Hare Krishna, Prabhus, obeisances, all glories to SrilaPrabhupada. Please permit me to recommend some articles of interest,pertaining to these topics: —

WHETHER SRILA PRABHUPADA BROKE WITH TRADITION, CONTRADICTINGSHASTRA (The argument of “NO PRECEDENT”)

More Vaishnava Acharyas Accept Ritvik   – Madhu Pandit das

“There are several suchinstances in Sri Vaishnava Parampara (tradition). Take the example ofSri Ramanujacharya himself, who was the foremost amongst theSrivaishnavacharyas. He was initiated into the Srivaishnava texts andsecrets by five great acharyas who are the disciples of AcharyaYamuna. That is why is called Panchacharya Pradarshita. Though he wasa disciple of these five Acharyas, just like the Ritviks appointed byHH Srila Prabhupada ji, these ritviks never claimed that they were theAcharyas of Ramanujacharya.”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/Sri-Sam-rittvik231107.php)

SrilaPrabhupada is Shastra -Praghosa das

“[Prabhupada] IS THE SHASTRA.THE SHASTRA IS ONLY RELEVANT IF IT AUTHENTICATES THE REALITY OF THEFULL INDEPENDENCE OF THE LORD AND HIS PURE LOVINGDEVOTEES!!”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/shastra190908.php)

Whatare the Shastras? – Hansaduttadas

“In one essay [ThakurBhaktivinode] Srila Bhaktisiddhanta says, ‘What are the shastras? Theyare nothing but the words of the devotees (pure devotees) orsadhus.'”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/shastra210908.php)

Formalities – MaheshRaja

“ALL Srila Prabhupada did waschange FORMALITIES in the way initiation was to be conducted in firstand second initiations: ‘The formalities may be slightly changed hereand there to make them Vaisnavas.'”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/rittvik-formalities190908.php)

Last MinuteThoughts – Hansaduttadas

“If Srila Prabhupada isshaktavesha avatar (which we do recognise that he factually is), hecan do anything, and it becomes LAW. Because the fully liberated soulis always in touch with Krishna, whatever he does or says is shastra,law, absolute, non-different from Krishna. Because we do notunderstand does not mean it is incorrect.

‘Except for God, no one canestablish the principles of religion. Either He or a suitable personempowered by Him can dictate the codes of religion.’-purport,Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43

Many things were never done before.Ramanujacharya engaged dacoits for collection, then had them killed.Madhvacharya pummeled his opponents. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sang anddanced in public–never done before by sannyasis . Buddha rejected theVedas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada created a GBC to manage hispreaching mission, leaving no successor acharya , as was traditionallydone. Srila Prabhupada made the same arrangement. In both instances,the order was disobeyed, and in both instances the result was thesame–chaos, confusion and disintegration of the Acharya’s mission.Great acharyas like Srila Prabhupada do establish the principles ofreligion according to time, place andcircumstances.”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/SPMAY11.html)

WHETHER WE NEED A LIVING GURU

Living Guru – Hansaduttadas

“What is your idea of living? Amoving body? A warm body? The body is never living. It is the soul,the spirit within the body. … ‘You need a living guru.’ What do theymean by ‘living’? Do they mean to say that Srila Prabhupada is dead?Do they mean to say that Krishna is dead? Lord Chaitanya is dead?Vyasadeva is dead?

“If you say we need to have someone physically present givinginstructions, that also is not a fact. That is helpful, but it is nota fact. It is not a fact. Because there are many examples of boys andgirls who received Srila Prabhupada’s books, and although he was notphysically present, by reading and capturing the spirit, they becameawakened to Krishna consciousness. It is not true that I need a livingbody through which this message, this spirit will come. It will comethrough the book, or it may come through the sincereservant…”

(http://www.bhaktivedantas.com/ART_NAMHATTA/livingguru180309.php)

QUESTION OF BREAKING THE PARAMPARA

LastMinute Thoughts – Hansaduttadas

“First of all, neither SrilaPrabhupada nor we say guru parampara should be abandoned. Rather,Srila Prabhupada has given specific instructions how it should becontinued and its integrity preserved.

