Srila Prabhupada wanted the eleven to remain Ritvik only

Vrndavana,

October 18, 1977

From: Tamal Krishna

Fiji

My dear Vasudeva Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. I have been

instructed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada to reply your letter dated

September 29th, 1977.

Although His Divine Grace is very ill, still he is so much interested in Fiji and the Krishna-Kaliya Temple that I thought it proper to read your Letter to him. Srila Prabhupada heard everything with great attention. Srila Prabhupada was very pleased to know that book distribution is being increased with the ample assistance of householders living outside the temple. Prabhupada said that "any of these sincere householders should be initiated. Increase the number of devotees there. You initiate them with a fire ceremony. I have already named eleven of my disciples so you can write to any of them the recommended persons and after receiving the spiritual name, you can hold a fire ceremony. Your idea for dressing the Deity is very good. Krishna's lotus feet should always be visible. But Krishna should not have too short a dress, that will not look nice. Yes, the Nagapatnis tails may also show. Please send a photograph showing how nicely the Deities look now. I will be very happy to see it. Yes, you may initiate the wife of Bhuhan Mohan Das she may help with the Deity worship.

In general, Srila Prabhupada's main desire is that you should increase the number of devotees. In this regard, His Divine Grace said, "Initiate the local natives. Ask them to give up their bad habits and become Vaisnavas. Four times while Srila Prabhupada heard your letter, He stressed this point of increasing the number of followers there. So just as when Srila Prabhupada went to America, He was very merciful and lenient in giving out first initiations, so you may also be. If someone has agreed to follow the regulative principles and has been attending the temple for some time and chanting rounds,** you can encourage them by giving initiation. You may send the names of such worthy persons to any one of the eleven devotees whom Srila Prabhupada has designated to initiate on His behalf, and after receiving the sanctified beads and new names, you can then perform the initiation ceremony. In this way spread very vigorously his glorious movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and try to make Fiji the first Krishna conscious country in the world.

Hoping this meets you in the best of health and Krishna consciousness.

Your servant,

Tamal Krishna Gosvami

Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada ritvik System is called Vaisistya

Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur:"'Although this concept of bhagavata-parampara appears to be new, it is based on the essential understanding of the scriptures. Something new given by an acarya but based on sastra is called vaisistya (a special
characteristic). Acaryas Ramanuja and Madhva both apparently introduced
something new, but because their teachings were based on sastra they
came to be accepted. Phalena pariciyate: "
An action should be understood by its result." My commitment to devotional service and my preaching activities speak for themselves. Owl-like persons cannot see this, but those who are honest will accept it.'"

The acarya is not under the sastra.

Excerpt from Bhakti Vikasa's 3 volume "Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava"
"He said, 'Bhaktivinoda Thakura is Kamala Manjari, a personal associate of Radharani. He ordered me to establish daiva-varnasrama. I must obey his order. The acarya is not under the sastra. The acarya can make sastra. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the acarya, has inspired me in various ways.
 By his mercy and that of Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja and the previous acaryas we are going on, not caring for the precise technicalities of smartas.”

Petition against banning of Bhagavad-gita in Russia

http://www.iskcontimes.com/

By: 

Iskcontimes

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, one of the most respected holy scriptures of the world today, is under the threat of being banned in Russia.
The court proceedings will resume in Siberian city Tomsk, Russia, on Monday 19th. The prosecutors in Tomsk suggest that the widely distributed book translated and commented upon by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada should be included in the Justice Ministry's list of banned extremist literature.
Bhagavad-gita As It Is is translated in more than 80 languages. Over 100 million copies of this book was distributed to date all over the world! Millions of people in the world today consider it as the main book in their life.
The prosecutors with great determination and vigor are pushing through this absurd case. During the first three court hearings, the testimony of the Tomsk experts upon which the prosecutors built their case for the court was recognized as «inadequate». However, the Prosecutor's Office
ordered the new testimony. Noteworthy, that the testimony was requested not from the well-known experts of Hinduism from Moscow, but from some unknown experts from Kemerovo State University. This move clearly suggests that the court decision is already predestined. This practice brings to memory the Middle Age Inquisition, Witch hunting, burning of books and the persecution of the dissidents during Soviet period of Russian history.
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita_trial_in_Russia
Tomsk Ombudsperson, eminent scholars of Hinduism, the members of the Public Chamber of Russian Federation, representatives of Indian community in Russia, and people belonging to different religious denominations in Russia have already expressed their perplexity and outrage caused by the activities of Tomsk prosecutors.
We demand to stop the court over the Holy Scripture! These initiatives of the Tomsk Prosecutor’s Office offend the religious sentiments of all the followers of Hinduism and bring disgrace to the country of Russia. Visit this link to sign the petition - http://www.petitions24.com/gita
Once you sign the petition - you will receive e-mail asking you to confirm your vote. This is very important - otherwise it will be canceled.
And please share this link to your friends.

