ISKCON Guru System
Encyclopedia
ISKCON guru is permitted to initiate disciples in the system that is being used in International Society for Krishna Consciousness
; this ISKCON Guru System has undergone a considerable evolution and reform since its beginnings in 1970s. Upanayana
as a traditional "sacred thread ceremony" of the Gayatri Mantra
, commonly known Hindu Samskara
, is complemented by Pancaratric mantras
of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya
and follows the principal initial nama
initiation ceremony, refereed respectively as brahmana
diksa and Hari nama diksa.
thesaurus
of Sanskrit
for meanings of words and according to the writings of the Gaudiya acaryas, the word guru is very often defined as one who; represents the Supreme Lord, who does not manufacture anything, but teaches in accordance with the scriptures (sastra) and the previous ācāryas.A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami: The Science of Self Realization - What Is a Guru? "Reporter: How can a person tell he has a genuine guru?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Can any of my students answer this question?
Disciple: Once I remember John Lennon asked you, “How will I know who is the genuine guru?” And you answered, “Just find out the one who is most addicted to Kṛṣṇa. He is genuine.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. The genuine guru is God’s representative, and he speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine guru is he who has no interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of the tests of a genuine guru: brahma-niṣṭham. He is absorbed in the Absolute Truth. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad it is stated, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: [MU 1.2.12] “The genuine guru is well versed in the scriptures and Vedic knowledge, and he is completely dependent on Brahman.” He should know what Brahman [spirit] is and how to become situated in Brahman. These signs are given in the Vedic literature. As I said before, the real guru is God’s representative. He represents the Supreme Lord, just as a viceroy represents a king. The real guru will not manufacture anything. Everything he says is in accordance with the scriptures and the previous ācāryas
This definition of a wider concept of guru
in Hinduism
links the question of the relative authority of the guru’s words and those of the sastra in a crucial relationship. Baladeva Vidyabhushana, 18th century principal Gaudiya theologian used and defined guru in his commentaries on Vedanta-sutra
. Specifically, in the comments to the sutras 3.3.44-45 Baladeva Vidyabhushana
argues that the concept of guru’s grace plays the central role in the system of teacher-student succession
."
work named Hari Bhakti Vilasa which received commentary by Sanatana Gosvami. It is the foundation of traditional Vaishnava philosophy and has 9.275 verses, divided in twenty chapters (called Vilasas). First chapter is dedicated to guru, with second dedicated to ritual process of initiation by the guru. The worship of guru is described towards the end of the third vilasa.
The place of guru and his grace (prasada) plays a vital role in the Vaisnava traditions in general and in ISKCON Gaudiya Vaishnavism in particular. The generic view on a guru
as a representative of God is a central feature to the tradition and philosophy:
In contrast with the established traditional view of ISKCON some rare sahajia
groups in Bengal
treat their own preceptor (guru) as the living God
. This view is different or contrasted to the concept of a guru being "as good as God".
Unlike being a god in a human form, the process of being appointed as a guru within ISKCON is currently done by a process which could be described as consensual or democratic and involves voting
. It is suggested that being as good as god is not a theological but a practical consideration, just as wife serves her husband in Hindu traditions
as good as god.
While the "submission of the disciple is neither irrational or blind." The question of qualification and humility remained opened for generations prior to creation of ISKCON in the West. In his speech Assuming Responsibility of Being Guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who founded the popular branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that resulted in creation of ISKCON, underlined the contrast of humility and responsibility of the performance of the duties of being a guru:
It has been seen that much of the debate over authority and continuity over the years has focused on one issue: namely, whether current GBC members and gurus are spiritually qualified. Guru in a post-charismatic phase of ISKCON is a subject of number studies and debates.
According to the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ceremony of diksha in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, also called initiation, is that "by which the spiritual preceptor admits one to the status of a neophyte on the path of spiritual endeavor."
, head of a monastery or a whole sampradaya
. ISKCON is sometimes described as the "first global Vaisnava movement" and is different. ISKCON is a multi-guru organization that places the ultimate managerial authority in its Governing Body, a group rather than a single person. Current ISKCON Guru System is developed by the group of leaders, Governing Body Commission
, (GBC), the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
. ISKCON Guru system was originally initiated and put in place by ISKCON's founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who organized and sometimes himself conducted initiations since early 1970s. Currently the GBC is entrusted with both spiritual and secular leadership of the ISKCON communities, as well as the power to appoint new guru
s. According to a GBC confidence survey "those holding critical views of the GBC were far less committed to ISKCON" and it was also noted that householder members of ISKCON provides less support for ISKCON's gurus and the guru institution than the residents of ISKCON asramas controlled by GBC.
