what has been presented by the plaintiffs, as the Posthumous Ritvik Doctrine

is in utter contradiction with all other established Vedic, vaishnava and

Indian religious and philosophical systems and has therefore been rejected

and declared a dangerous philosophical deviation by the GBC body." (GBC

affidavit-in-opposition, paragraph 24, emphasis added)

 

It seems after years of telling us that ISKCON was the ONLY way to

salvation, as soon as their backs against the wall, the GBC will ditch any

principles it has, in a mad struggle for survival. We also see how they have

justified their rejection of the IRG stance by taking guidance from these

outside groups, instead of basing it solely on the instructions of Srila

Prabhyuada, as the IRG has done.

 

Of course the GBC may try and weasel out of the above embarrassing situation

by saying that they are willing to take help from anyone, no matter how

bogus they are, simply as an expedience measure to curry favour with the

Judge. We heard the same line of argumentation to justify portraying Srila

Prabhupada as a 'hired hand' of ISKCON, who was given pencils and paper to

write his books, in the BBT case against Hamsaduta.

 

Fortunately such unprincipled arguments did not work then, and they won't

work here either, for the courts are concerned with truth and integrity, not

expedient humbug. And the ambivalent and hypocritical attitude of the GBC

towards the Gaudiya Matha right up until the present day, has been detailed

with evidence in our reply, and we shall see then just how seriously the

judge will take ISKCON's offering evidence from the Gaudiya Matha.

 

Your servant

Madhu Pandit Das

 

(Please look out for more court updates, as and when we can supply the

information)

----------

 

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadharaya Namah

Founder-Acharya : Tridandi Swami Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj

 

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhara Ashram

Sree Mayapur, P.O. - Sree Mayapur, Dist. : Nadia,

Pin - 741313

 

To Whom It May Concern

 

The Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhar Ashram is a member of the

Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Saraswata Vaisnava Disciplic Succession also known as

Guru-Parampara. We are coming in the disciplic line of Lord Sri Krishna

Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

It is our Guru Parampara tradition and system that initiations (diksas) are

granted by a spiritual master during his natural lifetime to disciples.

After the physical departure or demise of the spiritual master one or more

of his disciples in turn are then authorized to give initiations to new

disciples and thus become spiritual masters. This is the system authorized

by sastra and our previous Acharyas. For example, the Gaudiya matha was

established by by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur

Prabhupada. In our institution the founder is Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon

Maharaj who is an initiated disciple of Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Hriday Bon

Maharaj. Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj is the initiating Acharya on

behalf of our institution. This is the standard system of our spiritual

line.

 

There is no precedence of any other system and particularly no system

whereby a guru continues to accept disciples by accepting them after his

physical demise through a ritvik representative. This system doesn't exist

in our Disciplic Succession. The whole concept of disciplic succession is

that one generation of disciples succeed the previous generation of

disciples and in this way perpetually keep the disciplic succession current.

 

Our institution doesn't agree to any system whereby a former spiritual

master is said to be the diksa guru (initiating spiritual master) of a

disciple except those disciples who are initiated during the physical

presence of the spiritual master in the manner approved by him.

 

Yours truly,

 

(Sign of Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj)

Sri Srimad Rasananda Bon Maharaj

Sree Sree Gaur Gadadhar Ashram,

Sridham Mayapur, Nadia,

April 5, 1999