CONTENTS:
- SRILA PRABHUPADA, THE FOUNDER ACHARYA OF ISKCON
- QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. SRILA PRABHUPADA, THE FOUNDER ACHARYA OF ISKCON
oà ajïäna-timirändhasya
jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena
tasmai çré-gurave namaù
çré-Chaitanya-mano-'bhéñöaà
sthäpitaà yena bhü-tale
svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà
dadäti sva-padäntikam
çré-Krishna-Chaitanya
prabhu-nityänanda
çré-advaita gadädhara
çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda
hare Krsna hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna hare hare
hare räma hare räma
räma räma hare hare
Hare Krishna. guru Krishna prasade paye bhakti lata bija What is needed for all of us is to get bhakti and the bhakti is received by the mercy of the guru and we get the guru by the mercy of Krishna. And we all are very fortunate to find a guru like Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is the guru of ALL the devotees in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada is not the guru of only his disciples but Prabhupada is the guru of all the devotees of ISKCON of all times generation after generation, Prabhupada will remain the spiritual master that concept has been confirmed by Prabhupada being the founder Acharya of ISKCON. Prabhupada is not only the founder of ISKCON but Prabhupada is the Acharya of ISKCON. For many years we have been thinking about this concept, researching on this concept, trying to establish this concept in ISKCON but finally this year we have come out with a book written by Ravindra Svarupa prabhu ‘Srila Prabhupada the Founder Acharya’. Did they see the book here? Did anyone bring those books? Anyway, I will send the book let me know how many copies are needed.
And this book is actually the position paper of ISKCON meaning in ISKCON this concept has now been established through this book which is the presentation of ISKCON’s understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s position. And now we are considering the importance of implementing this concept throughout ISKCON and that’s why I am taking this opportunity to present it to you all. In the next few days, we will have a retreat somewhere nearby and there the main theme for the retreat is actually ‘Srila Prabhupada as the Founder Acharya of ISKCON’. Now is it some sentimental understanding or is its practical aspect of our institution? No, it is a reality. So, that is what I will try to establish now.
THE ASRAMA OF A GURU
Say for example a spiritual master generally has an asrama. Asrama is something like the school. Asrama is like a residential school or boarding school. They stay there and study there and that is how the guru teaches there. The disciple stays in the asrama and the guru teaches. And then when the guru retires, he hands over the asrama to his successor and if some other disciples want to function like a guru, then they can create their own asrama. Now Srila Prabhupada, not only Srila Prabhupada but Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Thakur and Srila Prabhupada, these three personalities in the line actually they saw the need to establish Krishna consciousness all over the world. How many of you know that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that the Krishna consciousness movement will spread in every town and village all over the world? Yes, so practically all of you know that.
WHO IS SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU?
Now who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now when the Supreme Personality of Godhead says something is it going to happen can His words go in vain? His words can NEVER go in vain. So, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said Krsna consciousness movement will spread all over the world in every town and village no matter how impossible it may sound, but it’s bound to happen. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur saw the need for that and saw the need to make that prediction become a reality. And so, he started to work on that but he was a big government officer so he didn’t have enough time to do that but what he did is, he wrote many books explaining the life, meaning and teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And he predicted, he also said a time will come when this movement will spread all over the world in every town and village and all the religions of the world will come under the umbrella of this Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtan movement.
NAMAHATA, THE MARKET PLACE OF THE HOLY NAME
And he also gave the blueprint of an institution called Namahata, which means the market place of the holy name and in that institution Bhaktivinoda Thakur did not want to become the head or the leader, he simply wanted to become a sweeper to clean the market place, to keep the market place clean. And he could see that he could not fulfil the prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself. Therefore, he prayed to Lord Jagannatha to send a qualified assistant to fulfil that mission. And as a result of that Lord Jagannatha sent Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur as his son. And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur established an institution called Gaudiya Mission. And he spread Krishna consciousness very effectively throughout India and he also designed a plan to spread Krishna consciousness outside of India. And as you all know when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur first met Srila Prabhupada in 1922 he told Prabhupada, how many of you know what he told Srila Prabhupada?
