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	The official response of IRM to Gourapriya das �� (��)
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[Russian translation is below] The official response of IRM to Gourapriya das > From: Georg Vartanyan (Gourapriya das)<e-mail> > To: <[email protected]> > Cc: Alexander <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 7:22 AM > Subject: Questions > > > Kiev [18.07.019:13:44] > > Dear Adridharan prabhu! > Please, accept my humble obeisances. > All glories to Sri Guru And Sri Gauranga! > > I'm the moderator of Russian Vaishnava Forum //forum.hari-katha.org/wtboard/ > My name is Gaurapriya das. > > This forum is the largest in the Russian zone (Ukraine, Russia, etc.) > site were all the devotees can participate and put their opinion > according to the rules of the forum. We are trying to be unprejudiced > to any devotee from any Vaisnava organization. > > Some time ago we have been receiving several messages to our forum > from Alexander prabhu [email protected] who is one of the organizers of > the www.joinirm.ru site. We asked him publicly some serious question > and he gave his personal opinion. There was some long lasting > discussion between Alexander prabhu and some other devotees on the > forum. That is why we would like to inquire you as one of the top > leaders of IRM ISKCON about official position of IRM ISKCON on the 2 > questions following below. Alexander prabhu gave us your e-mail > address. You answers will be posted on our forum in Russian. > > ============== 1 ============== > In your materials I've never seen the name of Srila B.R. Sridhar > Maharaj. I think that you actually know his role in formation of > ISKCON and in life of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. > > That is why I want to know from You the OFFICIAL point of view of IRM > on the events that took part between the leaders of ISKCON and Srila > Sridhara Maharaj which was described in detail in the book "Our > Affectionate Guardians" by Swami Visnu Maharaja > //gosai.com/chaitanya/srila_sridhara_mj/affection/ > > This book is available in Russian on our site: > //hari-katha.org/library/oag.htm > > Please, tell us as much, as it is appropriate to You concerning this > topic. > > ============== 2 ============== > Does IRM has any plans to introduce back the practice of Shudha > Vaishnava leading the spiritual organization after reconstruction of > ISKCON? In over words, will IRM find any present Shudha Vaishnava who > may be formally in the other Vaishnava Organization? I mean Shudha > Vaishnava who is presenting on the planet at the moment and recognized > as Shudha Vaishnava by other acharyas of Gaudiya Vaishnava Missions? > > I'm accentuating that I'm interesting mostly in official position of > IRM rather then in your personal opinion. > > Thank you! > > --- > Gourapriya das > Idea, content, administration of //hari-katha.org/ Dear Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for your letter, and for giving me an opportunity to contribute to your esteemed forum. Please find below the answers to your two questions. If there is anything else I can contribute, then please do not hesitate to ask, since I am glad to be of assistance. Thank you, Your servant, Adridharana Das, Chairman ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM), President, ISKCON Calcutta ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) We have published one article in connection with Sridhara Maharaja. I have attached below for your interest. Our attitude to Sidhara Maharaja is the same as with any other members of the Gaudiya Matha. They should be offered all respects from a distance. 2) Also we accept that a suddha vaisnava - Srila Prabhupada - is still leading ISKCON providing there is a bona fide GBC carrying out his desires. It was Srila Prabhupada's desire to be led by such a bona fide GBC , not by any successor. And it is the mission of the IRM to form such a bona fide GBC, which currently does not exist in ISKCON. Thank you. Comments on Ritvik System From Gaudiya Matha The following is taken from the 'Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion' Vol. One by Srila B.R. Sridhardev - Goswami, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Navadwip Dham: Declaration of the Spiritual Succession of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj Founder-Acarya of the Math (Gaura-purnima, 26th March, 1986) According to the desire of my Divine Master, I have been maintaining this disciplic succession but it is no longer possible for me, as I am now too old and invalid. You will know that from long ago I have chosen Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj and I have given him sannyasa. All my Vaisnava Godbrothers are very affectionate towards him and it is also their desire to give him this position. I have previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving Harinama, diksa, sannyasa, etc. as an Acarya of this Math on behalf of myself. Those who have any regard for me should give this respect and position to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have faith in my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has got the capacity of rendering service in this way. With this I transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as Ritvik. The ritvik system is already involved both here and also in the foreign land. The Ritvik is the representative. So, if you want to take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well and as good as taking from me. In the Mahamandala, Sagar Maharaj and many others are also ritvik of Swami Maharaj and also myself. They may do so, but in this Math and in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative. If anyone cannot accept this, he may leave the Math rather than stay here and disturb the peace of the Math. With all my sincerity and good feelings to Guru