GBC resolution 702.02 taken down.

Dear Prabhupadanugas,

I wrote to dandavats.com in a reply box to their 2023/24 GBC Resolutions 702.02. It was concerning Initiations. They were resolving that Initiates could be Initiated in the presence of their Diksha Guru, Spiritual master. There was a lot of detail about it on dandavats.com. And in their reply-boxes there is a very finite amount of characters allowed, so its hard to get all the evidence included.

I thought about this Resolution 702.02 for some time over the day and referred to Srila Prabhupada’s Books about the presence of the Spiritual master and who the Spiritual master is.

Its not really that hard to understand and felt that the GBC had not thought this resolution through very well. So, in Elevation to Krishna Consciousness chapter 4 Srila Prabhupada explains clearly and straightforwardly the presence of the spiritual master which I have pasted below. So, the next day I searched for the reply on dandavats.com to see it and to my surprise not only was my reply not available but they had taken down the whole article of GBC 2023/4 Resolutions.

The reason I had originally written back to dandavats.com was to illustrate to them that their resolution 702.02 actually supported Initiation in the presence of the Spiritual master in Absentia, through Vani. As will be seen the Spiritual master’s presence is defined in TWO ways not one. One is Physical presence and two is Vibrational presence. So what the GBC resolution 702.02 was complicitly saying in essence was Initiation in the presence of Srila Prabhupada in His Vani, was resolved by the GBC.

The problem for the GBC has been, that since 1977 they have submerged themselves in what I have described as the “….. pre-conceived Physically present Diksha Guru theory…” They have assumed and they have fully submerged themselves in operating that the Diksha Guru is ONLY present in His Physical form of Vapuh, the GBC have forgotten about the other presence of Vani. Or if they do use the term “Vani” it has become a far off notion of the Spiritual master living on the periphery of their lives. It is not a “presence” for them it’s a “distance”. They have drowned in Vapuh, even though it is temporary presence.

Their resolution 702.02 illustrates clearly that it is feasible to be Initiated in the Vani presence of the Spiritual Master-Diksha Guru. It is a viable alternative to the Physically present type of Initiation of which the GBC are a fully paid-up member of. But because they are so consumed with Physical presence, they have totally forgotten Vibrational Presence, and therefore the GBC don’t fully represent Srila Prabhupada and are therefore not fit for purpose being GBC members. The GBC are a dedicated committee formed to represent Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings. So, what has happened to them. They have advice on all their resolutions by Shastric advisors. A resolution is in its way a Promise that this is Srila Prabhupada’s Teaching fully compliant and comprehensive. Yet in their resolution 702.02 there was at least 50% missing and 50% unrepresented.

Read for yourselves what Srila Prabhupada says about the TWO presences of the Spiritual master. And if any of you are in any doubt who the Spiritual master is then find the definition in CC Chapter 1 page 18 by Srila Prabhupada. Yes, the Spiritual master is the Diksha Guru and the Shiksha Guru ………..

“The first manifestation described is the spiritual master, who appears in two plenary (full, complete powers) parts called the initiating spiritual master and instructing spiritual master. They are identical because both of Them are phenomenal manifestations of the Supreme Truth.”

Excerpted from Chaitanya Charitamrita Chapter 1, page 18. Srila Prabhupada.

“There are two conceptions of presence—the physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary, whereas the vibrational conception is eternal. When we enjoy or relish the vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s teachings in Bhagavad-gītā, or when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we should know that by those vibrations He is immediately present. He is absolute, and because of this His vibration is just as important as His physical presence. When we feel separation from Kṛṣṇa or the spiritual master, we should just try to remember their words of instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master should be association by vibration, not physical presence. That is real association. We put so much stress on seeing, but when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, so many people saw Him and did not realize that He is God; so what is the advantage of seeing? By seeing Kṛṣṇa, we will not understand Him, but by listening carefully to His teachings, we can come to the platform of understanding. We can touch Kṛṣṇa immediately by sound vibration; therefore, we should give more stress to the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa and of the spiritual master—then we’ll feel happy and won’t feel separation.”

