In a letter to Alanatha (November 10, 1975), Srila Prabhupada makes it perfectly clear that he wants all his disciples to become qualified gurus:

"All of our students will have to become Guru, but they are not qualified. This is the difficulty."

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Hard to understand! Is it?

Any comments?

SILENCE MEANS AGREEMENT! :)

Ysvt.

Can a Kanistha devotee give diksa.....well yes they can !Actually within brahminical culture it happens all the time.Ananta Vasudeva who was responsible for these classifications,was so bold as to allow all his godbrothers to initiate.As the ''Archarya ''after srila Bhaktisiddanta saraswati takura he personally allowed this ''Blanket 'approach to all his godbrothers....everyone was able to initiate.....even if from a philosophical and realisation staus they were unqualified....Personally such a mood would solve alot of the problems within Iskcon in my humble opinion.

Sorry to inflame your feelings ...but how about the diksa guru of Srila Bhaktivinoda takura.Vipina bihari goswami......whom srila Bhaktisiddanta verbally attacked at his farthers initiation ....referring to him as a possible fool.Refusing to accept his natural status within our line......He was a caste Brahmana.....An accepted archarya within the descendents of the householder devotees of the Panca tattva.....But according to his offensive behaviour towards Raghunatha das goswami.....a kanistha...because he found fault with his birth in a non-brahmana family.
Srila Prabhupada refers to his godbrothers who worshiped the deity ,,,,but did not engage in sankirtan preaching as kanistha's.....many such godbrothers he attacked openly ,they initiated....Just off the top of my head....but with serious research i am shore i can find many more......!Diksa in vedic terms is generally given mandatory within brahmana families at the age of eight years......In my family line... we give gayatri mantra while washing baby at the birth .....There is a cultural aspect to involved also....hare krishna.....Actually within the gaudiya matha i have been to meetings where they give initiation as long as they promise to chant hare krishna regularly.... everyone in the room......instantaniously....spiritual names also ,...but no regulative principles....diksa ceremony.My ex-wife gunjamala devi das accepted....But they take Brahmana initiation as the substantial one....Which is the significant ''important spiritual purificatory right of passage''.

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

"According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service." (Cc. Madhya 19.151) Only a fortunate living entity gets the opportunity to associate with Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee, and in this way he gets the seed of devotional service, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and then his life becomes sublime.

sri_govinda_das:

...but how about the diksa guru of Srila Bhaktivinoda takura.Vipina bihari goswami......whom srila Bhaktisiddanta verbally attacked at his farthers initiation ....referring to him as a possible fool.Refusing to accept his natural status within our line......He was a caste Brahmana.....An accepted archarya within the descendents of the householder devotees of the Panca tattva.....But according to his offensive behaviour towards Raghunatha das goswami.....a kanistha...because he found fault with his birth in a non-brahmana family.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura had a totally different vision of Bipina Bihari. He saw his guru to be an eternally liberated manjari. He immortalized that vision in his poetry. This is the vision that counts for me.

------------------------ I got diksa from a kanistha guru. So what? I have not been slowed down by that - only by my own anarthas. ----------- The Gayatri is Krsna Himself and He is all powerfull.

dweller-in-peace:

>Can a Kanistha Guru bestow Diksa?

There is no such thing as Kanistha Guru. This term "Kanistha Guru" is modern concoction. In vedic terms, Guru means Sadguru. There are no terms like Kanistha Guru or Pagal Guru.

Yes and SatGuru by it's very defintion is Avesa-avatara,always. ALWAYS!
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THIS IS VAISNAVA-THAKUR!

BSST.

He whose only teaching is humility greater than that of a blade of grass, said—“By My command being guru save this land!” In this instance Mahäprabhu Himself has given the command. His command being “Perform the duty of the guru, even as I do it Myself. Also convey this command to whom-so-ever you chance to meet.” Caitanyadeva says, “Tell them these very words, viz. By My command being Guru save this land. Deliver the people from their foolishness.” Now who-so-ever happens to hear these words would naturally protest with palms joined—“But I am really a great sinner; how can I be Guru? You are Godhead Himself, the Teacher of the world. You can be Guru.” To this Mahäprabhu replies:

“In this thou will not be obstructed
by the current of the world;
Thou wilt have My company once again
at this place.”

-BSST.

Of course there is also no reason for a kanstha not to be a sakti-avesa. But general requirement is for a diksa guru to be empowered and to be an uttama with the following characteristics: SAstra-yuktye sunipuNa, dRDhaSraddhA yAìra - that is the requirement. There are many devotees who are like that.

Yes within his letters ...Srila Bhaktivinoda takura and his wife Bhagavati are very thankful for diksa,he comments he is very thankful that he no longer eats meat!..As a result he completly took responsibility for his guru's financial concerns ....literally paying his weekly bills and maintinence.......he quotes the scriptures ''sacchiSyair
guru-niSkRtiH—"Good disciples protect the spiritual master from all danger"
and says that he has not been able to fulfill this command.......Which symptomised Srila Bhaktivinoda takura and his wife Bhagavati's personal attitude to their guru....viphina bihari goswami.....Such was their attitude even though their guru was prone to ''smoke cigarettes...''