In recent years GBC started to develop a regional seminar "Spiritual Leadership: Being a Guru in ISKCON" and made it mandatory for all future gurus to attend. The course is based on the work of a group of seniors representing cross section of international devotees and is developed in coordination with Vaisnava Training and Education, the Guru Services Committee of GBC. It was launched in Ujjain
just prior to the 2008 annual GBC meetings. Sastric Advisory Council to GBC has reported that there is a desire for control of who is ISKCON guru, the present system does not provides effective safeguards and at the same time contradicts the truly humble attitude of the Vaishnavas and is in danger of gradual corruption.
s in ISKCON.
Since founder’s death the number of ISKCON devotees accepting disciples has increased. Recently, some of grand-disciples (disciples of disciples) have begun to accept disciples in the next generation.
Prabhupada is officially considered a Founder-acarya, and is assumed to be "pre-eminent" guru of all devotees in his society.
According to the theological epistemology of the tradition, scriptural or Vedic knowledge is the only way to achieve the knowledge of the out-worldly or transcendental realm. However the notable exception to this rule is what is called vaidushya-pratyaksa, or the faultless and pure preception of a pure realised soul, which forms the foundation the scripture itself.
There are a few rear female gurus in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, however until 2009 there were no approved women gurus in ISKCON.
In a typical initiation ceremony as a guru of International Society for Krishna Consciousness
he would begin with purification using achamana
(holy water) and concludes with a sermon on the importance of chanting of the holy names in the life of new initiate.
. Soon additional requirements followed, but the number of prescribed rounds of Hare Krishna japa was reduced to the minimum 16.
Some devotees shaved their heads after the first initiation. First second initiation was in Boston, May 9, 1968 where only male devotees were initiated. However next day saw a number of women initiated too.
From the period of the first initiation in 1966 until early 1970 Srila Prabhupada would organize all initiations personally. At this stage Hare Krishna
movement was rather small in numbers and most of the devotees were located in United States.
, West Virginia, on Janmastami day 1970, the senior man, Kirtananda Swami, along with other three leaders, Sudama, Brahmananda and Visnujana, had announced that by leaving America, Prabhupada had rejected his disciples for failing to recognize that Prabhupada was actually Krishna Himself. This is considered to be a sign of mayavada
-impersonalism. Some note that "Kirtananda had previously failed to distinguish between the personal and impersonal" understandings of God, and at this point he was among the four who had failed to distinguish the guru
from the God. All four were banned from preaching within ISKCON. One was demonized by his Godbrothers, but Visnujana Swami is still considered a saint, despite his sudden disappearance in 1976. Visnujana Swami along with Sudama and Brahmananda were given sannyasa
directly after the expulsion.
to his disciples. He would often initiate by mail and every temple president had a cassette of Prabhupada chanting the gayatri mantra which was played in the ear of the new second initiate and that was as good as hearing the gayatri
mantra
from Srila Prabhupada himself. From the beginning of January 1973 Revatinandana and Kirtanananda
were instructed also to chant on the beads of new initiates while Prabhupada would continue to deal with the "matter of brahmana initiations", however sometimes the mantra was given personally by disciples too.
, his health had turned for the worse and Prabhupada called all his GBC members to Vrindavana for instruction. The discussion of May 28 was recorded. There was a backlog of candidates and on 9 July a letter by his secretary, Tamal Krishna Goswami, was sent out, and that named eleven senior disciples who would now be responsible for giving initiations to the new candidates. At this point the new candidates need no longer write to him and the recommendations don’t have to come to him for confirmation.
of Gujarat and a prominent industrialist Ram Krishna Bajaj raised issues of the appointment of a single successor from among his followers. Prabhupada answered that all his disciples would succeed him.
from new ISKCON gurus. There was noticeable difference between these newly appointed ISKCON gurus and Prabhupada. The new ISKCON gurus, known as Zonal acaryas, were all under the age of thirty-five—many were still in their twenties—and some had only been devotees for five years at the time of their appointment. Yet they had not only become the movement’s elders, they were catapulted to an absolute status. Beginning in 1980, less than three years after Prabhupada’s death, guru controversies arose in rapid succession. In general, ISKCON was led by young men who, until the formation of the first schisms, wielded much power despite their lack of maturity. In the words of one GBC member: “In Prabhupada’s time the only problem was that there was only one real adult in the movement.”
