HpS: Seems that some feel that the person giving names, beads, evaluating the candidate on behalf of Srila Prabhupada is a priest that deviates us from Srila Prabhupada for one moment but then we return to Srila Prabhupada afterwards.  On the other hand is the idea that we can see the above mentioned person as representative of Prabhupada before during and after the fire sacrifice.

What is your comprehension of this?

BJB: PAMHO AGTSP! If the initiator is as you say giving names, beads, evaluating the candidate on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and may also give relevant spiritual guidance to the candidate in line with Prabhupada then I don't see how the initiator could deviate the disciple from Srila Prabhupada. Such a Guru is linking him to Prabhupada. If he is deviating the disciple from Prabhupada then he is not a Guru at all! 

I like the, as you say: "the idea that we can see the above mentioned person as representative of Prabhupada before during and after the fire sacrifice." Prabhupada used the term "officiating acharya" and said in EJTOP's "become a spiritual master himself, just as a student becomes a monitor in class with a limited number of disciples." In the teachers absence the student is acting on behalf of the teacher.

Actually all this guru tattva stuff really makes my head hurt, I have tried to understand it from so many different angles for so many years but it is so difficult to understand, and confusing. I don't think it can ever truly be put into words at all. It is transcendental. I just had to go over all this with you and think about your answers for some time (the last few years) meditating on it deeply and trying to see if it felt right to me. But I think as of now as far as I can tell I feel pretty satisfied and am ready to move forward with this.

Thank you.

I hope I have not offended you in any way with my intense challenging or questions or whatever! I have great respect and appreciation for you.

Hare Krishna, Bhakta Joe Blow

HpS - AGTSP!   paoho.   Yes, I think it can give Srila Prabhupada a headache also.   I was also trying to figure this all out before I tried to become an "ISKCON Guru".   Then I had a dream and Srila Prabhupada looked at me a little disgusted and said, "Guru-tattva: You are following me and you are going back to Godhead. Anyone following you following me is goind back to Godhead. End of discussion. Get out on Sankirtana".
Is funny it might be so simple.

I understand that we can follow many people, the more the better, who are following Srila Prabhupada. One of those is connecting us according to the formality of rounds and principles.  We can also follow Srila Prabhupada through his books, his Murti, the Super soul.  We must put all these in proportion and in the end it is for us to accept and reject different representatives as they are connected or not connected at different times.
We hope to see you Wetware soon!  (Gross body).
Tommorrow back to USA!