“One who is not properly initiated may present himself as a great devotee, but in fact he is sure to encounter many stumbling blocks on his path to progress toward spiritual realization, with the result that he must continue his term of material existence without relief. Such a helpless person is compared to a ship without a rudder, for such a ship can never reach its destination.” Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 1.35, Purport (emphasis added)

It is not difficult to understand the basic connection between Prominent Link and the rittvik movement in general. In all rittvik apasiddhantas, Srila Prabhupada is taken as the forever available liberated soul to be worshipped as the deliverer of every self-proclaimed follower; he is taken as the “diksa guru.” He is taken as the diksa guru despite the fact that he is no longer physically manifest.  All rittviks de-emphasize, to one degree or another, “the person who performs the initiation ceremony.” This means they de-emphasize the importance of the ritual in general, and the person conducting the (so-called) initiation ceremony in particular. Why even have a fire sacrifice at all if you are already initiated? They like to consider the whole thing a mere formality, but one that somehow or other is still required. However, because of the centrifugal nature of all these post-modern concoctions, there are overt rittviks and covert rittviks. The convolutions of their philosophies and processes naturally differ--and sometimes even change from one year to another.

The author of the verbose Prominent Link treatise specifically said in his document that, if he were to choose any term to describe the persons who conduct the ceremonial initiations, he would call them “officiating acharyas.”  These were his own words.

Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acharyas.
TKG: Is that called rittvik acharya?
Prabhupada: Rittvik, yes.
So-called Appointment Tape/Room Conversation 5-28-77, Vrindavan

What our friend Bhakta Alex prabhu has brought up (this time)--as the apparent distinction between Prominent Link and rittvik--is the idea that real initiation occurs when the guru imparts divya-jnana to the disciple previous to the ceremony. But that idea is not a point denied by the other rittviks. If anything, Prominent Link further destabilizes and de-emphasizes the traditions established by Srila Prabhupada—which were in complete accord with the Vaishnava tradition—and it will only serve to further dumb down the standards of his line. With every new permutation, what was once authorized Krishna bhakti looks more and more like the “Churchianity” of the so-called Christians.  Cheap guru; cheap disciple.  Cheap rittvik; easy initiation.

Although some, if not most, of Prabhupada’s devotees were awarded bhajana kriya before any kind of ceremony took place (and, please note, that was while he was physically manifest), the danger of externalizing this now inappropriate benediction should be obvious.  The fertile-minded Westerners will conclude that they do not need any kind formal training or discipline in order to become an initiated disciple.  Then, they will conclude that they have become an advanced devotee.  And when they think that they have become that advanced devotee, they will have, in reality, degenerated into sahajiyas.  When Srila Prabhupada was physically manifest to guide his movement, he could see past, present, and future.  He could know who he would eventually conduct a fire sacrifice for, as long as that devotee continued to carry on in devotional service and not misuse his or her own free will.  So, divya-jnana could be transmitted by him in advance. That particular devotee could then perform better service previous to the formal ceremony—which, in any case, followed in but a short space of time.  Formal initiation has value:

“The chanting of Hare Krishna is our main business; that is real initiation. And as you are all following my instruction in that matter, the initiator is already there. Now, the next initiation will be performed as a ceremony officially. Of course, that ceremony has value because the name, Holy Name, will be delivered to the student from the disciplic succession. It has got value. But in spite of that, as you are going on chanting, please go on with this business sincerely. And, Krishna willing, I may be coming to you very soon.” Letter to TKG from Montreal on Aug. 19, 1968

Srila Prabhupada’s standard was that the disciple had to prove that he or she was willing to make substantial sacrifice before becoming initiated. The ceremony itself involved substantial surrender of false prestige, as well as swearing of lifelong vows before the Deity and other devotees. The formalities of the ceremony were integral, and there was esoteric, spiritual value in their performance.  One practical value was that the ceremony later reminded unsteady mlecchas of their commitment to Krishna and guru, especially when they were allured as a result of sinful past actions.

Subjective thoughts and feelings--of the sort that Bhakta Alex prabhu so often revels--has no place in determining the process of initiation in a bona fide Krishna consciousness movement. Real authority becomes lost when every new bhakta thinks or feels that his or her personal views (regarding the siddhanta and authorized process) have independent, genuine value. Real Krishna consciousness is the process of giving up one’s misconceptions and accepting the understandings and word meanings of the previous acharyas.

On behalf of the author of PL, Bhakta Alex prabhu is apparently now the main spokesman for the Prominent Link dispensation. Are we to accept him as somehow exemplary? His writings are always overflowing with phrases such as “I feel,” “I think,” “in my opinion,” and “my understanding.” A sincere devotee is only interested in the feelings, thoughts, opinions, and understandings of the pure devotees. When it comes to siddhanta and the process of genuine initiation, the writings of someone else have value only to the extent that they repeat and elucidate what the Sampradaya Acharya established. Are we to somehow conclude that, as a result of following the Prominent Link philosophy, Bhakta Alex prabhu has received divya jnana?  Are we to conclude that he is therefore actually initiated? His writings do not indicate any such thing, not in the slightest. What they do indicate is that he is almost completely a prisoner of the chariot of his own mind--if not also of his leader, Dhira Govinda prabhu. Following Prominent Link has not even brought him to the entry level of what a bhakta knew and preached during or just after Srila Prabhupada’s manifest activities with us.