. All gurus at this stage were assigned honorific names, such as Srila Gurudeva, Srila Vishnupada, Srila Gurupada, Srila Acharyadeva, Srila Bhagavatpada, Srila Bhaktipada etc., they also accepted daily worship on a Vyasasana, the throne was allocated to each person, but a collective Vyasasanas were specially constructed for gatherings. When one of the eleven gurus, Jayatirtha, defected to Gaudiya Math
by waking out the Mayapur campus towards Sridhara Swami, the later tried to mediate between the GBC and Jayatirtha, who recently took sannyasa, but that increased tensions with Gaudiya Math and Sridhara Swami's followers serving in ISKCON. This year, 1982, GBC expelled Jayatirtha from ISKCON and a sub-committee was sent in the middle of the meetings to his GBC zone to prevent the crisis. His disciples had locked themselves in a separate building near Bhaktivedanta Manor
and would not engage in negotiations. Later a separate committee was formed to appoint new ISKCON gurus for his zone. During this period at least one of the eleven gurus had suggested lowering the worship received, but this motion was not passed.
and others was formed in 1984 to investigate and gather information about possible deviations in different regions. This campaign resulted in Temple Presidents meeting in New Vrindavana, September 1985, headed by Bahuka Das, the President of the North American Temple Presidents, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, Vice President and Krishna Gaopal Das, the Secretary. A threat of no confidence vote was issued towards the Governing Body Commission
and demand that all power to be returned to direct disciples of Prabhupada. A number of senior GBCs, including Tamal Krishna Goswami and Satsvarupa Das Goswami, became active supporters of the reform. However, in November 1985 European management assembly had issued a protest against the demands of the North American temple presidents and issued a joint statement. The reformers aimed at removing dedicated vyasasanas
from the temple space, stopping daily guru puja ceremonies for new gurus and reforming use of honorifics among others, reserving use of His Divine Grace,-pada and -deva honorifics only towards Prabhupada himself. A demand to include new GBCs and new ISKCON gurus was issued and 1986 saw both resignations of a number of Zonal gurus and increased number of new gurus and GBCs. End of 1985 also saw an attack on most senior ISKCON guru, Kirtanananda Swami
, who refused to accept lowering of the worship and insisted that he should retain the title of Founder-acarya of New Vrindavana. Following this conflict between this largest ISKCON community and the reformers New Vrindavana was officially expelled from ISKCON in 1988, all reformers shortly became new ISKCON gurus and many of them were elected as the new GBC. (Bozeman. 2000)
, suggested an alternative where he, or another devotee, is to be selected as a formal acharya
, this proposal sponsored by GBC correspondence secretary Bhakta Rupa Dasa was rejected in the vote. GBC has approved grand-disciples of Prabhupada, such a Krishna das Swami of London on the list of initiating gurus. African, Russian and South America
n grand disciple gurus followed. New concept of guru in ISKCON does not include the requirement for guru to be seen as infallible or a topmost devotee of Krishna, however a set of basic norms of behavior and conduct is expected and monitored by the GBC standing committee, including proficiency in scriptural knowledge. The proposal of ISKCON Guru System reform are continuing to be presented to the GBC body.(Bozeman. 2000)
training prior to joining would not accept existing leadership and would face a conflict with the GBC management structure. He began initiating his own disciples prior to death of Prabhupada and had his own movement after the split in 1975. He maintained the leadership over the disenchanted ISKCON members in Hawaii
even as they formed their own political party. With the departure, the tension between Siddha Svarupa and ISKCON devotees increased, although Siddhaswarupa maintained a cordial relationship with Prabhupada. Since 1977 Siddhaswarupa does not accept that the eleven devotees whom Prabhupada appointed were gurus or acharyas. And he sees himself in this lineage of pure but non-appointed devotees.
gurus, all of whom were individual leaders of separate parallel institutions. One of the leaders of the schismatic groups is Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, who was a friend and a well-wisher of ISKCON for many years and a personal friend of Prabhupada. While Narayana Maharaja’s large following was restricted to non-ISKCON Indians prior to 1991, with an exception of a few ISKCON Vrindavana residents, nearly all of his post-1991 Western followers were previously ISKCON members, and since the majority of his Western followers have left ISKCON in 1995 after the GBC action, these followers have turned to ISKCON for fresh recruits escalating the conflict. Following many years of apparent confrontation in April 2010 ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission has released a forty-page document that clarifies the relationship between Prabhupada and Narayana Maharaja.
