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…Srila Prabhupada said he wanted all his students to become qualified gurus and often said it was simple: all one had to do was repeat what he had heard from his guru. When Srila Prabhupada was preparing to leave this world, he said, “Act as rittvik representative of the Acharya.”  But no one follows this; therefore, how are they guru?! They do not repeat or follow this last important directive, but attempt to discredit Srila Prabhupada’s own order, saying, “There is no precedent. It was never done before.” They quote Srila Prabhupada to contradict Srila Prabhupada. They quote His Holiness Narayana Maharaja to contradict Srila Prabhupada. Why? A disciple’s duty is to find evidence to support his guru’s order—not to be over intelligent, quoting authorities to contradict his spiritual master’s orders.

Disciple’s Role to Support the Order of the Acharya
by Hansadutta Dasa

Srila Prabhupada said, “I don’t say I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following the instructions of Bhaktisiddhanta, I am liberated. This is the distinction between conditioned and liberated: when one is under the direction of a liberated person.”

So Srila Prabhupada’s direction was: “Act as representative of the Acharya, act as rittvik.” We should follow that order and be liberated and thus continue the disciplic succession. The rittvik is also a living guru.

 
In fact, every quote ISKCON brings forth to support their claim to full guru-acharya or to deny the rittvik system we also quote to support the rittvik system and to deny their full guru-acharya system. So what is the difference? Srila Prabhupada named eleven devotees to act as rittviks of the Acharya. They (ISKCON gurus) brush this aside and present quotations from shastras to contradict the order given by Prabhupada, saying it was never done before and if that is what Srila Prabhupada intended (for these eleven rittviks to continue after his departure), then “WHY DID HE NOT SAY SO?” By this challenging remark, they imply that he either forgot to say and therefore is depending on them to correct him or ad-lib for him or that he left it to all the neophytes to speculate and interpret his intentions. But we say that he made it clear and in writing, because he designated these eleven men to act as rittviks and did not indicate that after his departure they would be immediately empowered guru-acharyas. It must be accepted that rittvik representative was all the authority he saw them fit to handle. Discipline means if the guru forgets to ask the disciple to take food, the disciple should fast and not take food. That is disciplic succession.
 
By quoting endless shastric injunctions (often out of context), ISKCON gurus impudently suggest that Srila Prabhupada forgot or left it open to speculation and interpretation of all his neophyte disciples. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah: “One who has unflinching faith in the words of the spiritual master and Krishna—to him all the imports of Vedic knowledge are revealed.” His last written words were: “Act as rittvik representatives of the Acharya.” That is his order, his arrangement for the continuance of the disciplic succession. Even if it was never done before, he did it, and it will work. Those who have, without authority, taken the post of guru-acharya have failed. Six out of eleven have fallen, and the remaining five are in serious doubt, having supported and institutionalised major philosophical deviations and deviant behaviors.
 
“Ours is not to reason why! Ours is but to do or die!” Just follow the order, and become guru. Although Shankaracharya taught so many things, his last instruction was “Bhaja Govindam! Bhaja Govindam! Just worship Govinda!” But because it was not in line with what he taught before, his followers neglected it and continued to be Mayavadis.
 
Srila Prabhupada said he wanted all his students to become qualified gurus and often said it was simple: all one had to do was repeat what he had heard from his guru. When Srila Prabhupada was preparing to leave this world, he said, “Act as rittvik representative of the Acharya.”  But no one follows this; therefore, how are they guru?! They do not repeat or follow this last important directive, but attempt to discredit Srila Prabhupada’s own order, saying, “There is no precedent. It was never done before.” They quote Srila Prabhupada to contradict Srila Prabhupada. They quote His Holiness Narayana Maharaja to contradict Srila Prabhupada. Why? A disciple’s duty is to find evidence to support his guru’s order—not to be over intelligent, quoting authorities to contradict his spiritual master’s orders.

Pasted from; http://iskcontimes.com/Disciples-Role-to-Support-the-Order-of-the-Acharya

Sirshree: Remember that life has been given to you for a purpose. Every incident in life can take you forward or backward. Self Transformation is essential to always move forward. Self Transformation is all about converting your challenges into opportunities. The best way to do that is to use the present environment and all incidents of life to break out of the frame with which you perceive the world.

Spirituality gives you that UNDERSTANDING of life and the aim of spirituality is HAPPINESS. Everyone desires happiness. Happiness is our nature. But the happiness we get in this material world is temporary. The quest of spirituality is the quest for permanent happiness. The quest for true happiness. A kind of bliss that does not diminish with time.

Self transformation is the transformation of the Self.

Transforming the way you perceive life and derive happiness is the first step in spiritual transformation. All the examples of false happiness are categorized as lower levels of happiness. As you transform spiritually, you derive happiness from higher levels, like Happiness in Service for others, Divine happiness, and a state of Eternal bliss instead of artificial, second-hand stimulation happiness derived using some formula. Each one of us bears the eternal unremitting bliss within. For self transformation and getting access to this eternal bliss state, you have to learn to open up and blossom. Those who are open to growth neither withdraw nor remain stuck by this so-called recession environment or adverse conditions in life.

The secret of blossoming is simple. All it says is that the reason of every event in your life is to provide you with an opportunity to open up and blossom. Every incident occurs to test you and see if you blossom or not. Look at children. They never withdraw; they simply live naturally and operate out of their ‘being’. They operate from ‘nothingness’ and are open. They intuitively know this secret of life. Understand this secret of blossoming and opening up so that you experience bliss every moment.

As you progress towards higher levels of happiness, your question will change. Every moment, every day, several incidents are taking place around you. You either experience a good or bad feeling in those incidents or after those incidents. Each one of us has a desire to have good feelings within us.

The question now arises as to how do we feel good about each day, each incident? We have within us a centre, a core. You can call that centre the source of thoughts and feelings… from where they emanate. The most interesting part is that the centre is always fixed, it never moves. It is akin to the hands of the clock that move with a stationary spindle at the centre. For a fan to move round and round, a stationary central rod is needed. Similarly, there is something within us, which is stationary and fixed. Being established there is the whole purpose of life… for which a human body has been bestowed to you. Once you have access to that centre, you will learn that there alone lies eternal bliss. That centre can also be called ‘Self‘. Being established there permanently is what is also called as Self-Stabilization, which is different from Self-Realization, a one time glimpse.

Seeker: Can I attain self transformation?

Sirshree: Self transformation is the transformation of the Self. It does not mean transformation of an individual all alone by himself. Only someone at a higher state can show you the path. Only someone who has walked the steps can guide you. And the journey is such that though there are steps and states, there is not really ‘somewhere’ to go. It is a journey that begins at the destination and ends at the destination itself. Hence the importance of a guide on this journey cannot be overemphasized. Self transformation is a journey in which a Guru, a guide is very much required… not any guide… but a guide who has walked the path and is very much alive giving you feedback and guiding your transformation process. That you may find such a Guru is my good wish for you.

You can also read these related topics:

1. Is there anything beyond self-realization?
2. Spiritual Transformation and beyond 12 steps
3. AIM OF SPIRITUALITY: HAPPINESS
4. What is Self Stabilization?

“God, Guru and Grace are three names of the same thing. God is the unmanifest truth and Guru is the manifest Truth. Both are one. The living Guru can guide us at every step. Hence do not get caught in books. Go under the shelter of the awakened. ”
.. Tejguru Sirshree Tejparkhiji

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Related topics:

1. Search for God
2. Enquiry about God
3. Time required for Understanding the Truth
4. Is the Truth bitter or sweet