THE SEED WAS PLANTED
So that way we can see that how much he wanted to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world because he knew that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction will become a reality and he planted the seed of that mission in the heart of Srila Prabhupada. And what did Srila Prabhupada do? Srila Prabhupada planted that seed very wonderfully in his heart. That was in 1922. But when did Srila Prabhupada go to America, go to the western world? In 1965, it took the seed to grow into a tree 43 years and then what happened? Srila Prabhupada went to America and in ten years’ time Srila Prabhupada spread Krishna consciousness all over the world.
THE MOST AMAZING MIRACLE
Actually this is the most amazing miracle that happened in the world. How long did it take Christianity to spread throughout the world? You all are coming from Christian background so you must know. It took 400 years to start the preaching of Jesus’s teaching. Who started to spread Christianity? The Roman counsel Constantine and Constantine came about 430 A.D. After 430 years after Jesus Christ and then yes, he spread it. He is the one who established the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to that earlier Christians were prosecuted so badly by the Romans. They were living in Catacombs, undergrounds. And sometimes to watch fun those early Christians were thrown in the mouth of lions. Anyway, so we can see that it took Christianity a long time to spread all over the world. Like as the colonials went after Columbus found the water way then Vasco Dagama went to India and that is how they started to take Christianity to the outside world, apart from Asia minor and Europe. Anyway the point is it took Christianity 1500 years to spread. How long did Islam take to spread all over the world? Also about seven to eight hundred years and that also they established with the strength of the sword either take it or else. But the Hare Krishna movement how long did it take to spread all over the world? How many? Yes, 10 years. Prabhupada started the Krishna consciousness movement in 1966 in America and Prabhupada left in 1977.
SRILA PRABHUPADA DID NOT FORCE ANYONE
So isn’t it a miracle? And Prabhupada did not force anyone; Prabhupada did not bribe anyone to take to Krishna Consciousness. It was simply through the value of its own that ISKCON has been established. So today we may not understand but a time will come when the world will recognize that this is the greatest miracle that has ever happened. Now we can see that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Thakur and Srila Prabhupada knew that they won’t be able to fulfil that mission of spreading Krishna consciousness in every town and village in one lifetime, in their lifetime. That’s why both of them actually recognized the need for an institution. An institution that will hold all the members together and spread Krishna consciousness. Therefore before leaving the planet SrilaBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur told his leading disciple to collectively manage the institution through a governing body and continue the mission. Yes and he did not say anything about who will be the next Acharya. He did not appoint any Acharya and he didn’t say anything about the need for an Acharya.
But unfortunately after his disappearance some of his leading disciples felt that how can a spiritual organization run by a bunch of managers. For a spiritual institution we need a spiritual head or an Acharya. So they appointed an Acharya but unfortunately that Acharya fell down and when the Acharya falls down, then what happens? The whole structure collapses. And Srila Prabhupada mentioned once they appointed the Acharya, the Acharya fell down, then everybody wanted to become the Acharya. And they continued their spiritual life; most of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s seniors disciples, sannyasis they carried on; they had their own asrama, temple; they had a few disciples they carried on with their spiritual life but the mission of spreading Krishna consciousness effectively all over the world came to a grinding halt. Because the institution was not there; the institution collapsed.
SRILA PRABHUPADA THE ONLY ONE
Now Srila Prabhupada was the only one out of all of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s disciples who understood his mission. And Srila Prabhupada what did he want to do? He went to America and all his life he was struggling to go to the West then finally at the age of seventy he goes to the West. And at first, when there was an opportunity to preach Krishna consciousness in America in New York, Srila Prabhupada invited his God brothers: “Please come; let us fulfill our mission of spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. Please come; let’s work together to fulfil the desire of our spiritual master.” But no one came.
