List of Iskcon Gurus

[Guest guest]

Where can I get a list of all the Iskcon gurus?

[Guest guest]

they started the project and may have the updated information by now.

 

http://www.rvc.edu/iskcon/iskcon_gurus.html

 

http://www.iskconseattle.com/en/public/Links.asp?id=other

[stonehearted]

The RVC page is still under construction.But I have to ask if the other one is accurate. I don't see some of ISKCON's gurus there. A couple that come to mind are the elder Mahavishnu Swami and Virabahu. And is Gunagrahi Maharaja actually initiating disciples now? And why is Bhaktisiddhanta Swami there? Is he initiating? He's not even initiated by Srila Prabhupada. (I know that the elder Mahavishnu Maharaja isn't, either, but he is rather exceptional.)

[gHari]

<blockquote>

Finding A Qualified Guru: The Search Within

 

BY SWAMI B.V. TRIPURARI

EDITORIAL, Jan 16, 1999 (VNN)

 

Should we look for anything less than the most qualified person when we look for our spiritual guide? Certainly not. The difficulty, however, arises when we look at our own self. It is said that "it takes one to know one." What is the aspiring disciple's capacity to recognize a qualified devotee? This must be considered.

 

The scripture gives us general observable criterion, that of 'brahma-bhuta' or 'brahma-nishtham', which consists of joyfulness (prasannatma), absence of hankering and lamentation (na socati na kanksati), and equal vision (samah sarvesu bhutesu). This speaks not of the highest qualifications, but of those that amount to a transcendental passport, while the visa is yet to come (visate tad anantaram.) Yet even these symptoms are not always observable.

 

One of Srila Prabhupada's disciples once asked if she could paint a picture of Srila Prabhupada. He agreed and gave her a photo of himself, one in which he appeared very grave. After some time, Srila Prabhupada asked her about the painting and she replied that she had not proceeded because in the photo Prabhupada looked sad. "Sad?" he replied, "That was a moment of ecstasy."

 

Surely he was joyful (prasannatma, more rasananda), but this kind of joy requires philosophical, if not spiritual, eyes to see. What then to speak of observable evidence of any higher attainment? 'Atah srikrsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih', as one cannot see Krishna with material senses, so one cannot understand a 'mahabhagavata' in the highest sense of the term without having considerable spiritual attainment oneself. Again, it takes one to know one. A person who has conclusive evidence as to the spiritual attainment of his guru, is indeed qualified himself to do the work of guru. We bow down to him.

 

Once Srila Sridhara Maharaja spoke of three types of guru. The first type has two feet in the spiritual world. The second has one foot here and one foot there. The third has two feet here but both eyes always there. A scriptural reference in support of this notion appears in Sri Jiva Goswami's Bhakti-sandarbha. Jiva Goswami describes three types of mahabhagavatas.

 

The first, 'bhagavat-parsada-deha-prapt', is situated in the spiritual world in his spiritual form while appearing in the material world. Narada Muni after he received his siddha deha is an example of this kind of mahabhagavata. Such souls are very rare, 'sudurlabha bhagavata hi loke'. The second, 'nirdhuta-kasaya', does not have material conditioning but has not yet realized his siddha-deha. Sukadeva Goswami is an example of this kind of mahabhagavata. The third, 'murcchita-kasaya', is still under the dim influence of the sattva-guna, yet has the Lord as his only goal in life. Such devotees still have desire and samskaras (material impressions) in their hearts, yet due to the force of their devotion, these impurities are supressed. Narada Muni, before receiving his siddha deha, is an example of this kind of mahabhagavata. He had a mystic darsana of Sri Krishna, only to have the Lord disappear and tell him that he would not have his darsana again until he was completely pure.

 

Jiva Goswami's explanation is supported in a general sense by the Bhagavad Gita. In 2.59, Arjuna asks about the charateristics of a realized soul (sthita prajna). Krishna proceeds to answer Arjuna, describing a gradation of sthita prajna. This explanation applies to both those in the jnana marg and those of the bhakti marg.

