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| EDITORIAL November 26, 1998 VNN2562 Keeping Srila Prabhupada In The Center BY PRABHUPADACARYA DASA EDITORIAL, Nov 26 (VNN) — Keeping Srila Prabhupada in the Center Eternally With A Vow of Determination A Proposal to all Grandisciples of ISKCON Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada! Please kindly consider the following proposal seriously: The Basis for This Proposal After some consideration and examination of the various guru issues and controversies ISKCON is facing, it appears that the main issue we need to address, as grandisciples, is the question of the continuation of Srila Prabhupada's worship throughout the successive generations of ISKCON gurus and disciples, and the ongoing maintenance of His Divine Grace as the central ISKCON Founder-Acarya. The Background to the Problem(s) There are many sides to these guru issues; many are emotional and some are philosophical. So far we have mainly heard the various sides represented by Srila Prabhupada's initiated disciples, namely the ISKCON GBC and their supporters, and the post-samadhi ritvik advocates and their supporters. There are undoubtedly many others who hold other views or similar views differentiated by various subtle nuances. Nevertheless, we have not heard much from you, the grandisciples, on these important matters; matters that will only become more important issues for us all in the future as we endeavor to cooperate and push on Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON movement. Even today many are finding it difficult or even unbearable to continue on together in ISKCON. Now more than ever, we need a solution to this ongoing dilemma, and this paper proposes that one part of that solution has to come from us, the grandisciples. We cannot sit idly and silently at watch things fall apart. We need to get directly involved in this issue that pivots around us, and how we are supposed to feel, think, and act towards our gurus and Srila Prabhupada. We need to share our realizations and feelings with one another and with our superiors. Because of alleged past, and some say, present inappropriate emphasis by grandisciples on some of Srila Prabhupada's disciples acting as diksha gurus (allegedly at the expense of maintaining Srila Prabhupada's worship and central position in ISKCON as it "should be"), a number of godbrothers and godsisters of our gurus feel they have cause to fear that in the future, by the partisan influence of many more gurus and successive generations of gurus and disciples, the focus on Srila Prabhupada as the central unifying principle in ISKCON will be lost, and the result will be fragmentation and splintering. They fear Srila Prabhupada will become relegated to the background at best, or at worst, forgotten and ignored. They point to past experiences in ISKCON, other spiritual movements, and even, Gaudiya Vaishnava institutions in our line of disciplic succession as proof. This author accepts that these are most urgent and valid concerns that all devotees in ISKCON need to take seriously and address. This proposal is a direct response to these concerns. Srila Prabhupada's Desire It is clear and conclusive that Srila Prabhupada desired to establish a perpetual preaching mission that would keep "the acarya in the center". On the other hand, it is also clear and conclusive from a number of quotes, that one of his main programs or projects for ISKCON was that his disciples would initiate in his absence (as he put it) and would conduct normal guru-disciple relationships with their disciples as active participants and even residents of ISKCON--all in the spirit of one unified family. "Mohsin Hassan: ...After you, is it any decision has been made who will take over? Prabhupada: Yes. All of them will take over. These students who are initiated from me, all of them will act as I am doing. Just like I have got many Godbrothers, they are all acting. Similarly, all these disciples which I am making, initiating, they are being trained to become future spiritual masters." (Conversation Detroit July 18, 1971) The Essential Challenge So how do we reconcile these statements which are, for some devotees, apparently contradictory, and for others very clear and complimentary? Essentially, how is it possible for a grandisciple to properly conduct a relationship with their diksha guru AND keep Srila Prabhupada in the center of ISKCON? This appears to be the central issue and main challenge facing the ISKCON movement right now at this very moment. It is an issue we deal with every day as grandisciples. It is, in fact, our issue--one we must now address as grandisciples to help clear the air and bring unity in ISKCON to a higher level. Two Unacceptable Solutions Some very intelligent persons have tried to opine that ISKCON can achieve so-called "Prabhupada-centeredness" by ordering the grandisciples to adhere to the forbidden taboo principle of jumping over the immediate guru to the superior acarya, yet they give no sastric evidence that one can do so. This idea must be patently rejected as nama aparadha, on the order of minimizing