Become Guru by Order, That's All
BY: MAHESH RAJA
Apr 14, UK (SUN) — A guru can become guru when he's ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.
Bhakta Suria Is A Hypocrite. In his recent article, "Misinterpreting One Word", Bhakta Suria writes:
"Here is another quote to confirm that "Self-effulgent" acarya is not limited to just one personality:
"He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhar Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and two others who are already dead, unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya". (Srila Prabhupada Letter to Rupanuga, April 28, 1974)
So based on the above quote, Srila Prabhupada himself had debunked the theory that there must be only one self-effulgent acarya. "
Herein, we have the proof of Bhakta Suria to be a hypocrite. On one hand the title of his article is: "Misinterpreting One Word". And he has the audacity to misinterpret by stating in there, "Srila Prabhupada himself had debunked the theory that there must be only one self-effulgent acarya".
What Bhakta Suria has done is misinterpretation of the letter by choosing to take THOSE Srila Prabhupada's words OUT OF CONTEXT. He hopes no one will notice this---so he can DUPE you.
He carefully chooses to omit:
"So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and *self effulgent acarya* would be automatically selected."
The words, "self effulgent acarya" in context of the letter is singular. NO MULTIPLE ACARYAS.
Here is the letter as it stands:
Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Rupanuga, April 28, 1974:
"You are right about Sridhara Maharaja's genuineness. But in my opinion he is the best of the lot. He is my old friend, at least he executes the regulative principles of devotional service. I do not wish to discuss about activities of my Godbrothers but it is a fact they have no life for preaching work. All are satisfied with a place for residence in the name of a temple, they engage disciples to get foodstuff by transcendental devices and eat and sleep. They have no idea or brain how to broacast the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. My Guru Maharaja used to lament many times for this reason and he thought if one man at least had understood the principle of preaching then his mission would achieve success. In the latter days of my Guru Maharaja he was very disgusted. Actually, he left this world earlier, otherwise he would have continued to live for more years. Still he requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them."
From the year 1966 to 1977, Srila Prabhupada did NOT give ANY order to anyone SPECIFICALLY, "YOU become guru," so HOW can you say that they are diksa guru?
IF Srila Prabhupada would have ordered BEFORE 1977, then there would be no point in 1977 of him stating in 1977 WHEN I order. It was SPECIFICALLY in the year 1977 that Srila Prabhupada said "WHEN I order" NOT before, so AFTER the year 1977, WHERE is the evidence of THAT order?
Prabhupada: "When I order, "You become guru," he becomes regular guru. That's all. He becomes disciple of my disciple. That's it."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 28, 1977, Vrindavan)
"Self-made guru cannot be guru. HE MUST BE AUTHORIZED BY THE BONA FIDE GURU. Then he's guru. This is the fact...Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Nectar of Devotion, October 31. 1972)
"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is AUTHORIZED BY HIS PREDECESSOR SPIRITUAL MASTER. This is called diksa-vidhana."
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.54, purport)
Prabhupada: "Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A GURU CAN BECOME GURU WHEN HE'S ORDERED BY HIS GURU. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 7.2, Nairobi, October 28, 1975)
We therefore openly challenge Bhakta Suria to please provide us with tangible proof in writing from Srila Prabhupada confirming his order. Srila Prabhupada: "I shall SAY, "Now you become ACARYA. You become authorized." WHERE IS THIS ORDER (AUTHORIZATION)? Show us in writing from Srila Prabhupada NAMING the individuals as ACARYA. Exactly WHERE does Srila Prabhupada NAME the ACARYAS in writing? The bottom line is Bhakta Suria, either put-up OR shut-up.
If you have a diksa guru, then how is he a guru since he has not been authorised by Srila Prabhupada? Authority by mental speculation is your authority?
Prabhupada: What is the use of producing some rascal guru?
Tamala Krsna: Well, I have studied myself and all of your disciples, and it's clear fact that we are all conditioned souls, so we cannot be guru. Maybe one day it may be possible...
Prabhupada: Hm.
Tamala Krsna: ...but not now.
Prabhupada: Yes. I shall choose some guru. I shall SAY, "Now you become ACARYA. You become authorized." I am waiting for that. You become all acarya. I retire completely. But the training must be complete.
(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Bombay, April 22, 1977)
Guru MUST be on uttama-adhikari (maha-bhagavata) stage. But aside from that, he needs an ORDER from his Guru to be ACARYA.
Madhya 24.330 -- The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse:
"In the Padma Purana, the characteristics of the guru, the bona fide spiritual master, have been described:
mahā-bhāgavata-śreṣṭho
brāhmaṇo vai gurur nṛṇām
sarveṣām eva lokānām
asau pūjyo yathā hariḥ
mahā-kula-prasūto 'pi
sarva-yajñeṣu dīkṣitaḥ
sahasra-śākhādhyāyī ca
na guruḥ syād avaiṣṇavaḥ
The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people.
Prabhupada: "When I order, "You become guru," he becomes regular guru. That's all. He becomes disciple of my disciple. That's it."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 28, 1977, Vrindavan)
There was NO ORDER from Srila Prabhupada NAMING ANY individual to be Diksa guru. The ONLY order was to act as Rtvik, July 9th 1977. NOTHING MORE!!!
In conclusion: Srila Prabhupada did not order, name, or authorise anyone as Acarya. FACT. But in spite of that, if one is worshipping those unauthorized conditioned souls as good as God (acarya), then it is the same as one animal worships another animal:
Life Comes From Life:
Srila Prabhupada. "Yes, that is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh.[4] This verse indicates that those who praise men who are like animals are no better than dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Sva means "dog," vid-varaha means "stool-eating hog," ustra means "camel," and khara means "ass." If the Nobel Prize is given to a scientist who is a rascal, the men on the committee who give him that prize are no better than dogs, hogs, camels and asses. We don't accept them as human beings. One animal is praised by another animal. Where is the credit in that? If the men on the committee are no better than animals, anyone who receives the Nobel Prize in science is fool number one, because animals are praising him, not human beings."
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