 

>From Jiva Goswmai's explanation we can also understand Srila Prabhupada's apparently contradictory statements about the qualities of a mahabhagavata found throughout his books. At one time he speaks of the first type, at another of the second, or third. Which shall we choose? Which will we be able to recognize, when furthermore, if they are preaching, they will be functioning as madhyama-adhikaris?

 

Over lifetimes we have acquired sukrti, 'bhakty-unmukhi sukrti'. Proportionate to our sukrti, we are qualified to connect with the transcendental realm and its ambassadors. Qualification of guru is an important consideration, yet no less important is the qualification of the disciple. The absolute truth is not in shortage of qualified representatives. It is we who must qualify ourselves to recognize them, and this requires all of the sincerity we can gather. And this, our sincerity, truthfulness, is all we have.

 

As like attracts like, our sincerity in connection with our sukrti will attract a representative of Godhead. Our sincerity may be great, and our sukrti small. This also must be considered. One may drive a Cadillac, another a Volkswagen. The driver of the Volkswagen may press the accelerator to the floor, giving all his sincerity, while the driver of the Cadillac may be stepping on the brake. One may have more sukrti than another; the other may be exercising greater sincerity. In this way there is much to consider. It is not black and white. Yet surely our sincerity will not fail us, for it will bring us closer to the Lord, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. And we are not to argue with that. It is his will about which we are inquiring.

 

Sometimes in the name of generating faith, we affect the opposite. Comprehensive knowledge of scripture is necessary. Anyone can quote scripture to support his point of view, but few approach the scripture to have their views altered, what to speak of realizing the scripture's purport. Those who lack faith in others, often pass on only doubts rather than faith in the name of preaching about the qualifications of guru. If you yourself doubt that there is anyone advanced enough to do the work of guru, how can you preach to others? This is the logic of Srila Prabhupada. He would say, "Just see the foolishness in this. By thinking there are no advanced devotees one can hear from, one inadvertently proclaims oneself to be the most advanced."

 

This is the typical thinking of the kanistha-adhikari. He passes his doubt on to others. They, in turn, imbibe that consciousness and go out to scrutinize all prospective gurus, thinking, "I must have the most qualified guru." Often the unconscious underlying mentality of this search is "because I am so qualified." With this mentality, we will never find a qualified guru. A mahabhagavata we should search out, no doubt. But the search must begin within ourselves.

</blockquote>

[gopidust]

Tripurari left Iskcon to take sannyasa from the gaudiyas then left them. I cannot read his articles. If he wants to serve Prabhupada and come back and cooperate with iskcon it would be nice in my opinion.

[Guest guest]

if he spread the harinama mahamantra he's cooperating with prabhupada

 

iskcon is "krsna consciousness"

 

 

[Guest guest]

"tripurari" is "tripurari maharaja"

"gaudyas" is gaudya vaishnava sampradaya... the religion of chaitanya mahaprabhu, bhaktivinoda takura, bhaktisiddhanta sarasvati maharaja, srila prabhupada

 

are you not "gaudya"?

 

what you are .. mayavadi? shivaite? muslim? geova witness?

[Guest guest]

Cooperation means not hampering anothers mission. One does not need to be a member of a foundation to cooperate with that foundation, and the more mature leaders of ISKCON acknowledge this as well.

 

If one has no taste for the realizations of the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, how is Srila Prabhupada pleased with that? He is not, therefore, he has ordered that all his disciples, inside and outside of the Society, cooperate.

 

Sectarianism and party spirit is the great enemy of vaisnavism.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

PS If one considers a disciple of Srila Prabhupada to be bogus, one must demonstrate where the misrepresentation exists. Simply saying that a person is bogus because he doesnt reside in a certain building is a foolish proposal. After all, the same things were said of the founder-acarya of ISKCON, who left GM to independently carry out the mission of His guru maharaja.

