Philosophy: Is it OK to use the title "His Divine Grace" for spiritual masters?

I noticed recently that some disciples are using this title for their spiritual master...I seem to remember a GBC resolution about this - something about HDG being reserved for Srila Prabhupada and the use of "His Holiness" for sannyasis and "His Grace" for grhasta guru's being used instead of the title HDG....anyone have a reference for this?

Whats the defined difference between His Divine Grace, His Grace, and His Holiness?

ccd:The following resolution was passed by the GBC body at its AGM February 5th to 16th 1999: "No one in ISKCON will be addressed either publically or privately with the honorific titles “His Divine Grace” nor be addressed either publicly or privately with the honorifics ending in “-pada” or “-deva”. Disciples may address their ISKCON diksa or siksa gurus as “Gurudeva” or “guru-maharaja"

Thanks for the quote ccd....I knew there was a resolution floating around somewhere :-)

agreed, His Grace.. oppppps :)

CCD says, "(I hope this does not mean that His Divine Grace Acharyadeva is not okay, but HDG Acharyadev is fine:)"

That's a tricky one.

HDG in this case can also mean "Hrdayananda das Gosvami," which is confusing, but ok. The Acaryadev part is prohibited, though obviously still quite common. I don't doubt that his disciples think of "HDG" as "His Divine Grace" when pertaining to their guru, but I'm not a mind-reader.

Pandu das: According to ISKCON Law, the guru should be censured for allowing his disciples to over-glorify him, but in practice one will find that pointing out this "law" will get one labeled as an offender against the guru.

Well its true to a degree.

I know of one guru who instead of publicly using his -pada title would at the time just introduced second part of his pranama mantra, that starts with namo ... padaya and contains his name. In other words even if you forbid me using it everyone will call me this way!

A good one, bh. vince had: Who is you guru--Srilo Brillopad?:-) (google brillopad if you are not from UK)

I personally feel offended when someone calls my guru with his -pada name, it is not his name anyway, in fact I am so uncomfortable with anyone who even uses Srila or Sri to the name of a guru, it reminds me the 80s. Aren't we lucky to have realistic addresses to gurus and sadhus? If only all gurus were humble and happy to follow it, instead of giving false ideas to their followers, it just fuels the ritvik camp.

The complete turn around in financial and spiritual assets has meant that we are now a serious component in our communities.There is a perception that this is solely due to what our srila Prabhupada established however we had practically nothing when i joined up in 1979.....Now in new varshana alone it is a two hundred acre farm-community which is about to finish paying of a wonderful temple.Its own gurukula ect....Soon debt free and dynamically going forward every sunday..at least 200 guests approximately 30 to 50 regulars becoming full time devotees.Hence his disciples have indeed created and grown his legacy,just look in the back to godhead for the present list of iskcon temples.

yuga_avatar_das:...,just look in the back to godhead for the present list of iskcon temples.

Yes, indeed, there is almost more temples listed in BTG, then there are copies of BTG printed. Quite interesting development.... So many temples, but nobody wants BTG. Something wrong with BTG? Or something wrong with all those wonderful temples? If today's ISKCON is really so great, then why is it so small?

Sri Guru awards His service and realization to those who exclusively worship His external form as His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. The feeling that worship of Srila Prabhupada is impersonal will be dispelled by worshiping with more attention, tears and prayer. Conditioned souls acting as gurus should not be referred to as His Divine Grace, but all Vaisnava Acaryas in the past and future should be. Many souls deserve to be cheated and cheat others and that is their misfortune. Let us pray to Srila Prabhupada to guide us on the right path.

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Hare Krishna.

i wrote "Vaisnava Acaryas" of which Srila Prabhupada is formost, being the Yuga Dharma Acarya, for having fulfilled the prediction of Sriman Mahaprahu that My holy names would be spread to every town and village and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura "A personality will soon come who will fulfill the desire of Mahaprabhu". To quote a great Vaisnava Acarya, Srila Narottam das Thakur, we sing every morning:

SRI GURU VANDANA
From "Prema-bhakti-candrika"

sri-guru-carana-padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma, bando mui savadhana mate jahara prasade bhai, e bhava toriya jai, krsna-prapti hoy jaha ha'te

The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krsna.

guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama-gati, je prasade pure sarva asa
My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.

cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei, divya-jnan hrde prokasito prema-bhakti jaha hoite, avidya vinasa jate vede gay jahara carito
He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.

sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu, lokanath lokera jivana ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho more pada-chaya, ebe jasa ghusuk tribhuvana
Our spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds, Srila Prabhupada, we take shelter at your lotus feet!".

"He is my Lord birth after birth." Since we worship Srila Prabhupada birth after birth, it's obvious that even devotees who have never seen Srila Prabhupada can derive ultimate benefit by worshiping Him here and now in this birth. Even those who took initiation from His Divine Grace but due to material involvement did not realize him at that time are worshiping him and gaining more realization even now. But those who do not worship him with an open heart, cannot know. Those who cannot know may claim that others also cannot know, but it is useless and definitely not shastric.

"The guru is the embodiment of the manifestation of the Divinity to the pure receptive spiritual essence of the disciple. Nityananda is the primary manifestive constituent of the Divinity. Nityananda alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. In Nityananda the function is embodied. Nityananda is the servant-God. He serves Shri Gaurasundara by the distinctive method of reverential servitude. He is identical with Shri Balarama of krishna-lila. Shri Balarama is not the chum of Krishna, but His respected elder brother. It is an intimate relationship characterized by becoming reserved on one side, and of respectful deference on the other. Individual souls are under the direction of Nityananda. They receive their service of Shri Gaurasundara, i.e., of Krishna, at His hands. Nityananda is not a jiva. He is Divinity. He is the ultimate source of the jiva. The jiva is a potency of Nityananda. No jiva can be the medium of the service of the Absolute to another jiva. The Absolute alone may communicate His service to the separable constituents of Himself. This is the real nature of the function of the guru.” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

" No jiva can be the medium of the service of the Absolute to another jiva." So 99% of the so-called gurus cannot function as the medium to link our service with the Absolute. That is why Srila Prabhuada's worship is going on in ISKCON for the next 10,000 years and simple people realize the benefits.

scg-if u disagree, kindly use shastra in your rebuttle.

An organisation has to make its own rules.

But personally, i would like to address my guru as His Divine Grace. In fact, even that is not reflective of my guru's splendour.

For the guru has to be given as much respect as Krishna Himself in Human Form.

Perhaps we can settle for guruji (when addressing the guru publicly) and thinking of Him as HDG (when thinking of him privately).

Honorifics don't matter though; it is the attachment to him and his teachings that do.