The Difference Between a Politician and an Acarya
BY: RASAPREMA DASA
Aug 20, HOLLAND (SUN) — I must thank Guru Gauranga dasa for his kind words, however it would be beyond the boundaries of modest behavior to agree with him when he says that I have “all the solutions” and that I am being a “so-called an acarya”. Nonetheless I appreciate his considered words as encouragement to write more on the members of the GBC, who have so kindly removed themselves from ISKCON by incorporating themselves as a separate legal entity - The GBC Society of West Bengal. So in effect, the GBC are not members of ISKCON.
Yet alas, Guru Gauranga apparently does not know the difference between a compromised and weak “gentle soul” and a Gaudiya Acarya. Acaryas live by the sastra and teach the sastra As It Is, whereas the “gentle souls” want to be so nice and sweet. At the beginning of the Gita, Arjuna wanted to be a “gentle soul” and leave the battlefield for a life of peace and love. He was even ready to give advice to Sri Krsna, but Krsna called him a weak-hearted nonsense, speaking empty words irrelevant to the actual situation.
Srila Prabhupada actually said that “everything belongs to Krsna”, not “everything belongs to Srila Prabhupada”. So such a statement is highly questionable, especially to those that know the Isopanisad. So why has such a basic tenet of Krsna-consciousness philosophy been twisted and presented as a solution to “Correcting ISKCON’s Guru Problems”.
Politicians posture and practice the art of word-jugglery, promising one thing to the masses while covertly pursuing the differing agenda of their masters. So many GBC practice this insincerity. When asked to justify their guru-rubber-stamp policy, they call it a “no-objection” policy, as if there is a difference. Or they agree sympathetically to one’s face but then do nothing to change the policy, while letting the salaried temple president know that this devotee is “envious” and should be kicked out.
Acaryas don’t practice such duplicity. They state the sastric conclusion, live by it, and teach it without compromise. Acaryas know that chastity is the source of Krsna’s grace and their dependent potency. They use the “chopping technique”, not the soft soap.
So let’s make it very clear to Guru Gauranga: Srila Prabhupada unequivocally condemned “guru-by-rubber-stamp”. Therefore every so-called guru in ISKCON has complied with flagrant disobedience to the great Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. Now how can you successfully continue the parampara when you start by disobeying your own maha-bhagavata guru? Is that too hard to understand?
Now you may become a sweet and “gentle soul”; you may become a rampant murderous homosexual; you may become vulgar sense enjoyer ‘sannyasi’; you may become a drug-pusher; you may become a demonic fool blessing homosexual marriage; you may become a thief; you may marry the wife of your disciple; you may attack Srila Prabhupada’s books under the guise of editing; you may just become plain crazy; whatever, but you will not become an acarya.
In short, guru-disconnected, your material conditioning will reawaken and you again become a mouse, albeit a gentle one.
So Guru-gauranga dasa, if you want to know the difference between an acarya and a politician, then kindly ask Bhakti-caru Swami the following questions:
- Did Srila Prabhupada condemn guru-by-rubber-stamp?
- Did Srila Prabhupada in any way direct the GBC to rubber-stamp gurus?
- Did Srila Prabhupada not describe the correct continuance of the parampara in his books?
- Did Srila Prabhupada want his disciples to be effectively divided into gurus and marginalized non-gurus by the GBC policy?
- Did Srila Prabhupada teach the sastra as the Absolute Self-sufficient standard in all devotional matters?
- Did Srila Prabhupada condemn “material concoction” in devotional service?
- Did Srila Prabhupada say, “those that deviate from the order of the guru are asara, useless”?
Then ask:
- Why have you kept quiet and complied with all this nonsense for the last thirty-two years?
- Why don’t you now speak out boldly and publicly condemn this nonsense deviation and concoction?
- Why are you mouthing irrelevant twisted generalities such as “everything belongs to Srila Prabhupada” as a solution, instead of using your position to effect some real change at the GBC level?
- Who do you think you are fooling? (Optional)
So Guru Gauranga dasa, ask these questions to Bhakti Caru Swami, we await the answers. Better still, let Bhakti Caru answer directly here on the Sun. Let him answer some real questions, if he’s a real guru.
We await the gentle silence.
