Here we see from left to right: Srila Prabhupada Himself, Shrutakirti Prabhu, the author of “What is the difficulty?”, distributed by TSKP.VRN@pamho.net. “What is the difficulty” is a favourite expression of Srila Prabhupada to challenge His disciples. Then comes late Brahmananda Prabhu, a trusted and close lieutenant of Srila Prabhupada. Brahmananda Prabhu has a brother, also in Krishna consciousness, his name is Gargamuni Das or the servant of the thinker named “Garga”. I met him once or twice in Germany in the ninety seventies, as he was planning and preparing to import by land some Mercedes vans to India for use in Lord Caitanya’s Samkirtan Movement. Srila Prabhupada used to joke Gargamoney, because he supplied Srila Prabhupada with ample amounts of money or “Lakshmi” for His Krishna conscious projects. The fourth person is difficult to identify because of the flowers that obscure his face. It could be Harikesha Prabhu, because of the glasses but may not be either. Actually Srutakirti Prabhu says this person’s name is Nitai. They are all gazing at what is presumably a newly published Prabhupada book. TKCO

So what about the distinguished letters “acbsp” (no need for pompous capital letters) standing for certified disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the greatest philosopher, the greatest author, Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and Founder of the BBT and BTG magazine, in good standing now?

Does it mean a class of ladies and gentlemen whose number is for ever fixed and decreasing as time passes? Is that what it means? That would be so un-transcendental, would it not be?

And who is a Srila Prabhupada disciple anyway?

My suggested reply would be that ANYONE who pledges exclusive allegiance to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, both with his intellect AND his work or karma, through His bona fide representatives and who pledges exclusive allegiance to His teachings and is able and willing to follows them to the very best of his or her ability is a Prabhupada disciple.

But we need generational differentiation.

What some call “direct discipleship” of Srila Prabhupada or diksha discipleship is not available any more on the market place of the holy name. Since the last 47 years, this good has just gone forever and just see how Srila Prabhupada’s diksha disciples are valuable, unique and irreplaceable individuals. With the disappearance of His Divine Grace, which we have celebrated yesterday, November 5th 2024, at the new premisses of ISKCON Brisbane, the option to acquire this qualification has gone forever. And as time passes the process will repeat itself over and over again, as it has repeated itself in the past. I may be here today but after some time I will be gone, relinquishing this material body forever and the same applies to everyone else.

So the easy way to solve the matter and to convey the appropriate message is to add the relevant cardinal number to (acbsp).

Srila Prabhupada’s “direct disciples” or diksha disciples will carry (acbsp1)

His grand disciple or shiksha disciple will carry (acbsp2)

Srila Prabhupada great-grand-disciples, again shiksha disciple, will carry (acbsp3) etc etc ……

In other words and naturally each Guru only has one generation of diksha-and-shiksha disciples, meaning to say a diksha disciples is also a shiksha disciples and all other spiritual descendants will be shiksha disciples. But the very great majority of shiksha disciples will not be disksha disciples.

This is especially the case with Srila Prabhupada due to Srila Prabhupada’s overwhelming stature. When I visited USA, what struck me the most are these overwhelmingly huge buildings, almost as big as mountains. And this gives us an idea of Srila Prabhupada stature in the landscape of SELF-REALIZATION. These days the tallest building in the world is not to be found in USA. It is to be found in Dubai, United Arab Emirates or UAE. The S from USA migrates to the end and while migrating changes into a E. And this is how we travel from USA to UAE to find the tallest building in the world: the Burj Khalifa at 2717 feet or 828 meters. And this is Srila Prabhupada’s stature in the landscape of SELF-REALIZATION. Srila Prabhupada is the tallest. No one can equal him and no can surpass him in the matter of achievements in the realm of SELF-REALIZATION, a bit like Krishna Himself Who is “asamordhva” . No one can equal or surpass Him in anything and that’s another definition of God.

We note that it is in Dubai as well, where we find some of the sweetest kirtans ever heard by ISKCON devotees such as HH BB Govinda Maharaja, Yogindra Prabhu and Akincana Krishna Prabhu etc etc …There really is something special about Dubai, a city of around 3.79 million inhabitants.

And now that President Trump is back in the White House, he might want to scribble down on his list of things to do: To built the tallest building in the world “To Make America Great Again.”

This is in my view, the best and most democratic way to solve the (acbsp) matter.

If you have a better solution, please let me know. Thank you.