Feb 28, 2013 — CANADA (SUN) —
Over the last few years, many articles have appeared in the Sun regarding ISKCON's progressive slide into mayavadism and sahajiyaism. An index of articles can be found here. Today we present Part One of an article addressing the 'kirtaniya' phenomenon, which is a central element of the problem.
Some readers may think the word 'infestation' is a harsh label to hang on this phenomenon. Some will instinctively recoil at the combining of the two words, 'infestation' and 'kirtaniyas', understandably so. But unfortunately, the title of the article is a truthful representation of the situation at hand. And while the nomenclature leads to unpleasant imagery, we ask the reader to bear with us because, however unpalatable, the model we are about to introduce allows an accurate comparison to be made.
There are countless examples found in the natural world where, by Krsna's arrangement, various living entities associate together in a host/parasite relationship. There is an exchange taking place -- sometimes one-sided, sometimes reciprocal. The host always provides something that serves the parasite's needs. While the parasite may contribute to the well being of the host in some way, more often it contributes nothing and only takes what it needs. In some cases, the parasite may eventually kill the host.
The word "infestation" is described in this way:
1. to inhabit or overrun in dangerously or unpleasantly large numbers
2. of parasites (such as lice) to invade and live on or in a host [from Latin infestāre to molest, from infestus hostile]
As we will demonstrate in this article, the ISKCON body has become the 'host', invaded and fed upon by an undesirable element that is slowly poisoning it. There are numerous players in this drama:
the benign parasites who attach themselves to the body and infect it, though seemingly with no ill intent;
the passive carriers who unwittingly deliver the parasites to the host body; and
the hostile parasites who carry poison, targeting the host and intending to infect it, while also serving as active carriers.
We won't digress into a description of the various host/parasite relationships found in nature that illustrate these roles; we all no doubt remember our Biology and Botany lessons in that regard. What is most important to understand is how these players operate in the ISKCON environment.
Benign Parasites
In the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation phenomenon, one of most significant aspects of the situation -- in fact, one of the most dangerous aspects -- is the tendency of the kind-hearted devotees to be fooled by the benign parasites. Looking at these benign intruders sentimentally, thinking always the best of those in the dress of devotees, they do not allow themselves to see the reality of the situation. They do not apply the philosophy, do not look at the situation by way of chaksus sastra -- through the eyes of sastra. Instead, ascribing all good qualities and intentions, they refuse to see the parasitic element's influence. The notion that something is wrong and needs to be corrected either does not occur to them, or is discarded as vaisnava-aparadha or 'someone else's problem'. As a result, the population of benign parasites continues to grow and thrive on the unaware host, and many devotees on the periphery become passive carriers themselves.
Who are the 'benign parasites' playing a role in the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation of ISKCON? Perhaps the most basic definition is this: they are any and all devotees who exploit kirtan for their own purposes.
Included are those who reject Srila Prabhupada's standards for everything from the tunes being sung to the instruments being played in kirtan, the type of dancing performed before the Deities and Spiritual Master in the temple room, in front of the Deities on the Ratha carts, and in front of the general public when harinama parties take to the streets. Much has been written in the past on the subject of lowered kirtan and harinama standards in ISKCON, and for the sake of brevity we won't repeat it all here. We will include a compendium of links at the end of the final segment of this article.
Also in this category are members of the congregation who listen and look on while the standards of bhajan and kirtan are ignored and twisted in front of them. They nod and bob, happily unaware that the 'feel good' vibration is not actually a transcendental sound vibration, because it is being done in such a way as to displease the Spiritual Master, and therefore Krsna. Simply because the chanting of the Holy Names are involved, they assume "it's all good". They forget that sahajiya chanting is to be avoided at all costs, regardless of the fact that the Name of the Lord may be recited. They forget that Srila Prabhupada himself, on occasion, stopped the devotees in the middle of kirtan, because they were chanting or playing improperly.
Some members of the congregation support unbonafide kirtan/bhajan by consent, because they will not challenge those who are performing it or those who are permitting it to go on, even though they recognize that it's not bona fide. In other words, members of the audience can be every bit as much a benign parasitic presence in the ISKCON body as those who perform unbonafide kirtan and bhajan.
Those who exploit kirtan for their own purposes have many faces: Some wish to be seen as great devotees and 'perform' for the audience, trying very hard to be expert (better than their peers), not so much to please the Lord as to gain prominence and notoriety. Some exploit kirtan by performing it very expertly, making a show of great devotion, but in all other areas of life they show little or no inclination to be a devotee at all. Their musicianship is essentially a 'free pass' into the ISKCON community, where they get much recognition on this basis alone. There are many other manifestations in this category that will no doubt be obvious to the reader, particularly 'kirtan for sense gratification'.
