Date: 10-Oct-97 15:20 MST
From: a b c
To: Answers To KC Questions (Jayapataka Swami)
Subject: Appointment Tape
Dear Jayapataka Maharaj,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
As you requested I am limiting my message to one question, and I'm not repeating anything that you have said.
In 1977 you found yourself on a list of 11 disciples of Srila Prabhupada who had the duty of performing ritvik (officiating priest) initiations on Srila Prabhupada's behalf. This was an important service to Srila Prabhupada, no doubt.
The controversy arises when one considers what becomes of this important service upon Srila Prabhupada's physical departure. Three possibilities are as follows:
1 - That the service ceases to exist.
2 - That the service continues as before, even in Srila Prabhupada's physical absence (The ritvik theory).
3 - That the 11 ritviks immediately begin initiating on their own behalf.
Obviously, the option that you, Jatapataka Maharaj, the other 10 on that list, and the GBC body assumed was the correct one to follow was number 3.
You also assumed that a "zonal acharya" system was a good idea, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was qualified to be a diksa guru, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was qualified to be a sannyasi, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was qualified to be a member of the GBC, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above having illicit sex with a godsister, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above having sex with other men, and possibly even children, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above having a gun fetish, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above taking intoxication, especially illegal intoxication, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above conspiring to commit a murder, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above having sex with his own disciple, which was later proven to be wrong.
You also assumed that everyone on that list was above having sexual attraction for his own under-age gurukula disciple, which was later proven to be wrong.
Here's my question:
How do you know that the proper course of action to take after Srila Prabhupada's physical departure was not options one or two above, rather that the one that you, the GBC and the other 10 on that list chose to follow?
If the first possibility was the one that was chosen, then you could, perhaps, someday in the future, apply for a job as a ritvik guru, if and when another big guru manifested in ISKCON, with many more people wanting to take initiation from him than he could possible handle. You could try to demonstrate how good you are at thinking up spiritual names (although the temple president might be more qualified for this, since he would be much more familiar with the new initiates), performing a nice fire yagna, chanting nice japa on all of the new initiates' beads, and giving a nice initiation lecture, if the temple president decided to let you do it, instead of giving it himself.
Your servant,
Bhakta Frank
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 97 11:54 SST
From: "COM: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)"
To: COM: Answers To KC Questions
Subject: unwelcome intrusions
> > I am sorry. I informed everyone that my computer was down and I
> > couldn't do much until I got it fixed. Now I am back. Vidvan Gauranga
> > das is also an organizer of this conference and has all the powers to
> > moderate it, but for reasons best known to himself he hasn't done it.
> > Hopefully we can defend our turf here. If anyone sees some nonsense on
> > this conference please immediately send a personal letter to Vidvan
> > Gauranga JPS and myself to remove it. Otherwise we will add another
> > organizer who can moderate. If there are any volunteers they can write
> > me a personal letter.
>
> Dear Srila Acaryapada,
>
> PAMRO. AGTYDG. As per your instructions I had erased the texts but I don't
> know how to moderate the conference since YDG made me a co-organizer. It
> is better if this conference is moderated so that the conference texts
> pass through someone before appearing on the conference.
>
> Your foolish servant
> aVGD
Yes. It is done! no texts can be submitted by a non member directly without going through a moderator from now on. What to do? Otherwise we are bombarded by hostile invaders.
your well wisher forever,
jayapataka SWami