One of the most important parts of preaching is to teach others what Krishna conscious words mean. Srila Prabhupada’s books do this quite well. Undoubtedly, there are places where it is possible to screw out some apparently different understanding of terms such as “diksa” or siksa guru.  Just because the zonal acharyas and the rittviks have muddied the understandings of most post-modern devotees does not mean that using words in their original context has become “language that hangs on reality like a fog.” Bhakta Alex prabhu has cited some articles by Kailasa Candra prabhu and myself. ( “ISKCON” Gurus, Initiations, and Party Men,  Rittviks Are Transmittors of Nescience) The language in the articles cited is not at all foggy; our points are clear in them. What is smoky is the subjective misunderstanding of Bhakta Alex that acts like a fog. It is also telling that his explanations are often drawn out to the extreme.  Notice also that the quotes he cites are almost always rather obscure ones, particularly since they diverge from Srila Prabhupada’s constant emphases on the topics being discussed. The contradictions he promotes exist because of the subjective bewilderment of his favorable readers, the ones who insist upon finding something more pleasing to their senses than the siddhanta and the bhakti process as it is.

Corporate “GBC/ISKCON,” the garden-variety rittviks--and their kin, Prominent Link--are based on the proposition that “initiations must go on.” The problem with such a “necessity” is that there can be no bona fide initiations, according to the Gaudiya Vaishnava Parampara, unless there is a bona fide physically manifest spiritual master. The purpose of initiation is to devotionally liberate the conditioned soul forever:

"Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself--he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul.” Purport to Bhagavad-gita, 7.14 (emphases added)

The mleccha residents of the Western world require strong words and discipline from a highly liberated soul in order to free themselves from the subjective misconceptions concocted by the chariot of their minds. They also require the traditions and ceremonies of initiation, as established by the most recent Sampradaya Acharyas. After the distasteful experience of the last thirty-plus years, it is apparent that a physically manifest pure devotee must be at the head of any kind of Krishna conscious institution--if it is to prosper.  A liberated devotee is required in order to guarantee that the people in big posts there will not overlord and divert everything to their own enjoyment.

As long as there are false processes of “initiation” (such as those proposed by the abovementioned groups, as well as by the Neo-Gaudiya Matha “Srilas”), devotees will be diverted from developing the sincerity needed to contact a real guru. The truly liberated soul is the via-medium of initiation into pure Krishna Consciousness. The fate of the initiates of these groups is like that of the terminal cancer patient who has been lead to believe that taking aspirin is sufficient to cure him.

Srila Prabhupada is certainly always available in his books, tapes, etc.  He is available as well to guide his disciples, especially those representatives who are following and repeating his words. We should associate and hear from them in order to develop the requisite sincerity needed for contacting a genuine guru. A rare conditioned soul may be able to have divya jnana imparted into his heart by Srila Prabhupada or Lord Sri Krishna--and thus come to the level of bhajana kriya. But this should never be declared as something available to the rascal masses of Kali Yuga. Such a rare and special benediction—if it takes place at all--can never be institutionalized. Srila Prabhupada ceased to be available as diksa guru for the category of rascal masses when he departed manifest presence in November, 1977. This category most definitely includes the fried, deep fried, and cheated disciples of the pretender zonal acaryas.

“Within the heart of every living being, the Lord Himself as the Supersoul (Paramatma) becomes the spiritual master. And from without, He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures, saints, and the initiator spiritual master.”                                                           S.B. 1.7.5, purport (emphasis added).

Romaharsana Suta’s fallen birth was remembered when he failed to acknowledge Lord Balarama as He entered the assembly. Similarly, the mleccha pasts of corporate GBC/ISKCON leaders, the rittviks--and the Prominent Link advocates--become just as obvious when they distort the teachings of His Divine Grace. 

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, the best friend is the spiritual master because he saves from the blazing fire of confusion. That is best friend.
O'Grady: The problem is to find this friend. The problem is to find this spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada: No, there is no problem. The problem is if you are sincere. Yes. That is stated. Because actually you have got problems. But God is within your heart: Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-dese arjuna tisthati. God is not far away. God is within your heart. So, if you are sincere, then God will give you spiritual master. If He knows that now you are sincere, then He will give you a spiritual master.
O'Grady: O.K. Thank you. That I know.
Srila Prabhupada: Therefore, God is called caitya-guru, the spiritual master within the heart. And the PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL MASTER is God's mercy. If God sees that you are sincere, He will give you a spiritual master who can give you protection. He will help you from within and without: Without in the physical  form of spiritual master and within as the spiritual master within the heart. Room Conversation with Desmond O'Grady--May 23, 1974, Rome

OM TAT SAT

Quotes from the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are copyright by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust