Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON - A GBC Foundational Document

FOREWORD

Śrīla Prabhupāda was undoubtedly the personality sent by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to fulfill His prediction: “I have incarnated to inaugurate the saṅkīrtana movement. I will deliver all the fallen souls of this world. . . In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My Nam Sankirtan Movement will spread” (Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya 4. 120, 126). To understand Śrīla Prabhupāda’s unique role in Gauḍīya perspective, we must journey back in time and gain historical insight of how Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s plan to fulfill His prediction is gradually unfolding. Upon His return from Gayā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began His nāma-saṅkīrtana mission. And in distributing nāma prema, “He and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead” (Caitanya Caritāmṛita, Ādi-līlā 7.23). This flood of nāma prema swelled in all directions and continued to benedict this world under the shelter of empowered preachers like the Six Gosvāmīs, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottam Das Ṭhākur and Śyāmānanda Prabhu. Unfortunately, after the disappearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and these empowered associates of His, a very dark age descended on the world of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. By Kali’s influence, many apasampradāyas, deviant sects, 12 totally eclipsed Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pure presentation of Krishna Consciousness with their unscrupulous, materialistic doctrines and practices. And they did that in His name! Soon, His teachings came to be identified with immorality, dogma and anti-social elements. As a result, the cultured and educated people of Indian society developed a deep aversion to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This dark age continued for almost 250 years. In order to revive His saṅkīrtana movement and once again illuminate the Gauḍīya sky, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then sent one of His intimate associates, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur, to this world. Possessed of transcendental prowess, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur wrote tirelessly to defeat all unauthorized and deviant philosophies opposed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s presentation of Krishna Consciousness. Through his tireless and dedicated writing, he exposed all the adharmic philosophies of that time and once again revealed to the world Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s path of supreme auspiciousness and compassion: His nāmasaṅkīrtana mission. These writings would later form the philosophical foundation for Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s systematic and institutionally based plan to set into motion fulfillment of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s prediction. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur’s rediscovery of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s birthplace and his giving of a blueprint (in the form of his “nāmahaṭṭa”) to realise Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire that nāma-saṅkīrtana be propagated all over the world were a very clear and remarkable indication of his absolute conviction in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s words. However, he knew that this massive task of spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world would need the collective involvement of thousands of people for many generations. It could not, and would not, be just one man’s work—a transcendental institution was of absolute necessity. His fervent prayers to Lord Jagannātha were answered and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared in this world as his son to give practical shape to his blueprint in the form of the 13 Gauḍīya Mission. Within fifteen short years, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spread Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement all over India and attracted many luminaries of that time to assist him in his mission. Sixty-four maṭhas dedicated to propagating Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings were established in India during this time. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura recognized the importance of his institution for continuing vigorous preaching after his departure from this world. He emphatically and very openly instructed his leading disciples that his Gauḍīya Mission be managed and maintained by a Governing Body. Surprisingly, he did not nominate anyone as his spiritual successor. He left this world on 1st January, 1937 and almost immediately dissension and quarrel arose within the Gauḍīya Mission. Very soon the institution which had always been known for pure and bold preaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings became famous for its embroiled fractions and court cases. Two contending factions fought for ācārya-ship and many senior disciples left the institution in disgust. The unified entity of the Gauḍīya Mission as an all-India entity consisting of many