[theist]

 

PS If one considers a disciple of Srila Prabhupada to be bogus, one must demonstrate where the misrepresentation exists. Simply saying that a person is bogus because he doesnt reside in a certain building is a foolish proposal. After all, the same things were said of the founder-acarya of ISKCON, who left GM to independently carry out the mission of His guru maharaja.

 

 

Yes, Such a statement should be backed up with something very specific. We can ask if there is something in the above article that goes against Prabhupada's teachings?

 

[gHari]

He actually accepted siksa from Srila Sridhara Maharaja, (as was recommended by Srila Prabhupada). However later he was pushed away from ISKCON because he did not stop seeing the one he now had accepted as a siksa guru. ISKCON has since issued an official apology to Srila Sridhara Maharaja, but somehow has forgotten to apologize to those who could take no part in their guru-aparadha in the first place, only to be discarded for such vision and nobility.

 

I don't think Tripurari Maharaja has been asked back, but then I don't think he cares at this late date.

 

[Guest guest]

Sripada Tripurari Swami took sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada, and siksa from Srila Prabhupada's beloved siksa guru Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja.

 

maybe you should read what he actaully writes then maybe you might have some idea of our gaudiya tradition and how he is serving Srila Prabhupada, before you go bad mouthing devotees.

 

[stonehearted]

Gopidust, I have a litle more experience with both Krishna consciousness and with Sripad Tripurari Maharaja than you do. What the others have written shows that you have little understanding of either, or of the facts. Tripurari Maharaja, as pointed out, took sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada about 30 years ago. He stayed with ISKCON for some years after Srila Prabhupada's departure and began taking siksa from Srila Sridhar Maharaja, as Srila Prabhupada recommended on more than one occasion. Later, when the GBC turned against Srila Sridhar Maharaja, they issued an ultimatum to all who were taking his association: give up all connection with Sridhar Maharaja or get out of ISKCON. Unable to give up the association of someone so advanced and compassionate, he complied with their instruction and withdrew from ISKCON. He has told me that when he told Srila Sridhar Maharaja of his intention to do so, Maharaja told him he must leave everything behind, even his books; otherwise, ISKCON's leaders may accuse him of stealing some assets he gained in ISKCON. So as far as I know, he left with nothing.

 

In the meantime, he has been vigorously preaching Krishna consciousness. And he has good relations with many of ISKCON's GBC members, gurus, and sannyasis, many of whom read and praise his writings.

 

Be very careful, dear girl. Making rash judgments of other vishnavas based on ignorance can he hazardous to your spiritual progress.

[gopidust]

this is a tripurari website or a sridhara swami one isn't it?

 

Prabhupada never said to take siksa from sridhara swami, and he didn't either. He said to take material instructions from him and he may have taken sannyasa from him as a formality.

 

He wanted the devotees to serve together in iskcon, not inside and outside all around the town.

 

show me where prabhupada said join sridhara swami and leave iskcon...?

[theist]

 

this is a tripurari website or a sridhara swami one isn't it?

 

 

But their disciples do frequent here and are welcome.

 

What the thing is gopidust many people here have been personal witness to those that TOOK over ISKCON in 77-78 and pratically destroyed it by their pompous and greedy egos and who made a habit out of vilifying those prominent souls who objected.

 

Now I don't know anything about Tripurari *Maharaja's level of purity in consciousness towards his guru and God and really it is not my business. If he is obviously cheating people then something should be said but any objection should be based on fact not heresay or gossip.

 

He writes alot and we are all free to accept or reject what he says. In fact he has a Q. & A. newsletter where you can ask him directly. I happen to like reading his sanga when it comes out. The Lord is obviously blessing him with a lot of insight. But nothing is expected to be taken blindly.

 

Some may worry about you, having seen many come before you only to have their devotional creepers crushed, essence denied while only the external sadhana remains. All because they allowed themselves to hear gossip about a vaisnava.

 

We all must be careful who we hear from.

 

So object if you like, but like a vaisnava, and base the objection on something tangible.

 

*oops forgot /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[stonehearted]

Gopidust: this is a tripurari website or a sridhara swami one isn't it?