This document follows up a meeting between Narayana Maharaja and several senior members of the GBC in October 2009 at the sacred town of Govardhana, India. During the meeting, ISKCON leaders apologized to Narayana Maharaja for their failure to communicate with him in a proper and timely manner in 1995, regarding policies they had just established concerning members of ISKCON taking instruction from other gurus outside of their society, but did not accept his claims on sucessorship.
word rtvik means “officiating priest”). There are number of different or contradictory fractions in the rtvik heresy. This is the third major schism in ISKCON Guru System. The leader of ISKCON Bangalore, Madhu Paṇḍita Dāsa, can also be called charismatic. Yet he came to the group in the late 1990s, after the rtvik guru philosophy was first propagated in ISKCON. However of the various rtvik groups, his Bangalore based group is by far the most successful in influence.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
; this ISKCON Guru System has undergone a considerable evolution and reform since its beginnings in 1970s. Upanayana
Upanayana
Upanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...
as a traditional "sacred thread ceremony" of the Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra
The Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra, based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn of the Rigveda , attributed to the rishi . The mantra is named for its vedic gāyatrī metre. As the verse can be interpreted to invoke the deva Savitr, it is often called Sāvitrī...
, commonly known Hindu Samskara
Samskara
Samskara may refer to:* Saṃskāra, Hindu rites* Saṃskāra , in Buddhism, mental and volitional formations* Samskara , a technique in ayurvedic medicine...
, is complemented by Pancaratric mantras
Pañcaratra
Pāñcarātra are the Vaishnava Sanskrit texts dedicated to worship of Narayana and form part of the Agamas.Unlike Vaikhanasa tradition, the Pancaratric tradition of Agamas prescribe image worship in the place of rituals like Yajnas, mentioned in the Vedas...
of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
and follows the principal initial nama
Nama
Nama may mean:* Nama band, a Greek music group* Nama , a genus of plants in the family Hydrophyllaceae* Holy Name in Indian religions* Nama , a hero in ? folklore who built an ark to save his family from a flood...
initiation ceremony, refereed respectively as brahmana
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
diksa and Hari nama diksa.
Etymology
ISKCON Gaudiya Vaishnavas often refer to lexicons of AmarakośaAmarakosha
The Amarakosha from amara "immortal" and kosha "treasure, casket, pail, collection, dictionary", also Namalinganushasana from nama-linga-anu-shasana "instruction concerning nouns and gender") is a thesaurus of Sanskrit written by the Jain or Buddhist scholar Amarasimha...
thesaurus
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning , in contrast to a dictionary, which contains definitions and pronunciations...
of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
for meanings of words and according to the writings of the Gaudiya acaryas, the word guru is very often defined as one who; represents the Supreme Lord, who does not manufacture anything, but teaches in accordance with the scriptures (sastra) and the previous ācāryas.A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami: The Science of Self Realization - What Is a Guru? "Reporter: How can a person tell he has a genuine guru?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Can any of my students answer this question?
Disciple: Once I remember John Lennon asked you, “How will I know who is the genuine guru?” And you answered, “Just find out the one who is most addicted to Kṛṣṇa. He is genuine.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. The genuine guru is God’s representative, and he speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine guru is he who has no interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of the tests of a genuine guru: brahma-niṣṭham. He is absorbed in the Absolute Truth. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad it is stated, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: [MU 1.2.12] “The genuine guru is well versed in the scriptures and Vedic knowledge, and he is completely dependent on Brahman.” He should know what Brahman [spirit] is and how to become situated in Brahman. These signs are given in the Vedic literature. As I said before, the real guru is God’s representative. He represents the Supreme Lord, just as a viceroy represents a king. The real guru will not manufacture anything. Everything he says is in accordance with the scriptures and the previous ācāryas
This definition of a wider concept of guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
links the question of the relative authority of the guru’s words and those of the sastra in a crucial relationship. Baladeva Vidyabhushana, 18th century principal Gaudiya theologian used and defined guru in his commentaries on Vedanta-sutra
Brahma Sutras
The Brahma sūtras , also known as Vedānta Sūtras , are one of the three canonical texts of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. A thorough study of Vedānta requires a close examination of these three texts, known in Sanskrit as the Prasthanatrayi, or the three starting points...
. Specifically, in the comments to the sutras 3.3.44-45 Baladeva Vidyabhushana
Baladeva Vidyabhushana
Baladeva Vidyabhushana was a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava acharya . He never mentioned his birth place or anything about his family background...
argues that the concept of guru’s grace plays the central role in the system of teacher-student succession
Guru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
."
Philosophy
Scriptural evidence towards the issue of a guru lies mainly in a large volume of SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
work named Hari Bhakti Vilasa which received commentary by Sanatana Gosvami. It is the foundation of traditional Vaishnava philosophy and has 9.275 verses, divided in twenty chapters (called Vilasas). First chapter is dedicated to guru, with second dedicated to ritual process of initiation by the guru. The worship of guru is described towards the end of the third vilasa.
