Feb 10, 2014 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — Simple Truths and Outright Lies - Part Two.
The GBC paper, "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" as presented by Hari Vilas das prabhu (GBC) in Seattle, Washington, May 2013. Why it can't work unless there is real GBC/Guru Reform - ISKCON reform from top to bottom, at all levels and all temples worldwide: DESPERATELY NEEDED.
INTRODUCTION
From Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's writing entitled Vaisnava Ninda, there are three types of proper motives for speaking out about mistakes of a Vaishnava:
(1) If the intention in analyzing someone's sins is to ensure that he attains his ultimate welfare, then such reflection is auspicious.
(2) If the motive behind reflecting on someone's sins is to benefit the whole world, then this is to be counted as an auspicious act.
(3) If such reflection is undertaken for one's own spiritual welfare, then it too, is auspicious. There is no fault in such reflection.
Once again, for the reasons stated above by HDG Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, I shall address the following issues and practices which, if not corrected, will end ISKCON (spiritually) as it was intended by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Presented here for your immediate evaluation is Hari Vilas das's passionate talk to the Sunday feast guests -- a literal- showdown -- to (mostly Indians) at the Seattle ISKCON center in May 2013. With Hari Vilas in the video talks is HH Romapada Swami.
Bear with me through this extended presentation. I will get to the point as all the pieces fit into the puzzle of what's gone wrong in Srila Prabhupada's original ISKCON, and what it has become today.
What's revealing about this May 2013 talk is Hari Vilas's real anger and frustration about money being taken out of his zone, right behind his back! (As he explains in his talk, apparently an unknown famous guru is going to Indians, behind his back, and getting big bucks! So this is it… it's all about money, power and control.
I haven't seen this type of stuff going on since the ole New Vrindaban TSKP days, when they boldly hit up any city they wanted and did it without any permission of the local Temple President or GBC. That was the arrogant style of Kirtanananda Swami and his men.
So who is Hari Vilas so angry at these days? Whoever it is, it's all about money and control, not devotees. He pretty much abandoned the devotees who left Seattle ISKCON in the 90's, instead surrounding himself with 'yes men'.
If an expert in body language could watch Hari Vilas das and analyze his facial expressions in the videos below, I think that in itself would be a real expose, and would speak volumes. Clearly, something is wrong here. Hari Vilas das is not in bliss. He even threatens the audiences with veiled punishment if they defy him and the GBC… Harmonizing Lines of Authority… it's here, along with the anger and veiled threats that are obvious in his talk.
The thing Hari Vilas das totally misses is that these are adults he (and Romapada Swami) are talking down to. It's obvious, these are educated, working adults -- not temple devotees. They are Indians who are pious, and left India for the illusion of the American Dream. In other words, how can they relate to what he is saying at all? They won't give their sons and daughters to the Bhakta program. They are simply satisfied with coming once a week and for Janmastami or Diwali, or Holi, and any other Hindu or demigod worship programs Hari Vilas makes available for them.
For example, at ISKCON Seattle (the "Vedic Cultural Center") we see Hindu Sunday school, Mathematics class, Chess lessons, and Hindi Music cultural programs -- all to make the Indians happy, keep the children busy, and support the temple. (Sound familiar?) Hari Vilas and the GBC body's grave mistake was making ISKCON into a Hindu temple in the first place.
Let me be clear: this article is realized knowledge… not some third party stuff. I am using Hari Vilas's example because it's his talk, which I've included here for all to see. He is preaching on the "Harmonizing Lines of Authority". I ask, whose authority? His?
As stated in my previous articles, I lived in Seattle for ten years, and I saw it all from 1990-1999... I frequented the Seattle Temple in Issaquah, and I tried to really communicate and make friends with Hari Vilas das. In my ten years there, I was never asked to give a lecture or any devotional service there. The times I did cook for the Deities or wash the pots on the Sunday feast was at my initiative completely.
In fact, many temples simply don't or won't engage Srila Prabhupada's disciples anymore. This is a far cry from the days when Srila Prabhupada was on the planet and the devotees were always engaged with some service... even if they lived outside. The 70's was a different ISKCON. At least the managers tried for the most part to execute ISKCON as Srila Prabhupada had requested. It was imperfect, but way better.
