09/22/1998 - 2261

Response To Hansadutta Prabu's Letter

USA (VNN) - by Nara Narayan Vishwakarma das

A letter to Hansadutta prabhu as commentary on some the issues raised in his letter to Vedaguya das:

Dear Hansadutta prabhu

PAMHO, AGTSP!

I am taking the opportunity to respond to your excellent letter to Vedaguya prabhu. In it you have raised some very excellent issues thatcertainly need be explored:

YOU WROTE: 1) the system of rittvik initiations was an ongoing practice for years
before Srila Prabhupada named 11 "Rittvik representatives of the
Acharya" in his July 9th ,1977 letter. Why would
> >>Srila Prabhupada make a special effort to write a letter appointing
> >>eleven of his senior disciples as " Rittvik representatives of the
> >>Acharya " when such rittvik initiations were already being performed on
> >>his behalf not only by the persons named in his July 9th Letter, but by
> >>sannyasis, GBCs, Temple presidents, and others who happened to be at hand
> >>on the occasion of such initiation ceremonies ?

NNV DAS: This is a key point. It would seem that Srila Prabhupadawanted to start the post-samadhi Rittvik process by limiting the numberof persons who were to do this service. Apparently this made adifference due to the fact that He would no longer be personallyreviewing and approving the applications for initiation.

Here are some thoughts on the subject:

1. The whole issue is subjective. We know that few of the appointed wereeven following Srila Prabhupada's complete instructions. Two (at least)were practicing homosexuals at the time of their appointment, many werenot chanting their rounds or Gayatri Mantra, others were eatingunoffered foodstuffs. etc. etc.

In short, Srila Prabhupada did not pick the original eleven because theywere strict followers of His instructions. (some of the excluded templecommanders, sannyasis etc very likely were better at following the basicrules and regulations)

He chose powerful leaders who tended to dominate the world (of Iskcon)situation, and yet were politically responsive and responsible to eachother at least. (Even if they avoided obeying Srila Prabhupada). Inother words, they could be trusted to organize and manage Iskcon betterthan the devotees lower on the "food chain".

MY SPECULATION:

I have long held the view that the Rittvic naming was a preemptivestrike on the part of Srila Prabhupada. HE KNEW FULL WELL THAT THATPARTICULAR LIST OF SCOUNDRELS had every intention of declaringthemselves his "GURU SUCCESSORS". If he had NOT named them, they wouldhave seized power in a raw and shameless fashion. That would havecompletely destroyed the movement in the exact manner that the GaudiyaMath was QUICKLY destroyed.

By naming the "usual suspects" as Rittvik gurus, KNOWING THAT THEY WOULDNOT ACCEPT THAT ROLE (The tapes reveal that to be fact) He gave themenough OFFICIAL CLOUT AS RITTVIKS to keep them (and the movement) inplace for 20 years, until their own grossly sinful natures and typicalabuse of power has finally destroyed their credibility even amongsttheir heretical and grossly sinful peers.

We must understand that Srila Prabhupada appointed as Rittviks personsthat he had chastised and censured for years regarding their grossdisobedience and disruptiveness as GBC members. Are we to really believethat HE HAD NO IDEA WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY WERE LIKE?

I THINK NOT!

Just as Srila Prabhupada waited thirty years for the dead carcass of theGaudiya Math to stop twitching before he OBEYED HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER'SINSTRUCTION to "go and preach in the English language", we have waitedonly twenty years to begin our personal mission of service to ourSpiritual Master.

This is a minute period of time in the presence of ten thousand years ofchanting of the Holy Name of Krishna. We must try to overlook the factthat it is a relatively long time in our ego centric lives.

At this point in world history, and much to the surprise of practicallyeveryone (Myself included) we appear to be unprescedently ready toreestablish Srila Prabhupada's mission "AS IT IS" and to get on withthe task of delivering the fallen conditioned souls of this day and agewhile preparing the ecclesiastic groundwork to deliver those in years tocome up to ten thousand years.

I FURTHER SPECULATE:

That it was not an issue of Srila Prabhupada picking the "right" peopleto be Rittvics who went on to "misunderstand" what was expected of them.

HE KNEW WITH WHOM HE WAS DEALING, AND HE MINIMIZED THEIR OPPORTUNITY TODESTROY THE MOVEMENT BY GRANTING THEM 25% OF WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTINGRATHER THAN ISSUING AN ORDER THAT NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE EVEN DREAMEDOF OBEYING.