The place of guru and his grace (prasada) plays a vital role in the Vaisnava traditions in general and in ISKCON Gaudiya Vaishnavism in particular. The generic view on a guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
as a representative of God is a central feature to the tradition and philosophy:
In contrast with the established traditional view of ISKCON some rare sahajia
Vaishnava-Sahajiya
Vaishnava-Sahajiya is a form of tantric Vaishnavism that centred in Bengal, India, that had bellwethers from the 14th century but originated proper from the 16th century...
groups in Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
treat their own preceptor (guru) as the living God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. This view is different or contrasted to the concept of a guru being "as good as God".
Unlike being a god in a human form, the process of being appointed as a guru within ISKCON is currently done by a process which could be described as consensual or democratic and involves voting
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
. It is suggested that being as good as god is not a theological but a practical consideration, just as wife serves her husband in Hindu traditions
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
as good as god.
While the "submission of the disciple is neither irrational or blind." The question of qualification and humility remained opened for generations prior to creation of ISKCON in the West. In his speech Assuming Responsibility of Being Guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who founded the popular branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that resulted in creation of ISKCON, underlined the contrast of humility and responsibility of the performance of the duties of being a guru:
It has been seen that much of the debate over authority and continuity over the years has focused on one issue: namely, whether current GBC members and gurus are spiritually qualified. Guru in a post-charismatic phase of ISKCON is a subject of number studies and debates.
According to the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ceremony of diksha in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, also called initiation, is that "by which the spiritual preceptor admits one to the status of a neophyte on the path of spiritual endeavor."
Parallel lines of authority
ISKCON is seen as an extension of the Gaudiya-Vaishnava tradition and thus participates in the disciplic succession from Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In most Indic traditions spiritual authority rests in one person, or acharyaAcharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
, head of a monastery or a whole sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
. ISKCON is sometimes described as the "first global Vaisnava movement" and is different. ISKCON is a multi-guru organization that places the ultimate managerial authority in its Governing Body, a group rather than a single person. Current ISKCON Guru System is developed by the group of leaders, Governing Body Commission
Governing Body Commission
The Governing Body Commission is the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . ISKCON's founder, A.C...
, (GBC), the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
. ISKCON Guru system was originally initiated and put in place by ISKCON's founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who organized and sometimes himself conducted initiations since early 1970s. Currently the GBC is entrusted with both spiritual and secular leadership of the ISKCON communities, as well as the power to appoint new guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
s. According to a GBC confidence survey "those holding critical views of the GBC were far less committed to ISKCON" and it was also noted that householder members of ISKCON provides less support for ISKCON's gurus and the guru institution than the residents of ISKCON asramas controlled by GBC.
In recent years GBC started to develop a regional seminar "Spiritual Leadership: Being a Guru in ISKCON" and made it mandatory for all future gurus to attend. The course is based on the work of a group of seniors representing cross section of international devotees and is developed in coordination with Vaisnava Training and Education, the Guru Services Committee of GBC. It was launched in Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
just prior to the 2008 annual GBC meetings. Sastric Advisory Council to GBC has reported that there is a desire for control of who is ISKCON guru, the present system does not provides effective safeguards and at the same time contradicts the truly humble attitude of the Vaishnavas and is in danger of gradual corruption.
Background
In 1977 eleven prominent leaders were left to become an initiating guruGuru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
s in ISKCON.
Since founder’s death the number of ISKCON devotees accepting disciples has increased. Recently, some of grand-disciples (disciples of disciples) have begun to accept disciples in the next generation.
Prabhupada is officially considered a Founder-acarya, and is assumed to be "pre-eminent" guru of all devotees in his society.
According to the theological epistemology of the tradition, scriptural or Vedic knowledge is the only way to achieve the knowledge of the out-worldly or transcendental realm. However the notable exception to this rule is what is called vaidushya-pratyaksa, or the faultless and pure preception of a pure realised soul, which forms the foundation the scripture itself.
There are a few rear female gurus in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, however until 2009 there were no approved women gurus in ISKCON.
In a typical initiation ceremony as a guru of International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
he would begin with purification using achamana
Achamana
Achamanam is one of the most important rituals in the Hindu tradition. It is a male purification ritual that is believed to cure all physical and mental illnesses...
(holy water) and concludes with a sermon on the importance of chanting of the holy names in the life of new initiate.
Direct initiations
The history of initiations in ISKCON is started with the foundation of the society in 1966 and develops through a number of periods from the initial date to present times. During the first initiations in September 1966 disciples were given names, asked to remain strictly vegetarian and asked to chant 25 rounds of japaJapa
Japa is a spiritual discipline involving the meditative repetition of a mantra or name of a divine power. The mantra or name may be spoken softly, enough for the practitioner to hear it, or it may be spoken purely within the recitor's mind...
