Less Qualified or Not Liberated, But Still can act as Guru and Acarya
BY: SURIA PRABHU
Dec 20, SINGAPORE (SUN) — Response to Mahesh Prabhu's "Unless One Comes to Madhyama-adhikara, He Cannot Preach".
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
"Seen as Uttama Adhikari" is NOT the same as ACCEPT the Uttama Adhikari. That is just jugglery of words."
What is this word jugglery? I see Srila Prabhupada as an Uttama Adhikari, what is the difference between ''seen'' or "accept"? Why are you making a big thing out of an insignificant issue by the word "seen"? It seems Ritviks are famous for this, like the word "henceforward" in the July 9 letter was exploded to 10,000 years.
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
Srila Prabhupada refutes that a Kanistha Adhikari can preach.
Madhya 24.277 - The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse:
"Kanistha-adhikari devotees cannot turn others into Vaisnavas, but a madhyama-adhikari Vaisnava can do so by preaching."
Srila Prabhupada's Lecture, November 4, 1972, Vrindavan:
Madhyama-adhikara means preacher. Unless one comes to the madhyama-adhikara, he cannot preach. "So it is the duty of the spiritual master to promote the devotees from the kanistha-adhikara to the madhyama-adhikara. Not to keep them. My Guru Maharaja, sometimes he used to lament because so many disciples he had, but nobody was coming out very nice preacher.
As long as a Vaishnava can preach and convince others to take up Krishna Consciousness than he is considered madhyama-adhikara. So with that respect there are many devotees within ISKCON and now in other maths who are madhyama adhikara, its evident you can see it, these devotees are able to convince and inspire people to take up Krishna Consciousness. So based on Srila Prabhupada's quote, because they are able to convince these devotees they are known as madhyama adhikara.
By definition, kanistha adhikara means "No ability to preach". This does not mean he cannot preach. Everyone of us starts at the lowest level and gradually moves upwards, so a Kanistha adhikari, if he has the ability to preach and convince others, than he is not a Kanistha adhikara -- he should be known as a madhyama adhikara. When Srila Prabhupada said "Cannot preach" it means that Kanistha adhikara cannot convince others and has no ability to preach. So when Srila Prabhupada says, "it is the duty of the spiritual master to promote the devotees from the kanistha-adhikara to the madhyama-adhikara" and now in ISKCON we have many madhyama-adikara.
So the common sense notion is Kanistha adhikara means, it is not that he can't preach and stays in the temple and eats/sleeps. He can preach but he cannot convince others so until he can do that, he remains a Kanistha Adhikara. In fact, all of us from this Krishna Consciousness movement are encourage to preach this science to others, that is the request of HDG Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada said, "My Guru Maharaja, sometimes he used to lament because so many disciples he had, but nobody was coming out very nice preacher." So it means that some of his god-brothers could not convince and thus they are known as Kanistha Adhikara. In my previous article when I said "Kanistha Adhikari can make disciples provided if he preaches", it means that he can preach, but if he can convince others than he is known as madhyama-adhikara, it is not that he only stays in the temple and chants his rounds because he is being labeled as a Kanistha Adhikara.
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
"The 3rd offence in chanting is to disobey the Spiritual Master. So the clear instructions are either you ACCEPT or you do not. ISKCON's bogus GBC promote conditioned soul "gurus" to the ignorant as to be "SEEN as Uttama Adhikari" ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT ON THAT PLATFORM."
How do you know they are not on the platform?? Who are you to judge? Are you an Uttama Adhikari? What is your position? In Nectar of Instruction chapter 5, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikari Vaisnava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaisnavism. Today in eastern Europe and Russia, for example, so many devotees have taken up Krishna Consciousness, so who has inspired them? Srila Prabhupada yes, thru His books, but association with a Spiritual Master is equally important. Only when somebody lectures, associates and convinces you to take up Krsna Consciousness, that is the ability to convert. What if Srila Prabhupada did not go to Boston? Only his books went, do you think that without the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada, will the books alone be able to convert those hippies In the 1970's?? That is not possible, because by the presence of Srila Prabhupada those fallen souls were convinced and converted.
Question: Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.
