Institutional Gurus

[Shakti-Fan]

 

 

Career Gurus and Institutional Over-dependence

BY: KSHAMABUDDHI DAS

 

Dec 8, USA (SUN) —

One of the by-products of institutionalizing a spiritual movement, for the sake of missionary work and humanitarian efforts, is the creation of a class of devotees and “gurus” who become wholly and solely dependent upon the institution for subsistence and livelihood. They lose all connection with the greater society and become dependents of the mission for their food, shelter and financial means. Total dependence upon Krishna is thus equated with total dependence upon the institution. But, is this really the actual fact? Wouldn’t total dependence upon Krishna mean more than just becoming totally dependent upon the establishment of the spiritual master for subsistence and prospective followers and supporters? Even after the institution gets bogged-down and burdened with a top-heavy bureaucracy that in many ways suppresses individual effort, is being totally dependent upon that institution actually an expression of total dependence upon Krishna?

 

In ISKCON today, we see not only a class of devotees that are dependent upon the mission for their subsistence, but the growing phenomena of a class of career gurus who become totally dependent upon the institution of their spiritual master for their subsistence. Instead of making their own way and establishing their own Matha and temple, they become career gurus in the institution as a survival mechanism in the name of messianic calling and divine purpose.

 

Many times we find gurus becoming ordained as guru by the simple act of accepting one neophyte disciple and immediately, instantly a person goes from the status of sadhaka to siddha as if my some magic transformation because some neophyte devotee has nominated him to be guru. The ascension to the platform of guru by dependents of the institution is most usually a superficial consideration such as the act of initiating some newcomer as a disciple. The actual authentication for being a true guru and acharya requires more substance than the act of performing a formal initiation ceremony and accepting the first disciple. All it takes in ISKCON today to attain the status of guru is to acquire some paltry following of neophyte devotees, many of whom are very poorly equipped with sufficient knowledge and understanding to actually make a proper informed decision in the matter of accepting a spiritual master. It seems that if some career sannyasi in ISKCON can manage to garner a single individual disciple from the ranks of the naïve and gullible ISKCON congregation, then he has miraculously become a spiritual master and on his way to becoming another casualty of the institution as a career guru.

 

In many ways these “gurus” are victims of the institution, yet also they can bee seen as perpetrators of a flawed lifestyle of institutional over-dependence.

 

Part of the history and tradition of all the great acharyas and preachers, including Srila Prabhupada, is that they have all made their own way and accomplished their own successes without dependence and assistance from the mother mission. History records that Srila Prabhupada had to go it alone and make his own way as a preacher without using the institution of his spiritual master as a platform for amassing disciples as a career guru in the institution. The career guru phenomena is not exclusively an ISKCON phenomena but was also a fact and a feature of the Gaudiya Matha after the passing of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Caste Goswamis and many descendents of various gurus and parivars in India have been conducting career spiritual master trades for many centuries, so it is not surprising to find the phenomena taking shape in an aging institution such as ISKCON.

 

What we must all ask ourselves and each other now is whether or not this career guru phenomena in ISKCON is really going to do anything to sustain and promote the original purpose of the mission, or if it is creating a bad precedent for future generations and weakening the order of sannyasa as the backbone of a strong and vital Daiva Varnashram sub-culture. If the spiritual leaders of the Daiva Varnashram culture become spoiled dependents of the institution, living somewhat lavish and pampered lifestyles, then what sort of strength and leadership can these men offer society? When the great ascetic order of sannyasa becomes a cushy situation of private quarters and kingly treatment, then the spiritual vitality of the whole institution and the whole spiritual community becomes greatly compromised.

 

Obese institutional acharyas setting on thrones in the great temples and holy dhams, living lives of pampered luxury is a pathetic example of spiritual leadership and a case study in what not to do in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. At the sacrifice of personal bhajan and inner development, career gurus give themselves over to management duties in the name of guru seva and become contingent upon the institution and totally habituated to luxury and preferential treatment.

 

Perhaps, this phenomena of institutional over-dependence and career gurus in ISKCON needs to be looked at and examined for it’s intrinsic value to find out if it is actually beneficial to the true spirit of ISKCON and the order of sannyasa or if it is actually promoting and perpetuating weakness and failure of the institution as a humanitarian mission on behalf of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

[Shakti-Fan]