. Soon additional requirements followed, but the number of prescribed rounds of Hare Krishna japa was reduced to the minimum 16.
Some devotees shaved their heads after the first initiation. First second initiation was in Boston, May 9, 1968 where only male devotees were initiated. However next day saw a number of women initiated too.
From the period of the first initiation in 1966 until early 1970 Srila Prabhupada would organize all initiations personally. At this stage Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
movement was rather small in numbers and most of the devotees were located in United States.
Early deviations
At a festival at New VrindabanNew Vrindaban
New Vrindaban is an unincorporated town and ISKCON intentional community located in Marshall County near Moundsville, West Virginia. The town consists of , and several building complexes, homes, apartment buildings, and businesses including the Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra Temple and the...
, West Virginia, on Janmastami day 1970, the senior man, Kirtananda Swami, along with other three leaders, Sudama, Brahmananda and Visnujana, had announced that by leaving America, Prabhupada had rejected his disciples for failing to recognize that Prabhupada was actually Krishna Himself. This is considered to be a sign of mayavada
Mayavada
Mayavada is a term used to pejoratively refer to the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankara. It is not used by the followers of the Advaita philosophy to refer to themselves. It is generally used as a derogatory term, by some Dvaita schools...
-impersonalism. Some note that "Kirtananda had previously failed to distinguish between the personal and impersonal" understandings of God, and at this point he was among the four who had failed to distinguish the guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
from the God. All four were banned from preaching within ISKCON. One was demonized by his Godbrothers, but Visnujana Swami is still considered a saint, despite his sudden disappearance in 1976. Visnujana Swami along with Sudama and Brahmananda were given sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
directly after the expulsion.
Proxy initiations
Starting from 1971 Prabhupada would start delegating the function of chanting of beads and doing yajnaYajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...
to his disciples. He would often initiate by mail and every temple president had a cassette of Prabhupada chanting the gayatri mantra which was played in the ear of the new second initiate and that was as good as hearing the gayatri
Gayatri
Gayatri is the feminine form of , a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. Gayatri is a consort of Brahma and the goddess of learning. Brahma married her when there was a need for a companion during a yajna. Brahma had to start the yajna along with his wife...
mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
from Srila Prabhupada himself. From the beginning of January 1973 Revatinandana and Kirtanananda
Kirtanananda Swami
Kirtanananda Swami, also known as Swami Bhaktipada was the highly-controversial charismatic Hare Krishna guru and co-founder of the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community in Marshall County, West Virginia, where he served as spiritual leader for 26 years .-Early life:Kirtanananda was born Keith...
were instructed also to chant on the beads of new initiates while Prabhupada would continue to deal with the "matter of brahmana initiations", however sometimes the mantra was given personally by disciples too.
Ritvik initiations in 1977
In 1977 that was also changed by Prabhupada, and even the function of the second initiation was delegated to a few selected disciples. In the middle of May 1977, while in HrishikeshHrishikesh
Rishikesh , also spelled Hrishikesh, Rushikesh or Hrushikesh, is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as The Gateway to the Himalayas. Rishikesh is surrounded by two other...
, his health had turned for the worse and Prabhupada called all his GBC members to Vrindavana for instruction. The discussion of May 28 was recorded. There was a backlog of candidates and on 9 July a letter by his secretary, Tamal Krishna Goswami, was sent out, and that named eleven senior disciples who would now be responsible for giving initiations to the new candidates. At this point the new candidates need no longer write to him and the recommendations don’t have to come to him for confirmation.
After death
A number or scholars have documented the struggle for authority created by Prabhupada’s departure. Two supporters of ISKCON, Shriman Narayan, the former GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Gujarat and a prominent industrialist Ram Krishna Bajaj raised issues of the appointment of a single successor from among his followers. Prabhupada answered that all his disciples would succeed him.
Period of no initiations
The period from the date of death till the March 1978 annual meeting saw no initiations in ISKCON. Annual meeting of Governing commission of ISKCON was scheduled before Gaura Purnima festival in March and Prabhupada long established that the GBC are his "direct representatives to act as the instrument for the execution of the will of His Divine Grace".Early Zonal acaryas period
From 1978 till 1982 only eleven devotees were allowed to initiate new disciples and give brahmana (or second) initiation to existing ISKCON devotees, who became known as Prabhupada disciples despite receiving sampradaya mantraMantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
from new ISKCON gurus. There was noticeable difference between these newly appointed ISKCON gurus and Prabhupada. The new ISKCON gurus, known as Zonal acaryas, were all under the age of thirty-five—many were still in their twenties—and some had only been devotees for five years at the time of their appointment. Yet they had not only become the movement’s elders, they were catapulted to an absolute status. Beginning in 1980, less than three years after Prabhupada’s death, guru controversies arose in rapid succession. In general, ISKCON was led by young men who, until the formation of the first schisms, wielded much power despite their lack of maturity. In the words of one GBC member: “In Prabhupada’s time the only problem was that there was only one real adult in the movement.”