SRILA PRABHUPADA ESTABLISHED ISKCON IN 1966
Therefore Prabhupada had to continue alone with a handful of disciples and Prabhupada established the “International Society for Krishna consciousness” in 1966. And Srila Prabhupada gave the absolute emphasis on the institution. He did not put himself in the centre. He kept himself at the back and he just wanted Krishna to be the center. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
At that time many Indian spiritual leaders went to America and started to also preach their thing and they all set up their institutions by their own names. Like all those institutions were named after their names like Cinmaya mission, Bala Yogi, Mahesh Yogi they all were the personality cult. But Srila Prabhupada’s mission was Krishna Consciousness, Hare Krishna movement. So much so that even in Mayapur and in Vrindavan they don’t recognize who is the person behind ISKCON movement, Hare Krishna movement. Even now they call the temple in Mayapur as sahib math. Sahib means the temple of the English men. They don’t recognize that it was Srila Prabhupada who actually set up this mission. Why? Because Prabhupada wanted the institution to be established, not himself. But Prabhupada made it very clear that in order to establish the institution, in order to keep the institution together and function properly after his disappearance, there is a need to have the head of the institution and the managing structure of the institution.
And the most important consideration was the need of the institution. As long as Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was on the planet everything was going on very nicely. The trouble started when he left the planet. He actually wanted that after he left the institution should continue the mission but unfortunately his leading disciples couldn’t understand that. And as a result of that the institution disintegrated. And Srila Prabhupada emphatically told us: ‘Don’t make the same mistake that my God brothers made after my Guru Maharaja’s disappearance” and he pointed out that, he wanted, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur wanted to manage the institution collectively and not appoint any head. And Srila Prabhupada made it very clear that he is going to be the head. No one is going to take his position. Is it necessary? Yes. It is not that Prabhupada wanted to aggrandize himself by being the Founder Acharya but he wanted this concept to be properly established for the benefit of the Krishna consciousness movement.
And we saw in Gaudiya Math what happened. What did Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur want? He didn’t want anybody to become the Acharya, meaning after him somebody to take his position. Yes he wanted the institution to continue the mission. And he wanted the institution should be managed collectively through the governing body. So in ISKCON the mission continues to expand even after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance. Now I will make one point very clear that the Gaudiya Mission, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s mission disintegrated soon after Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s disappearance. Why did it disintegrate? They didn’t want to function collectively rather they wanted to become THE BIG LEADER. Now Srila Prabhupada pointed out: No! Collectively manage the institution. So much so that before leaving the planet do you know what was one of the most important instructions of Srila Prabhupada?
“YOUR LOVE FOR ME WILL BE SHOWN BY HOW YOU COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER” ONE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA’S MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with each other. So meaning if he who doesn’t love Srila Prabhupada. Is there anybody in ISKCON who doesn’t love Srila Prabhupada? Now how do we have to express our love for Srila Prabhupada? Through our cooperation. Now what does this cooperation mean? Work together through the institution. Now you know how long it took for Gaudiya Math to disintegrate after Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s disappearance? It started after the feud, the conflict started after a few weeks, then it took a few months to disintegrate, whereas with ISKCON, 37 years after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance, ISKCON is still together and ISKCON is expanding. In this last 35 to 40 years did ISKCON grow or did ISKCON diminish? What is your understanding? When Srila Prabhupada left the planet there were 108 temples. You know how many temples ISKCON has today? More than 500 and it is expanding; it is growing.
When Srila Prabhupada was here the communist countries in Europe were completely behind the iron curtain; devotees couldn’t even function there. Today Krishna consciousness is booming in Russia. The east European countries are the most effective in Krishna consciousness today. Now how this is happening? Because of Srila Prabhupada’s divine arrangement of establishing ISKCON. So as I was explaining in the beginning the guru teaches in his asrama and in that respect ISKCON is an asrama. In early days the asrama used to be small in some remote corner with a guru with a few disciples but this asrama of ISKCON has spread all over the world. And was it necessary to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. Don’t we need an asrama that has spread all over the world? Now the question is whose asrama is ISKCON?
WHOSE ASRAMA IS ISKCON?
