Someone Like to Dance?
BY: MAHASRNGA DASA
Jan 22, 2012 — USA (SUN) — An honest devotee pointed out that I made some sweeping statements in my "last article. To be truthful, I had to agree with him. I'm certainly not qualified to adjudicate who will be judged by whom and lumping in everyone as ‘scoundrel miscreants' is not a fair assessment of devotees trying to serve Srila Prabhupada.
However, Srila Prabhupada says: "One must accept a spiritual master who comes in disciplic succession and who is the servant of the servant of the Lord." (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 13.80) And herein lies the problem: can a 2/3 democratic vote authorize and put someone into the disciplic succession? This has never been done before to my knowledge!
Now I'm not a ‘ritvik', whatever that is, and according to my understanding of
history, Srila Prabhupada only made 11. No one can argue that His Divine Grace
didn't have a ‘ritvik' system of initiation functioning while he was ‘physically'
present. It would also be hard to dispute the 11 assembled a system to suit their
huge, greedy false egos.
"Unfortunately in this Age of Kali there are many mundane persons in the dress of Vaisnavas, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has described them as disciples of Kali. He says, kali-cela. He indicates that there is another Vaisnava, a pseudo-Vaisnava with tilaka on his nose and kanthi beads around his neck. Such a pseudo-Vaisnava
associates with money and women and is jealous of successful Vaisnavas. Although passing for a Vaisnava, his only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaisnava. Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore says that such a pseudo-Vaisnava is not a Vaisnava at all, but a disciple of Kali-yuga.
A disciple of Kali cannot become an acarya by the decision of some high court. Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment. A false acarya may try to override a Vaisnava by a high-court decision, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a disciple of Kali-yuga." (Srila Prabhupada, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 1.220, purport)
This huge quandary has never been completely and thoroughly discussed by advanced devotees who have read Prabhupada's books assiduously. The GBC looked over the issue, but because there was a conflict of interest they closed the issue, acting like a spoiled child taking her toys home.
Their huge propaganda machine has hoodwinked the masses into becoming exasperated at the mere mention of the word ‘ritvik', with most people doing the latest knee jerk dance before any explanation can be given.
Just as there was a 50 man committee in 1986/7 that miserably failed to herd in what was left of the infamous 11, we should form a group of ‘senior' devotees who meet again and have a serious, controlled discussion about the present day guru system.
"Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide, fully Krsna conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Krsna. …..One cannot become self realized simply by having an academic education, by presenting lectures in an erudite way…….One must take shelter of a self-realized spiritual master, not a materially educated scholar or politician. One must take shelter of a niskincana, a person engaged in devotional service and free from material contamination."
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.32)
It's pretty obvious after 41 "guru" falldowns, which averages out to more than one a Year, that something is wrong with the present day initiation system within ISKCON. Even though the seraphic GBC have given their ‘rubber stamp approval' of a two thirds majority, the lingering "saints" are still diminishing.
"We have to approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession from Vyasadeva. Everyone may claim to be following Vyasadeva but one must actually follow him."
(Teachings of Lord Kapila)
No can argue the 41 claimed they were following and wanted to be in disciplic succession, getting those foot baths, money, fame, worship and adoring apprentices, but the "gurus" proved to be only lusty suitors. They were not actually following Vyasadeva and certainly not Srila Prabhupada.
"There must be a via medium which is transparent and competent to lead us on the right path." S.B.: 1.9.22 And: "Therefore one should not be mislead by so called gurus who are rascals and fools."
(Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.53)
These men in the past have not and in the future will not be shown to be transparent, if they continue disobeying Prabhupada. How many more will be mislead before they have to have some sort of encounter with a "dance with the trees".