centers, several presses and thousands of devotees working cooperatively under unified leadership ceased to exist. Illusions of proprietorship and prestige eclipsed Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s order, and his mission—to develop a worldwide movement for propagating Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings—came to a grinding halt. Our Śrīla Prabhupāda, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, was heartbroken by this tragic turn of events, but it was very evident from his activities that he perfectly understood his spiritual master’s heart and mission: 1.As soon as a few New York followers took his message to heart, he legally incorporated his institution. He named it the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and also legally stated its seven purposes. This all happened as early as 1966. 14 2.To continue Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission and secure ISKCON’s transcendental legacy, Śrīla Prabhupāda very systematically established the Governing Body Commission and very emphatically instructed his senior followers: “Don’t make the same mistake that my godbrothers made after my Guru Mahārāja’s disappearance. Manage the society collectively through the GBC.” 3.To secure ISKCON as a transcendental mission with a strong philosophical and culture base, he tirelessly and meticulously translated and commented on the most important and sublime of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings in the form of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he emphatically said that his books are the basis of his Krishna Consciousness movement and the institution of ISKCON. 4. And, like his Guru Mahārāja, he did not name or select a successor for his ISKCON, rather, he wanted his disciples to collectively manage the institution through a Governing Body. When I was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s personal servant, I noted many times that he would insist that on any printed material the title Founder-Ācārya and his full name be printed under the society’s name of ISKCON. I was very immature and inexperienced at that time and often wondered, “Śrīla Prabhupāda is such a humble and exalted Vaiṣṇava, why is he so persistently insisting on this?” I did not ever openly express this to Śrīla Prabhupāda, but it continued to perplex me. But slowly, by his divine grace, in due course of time, I began to understand his intent. The phrase “Founder-Ācārya” is not just a title but a transcendental system intended to protect, preserve and give longevity to an institution dedicated to the mass liberation of conditioned souls all over this world in this dark abysmal age of Kali. Great Vaiṣṇava stalwarts like Śrī Madhvācārya and Śrī Rāmānujācārya successfully implemented this system. 15 Obviously, full implementation of this system in ISKCON is crucial to the successful fulfillment of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s prediction. I shared this realization with a number of my senior god-brothers and was enlivened to find that Śrīla Prabhupāda had blessed them with the same insight. Then, in 2006, the GBC body formed various committees to plan and achieve different strategic objectives. One such committee is the Śrīla Prabhupāda Position Committee (SPPC), whose mission is to assist the existing efforts and develop new initiatives to eternally establish Śrīla Prabhupāda as the Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON and the pre-eminent śikṣa guru for all ISKCON devotees. This book is an initiative of the SPPC. His Grace Ravīndra Svarūpa Prabhu, who is undoubtedly one of ISKCON’s most brilliant thinkers and writers, wrote the book and all the GBC members and many senior devotees have seriously and diligently scrutinized it. This book is thoroughly researched and based on śāstra and historical facts. It is academic in nature and provides a foundation on which we can build a holistic culture of education meant to firmly and very practically establish Śrīla Prabhupāda’s position as the Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON. Of course, pure Krishna Consciousness acknowledges no technique—its only base is humility and absolute surrender. And it is in this mood that we offer this publication to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda and all his devotees. Kindly note that this book is not meant for casual reading but for implementation. If we do that, our personal and collective relationships with Śrīla Prabhupāda will flourish unlimitedly and we will come to very practically understand that our beloved Founder-Ācārya is not frozen in time. He is an eternal assistant of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s divine flood of compassion and Krishna prema. And his heart melts and flows without restriction or impediment to anyone and everyone who shows the slightest interest in his teachings and the nāmasaṅkīrtana mission. 16 We humbly seek your kind and active support in implementing the next important step in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s plan to flood the entire world with Krishna prema—to firmly and very practically establish Śrīla Prabhupāda as the FounderĀcārya of ISKCON for all time. Thank you very much.

