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EDITORIAL December 24, 1999 VNN5142 Comment on this story No Threat To Parampara BY JANESVARA DASA EDITORIAL, Dec 24 (VNN) — Till now I have been disinterested in the debate between the "diksa-gurus" of ISKCON and those members of ISKCON who propound the "ritvik" methods of initiation because, frankly and unfortunately, I have little confidence in either group. Neither group has presented a formal management strategy by which they propose to implement Srila Prabhupada's direct orders to implement varnasrama-dharma training, education and practical application in EVERY center of the ISKCON organization. Without this priority set, all of the endless debates about some formal pancharatrika rituals (diksa) seem a waste of some very good minds. Until I read of either of the groups plans to divide the society of devotees into the four varnas and provide proper training in accordance with natural propensities I will continue to withhold support from both. They can argue together all the way to further chaos without my help. If they insist on continuing to try to jamb round heads through square holes with the concomitant injuries to the mahatmas desiring spiritual advancement, they are doomed for continued failure. Srila Prabhupada said "varna first" and until that basic paradigm shift is instituted they are only treating the symptoms of the disease while ignoring the disease itself. Nevertheless, there is one point which I take exception to in this debate. Some of the pro-ISKCON-diksa-"gurus" and supporters have been ranting and raving about the threat to the parampara presented by the ritvik theories. They throw this threat around like it is the ultimate weapon of destruction to a parampara of which, as usual, ISKCON arrogantly assumes they are the sole protector and proprietor in the entire universe. The only evidence I have ever read about the parampara being lost in the history of the universe was from Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita when He told Arjuna, His friend, that the parampara was broken and that He wanted him to be the one to reestablish this system. "When the parampara was lost, Arjuna was again selected to rejuvenate it. ...the parampara system of disciplic succession was lost, and therefore, Krsna reestablished that disciplic succession with Arjuna." Bg 10.14. "Arjuna is the beginning of the parampara system." Bg 11.8 So, the only time we have ever known of the parampara being broken or lost was at this time and how did the Supreme Lord Himself choose to reestablish it - this most holy and divine disciplic succession? He chose not a brahmana or sannyasi or a well known diksa guru of the period, but a ksatriya. To the best of my knowledge Arjuna never initiated anyone. I do not believe he held any diksa ceremonies nor received a dime of guru dakshin, unless someone like the great Satyaki repaid his debt to his ksatriya training guru, Arjuna. Why would the Lord put a ksatriya in the place of the beginning of the broken parampara, the one to reestablish this divine succession of gurus and disciples, knowing that Arjuna was not going to take up the profession of mendicant brahmana or sannyasi diksa guru? He had just finished telling Arjuna NOT to leave the battlefield to take up a life of begging and trying to be a preacher of goodness and virtues. Surely the Lord knew that Arjuna was not going to start giving formal diksa initiations and take on thousands of disciples so he could sit and preach to them all personally and directly? I recently read the following snippet from an ISKCON diksa guru supporter: "We have no precedent in our tradition where devotees accept as diksa-guru, a vaisnava who is no longer present. The tad-viddhi pranipatena verse is clearly speaking of a living guru, for who else can we inquire submissively from? (Chapter 11, p58) Kundali dasa. If the tad-viddhi pranipatena verse "is clearly speaking of a living guru, for who else can we inquire submissively from?", as this person strongly implies, why would the Lord make Arjuna the one to rejuvenate the lost parampara knowing he was a ksatriya and not a diksa guru? After the Battle of Kuruksetra, was Arjuna supposed to start taking disciples and let them approach him while he was living and inquire submissively? Did he ever do this? Or is the parampara maintained differently. Certainly I feel the connection to the parampara has been maintained perfectly despite the fumblings and failures of the ISKCON gurus, who somehow claim its successorship yet do not really reflect the example set by Sri Arjuna. I hold no personal grudge against these otherwise nice devotees, but I feel most, if not all of them, are trying to fill too big of shoes and, instead of just being honest and humble about it, they continue pretentiously at the expense of the credibility of this fine movement and the new members of Srila Prabhupada's mission. Again we can refer to Srila Prabhupada: "Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new parampara (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord's wish, therefore, to establish another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gita. ...Therefore Bhagavad-gita is best understood by a person who has qualities similar to Arjuna's. That is to say he must be a devotee in a direct relationship with the Lord." Bg Introduction. I continue to see Sri Arjuna's carrying on the parampara everyday when I see people reading Bhagavad-gita with enthusiasm and enlightenment. Srila Prabhupada fulfilled probably the most important requirement in assisting Sri Arjuna in his mission by translating and distributing the Bhagavad-gita in different languages throughout this world. For as long as people are able to sing, read and hear the song of Krsna, the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the parampara of Lord Krsna with Sri Arjuna as its new founder, will exist with or without ISKCON. This bantering about a threat to the parampara is hogwash. The leaders of ISKCON have their hands full enough as it is in trying to fulfill their spiritual masters order to start varnasrama colleges in EVERY center for EVERY devotee, EVERYDAY. That should be their main priority right now, as it is the most auspicious project, and in this way they can truly begin to reflect the character and qualities of Sri Arjuna. Krsne matir astu. 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