In Vrindavan, India on 18 October 1977 shortly before his departure from this world Srila Prabhupada informed us that he would no longer give diksha (initiation). Srila Prabhupada is therefore the diksha guru or initiating spiritual master only for those devotees who took initiation before 18 October 1977. Srila Prabhupada instructed us also in May 1977 that after his departure the new devotees who join this movement should become the disciples of his disciples. Therefore those ISKCON devotees who have accepted initiation after 18 October 1977 are the disciples of Srila Prabhupada's disciples. They are not directly Srila Prabhupada's disciples.
Srila Prabhupada did not name any particular disciple to be the next acharya. Rather he taught us that any disciple who is strictly following him becomes the next acharya. This means that there can many branches of acharya coming in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON tree. He taught us this principle in many times and places again and again. Here is one occasion from a lecture he gave in New York on 1 December 1966:
"So Krishna also, as spiritual master of Arjuna, He played. He is the original acharya. Then acharya's disciple becomes acharya when he assimilates the knowledge received from bona fide acharya. So he becomes bona fide to act as an acharya. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. Acharya means one who has become a rigid disciple of his acharya. Just like a critical student under a professor, he becomes a first-class professor, similarly, a person who is a very rigid student of bona fide acharya, he becomes next acharya. "
Anybody who chants the Hare Krishna mahamantra at least 16 rounds daily on japa mala beads and strictly avoids illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling, as well as regularly reading and following Srila Prabhupada's books is a first class follower of Srila Prabhupada and is fully qualified to take initiation into his sampradaya (disciplic succession) by becoming the disciple of one of his disciples.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari |
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BOOKS WILL DO EVERYTHING
“After 80 years, no one can be expected to live long. My life is almost ended. So you have to carry on, and these books will do everything.” (SP Room conversation, 18/2/76)
Reporter: Who will succeed you when you die?
Srila Prabhupada: I will never die!
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Srila Prabhupada: I will live forever from my books and you will utilise.
(Interview, Berkley, 17/7/75)
Srila Prabhupada: Already successful - No successor required
ALREADY SUCCESSFUL
Guest: Are you planning to choose a successor?
Srila Prabhupada: It is already successful.
Guest: But there must be somebody you know, needed to handle the thing.
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. That we are creating. We are creating these devotees who will handle.
Hanuman: One thing he’s saying, this gentlemen, and I would like to know, is your successor named or your successor will…
Srila Prabhupada: My success is always there.
(SP Room conversation, 12/2/75 Mexico)
Reporter: Are you training a successor?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, my Guru Maharaja is there.
(SP Press conference, 16/7/75, San Francisco)
“I am the Spiritual Master of this institution, and all the members of the Society, they’re supposed to be my disciples. They follow the rules and regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are initiated by me spiritually.” Radio interview, March 12, 1968, San Francisco)
A very valuable information in the times of great confusion! Thank you..
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