The Will
BY: BHAKTA SURIA
Apr 08, SINGAPORE (SUN) — Rtviks often use Srila Prabhupada's Will to justify their interpretation of the July 9th Letter. They don't realize that the July 9th Letter is just a change of how initiation should work due to circumstances, and a Will is a Will, just like any other Will. Before going further, let us examine who has the full authority:
"The Governing Body Commission (GBC) will be the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness."
Now let us examine the properties in India.
"3. Properties in India will be managed by the following executive directors:
a) Properties at Sri Mayapur Dhama, Panihati, Haridaspur and Calcutta: Gurukrpa Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Bhavananda Gosvami and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.
b) Properties at Vrndavana: Gurukrpa Swami, Akshoyananda Swami, and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.
c) Properties at Bombay: Tamala Krsna Gosvami, Giriraj das Brahmahary, and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.
d) Properties at Bhubaneswar: Gour Govinda Swami, Jayapataka Swami, and Bhagawat das Brahmachary.
e) Properties at Hyderbad: Mahamsa Swami, Sridhar Swami, Gopal Krsna das Adhikari and Bali Mardan das Adhikari.
The executive directors who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple following strictly all the rules and regulations of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as detailed in my books, and provided that there are never less than three (3) or more than five (5) executive directors acting at one time."
First of all one should understand that the above will is only for properties in India and not elsewhere, so my question to all Rtviks is, what about properties outside India? It doesn't have to be an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada, right? Why this difference? Why would Prabhupada only mention "my initiated disciple" only in India and not elsewhere? If the Rtvik system is correct, then why didn't Srila Prabhupada use "my initiated disciple" for all properties all over the world? Anyway, this very clearly proves without a doubt that the Rtvik system of initiation was just a temporary measure. "My initiated disciple" has nothing to do with the post-samadhi Rtvik system or rtvik initiated devotees.
Those executive directors who have been chosen by Srila Prabhupada are to remain in the post for life. Since death can come anytime, Srila Prabhupada use the word, "In the event of", or if anything happens in two years or five years or ten years time, or even a few months time, then the remaining directors were given an opportunity to appoint another new director -- but he has to be an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada. That is why Srila Prabhupada said "my initiated disciple". This is to differentiate between Srila Prabhupada's own sons and relatives, those from the Gaudiya Math, devotees at that time and circumstances, and furthermore most of his disciples were in their 20s or 30s, but the biggest factor is, it's meant only in India.
The Will cannot be interpreted for the next hundreds or thousands of years because: those directors who were appointed by Srila Prabhupada are not going to live for so long, and Srila Prabhupada's disciples, those who were initiated by him, are also not likely to cross the 100 years mark. The sentence with, "remaining directors to appoint new directors" will also be rendered invalid. This gives clear evidence that it's for a specific time period.
Lets go detail on this, and again let us examine this portion of the Will:
"In the event of death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple…"
It's very clear that the authority was given to the remaining directors, but their authority is only limited to an appointment of an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada in the event of death or failure to act. That is the direct meaning of the above statement. So if these "remaining directors"(who were appointed by Srila Prabhupada) are no longer around, then the appointment will come fully under the GBC who will have full authority to choose anyone, and it doesn't have to be an initiated Prabhupada disciple. Actually the GBC already had the full authority to appoint anyone, but the remaining directors "may" also appoint, but only Srila Prabhupada initiated disciples.
Who are those remaining directors? It actually refers to a particular property where Srila Prabhupada appointed 3 directors, and if anything happens to any of them then the remaining ones within a property were given the authority to appoint another Prabhupada disciple. That means if they appoint somebody, they can only appoint Srila Prabhupada disciples. The GBC can appoint anyone. This is how one should read the Will. So if this "my initiated disciples" only refers to Indian properties, what about the non-Indian properties?
The properties outside of India and their associated GBC committee members are as follows:
Properties in Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor: Jayatirtha das Adhikari.
Properties in Hawaii, Tokyo, Hong Kong: Guru Krpa Swami, Ramesvara Swami and Tamal Krishna Gosvami.
Properties in Melbourne, Sydney, Australia Farm, (unreadable): Guru Krpa Swami, Hari Sauri, and Atreya Rsi.
Properties in England (London, Radlett), France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden: Jayatirtha das Adhikari, Bhagavan das Adhikari, Harikesa Swami.
Properties in Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa: Jayatirtha das Adhikari, Brahmananda Swami and Atreya Rsi)
Properties in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile: Hridayananda Gosvami, Panca Dravida Swami, Brahmananda Swami.
Properties in Georgetown, Guyana, Santo Domingo, St. Augustine: Adi Kesava Swami, Hridayananda Gosvami, Panca Dravida Swami.
Properties in Vancouver, Seattle, Berkeley, Dallas: Satsvarupa Gosvami, Jagadisa das Adikari, Jayatirtha das Adikari.
Properties in Los Angeles, Denver, San Diego, Laguna Beach: Rameswara Swami, Satsvarupa Swami, Adi Kesava Swami.
Properties in New York, Boston, Puerto Rico, Port Royal, St. Louis, St Louis Farm: Tamal Krishna Gosvami, Adi Kesava Swami, Rameswara Swami.
Properties in Iran: Atreya Rsi, Bhagavan das Adhikari, Brahmananda Swami.
Properties in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Montreal and (unreadable): Rupanuga das Adhikari, Gopal Krishna das Adhikari, Jagadisa das Adhikari.
Properties in Pittsburg, New Vrndavana, Toronto, Cleveland, Buffalo: Kirtanananda Swami, Atreya Rsi, Balavanta das Adhikari.
Properties in Atlanta, Tennessee Farm, Gainesville, Miami, New Orleans, Mississippi Farm, Houston: Balavanta das Adhikari, Adi Kesava Swami, Rupanuga das Adhikari.
Properties in Fiji: Hari Sauri, Atreya Rsi, Vasudev.
So for all the above non-Indian properties, there wasn't any mention about any of "my initiated disciple" theory expounded by the Rtviks to justify their Rtvik-ism, and there wasn't any mention about "remaining directors" to appoint Srila Prabhupada's disciples. So the GBC being the ultimate authority can appoint anyone at their will, but in the Indian properties, an opportunity is given for those remaining directors, in the event of death or failure to act, to choose a successor, but it's restricted to only initiated Srila Prabhupada disciples. The reason for this was stated above.
Conclusion
Rtviks use this Will to justify their claims in support of the post-Samadhi Rtvik initiation process by speculating on the word "my initiated disciples" as being Rtvik initiated devotees for thousands of years. But clearly the Will only refers to "my initiated disciples" with respect to the Indian properties, and not elsewhere, and that also provided they are appointed by those "remaining directors" in the event of death or failure to act. Those "remaining directors" are not going to live for hundreds or thousands of years. That statement will be invalid by then. The GBC has the ultimate authority, and that is Final.
Your servant,
Suria