Victory Flag, A Website of Srila Jayapataka Sisya Samuha

Gurudakshina

To support and help the mission of the spiritual master is the duty of the disciple and a great way to please the Lord. There are many ways in which one can help the mission of the spiritual master and one of the easiest is to help financially, by making a donation. Devotees had requested us to create an online facility to make their donations (Guru Dakshina) and we are pleased to offer this facility through this webportal.You can choose to donate online by clicking on the donate button on the top right of this page or choose other offline options described below. You can specify how your donation has to be used or leave the choice to Gurumaharaj. Your donations go towards Guru Maharaja's traveling and personal expenses, the Congregrational Development Ministry and the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust which develops parikrama sites and maintains many of the sites and temples of Lord Caitanya`s pastimes. Gurumaharaj also supports the ISKCON youth programs and other projectsAt times to give more support to particular departments, Guru Maharaja pledges a donation in advance, so with your contributions and pledges in place it helps to make a decision. Listed below are different ways in which you can send in your donation.(1) Demand Draft or Cheque: Please make the DD or Cheque in the name of "ISKCON" and send it by registered post or by speed post to the address mentioned below, with a covering letter explaining that it is been sent for the purpose of Vyasa Puja / Service of our Guru Maharaja.Ratnavali Devi Dasi,ISKCON,106, Chakra building,Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir,Sri Mayapur 741313, Nadia Dt., WB, INDIA.(2) Online Donations: (Click the Donate button on the right column of this page)(3) Sending Laxmi through devotees: You might want to send Laxmi through devotees who are visiting Sri Mayapur dham. It would be best if you can also send an email letter to gurudakshina@victoryflag.com mentioning the donation amount you have sent and the details of the devotee whom you are sending it through, so that we can confirm the receipt of the same.(4) By courier: Gifts can also be sent through courier services which use online tracking systems, so that you always know where your package is.Recommended courier services are: DHL, AFL or WIZAddress them to: Shop - "Bipasha com"C/O Subrata Naskar (Phone Number: +919333212140)AFL/WIZRatnavali devi dasi,106, Chakra Building,ISKCON, Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya MandirSri Mayapur - 741313, Nadia Dt, West BengalIndia.If you have any other questions regarding donations, kindly write to us at gurudakshina@victoryflag.com.

[Shakti-Fan]

ISKCON GBC Resolutions '99

102. [LAW] SERVICE REPORTS BY SANNYASIS

THAT item No. 1 of the 1995 resolution No. 14 entitled "Sannyasi Annual Commitment" shall be amended from the following:

"THAT sannyasis who are not GBC's or ISKCON Managers shall annually submit in writing to the GBC a "service program" report they are committing themselves to for the following year. This report shall include the following:

a) what devotional services they intend to do;

b) where they intend to perform their services;

c) when they intend to be in different places, if not always in the same zone;

d) anything else they would like the GBC to know."

To now read:

"THAT all sannyasis shall annually submit in writing to the GBC Body a "service program" report they are committing themselves to for the following year. This report shall include the following:

a) what devotional services they intend to do;

b) where they intend to perform their services;

c) when they intend to be in different places, if not always in the same

zone;

d) anything else they would like the GBC Body to know."

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

[Guruvani]

 

Victory Flag, A Website of Srila Jayapataka Sisya Samuha

Gurudakshina

To support and help the mission of the spiritual master is the duty of the disciple and a great way to please the Lord. There are many ways in which one can help the mission of the spiritual master and one of the easiest is to help financially, by making a donation.

 

But, Jayapataka Maharaja doesn't have a mission.

He is an official ISKCON guru in the mission of Srila Prabhupada.

All he is doing is intercepting funds and resources that would otherwise be donated to the ISKCON mission.

 

To occupy the throne at ISKCON Mayapur and then present oneself as having his own mission is a distortion.

 

Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON is thus used as a personal resource for acquiring personal disciples and then claiming to have a mission.

 

I think it should be illegal in ISKCON for gurus to accept donations personally.

All donations in ISKCON should go to a resource management committee and be dispersed to preachers according to fairness and equity.

 

How can an offical ISKCON guru be allowed to accept money directly to use as he wants?

As an ISKCON guru, he is only acting as an agent of ISKCON and should not be allowed to accept donations to spend according to his personal preferences.

 

Occupying guru positions in ISKCON should not become a license to create a mission within the mission and deflect funds away from the temple and deity service.

 

Srila Prabhupada said that a devotee in ISKCON should not accept a single farthing for himself in the name of ISKCON.

Becomng a so-called guru in ISKCON is not an exception.

But, what we have today is massive, widescale abuse where individuals in ISKCON are accepting large amounts of money as an ISKCON official and then keeping the money in personal accounts.

 

This is a heinous abuse of authority as a guru in ISKCON.

 

All money should go to the ISKCON fund and be dispersed with discreation and oversight by objective budget management committees locally in the temple communities.

[AncientMariner]

 

But, Jayapataka Maharaja doesn't have a mission.

He is an official ISKCON guru in the mission of Srila Prabhupada.

All he is doing is intercepting funds and resources that would otherwise be donated to the ISKCON mission.

 

To occupy the throne at ISKCON Mayapur and then present oneself as having his own mission is a distortion.

 

Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON is thus used as a personal resource for acquiring personal disciples and then claiming to have a mission.

 

I think it should be illegal in ISKCON for gurus to accept donations personally.

All donations in ISKCON should go to a resource management committee and be dispersed to preachers according to fairness and equity.

 

How can an offical ISKCON guru be allowed to accept money directly to use as he wants?

As an ISKCON guru, he is only acting as an agent of ISKCON and should not be allowed to accept donations to spend according to his personal preferences.

 

Occupying guru positions in ISKCON should not become a license to create a mission within the mission and deflect funds away from the temple and deity service.

 

Srila Prabhupada said that a devotee in ISKCON should not accept a single farthing for himself in the name of ISKCON.

Becomng a so-called guru in ISKCON is not an exception.

But, what we have today is massive, widescale abuse where individuals in ISKCON are accepting large amounts of money as an ISKCON official and then keeping the money in personal accounts.

 

This is a heinous abuse of authority as a guru in ISKCON.