Passive Carriers
The next group of actors in the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation drama are the passive carriers who unknowingly deliver parasites to the host body. Sublimely unaware of the role they play, these carriers are equally likely to deliver both benign and hostile parasites to the ISKCON body, and can't even distinguish one from the other. Among the passive carriers are some of the well meaning Gurus and Sannyasis in ISKCON who interact with individuals around the world, inviting a parasitic element into the ISKCON society while seeing themselves in the role of goodwill ambassadors.
The parasites being invited as guests are happy to accept the invitation to come along for the ride on the ISKCON host body, because the host represents a tremendous established marketplace for whatever it is they're peddling. Included among them are the many Mayavadis and Sahajiyas who come in the dress of purveyors of 'Vedic Culture'. These exotic Indian musical and cultural performances, South India puja troupes, etc., are really just entertainment for the ISKCON congregation.
Also delivered by the passive carriers are participants from their Interfaith exchanges, so popular in ISKCON today. A plethora of all-faith chanting events, candle-lighting ceremonies, 'dances of peace', etc. are now taking place in ISKCON. No matter who the benign parasites are, they are delivered by the passive carriers and welcomed by the congregants, who much prefer to be entertained than to be 'preached to' by a heavy lecturer delivering the message of Srila Prabhupada's books.
All these parasites infect the ISKCON body. The passive carriers who deliver them are not only Sannyasis and Gurus, but leaders at every level of the community, from Temple Presidents to influential members of the congregation who arrange for their friends to get an audience in the ISKCON temples. Such performances are usually followed by the sale of books, CD's, workshops, etc., further draining the lifeblood from the ISKCON host.
Another category of passive carriers are the ISKCON devotees who allow themselves to become infected by mayavada and sahajiya influences that permeate the so-called 'Kirtaniya Movement' outside of ISKCON. Many of the 2nd, and now 3rd generation devotees in ISKCON (or on the fringes of ISKCON) fit this designation. In a mood of 'cultural exchange', they go out into the world utilizing the training, skills and cultural influences they gained in ISKCON. Whether they are musicians, dancers, or members of the audience, they basically serve as traveling representatives of the ISKCON body, taking ISKCON culture out into the world where it is infected, then carried back into ISKCON temple communities to infect others.
These devotees very successfully perform the kirtan, bhajan and dance they learned in the ISKCON family (or with the support of the family). In many cases, their performances are more often delivered to venues outside of ISKCON than inside the movement, because performing outside is less restrictive and more 'fun'. Naturally, their skills are far above most other New Agers and yoga aficionados because they've had much more training and exposure, having been acclimatized to a bona fide kirtaniya environment much of their lives.
Outside of ISKCON they discover that they can be instant stars, often invited to come front and center on stage at bhakti fests and other gatherings. Unfortunately, and in great disservice to Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON, they become infected by these outside influences: the Impersonalists, the Sahajiyas, the Atheists, the Buddhists, the Shiva and Kali worshippers, the Hatha yogis, the New Agers, etc.
Bringing these influences back into ISKCON, the passive carriers now also become benign parasites, directly spreading the influence. For some, the infection effectively kills them. They no longer hear the Absolute Truth as delivered by Srila Prabhupada; they are no longer willing to accept his strict standards, and for all intents and purposes, they 'die' as members of the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya. Unfortunately, they function much like the 'zombies' that are all the rage in popular culture today… they become like the walking dead -- no longer living in the philosophy, but still actively infecting those around them. Again, we apologize for the graphic metaphor, but there it is. The shoe fits.
Hostile Parasites
Next we come to the most dangerous category of players in the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation story: the hostile parasites. In this category, as above, we find a wide variety of actors who represent varying degrees of menace.
Generally, the hostile parasites are those who know full well that they are carrying an infectious disease to the ISKCON body. They do so intentionally, hoping to succeed in having it permeate the body -- not so much to 'make it sick', as to change it, to transform it into something they want it to be. They take full advantage of the other actors in this drama -- the benign parasites and the passive carriers -- they see and understand their mentalities and sentiments, and exploit them.