the guru (guru avajna). Srila Prabhupada has openly condemned this offensive practice which blatantly violates the laws of the parampara system. "This is called parampara system. Suppose I have heard something from my spiritual master, so I speak to you the same thing. So this is parampara system. You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. Or even if you read some books, you cannot understand unless you understand it from me. This is called parampara system. You cannot jump over to the superior guru, neglecting the next acarya, immediate next acarya." (Srila Prabhupada Lecture December 8, 1973) "Doubt is one of the important functions of the intelligence; blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. Therefore the word samshaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But doubting is not very favorable when information is received from the proper source. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that doubting the words of the authority is the cause of destruction." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.31) At the other end of the spectrum, some overly-bitter grandisciples have expressed their utter dismay and frustration on these issues to the point of making statements like, "Someday they will all be dead (the Prabhupada disciples acting as antagonists to their guru-disciple relationship--which includes person they think are unqualified gurus making disturbances in society) and then we can simply chant and dance in peace." This idea must also be rejected on the basis that this attitude towards the godbrother of one's guru is tantamount to nama aparadha, or feeling malice for another Vaishnava (sadhu-ninda). The Proposal The above two approaches represent the farthest reaches of extreme views on both sides of the issues, as far as grandisciples are concerned. This author strongly believes that there is another approach, a third way to deal with this issue, that does not require one to offend one's guru, senior Prabhupada disciples, Srila Prabhupada himself, or violate the laws of disciplic succession. This third proposed approach to achieving real "Prabhupada-Centeredness" is called, "The Vow of Continuing Srila Prabhupada's Worship Eternally (Srila Prabhupada Nitya-Seva Vrata)". This vow would be made voluntarily by all of Srila Prabhupada's grandisciples, and would essentially be a promise to maintain Srila Prabhupada's worship and central position within ISKCON as the Founder-Acarya eternally. The essential objective is to ensure that Srila Prabhupada's proper worship, and his central position as the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON will continue eternally (nitya-seva) without interruption. The details of the vow can be worked on and negotiated between all parties until agreement is reached. The vow will specify absolute minimum standards, protocols and levels of worship that are to be carried on down through the disciplic succession perpetually from spiritual master to disciple, ad infinitum. This vow will be made by each successive generation of disciples, and will be rooted into ISKCON culture as a permanent, essential, and non-negotiable tradition. This vow to honor and worship the Founder-Acarya perpetually will constitute the basic unifying principle of all present and future ISKCON devotees for all time. The ultimate aim of this proposal would be realized if an ISKCON devotee today took birth on this planet 5,000 years from now and joined ISKCON, and saw that the morning program, books and Prabhupada consciousness, etc. we experience today would be the same. This vow will not prevent a grandisciple or even a great-great-great grandisciple from properly honoring and worshipping his immediate acarya according to the process of disciplic succession, but it will require him to actively participate in the unifying principles of honoring Srila Prabhupada and worshipping Srila Prabhupada in all official ISKCON functions. This vow will be the unique difference between ISKCON and other Gaudiya Vaishnava movements. This will be, in this author's belief, the active principle that will continue to empower and propel ISKCON to succeed in accomplishing its intended preaching mission of saving this world now and in the future. There will be some obvious things that will be included in this vow, and there will be some items that are less than obvious, but that will become self-evident as we discuss and contemplate how to preserve Srila Prabhupada's unique spiritual legacy eternally. To get the ball rolling, some obvious items are listed herein, but I encourage all my fellow grandisciples to take an active role in defining this vow. I request all of you to reach out to your gurus and their godbrothers to ask them what they would like to see us do for Srila Prabhupada in this regard. Someone might argue that nothing we do will satisfy everyone, and to that we would all have to agree. But I do strongly believe that our personal initiative and personal interest, as grandisciples, in perserving Srila Prabhupada's legacy eternally, will do more to heal the wounds, relieve the fears, and unite the