“It also denies the validity of future gurus, providing only a questionable link to Krsna under the guidance of a select few.”
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Such disciples, whether demonic, devious or sincere, lose the spiritual authority which accrues to the sincere initiated follower of such a saintly person as Srila Prabhupada.”
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But fallen gurus and foolish GBCs, while sad, are a separate issue altogether. ”The Politics of Atheism
and the Parampara
from Jalakara das
Mundane wranglers and philosophical speculators puffed up with a false fund of knowledge claim that Prabhupada has transcended time and space and become a modern-day Christ figure complete with his own Pharisees and even a poison-theory calvary, as well as a self-appointed clergy ever-ready to pontificate over confidential instructions they have received from on high. Such covered atheists are ready and even eager to abandon the sublime Gaudiya Vaishnava parampara lineage from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in favor of their speculative spiritual universe.
Why do I use the term atheist to describe a philosophical phenomenon which has found wide adherence and sympathy within ISKCON? Because at its extreme, it advocates the termination of the parampara. As we worship Krsna through the parampara and not directly, its dismemberment effectively cuts our contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To close off the parampara at one end denies the possibility of a future acharya, effectively stopping it dead in its tracks. What to speak of a future acharya, it also denies the validity of future gurus, providing only a questionable link to Krsna under the guidance of a select few.
The Gaudiya Vaishnava ocean is a sublime nectarine environment richly inhabited with predecessor acharyas, diksha gurus, siksha gurus, disciples, Godbrothers, Godsisters, grand-disciples, temples, places of pilgrimage, literatures, deities, spiritual traditions, mantras, spiritual families and homes.
Our strength and our future is our past lineage, the parampara. Unique in this world, we move forward by looking back. We do not take a step forward unless it has already been taken. That is our mystery, our beauty and our strength. We exist to glorify the previous acharyas, and indeed all previous devotees, by our seva. We follow the path of the maha-jans. From time to time a great acharya may adjust the process slightly to accommodate the time, place and circumstances, and thus better glorify Lord Krsna, whose devotees we are, and our predecessors in the line, who have to wisely chalked out the path for us. But we do not of our own accord see ourselves worthy to make major changes to the parampara.
What to speak of the harshest change of all, the total termination of the parampara. The winding up, so to speak, of the Gaudiya Vaishnava mission. Under the conception of ritvik, the parampara stops at Prabhupada and goes no further. There is no one else in the line. It stops here, at least for 10,000 years. Of course, different ritviks say different things, so the one you talk to may say something else, which hardly makes for a cohesive theology. How has such an obviously impersonalist-inspired philosophy managed to get so far? One has the feeling that if Prabhupada were here he would have smashed it the way he smashed the gopi-bhava clique and the Prabhupada is God faction, the same way his predecessors smashed the bogus Nityanananda-vamsa.
Never mind that Prabhupada has the potency to initiate everyone for the next 10,000 years, even the next 100,000. That is not the point. Do you think Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur doesn't have this potency? Or Bhaktivenode Thakur, or Rupa Goswami? Why only Prabhupada? He never claimed this for himself. He presented himself as the humble servant of the previous acharyas, and we students imbibed that spirit. How then, in light of our long study of Prabhupada's teachings, have these impurities come upon us? It is the deluding potency of maya, pure and simple. We can conquer over all enemies, except ourselves. That is our defect.
This brings to mind ritvik philosophy carried to its logical conclusion.
Why can't anyone take initiation from any acharya in our line? For example, perhaps I'm a little tired being a grand-disciple under the thumb of all these puffed-up Prabhupada disciples. Therefore, I will take initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, then I will not only be senior to them, but a Godbrother to Srila Prabhupada as well! Thereafter, someone may try to rival that by becoming a disciple of Srila Bhaktivenode Thakur himself, thereby becoming an uncle to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. In these science-fiction scenarios, the sky is the limit.
Ah, they will argue, Prabhupada said he would do it, and the others didn't.
Therefore there is no chance of jumping over Prabhupada to the previous acharya. It is by his order.
But jumping over the previous acharya is precisely what Srila Prabhupada would never, ever do. A Vaishnava is never neglectful in ordinary dealings, what to speak in matters of the parampara. One does not think oneself better or greater than one's predecessors. It simply is not done. One might achieve more in terms of temples opened or books published or disciples initiated, but that is not how greatness is calculated. That is only part of doing one's duty and not being responsible for the results. A Vaishnava humbly offers the results of all work to Krsna, for the pleasure of Lord Krsna and the glorification of the previous acharyas. It's not a contest, and it's not a war. It's a sublime devotional rasa, well beyond the abilities of the materially contaminated to contemplate.
Would Prabhupada consider himself better than Srila Jagannath das Babaji or Srila Gourakishore? No. That is not how the Acharyas calculate. Mundane thinkers with no knowledge of the parampara or the spiritual etiquette which surrounds and embellishes it may make a different, materialistic calculation based on sense perception.