 

Babhru: No, it is not. It is managed by Jahanava Nitai, who lives in India. I'm not sure who gave him initiation, and that has never been an issue. But I'm sure that he doesn't have a close connection with Tripurari Maharaja. (BTW, Ms. Dust, it's better for you to honor the sannyasa ashram, as Srila Prabhupada taught us, by using Maharaja or something similar when referring to members of that ashram. Tripurari Mahraja has lived in the sannyasa ashram for almost 30 years.)

 

G: Prabhupada never said to take siksa from sridhara swami, and he didn't either. He said to take material instructions from him and he may have taken sannyasa from him as a formality.

 

B: Wrong. Just wrong. He suggested Srila Sridhar Maharaja several times for getting instruction on the philosophy. In March of 1977, he asked Srila Sridhar Maharaja to live at Mayapura Chandrodaya Mandir so everyone could easily come to hear from him. If you suggest that he was jsut being polite, you need to consider that he said this was his "earnest desire." And don't you dare accuse Srila Prabhupada of diplomacy around here, even obliquely. Diplomacy is anartha, especially when dealing with devotees; it is the same as duplicity, which is the opposite of one of the ornaments of a pure devotee: simplicity.

 

Moreover, Srila Prabhupada said himself on more than one occasion that he considered Srila Sridhar Maharaja his siksa guru. And I know that one of his associates while he lived at Radha-Damodar Temple in Vrindavan saw a picture of Sridhar Maharaja on Srila Prabhupada's altar in his room there. When he asked Prabhupada who it was, he explained that it was B. R. Sridhar Maharaja, an elevated devotee and his own siksa guru. Prabhupada worshiped that picture along with his pictures of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

 

G: He wanted the devotees to serve together in iskcon, . . .

show me where prabhupada said join sridhara swami and leave iskcon...?

 

B: Yes, Srila Prabhupada wanted us to work within ISKCON. He personally asked me to do so. But he knew that it was not possible for some, and he didn't object to their working on their own. He also cautioned us, on a walk in Honolulu for which I was present, that if our leaders were not ideal our society would simply become another fool's paradise.

 

I can't show you anywhere that Prabhupada told anyone to leave ISKCON, but I have never implied that he did. Tripurari Maharaja and others left ISKCON when the GBC told them that they must either repudiate their association with Srila Sridhar Maharaja, or leave ISKCON. I think they made the right choice. His association is clearly better than Hansaduta's, Bhagavan's, or Bhavananda's. I respect and honor the great service they gave to Srila Prabhupada, but they are clearly not anywhere near the same class of devotee as Srila Sridhar Maharaja, of whom Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati himself said that he had confidence that this man would always presnt the philosphy correctly. Perhaps that's why he gave him the sannayasa name Bhakti-Rakshaka Sridhar. Rakshaka means protector, and this title has been translated by some of Srila Prabhupada's disciples as Guardian of Devotion.

 

It may be good for you to listen more than speak, to ask questions more than presume to make harsh judgments of those who are superior to you, especially with regard to matters of which you know nothing. Since you don't know Tripurari Maharaja and have serious misunderstandings of Srila Prabhupada's instructions in many matters, perhaps your comments should be more tentative. That's particularly so considering your opinions are based largely on gossip, which Mahaprabhu cautions us to avoid.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

And Bhaktidedanta Prabhupada Here

[gopidust]

I almost concede, but I will never give up Iskcon!

[gopidust]

but what i did read was very nice and gave me new respect for Sridhara Swami.

As far as Tripurari Swami I will call him swami but I will never read his bhagavad-gita unless i hear he falls down then i won't call him swami anymore.

But only if i see him.

[Guest guest]

Sridhara Svami it is Nityanada blessings. And such amaninam it is mood Rukmini. Preach Sridhara Svami has some impersomal realisations too. Sraddha with some impersonal mood.

[Guest guest]

kailasa and gopidust

 

the international society of vaishnava aparadha

 

I.S.V.A.