Mid Zonal acaryas period
In 1982 a few new gurus were added to the list, including Gopala Krishna Goswami and Bhaktisvarupa Damodar SwamiBhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami
Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami , also known as Dr. Thoudam Damodara Singh, was a Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual leader, scientist, writer and poet. In 1971 he received spiritual initiation from A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
. All gurus at this stage were assigned honorific names, such as Srila Gurudeva, Srila Vishnupada, Srila Gurupada, Srila Acharyadeva, Srila Bhagavatpada, Srila Bhaktipada etc., they also accepted daily worship on a Vyasasana, the throne was allocated to each person, but a collective Vyasasanas were specially constructed for gatherings. When one of the eleven gurus, Jayatirtha, defected to Gaudiya Math
Gaudiya Math
The Gaudiya Math was formed on 6 September 1920, about 30 months after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. On 7 March 1918, the same day he took sannyasa, he established the Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapura, later recognised as the parent body of all...
by waking out the Mayapur campus towards Sridhara Swami, the later tried to mediate between the GBC and Jayatirtha, who recently took sannyasa, but that increased tensions with Gaudiya Math and Sridhara Swami's followers serving in ISKCON. This year, 1982, GBC expelled Jayatirtha from ISKCON and a sub-committee was sent in the middle of the meetings to his GBC zone to prevent the crisis. His disciples had locked themselves in a separate building near Bhaktivedanta Manor
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Bhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England in the village of Aldenham near Watford. The Manor, as it is called by those familiar with it, is owned and run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as ISKCON or the...
and would not engage in negotiations. Later a separate committee was formed to appoint new ISKCON gurus for his zone. During this period at least one of the eleven gurus had suggested lowering the worship received, but this motion was not passed.
Zonal Guru reform
A number of devotees, all directly initiated by Prabhupada, were observing that many controlling positions were being lost to disciples of new gurus. Additionally one of the gurus was conditionally suspended during 1984 GBC meetings for sexual misconduct. An informal group headed by Ravindra Svarupa DasaRavindra Svarupa dasa
Ravindra Svarupa Dasa is a religious studies scholar and a Hare Krishna religious leader. He was initiated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1971...
and others was formed in 1984 to investigate and gather information about possible deviations in different regions. This campaign resulted in Temple Presidents meeting in New Vrindavana, September 1985, headed by Bahuka Das, the President of the North American Temple Presidents, Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, Vice President and Krishna Gaopal Das, the Secretary. A threat of no confidence vote was issued towards the Governing Body Commission
Governing Body Commission
The Governing Body Commission is the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . ISKCON's founder, A.C...
and demand that all power to be returned to direct disciples of Prabhupada. A number of senior GBCs, including Tamal Krishna Goswami and Satsvarupa Das Goswami, became active supporters of the reform. However, in November 1985 European management assembly had issued a protest against the demands of the North American temple presidents and issued a joint statement. The reformers aimed at removing dedicated vyasasanas
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
from the temple space, stopping daily guru puja ceremonies for new gurus and reforming use of honorifics among others, reserving use of His Divine Grace,-pada and -deva honorifics only towards Prabhupada himself. A demand to include new GBCs and new ISKCON gurus was issued and 1986 saw both resignations of a number of Zonal gurus and increased number of new gurus and GBCs. End of 1985 also saw an attack on most senior ISKCON guru, Kirtanananda Swami
Kirtanananda Swami
Kirtanananda Swami, also known as Swami Bhaktipada was the highly-controversial charismatic Hare Krishna guru and co-founder of the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community in Marshall County, West Virginia, where he served as spiritual leader for 26 years .-Early life:Kirtanananda was born Keith...
, who refused to accept lowering of the worship and insisted that he should retain the title of Founder-acarya of New Vrindavana. Following this conflict between this largest ISKCON community and the reformers New Vrindavana was officially expelled from ISKCON in 1988, all reformers shortly became new ISKCON gurus and many of them were elected as the new GBC. (Bozeman. 2000)
New ISKCON Guru System
1990s saw stabilization of the ISKCON Guru System. In 1994 disciples of Gour Govinda SwamiGour Govinda Swami
Gour Govinda Swami, was a Vaishnava religious leader. He was a leading ISKCON Guru, sannyasi, governing body commissioner within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the main inspirational force behind Gopal Jiu Publications...