I saw at that time (90's) in Seattle Temple uninitiated Indians cooking in the kitchen for he Deities, or just walking in off the street in karmi clothes and no tilak. I even saw them eating Prasadam in the Deity kitchen. After bringing this to Hari Vilas das's attention, his mood with me changed to hostility. After asking WHY, I got cursed out by him. This frankly shocked me. This is not the behavior of a GBC or advanced devotee. And this is but one of the many similar stories about devotees having bad encounters with Hari Vilasa that have been recounted right here, in the Sampradaya Sun. WHY has the GBC turned the other way and not addressed this problem? It's obvious: there is corruption in ISKCON on all levels and nothing is done about the real problem.
Frankly, Hari Vilas saved the Seattle temple financially. He got his position of power there by being the money man. But what's going to happen to Seattle ISKCON after he is gone? Will it ever be restored as a proper ISKCON Temple again -- either during his lifetime, or anytime after?
Sadly, I have watched the Seattle temple go more and more into serious mission drift. I've watched its spiritual decline as all the temple devotees blooped. The situation was bleak and desperate then, in the 90s... the temple was empty. The brahmachari and women's ashrams were almost gone.
Again in all fairness to Hari Vilas das prabhu, he saved the Seattle Temple from financial ruin... and in return, he was given a blank check to do as he pleased by the GBC body. Now we see the result: a changed, compromised-for-Hindus Seattle ISKCON. The trouble began early on. Hari Vilas was proud and did not know how to deal with devotees properly. For example, in the 90s I was quite shocked to learn that he was exploiting devotees in his Uncle Harry's business. Who can live on $3 an hour? That was one complaint, among many. The local devotees began leaving, in one's and two's. At some point, Hari Vilas das, like so many other GBC/Gurus, decided to take Srila Prabhupada's movement and change it. Pursuing the low-hanging fruit -- the Hindu money -- he changed the temple's name and mission. And this unfortunate, unchecked practice is happening all over ISKCON now... Mission Drift.
When Hari Vilas das blew up at me, I realized I had to leave Seattle. I had no real friends or well wishers there. The devotee community was a train wreck, and I was dying to be in a normal temple, or near one. Uncle Harry's unspoken motto is "Love it or leave it", and I left it. What was my crime? I simply asked him why he was making Seattle into a Hinduized and compromised temple… that's all. He could not reply. For that question he attacked me with insults. I'm sure he does the same now with other devotees, as evidenced by the many complaints about his behavior and his banning devotees from Prabhupada's temples. The cat's skin has not changed.
I saw Hari Vilas bring the Armenian and Russian devotees into Seattle, and in the 90s I saw what was to be the beginning of the "Wholesale Hinduization" of ISKCON Seattle, before its name was legally changed to the Vedic Cultural Society.
For some mysterious reason, Hari Vilas was allowed by the GBC Body to not only change the name of Seattle ISKCON, but to drastically alter its preaching to mostly the Indian congregation. He appointing an Indian temple president, and apparently put ownership of the temple into the hands of himself, his wife, and the compliant Temple President, thereby abandoning not only Srila Prabhupada's original intentions for ISKCON Seattle, but even the GBC's current protocol for temple control at the board level.
So this is the present state of the GBC body... this is their standard. There are no longer proper standards almost anywhere in ISKCON. It's hit-and-miss, and there's no regulated or proper oversight in Seattle or elsewhere.
On reading the paper, "Harmonizing Lines of Authority", some of it makes sense, in that the paper puts Srila Prabhupada at the center. But why now, after so much has been compromised? They are now saying that Srila Prabhupada is the center -- but nearly everything in the ISKCON body spreading out from that center has already been changed and Hinduized. And this can't be changed without massive reform, because the ISKCON movement is already split up and divided. The Temples have intentionally re-branded themselves, just as Seattle has. These temples are NOT following Srila Prabhupada properly on all burners, and any are not registered as ISKCON anymore. Here are some prime examples of why "harmonizing lines of authority" can't work:
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Unauthorized Hindu weddings, Hinduized programs, and the massive exit of temple devotees, replaced by a predominantly Hindu congregation. Hefty salaries are paid to the devotees left in charge. All is hidden, not transparent. There is great emphasis on Hindus and public relations there, at the great loss of most original and local British devotees. There is an Indian Temple President, who supports this compromise. Is this example clear? It's been corrupted. Money is more important to them than Srila Prabhupada's Original Standards.
