How does one become a guru in ISKCON?

I don’t know. I don’t think anybody knows.

Sannyas in ISKCON is based on a detailed and strict procedure. (Rightly so in view of the experiences of the past). But when it comes to become a guru, which is supposed to be the one who is supposed to give the final guidance to the disciple so he may be able to go back home back to Godhead… suddenly we are facing an undefined territory. It seems that gurus and rain have in ISKCON one thing in common, they both fall from the sky.

I was first time asked to become a guru by my GBC authority 1989. As I absolutely don’t consider myself qualified to carry such an immense responsibility, I instantly declined. As matter of fact, I told my GBC guardian at that time, my only qualification would be that I didn’t bloob since 1972. He laughed and said: “Well, that’s a great qualification”. Later on our discussion became more serious, again and again revealing that there are no strict criteria in ISKCON how to become a guru except having strong lobby supporters, or following the famous slogan of a sportswear company: “Just do it”. Later on, when asking other godrothers, I didn’t find any more detailed information either. One told me that one needs officially at least six aspiring disciples to make such an application. When I told him that it might be not difficult to find six fools or simply six employees who like Manidhara das, we both laughed at the absurd proposition of this kind.

Srila Prabhupada wanted ALL His disciples to become gurus. We know that. But he also stated in simple and sublime terms that the duty of the guru is to deliver the message of His guru and Krsna ENTIERLY unchanged and unbiased. It is also clear from His preaching that He expected His gurus to be paramahamsas. (Grihasthas too:-)

Are they? The history speaks for itself.

But as one of my godbrothers rightly pointed out, guru can be of various kind, even kanisthas have their gurus. It wouldn’t be a problem if a particular guru would be aware of his conditioning and when realizing that he is at the limits of his ability to guide his disciple, he would direct him to a siksa-guru he knows to be more advanced in particular field or advanced at all. Or as another of my godbrothers nicely commented: “To rescue a conditioned soul from the grip of maya is a team effort."

But that is rarely to be seen, as it’s easy to see oneself while serving in the guru position as being the only and ultimate authority. As matter of fact, one of the first symptoms of a kanistha is that he thinks he is paramahamsa.

And so today I couldn’t give any satisfactory answer to this question to anybody as I don’t have it myself. The only thing is clear that those who are truly connected to Srila Prabhupada and give guidance simply on basis of His instructions will prevail. Anybody else will end up being confused and exposed to karmic reactions.

To illustrate how gurus can be made, here a historical account of events taking place in Sweden (1986?):

I am coming from a crew of my godbrothers who joined in Germany, finally finding themselves serving together in Schloss Rettershof, the first “big” German temple.

Even Schloss Rettershof got overrun by police and German yatra relocated again into smaller temples, the original crew remained basically intact, despite some leaving. Our GBCs zone stretched from Switzerland up to Finland and so the remaining godbrothers spread out through his zone to take up various preaching responsibilities. Trough preaching we remained linked up with our GBC as central authority. Being for a while immensely empowered, (while managing, in his zone alone there were more books published and distributed as during Srila Prabhupada’s presence on this planet altogether), he commanded great deal of authority and respect despite the occasional childish envy of his godbrothers surfacing here and there.

And so we were all greatly surprised when he called for an emergency meeting of all, urging us to come Sweden. Knowing him going occasionally through difficult times, resulting in physical break downs, we thought that it may be that he truly needs help.

He did, but in another way as we thought.

Facing political campaign conducted by one of his godbrothers who intensely communicated his misgivings with American devotees on the other side of the globe, our GBC was senescing an internal threat arising to our in one sense familiar north-European preaching field. America was at that time dominated by great deal of bitterness resulting from the massive fall downs of the initial gurus designated by Srila Prabhupada to carry on the mission. This bitterness reached almost the dimensions of ritviks, declaring EVERY occupying a guru post in ISKCON being not bona fide. Unknowingly some devotees sought in despair shelter in the humanistic, socialistic and altruistic mayavada doctrines… and our GBC knew that. Designated by persons of this mentality to be one of the last surviving autocrats, he was desperate as well.

As we set down in the conference room, our GBC presented to us following scenario. He said: “There will be a crew of American preachers arriving here, preaching… we don’t know what. Do you want this to happen? I want all of you to become gurus. At least then we know approximately what the preaching is going to be. We have to do it NOW, before they come."

Everybody was shocked. Nobody expected this. One godbrother, sitting next to him, asked, “Why should I become a guru?” Knowing him to be always critical to himself, our GBC replied sharply: “So you can get some taste too”.

I was speechless. In that meeting my dreams about continuity of parampara on basis of the picture dominating my mind of older, more mature and experienced gurus blessing the younger and inspired ones to continue to preach Srila Prabhupada’s mission… all that was shattered to pieces. This was clearly a politically motivated move, based on the policy that “look how can you call me autocratic, when we are already ten gurus here. Go home”.

Fortunately our GBC stated that those who are present as grihasthas may have a choice , the others don’t. Instantly me and two others left the room. Ending up sitting outside on the grass, stunned by the sudden events, we finally retreated to our duties and services forgetting about our guru-careers.

And so a whole new generation of gurus in Europe was created. Some prevailed, some didn’t. Some preached wonderfully, some gave up at early stage realizing how unfit they are. Some turned to other doctrines and went “beyond Srila Prabhupada”, some didn’t. Finally even the main organizer of this event left and renounced Srila Prabhupada’s guidance, becoming a preacher of his own mind and false ego.

I don’t think such an organized event was ever anywhere repeated, but the question still remains: Life comes from Life. But where do the gurus come from?