Srila Prabhupada"Who will care? All rascals are there"

Prabhupada: So you... What you are going... It is very serious situation. You write one letter that "Why you have made so many changes?" And whom to write? Who will care? All rascals are there. Write to Satsvarupa that "This is the position. They are doing anything and everything at their whim." The next printing should be again to the original way.

(S.P.Conversation, "Rascal Editors,"June 22, 1977, Vrndavana)
-------------------
Prabhupada is saying whom to write to ,who will care?all rascals are there.So how could Prabhupada make these rascals gurus .THATS WHY HE ORDERED A RITVIK SYSTEM
 ------------------
Prabhupada: That I am thinking, that such a big society, the aims and object may be dismantled. I am thinking from that vision.
(S.P. Room Conversation October 26, 1977, Vrndavana)
------------------
In order to save the the aims n objects of the society(Iskcon) Prabhupada ordered a ritvik system.

Srila Prabhupada Quotes

"After me there will be no more Acharyas" Srila Prabhupada in New York in 1968

If a spiritual master is not properly authorized and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples. His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should therefore strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession.
Nectar of Devotion 14

Srila Prabhupada: "Simply by his sannyasa dress he thought himself as cured of all material diseases and mistakes, but under the influence of Maya, he thought himself a liberated patient, just as a foolish patient thinks himself cured of the disease." (SPL October 17, 1967)

Prabhupada, Mayapur, March 9, 1974: “Suppose we are in a group, this, our International Society. If everyone becomes ruler or acarya, then how it can be managed? No. There must be some head. That is the principle in our practical life.”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.7
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada: "But the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to MAYA. Today I trust this GBC [man] and tomorrow he will FALL DOWN. This is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so FLICKERING, then what to speak of others? Unless this problem is solved, whatever we may resolve, it will not be very useful..." (SPL December 4, 1974)

The whole situation has been spoiled by these so-called rascal gurus who gives his own opinion. This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking differently....So guru is one. Guru cannot be two. As soon as you find two opinions of guru, either both of them are rascals, or one is still at least rascal.- Srila Prabhupada:Lecture: What is a Guru? London, August 22, 1973

LETTER TO RUPANUGA! “… 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…”
“…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 Sridhar Maharaja was responsible for disobeying…
“We shall not make the same mistake in our ISKCON camp…
” They [Gaudiya matha] are very competent to harm our natural progress” SP to Rupanuga dasa, April 1974

Srila Prabhupada: We haven’t got to manufacture. To manufacture ideas is troublesome. Why should we take the trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my…., that is DANGEROUS. …That you are singing every day, “what our guru has said, that is our life and soul.” …As soon as this POISON will come-suppress guru and I become Brahman-everything FINISHED. Spiritual life is finished. Gaudiya Matha finished, …VIOLATED the orders of Guru Maharaja. …And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. …Our mission is to serve bhakta visesa and live with devotees. NOT THAT YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF GURU.. THAT IS NONSENSE, VERY DANGEROUS. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become AMBITIOUS to TAKE THE PLACE of GURU-gurusuh nara matih. That is MATERIAL DISEASE. 
April 1977 Bombay, India

July 19th 1977
Devotee: Upendra and I could see it for the last… [break]
Srila Prabhupāda: And nobody is going to disturb you there. Make your own field and continue to become rttvik and act on my charge. People are becoming sympathetic there. The place is very nice.
Devotee: Yeah. He says, “The introduction of Bhagavad-gītā has been translated into Tamil, and I will have the second chapter done next. Then publish a small booklet for immediate distribution.”
Srila Prabhupāda: Very good.