ISKCON is Srila Prabhupada’s asrama. Did Srila Prabhupada appoint any successor for ISKCON? No, Srila Prabhupada did not appoint any successor, rather Srila Prabhupada made it clear that he would be The Founder Acharya, so that we don’t make the same mistake that they made in Gaudiya Math. So, Srila Prabhupada is The Acharya of ISKCON, although Srila Prabhupada left the planet, Srila Prabhupada will continue to be the Acharya. Just as in the institution of Christianity who is the Founder Acharya? Jesus Christ. Is he present on the planet? But still isn’t he the Acharya, the head? In the Islam institution who is The Founder Acharya? Mohammad. Similarly, in ISKCON Srila Prabhupada is going to be the Founder Acharya or The Head of the institution for all time. And Srila Prabhupada pointed out that this institution should be managed through the collective concept of management through the governing body. So, this is what we are trying to make everybody understand in ISKCON. So, was it a very heavy discussion today? Was it difficult to understand? Was it important to understand?
And did you understand? Very good. Now if you have any question you may ask.
2. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: It was a very enlightening talk, Maharaja, in this regard Prabhupada also gave instructions that his disciples should become gurus. Now when Prabhupada said that they should become gurus, it is some section of devotees they understand to be siksa guru?
A: No, not only, are there diksa gurus but both Diksa and siksa are needed but the thing is that both the the gurus, diksa and siksa must function under the institution of ISKCON. Not that because they have become gurus they have inherited ISKCON. No. Like they function under the institution and the governing structure of ISKCON that’s how the ISKCON gurus should function and the gurus function is to become the via medium. Generally the guru is a via-medium between his disciple and Krishna but in ISKCON it is disciple, Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. Like the gurus of ISKCON, what they are doing? They are acting as a via medium between their disciples and Srila Prabhupada. They are giving Srila Prabhupada’s teachings to them explaining or clarifying Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and they are securing them in Srila Prabhupada’s asrama, ISKCON, right? And this way they are eventually coming to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada is giving them Krishna. The gurus are giving Krishna through Srila Prabhupada not directly Krishna, guru and disciple. And as a guru myself I can tell you that makes my job very easy
Q: So Maharaja now is it when Prabhupada said that his disciples should act as gurus, so you now whatever you said, in this context what I understand is: is it implied that when Prabhupada says guru, it means both included, it is implied?
A: Well, yes we have to understand. It is not implied. It is a matter of understanding. The understanding is say if I had my own asrama, yes if I had my own asrama then I could function in a different way. I could become a via-medium between my disciples and Krishna. But I don’t have my asrama; I belong to the asrama of ISKCON which belongs to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON has a structure which is giving in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. By Srila Prabhupada’s arrangement it is giving protection to the devotees. And by Srila Prabhupada’s arrangement devotees are getting the opportunity to make advancement in spiritual life. So what I am doing is: I am functioning within that structure. I do not have to train all my disciples myself. I am just helping them to get connected to ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada and this structure is giving them all the facilities in the form of ISKCON. Like I am functioning you see I am not having my asrama, I am functioning within the asrama of ISKCON which Srila Prabhupada arranged.
I will just give you an example. Say in Malaga I have a few disciples. If ISKCON was not there could I dare to give initiation to disciples here where I come only once a year at the most? Then I go to South Africa; then I go to Australia then I go to Europe, Italy, Switzerland, Germany. Now will it be possible to accept disciples and train them and if I could not train them would it have been appropriate for me to give them initiation? But today how do I dare to give initiation to the devotees in different parts of the world? Because I know ISKCON is there and ISKCON will give them the protection and direction and the guidance, right? Otherwise I had to have my asrama in Malaga, I had to have my asrama in Switzerland and which wouldn’t have been possible and Srila Prabhupada has created everything for us and we simply have to take advantage of that.
