Srila Prabhupada is always the Initiator

SRILA PRABHUPADA IS ALWAYS THE INITIATOR

1. Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books are non-different than himself. They appear before the external senses of a fortunate conditioned soul, who was wandering aimlessly throughout the universe and plant the seed of devotional service in his heart (Bhakti lata bija) THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR.

1. . Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books are his loud chanting of the holy name. Such loud chanting is giving the people of the world Harinama diksa (T.L.C. Chapter 18). THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR
2. . Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books contain the nectarine words from his lotus mouth. Such words penetrate the hearts of the fallen souls, injecting transcendental knowledge, which alone can deliver them from material existence. This is the purpose of initiation. “The spiritual master initiates the disciple to deliver him.” (C.C. Mad., 1.218) THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR.
3. . Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books are non-different than himself, thus they give the conditioned souls his direct association (sadhu sanga). By such association they receive a process of spiritual activities (Bhajana kriya) (B.G. lec., 2-58-59, N.Y. 27th April, 1966). THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR.
4. . Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books transmit transcendental knowledge which vanquish all material contamination caused by our previous sinful activities and thus bring us to pure love of God, where we can directly worship Krsna. This perfectly corresponds with sastric definitions of diksa. (C.C. Mad. lila, 15-108, 9-61, 4-111). THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR
5. . Srila Prabhupadas transcendental books contain his instructions about chanting the holy name. If we accept such instruction and follow them, he is with us as the initiator. (S.P.L. Letter to Tamal Krsna, 19th September 1968) THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR

7. Srila Prabhupada in the form of his books (instructions) is taking everyone back to home, back to Godhead. This is the purpose of initiating a disciple, to deliver him.”The spiritual master initiates the disciple to deliver him“ (C.C. Mad, 1.218) THUS HE IS THE INITIATOR

In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully so if there is anything which you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop. (SPL to Bahuru-pa dasa, 22nd November, 1974)

The first point to note in this letter, is that there is no need for a “living link” to understand Srila Prabhupada’s books. If there is anything we do not understand that thing will be understood by reading again and again. Srila Prabhupada describes our daily reading of His books, as a process of revealing or awakening transcendental knowledge. This process is described in the sastra as diksa. 

Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa. (C.C. Mad., 15-108)

It is very clear from the evidence of sadhu, sastra and guru that the real initiation is being given by Srila Prabhupada through the mercy of his transcendental books. Thus, the question of successor doesn’t arise.

Reporter: Who will succeed you when you die?

Srila Prabhupada: I will never die!

Devotee’s: Jaya! Haribol!

Srila Prabhupada: I will live forever in my books and you will utilise.

(interview, Berkley, 1975)

Here Srila Prabhupada is asked a question about his successor. Let us examine Srila Prabhupada’s minimum words, maximum solution answer. The question has two key words [1] succeed and [2] die. Srila Prabhupada answers point [2] with “I will never die” and how is that “I will live forever from my books” and point [1] is answered with “and you will utilise”. The word utilise is also described in the dictionary as, “use for a purpose”. Thus Srila Prabhupada instructs us to use his books for the purpose of continuing the disciplic succession, by distributing them and thus giving the fallen souls of the world the opportunity of receiving his shelter as diksa guru.

The ritvik system should continue to formalise such mass Harinama diksa. Such a system is perfectly harmonious with Srila Prabhupadas loud chanting and part of his transcendental plan to deliver the world.

Let us not be small minded and say that the ritvik system continuing in the acaryas physical absence is unprecedented and therefore not bona-fide. It must be unprecedented (to our limited perceptions)or else how can it complement the unprecedented achievements of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Never before has an acarya translated so many transcendental literature’s into all the languages of the world and distributed such knowledge so mercifully and indiscriminately, making himself available as the eternal perceptor to the fallen souls. Srila Prabhupada was specifically chosen to deliver the whole world and thus fulfil the prediction of the Lord and the previous acaryas.

When Krsna appeared, He gave His orders, and when Krsna Himself appeared as a devotee, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He showed us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali-yuga. That is the path of the Hare Krsna movement. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, He ushered in the era for the sankirtana movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the sankirtana movement and chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga will be delivered. After the Battle of Kuruksetra, at which Bhagavad-gita was spoken, Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus there is still a balance of 427,000 years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to take to the Krsna consciousness movement, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and thus be delivered from the clutches of material existence and return home, back to Godhead. (S.B. 8.5.23)

Prabhupada: Yes. Kalki, yes.

Allen Ginsberg: So He would come at the end of Kali-yuga to end the yuga.

Prabhupada: Yes. Then Satya-yuga will begin.

Allen Ginsberg: Then what begins?

Prabhupada: Satya-yuga.

Allen Ginsberg: Which is?

Prabhupada: Satya-yuga, the pious. Satya-yuga. People will be pious, truthful, long-living.

Allen Ginsberg: Are those people that remain or whatever new creation comes out of the destruction?

Prabhupada: Some of them will remain, some of them. It will not completely extinguish. Some of them will remain, pious. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. All miscreants will be killed, and out of them, there must be some pious… They remain.

Allen Ginsberg: Do you think of this in terms of a historical event that will occur in the lifetime of your disciples?

Prabhupada: No. This will happen at least 400,000’s of years after, at least. So by that time…

Allen Ginsberg: They will go down, down, down for 400,000 years?

Prabhupada: Yes. So at that time my disciples will be with Krsna. (laughter)

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: And those who will not follow them, they will see the fun, how they are being killed. (laughter)

Allen Ginsberg: 400,000 years. Will people still be chanting Hare Krsna in 400,000…

Prabhupada: No. Hare Krsna will be finished within ten thousand years. There will be no more Hare Krsna.

(Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio.)