1 Reform or Restore the Guru? Prepared for the G.B.C, Mayapur 1999

2 ISKCON was set up in 1966 with ‘16 rounds and 4 regs’ as the standard To CHANGE this requires an ORDER from the ISKCON’s SUPREME AUTHORITY

3 ISKCON was set up in 1966 with Srila Prabhupada as the Diksa Guru To CHANGE this requires an ORDER from the SUPREME AUTHORITY in ISKCON

4 The GBC has been established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to represent Him in carrying out the responsibility of managing the International Society for Krsna Consciousness of which He is the Founder-Acarya and SUPREME AUTHORITY. The GBC accepts as its life & soul His divine instructions and recognises that it is completely dependent on His mercy in all respects. The GBC has no other function or purpose other than to execute the instructions so kindly given by His Divine Grace and preserve and spread His Teachings to the world in their pure form” (Definition of GBC, Resolution 1, GBC minutes 1975)

5 Thus changing ISKCON’s guru system requires a specific ORDER from Srila Prabhupada: ‘Tradition’,‘what always happens’, or ‘what Gaudiya Matha does’ etc. not good enough

6 1. Need order FOR change? 2. Need to know WHAT that change is. If 1&2 exists -> New Guru(s) replace Srila Prabhupada

7 1. Order for change? Evidence offered: a) ‘Become Guru’ b) ‘Appt Tape’ c) ‘Law of Disciplic Succession’ d) Parampara stops

8 a) ‘Become Guru’ but to replace Srila Prabhupada : i) Specifically need to accept disciples ii) Can ONLY happen after departure iii) Guru must ONLY be a Maha-bhagavata (Madhya 24:330)

9 But ‘become guru’ states: i.) “Best not to accept any disciples” (Madhya 7:130) ii) Given in present tense - not linked to departure iii) ‘There is no need of qualification’ (Lecture, 21/5/76)

10 b) ‘Appt Tape’ “On my Order [...] Be ACTUALLY Guru BUT by my order [...] His Grand-disciple... WHEN I order ‘you become guru’” STATES PRINCIPLE THAT CHANGE OCCURS ONLY ON ORDER

11 C) ‘Law of Disciplic Succession’ “... In his absence or disappearance you CAN accept disciples without limitation.” Simply states PRINCIPLE of WHEN change POSSIBLE

12 d) Parampara Stops Parampara Principle - Knowledge must come from Disciplic Succession SP is in the disciplic succession and still current Disseminates knowledge via his books NO evidence WHY, HOW & WHEN SP STOPPED being current - only if this is shown can we be accused of stopping the parampara. SP states repeatedly that knowledge transmission not blocked by physical factors

13 LEVEL 1 - PROOF NO ORDER FOR CHANGE -> SO NO CHANGE

14 2. WHAT Change Required No evidence put forward - only proposals Zonal Acharya MASS DDG - Bombay, Radhadesh, Malaysia etc “Self-effulgent Acharya” Pancaratrika-Guru ‘Deliverer and instrumental’ gurus

15 History of different speculations: System Status of ‘initiator’ Vs Srila Prabhupada Zonal Much Greater M.A.S.S Greater D.D.G. - Proposed Less No Change - Correct Minimal Speculations all moving towards ‘No Change’ anyway - > thus only matter of time before reform complete; need to keep up pressure

16 Proposals - All varied, all use same evidence Aim simply to REPLACE SP & ACCOMMODATE us Only DEGREE differs

17 Thus actually only TWO camps: CHANGE NO CHANGE ‘No change’ camp cannot have differences - as simply continuation of exactly what already there. Thus we are not ‘Radicals’ - we are the true TRADITIONALISTS ‘Change-vadis’ are the ones who have introduced something new and unauthorised in ISKCON

18 Variation occurs because NO instructions for WHAT change given by SP - so simply speculation No instructions for HOW Guru system operates - ONLY example is SP himself - but this ONE system GBC already rejected - Zonal Acharya system

19 So SP proposed Gurus without telling us how they behave, their level of worship, etc. etc., so we have to speculate or ask Gaudiya Matha???????? Or ask US?!!!!! This further evidence that Change itself was NOT proposed

20 Level 2 Proof No evidence for WHAT change SO NO CHANGE

21 But SP also GAVE instructions FOR NO CHANGE July 9th letter Will - “No Change”, “My Initiated disciple” Other - “continue”, “for the future” etc. Appt Tape - “No longer with us” Books - Only pre 1977 system mentioned

22 LEVEL 3 - PROOF: Actual ORDERS to continue NO CHANGE SO LEVEL 3 RE-ENFORCES LEVELS 1 & 2 EVERY ANGLE - NO CHANGE

23 1. Qualification of Guru 2. Does Guru Fall 3. What worship for Guru etc., etc, IRRELEVANT First show replacement Gurus Ordered THEN discuss who and what they are

24 Conclusion - 1 SP Diksa Guru for ISKCON > NO CHANGE ordered by SP SP ordered CONTINUATION of same Priests used simply as a mechanism to allow initiation pre & post 1977 to continue with NO CHANGE

25 Conclusion - 2 Thus 3 levels of proof: 1) NO evidence to remove Srila Prabhupada 2) NO evidence for exactly what is to replace him 3) HAVE clear evidence that nothing changes

26 Simply take ONE piece of evidence for ONE proof: July 9th directive, level 3 proof ask for modifications A & B, and whole GBC case defeated: > ‘The Final Order’

27 RESTORE THE GURU - SRILA PRABHUPADA AND FOLLOW THE ISKCON TRADITION THERE ARE NO GURUS TO REFORM