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Dear   Bhagvatamrita Prabhu,

Please   accept my humble obeisance’s. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

You asked yesterday why one would list Srila   Prabhupada as a “sannyasi” in the MOA of Iskcon-India, rather than the”   Founder Acharya” as Srila Prabhupada has originally listed. This happened   around 1980 by a commission of the Bureau of Iskcon-India. You say it was for   legal purposes? I begged to submit that this commission may not just be a   simple legal maneuver but a symptom of the still ongoing conspiracy to remove   Srila Prabhupada as the Founder Acharya of Iskcon and replace others   unlawfully in that position.

FOUNDER   ACHARYA OF ISKCON-HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C.

BHAKTIVEDANTA   SWAMI SRILA PRABHUPADA

 This   point of Srila Prabhupada being the FOUNDER-ACHARYA of Iskcon is very   pertinent and important. The quotations, examples and even attempts to remove   Srila Prabhupada as the Founder-Acharya were there even when Srila Prabhupada   was with us, what to speak of after His samadhi or in this case within the   official documents which are now being scrutinized by the Supreme Court in the   case between the Bureau of Iskcon-Mumbai vs. Iskcon Bangalore.

For   the time being we will leave most of those historical quotes and incidents   aside, besides the few quoted below, just to give the gist. As i hope we both   agree that Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acharya of Iskcon? Correct? Not   only Founder but Acharya! The principle of who is the Acharya,   and how one becomes Acharya is the subject of another discussion (such as my   claim that a Acharya has to be an Uttama adhikari and your claim that the   Acharya can be a Madhyam Adhikari !) . We will confine this dialog to   establishing the eternal principle of Srila Prabhupada as the FOUNDER-ACHARYA   of ISKCON, which did not cease in November of 1977, nor did Srila Prabhupada   ever intend that He would not be the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON after His   samadhi. Did He? If you disagree, then please show where and when  the principle of Srila Prabhupada being   the FOUNDER & ACHARYA of ISKCON ceases to be the principle?

A   few quotes from Srila Prabhupada on His being Founder-Acharya:

“So   you can go ahead and register our Society there with taking all proper and   necessary steps. Before the finalization of registration takes place I would   request you to send me one copy of the constitution for our society there so I   can approve it finally. My name should be there as the Founder-Acharya, A.C.   Bhaktivedanta Swami. I should have full authority in all matters. ” (Letter   December 29th, 1974)

note: Srila Prabhupada still has the “full   authority” through His books, Letters and Conversations as well as His   Directives of Management of His Society.

“The   Ambassador of the United States of America, Canakya Puri, New   Delhi May it please Your Excellency, I beg to introduce myself as the   Founder-Acharya of the above institution.”

(Letter   to the Ambassador of the United States of America dated 27, July, 1976   -Delhi)

”   “The deed for the property and temple should be made in favor of “His Divine   Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the   International Society for Krishna Consciousness.” It cannot be dedicated to   any of the office bearers. So I suggest that you become the president of the   temple and Upendra become the secretary, and either your brother or your wife   can become treasurer. There is no need of trustees. But in any circumstance   the temple can’t be a private property in the name of ISKCON. If you want to   keep it a private property then the ISKCON name should not be   utilized.”

(Letter   – New Vrindavna June 30, 1976)

Letter   signed by Srila Prabhupada on September 28th, 1976;

“A.C.   Bhaktivedanta Swami Founder Acharya ISKCON (all over the   world) Vrindaban 28/9/76”

“I   am not going to manage Spiritual Sky. This is ridiculous. Why they are   dragging me into the management. Now the Acharya is meant for handling   business? Jayatirtha should handle this. He is the manager. Jayatirtha and   Karandhar are the chief men. They should manage. Why I have to manage? They   have big, big brains. Why they are failing? Now the Founder-Acharya has to   manage. Without my consent the BBT has financed.” (Vrindvana Agust 31st,   1974)

“TOPMOST   URGENCY AMENDMENTS TO BE IMMEDIATELY ADDED TO ALL OFFICIAL REGISTRATION   DOCUMENTS, CONSTITUTIONS, INCORPORATION PAPERS,   ETC.