 

All money should go to the ISKCON fund and be dispersed with discreation and oversight by objective budget management committees locally in the temple communities.

 

 

Gotta admit that is one helluva good point you make.

[Guest guest]

 

Srila Prabhupada said that a devotee in ISKCON should not accept a single farthing for himself in the name of ISKCON.

 

 

I believe he is referring to using the money for one's own purposes, rather than using it for preaching. What is to say that Guru's are not using it for preaching? The way people go on here is like one day all of the Guru's are going to retire and spend the money on whatever they want.

[Guruvani]

 

I believe he is referring to using the money for one's own purposes, rather than using it for preaching. What is to say that Guru's are not using it for preaching? The way people go on here is like one day all of the Guru's are going to retire and spend the money on whatever they want.

 

We don't need "all the gurus" to abscond with ISKCON money and use it for personal sense-grat.

We already have enough history of that in ISKCON to put into effect measures to prevent that from happening again over and over in ISKCON.

 

ISKCON is now rabid with abuse of funds and resources by so-called gurus who are using ISKCON as a mechanism to promote their own positions.

[Guest guest]

Nice statement, where are your examples?

[Guruvani]

 

Nice statement, where are your examples?

 

Open thine eyes Oh friend!

ISKCON is RABID with abuse of the institution for attaining personal position and STARDOM in the Krishna conciousness movement as a career guru leaching off of the accomplishments of Srila Prabhupada.

 

Make it on your own.

Don't use ISKCON for personal position in the name of guru seva.

It's all a hoax that has gone on way too long already.

[AncientMariner]

 

Nice statement, where are your examples?

 

 

It would be interesting to see the totally litany of Guru falldowns where the guru runs off with the money. I have read the Irm magazine and I read:

 

Harikesha: Ran off with his female massage therapist and cash. Now married and enjoying cash.

 

Most of the rest of the fall downs I have read involved some sort of other illicit activity but I am not sure if the guru got to take the cash with them on the way out or not.

[Guest guest]

Right, so i'll take that as no examples. Thanks.

[Guruvani]

 

Right, so i'll take that as no examples. Thanks.

So, Bhagavan das didn't take a dime with him when he blooped with a hot and sexy female disciple?

Ramesvar didn't take a dollar?

Bhavananda left ISKCON without a penny of ISKCON money?

Hansadutta didn't plunder ISKCON for a wod and left ISKCON penniless?

 

I doubt it.

In fact, I am quite sure that all the blooped and fallen ISKCON gurus plundered ISKCON for large sums of money when they were gurus and took some with them when they ran off.

 

Hridayananda inherited a wod, but did he give it to ISKCON?

No, he bought himself a lush pad in California and went back to college.

 

We see lots of waste and greed in the history of these nutjob gurus in ISKCON.

[Guest guest]

As far as I see it, there's a lot of lessons to be taken from the past, but it doesn't mean all of the current and future Guru's within ISKCON will have similar problems, rather they will be stronger because of examples.

[Guruvani]

 

As far as I see it, there's a lot of lessons to be taken from the past, but it doesn't mean all of the current and future Guru's within ISKCON will have similar problems, rather they will be stronger because of examples.

 

 

I don't see that loitering around ISKCON hoping to capture some hoard of disciples from the ranks of the naive and gullible ISKCON congregation is any significant accomplishment in the preaching field.

 

ISKCON sannyasis hover like buzzards over clueless neophytes with the hopes of acquiring some following to pay for their jet-set lifestyle and regular trips to India.

 

What ISKCON sannyasis are doing in ISKCON now is imitating Srila Prabhupada.

They would do better to follow in his footsteps and show that they can accomplish something in the preaching field without using ISKCON as a crutch.

 

Prabhupada wanted his disciples to become gurus and branch out from ISKCON, not loiter in the institution waiting for some scraps and leftovers in the "battle of the swamis" all competing for disciples in ISKCON.

[Guest guest]

 

Prabhupada wanted his disciples to become gurus and branch out from ISKCON

 

 

Can you please provide a quote for this please (with context).

[Guest guest]

Eventually, regardless of any other excuse or consideration, I must of course learn to fly my own plane. In the face of Death. Or life. And throughout all the inclement weather in between.

 

What if there were no bona fide official representations of the Teachings, whatsoever? No books. No buildings. No failed hypocritical attempts to socialize higher and Highest Ideals. In fact, no hypocrisy to deal with but my own. No one to pretend to, but myself. And if I don't really evolve spiritually, no one to blame but myself. That's right. Nobody's fault but mine and there's really nothing wrong with anyone else but me.

 

From the subjective viewpoint of such genuinely scathing self-analysis and extreme self-abnegation the cloud of false ego finally begins to really dissolve. Proportionate to such incremental dissolution of confusory conceits, as a soul I will become more progressively perceptive and genuinely receptive to the Actual Illuminating Brilliance of the Krishna Sun. And the darkness of multifarious ego distortions, confusions and illusions will truly begin to recede like a tide of ignorance drawn back to the abyss of the ocean of ephemerality.