YOU WROTE:

> >> 2.) Why did Srila Prabhupada decline the suggestion Of Tamal Krishna
> >>Goswami to include Brahmananda Swami on the rittvik list? He was a
> >>leading devotee and sannyasi.

NNV DAS: Brahmananda had been permanently exiled to Africa. (Which hehated). He had entered into a conspiracy with the Gaudiya Math tooverthrow Srila Prabhupada in 1970 and have the Gaudiya Math appoint him"acharya" Iskcon. Srila Prabhupada clearly stated this to my directquestion in 1970 London in the presence of Bhavananda das prior to Hisvisit to Africa. In fact, He was so concerned with the possible dangerof such a visit, that He sent myself and Bhavananda ahead to send areport as to how things were in Nairobi and whether or not we consideredit safe for Him to visit there without dangerous incident.

We must remember that Brahmananda, his brother Gargamuni, Vishnujana,and Subal swamis had held Srila Prabhupada prisoner at New Dwarkawithout food for two weeks. He was not allowed access to mail or tocommunicate with anyone in a position to rescue Him. Tamal eventuallycame there and took Him to India from the clutches of the conspirators.

The conspirators then went on to travel all over Iskcon preaching that"Srila Prabhupada is God". This ended in a very phantasmagoric event atNew Vrindaban that lasted several weeks and resulted in the foursannyasis being banished from Iskcon on Srila Prabhupada's orders.

Srila Prabhupada had declared it to be a "black conspiracy" and a"sinister plot", and stated that the perpetrators should be "beaten withshoes". In a letter at a later date, He said (paraphrased) that He was"retiring from active participation with the movement due to certainDISCOURTESIES that had been extended to Him." (In this case, discourtesymeant attempting to remove him as Acharya)

YOU WROTE:

3.)>Why did Srila Prabhupada not simply say "All sannyasis, GBCs, and> >>Temple presidents of ISKCON in good standing everywhere could act as> >>"Rittvik representatives of the Acharya " and initiate new disciples on> >>his behalf whenever the need presented itself ?

NNV DAS: This is largely answered above. It is twofold:

1. He did not want chaos to reign in the initiation field (Particularlyas that would create a civil war with anyone who wanted to act asRittvic AFTER the "appointed eleven" declared themselves to be "regulargurus" in complete disobedience to Srila Prabhupada's writteninstruction. There would be a camp of actual "Rittviks" and a camp ofmen representing themselves as being "successor gurus" endowed with"absolute authority" war with each other.

No temple would be big enough to accommodate both groups.

2. Since He knew that the eleven would disobey ANYWAY, there was nopoint in spreading the contagion. (When MASS was formed in 1986, thecontagion was far less toxic than if it had occurred in 1977).

YOU WROTE:

4.)>How would creating "Rittvik representatives of the Acharya " relieve> >>Srila Prabhupada from the burden of taking on the Karma of newly> >>initiated disciples> >>if the disciples thus initiated would still be Srila Prabhupada's disciples?

NNV DAS: This is the MOST VITAL ISSUE!

For twenty years a MYTH has been promulgated by the HERETIC "GURUS" thatthey are "relieving" Srila Prabhupada of "karma" by accepting it onthemselves during the DIKSA PROCESS.

As theology, it is a TRULY ASININE POINT OF VIEW!

THERE IS NO QUESTION OF RELIEVING ANYONE ABOVE ONESELF IN THE LINE OFDISCIPLIC SUCCESSION OF KARMA!

The Bonafide Spiritual Master relieves His disciple of as much karma asthat disciple is willing to part with BY HIS CAUSELESS MERCY.

From that point onward, the karma is PASSED UPWARD through theSampradaya until it reaches the LOTUS FEET OF LORD KRISHNA where it isdestroyed, due to it's temporary and illusory nature.

THAT THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS MORE MERCIFUL THAN KRISHNA DOES NOT MEANTHAT HE ACCEPTS KARMA PERSONALLY. His personal acceptance of Karma is asthe EXTERNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SUPERSOUL, KRISHNA, as well as the DIRECTREPRESENTATIVE OF THE SAMPRADAYA.

For example, if a person posing as guru accepts the filthy karma of his"disciples" and IS NOT A PURELY TRANSPARENT VIA MEDIUM and thereforeABLE to pass that karma in it's entirely to the NEXT LEVEL UP OF THESAMPRADAYA, (in this case, Srila Prabhupada) then he is stuck with thekarma, and WILL FALL DOWN. (As we have seen)

If HE ACCEPTS KARMA THAT HE CANNOT PASS ON, then Srila Prabhupada is putinto the position of accepting His disciple (posing as guru) WITH ALLTHE EXTRA KARMA of the "disciples" that this malfeasant pretender hasaccumulated while exploiting and misdirecting the cheated.

FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF "PROTECTING" SRILA PRABHUPADA FROM KARMA, itis infinitely WORSE to collect great cysts and tumors of karma thatcannot be cleansed through one's personal purity than to act as Rittvikat the beginning, and DIRECT THE KARMA TAKEN ON BY THE SPIRITUAL MASTERAT THE TIME OF INITIATION to the ONLY one who is capable oftransparently passing it on;..... SRILA PRABHUPADA.

IN SHORT, WE ARE DOING SRILA PRABHUPADA "NO FAVOR" AT ALL, TO "PRETEND"TO TAKE ON KARMA IN HIS BEHALF, while knowing full well that He mustthen take on the whole package due to His spiritual contract with Hisdisciples.

If a small child wishes to "save" his parents the "trouble" of takinghim to the "potty" by fouling his clothes for several days at a time, hewill find that the parent has an even more unpleasant task when it comesto extricating him from his fouled clothes. (Enough said?)

YOU WROTE:

5.) Why did Srila Prabhupada reiterate the July 9th Letter appointing> >>"Rittvik representative of the Acharya " in three separate letters (Two> >>to myself, and one to Kirtanananda Swami )

NNV DAS: Why haven't these letters been available to support theRittvik contention? They have far more clout than other authoritativepassages.

YOU WROTE:

> I have one last concern and it is this Idea I get from Krishna Kant's> >>paper "The Final Order" that the" Rittvik representative " is nothing> >>more than a priest who performs a ritual initiation, and then is no more> >>significant in the spiritual life of a disciple than a clerk at an army> >>recruiting station.

NNV DAS: That is certainly one extreme:

1. At minimum, the Rittvik is an officiating priest, such as you mightexpect at a wedding, funeral, baptism, confirmation, Bar Mitzvah,circumcision, etc.

By definition, such a priest does not act on his own behalf, but on thebehalf of the Church, Avatar, or God the Father, depending on thereligion and it's sense of ecclesiastic priestly duty.

A priest (whether high or low) is always a REPRESENTATIVE of a higherauthority

2. On the other extreme, the priest MUST BE AN UTTAMA ADHIKARI, WHO YETACTS IN BEHALF OF A PRIOR ACHARYA.

3. In the middle of these two extremes lies the reality that applies tous and Iskcon.

The Rittvik priest should be of high character, and embody the qualitiestaught in the Iskcon temples as to the behavior and service attitude ofan advanced Kanistha or beginning Madyam adhikari. In other words, heshould be a good example to others, so that no one will feel dishonoredby taking initiation through his agency.

Nonetheless, the Rittvik NEVER STANDS BETWEEN THE DISCIPLE THAT HEINITIATE FOR HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER AND SRILA PRABHUPADA.

If each Bona Fide Acharya in the line of disciplic succession is like aclear polished transparent lens in a very long and complex telescope,then one translucent or even opaque lens ruins the whole clarity of thetelescope.

The monitor guru or Rittvic MUST STAND TO THE SIDE SO THAT THE NEWDISCIPLE OBTAINS THE FULL CLARITY OF THE UNBROKEN SUCCESSION OF CLEAR,TRANSPARENT ACHARYAS.

One cloudy lens ruins the whole thing! (As we have CLEARLY seen!)

In other words, the Rittvic enables the new disciple to be placed underthe AUTHORITY of Srila Prabhupada and does not attempt to place himunder his own authority, knowing well what would be likely to occur.

YOU WROTE:

>>Srila Prabhupada was very careful> >>and deliberate about choosing his "Rittvik representatives and you will notice all of them were distinguished by their enthusiasm and success in the preaching field.

NNV DAS: As noted earlier, this particular collection of scoundrels,perverts and heretics, were "distinguished" by far more than their"enthusiasm and success in the preaching field".

Your statement above seems to indicate that if a devotee is a "goodpreacher" he is a superior candidate for Rittvic, even though he may bea practicing homosexual and child molester at the same time.

I challenge anyone to argue this point, as SRILA PRABHUPADA HIMSELFAPPOINTED SEVERAL ACTIVE HOMOSEXUALS AND CHILD MOLESTERS TO BE RITTVIKS.

Are you suggesting that such Rittviks are SUPERIOR to ones who followthe regulative principles and chant their rounds?

