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EDITORIAL July 25, 1999 VNN4361 Related VNN Stories Sharing The Service BY PRAGHOSA DASA EDITORIAL, Jul 25 (VNN) — Dear friends, this is about the debate on CHAKRA, The two solitudes are exposing their point of view thinking they are debating on the same subject matter when actually they are comparing oranges and bananas. One is affirming Srila Prabhupada's instruction that he wanted all his disciples to become gurus eventually (which is a very clear and undeniable fact) and the other is saying that there was no indication by Srila Prabhupada that the ritvik system of initiation that was instituted previous to his departure should be abandoned after his departure (it's also true). How can these two opinions meet? They don't even refer to the same subject matter. The eternal parampara system versus the unique ISKCON paradigm. The only problem here is the existence of ISKCON as an institution. If ISKCON didn't exist, there wouldn't be a debate. If that was the case (viz: the inexistence of ISKCON) the most sincere disciples would become diksa gurus and accept disciples just as required by the tradition. And the sankirtana movement would expand as ever. PROPOSAL: Let ISKCON offer all of our present diksa gurus a financial help to establish their own organizations and support them for a time. Or give them real estate assets according to merits as could be delineated by the GBC. This would enable the Caitanya tree to grow in all directions. The ISKCON organization could go on with Srila Prabhupada at the center controled by the GBC. Thus the ancient system of parampara would stay intact. The most skilled among Srila Prabhupada's disciples who desire to be diksa gurus would produce new bhaktas. The ISKCON branch of the Caitanya tree would still produce bhaktas through the rtvik system and the instructions of Srila Prabhupada available in his books. That situation would not impede the growth of any other branches since any qualified disciple in ISKCON could also become diksa gurus and stem a new branch out on his own outside of ISKCON. New imaginative ways could be invented for economic development which should not be an impediment against this idea. The undeniable fact is that right now, we have come to a stand-still. There seems to be no hope for a solution if we expect that one side will win over the other. I might add that it is actually a mistake to talk of a stand-still because the present situation is like an aparadha machine. WE ARE ACTING IRRESPONSIBLY AND HURTING LORD CAITANYA'S SANKIRTANA MOVEMENT BY BEING SO OBSTINATE Let both sides pay the price for pleasing the spiritual master. If such a solution cannot be adopted on both sides, we shall understand that the real issue here is power and money not service to guru. Your servant Praghosa dasa Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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