And that’s why it is important that those who approach me, I tell them that look my business is to connect you to Srila Prabhupada and situate you in ISKCON. Yes, you are my disciple but actually Srila Prabhupada is your real guru and who would not want to be connected to Srila Prabhupada? Just today Hari Narayana was telling me if he had come one year earlier then he could be initiated by Srila Prabhupada and I think all the devotees, you know in a way feel that way: had I come ten years earlier I could have been initiated by Srila Prabhupada. Had I come hundred years earlier I could have been initiated by Srila Prabhupada. This feeling will always be there in the heart of the devotees and tell me how they will feel when you say that you are initiated or you are Prabhupada’s disciple? I am just a via-medium and I am taking you to Srila Prabhupada. Somebody can ask how do you feel about that Vinod Vihari? VinodVihari das: I feel very safe. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Very good. Feel very safe. What about you Priyavrata? Priyavrata das I feel very happy to be connected to ISKCON and very happy also to be initiated by Your Divine Grace, Your Holiness and I also feel very safe to be in ISKCON.
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: And I am also very happy to connect you to Srila Prabhupada I think that’s how the devotees, you know, feel. They feel so secured, so safe. We can say in this respect quite a few gurus in ISKCON have fallen down. Now if their disciples had that understanding then their real shelter is Prabhupada then they wouldn’t have left ISKCON after their guru fell down. And many of you here like at least like Hari-Narayana, Dharmaraja, have gone through few falling gurus. Also Madhavipriya but their spiritual life is safe. What is the secret Hari-Narayana? Connection to Srila Prabhupada; connection to ISKCON. They didn’t think oh because my guru fell down my spiritual life is finished. HariNarayana all along had been telling me that I came for Srila Prabhupada. Thank you very much.
Q: So, in this aspect can you put some light on the finer technicalities of siksa and diksa?
A: Diksa is the process by which one receives the mantra. But again the Hare Krishna mantra, mantra has been given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, so, Hare Krishna maha mantra doesn’t need diksa but there is another aspect of diksa that is: at the time of diksa a disciple submits to guru and Krishna accepts him at that time. And so that’s why for the sake of surrender which is the beginning of spiritual life, diksa is necessary. So that is the role of the diksa guru. You see disciple begins to associate with the sadhus, vaisnavas, devotees. And then he develops faith in one of the sadhus and officially surrenders to him and that is the role of the diksa guru and then siksa is the spiritual enlightenment. So those who are giving the instructions they are siksa gurus. Now diksa guru has to be present but siksa guru may not be present. Like, although Srila Prabhupada is not present on the planet, Srila Prabhupada is the siksa guru of all the devotees of ISKCON. Just as although Rupa Goswami is not present on the planet he is the siksa guruof all the Gaudiya vaishnavas.
3. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet, which are my eternal shelter.
Today I want to inform you about a glorious achievement. This year we have successfully established and permanently secured your position in ISKCON as its founder-Acharya. For many years many of us in ISKCON were seriously thinking about this need, and finally through the authority structure of the GBC body, we have been able to establish your position in ISKCON as its spiritual head for all time. You often said that to effectively preach Krishna consciousness all over the world there is need for an institution, and through our practical experience we realized that to hold that institution together and make it function effectively we need Your Divine Grace as its permanent head, along with a governing body to collectively manage its affairs.
Ever since your departure we have faced many, many difficulties. You yourself cautioned us that after an Achayra leaves the planet there will inevitably be crises. How could we expect that after the disappearance of an Acharya like Your Divine Grace we would not face any crises? However, we also noticed that just by putting Your Divine Grace in the centre we could overcome those difficulties quite easily. We began to realize that it is our love for you that will hold us together and enable this movement to sail through troubled waters. Through those difficulties we realized that the secret of success lay in establishing your position as the founder-Acharya of this glorious ISKCON institution.
Eventually, in 2006, the GBC decided to strategically establish your position in ISKCON by forming a subcommittee called “The Srila Prabhupada Position Committee.” For seven years we, the members of that committee, met twice a year to discuss how to formally and effectively establish your unique position in ISKCON and thus fulfill the prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Finally, after profound deliberation and extensive research, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has brilliantly written a book called Srila Prabhupada—The Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. Before final publication, the book was scrutinized by all GBC members and scholarly devotees of our movement, and after we had taken their thoughtful input into consideration, the book was printed and has been authorized by the GBC body as an official position paper of ISKCON.