HOW DO WE HANDLE THIS?

1. By appointing perverts to be Rittvik priests, Srila Prabhupada PROVEDCONCLUSIVELY that the lack of personal moral and ethical standard ofsuch priest could be effectively overlooked AS LONG AS THE PRIEST WAS ARITTVIK AND NOT A DIKSA GURU.

A person who is baptized as a Christian knows that it is God and Hisrepresentative Christ who performs the baptism. the priest only suppliesthe "touch".

The baptism still takes place and is presumably still potent andeffective even if that "touch" is impure.

IN CONCLUSION"

I agree fully with Krishna Kant's view that the Rittvik (at minimum) isa "mere priest". His required qualifications can be raised (if possibleand appropriate) by decision of the GBC, once the GBC is properlyelected every three years by the temple presidents. (who are in turnelected by their congregations)

I do not, (after due consideration of the many facets of this issue)find that there is an "ABSOLUTE" concerning the qualification ofRittvik, except that he , as representative of Srila Prabhupada, NOT havea "hierarchal" role OVER the newly initiated Prabhupada disciple.

YOU WROTE:

So if there is going to be a reform and actual
> >>adherence to the order of Srila Prabhupada to act as "Rittvik
> >>representatives of the Acharya " Then I think that anyone who is going to
> >>be designated as such should first of all go out and show his capacity to
> >>Represent Srila Prabhupada as his "Rittvik representative" by opening some
> >>centers and recruiting 100 or 200 men (Or families ) train them up
> >>properly to preach and worship Srila Prabhupada as his disciples.
> >>Otherwise what is the meaning of "Rittvik representative of the Acharya
> >>". without this it will simply be another office job.

NNV DAS: This is the sort of topic that a "NEW GBC" could undertake asa agreed upon qualification requirement for establishing a Rittvikpriest.

My personal opinion is that sort of requirement would eliminate gentlerand more scholarly persons who also could function appropriately andwith potency in a priestly role.

WHAT ABOUT MANAGEMENT, AUTHORITY AND HIERARCHY?

Iskcon has labored for thirty years under the lash of temple"authorities" who were very attentive to how well their own personalauthority was being recognized while they allowed all sorts of nonsenseto go on the higher levels. (To the extent that by 1975 SrilaPrabhupada's DIRECT ORDERS were no longer considered relevant to mostGBC and temple presidents.

These heretics were far more interested in the hierarchies that theycould build under their own appointed position in the greater"hierarchy" than obedience to Srila Prabhupada.

This sense of hierarchy, artificially constructed under politicallymotivated and materially ambitious conditioned souls, actuallyeffectively cut off the rank and file devotees from any sense of directaccess to their Spiritual Master.

Knowing this, the "hierarchiologists" used this opportunity to grosslymislead their constituents who actually believed that their local"hierarchs" were OBEDIENT TO SRILA PRABHUPADA!

THIS TYPE OF OLIGARCHY BASED ON MATERIAL CONDITIONING MUST NEVER BEALLOWED TO RAISE IT'S KALIYA-LIKE VENOMOUS HEADS EVER AGAIN IF THISMOVEMENT IS TO BE A SUCCESS.

The fact that Srila Prabhupada was A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL and PERSONALLYPRESENT helped create the illusion that access to Him could only beachieve through a HIERARCHAL arrangement similar to accessing the Popethrough the intricate complexities (and Machiavellian politics) of theCatholic Church. (Is it coincidence that more than half of the originaleleven usurper gurus" were raised as Catholics?)

THE ACTUAL FACT IS: that Srila Prabhupada CLEARLY STATED that anyonethat wanted could (and should!) access him THROUGH HIS BOOKS. Thehierarchists made sure that this was unlikely to happen by stressing theHIERARCHY rather than DIRECT DARSHAN with Srila Prabhupada throughREADING HIS BOOKS. (Sell.... Yes, study....no)

NOW THERE IS NO EXCUSE!!!

With Srila Prabhupada physically absent, and the "Paundraka" pretenderswho tried to take His place finally on the skids, IT IS NO LONGERPOSSIBLE TO ASSOCIATE WITH SRILA PRABHUPADA EXCEPT THOUGH HIS PURPORTS!

That means that even WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF A SUB-ACHARYA ECCLESIASTICHIERARCHY, anyone who can read can have FULL AND COMPLETE ACCESS TOSRILA PRABHUPADA TO AN EVEN GREATER DEGREE THAN WHEN HE WAS PHYSICALLYPRESENT.