Devotee: "Can you associate through a book?" she asked.
Prabhupada: Yes, through books and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you make a spiritual master, you should be inquisitive. (RC London, Sept. 23, 1969)
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
Nectar of Instruction, Chapter 5:
"Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikari as a spiritual master."
Madhya 24.330 - The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse:
"In the Padma Purana, the characteristics of the guru, the bona fide spiritual master, have been described: The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people."
Madhya 24.330 The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse:
"When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru"".
"A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession." (New York, 26 April, 1968)
So HDG Srila Prabhupada himself has stated that a less qualified person can still act as a Guru and accept disciples. Guru/Acharya here means by definition Diksa and Siksa. Act as Guru is not the Ritvik Acharya position, where Riviks conclude Srila Prabhupada said "still can act as guru" means a person not on the uttama adhikari platform can still accept disciples.
Srila Prabhupada himself said many times on what constitutes a Guru…
Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, April 15, 1977, Bombay
Prabhupada: "Like father, like son." You should be. Gaurangera bhakta..., jane. Everyone. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. He asked everyone, "Just become guru." Follow His instruction. You become guru. Amara ajnaya. Don't manufacture ideas. Amara ajnaya. "What I say, you do. You become a guru." Where is the difficulty? "And what is Your ajna?" Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. Bas. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. You simply repeat. That's all. You become guru. To become a guru is not difficult job. Follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu and speak what Krsna has said. Bas. You become guru.
Srila Prabhupada Lecture, August 17, 1968, Montreal
Now, this spiritual master's succession is not very difficult. Of course, my students, they offer me so much respect, but all these respects are due to my spiritual master. I am nothing. I am just like peon. Just like peon delivers one letter. He is not responsible for what is written in that letter. He is not responsible for what is written in that letter. He simply delivers. But a peon's duty is that he must sincerely carry out the order of the postmaster and deliver the letter to the proper person. That is their duty. Similarly, this parampara system is like that. Every one of us should become a spiritual master because the world is in blazing fire. (aside:) You can give them prasadam. Now, of course, time is very high. So to understand the spiritual master... Spiritual master is not a new invention. It is simply following the orders of the spiritual master. So all my students present here who are feeling so much obliged... I am also obliged to them because they are helping me in this missionary work. At the same time, I shall request them all to become spiritual master. Every one of you should be spiritual master next. And what is their duty? Whatever you are hearing from me, whatever you are learning from me, you have to distribute the same in toto without any addition or alteration. Then all of you become the spiritual master. That is the science of becoming spiritual master. Spiritual master is not any... To become a spiritual master is not very wonderful thing. Simply one has to become sincere soul. That's all. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that "By disciplic succession this yoga process of Bhagavad-gita was handed down from disciple to disciple. But in course of time that disciplic succession is now lost. Therefore, Arjuna, I am teaching you again the same philosophy."
Srila Prabhupada Letter to Madhusudana, November 2, 1967:
''So there is no bar for anyone, that one cannot become the spiritual master. Everyone can become spiritual master, provided he knows the science of Krsna. That is the only qualification. " (New York, August 17, 1966)
I wish that in my absence all my disciples become the bona fide spiritual master to spread Krsna consciousness throughout the whole world.
The truth is as long as one is sincere and strictly follows, he can be a Spiritual Master and slowly raise to the platform of Uttama Adhikari. HDG Srila Prabhupada has spoken this simple truth.
Ok, how would you know who is a Uttama adhikari? What is your position? Are you an uttama adhikari, to judge another person's platform? All you need is just see if a Spiritual Master is able to convince people to take up the process, by seeing such actions an Uttama adhikari can be recognized. That is why you have a GBC to select a Guru. I and you cannot select a Guru and both of us cannot comment on other Vaishnavas if they are Uttama adhikari or madhyama adhikara or Kanistha adhikara. We have to question ourselves first, what position are we in the first place to pass judgment.
Prabhupada said: His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC, who would come out successful and self-effulgent acarya would be automatically selected.