, suggested an alternative where he, or another devotee, is to be selected as a formal acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
, this proposal sponsored by GBC correspondence secretary Bhakta Rupa Dasa was rejected in the vote. GBC has approved grand-disciples of Prabhupada, such a Krishna das Swami of London on the list of initiating gurus. African, Russian and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n grand disciple gurus followed. New concept of guru in ISKCON does not include the requirement for guru to be seen as infallible or a topmost devotee of Krishna, however a set of basic norms of behavior and conduct is expected and monitored by the GBC standing committee, including proficiency in scriptural knowledge. The proposal of ISKCON Guru System reform are continuing to be presented to the GBC body.(Bozeman. 2000)
Siddhaswarupa
A prominent disciple of Prabhupada (Siddha Swarup Ananda Goswami/Chris Butler of Science of Identity Institute) who had following in the yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
training prior to joining would not accept existing leadership and would face a conflict with the GBC management structure. He began initiating his own disciples prior to death of Prabhupada and had his own movement after the split in 1975. He maintained the leadership over the disenchanted ISKCON members in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
even as they formed their own political party. With the departure, the tension between Siddha Svarupa and ISKCON devotees increased, although Siddhaswarupa maintained a cordial relationship with Prabhupada. Since 1977 Siddhaswarupa does not accept that the eleven devotees whom Prabhupada appointed were gurus or acharyas. And he sees himself in this lineage of pure but non-appointed devotees.
Gaudiya Math leaders
Many deviations or guru related schisms are centered on charismatic individual leadership. After the pre-1977 departure of Siddhaswarupa, a number of ISKCON devotees started following variety of Gaudiya MathGaudiya Math
The Gaudiya Math was formed on 6 September 1920, about 30 months after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. On 7 March 1918, the same day he took sannyasa, he established the Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapura, later recognised as the parent body of all...
gurus, all of whom were individual leaders of separate parallel institutions. One of the leaders of the schismatic groups is Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, who was a friend and a well-wisher of ISKCON for many years and a personal friend of Prabhupada. While Narayana Maharaja’s large following was restricted to non-ISKCON Indians prior to 1991, with an exception of a few ISKCON Vrindavana residents, nearly all of his post-1991 Western followers were previously ISKCON members, and since the majority of his Western followers have left ISKCON in 1995 after the GBC action, these followers have turned to ISKCON for fresh recruits escalating the conflict. Following many years of apparent confrontation in April 2010 ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission has released a forty-page document that clarifies the relationship between Prabhupada and Narayana Maharaja.
This document follows up a meeting between Narayana Maharaja and several senior members of the GBC in October 2009 at the sacred town of Govardhana, India. During the meeting, ISKCON leaders apologized to Narayana Maharaja for their failure to communicate with him in a proper and timely manner in 1995, regarding policies they had just established concerning members of ISKCON taking instruction from other gurus outside of their society, but did not accept his claims on sucessorship.
The rtivik heresy
As some news of ISKCON gurus’ misdeeds spread in late 1980s, some ISKCON members began to question the validity of Prabhupada’s having appointed members to the role of the spiritual master. Members in early 1990s attempted to prove that there was no need for any new gurus; rather, Prabhupada’s disciples could initiate newcomers on Prabhupada’s behalf as proxies for Prabhupada (the SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word rtvik means “officiating priest”). There are number of different or contradictory fractions in the rtvik heresy. This is the third major schism in ISKCON Guru System. The leader of ISKCON Bangalore, Madhu Paṇḍita Dāsa, can also be called charismatic. Yet he came to the group in the late 1990s, after the rtvik guru philosophy was first propagated in ISKCON. However of the various rtvik groups, his Bangalore based group is by far the most successful in influence.
See also
- Gaudiya VaishnavismGaudiya VaishnavismGaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu"...
- Bhaktivedanta Book TrustBhaktivedanta Book Trustthumb|300px|Books of BBTThe Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the world's largest publisher of books concerning Krishna and the philosophy, religion, and culture of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of India . It was established in 1972 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the...
- List of Hindu gurus and saints
- Oxford Centre for Hindu StudiesOxford Centre for Hindu StudiesThe Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, founded in 1997, is a Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University. The Centre is engaged in developing academic programmes of education, research and publishing in the field of Hindu studies...
- Bhaktivedanta CollegeBhaktivedanta CollegeBhaktivedanta College, located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium, is a Vaishnava college administered by ISKCON. The programme at Bhaktivedanta College is the study of Vaishnavism. -History:...