ANYONE WHO IS INCLINED TO PREACH OR LEAD IN THE FUTURE WOULD DO WELL TOBE ABSOLUTELY SILENT IN THE PRESENCE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA'S PRINTED VANI.

What are we to add?

Any preaching in the future will have to be designed to bring aspirantdevotees to READING AND THEN DISCUSSING WHAT IS READ IN OPEN ISTAGOSTHI.

NO OTHER AUTHORITY IS NEEDED.



WHAT ABOUT PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT?

Srila Prabhupada made that absolutely clear:

1. The temples are to be run like a military academy. Discipline andcontrolled behavior is to be present. Orderliness, expertise andcleanliness are the standards.

2. The temple president is to be a Brahmachari. He runs the temple as aBrahminical training ground for Deity worship, cooking, authentic use ofmusical instruments, authentic chanting, creating an atmosphere ofdevotional service that will attract, enroll and then engage persons whovisit the temple.

3. Householders must hold jobs, and cannot live together as a family ina temple. Married couples who which to study and practice renunciation,can live in the temples separately.

4. The householders are to create their own community and support thetemples and manage themselves with the aid of members of the renouncedorder of life.

In this strict and renounced atmosphere, there will certainly be a verycarefully constructed hierarchy.

NONETHELESS, IT WILL ALWAYS BE UNDERSTOOD THAT ALL ARE EQUAL IN THE EYESOF GOD, AND THAT HIS HIERARCHY IS TO FACILITATE ORDER AND EFFECTIVEMANAGEMENT.

IT DOES NOT EXTEND TO SPIRITUAL ISSUES.

THERE IS ALWAYS AN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO READ AND PONDER SRILAPRABHUPADA'S PURPORTS.

THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD REGULAR EGALITARIAN MEETINGS OFISTAGOSTHI WHERE THEOLOGICAL AND PERSONAL ISSUES CAN BE DISCUSSED ON THEPLENARY LEVEL WITHOUT THE HIERARCHAL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE BEING USED TO"LEVERAGE" A SENSE OF SO-CALLED SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY BASED ON AMANAGEMENT POSITION.

(Many theologians are not good managers. Many managers are not goodtheologians)

Our demonstration of "power and authority" must come from the level andquality of our Spiritual realization, not simply from some managementposition that we hold.

Whoever enters the arena of Istagosthi, must put aside al hierarchalthoughts (and urges) and be willing to be "lower than the straw in thestreet" for at least a few hours per week.

AS MEMBERS OF ISKCON, OUR ONLY EXPRESSED GOAL IS TO DEVELOP "PUREUNALLOYED LOVE OF GOD" not to create some powerful political partycomposed of tough warriors who strive to create a "new world order".

THE NEW WORLD ORDER WILL COME ABOUT WHEN THERE IS "PURE UNALLOYED LOVEOF GOD "SATURATED INTO EVERY LEVEL OF HUMAN SOCIETY.

Lord Chaitanya, showed that by creating an atmosphere of the madness ofLove of God, that everyone could participate and He together with Hisassociates such and Sri Rupa, Jiva and Sanatan Goswamis broke open thestorehouse of Love of God, and This churning of the TranscendentalSankirtan Movement over flooded the land, "drowning" those who weredevotees, and causing even the non-devotees to "float" in that sea ofecstasy!

We disciples have no option but to understand that the methodsdemonstrated by Lord Chaitanya are fully effective for this age, andthat the other methods that we willfully substituted, have had verylimited results while creating endless shame and scandal for so manyyears.

If 'REFORM" means doing the same "bad thing" well enough to force outsome small success, then reform will be doomed to fail.

Reform must be complete, and to be complete, must bring ourselves (aswell as anyone else in the world who is willing) to the endless andfruitful task of studying, discussing and then implementing SrilaPrabhupada's presently barely-utilized visions for the future lyingdormant in the purports or His books.

Following the example of Madhavendra Puri, the leaders of tomorrow willbe those who flee the limelight, not those who seek to embrace it. (forKrishna....oh yeah......!)

If we can still the urge to "show off" in front of our Spiritual Masterand become His presenters, Srila Prabhupada will then always beuninterruptedly and brilliantly center stage with his totally readableand understandable self-expressed purports available for all to learn.

THAT IS REFORM.

Nothing need be added to or subtracted from what HE IS NOW SAYING IN HISVANI FORM.

Your eternal servant,

Nara Narayan Vishwakarma das