Among the hostile parasites are a handful of ISKCON leaders -- GBCs, Gurus and Sannyasis who are essentially renegades. To varying degrees, they completely ignore Srila Prabhupada's instructions, standards, as well as their own GBC rules. The most notable member of this category is Radhanath Swami, who has placed himself so high above all others in the society that he is now like a lightening rod: every bogus mayavada, sahajiya, New Age, Interfaith, non-traditional influence in the world has a good chance of infecting the ISKCON body by coming in through Radhanath. Riding on the strength of his self-crafted public notoriety, he invites these philosophical plagues into ISKCON like a rich man, unctuously inviting poor members of the family to a summer picnic, where he can lord it over them.
Radhanath does not hesitate to inter-mingle and co-promote himself with all manner of mayavada and sahajiya groups and in doing so, he becomes an active carrier, delivering these infectious agents to the ISKCON family, where they breed and multiple. And he is not alone. He has set an example that other ISKCON leaders are now enthusiastically emulating. Employing the same tactics, they are also mining the mayavada/sahajiya world, looking for name, fame and followers.
These hostile parasites constantly demonstrate their desire to overturn the philosophy at the heart of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. They are in favour of a 'more modern' ISKCON… one that opens its arms to impersonalists, New Agers, Interfaith, Academia, Liberalism, Feminism, and so on. They have been intently working for years to infect the ISKCON body with this disease, and have succeeded in doing so. Just now in Mayapur, these leaders are giving bright speeches to one another, heralding their success.
Parasites of all shapes and colors are infesting the ISKCON body today while the lackluster GBC looks on, knowing the situation represents a grave threat to Srila Prabhupada's society, but perennially bewildered about how to deal with the problem. They are unwilling to pursue the only solution: demand that the infected parts of the body take the medicine and become healthy again, or cut the diseased limbs off to save the body.
Aside from some ISKCON leaders, there are others who fall under the classification of 'hostile parasites'. By definition, they are also active carriers. They not only infect the ISKCON body with their own presence, but actively and purposefully convey many parasitic associates into ISKCON. Among the hostile parasites are a number of prominent 'kirtaniya' groups who were founded by, or have members from the ISKCON 2nd Generation community. These are the groups who have very successfully bridged the divide, just as Radhanath has, between ISKCON and the outer world. Through the agency of kirtan and bhajan, in a mood of performance entertainment, they actively infect the ISKCON society with a parasitic influence.
Today, there are numerous well known 'kirtaniya' bands that work the circuit, traveling around the world from bhakti fest to yoga love-in. Like the benign parasites described above, many of these professional musicians and singers learned how to expertly chant, play mridanga and dance in ISKCON. They have a wide repertoire of material, know all the moves, and juice them up to high voltage on the stage. Their performances captivate the karmi crowds as well as many of the senior-most Vaisnavas among us.
These 'kirtaniya' bands directly infect the ISKCON body by live performances and recordings. Just cruise the Facebook pages of these bands to see the names of the prominent ISKCON devotees who have 'friended' them. Likewise, look at the FB pages of many senior devotees and leaders in the society, and note who they've included in their 'favourite music' category. The degree of infestation is very evident.
Not only are these hostile parasitic music groups invited into the ISKCON temples to perform, they have become standard fare on the Ratha Yatra circuit, at japa gatherings and other festivals. The tunes they play, the mood they convey, and the encouragement this provides for devotees to emulate them and seek them out at other unbonafide venues like Bhakti Fest, are all symptoms of the infestation. Our bona fide temple kirtaniyas are encouraged to come play with these bands, and are ruined by their bad association. They become infected by the false prestige that comes from a performance environment, sitting on a stage while the audience claps and raves on. It is not unlike the poisonous effect many Gurus have fallen victim to.
Likewise, these 'kirtaniya' bands encourage unbonafide musical practices that the unwitting devotees pick-up and carry back into the ISKCON temples and infect the congregation with: bogus tunes, sahajiya-like warbling and false sentiment, lusty glam dancing, demigod worship, etc. Like a cancer, the infected cells reproduce; the host body becomes populated by parasites who feed off one another and the host, threatening to kill it.
In fairness, we should note that the sahajiya kirtan influence came into ISKCON long before the 2nd Generation came along. Even during Srila Prabhupada's manifest lila, devotees were being contaminated by sahajiya kirtaniyas, particularly from Bengal and Vrindavan, and Srila Prabhupada tried to squelch this tendency in his devotees. Today, however, the whole phenomenon has rapidly grown, as devotees travel extensively both on land and online, exposing themselves to a great deal of bad association, with little or no protection from parents or Gurus.
