POSITION OF SRILA PRABHUPADA IN ISKCON
(Part of the Series “Duties of a Disciple to his Guru”)
Before accepting a living guru in ISKCON, a devotee should know the Position of Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON.
This Part of the article explains that.
(1) Srila Prabhupada is the pre-eminent Siksha-guru for all members of ISKCON:
Ref: GBC Statement on the Position of Srila Prabhupäda (March 2013):
“Within these cooperative elements, Srila Prabhupäda, as the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is the pre-eminent Siksha-guru for all members of ISKCON. All members of ISKCON, for all generations, are encouraged to seek shelter of Srila Prabhupada. All members of ISKCON are entitled and encouraged to have a personal relationship with Srila Prabhupäda through his books, teachings, service, and his ISKCON society.”
(2) Srila Prabhupada has a unique relationship with every ISKCON devotee:
Ref: ISKCON GBC’s Statement on the Position of Srila Prabhupada (March 2013)
As the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the pre-eminent teacher and ultimate authority within our society, Srila Prabhupada has a unique relationship with every ISKCON devotee.
(Srila Prabhupada’s Achievements between 1965 to 1977! READ HERE!)
(3) Function of the Founder Acarya Srila Prabhupada:
Srila Prabhupada is the Empowered Representative of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Locana Dasa Thakura in his Caitanya Mangala (Sutra-khanda, song 12, texts 564-565) writes:
“mora senapati-bhakta”
ebe nama sankirtana tikshna khadaga laiya antara asura jivera phelibe katiya
yadi papi chadi dharma dure dese yaya mora senapati-bhakta yaibe tathaya
“Taking the sharp sword of the congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, I will root out & destroy the demoniac mentality in the hearts of all the conditioned souls. If some sinful people escape and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then my Senapati Bhakta will come at that time to give them Krsna consciousness.”
(4) I am simply the bearer of the message from Lord Caitanya:
Letter to: Bhagavan — Los Angeles 10 January, 1970:
“I also thank you very much for your appreciation of my books and letters and for my speaking in the meetings. They are not my words, as I have repeatedly informed you that I am simply the bearer of the message from Lord Caitanya through the disciplic succession and I do not make any addition or subtraction. Similarly, if you all carry these words successively, then the transcendental parampara system will be exactly maintained and people in general will be benefited.”
Thus, In ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada always enjoy a unique position! Every disciple should always keep this fact in mind and then accept the living gurus in ISKCON.
(Srila Prabhupada was Empowered & Sent By Krishna – Proofs! READ HERE!)