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| EDITORIAL November 25, 1998 VNN2558 See Related VNN Stories Snowballs In Hell BY RADHA KRISHNA DAS EDITORIAL, Nov 25 (VNN) — SNOWBALLS INTO THE PIT OF HELL Sometimes it seems that we are standing at the very mouth of hell, looking down into the inferno, and throwing snowballs into the flames, trying to lower the temperature a notch or two. This is almost what it is like with all these papers we write at a daily rate. When we don't get the real picture and we don't hear the direct answer from Srila Prabhupada, then the many papers are like so many snowballs of speculation fizzling in the flames of sophistry. I am very amazed by this phenomenon within our society. I wonder if others are amazed by it too. I refer to the diverse reactions to the tape of May 28th, 1997. It is amazing to me how we may listen to the tape, or how we all read the transcript, and how we all hear Srila Prabhupada answer Satsvrupa Gosvami's very direct question. This is the question upon everybody's mind, and here it is 21 years later, and still it is the great question. How do we do it? How are initiations to be conducted in the future, after he was "no longer with us." It is the greatest wonder of the world. Greater than the 8 wonders of the world multiplied a 100 times. How it is, that such a direct answer is heard so many different ways? The movement and general morale is at an all time low, and dark samvartaka clouds surround us, and fierce demons loom at our doorway, and still we scheme and maneuver like sophists, writing our multi-farious viewpoints and opinions on the subject, like we're ready to fiddle while Rome burns. Like everybody's got a nose, we all got our own angle on the situation, and 21 years go by, and still the direct and concise words of Srila Prabhupada are philosophized and contrived away, far from the plain truth, and we are left only with the clouds of sophistry of what we think he meant. In this paper, we'll try to look at a few angles of vision. Some claim that the later statements in the tape modifies the original and concise answer of Srila Prabhupada. That answer, as everyone knows by now, was "officiating acharya" which Srila Prabhupada confirmed to be the same as ritviks. This was his plan for the future. But some say, "What? Wait a minute bubba, its not so simple as that." Some say the latter part of the conversation changes the direct meaning we seem to get from his first answer. Here are a few viewpoints and possible answers: 1. First of all, we have to address the fact that 2 experts said the tape was highly suspect of "falsification." As other devotees have said, it seems to have dubs and background noise changes. Some say this nullifies the tape as evidence. And some say therefore we cannot accept the initial answer of Srila Prabhupada, or the "officiating acharyas" answer. I would like to differ with this conclusion. I say that the initial answer remains intact, even though the latter parts may have been falsified. With a little deep thinking, we can easily understand this truth. Think about it. If it was falsified, then the reason was to modify the conversation to fit the guru position we find ourselves in today. Therefore, the initial answer of Srila Prabhupada could not have been falsified, right? Like, why would they dub something like that? No, the initial answer remains intact. The latter part, we are not so sure of. 2. Even if we ignore the falsification suspicion, and we accept the latter part of the tape, still the claims of "disciple of disciple" and "regular guru" are not necessarily related to the initial answer. A. Srila Prabhupada said "regular guru," but this was upon the actual event that he would order someone to be regular guru. Since he said "WHEN I order," then that was not actually the time of order. And, as I have noted before, it was only 2 months later, that Srila Prabhupada said for TKG to "continue to be ritvik." It is plain to see, there was no order of regular gurus at that time. B. It is pretty hard to equate the latter terms with the initial terms Srila Prabhupada used, for they contradict each other by definition. Without a doubt, he answered "officiating acharya" and "ritvik." And to try to say that a ritvik somehow magically turns into a regular guru with disciples of disciples, is a contradiction of terms. Ritvik only means one thing, one who officiates, or an "officiating acharya." He does not initiate or take disciples. To contrive that Srila Prabhupada meant such a contradiction is wrong. Srila Prabhupada does not contradict himself that way. Well, there it is, Prabhus, another snowball into the fury of hell. It may have a ring of truth, but who cares for the real truth anymore? Tell me, who? Those who have the ears to hear. Those attached to bogus systems are deaf. But there are 1000's of devotees out there, who really care for the real truth, who really care for Srila Prabhupada's movement, and the numbers are growing daily. A real reform is in the making. You better believe it. Begging to remain, Your simple servant See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9811/ET25-2558.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
