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Someone Has Poisoned Me - BY: NITYANANDA DAS
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The Facts About Srila Prabhupada's Poisoning by Arsenic
"So as Krishna was attempted to be killed... And Lord Jesus Christ was killed.
So they may kill me also." (Srila Prabhupada, May 3, l976, Honolulu)
"my only request is , that at the last stage don't torture me, and put me to death"
(from SPC Vol. 36, November 3, 1977 tape recorded Room Conversation)
[PLEASE NOTE: ADDRESSES, EMAILS, PHONE NUMBERS ETC. MIGHT NO LONGER BE CORRECT!]
In late 1980 Tamal Krishna Goswami and Hansadutta Swami were travelling around ISKCON, having been suspended as gurus and GBC's by the GBC body for activities unacceptable to them, such as demanding that his godbrothers must approach Srila Prabhupada through him. They had been relieved of their zones. TKG called for an open discussion at Nrsinghananda's Pyramid House in Topanga Canyon, CA. on December 3, 1980. Hansadutta, Dhira Krishna, Kirtiraja, Jayadwaita and others were present, and the talk was recorded. Below are some of the interesting statements made therein. [Tamal talks at pyramid house]
Hansadutta: Anyway, Tamal Krishna Goswami has had a very important realization about how some of these problems have been plaguing us for the last two years practically, since Prabhupada disappeared. How they've come to be, regarding this guru issue and appointment or expanding it or restricting it. That's why he wanted some of you to come and hear, because I think this will be a breath of fresh air...
Tamal: Actually, Prabhupada never appointed any gurus. He didn't appoint eleven gurus. He appointed eleven ritviks. He never appointed them gurus. Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement the last three years because we interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus. What actually happened was that Prabhupada mentioned that he might be appointing some ritviks, so the GBC went to Prabhupada - 5 or 6 of us. We asked him, "Srila Prabhupada, after your departure, if we accept disciples, whose disciples will they be, your disciples or mine?" Later on there was a piled-up list for people to get initiated. I said, "Srila Prabhupada, you once mentioned about ritviks. I don't know what to do. We don't want to approach you, but there's hundreds of devotees named, and I'm just holding all the letters. "
So Prabhupada said, " I will appoint so many...," and he started to name them. He made it very clear that they're his disciples. At that point it was very clear in my mind that they were his disciples. Later on I asked him two questions: 1) What about Brahmananda Swami? So Prabhupada said, "No, not unless he's qualified." Before I got ready to type the letter, I asked him: 2) "Srila Prabhupada, is this all or do you want to add more?" He said, "As is necessary, others may be added."
Now I understand that what he did was very clear. He was physically incapable of performing the function of initiation physically; therefore, he appointed officiating priests to initiate on his behalf. He appointed eleven and he said very clearly, "Whoever is nearest, he can initiate." This is a very important point, because when it comes to initiating if it isn't whoever is nearest, it's wherever your heart goes. Who you repose your faith in, you take initiation from him. But when it's officiating, it's whoever is nearest, and he was very clear. "Then, on my behalf, they'll initiate." It's not a question that you repose your faith in that person. That's a function for the guru. "In order for me to manage this movement," Prabhupada said, "I have to form a GBC, and I will appoint the following people. In order to continue the process of people joining our movement and getting initiated, I have to appoint some priests to help me because just like I cannot physically manage everyone myself, I physically cannot initiate everyone myself." And that's all that it was, and it was never any more than that. If it had been more than that, you can bet your bottom dollar that Prabhupada would have spoken for days and hours and weeks on end about how to set up this thing with the gurus, but he didn't because he already had said it a million times. He said, "My guru maharaja did not appoint anyone. It's by qualification."
We made a great mistake. After Prabhupada's departure, what is the position of these eleven people? Obviously, Srila Prabhupada felt that of all of the people, these people are particularly qualified. So it stands to reason that after Prabhupada's departure, they would go on, if they so desired, to initiate. If you're a proper guru, and your guru is no longer present, that is your right. It's like a man can procreate. Similarly, it is a disciple's duty to push forward. He may decide, "I don't want to take disciples. I want to assist so-and-so." He has that right. But if he feels the inspiration from within and he has the qualifications, and he realizes what it means to take disciples, that it is a heavy responsibility, and if someone reposes their [faith] in him, then he should go ahead and do that.
Unfortunately, the GBC did not recognize this point. They immediately said these eleven people are the selected gurus. I can say definitely for myself, and for which I humbly beg forgiveness from everybody, that there was definitely some degree of trying to control. This is the conditioned nature, and it came out in the highest position of all. "Guru, oh wonderful. Now I'm a guru, and there's only eleven of us." This is what led us into this pitfall. The GBC who weren't gurus said, "I'm next in line." This has screwed up our movement terribly. It has very much hurt our movement because it has left so many Godbrothers in a frustrated position, very, very frustrated, and it is dampening their enthusiasm, and it has held back the preaching mission.
Jayapataka read an ultimate point that Hamsadutta Maharaja was praying for Prabhupada's death. Sridhar Maharaja heard this and he said, "Yes, the same thing was there in my guru maharaja's time. There was one disciple who guru maharaja said was in the same mentality. My gurumaharaja chose to see the bright side. Yes, because he feels checked right now in his preaching determination. He wants to preach for me and for Krishna, and he cannot." The fact is that whatever we say still Prabhupada named him after this incident to be a ritvik or a guru, according to your interpretation. I've been accused of the same thing. "That you tried to kill Prabhupada." The point I want to state on that is this realization, and I feel that the GBC body, if they don't adopt this point very quickly, if they don't realize this truth: You can't show me anything on tape or in writing where Prabhupada says, "I appoint these 11 as gurus." It doesn't exist because he never appointed any gurus. This is a myth. Everyone is qualified to right now give initiation. The day you got initiated you get the right to become a father when your father disappears, if you're qualified. No appointment. It doesn't require an appointment because there isn't one.
There's one thing I have to say is that in this discussion there should be no fear of repercussions. I have no fear of anything and that's why I can say anything because everything that could have happened has happened.
So we should speak now with the thought that, "Well, if so-and-so finds out what I've said, I'm getting..." That's not right. We should be totally open.
AUTHOR'S COMMENT: So here Tamal admits that there never was an appointment of regular gurus; Srila Prabhupada only appointed rtviks. However, he assumes that after Srila Prabhupada left, that it was "only natural" for those eleven rtviks and then more that would be added later, to become regular gurus, even though Srila Prabhupada never instructed such a thing. Although there was no appointment of anything but rtviks, at Topanga Canyon Tamal thinks that regular gurus can be self-appointed. Of course, his future statements and writings contradict this thesis and themselves in a maze of confusing mumbo-jumbo. Perhaps it is like the politicians do: say all kinds of contradictory things, and refer to the ones that apply as needed. However, honest devotees don't fall for this stuff.
Srila Prabhupada left this mortal world on November 14, 1977.
But He lives forever in His instructions, and His followers will always live with Him.
"He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die
While thou art living still in sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the Holy Name around"
(Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura)
HARE KṚṢṆA HARE KṚṢṆA KṚṢṆA KṚṢṆA HARE HARE
HARE RĀMA HARE RĀMA RĀMA RĀMA HARE HARE