devotees than probably anything else we, as grandisciples, could do ourselves. We can't do everything or expect to solve all the problems, but this is something positive we can do to improve the current situation. The Importance of Acting Even if our gurus or the GBC gave orders or made resolutions in these regards, there would still be, I suspect, some lingering doubt by other senior devotees if we would actually be able and willing to execute them. If we can show the senior devotees that we can cooperate and unite around Srila Prabhupada, and that this is actually our desire coming from our heart, then it would seem to me that we would be able to overcome many of the challenges we face today, as a movement on the brink of a potential major divide. Otherwise, I am afraid that if we don't speak up and reveal our minds and intentions, as grandisciples, these issues will have less of a chance of being solved amicably. We still have a choice--"Mahabharata" or "Nectar of Devotion", so to speak. Since Srila Prabhupada's favorite book was Nectar of Devotion, we should place those principles at the center of our approach. The grandisciples may become *the* deciding factor in how these issues play out. If we fail as a generation to garner the support, blessings and trust of all the senior Vaishnavas, then how can we succeed as a movement? Can we just worship our respective gurus in a vacuum ignoring every other devotee? I think not; not if we are to continue living and working together in ISKCON. The bottom line is, if we fail as a generation of grandisciples, then ISKCON eventually fails, and failure is not a viable option for Krishna's devotees. We have to do whatever we can to correct the situation. We need to seek the blessings. "By the blessings of a Vaishnava, everything is possible. This is described in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu as kripa-siddhi, or perfection attained simply by the blessings of a superior person. One usually becomes liberated and perfect by executing the regulative principles set down in the sastras. Nonetheless, many persons have achieved perfection simply by the blessings of a spiritual master or superior." (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.1.12) We have heard long and hard over the past 13 or more years from our seniors, sometimes with joy, often times with great pain. Now we need to speak and act in a Vaishnava manner, and in a way that will please them all; our gurus and their godbrothers and sisters; as far as possible within the limits of the Gaudiya-Vaishnava siddhanta. Pleasing our superiors means pleasing Srila Prabhupada, and pleasing Srila Prabhupada, as we all have personal experience, means pleasing our superiors. We have to satisfy everyone involved. All are superior Vaishnavas and all are to be satisfied. Just as Maharaja Priyavrata had to use his intelligence to satisfy the contradictory instructions of his worshippable superiors, Lord Brahma and Srila Narada Muni (to get married on the one hand, and take up a life of renunciation of the other--at the same time!), we have to use our intelligence to SATISFY ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. "The word manishaya ("by intelligence") is of special significance. Priyavrata might argue that Lord Brahma was requesting him to accept family life and the responsibility for ruling a kingdom, although Narada Muni had advised him not to enter household life and be entangled in material affairs. Whom to accept would be a puzzle for Priyavrata because both Lord Brahma and Narada Muni are authorities. Under the circumstances, the use of the word manisaya is very appropriate, for it indicates that since both Narada Muni and Lord Brahma are authorized to give instruction, Priyavrata should neglect neither of them but should use his intelligence to follow the advice of both." (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.1.12) We have already seen that proposals to "jump over" our gurus to Srila Prabhupada, although perhaps well intentioned, are not satisfactory to any party (our Gurus or our ritviks), and neither are proposals to do nothing and let "whatever happens"--happen, thus leaving everything to chance. Fear means "fear of some unpleasant future event", and we need to alleviate everyone's fears, as far as possible, by demonstrating our determination to ensure that ISKCON's future will be bright, Krishna conscious, and Prabhupada-centered within philosophical bounds. In this spirit, and in consideration of the above, the author makes the following call to all grandisciples to seriously consider taking the "The Vow of Continuing Srila Prabhupada's Worship Eternally (Srila Prabhupada Nitya-Seva Vrata)" formally in writing, personally within your heart, and practically with your life's activities, with a clear conscience and in full compliance with the Gaudiya-Vaishnava siddhanta, as follows; The Vow The Vow of Continuing Srila Prabhupada's Worship Eternally (Srila Prabhupada Nitya-Seva Vrata) "With a vow of determination (dridha-vrata), we vow to come together as grandisciples united under Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON movement, under a mutual agreement of perpetual cooperation, in order to establish and maintain the eternal worship (nitya-seva) of ISKCON-Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, always keeping him in the forefront and in the center of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in the following ways, that are not subject to modification or change locally, nationally or internationally;" (proposed--open for discussion--not listed in any order) 1. To eternally maintain Srila Prabhupada's daily guru puja, without fail, as the only daily guru puja to be performed in any ISKCON temple. 