Germany - Executive Committee of the Governing Body Commission International Society for Krishna Consciousness, August 12, 1998

Dear Disciples of Harikesa Maharaja,

Please accept our humble respects. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

With much heaviness of heart we have had today to put Harikesa Maharaja on probation as a spiritual master and on suspension as a member of the GBC. We held back from taking this action for as long as possible, but finally we became certain that there was no alternative left. We have not undertaken this lightly.

We have taken this action for the protection of Srila Prabhupada's society and for your own protection. At the same time, we understand how profoundly this affects each of you personally, and we are deeply sympathetic with you. We share with you the anguish you must all be feeling at this time of turbulence for your spiritual master, Harikesa Maharaja.

All of us are highly conscious of the awesome amount of service Harikesa Maharaja has rendered Srila Prabhupada over the last twenty-nine years. He pleased Srila Prabhupada by his personal service and by fulfilling his desires for preaching in many fields, most notably in the area of book production, printing and distribution. For his extraordinary accomplishment in organizing the NE European BBT, Srila Prabhupada called him "the most important grand disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur." Such glorification was neither given cheaply nor cheaply earned.

Since then Harikesa Maharaja has continued doing wonderful service for ISKCON, not only individually, but also by training, inspiring, and engaging all of you, his dedicated disciples.

Whatever you have received from him that has lodged you at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Krishna is permanent and eternal, and the present disturbed circumstances do not detract from that in any way.

As you know, Harikesa Maharaja is not at the present time in a mentally and emotionally stable frame of consciousness. In June he suffered a physical and mental collapse which has been followed by a period of tremendous emotional turbulence and upheaval. It is evident that this process is not yet concluded. He has decided to give up his sannyasa asrama and may eventually get married. As well as this he is re-examining his relationship with Srila Prabhupada and also with Srila Prabhupada's movement, ISKCON.

For this reason, the Executive Committee of the GBC, have today taken the step of suspending Harikesa Maharaja from his managerial duties as a GBC, Property Trustee and SMPDC Chairman. This suspension is effective until the GBC meetings next Gaura Purnima in Mayapur.

In regard to his position as guru, after careful consideration it is clear to us that he is not able to give instruction representative of the principles and teachings of Srila Prabhupada at this time. We have thus placed him on probation, a status to be reviewed next Gaura Purnima. Because we are hopeful that this is a only passing phase we are recommending that while you should not take siksa from him for the time being, you may still honor him as your spiritual master. (The specific conditions of his probation are contained in the official statements of the Executive Committee.)

The unusual circumstances surrounding his present inability to function within ISKCON, leads us to hope that this will prove to be a temporary state of affairs. That is why we chose to invoke only a suspension and probation rather than a full removal of his duties.

Some disciples may think that they will be breaking faith with their spiritual master if they discontinue for now to take all he says and does as spiritual absolutes. Rather, you should keep faith in him by honoring the faith he instilled in you in Prabhupada and ISKCON. For now he has broken faith with himself, and to encourage and support him in this would be the greatest disservice to him and would do him immense harm.

Rather we advise you all to continue to take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and his teachings and to take help and advice from the senior devotees and sadhus in his ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada has kindly provided us with full shelter in every respect. He taught us that we have three authorities to take advantage of - guru, sadhu and sastra. All three link us to Krishna and all three help us to advance.

In ISKCON we are fortunate that we have the security of Srila Prabhupada's books, his personal example, his service, the Deities, and above all the association of the Vaishnavas. Taking shelter in these will protect you spiritually. Be assured that in these difficult times Srila Prabhupada will give his special blessings to you all to support you in your progress back home back to Godhead.

Your relationship with Harikesa Maharaja can continue, now with the spirit of support for him in his hour of need. As Srila Prabhupada once told us in Teheran in 1976, each and every devotee must sometime pass a "severe test of examination." We can all pray to Sri Sri Radha Madhava that he successfully passes this test and goes on with brilliant success to serve Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON movement.

We remain your ever-well wishers,

Executive Committee of the GBC
Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Sesa dasa, Badrinarayan dasa, Akhandadhi dasa.