 

By the Grace of my Teachers, as I begin to really re-awaken in the Supreme Brilliance of the Krishna Sun, Unconditional Friendliness (maitri) and Unconditional Kindness (karuna) towards other souls will naturally manifest along with an abiding and growing gratitude towards my Teachers and the many other Souls (and situations) who have so kindly helped me walk upon the narrow Spiritual Path through the dense forest of delusion. I will naturally and unostentatiously wish to compassionately assist others in a similar way. Without any guile, duplicity or pretense, whatsoever. This indicates the actual beginning of my real inner development as a soul. My "wings" will sprout and as I begin to "fly" as only a soul can fly. I will come to spontaneously abhor the puerile pettiness of all variety of political persuasions as I gradually come to perceive/realize the Ultimate commonality of all jivas, and at long last, I will finally please my Teacher by becoming the soul He always knew I was, (in spite of my being initially mired deep within my own illusions, confusions and delusions).

 

May we consider that my Teacher has taught all souls for all time that the Person Bhagavat, is evermore crucial than the Book Bhagavat. There haven't always been such Books, but there have always been such People. May we be mindful that the fulfillment and perfection of my Teacher's Exalted and Divine Lessons are achieved when the student also becomes a Bhagavat and thereby unceremoniously ensures the real future of the Preceptorial Lineage. In retaining the real spiritual momentum, genuinely transcendental dynamism and true fulfillment of the Person Bhagavat's Divinely Merciful Agenda, nothing less will suffice. There is no facade-like institutionally legislated or bureaucratically mandated substitution than for the student to simply become genuinely re-awakened within himself and realized with transcendental wisdom. Same as it ever was.

 

Time is running out and Kali-yuga is getting worse. A lot worse. Or has no one noticed? Mahaprabhu gives the only possible solution through Divine intervention by Sri Hari Nam Prabhu and His Associates. Meanwhile the heat continues to grow, thereby exacerbating a severely dire circumstance for the countless suffering jivas. Will I ignore their cries under the pedantic pretense of continuing to ceaselessly argue ecclesiastical priority? And if so, how will this be pleasing to my Teacher, Sri Guru? The One who so Supremely, Selflessly Sacrificed everything. For everyone. Everywhere.

 

Just because I don't have friends, doesn't mean I can't be Friendly. To all souls. Unconditionally. Forever. Same as my Teacher is.

 

Humbly,

 

Jagabandhu Dasa

 

Fort White, Florida

[Guruvani]

 

Can you please provide a quote for this please (with context).

 

Srila Prabhupada referred to ISKCON as a branch of the Chaitanya tree.

He did not refer to himself as a branch, but to ISKCON as a whole as a branch. He referred to ISKCON as a single branch on several occasions.

So, logic dictates that for there to be sub-branches of the ISKCON branch, there will have to be further branches.

Remaining in ISKCON and claiming to be a sub-branch goes against the idea of Srila Prabhupada that ISKCON as a whole is a single branch.

ISKCON is a single branch because there is one acharya/spriitual master of the whole of ISKCON.

 

Is ISKCON the last branch of the Chaitanya tree in the line of Srila Prabhupada?

Or, are there going to be further sub-branches as has always been the way in which the Chaitanya tree grows?

 

To become a spiritual master in the line of Srila Prabhupada necessitates that his disciples who become guru must create a sub-branch of ISKCON, because the whole of ISKCON is itself one single branch with one single acharya.

 

IF ISKCON is a single branch of the Chaitanya tree, then in order for there to be further sub-branches there will have to be offshoots of ISKCON.

 

Do you get the idea?

ISKCON is a single branch according to Srila Prabhupada.

We know that branches of the Chaitanya tree always refers to an individual disciple in the line of Mahaprabhu.

In the case of ISKCON, ISKCON is a single branch of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples IN ISKCON are like leaves or fruits, but NOT branches.

 

ISKCON is ONE branch and on that branch is leaves, flowers and fruits in the form of ISKCON devotees.

 

For a disciple of Srila to become a sub-branch of Srila Prabhupada, then he must branch out from ISKCON because ISKCON is ONE branch.

Otherwise he can remain as a fruit or a leaf on the ISKCON branch and recognize that the ISKCON branch is Srila Prabhupada.(ritvik theory)

 

 

" . . . just like I have got my disciples, so, in the future, these many disciples may have many branches of disciplic succession . . ."

 

If ISKCON is a single branch, then any further branching cannot be within ISKCON, but as an offshoot.

 

 

Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami therefore offers equal respect to all the preachers of the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who are compared to the branches of the tree. ISKCON is one of these branches, and it should therefore be respected by all sincere devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Adi-lila 10, 7 - purport.

[Guest guest]

Quote:

" . . . just like I have got my disciples, so, in the future, these many disciples may have many branches of disciplic succession . . ."

 

-------------

 

I see where you got your lower quote from Ādi 10.7, but where did you get the quote above?

--------------

 

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 10.7

 

 

SYNONYMS

 

vande — I offer my obeisances; śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya — to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prema-amara-taroḥ — of the eternal tree full of love of Godhead; priyān — those who are devotees; śākhā-rūpān — represented as branches; bhakta-gaṇān — all the devotees; kṛṣṇa-prema — of love of Kṛṣṇa; phala — of the fruit; pradān — the givers.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I offer my obeisances to all the dear devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the eternal tree of love of Godhead. I offer my respects to all the branches of the tree, the devotees of the Lord who distribute the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa.

