I felt that in quoting from Elevation to Krishna Consciousness on page 57 (BBT, 1973) that this is a strong example of the spiritual association and understanding as opposed to the “physically present” camps, version. “There are two conceptions, the physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary. The vibrational conception is eternal. When we feel separation from Krishna or the spiritual master, we should try to remember the words or instructions, and we will no longer feel the separation. Such association with Krishna and the spiritual master should be association by vibration not physical presence. That is real association.” Physical presence is called vapuh and temporary.
Physical presence has a beginning and an end spiritual presence is called vani and is eternal. Spiritual presence is beginingless and endless. An example of Krishna’s vani is Bhagavad-Gita, direct association with Krishna through His eternal sound vibrational form. In the concept of vani there is no time limit either way. Krishna exists in His sound vibrational form as the Holy Name. Krishna also exists as the Supersoul and chaitya Guru, the Guru within that accompanies the individual jiva. The bona fide spiritual master is described as the external manifestation of the Supersoul.
The Supersoul exists in his unmanifest feature, Aprakata, and the external manifestation of the spiritual master exists in his vapuh form whilst in his Prakata feature and after the Vapuh form is finished then in his Aprakata feature. In both the spiritual master and Krishna’s feature in Aprakata (Unmanifest) the system for their association is changed.
In Srila Jiva Goswami’s Krishna Sandharbha, Anuccheda, 153, we find the philosophical basis for this change of how to associate. The GBC/Gurus of Iskcon would have you believe that:
1) A Living Guru means a person who possesses a material body.
2) After Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance no-one can directly associate and access him unless going through the physically present gurus in Iskcon.
Otherwise you are jumping over, you are a mayavadi , and you’re not following Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. But if you carefully study Srila Jiva Goswami’s Anuccheda, 153, neither of these assertions are to be found. Rather the whole description is, “how to associate and access”, Krishna and the spiritual master in their Aprakata (unmanifest) feature.
The two processes described are; mantropasanamayi and svarasiki, meaning “worship by mantra chanting” and “direct relish of rasa.”
This is further illuminated in S.B. 3.9.11 as follows; “O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular form of transcendence in which they always think of You.”
The emphasis again in this verse is “shruta-iksita, “seen through the ear. “So the Guru, Sadhu and Shastric emphasis is not seeing through your eyes at a physically present diksa guru but hearing through the ears to perceive the presence of the spiritual master, vibrational presence.
Even when Srila Prabhupada was in his vapuh we all were extremely keen to hear what he said as the most important association, not what his physical presence was doing. Through Srila Prabhupada’s books we derive the same association. On the absolute oneness platform of existence of Krishna and the spiritual master there is no difference from his sound vibration and himself.
When the spiritual master speaks from his eternal lips, when he writes from his eternal fingers the sound vibration is originating from the same place. There is no difference from the originating source of the spiritual masters words, whether written in transcendental literature or emanating from his lips.
This is the meaning and definition of absolute oneness. Just as Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna and today we read the Bhagavad-Gita in a book form, but there is no difference, this is a strong, compelling example of absolute oneness. The Bhagavad-Gita is direct association with Krishna and Arjuna from Krishna’s lips. Actually Krishna is able to interchange His senses, He can eat with His eyes and so on. The vani form of Srila Prabhupada, his instructions, his books, his murti, all emanate from his lips, they originate from him and are manifest through his eternal spiritual lips. This is the real understanding of hearing from the lips of the spiritual master.
Because the vapuh form of Srila Prabhupada is only temporary, whilst he is physically present it is also possible to hear from his lips during physical presence. Because this is extremely limited for disciples and followers to facilitate during his vapuh form then the vani association is emphazised. If the disciple could only literally associate with Srila Prabhupada through his vapuh and only hear transcendental sound vibration from his vapuh lips then not many disciples would be able to benefit as physical presence is limited and there would be no meaning to Jagat-Guru.
The vapuh form of Srila Prabhupada is a temporary physical presence association which disciples may take advantage of but may also become too overly familiar. Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s vani form of existence through his eternal sound vibrational form is exactly the same as understanding Krishna by reading the Bhagavad-Gita and by chanting the Holy Name.