2. To not place pictures or murtis of other ISKCON gurus in Srila Prabhupada's temples, except a smaller picture may be present on the altar only during the time of making offerings (arotikas and bhoga offerings). 3. To eternally care for, bath and dress Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in their murti forms on the altar, and the main temple deity of Srila Prabhupada off the altar as a regular daily function in all ISKCON centers. 4. To eternally endeavor to keep all of Srila Prabhupada's books in print and to eternally engage the resources of ISKCON and the BBT to print and distribute only Srila Prabhupada's books. 5. To eternally maintain daily Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita classes using only Srila Prabhupada's translated versions of those texts. 6. To eternally maintain the Bhaktivedanta Archives and make Srila Prabhupada's legacy of photos, tapes, books, and videos available to the world. 7. To eternally observe Srila Prabhupada's appearance and disappearance days as the most important and grand event of the year conducted by ISKCON for any acarya. 8. To eternally give deference to Srila Prabhupada's vision, teachings and instructions as the ultimate authority and basis of ISKCON law, the basis of ISKCON's management, the basis of ISKCON's preaching activities, and the basis of ISKCON education and training. 9. To vigilantly teach and discipline our children and students now, and in the future, to obey these principles and to encourage them to similarly act in the future in our absence. 10. To require that all of our future children and students take this vow before transferring to them control of ISKCON assets and positions of power and leadership in ISKCON. This vow essentially constitutes an "Oath of Office" for any responsible position in ISKCON. (....any more items?....) Someone may say, "Hey, we are already doing all these things now!" and that would be true. But there are many that doubt that we will maintain these important and essential ISKCON practices in the future. We need to make sure that these items are never neglected, and when you want to make sure you force yourself to do something beneficial, you do it with a vow of determination. If we are not prepared to do it with a vow, then it may or may not get done. Vow means you have to do it. Please Act Now Please participate and send your positive constructive comments and even loyal constructive disagreements. I will soon be putting up a website dedicated to this proposal, and we will post EVERYTHING there, without discrimination. Your input will be invaluable. It would be nice to get at least one idea, input or suggestion from every grandisciple on the planet. Think of what you want to say, and send it in, and encourage your godbrothers and sisters and friends (godcousins) to do the same. If you all express enough support for this idea, then we can maybe someday hold an International ceremony at some point to ratify the proposal and hold a mass vow-taking and signing ceremony, or something like that, in the presence of our gurus and senior Prabhupada disciples in Vrindavana in the Divine presence of Srila Prabhupada, in temples and online on the Internet simultaneously around the world. Imagine the possibilities of uniting Srila Prabhupada's family. This is just one person's suggestion. There are other things that can be done. Let's work together on it. Even if we can't please everyone, we can try to please our gurus and Srila Prabhupada, and that is reason enough to go for it! Show your support for Srila Prabhupada's eternal worship by speaking up. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Please give us all your ideas, comments, support, encouragement, suggestions, corrections, or something helpful today. Send your email to: prabhupada@hotmail.com Maybe there is a better solution or a better way to go about this, and I am all ears and eager to hear from you. Please help ISKCON by speaking up. You are important and your voice counts. You are the immediate future of this great and most important movement. The Website address to begin with will be: http://www.marketingonline.com/prabhupada Thank you. Hare Krishna. Your Servant, Prabhupadacarya Dasa "One religion, one mantra, one scripture, one occupation, and one family--a more united ISKCON with Srila Prabhupada in the center as the Founder-Acarya eternally." This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9811/ET26-2562.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
