Vishwa Guru Srila Prabhupada’s July 9th mandate reiterated the fact that Srila Prabhupada is the sole diksha-guru in ISKCON where his orders are followed in ISKCON temples. The July 9th directive is a watershed moment in the history of ISKCON as further judgements were based on this directive.
How the Directive Came into Force On July 9th 1977, Srila Prabhupada had put forth a detailed written order which stated that the ritvik system of initiation be followed in ISKCON. The order appointed 11 people as ritviks who were to initiate disciples on Srila Prabhupada’s behalf. The ritviks are to act only as disciples of Srila Prabhupada but not as diksha-gurus.
The July 9th directive came into being from a GBC meeting with Srila Prabhupada which took place on 28th May 1977. The GBC in that meeting concurred with Prabhupada and questioned how the system of initiations would take place when his health was ailing at that time.
Turnaround Relating to the July 9th Directive There was a stunning turn of events after Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure in November 1977. In 1978, the eleven people who were appointed as ritviks were elevated by the GBC to become diksha-gurus on the shocking premise that Srila Prabhupada had appointed them.
The Allegation of Tamala Krishna Goswami behind the July 9th Directive Tamala Krishna Goswami claimed in a video that the July 9th directive was given by him and not Srila Prabhupada. He went on to imply that the July 9th letter was made by him and it was not Srila Prabhupada’s letter and this letter turned out to be the final order. He said he wrote the letter and not Srila Prabhupada. These statements given served as a justification for himself and others to become diksha- gurus in ISKCON.
Tamala Krishna Goswami and the self-appointed gurus were implying the July 9th directive did not come from Srila Prabhupada and it does not hold but it is Tamala Krishna Goswami’s letter.
Reality behind Tamala Krishna Goswami’s allegation
But it was a far cry from the truth as Tamala Krishna Goswami did not have any executive powers to appoint ritviks as he just served as a secretary to Srila Prabhupada. These powers vested only with Srila Prabhupada. So, undeniably the July 9th directive came from Srila Prabhupada.
Tamala Krishna Goswami did not have the authority to address the GBC and the temple presidents so drafting the July 9th letter is out of the question.
The 11 ritviks who were falsely appointed as diksha-gurus by the GBC came to this claim on the basis that they were appointed by Srila Prabhupada so Tamala Krishna Goswami’s authority has no standing here.
The GBC Resolution of 16 September 1978 This resolution states the appointment of any new spiritual master shall be approved by a 3/4th vote. However for 1978, no new spiritual master shall be appointed other than the eleven picked by Srila Prabhupada. Tamala Krishna Goswami was a member of the GBC that drafted the resolution.
This proves the eleven ritviks were appointed by Srila Prabhupada alone and no one else.
Misreading of the July 9th Directive The July 9th directive was wrongly interpreted by the self-appointed gurus as they thought it would only be applicable till Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence and post that they would become gurus automatically.
The 1999 confession by GBC on the Zonal Acharya System In November 1977, Srila Prabhupada had mentioned in his will that the managerial authority of ISKCON would be the GBC. The GBC in 1999 came with the startling confession that they had allowed an unauthorised zonal acharya system.
In 1978, the GBC said the ritviks were allowed to become diksha-gurus based on Srila Prabhupada’s directive but in 1999 they said the ritviks were elevated as diskha-gurus based on the authority of the GBC. While the GBC have gone ahead and taken such a drastic step, they did not have the requisite powers vested on them to do so. Hence the diksha-guru system in ISKCON is false.
The July 9th directive was merely typed out by Tamala Krishna Goswami but it was entirely overseen by Srila Prabhupada, bore his signature and was sent out to the GBCs and temple presidents. So they accepted it as his order.
Srila Prabhupada’s teachings contain the truth and the right path. So one must not follow the teachings of the self-appointed gurus and go astray.
Srila Prabhupada’s 9 July 1977 institutional directive: https://prabhupadabooks.com/letters/vrindaban/july/09/1977/all_gbc/all_temple_presidents? d=1GBC Meeting on 28th May 1977https://iskcon-truth.com/may-28th-transcript.html Tamala Krishna Goswami’s allegation behind the July 9th directivehttps://harekrishnasociety.org/?p=36468 The 1999 confession by the GBChttps://theharekrishnamovement.org/2020/08/24/editorial-gbc- suppressed-the-truth-officiating-acaryas/