Is ISKCON Shrinking or Growing?
BY: JAYA MADHAVA DASA (ACBSP)
Apr 03, 2011 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — A reply to the April 2011 ISKCON News article by Kripamoya das (ACBSP).
The American history of ISKCON's deviation and change of ISKCON's direction and practices for Indian financial support to an unauthorized Hinduized American/UK ISKCON
Recently I came back from the 2011 Mayapur Festival and as usual, it was packed with devotees. As a matter of fact, it was overcrowded, with mostly Russians and Indians (from India). I almost didn't get a room for me and my family. But as with my previous visit to ISKCON in Mayapur, in 2008, I was hard pressed to see any real showing of American, EU, UK and non-Indian devotees there. So that's the situation -- a lop-sided membership in ISKCON in the US.A and UK and elsewhere. No one seems alarmed!
Even Kavichandra Maharaj openly remarked at the English parikrama (the parikrams were divided into 3 groups): ''All I see is Indians." In other words, 'Where are the Western devotees?' Almost nowhere, that's where!
If that's not a clear indication that something is wrong, then your denial of the problem, Kripamoya das prabhu, is dysfunctional and dishonest.
Now I will address Kripamoya das's article for ISKCON News, entitled: "Is ISKCON Shrinking or Growing?"
As I have said, ISKCON is growing, but in the wrong direction. A Society in denial of this grave problem is sleeping, or cannot or will not fix it due to monetary reasons (Hindu $$$). This is clearly dysfunctional, and devotees are suffering!
Indian donations have spoiled ISKCON in the West, so much so that even a senior devotee like Kripamoya das can't have the backbone to admit something is seriously wrong in ISKCON in the UK and USA, where there is almost no preaching to the locals anymore. Lip service only, and temple devotees are on salaries. Unheard of in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Movement.
Kripamoya das does not talk about this in his article because he is making a living off the Indians, and that's a fact. How honest and biased is that?
In the United States of America, where we once made bhaktas, we can see vanishing Hari nam programs and diminished book distribution, a dying brahmacari ashram and no meaningful Bhakta Program to encourage people to surrender and move into the Temple anymore. In his article, Kripamoya das would have us believe that no one would move into an ashram anymore. But the fact is, no temple has the conviction to have the revival of a real Bhakta Program, which would in affect take the center of attention off the Indian's version of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON in the West. They could even then point out the mistakes and, God forbid, return ISKCON to its proper position as a NON-sectarian movement.
Kripamoya has the nerve to call 'all of us' who complain about the sad state of ISKCON in the West simply embittered former members of ISKCON. Kripamoya das, what universe are you in, anyway? Do you have a heart and compassion for devotees who see what's gone off in ISKCON? I'm no former member of ISKCON, and neither are all the devotees who write for the Sampradaya Sun. We're not the crackpots you make us out to be in your article, prabhu. Sorry, you sure got that wrong.
The Sampradaya Sun and other websites show the unhappiness of so many devotees. Are you made of stone? Unwilling to concede your miscalculations about not a crazy few, but many thousands of prabhus who are simply burnt out with ISKCON leaders' compromises to Prabhupada's ISKCON? Many have already left for other pastures and some left Krsna Consciousness altogether, and no one seems to care! But thousands have never left the true ISKCON – only the current contaminated institutional ISKCON. These are our Godbrothers and Godsisters, prabhus who are upset at the institution of ISKCON for copping out and compromising it.
This attitude of yours is off the wall and delusional. What right have you to just brush us off like that? Then you say in your article, 'You can't prove it'. Then why do you pose as some authority and insult all of us, who can prove it?
Kripamoya das, you should visit all the American temples and see for yourself that the real state of ISKCON is not what Srila Prabhupada intended. There are many empty ashrams. The Dallas Texas ISKCON didn't even bother to have an ashram when it re-built itself for the Indian Community $$$$.
Why don't you speak honestly with those of us who are alarmed at the deviations of ISKCON, from Srila Prabhupada's society to an ISKCON Hinduized for money? Is it endangering your financial situation as a 'brahmin Hindu priest' who gets his support from the Indians in the UK?
You say in your article that OUR temples are bustling with Indian families, but again, how is this a measure of success ? It's twisted logic. To say that devotees not joining the ashram is a trend in the future is correct, but you forgot to mention that this trend is by design... No attention is given to the Bhakta Program by Indians to locals. Locals don't fit in their version of ISKCON, so ISKCON West has killed the brahmacari/brahmacarini ashrams in the UK and USA, and that's a crime! It's Sinful. ISKCON, although non-sectarian by Srila Prabhupada's design, has purposely gone down this dangerous path, disobeying the instructions of the Spiritual Master and going 'Hinduized'.