 

PURPORT

 

Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī sets the example of offering obeisances to all the preacher devotees of Lord Caitanya, without distinction as to higher and lower. Unfortunately, at present there are many foolish so-called devotees of Lord Caitanya who make such distinctions. For example, the title "Prabhupāda" is offered to a spiritual master, especially to a distinguished spiritual master such as Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda or Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. When our disciples similarly wanted to address their spiritual master as Prabhupāda, some foolish people became envious. Not considering the propaganda work of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, simply because these disciples addressed their spiritual master as Prabhupāda they became so envious that they formed a faction along with other such envious persons just to minimize the value of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. To chastise such fools, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī very frankly says, keha karibāre nāre jyeṣṭha-laghu-krama. Anyone who is a bona fide preacher of the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be respectful to the real devotees of Lord Caitanya; one should not be envious, considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly. This is a material distinction and has no place on the platform of spiritual activities. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī therefore offers equal respect to all the preachers of the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who are compared to the branches of the tree. ISKCON is one of these branches, and it should therefore be respected by all sincere devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

[Guruvani]

 

Quote:

" . . . just like I have got my disciples, so, in the future, these many disciples may have many branches of disciplic succession . . ."

 

-------------

 

I see where you got your lower quote from Ādi 10.7, but where did you get the quote above?

--------------

I am looking for the original context.

Till, I find it.... think about this.

 

710718RC.DET Conversations

Prabhupada: Yes. All of them will take over. These students, who are initiated from me, all of them will act as I am doing. Just like I have got many Godbrothers, they are all acting. Similarly, all these disciples which I am making, initiating, they are being trained to become future spiritual masters.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of himself and his Godbrothers.

They all had their own Mathas and missions.

They didn't all hang around the Gaudiya Matha looking for a bone as a career guru in the institution of their spiritual master.

 

Spiritual masters don't submit to any bureaucratic authority like the defunct ISKCON GBC.

Spiritual masters are independent and are authoriized by their spiritual master and they don't owe any servitude to any committee.

 

To say, "I am spiritual master, but I am the puppy dog of the GBC" is not the idea of being a true spiritual master.

 

Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to become spiritual masters, not puppy dogs of the GBC loitering around ISKCON looking for a bone.

[Guest guest]

Bhaktivedanta, the Self-Effulgent Pioneer

by Tusta Krishna Das

 

Without question, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad is the preeminent ambassador of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the modern age. Nobody has carried Lord Chaitanya’s message to so many people in so many places in such a short period of time. Indeed, one cannot think of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad without remembering Lord Chaitanya’s famous adage and premonition that in every town and village, the Holy Names will be known (prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama, sarvatra pracara haibe more nama, Chaitanya-bhagavata, Antya 4:126).

 

Sadly enough, some persons, envious of his achievements and the corresponding fame and glory accompanying them, have attempted to explain Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad and his global accomplishments as a mere product of the times—that he stumbled into a spiritual vacuum waiting to explode and therefore received credit for it. Such thinking is not only dismissed, but reviled by all genuine Vaishnavas. Indeed, many of his appreciative and visionary godbrothers, disciples and grand-disciples have not only understood, but verbalized the fact that were he not a Shaktavesh Avatar, or specially-empowered representative of Krishna, his accomplishments could not, and would not, have occurred.

 

Regardless of which generation of Gaudiya Vaishnavites we belong to, any devotee who sincerely and humbly follows Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual path can appreciate that Srila Prabhupad achieved such notoriety and success as a direct result of his pure devotion to Krishna. He surrendered himself fully at the feet of his spiritual master and Lord Sri Krishna, and therefore Krishna picked him up and made him dance. Pure devotion then, coupled with the resultant empowerment by Sri Chaitanya-dev and Sri Krishna, is the root cause or cornerstone upon which Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami’s mission was built.

 

Nonetheless, there are some very practical facts about his preaching methodology which have been lost to most, and from which we can all learn, even as we ourselves struggle to push forward Lord Chaitanya’s mission and endeavor to taste a drop of the devotion that was and is the life of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad.

 

There are two significant features, deeply embedded in his preaching methodology, which unfortunately have not been properly understood nor put into practice by many of us in our own preaching endeavors, be we his initiated disciples, his grand-disciples, or even his godbrothers. Simply put, his preaching bore the greatest fruit because 1) he did not aim his missionary programs at people who were already connected to Lord Chaitanya’s tree, and 2) as a self-effulgent acharya, he developed his mission on the basis of his own spiritual strength, and not on any external or superficial principles.

If any of us are to be truly successful in our own preaching endeavors, we must doubtlessly follow these two principles championed by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad.

 

Let us examine these two principles in more depth.

 

Bhaktivedanta, The Preaching Pioneer

It is stated that after wandering throughout the universe for many births, by the mercy of Krishna one who is very fortunate receives the seed of pure devotional service from a bona fide spiritual master (brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva, guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madya lila 19:151).

 

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad was a true pioneer who personally planted seeds of devotional service all over the world. In his preaching endeavors, he specifically targeted new people—he did not target individuals who had already received the seed of devotional service from others or who were already chanting the Holy Names of God. To the contrary, he constantly reached out personally, and encouraged members of his mission to reach out personally, to people who had not been touched by the grace of Krishna, and who had never heard nor chanted the Holy Names of the Lord. By this principle he was able to expand Lord Chaitanya’s movement.