To select a Guru means the GBC must have members who are Guru themselves and be classified as the topmost devotee. So among the members of the GBC who come out successful. Successful here means preaching, following and convincing others to take up Krishna Consciousness, such members are Spiritual Masters and when they select a new self-effulgent acarya it means a devotee who is able to control his senses, has firm faith in Krsna and well versed in scriptural injunction. This is the meaning of self-effulgent. This does not restrict to only one acarya, it means anyone who possess the qualities.
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
"The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people."
Here Guru accepted from the topmost platform means, the Guru must be accepted from other Gurus who are situated on the highest platform. But Srila Prabhupada has already spoken that one only needs to be sincere, that's all, Uttama Adhikari or not.
Now lets go back to the time of the Gaudiya Math. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did not appoint any Guru, then how did Srila Prabhupada became a Spiritual Master? All he did was be well situated, he preached and convinced thousands to take up Krishna Consciousness by doing this, he can be seen as a Uttama Adhikari by the disciples. So if you can see a Vaishnava who preaches strongly and manages to convince others than he is definitely not a Kanistha adhikari, but higher. That higher depends on you, all you need is to put faith in him to be an Uttama Adhikari. Srila Prabhupada always stressed than one must have faith in his Guru. But we are in no position to pass judgment on another Vaishnava who is will situated.
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
"The Kanistha is QUALIFIED BRAHMANA - but even though decorated with such high qualities he is NOT considered as a preacher."
That does not mean he cannot preach and just stays inside a temple, no it means he has no ability to preach, he may try but he is not able to convince others. That is the meaning of Kanistha Adhikari.
Mahesh Prabhu wrote:
Often misquoted to justify cheap conditioned soul "gurus" manufactured in ISKCON by the bogus GBC is:
"Keep trained up very rigidly and then you are bona fide Guru, and you can accept disciples on the same principle. But as a matter of etiquette it is the custom that during the lifetime of your Spiritual master you bring the prospective disciples to him, and in his absence or disappearance you can accept disciples without any limitation. This is the law of disciplic succession. I want to see my disciples become bona fide Spiritual Master and spread Krishna consciousness very widely, that will make me and Krishna very happy." (New Delhi, 2 December, 1975)
"Rigidly" - this is not some cheap version of the bogus GBC manufactured "gurus". This is indicating UTTAMA ADHIKARI potency to make disciples "without any limitation". Srila Prabhupada's BOOKS ARE MAKING disciples WITHOUT ANY LIMITATION - which is going to go on for generations to come yet. THIS is RIGIDLY. Many of us have NEVER lived in temple settings yet we follow the DISCIPLINE of 4 regulative principles and chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra from Srila Prabhupada's DISCIPLINE IN HIS BOOKS. All we ever got was the association of Srila Prabhupada's BOOKS. Please refer to my article, "Srila Prabhupada's Disciple".
Rigidly means Strictly, as Srila Prabhupada said:
"A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession." (New York, 26 April, 1968)
It is up to the disciple to raise to the platform of Uttama Adhikari. As I have said, If Srila Prabhupada did not go to Boston and only his books went, will the people accept Krishna Consciousness? No, because they associate with a pure devotee physically, thru letters or specific instructions given to them, made them a devotee. Association is important. Srila Prabhupada said one has to associate to contact the Spiritual Master, not by Books.
Question: Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.
Devotee: "Can you associate through a book?" she asked.
Prabhupada: Yes, through books and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you make a spiritual master, you should be inquisitive. (RC London, Sept. 23, 1969)
Prabhupada did not manufacture anything new, he simply repeats what he was taught, and this knowledge came from His Guru Maharaj and the disciplic succession all the way from Narada Muni and from Krishna himself. Why not put a picture of Narada Muni and accept him as your spiritual master? It is sad that Sanatana Dharma very clearly underlines Guru and disciple association and Ritviks fail to understand this simple truth. The lord himself show example by approaching his spiritual master and accepting initiation.
Please do not juggle Srila Prabhupada's words and give your own opinion. Srila Prabhupada already said, less than uttama adhikari can accept disciples, which means the word "rigidly" means strictly.
"But there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession" (New York, 26 April, 1968)
So I have already given enough quotes to suggest that whatever Srila Prabhupada said contradicts the Ritvik system. It is clear.