1.)      It is declared that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is   the Founder-Acharya of (ISKCON) International Society for Krishna   Consciousness. He is the supreme authority in all matters of the society. His   position cannot be occupied by anyone else, and his name and title must appear   on all documents, letterheads, publications, and buildings of the   Society. In particular it shall be clearly understood that no real estate   may be purchased or sold by any officer of the Society without the express   permission of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the   Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.

2.)    There shall be a   Governing Board Committee of trustees appointed by the Founder-Acharya His   Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad according to the document   Direction of Management dated July 28, 1970. The GBC is to act as the   instrument for the execution of the will of His Divine Grace Srila   Prabhupad. Dated at New York, July 22, 1974. Approved: A.C.   Bhaktivedanta Swami Founder-Acharya”

“As   more publications arrive from ISKCON Press in Boston, Prabhupäda is startled   to see they have printed His name on one small paperback simply as A.C.   Bhaktivedanta, leaving out “His Divine Grace” and “Swami Prabhupäda.” Another   booklet ascribes him the title “Acharya” rather than “Founder-Acharya.” If   that’s not bad enough, upon opening the book the binding cracks and some of   the pages fall out. Prabhupäda is furious.” “It appears that a veil of   mäyä descended over ISKCON in 1970. Seemingly innocent mishaps, or lapses in   consciousness, led Srila Prabhupäda to conclude there was a conspiracy to   minimize His position as the Founder-Acharya of His own institution. He   understood that he was being pushed into the background—that his supreme   authority was being challenged, even doubted, and that this would be dangerous   for the spiritual well being of his disciples. This was the first major   heresy on a societal level in Prabhupäda’s young movement. At the heart of the   heresy, of course, was the direct challenge to his authority, which, he   believed, originated in India. Even though it seemed to begin with seemingly   harmless incidents, Prabhupäda immediately saw the potential for the   corruption of Vaisnava philosophy.” “July   7 1970 as quoted in the biography) S

In the above   historical reference Srila Prabhupada has taken special concern that the   minimization of Him as the Founder Acharya would be “dangerous for the   spiritual well being of His disciples”. How many 1,000’s of sincere souls have   had their spiritual lives destroyed because they could not accept Srila   Prabhupada as their Founder-Acharya and instead had to accept a conditioned   soul as the Acharya due to institutionalized mandates?

Another point I was   thinking is this. If a person admits that they are fallen, then there is the   possibility of undertaking the process of Krsna consciousness and becoming   un-fallen. After all, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is “patita pavana”. And Srila   Prabhupada is ”maha-patita-pavana”. But is someone artifically proclaims   themself, or allows themself to be proclaimed, as a pure devotee/Acarya, and   accepts worship, while actually being fallen, it is a great offence. And there   is no possibility of such a person getting the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.   What they are doing is what the Srimad-Bhagavatam calls ”kaitava dharma”, or   “cheating religion”, which is rejected by Srimad-Bhagavatam and all our   Vaisnava acaryas. Think about it.

Srila   Prabhupada describes below his vision as to how he wants to structure and   operate (Materially and Spiritually) ISKCON. This letter is dated February   1967. Thus may understand that HDG Srila Prabhupada was very clear in the   beginning days of ISKCON about the model he wanted to use for the future   development and operation of ISKCON.

Srila   Prabhupada:   “I wish that each and every branch shall keep their separate identity and   cooperate keeping the Acharya in the center. On this principle we can   open any number of branches all over the world. The Rama Krishna mission works   on this principle and thus as an organization they have done   wonderfully.”

(Letter,   February 11, 1967)

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