07/17/98 - 1917

Request To The GBC

USA (VNN) - by Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

Dear GBC Members,

Please accept my respectful Obeisances. All glories to Jagat-Guru Srila Prabhupada!

With the recent news from India regarding the Temple President's Meeting and their vote to accept the Ritvik Initiation System as ordered by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada on July 9th 1977; I hereby request you the GBC members to have an open meeting on this matter as soon as possible.

I would like to be present to give my testimony as I personally heard Srila Prabhupada as he spoke to his secretary, Tamal Krishna Maharaja in his garden in Vrindavan.

We can communicate here on the E-mail if you prefer; but communication as soon as possible is needed.

I would also like to request you that if you refuse to discuss this most important matter openly then you at least allow say the Bangalore Temple to function as a Trial Ritvik Initiating Center for at least one year. Then you can check the results I say that we will make more 'fired up' devotees than 90 of the other ISKCON Temples. We will train the devotees up in proper Vaisnava etiquette. They will show all respect to their Temple authorities and all devotees. Let us prove our case. We have and are doing this on a small scale already but the devotees are not officially accepted by ISKCON. Let us prepare a nice batch of Bhaktas & Bhaktins for the pleasure and service of Srila Prabhupada and his great mission. There is no harm in the Ritvik system as many have said. Fear is used when knowledge is lacking. This is not all of the leaders faults. The whole problem can be traced back to Tamal Krishna Maharaja and the original 11 for 'living a lie''. T.K.G. has already admitted this in his famous Topanga Talks of 1980. Actually the system Srila Prabhupada ordered will build this great movement back up to the way it was when Srila Prabhupada was 'physically present'.

I know most of you are 'gurus' and you are very attached to the current system. You may keep your disciples if they choose; after hearing all of the information, but any worship should be done 'outside the walls of ISKCON' officially.

No pictures except Srila Prabhupada's and up the Sampradaya should be placed on any ISKCON Alter. All foods in ISKCON should be offered only to Srila Prabhupada with the proper mantras.

Those who choose to accept Srila Prabhupada as their guru should not be discouraged from doing so as has been the case so far. Srila Prabhupada said that he has many disciples; some are knowing and some are not. Actually we are all his disciples! Let's start acting like it. I hope I get at least some response to this request. Hoping this meets you in an inspired and cooperative spirit.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
Gauridas@AOL.Com