“That is the difficulty. Everyone sees that, “Some way or other, I become guru. Then so many persons will offer me respect. Somehow or other, create some situation. Then I become guru. [...] This is going on. Not bona fide guru. [...] Somehow or other become popular and become guru. This is going on.” (Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 2nd, 1976)

"Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species." Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.10)

Srila Prabhupada:But if you, like a rascal, interpret in a different way, then you are not a guru. You are a goru, then you are animal.(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.39-40 ,Bombay, December 8, 
1974)

So gurun ahatva. A devotee of Krsna, if need be, if he's unqualified guru... Unqualified guru means who does not know how to guide the disciple. Guru's duty is to guide. So such kind of guru can be at least rejected. That is Jiva Gosvami's... Karya-karyam ajanatah. A guru who does not know what to do and what not to do, but by mistake, by mistakenly I have accepted somebody as guru, he can be rejected. By rejecting him, you can accept an actual bona fide guru. So guru is not killed, but he can be rejected. That is the injunction of the sastra. 73/08/05 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.4-5

"These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing."
(Letter to Rupanuga Das, 19/10/74)

"Eternal bond between disciple and Spiritual Master begins from the day he hears."
(Letter to Jadurani, 4/9/72)

Every acarya has a specific means of propagating his spiritual movement with the aim of bringing men to Krsna consciousness. (C.c., 7:37, purport)

Prabhupada:"My disciples are my agents, my representatives, so by hearing it from them, you are receiving it from me.”Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 6th, 1968

"The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 12.8-10)

"When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 12.8-10, purport)

"The instructions received from the spiritual master must be followed immediately. One should not deviate from or surpass the instructions of the spiritual master."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.14, purport)

‎"As soon as the disciple thinks independently, not caring for the instructions of the spiritual master, he is a failure ."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.17.1, purport)

“If you want woman you get yourself married, live respectfully. We have no objection. But this hypocrisy should be stopped. There have been so many fallen down. First of all there will be no sannyasi anymore. I have got very bad experience. And at least, we are not going to create new sannyasis. And those who have fallen down, let them marry, live like respectable gentlemen. I have no objection.(January 7, 1977 Bombay)

“Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, Kali-cela. He indicates that there are other Vaishnavas, pseudo-Vaishnavas, with tilaka on their nose and kunti beads around their neck. Such a pseudo-Vaishnava associates with money and women and is jealous of successful Vaishnavas. Although passing for a Vaishnava, his only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaishnava”. (Srila Prabhupada: CC.Madhy.,Ch.1, Text 218 / 220, purport)
  
To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word. SB 3.24.12 Purport

‎"When our men will be sahajiya, oh, they'll be more dangerous." So our men are becoming, some of them, sahajiyas. This very word he said, that "When our men will be sahajiyas he'll be more dangerous."—Room Conversation, 24 January 1977 (770124r2.bhu)

Vaikunthanatha:Prabhupada, we’re distributing hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of books, but how will those people get initiated in the future? How will they get initiated?
"Srila Prabhupada:Just by reading my books they are initiated".Conversation 1972 Vrindavan.


Prabhupada: There is no question of why. It is the order of Krsna's
representative. You have to abide by that. You cannot say, "Why?" Then you are not fully surrendered, as soon as you say, "Why?" Surrender means there is no [surrender]"Why?" It is ordered; it has to be done. That's all.
As soon as there is "Why?", there is no surrender. The basic principle
is misguided. We have to follow. Just like we have got tilaka. If you
say, "Why this tilaka?" There is no question of "Why?" Mahajano yena
gatah sa pantha.
We have been instructed by the acaryas; we have to
follow that. That is surrender. You cannot say, "Why?" Is that clear? 
 710217rc.gor                Conversations                325478/530501

(Srila Prabhupada's Last Will and Testament, which now comes into force for the lifetime of ISKCON)
Nov 1977 - "In the event of death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple ..."

 

 

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati on Guru Tattva

Quotations on the Guru by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

 Who is the acharya? (page 413)

Only a devotee of the Lord who is fixed in the activities of devotional service and preaching the message of the Lord can be considered an acharya. The acharya is free and independent. He sets the perfect example of completely abandoning the company of the impious and always engaged in hearing and speaking about Krishna. One who preaches to others fearlessly and without any constraint, inducing them to similarly give up bad association, is the acharya. 