The ISKCON Host
The most important character having a role in the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation is ISKCON itself -- the host body. In order to understand the roles of the benign and hostile parasites, and the passive and active carriers, one must understand how the host body serves those taking advantage of it.
The ISKCON body represents a huge audience. For those with something to sell, it is a grand marketplace. Someone else -- Srila Prabhupada, the Sampradaya Acaryas, the Gurus and Sannyasis, the temples -- they do all the work. They keep the marketplace constantly populated with consumers, who will buy pretty much whatever anybody is allowed to sell in that market.
Why do the consumers have so little discrimination, what to speak of the leaders who run the marketplace? Sastra tells us that the nature of the fallen conditioned soul is that he does not want to surrender. He does not want to be the servant, he wants to be Krsna. He will look for any excuse to deviate, to avoid the great difficulties presented by actually surrendering: to the Spiritual Master, to the philosophy, to Krsna. One of the most common ways to deviate, to avoid surrendering, is to engage in pseudo-spiritual activities that allow us to pretend we are really surrendering, when we're not.
The act of surrendering begins with surrender to the Spiritual Master. Whether it's an initiating or a primary instructing guru, surrender means following… emulating… duplicating what the Spiritual Master says and does, without change. Accepting the Absolute Truth as it's handed down by a bona fide representative of the Sampradaya, in parampara. All we need to do in judging the quality and bona fides of the so-called 'kirtaniya' element that is parasitically living off the ISKCON host body is to see how closely they are following Srila Prabhupada. If they are not, and if they are selling themselves into the ISKCON marketplace, then they are parasites. They are simply entertaining the ISKCON masses, infesting them with bad association, for their own benefit. If they are not following Srila Prabhupada, they are not serving the ISKCON devotees. It is the ISKCON body that is serving the parasites.
Another way in which the ISKCON body benefits the parasitic element taking advantage of it is that it serves as a mechanism for authentication and validation. Members of the unbonafide kirtaniya community can judge just how far they can push the envelope before being rejected as complete rascals, by using the ISKCON congregation as a baseline. The host body serves as the feedback loop. Whether it's bhajan/kirtan lyrics that might border on offensive, clothing and costume that's too lusty or outrageous, stage antics that are over the top, or any number of variables that can measured, the overall reaction from the ISKCON community serves as a bellwether for these so-called kirtaniyas. If they can get away with it in front of an ISKCON audience, they know just how much further they can safely push it in non-ISKCON venues, where they jack it up many decibels higher.
What if the so-called 'kirtaniyas' on the circuit didn't have the Gaudiya Vaisnava/ISKCON example to compare themselves to? They would have to find other personalities to style themselves after: Sahajiyas, Mayavadis, New Agers, Hatha yogis, etc. Following these leaders and emulating whatever they do, the kirtaniyas wouldn't have the vaguest clue as to how bona fide (or not) their kirtan and bhajan were. They would follow whatever bogus, atheistic, impersonalist, nonsense culture their chosen mentor happened to be representing.
Imagine a world in which all the so-called kirtaniyas on the love-fest circuit had never had the benefit of the Gaudiya Vaisnava example delivered by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya and Srila Prabhupada. Suppose these groups had perfected their performance routines for years and then suddenly, gave a great concert that exposed them to the ISKCON audience. How would they be received? Almost certainly, they would be flatly rejected. But thanks to the phenomenon of creeping gradualism, this unbonafide 'Kirtaniya' Infestation has taken residence in the ISKCON body, and most devotees have come to accept it without even noticing how vastly different it is from Srila Prabhupada's standards. By accepting it, they are perpetuating a culture that is completely contrary to the culture exemplified by the Sampradaya Acaryas for bona fide bhajan and kirtan. They don't recognize what's right before their eyes, because accepting this unbonafide so-called 'kirtaniya culture' is just another way of not surrendering. We all have our personal struggles in trying to surrender, but in the case of the kirtaniya culture, the whole movement is struggling.
We cannot overly stress the importance of recognizing this 'Kirtaniya Infestation', and the detrimental impact it's having on the health of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON society. As we said at the start of this article, it goes right to the heart of the overall decline of ISKCON, which is ignobly sliding into mayavadism and sahajiyaism.
In Part Two of this article, we will examine some of specific symptoms of the 'Kirtaniya' Infestation in ISKCON, with particular focus on some of the hostile parasites who are exploiting the ISKCON body and intently attacking the philosophy that is the heart and soul of our society.
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