But these materialistic conceptions, tinged as they are with impersonalistic contamination, when put forward by bona-fide initiated disciples of Srila Prabhupada, merely serve to embarrass him in front of his predecessors in the parampara, who are living today, and not just in sound. Such disciples, whether demonic, devious or sincere, lose the spiritual authority which accrues to the sincere initiated follower of such a saintly person as Srila Prabhupada, and they become dis-empowered, with no position in any sphere. They become neither materialists nor transcendentalists. A disciple cannot with his imagination speculate on the motive and purpose of his guru maharaja. For the advanced disciple, to follow the order of the spiritual master is sufficient in and of itself. Nothing else is required. The disciple asks not for liberation or rewards in Vaikuntha, neither does he ask for rewards of materiel on this Earth. He merely asks the spiritual master for his order, and upon receiving that his heart is gladdened and he has no other goal or desire in life. Unrealistic you say? Utopian, no one can do that? Obsolete in this time and place?
But the parampara functions and works! It is working perfectly, even today: the most
efficient means for spiritual salvation available on the planet. Prabhupada didn't have to
change it or invent something new —he extended it, acting as the divine instrument of
the Thakurs, Bhaktisiddhanta and Bhaktivenode.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada made a few changes, such as sannyasis crossing the ocean
and riding in cars. Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada made some changes too, bowing down for
the prema-vani prayers, women initiated as Brahmanas and offering aratik, 16 rounds
instead of 64, etc. Acharya means he can use intelligence to make some small change that
is in keeping with the spirit of the parampara, meets with their approval and which will
embellish the practice and growth of Krsna consciousness. The acharya is, of course, in
touch with the previous achayras and receiving instruction from them.
However, a change as envisioned by the ritviks, the final termination of the parampara,
ostensibly of the plea that no fit candidates are available or will ever be available, is
actually an atheistic plot which is breathtaking in its scope and implications. On the
plea of restoring the movement to robust health and doing away with divisions which lead
to lack of equality, the ultimate result is actually the fragmentation and ultimate
dissolution of first the ISKCON movement and ultimately the parampara itself. Imagine a
disciple approaching Prabhupada for initiation and saying, "Initiate me or
else!" Well, when Prabhupada was physically with us, he at least had the nominal
option of refusing the candidate, which he sometimes, though rarely, did. But at least the
option was there. One could recommend or request, but the option to accept or reject was
Prabhupada's alone. And now, on the plea of clever lawyer-type writing by non-initiates,
the popular idea is to strip Prabhupada of this option and force him to take on the karma
of all sorts of new disciples for years to come. Initiation by threat, coercion,
intimidation. In so many ways they are saying, "If you don't initiate these
disciples, Srila Prabhupada, this movement will fall apart." And it goes further,
"If you do initiate these disciples this movement will fall apart!" This is
called force-majeure.
It is a political question that puts Srila Prabhupada in an impossible position.
Doubtless ritviks will bring forth so many arguments about how Prabhupada authorized this
and volunteered for it, that a great acharya can do this, it is for the best, the gurus
have shown themselves inept, the GBC is ham-fisted and impractical, it is the only
solution for saving ISKCON and the world, on and on and on.
But in the final analysis there are only two reasons why one supports the ritvik cause.
Either they have not thought it through to its logical conclusion, or, more ominously,
they have thought it through.
There are many reasons for one to be discontented and dissatisfied in ISKCON: there are
many wrongs which must be put right, and there are many ills that need to be cured. What
many perceive as an ill-conceived rush to guruness by some devotees and the falldown of
others has not helped. The tortoise-like pace on these matters by the GBC (sometimes
called the Gross Bodily Conception) and the canniness of the ritviks in re-christening
themselves as the only credible opposition within ISKCON has doubtless caused many who
would not normally take a second look at such a philosophy to align themselves with that
party. That has been the success of the ritviks and the failure of the GBC.
But fallen gurus and foolish GBCs, while sad, are a separate issue altogether. Tying those
together with ritvik and poison and unnecessary editing of books and child abuse merely
serves the ritvik purpose by blurring the whole picture and creating an atmosphere of
panic and dread. Neither on their own nor together do they make a compelling or even
prima-facie case for the total abandonment of the parampara.
Our leaders may be good, bad or indifferent, but they do not threaten the termination of
the parampara. The ritviks try for the superimposition of their philosophy by means of the
Prabhupada stalking horse over the vast majority of the worldwide Gaudiya mission. Just at
the time of our greatest triumph and expansion, they threaten to rob us of it. Even if I
am forced to admit that the GBC is a tyranny, the tyranny of the GBC is preferable to the
tyranny of the ritviks.
The Gaudiya ocean is rich and varied, full of diversity and nectar. The priceless
devotional advantages conveyed to the candidate by the benevolent and merciful parampara
and the blissful support network it consists of should not be lost because we, the
disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada did not have the
devotional insight to ponder these profound questions of our time and request and receive
guidance and insight from our gurudeva.
The fact that the parampara is under attack is not surprising. After all, they attacked
Bhaktisiddhanta on parikram in Vrndavan. The fact that we, the disciples, have done so
much to make these attacks possible, have done so little to remove the causes of
discontent that support these attacks and finally have so poorly refuted them, that is to
our discredit. For that we all must atone.
© CHAKRA 16-Mar-99
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