Gauranga, to the Vaisnava acaryas, Mahaprabhu, Panca Tattva, Radha Govinda and Their Parsadas, with all my sincere prayers to Them, henceforth he will represent me in this affair beginning from today's function. Now I shall go from here and he will do the necessary. On my behalf, he will give Hari-nama, diksa, sannyasa, and everything. We are not claiming that this is EVIDENCE or PROOF that Srila Prabhupada established a ritvik system or even that the ritvik system post-samadhi is bona-fide, but the above piece DOES establish certain points: That the post-samadhi ritvik concept was not JUST simply concocted by some disgruntled deviants in ISKCON because ISKCON gurus had fallen down. Rather H.H. Sridhara Maharaja who is considered by some to be one of the most senior members of the Gaudiya Matha also apparently endorsed the concept. This defeats the notion that nowhere in any Gaudiya Vaisnava movement is the post-samadhi ritvik concept endorsed. Also leaving aside HOW the Gaudiya matha take this statement or HOW H.H. Govinda Maharaja today functions in the Gaudiya matha, the ACTUAL WORDS of H.H. Sridhara Maharaja are clear: "I have previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving Harinama, diksa, sannyasa, etc. as an Acarya of this Math on behalf of myself." "With this I transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as Ritvik." "On my behalf, he will give Hari-nama, diksa, sannyasa, and everything." Notice how just like the July 9th letter, in the above very short piece, H.H. Sridhara Maharaja has taken the trouble to use the vedic practice of stating 3 times that the initiations will be given on his behalf. Srila Prabhupada in the July 9th letter also states 3 times that the disciples will be his. Further just in case anyone argues that H.H. Srdihara Maharaja only meant the 'on my behalf' in the sense of mood and consciousness and not actually in practice or FORM, Maharaja stated: "With this I transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as Ritvik." "So, if you want to take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well and as good as taking from me." Here maharaja makes it clear that the acting on 'behalf' is as a RITVIK, not a diksa guru, and that taking from the ritvik is the same as taking directly from Maharaja. Thus the idea that H.H Govinda Maharaja is 'an acharya of the math' is fully qualified and explained by H.H. Sridhara Maharaja. This is also different therefore to the current diksa gurus in ISKCON who also claim they are acting on Srila Prabhupada's behalf. Here Maharaja makes it clear that the acting as ritvik is also in the FORM and actual system, not just the consciousness. By adding the statement: "So, if you want to take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well and as good as taking from me." Maharaja has also disagreed with the notion that a ritvik post-samadhi is the same as a diksa guru, as is the current GBC siddhanta as given in 'Disciple of My Disciple' (1997). Further H.H. is directly endorsing that one can directly approach and take initiation from a departed acharya. Maharaja has also defined the ritvik in the same way as Srila Prabhupada did in the July 9th letter, as a REPRESENTATIVE: "The Ritvik is the representative" "They may do so, but in this Math and in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative." By stating the following: "In the Mahamandala, Sagar Maharaj and many others are also ritvik of Swami Maharaj and also myself." Maharaja makes no distinction at all between pre- and post-samadhi ritvik initiations, for he speaks of ritviks acting post-samadhi for Srila Prabhupada (Swami Maharaja), and ritviks acting for him pre-samadhi, in the same manner. Thus Maharaja does not support the idea that the ritvik is an entity that ONLY operates before departure or that the ritvik radically changes his function after the departure of the Guru. Further by speaking of the ritvik acting in the same capacity before and after samadhi, Maharaja does not support the idea that the ritvik post-samadhi means diksa-guru. In conclusion we would like to make it clear that we are not claiming that the words of H.H Sridhara Maharaja prove or validate any concept, or that the above throws any light on the validity of the post-samadhi concept. It is however interesting to consider in light of the false allegation that the 'ritvik' idea was manufactured out of thin air relatively recently by some disgruntled westerners.. �� , ��, �� . �� . �� , � �� , �� . ��, �� , � �� . �� -�� , �� , ��, �� , �� . ��, �� , �� (�� IRM � ��. ��.), �� . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) �� , �� . � �� . �� . �� . 2) �� , �� , �� , � �� . � �� , �� . ��. �� �� (�� 1) �� .�. �� , �� , �� : �� , �� , �� (��-��, 26 �� 1986 �.) � �� , � �� , �� , �� , �� . �� , �� . �� , �� , �� , � �� . �� , � �� , ��, �� , �� . ��, �� , �� (��) � �� . �� , � �� , �� (�� believe � ��. ��.), �� . � �� , � � �� . �� , �� . �� . �� , �� , � �� , �� , �� . � �� . �� , �� , �� , �� (�� . ��.) �� . �� -�� , �� , ��, �� , �� . �� , �� , ��, �� , �� , �� , �� (�� . ��.) �� , �� . �� , � �� . �� , �� -��, ��, �� . �� , �� , �� , �� , �� , �� : �� (post-samadhi � ��. ��.) �� , ��-�� , �� . ��, �� , �� (�� . ��.) �� . �� , �� . �� , �� (�� . ��.) �� , �� : "�� , � �� , ��, �� , �� ." �� , � � �� .� �� -��, ��, �� .� �� , �� 9 ��, � �� 3� ��, �� . �� 9 �� 3 ��, �� . ��, � �� , �� -�� , �� , � �� , �� : �� , � � �� .�, �� , �� , � �� , �� , �� .� �� , �� , �� , �� , � �� . �� , �� , �� , �� . �� , �� , �� . �� , �� , � �� . ��, ��: �� , �� , � �� , �� , �� .� �� , �� , �� , �� (�� . ��.) �� , 1997 �� . �� , �� , �� . �� , �� , �� 9 ��, �� : �� �� , �� , �� , �� .� �� : "� �� .", � �� - � �� , �� , �� (�� ) �� , � � ��, �� , � �� . �� , �� , �� , �� . �� , �� , �� , �� -��. � ��, �� , �� , �� -�� , �� -�� . �� , �� , �� -�� .
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