Therefore in Srila Prabhupada’s books he stresses association through vani over association through vapuh. Not that vani precludes vapuh but that vapuh was just temporary and vani is eternal and the emphasis is on vani. “These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting.
Anyone who reads my books, he is hearing”, in a letter to Rupanuga, 1974. “The eternal bond between the spiritual master and disciple begins from the day the disciple hears.” Letter to Jadurani. 1972. “So although a physical body (vapuh) is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the spiritual master, that is living.”
Lecture 13/01/69.
The reason that what we hear from the spiritual master is living is because the sound originates from the spiritual master himself, from his self. The sound is living, the books are living, and so on. So a living spiritual master is defined through the sound vibration emanating from him either from his eternal lips and through his eternal books.
The sound vibration is transcendental and eternal, through the concept of Vani the appreciation is easy to understand. When we find that Srila Prabhupada instructs, we hear from the lips of the spiritual master, this does not necessarily mean from the lips of his vapuh but means from his eternal lips in his vani form. The origin of transcendental sound vibration within the existence of the spiritual master is emanating from his lips and is manifest either through sound vibration and transcendental literature, the origin is the same place.
Just as the neophyte devotees worship the Deity in the temple thinking this is where Krishna exists, similarly the neophyte devotees emphasize the physical presence of the spiritual master thinking this is the only existence of the spiritual master. Its not a wrong understanding just a limited understanding an abridged version.
Our real understanding of the existence of the spiritual master is simultaneous oneness and difference. Srila Prabhupada is absolute oneness with his sound vibrational form and is accessible for everyone through this form eternally and the difference is Srila Prabhupada is more merciful in this sound vibrational form than through his vapuh.
Exactly the same as Krishna and His form of the Holy Name. Krishna is more accessible through His Holy name than Himself and is more merciful in form. Cc Adi Lila 1.35 Srila Prabhupada instructs absolutely, “……There is no difference from the spiritual masters’ instructions and the spiritual master himself….” (emphasis added). “When the spiritual master is no longer physically present the disciple should serve the spiritual master’s instructions.”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.28.47
Here it is clear that when the Spiritual Master is no longer physically present his instructions, vani, become the disciples guidance, not that a disciple needs re-initiation or another physically present spiritual master.
Another strong and compelling evidence for accepting Srila Prabhupada as our spiritual master whether we met him or not. “If there is no chance to serve the spiritual master directly, a devotee should serve him by remembering his instructions (vani)……….In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be pride of the disciple.” Cc.Adi 1.35.
And so the complete evidence is thus procurred by Srila Prabhupada. Not only is Srila Prabhupada Iskcon’s founder but also its acharya, spiritual master, so when we accept Iskcon we simultaneously have to accept Srila Prabhupada, being Iskcon’s founder acharya, and those devotees who had no chance to serve him in his vapuh form can now serve him through his vani form, eternal sound vibrational form.
“The potency of Transcendental sound vibration is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent.” Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.8. QED. Conclusive proof that to be able to receive transcendental sound vibration is possible and authorized by Srila Prabhupada himself.
And this is the meaning and definition of the process of diksa. Cc. Madhya Lila15.108 and 4.111. This controversy since 1977 that has raged in Iskcon as to whether a disciple is able to receive diksa without the presence of a diksa guru’s physical body is simply exampled herein. diksa, initiation is a spiritual process as defined in Cc Madhya 15.108 and 4.111.
The positive meaning and definition of diksa, initiation is when the disciple and spiritual master are connected through the process of chanting and hearing. As before mentioned in a letter to Rupanuga Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada describes that reading his books is hearing from the spiritual master.
Because Srila Prabhupada is the bona fide spiritual master, what we hear from him is transcendental sound vibration and this is manifest in different ways, viz-a-viz through hearing from his books, from his recorded instructions and from his eternal form of vani.