Excerpted from Elevation to Krishna Consciousness by Srila Prabhupada chapter 4.

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Now the first question is, why have Iskcon and its members not followed the simple step of Initiating in the Vani presence of Srila Prabhupada. In November 1977 the WHOLE of Iskcon was diverted from understanding future Initiations by how the Iskcon GBC announced in Mayapura 1978 that the 11 appointed devotees from the 1977 July 9th letter were now the Diksha Gurus that had succeeded Srila Prabhupada. And they became known as Zonal Acharya’s.

But the deviant question that the GBC had asked was WHO was going to replace Srila Prabhupada after November 1977. And so, everyone focused on that scenario and NOT on the reality of the situation. The debates, arguments and tussles that followed, and is still present today 2024, all focused on the concept of who was going to replace Him, not on how Srila Prabhupada was still the Diksha Guru in His Vani, as He still is today.

Why is Srila Prabhupada overlooked time after time after time by devotees as the Current Link Diksha Guru. This is the question today. Srila Prabhupada has NOT been Succeeded; He is not a Previous Acharya. The concept is that only the Current Link Spiritual master is the Spiritual Master we can approach for Initiation as the Diksha Guru. But for a Current Link not to be the Current Link He must be Succeeded and becomes the Previous Acharya. His “Disappearance” is not related to Him being “Succeeded”.

It is clear, and we need to understand the difference between “Disappearance” and being “Succeeded “. Just because Srila Prabhupada is no longer with us since November 1977 does not disqualify Him from being the Current Link Spiritual master. There is only one principle that disqualifies Him from being the Current Link and that is if He is Succeeded. That’s what the Disciplic Succession means, one great Sampradaya Acharya is succeeded after another, which in effect consigns the Acharya to be called a Previous Acharya. We now have had 32 great Sampradaya Acharyas since Lord Krishna, including our Srila Prabhupada.

Now that list of 32 should tell us everything we need to know about Succession of the Current Links. Either we become Initiated by the Current Link during His Vapuh existential period, or we become Initiated by Him through His Eternal Vani existential period. And in that way Initiation ceremonies means we are Initiated by Him, whilst “others” conduct the ceremony. The Vapuh is only temporary, but this does not define the Diksha Gurus’ existentialism.

“Although others give help in showing the way to beginners, the guru who first initiates one with the mahā-mantra is to be known as the initiator, and the saints who give instructions for progressive advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are called instructing spiritual masters. The initiating and instructing spiritual masters are equal and identical manifestations of Kṛṣṇa, although they have different dealings.”

Excerpted from Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi Lila Chapter1, The Spiritual Masters.

That’s why we must understand that the Spiritual master Diksha Guru has TWO presences not one. But in Iskcon so many devotees have been conditioned to understanding only one way of existence even though Srila Prabhupada did not teach that conception. What is the point in teaching the TWO types of existentialism if there is no point in Vani, Vibrational presence. And more importantly how do we relate to Srila Prabhupada as the Diksha Guru who is Vibrationally present? And how do we accept Initiation from Srila Prabhupada in His Vibrational presence existentialism? And why have the Iskcon GBC overlooked this matter of Vibrational presence in their latest attempts with Resolution 702.02 concerning presence?

For some devotees they don’t know how to relate to Srila Prabhupada in His Vani because they have not been taught this concept, so it is alien to them. For others it is a commonly help concept that they have lived with all their devotional life.

At least and at last the concept of “ONE Physical presence” has been overlooked, and publicly broadcast by dandavats.com by their quick action to take the post down before everyone gets to see it and think about it. They must cover up mistakes like this that they make because it does not fit into their timeline of Initiation and more importantly means they have fooled a majority of Iskcon since 1977. The point is the GBC-Diksha Gurus are not the Current Link to the Sampradaya, and that Srila Prabhupada IS the Current Link Diksha Guru that we can take Initiation from in His Vani presence after He has Disappeared, why have there been no discussion about this ? And if we had followed this concept back in 1977 we would all be familiar with it and Iskcon would be an entirely different Community. A far better Community in my opinion with Srila Prabhupada at the centre in Truth.

y.s dusyanta dasa