Now we want to distribute this book all over the world to educate the devotees about their relationship with you as the principal spiritual factor for their spiritual progress. In this way, all the members of ISKCON should become joyfully aware that all their relationships in ISKCON are centered around you. The devotees of ISKCON, generation after generation, will see you as their preeminent siksa guru, and thus your teachings will be the guiding factor for all. In fact, everyone can see that this has already become a reality: all the Bhagavatam classes in the temples are conducted on the basis of your Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the Gita classes are based on your Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Your books and teachings are the very foundation of our movement. Who could ever fail to recognize that?
The book by Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has inspired sincere devotees so much that they have started to consider how to implement its purpose in a practical way. For example, during the last GBC meeting Jayapataka Maharaja proposed that when a devotee decides to seriously take up the process of Krishna consciousness by chanting sixteen rounds and following the four regulative principles, he should commit himself to you through some official ceremony that will also include a fire sacrifice.
Sometimes devotees express their concern that too much glorification of Your Divine Grace may foster a misconception that your position is on the same level as that of the Supreme Lord, which is a deviant philosophy that you very much resented. But we do not see the propagation of such a philosophy as a realistic possibility in ISKCON because through your books and lectures you have given us a crystal-clear understanding of the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to my perception, the misunderstanding that developed in the early days of ISKCON, which you considered the result of a conspiracy, arose because the devotees at that time did not have the depth of spiritual understanding to discriminate between visëu-tattva and jīva-tattva. Now that ISKCON has become firmly established on the solid ground of a very clear spiritual understanding of sambandha-jnana, that possibility is extremely remote.
Srila Prabhupada, today I feel very happy that we have been able to systematically establish your position in ISKCON as its founder Acharya for as long as ISKCON exists. Although you wanted this concept to be firmly established in ISKCON, you did not want it for your personal aggrandizement but for the benefit of the entire world.
We have seen that in the past the Gaudiya Math fell apart because its leaders failed to keep Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in the centre as its founder-Acharya and thus disregarded his prime directive to manage the institution collectively under a GBC. If they had, then you would not have had to create your own institution. You would have been happy functioning as a member of that glorious institution. It was extremely unfortunate that the Gaudiya Math had to go that way, but through the mistake of those devotees we learned the real secret of spreading Krishna consciousness most effectively all over the world.
Srila Prabhupada, please continue to bless us so that we can remain as your loyal servants in your ISKCON and become effectively engaged in fulfilling the prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Your humble servant eternally,
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami
(Offering written by HH Bhakti Charu Swami for Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja on 18th August 2014)
4. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- Srila Prabhupada is not the guru of only his disciples but Prabhupada is the guru of ALL the devotees of ISKCON of ALL times generation after generation;
- Srila Prabhupada has created everything for us and we simply have to take advantage of that;
- ISKCON is Srila Prabhupada’s asrama. Did Srila Prabhupada appoint any successor for ISKCON? NO, Srila Prabhupada did not appoint any successor, rather Srila Prabhupada made it clear that he would be The Founder Acharya, so that we don’t make the same mistake that they made in Gaudiya Math;
- Both the the gurus, diksa and siksa must function under the institution of ISKCON. Not that because they have become guru they have inherited ISKCON. No, they function under the institution and the governing structure of ISKCON that’s how the ISKCON gurus should function and the guru function is to become the via medium;
- My business is to connect you to Srila Prabhupada and situate you in ISKCON. Yes, you are my disciple but actually Srila Prabhupada is your real guru; and
- Although Srila Prabhupada is not present on the planet, Srila Prabhupada is the siksa guru of all the devotees of ISKCON.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on a Lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami entitled “Srila Prabhupada, The Founder-Acharya Of ISKCON” in ISKCON Malaga, Spain on 14th July 2014)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)