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EDITORIAL August 27, 1999 VNN4595 Comment on this story Officiating Acharya BY LOCANANANDA DAS EDITORIAL, Aug 27 (VNN) — (from VNN Forums) There is no such thing as an officiating acharya. It just doesn't exist, not until the GBC creates the post. Until, then, no one can claim to be an officiating acharya. But please first consider what is the meaning of this term, "ISKCON guru". To be a guru, one need not perform initiations; one must preach Krishna consciousness. This term "ISKCON guru" creates a false distinction between those who initiate and those who do not by categorizing preachers into two groups: "guru" and "non-guru" godbrothers. Was that Srila Prabhupada's intention? I think not. It is vestigial remnant of the zonal acharya consciousness that places the initiator guru as an intermediary in the worship of Srila Prabhupada, even for godbrothers of the guru. The term "ISKCON guru" should be have been abolished along with "pad" names and guru buttons. All disciples of Srila Prabhupada inherited the legacy to act as guru. Simply repeat what you have heard in disciplic succession and practice what you preach. One who is conversant with the science of Krishna can act as a spiritual master. And whoever is inspired to place his faith in Krishna as a result of that association will consider you his guru. Initiation is a formality. When Srila Prabhupada was asked by the GBC committee, "How will initiations be performed when you are no longer with us?", his reply was "by officiating acharyas". That was the title he suggested we use to designate those who would perform initiations. It was mainly a managerial dictum, just as he had created the post of temple president to manage the temples and the title of GBC to manage his worldwide movement. Srila Prabhupada created the post of "founder acharya" to establish himself as the head of his international organization, and he recommended creating the post of officiating acharyas to establish a system by which initiations could be performed while maintaining the integrity of the institution without disturbing the managerial authority of the GBC and TP's. ISKCON devotees are all followers of Srila Prabhupada. Their loyalty is to Srila Prabhupada and therefore to the institution he hoped would act as the conduit for spreading love of God throughout the world. Unfortunately, the GBC has become disloyal to Srila Prabhupada by ignoring his order for officiating acharyas. That is why they have become disempowered and why devotees have left ISKCON in droves. We have no duty to follow a disloyal GBC. Those who initiate in ISKCON would do themselves a favor by studying the following letter from Srila Prabhupada written to a devotee in Boston in 1967: "When I left your country on July 22, I had very little hope of coming back again. But Krishna informed me that I'm not going to die immediately; therefore I have come back to get inspiration of Krishna Consciousness from you all good souls. "Although officially I am your spiritual master, I consider you all students of my spiritual master because your love for Krishna and service for Krishna teach me how to become a sincere Krishna Conscious person." If "ISKCON gurus" had this mentality, Srila Prabhupada's movement would be healthy and thriving today. And they would begin to understand what was meant by his statement: "ritvik, yes". Those performing initiations were not supposed to be merely ceremonial priests. They were expected to represent the acharya with potency and transparency. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada said, "Be actually guru". The expression "acting on my behalf" meant that they should see the initiates as HIS students, but in terms of formalities, the students would be considered his granddisciples, or disciples of his disciple. There is no question of the acharya officially initiating disciples after his disappearance. But he can enter the heart of his granddisciple as an eternal associate of Krishna Who lives in the hearts of all. On the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in February, 1977, Srila Prabhupada gave this example to illustrate the nitya lila of the spiritual master: Just as the sun is forever situated in the sky, the spiritual master is forever canvassing on behalf of Krishna for sincere souls to return back to Godhead. The movement of the sun is measured in hours. When it is six o'clock in one place, it is seven o'clock in another place. As the earth and sun change their relative positions, six o'clock becomes seven, and seven becomes eight. It does not remain six o'clock without change. Since Srila Prabhupada left us, he is no longer initiating, although he may be doing so somewhere else. That is nitya lila. Being an officiating acharya does not rubber stamp an unqualified person as a maha-bhagavata paramahamsa. It also does not obstruct one from becoming an uttama-bhakta if one is acting in Krishna consciousness. Having officiating acharyas perform initiations was meant to preserve ISKCON's authority structure. Not following this recommendation has left us with an emasculated figurehead GBC with no potency to govern ISKCON. Today, in ISKCON, initiations are being performed by phoney diksa gurus acting on their own behalf offering insufficient guidance only. Godbrothers whose wish is to serve Srila Prabhupada and the predecessor acharyas are forced to abandon ISKCON to look elsewhere for a leader with integrity. This is a disaster of monumental proportions. The GBC men I have tried to approach refuse to discuss the initiation issue. They say we must "agree to disagree". But is that how we deal with direct and specific instructions from our Guru Maharaja? We agree to disagree? Or should we agree to follow? Will the GBC remain disloyal to ISKCON, or can they be convinced to surrender to Srila Prabhupada's wish: "I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acharya." My obeisances to you all LDA Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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