Yours in the service of Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Bhakti Charu Swami
Vrindavan, India
November, 2013

PREFACE

The work in your hand—or on your screen—is offered to you as one ripened fruit of the intensive, many-branched strategic planning project launched in 2006 by the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON. This ongoing endeavor has brought together many devotees worldwide to engage in systematic planning and development to realize a flourishing future for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement. Ultimately, we aim at the empowerment of our entire organization—every one of its members, all its various units, each of its managing and guiding authorities—so that all of them work united in effective cooperation to bring to fruition the desires of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. From the beginning, everyone understood that one particular element essential to this achievement was, as it was usually put, “to keep Śrīla Prabhupāda in the center.” In this regard, the strategic planning team was acutely aware that the near future would confront ISKCON with a critical challenge: the unavoidable transition to a time when all devotees with direct experience of its Founder-Ācārya are gone. This imminent loss became an additional incentive for the work of the Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Position Committee (SPPC). All its members understood that Śrīla Prabhupāda should be no less a presence to subsequent generations than he has been to the first. (Indeed, some believed, he could be even more.) How to facilitate this? How to foster in all devotees in ISKCON, generation after generation, an ever-increasing awareness of their deep connection with its Founder-Ācārya, so that all encounter 18 him as a living presence in their lives? How will his mission, his teachings, his vision, his determination, his mercy, become one with each and every beating heart? As a member of the SPPC, I was assigned the task of writing a foundational document for ISKCON devotees on the import of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s position as Founder-Ācārya. Having accepted this assignment, I found myself spending many days and nights absorbed in thinking, somewhat obsessively, about Śrīla Prabhupāda—about his life and his heritage, about his movement, about myself as a disciple and similarly, my godbrothers and sisters. During these days and nights, my mental and emotional states became acutely heightened, and yet suspended from any determinate conclusions. And then, I sat down and, in two or three hours, typed a short statement— no more than three pages—that seemed to come almost of its own accord. It was based on little or no research, and no new finding—simply my own intuitions and “realizations.” I refined it somewhat, and, at the next available occasion, presented it to the other members of the strategic planing group. To my relief, the overwhelmingly positive response assured me at least that I was heading in the right direction. This direction was given a concrete shape by the follow-up instruction. “Great,” they said, “so far. Now—write a commentary.” I must note that the general “great” became attended by a entourage of detailed comments—comments requesting, in one place or another, more support, clarification, or elaboration; comments indicating misgivings or areas of confusion; comments proposing other topics for inclusion or investigation, and so on. I took these comments away with me—they turned out to be extremely helpful—and then, after tweaking the short statement, I did as asked, and began to write a commentary. Consequently, the final product, now at hand, comes in the form of a text with a commentary on the text. The text is given first, by itself. The far longer commentary follows. In this part, the primary text makes its appearance in proper sequence, but is broken into convenient sections. The primary text is printed 19 in boldface, while the following commentary on that section is rendered in regular type. The text is short, only 1300 words (5 pages). The commentary, as it turned out, is long, about 21,000 words (79 pages). The text initially took about three hours to compose; the commentary, six years. The primary text itself is simple and quite suitable for a wide audience. The commentary is specifically intended for anyone who is, or who aspires to be, prabhupāda-śiṣya, a true śikṣā disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda. That, indeed, should be the fixed aim of all members of ISKCON, and that, by itself, will bring about fulfillment of the heartfelt desires of Lord Caitanya. The unexpectedly long and sometimes difficult labor on the commentary brought me an unanticipated benediction: I learned in-depth things that I had previously known only superficially or formally. I began this work knowing Śrīla Prabhupāda was a great disciple, but now I have gained a more thorough and profound knowledge of just how great he is—an awareness, I confess, that continues to grow. What I discovered vastly increased my knowledge of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s achievement and engendered new growth in my love and gratitude toward him. This gift of knowledge has also shown me just how much it is incumbent upon me, as his disciple, to illuminate his greatness by the most sincere testimony, the testimony of my own discipleship. Moreover, I have been able to see more fully the truly astounding purport of the glorious title he rightly bears, “Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.” I pray that reading this work will do for you, what writing it has done for me. I wish to acknowledge my deep indebtedness to all those who helped, encouraged, guided, facilitated, and corrected me in the production of this work. The overall strategic planing mission, directed by Gopāla Baṭṭa Prabhu and his able assistants, created and sustained the conditions which made this result—a “deliverable”—possible. The SPPC, presently co-chaired by 20 H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami and Akrūra Prabhu, went through a number of changes in membership over seven years, but the consistent feedback and encouragement from all who serve and served in that group proved more valuable to me than I was often able to express. I do so now, in gratitude. Many senior devotees outside the SPPC also reviewed the work in progress. In particular, a special “Sannyāsī, Guru, and GBC Sanga” of one hundred or so leaders, convened in Māyāpura in February of 2013, reviewed a draft of this work, and took the time to provide invaluable comments and reflections. The same draft profited from the response solicited from twenty or so other senior members. Out of this emerged the “final” draft, which was reviewed once more by the GBC while meeting at Juhu in October 2013. With a few more suggestions for improvement, the GBC gave its unanimous approval for the publication of this work as an official statement by the GBC. My debt to the GBC members—for their patience, for their help, and most of all for their blessings—cannot be repaid. I wish also to thank my most immediate help. My disciple Śraddhā devī dāsī provided continuous organization and tech support to this effort, as well as consummate editorial assistance and advice. My wife Saudāmaṇī devī dāsī was also an acute reader and critic of the work in progress, as well as the unfailing provider of life support. I am a difficult person to take care of, but she did it anyway.

Your servant in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s service,
Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December, 2013