Bhaktivedanta Manor went straight to the Hindu community for money, and now its compromised by the very people who saved it from being closed down. It has no real interest to getting back to its grassroots or reaching out to the disenfranchised Prabhupada disciples or outside devotees. It has simply become a Hindu/New Age business, shamelessly using the name of Srila Prabhupada's Bhaktivedanta Manor.
Utah Krishnas Temple
Caru das prabhu built this temple by his own efforts, money and fund-raising. That's amazing... yet we see that this Temple has also compromised, to a very unfortunate degree, perhaps even worse than Seattle or Bhaktivedanta Manor. It is not registered as ISKCON, there is no GBC control/oversight at the board level, and almost certainly never will be. Caru das will never give up control. He will continue with his New Aged/Hinduized programs, which seem to only get further and further away from anything resembling Vaisnavism. And although he doesn't call himself ISKCON, still the GBC still invite him to participate with the NA GBC Temple Presidents. By their facilitating, he has helped to pollute the western temples by teaching them how to make big bucks putting on so-called "Holi" festivals.
Bhaktivedanta Center and The Sanctuary, New York
Again, not registered as ISKCON, although under the control of GBC/Guru, Radhanath Swami. Their New Aged, Hinduized, watered down preaching looks more
or less like a clone of Kirtanananda Swami's New Vrindaban in the personality cult days. All this is sponsored by Radhanath Swami, who more and more follows in the footsteps of Kirtanananda Swami, far more than Srila Prabhupada. And we all saw what happened to Kirtanananda Swami, didn't we!
Krishna House (ISKCON?), Gainesville, Florida
Kalakanta das has re-tooled and re-branded what was originally ISKCON Gainesville. What happened to that? He is preaching to students but preventing open discussions, reminiscent of other guru cults. He is changing the programs, and once again, we see a pattern here... Kalakanta das rules and protects his roost (his security). He has the unbelievable nerve to ban a sannyasi godbrother from preaching at his temple, on very wishy-washy grounds. This Sannyasi is preaching Srila Prabhupada's exact words, which Kalakanta thinks are 'offending people'. What's the world come to, that Kalakanta das has wrongly banned his godbrother from preaching Krsna consciousness, and no GBC steps in to correct him. What is Kalakanta afraid of? This is Maya… his own unfortunate special Maya.
Yes, there is preaching going on, but in a cult like fashion, and when (or if) the new devotees see through it by realizing Srila Prabhupada's instructions, some will leave.
ISKCON New Vrindaban
First, New Vrindaban was almost totally devastated by Kirtanananda Swami and his men. Monk robes were worn in place of dhotis and saris, there were King's crowns for the guru and his dog. Jesus Christ was on the altar, and a huge Buddha statue of Srila Prabhupada was erected. And worse......
Then New Vrindaban came back into the ISKCON fold... or did they? Did they simply change ISKCON, rather than return to it? It is now a New aged, Hinduized ISKCON, heavily influenced by Radhanath Swami and Malati dd (GBC). Radhanath Swami is now the undisputed new King of New Vrindaban. He continues on, schmoozing with Mayavadis and keeping busy with mundane social work, and vague preaching about Love and God, attending Bhakti Fests, and hugging cows too! Watch out for the next big book tour promoting… who else... Radhanath Swami! Radhanath Swami has his Pot of Gold, but is any of this properly representing our Srila Prabhupada? What would Srila Prabhupada really say about Radhanath's version of Mission Drift?
New Vrindaban ISKCON is now trying to be reborn and politically correct. The PR message is, "Hey, we're normal now!!! Bring your tourist dollars and come have a look! We now have non-devotee weddings at Prabhupada's Palace for the karmis, Holi 'Festival of Colors' on the property with useless Kuli Rock & Roll, and fun, fun, fun. (All rejected by Srila Prabhupada.)
Then there's New Vrindaban's total sellout to the gas industry, who is on the property drilling for natural gas, despite Srila Prabhupada directly and specifically forbidding this on New Vrindaban land.
All these temples have changed. Srila Prabhupada's instructions are not being followed properly, and there is ample proof. The more honest thing would be to just leave ISKCON altogether. That would have been more respectable than simply making a pretense of "being ISKCON" just to exploit Srila Prabhupada's name and fame. It's pretty obvious, the Temple Presidents and Gurus at temples like these are here for the long haul. It's more a matter of job security than a real service to the devotees outside. It's primarily a business, and a clique.
Unless these temples intend to return to Srila Prabhupada's exact Instructions on preaching and management of ISKCON, how can supposedly following the "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" doctrine have any effect at all? So we can see that it is simply a myth, that this "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" approach will work, despite ISKCON's compromised, anointed state and its vast Mission Drift.
The list of temples no longer registered as ISKCON anymore has grown longer, as has the list of deviations that follow in the wake of these illegal name changes from the name Srila Prabhupada established for his movement. Who authorized this? One guess! And you can be sure it wasn't His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada... NOT AT ALL! What the GBC has allowed is bogus and dangerous. Where it's all headed is anybody's guess, but it doesn't look good for ISKCON.
His Divine Grace set-up the perfect system of management. Tampering with it and changing it has caused all the problems ISKCON now faces, in the West and elsewhere. No amount of GBC Strategic Planning meetings or hyped-up ISKCON News PR will fix this Mission Drift. Only Real ISKCON/BBT/Guru Reform will fix the damage that's been done to Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. But… maybe it isn't Mission Drift at all, but planned drifts. The GBC want ISKCON to be a Religion, even though it compromises Srila Prabhupada's vision and instructions completely.
So I'm not on some faultfinding trip to offend Hari Vilas das or anyone else. I just say what I see with my eyes... and devotees are supposed to be honest -- straightforward, not diplomatic. Not PR hype ISKCON Interfaith Hindu New Age Junkies. I don't have to ruin his or their reputation, he and other GBC/Gurus are doing a good job of that all by themselves, without any help from us, by allowing Mission Drift to take firm hold in ISKCON.
I'm afraid for the future of ISKCON Seattle and ISKCON in general. Rather, I'm questioning whether the GBC can realistically practice what they preach and get ISKCON back on track, as it was founded and established originally.
Hari Vilas das is a classic case of ISKCON's corruption problems. Money is more valued now then Prabhupada's disciples, or long time devotees who don't fit the new version of 'improved ISKCON' politically correct religion cultism. This is not Srila Prabhupada's directives for His Temples. So even after all these years in ISKCON, if we disagree we have to walk.
Hari Vilas is well know by now as the abrasive GBC. With his sweet and sour personality, he's known for being a nice guy -- unless you question him about anything. If you dare point out his mistakes or deviations, in Seattle and other zones, he will without hesitation kick out or demonize anyone, godbrothers/sisters included, who questions his behavior and dealings with temples and devotees in his zone. He never takes the blame for the problems, and this is a red flag that something is seriously off.
Now to the Gospel according to Hari Vilas das and the GBC Body - the May 2013 talk about "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" at Seattle ISKCON:
As noted above, although we don't see the audience, we know this is taking place in the temple room, where Hari Vilas das is addressing the congregational Indians. The presentation of the "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" paper is spot on. The trouble is the contradictions of the GBC men and their behaviors. Hypocrisy reigns here, and contradiction.
Yes, Srila Prabhupada requested we cooperate with the Temple Presidents and the GBC, as they were at one time following strictly and properly as representatives of Srila Prabhupada. And on that basis, much of the paper is legitimate. Not deviating from Srila Prabhupada's instructions -- that's the ideal situation. Then the paper makes sense. But what if the GBC's and the GBC body don't follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions? Then what? Then its chaos… every man/zone for himself. Temples don't come up to the orders and standards of Srila Prabhupada, yet the GBC and temple authorities demand total respect!
The bottom line is this: ISKCON as it is now can never make this Harmonizing Lines of Authority work... unless they kick the nonsense GBCs/leaders out of ISKCON and restore it to the ISKCON Srila Prabhupada asked them to preserve. Unless they make some effort to do this soon, its all talk, talk, talk and useless meetings to look self-important and make some Silly PR for God knows who?
These are simple truths amid lies, cover-ups and neglecting HDG Srila Prabhupada's directions on how to preach and how to manage his temples.
What's the Myth of the GBC? The myth promoted now is "All is OK in ISKCON". That ISKCON is a Hindu religion, and we want to be like other mundane religions. It's OK to be non-registered officially as just another church or Hindu society. It's OK to alter and change the mission and practices of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. But this is an outright lie.
For your review, here are the videos of the Seattle Temple meeting of May 2013. Once again, prabhus, I ask you to please look at the facts. Watch the videos and judge for yourselves.
HARE KRSNA
