“The Spiritual Master and the Disciple”

ANANDA DEVI DASI, Apr 08, UK (SUN) — I believe that the original Books of Srila Prabhupada contain the mystical connection that has been lost in translation and amendment in the newer editions. As Hasti Gopal Prabhu lucidly points out, readers should go to the original Books that Krishna dictated to Srila Prabhupada. Here we find the genuine meaning after reading again and again.

As a point of information, there is a great Book that is a compilation of all the quotes from the original Books, called The Spiritual Master and the Disciple. This was printed in 1990 by the BBT, with only 2,500 copies. I think it was produced as a propaganda campaign to make disciples take re-initiation and/or make devotees recognise the GBC authorised Guru System that they introduced after the so-called Reforms, but it backfired. The Spiritual Master and the Disciple book was so well compiled with ALL the quotes that it actually made devotees question the GBC/Guru System that they had introduced, which was based on a voting system.

The Spiritual Master and the Disciple is set out in key verses from Vedic and Vaisnava literature concerning the Spiritual Master:

Part One – This deals with the absolute necessity for accepting a Bona Fide Spiritual Master

Part Two – This deals with the Spiritual Master: definition, identity, qualification, characteristics

Part Three – The principle of Disciplic Succession

Part Four – The qualifications, characteristics and duties of the Disciple

Part Five – Spiritual Initiation (Diksa)

The Book is a compilation of quotes directly from Srila Prabhupada’s Books, approximately 400 pages, so it’s quite encyclopaedic. But only 2,500 were actually printed in 1990 and no more reprints after that. It appears that although it was authorised for print in 1990, because it was so comprehensive and independently compiled it became a challenge to the GBC, and they took it out of print. Otherwise the book would be more widespread and every devotee would know it well and have a copy. In my years in ISKCON I have never seen another copy. If you can get a copy, I thoroughly recommend it.

[Editor’s Note: if any of our readers can provide a copy, we’ll be happy to put it online. Otherwise, we recall having a copy somewhere in our archives, and will endeavor to locate it.]