The reason that Srila Prabhupada’s vani is as functional as his vapuh in terms of diksa, initiation is because Srila Prabhupada is the current link to the disciplic succession. In Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.7 Srila Prabhupada makes it clear that one should approach the current link, spiritual master, in order to receive the real message of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
This process is the hearing process from the authentic chanter, chanting and hearing, which means when we hear Srila Prabhupada’s books we are connected to him in the parampara system through hearing and as he says the eternal bond is established at this point, hearing from him. There is no indication of physical presence in this process but the presence of the spiritual master is indicated by his vibration.
Thus in order to receive the process of diksa, initiation the spiritual presence of the spiritual master is all that is required to receive transcendental sound vibration and this is accomplished through the vani form as well as the vapuh form especially after the vapuh form has finished. The spiritual master in his vani form in his aprakata feature through his sound vibration is able to transmit the process of diksa to his disciple.
When we all read Srimad Bhagavatam we find the author to be Srila Prabhupada effectively making us his disciples by dint of exclusiveness. In other words because Srila Prabhupada is the author of the books he wrote when we read his books we are naturally hearing from him which is how the eternal bond between spiritual master and disciple begins or is initiated, the definition of diksa, initiation.
We may hear from others in Iskcon but their standing as a realized soul is always measured against Srila Prabhupada’s standard because he is the acharya, the present link who is yet to be succeeded in disciplic succession. Srila Prabhupada recorded his instructions, vani, through his books, instructions, lectures and remembrances.
His words from his lips are all recorded and when we hear those words or read those books we hear directly from his lotus mouth and lips the transcendental sound vibration. Just the same as reading the instructions from Krishna in the form of Bhagavad-Gita, even though Krishna is not physically present with us now.
But because some devotees and disciples of Srila Prabhupada have actually taken re-initiation and accepted another diksa guru they have tried to rationalize their behaviour through the physically present theory by presenting twisted philosophy, that you have to hear from his physical lips to receive divya jnana but this is not borne out by Srila Prabhupada instructions.
And certainly not by the example that Srila Prabhupada gave us himself. He did not physically meet this criteria for all his disciples, it would be impossible. The rationale is that because disciples of Srila Prabhupada have either left his shelter by accepting another diksa guru and other disciples want to be equal to Srila Prabhupada in every respect they have all had to invent the conceptualized physically present diksa guru theory, but for different reasons.
Even if the ritvik process is completely proven through rational evidence it would never be accepted by their camps because it means not only have they made the most massive mistakes in Vaisnava history but they would have caused the most monumental offenses to Srila Prabhupada. And moreover, only the ritvik process has been offered as an alternative to the other physically present theories camps.
The ritvik process has been properly evidenced through sound philosophy and documented evidence from Srila Prabhupada himself whereas the conceptualized physically present diksa guru theories have had no positive philosophical evidence whatsoever, they have had to change their philosophy to keep up with chaotic and antisocial behaviour of their so called gurus and absolutely no documented evidence from Srila Prabupada’s writings.
There is a voluminous amount of rhetoric, innuendo, inference, contradictory statements and literal interpretation but no substance. There is even a whole paper from the Gaudiya Math camp concerning one word, “henceforward”, which comes across rather child-like and unbelievably l-o-n-g. It just means, “from now on”.
Take the word out for God’s sake and see what you are left with. Its the same points. And all just because some disciples have left Srila Prabhupada for a physically present, lesser diksa guru, H.H Narayana Maharaja. What a massive mistake on your part. The other disciples of Srila Prabhupada who have been trying to imitate and be equal to Srila Prabhupada since 1977 seem to have drawn the same conclusion from devotees worldwide, you are just a joke.
Just be yourselves and try and chill out from the money and power trips you have all been on for so many boring years now. And what about the ritvik process, it’s the only process for us all that has Srila Prabhupada as its centre, the diksa guru, the spiritual master, the continuer of disciplic succession, the founder and the acharya. And good luck to them whoever they may be.
The physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary. The vibrational conception is eternal When we feel separation from Krishna or the Spiritual Master, we should just try to remember their words or instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation.