Krishna Conscious Leadership for a New Enlightened World Order

What this planet needs is Krishna conscious leadership. When the people of the world will live their lives in accordance with the instructions of Krishna's pure devotees the entire world will become peaceful and happy. Therefore in 1966 in New York City at 26 2nd Avenue His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to provide the world with such Krishna conscious leaders. Those persons who would like to take leadership roles for the deliverance of the suffering humanity from an ever-increasingly deteriorating and chaotic world order should join the Krishna consciousness society as soon as possible and become trained in the principles and practice of pure devotional service. Then they should fully dedicate their lives for introducing the entire world to the sublime process of Krishna consciousness. The result will be a new highly enlightened world order.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Original ISKCON Temple 26 2nd Avenue, New York City

Original ISKCON Temple 26 2nd Avenue, New York City

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Are You a Guru?

Mr. Sankarshan, could you please prove to me when and in which letter Prabhupada said that you can initiate disciples? Previously you were not a devotee, and now suddenly you have became a highly advanced uttama adikari. It is really a laughing stock. Can you explain to me, will you take your disciples back to Krishna?

You wrote that you are Prabhupada's disciple and not mine. Again you are making joke, brother.

So are you a guru? Do you know the actual definition of guru? I would like to test you. Please refer to all previous gurus and write to me clearly what kind of person can be a guru.

Of course you are disobeying our spiritual master. I have clear proof in the text below. Read the text below and give your comments:

"The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the above eleven senior devotees acting as His representative. After the Temple President receives a letter from these representatives giving the spiritual name or the thread, he can perform the fire yajna in the temple as was being done before. The name of a newly initiated disciple should be sent by the representative who has accepted him or her to Srila Prabhupada, to be included in His Divine Grace's 'Initiated Disciples' book."

Thank you

Your servant,

Sarasa Kanai Das

Answer: Yes, by the Mercy of Srila Prabhupada

I do not require to give you any proof. When the spiritual master gives his disciple an order, the disciple does not have to get the approval of another person such as yourself to execute the order of his spiritual master. The guru/disciple relationship is a highly personal affair. I was personally trained by Srila Prabhupada. But someone who was not personally trained by him may not be able to always properly understand what Srila Prabhupada meant by a particular instruction because of his not having had that personal training from Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada gave instructions in many ways: in lectures, in conversations, and in letters. Letters were only one of the ways that he gave instructions. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly instructed his disciples that they should become gurus. For example on 17 December 1973 in Los Angeles he instructed us, "Just become perfect in the understanding of this science and become guru and deliver the whole world." And there many, many such instructions.

I will definitely take my disciples back to Godhead by the divine potency invested in me by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although I am just a messenger boy for Srila Prabhupada, because I am purely following and delivering his message without deviation his full potency is acting through me.

Regarding your claim of my disqualification due to my previous non-devotee background you are quite ignorant of what is stated in the revealed scriptures. Kindly allow me to enlighten you in this regard that in the Padma Purana it is stated:

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

"A scholarly brahmana expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaisnava, but if a person born in a family of a lower caste is a Vaisnava, he can become a spiritual master."

Srila Prabhupada says that even if one is not an uttama adhikari (the highest level devotee) he can still be a spiritual master if he strictly follows his guru's orders. So whether someone is an uttama adhikari or not is not an issue. Simply we have to see if that person is strictly following the instructions he received from his spiritual master. Then and only then is he qualified to be guru.

Another point is: How is it that you think you are qualified to judge whether somebody is an uttama adhikari or not? It takes someone who is advanced in Krishna consciousness to recognize who is actually advanced in Krishna consciousness.

And still another point is: Do you think that Srila Prabhupada was such an impotent spiritual master that he could not create at least one pure devotee, uttama adhikari, out of his many thousands and thousand of devotees? Do you think that Srila Prabhupada is not powerful enough to create at least one disciple who can carry on the unbroken line of disciplic succession?

I am not joking. I am talking very seriously. It is a fact that I am Srila Prabhupada's disciple and not your disciple. He personally encouraged me that I could be a spiritual master and you are telling me that I cannot be a spiritual master. So should I listen to my spiritual master or should I listen to you? The choice is obvious.

Guru is clearly defined by Lord Caitanya as one who knows the science of Krishna:

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya

"It does not matter whether a person is a vipra [learned scholar in Vedic wisdom] or is born in a lower family, or is in the renounced order of life-if he is master in the science of Krishna, he is the perfect and bona fide spiritual master." --Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.128

Because I have been expertly trained by Srila Prabhupada and commissioned by him to act in the capacity of guru, I am fully qualified to act as a guru for the deliverance of the fallen, conditioned souls back to home, back to Godhead.

The quote from the letter you have cited, which by the way was written by my Godbrother and close associate Tamal Krishna Maharaja on 9 July 1977, describes the system for Srila Prabhupada's initiating disciples during his last year when he was physically present on this planet and was indisposed due to chronic illness but still accepting disciples. The actual history which you are not aware of is that on 18 October 1977 Srila Prabhupada said that he would no longer accept disciples and he turned the duty of initiating disciples completely over to his disciples. In 1977 he made it clear to us that the new devotees after his departure would the disciples of his disciples. He made it even more emphatic by telling us that they would be his grand disciples. What could be more clear?

So, in short, you do not have any idea what you are talking about. You were not a member of this movement when Srila Prabhupada was physically on this planet and personally trained me and his other disciples to know exactly what we needed to do to successfully carry out his orders. You were not an eye witness to these most momentous events in human history. You are a johnny-come-lately who came onto the scene after the fact who wants to reinterpret what actually transpired according to your own limited imagination.

By criticizing those who have fully dedicated their lives for spreading this sankirtana movement all over the world you are committing the greatest offense, which is known as Vaisnava aparadha. Unless rectified this offensive mentality complete nullifies whatever spiritual progress we may have made. Therefore for your benefit I humbly request you to beg forgiveness for the many offensive remarks that you have made.

I am sure that you are sincere soul and that it is just that you have been misguided by those persons who are envious of the bona fide spiritual masters that Srila Prabhupada has created by his divine potency. Because I know you are a good soul, I can understand that it is my duty on behalf of Srila Prabhupada to try to bring you to the correct understanding of his teachings. I am hopeful that you will take to heart these valuable instructions which I have sincerely given you. It is in a mood of genuine concern and compassion that I am taking the time and trouble to explain these things to you in detail. I pray to Krishna that you may be able to properly understand them.

Hoping this meets you well,

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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