This initiation issue has divided much of the ISKCON society. Some devotees believe that Srila Prabhupada has always been, and will continue to be the Founder and Acarya for The Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON), while others believe that he has moved on, leaving the present Iskcon gurus to accept new devotees as their disciples. This has created a rift in the society.
For me personality, Srila Prabhupada has accepted me as his disciple, and I have accepted him as my eternal Spiritual Master, so for me the issue is very clear. Srila Prabhupada has always been, and will continue to be my spiritual master and the Founder and Acarya of ISKCON.
But we are posting some of the History of ISKCON and the Initiation process for the benefit of others. May we all advance in our love for Krishna, and work together is the spirit of cooperation, to push on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan Movement. Hare Krishna! -V
…By 1973, Srila Prabhupada had trained his GBC secretaries to serve as officiating priests by asking them to (1) recommend candidates for initiation, (2) choose Sanskrit names for new initiates, (3) chant on new initiates’ japa beads, and (4) officiate at fire sacrifices.
…The July 9 ritvik system was already 80% implemented in those early years. When Srila Prabhupada visited us in 1975, he did no initiations. Of course the terms “officiating acharya” and “ritvik” were not given by Srila Prabhupada until May 1977, which I did not learn of until 1984. I am witness to how Srila Prabhupada progressively deputed the formalities of his initiations to temple presidents from at least 1970. I was given, and gave, Srila Prabhupada initiations via the system which was made official with the July 9, 1977 Order. (Nityananda das)
Full article
RITVIK SYSTEM STARTED BY 1970
(by Nityananda das)
In hindsight we see Srila Prabhupada very early on had plans for a ritvik representative system in his Divine Mission, and he began instituting the system even by 1970. Srila Prabhupada’s July 9 Order finalized this ritvik system, as he had been gradually transferring responsibility for the parts of the deputy/officiating process for years.
I joined ISKCON in 1969 and lived in the Buffalo temple for 6 months. My temple president Rupanuga das recommended me by writing a letter to Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles for initiation. In March 1970 Srila Prabhupada sent my signed initiation acceptance letter and beads by mail, but the beads had fallen out of the torn envelope somewhere.
Rupanuga wrote again, requesting a new, “large-sized” set of beads (I still have them) which came with a slip of paper upon which Srila Prabhupada had written ‘Chanted.’ ) Rupanuga did the fire sacrifice and gave the initiation lecture. So I was initiated through the mail.
Then in March 1971 I received second initiation in Atlanta via Satsvarupa, who did the yajna, lecture, and the playing of the Gayatri mantra recording. Rupanuga and Satsvarupa were my officiating acharyas in 1970-71 for both initiations in Srila Prabhupada’s physical absence, who could have been in any faroff distant place.
This was all before I had even spoken with or met Srila Prabhupada in person. As the temple president for New Orleans ISKCON and New Talavan farm from 1971-77, I myself also acted as a ritvik representative in the initiation formalities for perhaps 30 devotee first and second initiations that I recommended to Srila Prabhupada. He instructed me in his acceptance letters to ‘perform the fire yajna’ and my GBC told me to chant on their beads myself, as was then often done.
In July 1971 I watched in Detroit as Srila Prabhupada supervised Jagadisha’s doing the fire sacrifice and giving the lecture for a batch of initiations. In 1972 Srila Prabhupada wrote to me that I should learn how to do the fire yajna for our new initiates in New Orleans, and none of the devotees I recommended for either initiation (excepting Bhagwat das) received initiation in his physical presence. This was typical in remote parts of ISKCON- through letters and proxy representatives.
The July 9 ritvik system was already 80% implemented in those early years. When Srila Prabhupada visited us in 1975, he did no initiations. Of course the terms “officiating acharya” and “ritvik” were not given by Srila Prabhupada until May 1977, which I did not learn of until 1984. I am witness to how Srila Prabhupada progressively deputed the formalities of his initiations to temple presidents from at least 1970. I was given, and gave, Srila Prabhupada initiations via the system which was made official with the July 9, 1977 Order.
It wasn’t until decades later that I understood all this. But Srila Prabhupada was already preparing how things would go on after he left us. No one thought or dared to claim those initiates as their own disciples. Why do they do so in ISKCON today? So, unless Srila Prabhupada was present personally, all initiations were officiated by the priests that Srila Prabhupada had authorized to chant on beads, hold fire yajnas, give Gayatri mantra from his tape, etc. This was Srila Prabhupada’s system for initiations in ISKCON, and no one recognized what it was until after the July 9 Order became widely known in 1990.
An interesting example of ritvik representatives was in a remote preaching mission in far-off Guyana, South America.
“Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it and if possible hold a fire ceremony as you have seen during your marriage and get this sacred thread on your body. Saradia, or any twice-initiated devotee, may perform the ceremony.” (SPL Vaikunthanatha, Saradia Apr. 4, 1971)
By 1973, Srila Prabhupada had trained his GBC secretaries to serve as officiating priests by asking them to (1) recommend candidates for initiation, (2) choose Sanskrit names for new initiates, (3) chant on new initiates’ japa beads, and (4) officiate at fire sacrifices.
Kirtanananda, Satsvarupa, Karandhar, and Rebatinandana were most commonly conducting all the initiation formalities for new initiates, everything but the written accentances that Srila Prabhupada sent by mail. Of course there were also many times when Srila Prabhupada was personally present for initiations and he would chant on the beads and hand them over during the ecstatic ceremonies in the temple room. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada would himself choose or even change a name. (END)
From upcoming Vol. 10: Kaitava Dharma- Cheating Religion of Defective Guru Doctrines
July 9th Letter https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2013/07/19/july-9th-letter-2/