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USA January 19, 1999 VNN2880 See Related VNN Stories L.A. IRG Meeting - A Grand Success BY GAURIDASA PANDITA DASA USA, Jan 19 (VNN) — The L.A. IRG Meeting proved to be the biggest and most successful meeting regarding the guru issue in ISKCON since the 1990 first and only GBC debate in San Diego. The presence of so many old devotees and newer ritvik initiated devotees made such a spiritual impact that even Svavasa Prabhu the L.A. Temple president was dancing like I've never seen him in years at the ecstatic guru puja. Svavasa Prabhu did not attend the meeting though, nor did Badrinarayan Prabhu the GBC, who was in L.A. He was invited by Amoga Lila Prabhu and others but he said "I wouldn't even think of going to that meeting!" When Amoga Lila informed him of a dream he had from Srila Prabhupada saying that the ritviks were 90% right, Badrinarayan said, "I know that"! According to Amoga Lila. Amoga Lila addressed the meeting with more on his dreams and ascertained that the 10% that the ritviks may be wrong is that some of them say that there will not be another diksa guru after Srila Prabhupada. This is not propagated by the majority though. We say of course there can be more diksa gurus but they should do so in their own temples as Srila Prabhupada did. At the same time we can't take dreams as totally conclusive; the July 9th letter is! As already reported there were moving speeches by the Indian temple presidents and Navayogendra Swami, Yasodanandan Prabhu and many others. I had my young children to tend to so I couldn't speak but all of my updated reports "On My Behalf" with the facts of the matter were taken by the visiting devotees from all over the world. Krsnakant Prabhu put on an very impressive presentation; all of which is available on video. All of the questions were answered to everyone's satisfaction, even the anti-ritvik devotees in the crowd. This proved the case that by proper communication all problems can be solved and we can then cooperate to push on this great movement. Some of the GBC members tried to block the visas of some of the Indian devotees but they went to the Governor and got the visas at the last minute anyway by Krsna's mercy. Jayadvaja Maharaja translated for Rukmini Pati Prabhu, an ISKCON guru, that he accepted the final order of Srila Prabhupada and turned all of his initiates over to Srila Prabhupada, as ordered. Because he did this he has received a death threat from some of the fanatics in Brazil. We are sure that Krsna will protect him as he has the courage like Navayogendra Swami to do the right thing regardless of the consequences from the GBC. As Krsna says, "One who does good is never overcome by evil." Maniman Prabhu, the Vrindavan Temple President was told by Gopal Krsna Maharaja the GBC, that if he attended the LA meetings he would be removed as TP. He came anyway, depending on Srila Prabhupada and Krsna's mercy. A new IRG office will be formed in LA to help keep the Prabhupada-anugas united and attain our goal of convincing the GBC members of the fact that Srila Prabhupada did order the ritvik initiation system for the future of ISKCON. This will heal and reunite our movement for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya and make us all happy and begin to expand again as before with Srila Prabhupada, our commander in chief, in the center. Although all of the GBC's were invited to this meeting none of them showed up. As long as they keep their heads in the sand it will continue to be a difficult task to convince them to accept the Truth in this matter. More and more devotees are understanding the facts, but the GBC members refuse to even communicate. The momentum and time is on our side and ultimately they will have to respond to the ever-increasing requests of all of the devotees, shear- headed by the ISKCON Reform Group. Overall the meeting in LA was a grand success because it united so many old and new devotees behind one cause. More meetings will continue around the world until it snowballs into an avalanche that the GBC can't stop no matter how they try! Here is my conclusion and proposal to the GBC that is not an official IRG statement: - CONCLUSION - Srila Prabhupada wanted the ritvik initiation system to continue for the duration of ISKCON. This is what I personally heard him say many times while I served him in Vrindavan. This is all he talked about for the last six months before he went back to Godhead. This is what Srila Prabhupada ordered in the July 9th Newsletter to all temples and GBC's. I hope that the GBC will consider this evidence with an open mind and heart and then do the needful. After all, it's better late than never. Srila Prabhupada wants us all to be siksa gurus within ISKCON and if we want to be diksa gurus we should do so when we are qualified and have been ordered by His Divine Grace, but only in our own temples. This is the Vaisnava etiquette that Srila Prabhupada followed. Let us follow his example and preach cooperatively, on his behalf. - Proposal - Dear GBC Members, Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. In that the evidence shows that Srila Prabhupada, the Founder / Acharya of ISKCON ordered a ritvik initiation system to continue henceforward for ISKCON from the date of July 9th 1977, and a Newsletter was sent to all GBC's and Temple Presidents signed by Srila Prabhupada stating this order, the GBC body should act immediately to implement the ritvik initiation system. All previous GBC resolutions condemning the Ritvik initiation system should be retracted and an apology from the GBC members should be sent out to any and all devotees who may have been affected and/or offended by these resolutions. I pray that this request doesn't fall on the deaf ears of the GBC again. Yours in Srila Prabhupada's service, Gauridasa Pandita Dasa About the Author | Other VNN Stories by this Author See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/usa/US9901/US19-2880.html
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