In this month's ISKCON news, we see that the Utah temple celebrates Holi in a big way and proclaims this is a grand success. Then why didn't Srila Prabhupada celebrate Holi or have it in His temples? Even this year in ISKCON Mayapur, guards strictly did not allow this on ISKCON property, and won't allow it. How ironic that ISKCON India will not go Holi Hindu, but America's so-called ISKCON temple in Utah flaunts it. WHY? It's all about the MONEY -- not about following Srila Prabhupada's exact instructions on how to manage and preach in ISKCON temples in the West!
Sadly, the public remains ignorant of what is Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON, and the GBC who are supposed to protect ISKCON let this go on and on for money, money, money. But the end is in sight. It's called Economic Depression.
However you cut it, changing, compromising and deviations to Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON is wrong and offensive to Srila Prabhupada. There will be reactions from Lord Sri Krsna for this aparadha. America is already on the way downhill, with more economic woes and illegal wars and disasters, as the demons want all control over the sheeple people. How can ISKCON save the day when it refuses to address its own compromises and deviations from Prabhupada's instructions?
Reactions are coming fast now. Kripamoya das should wake up and realize this. When the US dollar crashes along with Wall Street, the truth will be known. The Indians will lose their homes and jobs, and the money flow -- not based on Srila Prabhupada's instructions -- will DRY UP!
The solution for ISKCON -- follow Srila Prabhupada and stop changing things.
Real pre-requisites for ISKCON's growth:
1. Stop the Hinduization of Prabhupada's temples
2. Renew book distribution on a massive scale (to do this we must see the error of neglecting locals in the USA and UK, etc…. it's a worldwide problem)
3. Revive the Bhakta Program for all, including non-Hindu locals
4. Stop paid salaries and revive devotional service
5. Renew daily Hari Nams (everyone must go)
6. Renew Radha Damodar traveling bus programs to Every Town and Village.
7. Renew massive Prasadam distribution to universities
Now to address another related topic… how ISKCON USA deviated to go for money and got Hinduized.
This month was an eye opener for me. By Lord Krsna's mercy and arrangement I met with and spoke to many wonderful godbrothers and sisters. All were upset at the direction ISKCON has gone, to a Hindu ISKCON. What's new to me is the explanation of how ISKCON went way off in America, and who is to blame. One sincere godbrother
who was in Dallas, Texas during the 1980s dropped the inside story to me, as he was there. If we don't know the truth, we will not ever come to gripes with the problems in ISKCON and fix them, once and for all. The world is suffering now greatly.
It seems Tamal Krishna Goswami thought he knew better how to run ISKCON in the 80s and 90s, and that he had the right to make changes and compromises, deviating from Srila Prabhupada's instructions because he was a senior devotee and a GBC and guru. So this is what he did in Dallas and his zone, and it spread like wildfire across America:
After Srila Prabhupada left the planet, Tamal Krishna disbanded the famous and widely approved by Srila Prabhupada Radha Damodar bus programs. Soon after, he decided that all the devotees (including brahmacaris) must work, get jobs and make money. This was a higher service. This was dovetailed to look acceptable to the non-devotees… we were to blend in with them!
What came next almost destroyed ISKCON and alienated devotees was that preachers were forced to become candle salesmen, oil painting salesmen, karmi record salesmen, salesmen of stickers and stupid buttons, and MONEY became more important than book distribution.
Then Tamal Krishna decided to go back to school and get his Ph.D, so he could look respectable. Even though Srila Prabhupada's books are all we ever need in life, this was not good enough for him.
Then ISKCON temples all across America followed suit, until the Zonal gurus fell, and the whole thing went down the tubes! Devotees got hurt and blooped, love and trust was damaged in ISKCON. The ashrams were empty or going began to empty out. There was no more money.
What came to the rescue was a program of preaching to local Indians -- even though it was well documented that Srila Prabhupada specifically warned us NOT to only preach to Indians for donations, but rather to focus on the local population and support the temples by book distribution.
Srila Prabhupada's preaching program worked. However, the new gurus and the GBC knew better... hence we have today the results: a Hinduized ISKCON. But this is just another quick fix, before it falls through, like the oils paintings and sale scams all did.
Not Following Srila Prabhupada's exact instructions will bring a curse to America, England and elsewhere if not checked and corrected ASAP. Of course, unless you want to believe Kripamoya das's fantasy.