Who is the genuine guru and how can we find him? (page 302)

The road to auspiciousness begins with taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. In accordance with God's plan, everyone on this earth finds a teacher that meets his or her particular needs and qualifications. Thus the Christians have their Jesus and the Muslims their Mohammed.

brahmANDa bhramite kona bhAgyavAn jIva
guru-kRSNa-prasAde pAya bhakti-latA-bIja

In the course of wandering through Brahma's universal creation, some fortunate soul may receive the seed of the creeper of devotion. This happens by the grace of the guru and Krishna. (Chaitanya Charitamrita, 2.19.151)

kRSNa jadi kRpA karena kono bhAgyavAne
guru-antaryAmI-rUpe zikhAya Apane

If Krishna is merciful to a particularly fortunate soul, then he comes himself to teach him, either externally as the spiritual master or from within as the Supersoul. (CC 2.22.47)

guru kRSNa-rUpa hana zAstrera pramANe
guru-rUpe kRSNa kRpA karena bhakta-gaNe

[indent=30px]According to the revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is the manifestation of Krishna. Krishna comes in the form of the guru to show His mercy to the devotees. (CC 1.1.45)

yadyapi AmAra guru caitanyera dAsa
tathApi jAniye Ami tAGhAra prakAza

[indent=30px]Even though my spiritual master is the servant of Lord Chaitanya, I know that he is a direct manifestation of the Lord. (CC 1.1.44)

jIve sAkSAt nAhi tAte guru caittya-rUpe
zikSA-guru haya kRSNa mahAnta-svarUpe

Since one cannot directly experience the guru as the Supersoul, Krishna appears as the siksha guru in the form of a highly advanced Vaishnava. (CC 1.1.58)

 

How can we become gurus?

20. Can we make disciples? (page 9)

We should not make disciples until we have become liberated or a pure devotee. You must take shelter of a bona fide guru, become a disciple and listen to the topics of Krishna from his mouth.

 Do we have to make disciples? (page 85)

We don't have to make disciples, we have to become disciples. In other words, we have to remain constantly engaged in the service of Krishna and the spiritual master. The devotees of Vishnu, the Vaishnavas, see the guru in all things. If one becomes proud of being a Vaishnava, then one's service to Vishnu and the Vaishnavas evaporates. One who is free from the sense that he is the doer, who thinks, "I actually do nothing myself, it is Krishna alone who engages me in all activities," and who is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord can actually do something beneficial for the ordinary souls by turning them towards Krishna. But it is not enough to make phoney speeches about how you are not the doer. You have to genuinely feel that you are being made to act by the Lord.

 

 Will I be able to make disciples? (page 235)

Give up your enviousness and show mercy to every living being by turning those who are currently indifferent to Krishna back toward him. Don't take up the role of spiritual master in order to do harm to others. Don't play at spiritual master with the intention of immersing yourself in the sense objects. Don't just dress up as spiritual master. Should you manage to become a sincere servant of the guru and Krishna and acquire their blessings, then there will be nothing to fear. If not, however, you are doomed.
(page 299)
 The true holy person carries a sharpened sword with which he beheads the goat-like tendencies to enjoy and renounce, sacrificing them on the altar of devotion. Such a person is the true spiritual master.

The spiritual master is one who has no other duty other than service to Krishna; whose intelligence is fixed on Krishna and who sees nothing but Krishna. He has no desire to hear flattery and so is beholden to no one. He can thus fearlessly preach the truth.

One is eligible to become guru if he speaks nothing but Hari katha, if he never instructs anyone in anything other than devotional service, and if he does not waste even a second of the day in activities other than pleasing Krishna.

An insincere hypocrite cannot be a guru. One whose aspiration is for mundane activity cannot be a guru. Pseudo-gurus should be turned out and exposed. If one selfishly uses the gifts his disciples have surrendered to the Lord, taking them as a means to accumulate wealth, women and worldly fame, then he should be renounced immediately as a cheater. One should not listen to the words of such a rascal. One who purloins the materials meant for God's service in his own selfish interest is not worthy of the name "guru."

The NAradIya-purANa says-

IhA yasya harer dAsye
karmaNA manasA girA
nikhilAsv apy avasthAsu
jIvan-muktaH sa ucyate

One is called a living liberated soul who in all circumstances performs every action, whether of the body, mind or speech, in the service of Krishna. (Brs 1.2.187)

 

What is the true nature of initiation? (p.339)

Knowledge of relations, sambandha jnana, comes first. Sambandha jnana is also known as transcendental knowledge or initiation. Initiation is not simply instruction in the mantra. Initiation is the transmission of transcendental knowledge.  By receiving this transcendental knowledge, he becomes truly fortunate and completely fulfilled.


translated from Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj's Vyasa Puja magazine.