 

(please keep for yourselves your prejudices)

[Guest guest]

***the international society of vaishnava aparadha

 

It is people do not brain. They able only see aparadha everyvhere. /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif If Sridhara Svami has blessing Lord Nityanada then it is aparadha? /images/graemlins/smile.gif))

 

You boy big joker.

[Guest guest]

Gopidust

 

Prabhupada said that you will show your devotion by how much you CO-operate after He left.

 

The word co-operate means that there is meant to be a joint effort, for everyone involved to put their personal agendas aside for the good of the mission.

 

What Iskcon did the moment Prabhupada left, was to create 11 dictatorships, you either submitted or were not welcome.

 

This was not co-operation, it was "my way or the highway".

 

Eventually the dictatorial paradigm of the 11 zonal leaders was dismantled.

 

But this was after most of the devotees had left due to the unwillingness of the leaders to co-operate. They had demanded submission, they rejected co-operation.

 

Today the new Iskcon system is still about non co-operation. It is a top down management system. You either submit or you are not welcome.

 

The GBC and certain others today call the shots, they have taken the position of absolute authority on all matters. The GBC was created by Prabhupada to facilitate and serve the movement. It was never empowered to act as the spiritual authority over Iskcon, which is the position it has taken. It makes dictatorial pronouncements that serve the interests of themselves. Prabhupada created Iskcon to be a democratic institution, he wanted Iskcon to be a society run like a Brahminical society, i.e everyone has equal say, there was to be no dominant person or persons giving orders.

 

Co-operation.

 

Where is the co-operation in Iskcon ?

 

It is ruled over by a cabal, it is not a democratic co-operative effort. To them co-operate means; do what they say, or leave.

 

So unless someone can show how Iskcon itself is a co-operative effort among equals, we shouldn't judge others as being non co-operative with Prabhupadas wishes, if they don't want to be subject to self proclaimed "authorities" over them, in all matters, both materially and spiritually.

 

Prabhupada gave the GBC ultimate authority in Iskcon for management. ONLY in the way he set it up. It was supposed to be a representative body, voted in by ALL the devotees, on a regular basis. The GBC was then to make managerial decisions i.e help with the mission financially, making sure everything prospered and functioned properly.

 

They were never given spiritual authority, they were never given the position as acarya over everyone. But this is exactly what they have done. They have claimed ultimate spiritual authority in Iskcon, ultimate authority over what is blasphemy and what is acceptable speech, what is acceptable siddhanta, who is an accetable devotee, what is acceptable in any matter. They have taken the position of Guru and police over everyone else.

 

Imagine your county representatives who make decisions about zoning laws, taxes, etc, all of a sudden take over your town. Instead of being what they were voted into office for, they assume unilateral powers over all aspects of society, they are the judges, the juries, the priests, the school principals, the police, the banks etc.

 

This is what the GBC has done, this is not what Prabhupada wanted. He specifically said the GBC were to be the servants of Iskcon, not the masters.

 

Co-operation ?

 

Thats a things that involves compromise between everyone involved. Involvement among equals, Iskcon is definitely not co-operating with anyone. It's the leaders way, or the highway.

 

[theist]

 

but what i did read was very nice and gave me new respect for Sridhara Swami.

As far as Tripurari Swami I will call him swami but I will never read his bhagavad-gita unless i hear he falls down then i won't call him swami anymore.

But only if i see him.

 

 

I can undestand this approach. There is enough in Bhagavad-gita As It Is to keep me occupied as well. For others it may be different and that doesn't mean we have to feel the other approach is wrong. Krsna may reveal Himself to others from a slightly different angle. That's between Krsna and them.

 

I am the same way on fallen swamis. I still have no problem respecting all the great service Satsvarupa das has rendered over these many many years.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

Sorry lost your e-mail. Could you send me at pankaja_dasa@ Need you to check something.

 

{If u could}

[stonehearted]

Gopidust: I will never give up Iskcon!

 

I'm not aware that anyone has suggested that you do so.