Dear Visnurata Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

When I stated that the Ritvik idea is an impersonalistic concept, it is because the Ritvik person wants to make Srila Prabhupada the last link of the sampradya. Yes, Srila Prabhupada listed Himself as a link to the parampara, however when Srila Prabhupada left this world he did not intend there be no future Gurus after him. That would clearly violate the parampara system.

There are also many branches of the Caitanya tree. Sometimes we simplistically think there is only one Guru at a certain time. Just like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Prabhupada had many disciples, some of them became initiating Gurus, and they had their disciples and so on. This process has been going on throughout time.

We are obviously following Srila Prabhupada. He did not state after him their will be no further gurus. However, I pointed out the purport in Nectar of Instruction where Srila Prabhupada clearly states one should seek out an uttama adhikari guru. However, why would Srila Prabhupada give all this detailed information about guru tattva if after him there would be no further use of initiating spiritual masters and instructing spiritual masters? Then he would be simply wasting our time and his own or confuse us for no reason.

He could have simply said: "After myself, there will be no need of other Gurus. I will be the founder Guru and everyone initiates on my behalf but they are just really Ritvik priests, and not even diksa and siksa gurus." But he did not state this. Clearly, there needs to be a living guru to train the disciple. This is part of disciplic succession, however he is not there to use his disciples for sense gratification, false prestige, or any monetary gain for himself, but simply to serve Srila Prabhupada's mission.

Such a bona fide guru is hard to find. Even becoming a bona fide guru is not an easy thing. I will admit, though, I don't believe anyone is an uttama adhikari in ISKCON. There are sincere souls acting as spiritual masters, and are trying to the best of their ability to serve Srila Prabhupada. I know the Ritviks has been intelligent and identified many problems that exist in ISKCON, whereas many times in ISKCON these things are simply swept under the carpet. However, we should all unite and serve Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON.

I would like to ask all persons that are Ritviks to please try to work within ISKCON and help Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. You will all see things can be worked out, and if you want to keep Srila Prabhupada's vani seva as the goal of your life, I offer you my heartfelt prostrated obeisences, and with straw between my teeth (a Vedic way of saying with all humility at my command), please try to work inside ISKCON and let's make Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON what it is supposed to be, do not let this initiation issue keep you away from Srila Prabhupada's mission and ISKCON.

Prabhu, one of Srila Prabhupada's instructions was also not to leave ISKCON. Let's try our best to work within Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON and help serve his mission. Srila Prabhupada's mercy can be felt by any sincere soul, it is not only for his direct disciples. This is for all grand disciples, great grand disciples, etc and for future Prabhupadanugas for the next 10,000 years.

For the guru to think he is initiating on behalf of Srila Prabhupada is proper, but the Ritvik term is just not correct. He must take responsibility for helping the person that is initiated and train him/her in Krishna Consciousness, that is the real meaning of a living guru, without whom the real dynamics of parampara are lost.

Your humble servant,
Payonidhi das

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