 

This attitude of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupad to want to go where people had not heard of Krishna, and where there was no audience or community of devotees awaiting him, is an important characteristic that has gone unnoticed by far too many of us. It is sad and unfortunate when we learn that “big devotees” are only interested in going on preaching tours when they know they have tailor-made audiences waiting for them—audiences comprised of individuals who have already been introduced to Krishna through someone else’s preaching endeavors, and someone else’s groundbreaking or pioneering efforts. Indeed, one preacher expressed the opinion that he didn’t want to visit certain places because it was a “waste of his time,” since there were not many devotees there. Another has stated that he does not have much interest in speaking to beginners about such “simplistic topics” as not being the body, the basics of Bhagavad-gita, etc. Rather, he expressed an inclination to talk to “advanced devotees” about Radha and Krishna’s loving relations in Vrindavan.

 

This type of mentality was conspicuous by its absence in the life and teachings of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. As a true pioneer, he not only tilled the soil and planted seeds of devotion in the hearts of countless unqualified persons, he nurtured those tiny plants and helped them grow. And thus, the unqualified became qualified! He did not search out people to whom he could teach the higher principles of devotional service—he created them, from the ground up.

 

Furthermore, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami never attempted to initiate or “harvest” those who were already introduced to Krishna by others, though he certainly had every opportunity after returning to India to do so. To the contrary, he understood that “preaching to the choir” or attempting to corral, harness, control or convert to one’s own followers those who are already connected to another branch on Lord Chaitanya’s tree, can never advance, but only restrict and constrain the spreading of Lord Chaitanya’s mission. Furthermore, such a tendency is symptomatic of a person who is hungry for disciples; and it is symptomatic of one who is not prepared to accept the austerities and hardships of giving Krishna to new people and coaching them step-by-step along the path to Godhead.

 

We should note, however, that if a great devotee reaches out or avails himself to individuals who, after their spiritual master’s departure from this world, have become separated or disenfranchised from Lord Chaitanya’s movement, that he is to be glorified, and not criticized. Such compassionate activities must be seen and understood as true service, not only to the direct beneficiaries of that devotee’s help, but to their departed spiritual master, as well. Nonetheless, this type of preaching should be the exception, and not the rule.

 

Had Srila Prabhupad not understood this pivotal point—that a bona fide acharya desirous of spreading Lord Chaitanya’s movement should direct his preaching toward new people, toward the unconverted, rather than the converted—virtually no one in the Western world would today be chanting the Holy Names of Krishna or following the path of pure devotional service!

Had he not, by the grace of his spiritual master and Krishna, understood this powerful principle—that Lord Chaitanya’s mission can and will expand only when we enter new frontiers and pierce the comfortable circle of ready-made audiences by aiming our preaching at non-devotees—then he surely would have remained in Vrindavan, and none of us would have even heard of him or had the opportunity to approach Krishna. (Indeed, some of his godbrothers tried very earnestly to convince him not to go to the West.) Without this vision, he would have passed his days in relative obscurity, and Gaudiya Vaishnavism would have remained the shrinking force it had become, even within the Holy Dhams of Sri Vrindavan and Sri Mayapur.

 

To the contrary, by his lone efforts, Gaudiya Vaishnavism has again become a dynamic and expanding force. The name of Krishna is now known in the far corners of the world, and he has instilled in the hearts of his earnest disciples—and reawakened in many of his godbrothers’ hearts—the dream of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur and the earnest desire of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati—the dream that Westerners will chant and preach the glories of the Holy Name and Bhagavad-gita!

 

As a genuine acharya, a pure lover of Krishna, he did not spend his time and energy trying to preach to his godbrothers or to those disenchanted with the political rumblings and fallout within the Gaudiya Math, the institution established by his own spiritual master. Rather, he sincerely and with great determination tried to expand Lord Chaitanya’s movement outside the circle of existing believers. He reached out to those who needed Krishna the most! As such, he has brought—and continues to bring—each and every one of his disciples as far along the spiritual path as they are either prepared or qualified to go, even up to the level of pure devotional service in the mood of the gopis.

 

Bhaktivedanta, the Self-Effulgent Acharya

Another manifest quality of Srila Prabhupad’s preaching methodology is the fact that he never made any attempt to ride on any other Vaishnava’s coattails. He always presented himself as the humble servant of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, his beloved guru, yet he never made any claims that he was the “most favored disciple” of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Nor did he try to establish his own bona fide-ness by claiming that a particular godbrother approved of him, recognized his devotional service, and so on. To the contrary, it was his inner strength, his unconditional surrender to his spiritual master, and his pure, uncontaminated love for Radha and Krishna that not only motivated and moved him forward but which also attracted us to him and helped us understand or know that he was and is truly Krishna’s representative.

 

This is the quality of a bona fide acharya. A bona fide acharya fully understands that in order to give people Krishna, those persons must first have faith not only in his message but also in him (yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah, prakasante mahatmanah: “Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of the Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:23). Yet he never tries to “create” this faith through any external affiliations or qualifications—be they institutional or individual. Rather, feeling himself to be lower than the straw in the street, he has faith not in his external considerations, nor in his own powers or qualifications but rather in the transcendental message of Godhead, which he received from his own spiritual master. He knows that this same message, when repeated, has the power to awaken the spiritual vision of sincere listeners—and that by his own words and deeds he will be thus known!

Therefore, a bone fide acharya does not need any external diplomas or certificates, nor does he try to provide or point to any external qualifications in order to establish himself. We should appreciate this to be a distinguishing feature in Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad’s preaching methodology. He went forward, empowered by his own inner strength, his consuming desire to please his spiritual master, and his unfathomable love for Krishna. Compare this with the pitiable condition of those amongst us who try to get people to accept our “authority” or “bona fide-ness” through external methods, such as producing letters of praise from our spiritual master or quoting special accolades our guru may have said about us, by presenting ourselves as the “most favored disciple” of our spiritual master, or even by claiming that he appointed us to succeed him. Sadly enough, this phenomenon—which is a product of inadequate faith and lack of inner spiritual strength—is not limited only to the descendants of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. It can also be witnessed amongst some surviving members of his own generation, and their disciplic descendants as well, who have attempted to establish their own credibility or purity by drawing on the strength of their relationship or intimate dealings with Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. Or, as with some of his own disciples, by quoting favorable comments he made about them, or by producing letters or tape transcripts showing he approved of, or endorsed their service.

 

It is indeed noble that all of these souls—disciples and godbrothers alike—by drawing or attempting to draw strength from their external connections with Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, have thereby accepted him in their own way as the bona fide standard bearer of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In doing so, they surely glorify him, yet there is a sliver of misunderstanding! Is it not better for us to follow his example, to adopt his methodology, which was the foundation of his preaching efforts? His example is that it is not by showing pictures of oneself with a great devotee, nor by referencing his letters, etc., that one can change the hearts of others. Rather, it is by the words that one speaks, and the love that they are laced with. The strength of a pure devotee of Krishna comes from within, and one who, like Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, has such inner strength arising from humble love for God, never relies on any external crutch.

 

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami was and is self-effulgent. “Self-effulgent” does not mean that one is the source of his own power, nor that he generates personal charisma. Rather, it means that one has become illumined by dint of his personal surrender to, and love for, the Supreme Lord. A self-effulgent devotee is connected to Krishna by his love for Krishna. Such unconditional love for the Lord illumines the devotee—and thus he is self-effulgent.

Self-effulgent also means that the devotee does not attempt to borrow any glory, any credit or any illumination from any other soul, even his own gurudev! Those who attempt to jump into the spotlight of another Vaishnava, or to ride on their fame or reputation—with the hope of establishing their own credentials—are lacking in their own inner strength and love for God. It must be understood that this is a sign of spiritual weakness. Lacking spiritual strength, they turn outwards, attempting to gain followers through external procedures or affiliations.

 

“Those who attempt to jump into the spotlight of another Vaishnava, or to ride on their fame or reputation—with the hope of establishing their own credentials—are lacking in their own inner strength and love for God.”

Today there is a laudable effort amongst Vaishnavas of many missions and institutions to band together, although working independently or separately, for the greater goal of spreading Lord Chaitanya’s mission all over the world. If we are to indeed be successful, we must apply the above-mentioned practical preaching methodology of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad.

Firstly, we should not be very much inclined to want to preach to or initiate those who are already being cultivated or instructed by other Vaishnavas (this does not preclude a humble devotee from speaking to students and disciples of a different spiritual master who have come to pay him tribute or hear him speak). And certainly we should never focus our primary preaching endeavors in this direction. To do so is more or less to proclaim the other spiritual teacher to be at best unqualified, and at worst a rascal or charlatan. At the very least, when we see this tendency in the life of a devotee, we should understand that he is possessed and moved by the desire for followers, or even worse that he has become an envious exclusionist who neither respects nor honors other spiritual masters.

 

Furthermore, the tendency to focus our preaching activities on the already converted—and to be eager to initiate those who are already connected to Lord Chaitanya’s tree—greatly cheapens our appreciation and understanding of the guru/disciple relationship. If I roll into town, initiate a bunch of people I have not only never instructed (either personally or via my representatives), but never even met, and then roll out of town a few days later, does this not make a mockery of the process of initiation? And does it not also make a mockery of the principle of “unity in diversity” which is being so vigorously championed by the World Vaishnava Association?

 

We would all do well to learn from and emulate the example of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the self-effulgent acharya! To spread the message of Lord Chaitanya, we should aim for new horizons; we should break out of the comfort zone, the enclave of existing devotees, and fervently attempt to bring non-devotees into the fold of Lord Chaitanya’s servants. And we should do it on our own strength, relying solely and wholly on the lotus feet of our spiritual master and Krishna.

[Guest guest]

So there is no quote where Prabhupada directly says it, but rather serveral quotes from different times and places, where placed together and with some interpretation, give your result.

 

I feel that quotes such as

 

" . . . just like I have got my disciples, so, in the future, these many disciples may have many branches of disciplic succession . . ."

 

Says nothing more than the obvious. It's not like Prabhupada to speak in tounges and try and pass ideas by giving a little here and a little there, rather he was always very direct.

 

Also, all of your cited examples bar one of Guru's who have fallen, are no longer part of ISKCON, and yet you are saying ISKCON is riddled with money grabbing Guru's. Are you implying that every Guru in ISKCON is dishonest?

[Beggar]

Thats an interesting point. Could every guru in ISKCON be dishonest? What if every guru in ISKCON is not dishonest? But what if dishonesty is encouraged because the GBC bureaucracy system is run like microcosmic democracy. In other words you cover your asana by how much dirt you have on others in positions of power. This is generally the mechanism by which guru and sannyas falldowns have been covered up. The same mechanism has been at work in the cover ups of child abuse in ISKCON. Of course layered upon this mechanism is the mechanism of the "good old boys" network. There are several theories as to why this happens. The Gaudiya Maths and their spin offs believe that ISKCON leaders lack sadhu sanga or higher association. The rtviks believe it's because the ISKCON gurus and GBC are oversteping their authority. The cause can be debated. The problem is obvious. Unless, of course you are afraid to admit that "the emporer has no clothes".

[Guruvani]

 

So there is no quote where Prabhupada directly says it, but rather serveral quotes from different times and places, where placed together and with some interpretation, give your result.

 

I feel that quotes such as

 

 

Says nothing more than the obvious. It's not like Prabhupada to speak in tounges and try and pass ideas by giving a little here and a little there, rather he was always very direct.

 

Also, all of your cited examples bar one of Guru's who have fallen, are no longer part of ISKCON, and yet you are saying ISKCON is riddled with money grabbing Guru's. Are you implying that every Guru in ISKCON is dishonest?

think about this now.

Why is it that Srila Prabhupada never addressed the issue of how diksha gurus in ISKCON would relate with the Governing Body authority?

If Srila Prabhupada was envisioning a whole host spiritual masters IN ISKCON, then why didn't he ever speak anything about what their positions would be in relationship to the GBC, who was the ALL-POWERFUL authority that everybody revered back then?

 

And this,

Why didn't Tamal, Satsvarupa and the gang ever ask Srila Prabhupada about what their positions as gurus would be in relationship to the GBC?

 

If these goofballs were actually thinking that Srila Prabhupada was wanting that they all become diksha gurus in ISKCON, then why didn't one of them breathe a word to Srila Prabhupada about it?

 

The fact is, these powerfreaks would never have dared ask Srila Prabhupada what their relationship with the GBC would be when they become diksha gurus in ISKCON.

 

In the last days, all these men knew that Srila Prabhupada was leaving ISKCON with a ritvik system to be conducted by the GBC and not a single one of them DARED ask Srila Prabhupada that as gurus would they be over the GBC or under it or anything at all about it.

Because they all knew that Srila Prabhupada was leaving ISKCON with a ritvik system and not a single disciple in the movement ever asked Srila Prabhupada what authority or position gurus in ISKCON would have in relationship tp the GBC.

 

Maybe you don't remember that, but I do.

 

The lack of any instruction as to how diksha gurus in ISKCON would relate with the GBC is proof enough that Srila Prabhupada never intended for their to be any diksha guru in ISKCON other than himself.

[Guest guest]

And did Srila Prabhupada want rabid ritviks sitting around sputing nonsense about all & sundry? Somehow, I think not!

 

 

Prabhupada wanted his disciples to become gurus and branch out from ISKCON, not loiter in the institution waiting for some scraps and leftovers in the "battle of the swamis" all competing for disciples in ISKCON.

[Guest guest]

You find inspiration from your lot (the ritviks), that's fine. To each, his own.

 

Those that find inspiration in ISKCON guru's and for that matter, guru's from other institutions, will approach them for inspiration and to see shelter. You just stay out of that as it ain't your business. Simple logic, can't be too difficult to comprehend.

 

 

think about this now.

Why is it that Srila Prabhupada never addressed the issue of how diksha gurus in ISKCON would relate with the Governing Body authority?

If Srila Prabhupada was envisioning a whole host spiritual masters IN ISKCON, then why didn't he ever speak anything about what their positions would be in relationship to the GBC, who was the ALL-POWERFUL authority that everybody revered back then?

 

And this,

Why didn't Tamal, Satsvarupa and the gang ever ask Srila Prabhupada about what their positions as gurus would be in relationship to the GBC?

 

If these goofballs were actually thinking that Srila Prabhupada was wanting that they all become diksha gurus in ISKCON, then why didn't one of them breathe a word to Srila Prabhupada about it?

 

The fact is, these powerfreaks would never have dared ask Srila Prabhupada what their relationship with the GBC would be when they become diksha gurus in ISKCON.

 

In the last days, all these men knew that Srila Prabhupada was leaving ISKCON with a ritvik system to be conducted by the GBC and not a single one of them DARED ask Srila Prabhupada that as gurus would they be over the GBC or under it or anything at all about it.

Because they all knew that Srila Prabhupada was leaving ISKCON with a ritvik system and not a single disciple in the movement ever asked Srila Prabhupada what authority or position gurus in ISKCON would have in relationship tp the GBC.

 

Maybe you don't remember that, but I do.

 

The lack of any instruction as to how diksha gurus in ISKCON would relate with the GBC is proof enough that Srila Prabhupada never intended for their to be any diksha guru in ISKCON other than himself.