The Hare Krishna Movement without Krishna/Prabhupada, Part 2
BY: JAYA MADHAVA DAS (ACBSP)
May 19, 2013 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — The Enemy within ISKCON: has the door of Kali Yuga been opened into ISKCON, all over the world?
Introduction
Originally, I had planned an entirely different Intro to my Part Two article, The Hare Krishna Movement without Krishna/Prabhupada. Then I was contacted by a European godbrother who witnessed the following event. I will not reveal his name or the place, as I want to see ISKCON leaders make an effort to purge this unauthorized preaching seen all over ISKCON now. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
My godbrother walked into the rented hall, it's very beautiful and used for events, no doubt. Probably very expensive to rent. Here's the scene he described: As you entered the building, nice smiling dhoti/sari clad people greet you with food (prasadam)... All around are tables selling food and books, clothing, devotional items (looks nice, fair enough). Then you enter the dark lit auditorium... You see what appear to be ISKCON devotees and regular clad guests sitting in chairs with their eyes closed, listening to the speaker on the stage discoursing about chakras. In the background... what is this, he thinks? Not expecting this at all! On the stage the speaker is in karmi clothes, speaking hypnotically... It's right off the page of some New Age production, presented worldwide by various impersonal yoga groups.
On the stage is an altar… no, look again, on the stage is unmistakably rock drums, electric guitars (in the shadows and left of the speaker). Playing semi loudly is New Age music, and the speaker asks the congregation to chant OM for about twenty minutes... You know this is odd. To the left of the stage is an altar with deities of Gaura-Nitai… but where is the picture of ISKCON 's Founder-Acarya? There are other gurus' photos there. You are amazed and disturbed at this point. Being an ISKCON senior devotee, you are NOT impressed by this group's preaching. This is NOT Prabhupada's standard for preaching. Who IS this group preaching? Gaudiya Matha? Sai Baba, Ramakrishnas…? No! Amazingly... it's ISKCON devotees!!! He thinks, do they realize this is NOT what Srila Prabhupada would approve of at all? It would anger him!
The observer of all this thinks, "This is NOT the ISKCON I joined 40 plus years ago. This is NOT the preaching Srila Prabhupada trained us to do. (See quotes from Srila Prabhupada below.)
By the way, I was told by the observer that NO ONE had apparently even noticed that the photo of Srila Prabhupada was missing on the main altar!
In my last article, I pointed out the dubious and offensive attitude (whether intentional or not) of many North American leaders with regards to not prominently displaying Srila Prabhupada's and Krishna's names on promotional flyers for various festivals, events, etc. Srila Prabhupada was adamant about this point and often became very upset when leading disciples would neglect to follow this established standard, even by mistake, and often indicated in no uncertain terms this was symptomatic of a deeper spiritual disease -- impersonalism, and the tendency to jump over the guru. We saw that some flyers even made no mention whatsoever of ISKCON, the Hare Krishna Movement or the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Who we are trying to glorify at these programs. Well, as one would expect, after further research I found that this phenomenon goes well beyond the written word.
Take for instance the recent Ram Fest at Govinda's of Tuscon, which featured a Tai Chi demonstration, the holy "Fire Dance" (marshmallows anyone? they're vegan!), and children's devotional activities that were replaced by a "Kiddie Bounce House" and Bozo the Clown (maybe he's a devotee now). These are not exaggerations.
Then there's the temple receiving rave reviews from the local media for their "Yoga Rave"… voted "Best Yoga Rave" in the city (at least their best!). And their inspiring and uplifting "Yoga Bass Mantra Dance - Yoga and Techno Trance Music" (at least it's promoted as alcohol and drug free) starring none other than M.C. Yogi, Krishna das and Jai Uttal, and hosted and promoted by the expert P.R. man, DJ (as in music DJ), and disciple of HDG Srila Prabhupada, Charu das.
Oh, and don't forget the Bhakti Academy that offers these courses to improve your life:
The Bhakti Course: Change Your Consciousness, Change Your Life
Please join us next weekend, September 17-19th, for a 3-day introductory workshop called The Bhakti Course. In the comfort of a relaxed group setting, The Bhakti Course reveals a unique way of thinking and acting that will help you achieve greater self-awareness and deeper levels of happiness and satisfaction. Wherever you are on your path, the information, experiential processes, and tools and techniques offered in this course will help you discover and connect with your inner sacred treasures. We invite you to the world of higher consciousness and profound spiritual connection through the path of enlightened living – the path of Bhakti.
By attending this workshop, you will learn:
*Effective meditation practices you can do at home
*How to access your inner source of happiness
*About your past and future lives
*What is karma and what it is teaching you
*To connect with yourself and your higher purpose
*Lifestyle choices that will change your life
You start to wonder where in the h___ this is all morphing towards and when it's all going to stop? (Probably never). And why doesn't someone in charge do something about it? It seems it's all about the money and the numbers (of people), not Krishna and making real devotees. "Keep it low key, don't preach (bridge preaching instead), don't talk philosophy, just make it fun". This appears to be the general trend with the basic philosophy behind it something like, 'Just make friends and get people to be favorable, then Krishna consciousness will spread'.
BHAKTI FEST
But this isn't how Srila Prabhupada taught his followers to spread Krishna consciousness. There were many yoga centers and teachers in those days, Bozo the Clown and Daffy Duck (the original black swan) were also around. Why didn't he tell us to follow the path of the bridge preaching acharyas? Is this how he said the spiritual movement that was predicted to go on for the next 10,000 years was going to save the world?
Let's see what he had to say about these sorts of "preaching" activities:
"Our presentation of Krishna Consciousness must be always very bold-if we are king, we must act like king. The idea is if we speak the truth, those will hear who are intended to hear by being qualified or prepared. It is not that we should compromise to attract the mass -- we are after the class."
(Letter to Lalita Kumar -- Delhi, November 15, 1971)
"My Guru Maharaja never compromised in His preaching, nor will I nor should any of my students. We are firmly convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other are His part and parcel servants. This we must declare boldly to the whole world, that they should not foolishly dream of world peace unless they are prepared to surrender fully to Krishna as Supreme Lord."
(Letter to Giriraja -- Bombay, January 3, 1972)
"No compromise -- Ramakrishna, avataras, yogis, everyone was enemy to Guru Maharaja -- he never compromised. Some God-brothers complained that this preaching was chopping technique and it would not be successful. But we have seen that those who criticized, they fell down. For my part I have taken up the policy of my Guru Maharaja -- no compromise. All these so called scholars, scientists, philosophers who do not accept Krsna are nothing more than rascals, fools, lowest of mankind etc."
(Letter to Karandhara -- Bhaktivedanta Manor, July 27, 1973)
"If one desires to make a compromise with the Mayavadis, he is also engaged in material activity. A devotee should never make compromises with nondevotees."
(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 12.135)
"I must be hard. The whole world is falling for this mayavada philosophy. Therefore I am very much hard. I don't make any compromise with these mayavadi rascals. No. I'll never do that. Even if I don't make any disciples, I'll be satisfied, but I cannot make any compromise with these rascals. I cannot. If I make one moon, that is sufficient; I don't want many stars. That was my guru maharaja's principle, and that is my principle. What is the use of any number of fools and rascals? If one man understands rightly, he can deliver the whole world."
(Conversation between Srila Prabhupada and Dr. Patel, March 1974)
"So we are preaching the highest principles of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, there is no scope for compromising with any of the kinds of philosophies of the impersonalist school."
(Letter to Hayagriva -- Montreal 10 July, 1968)
"Better to develop the small number of devotees we have, make them truly Krishna conscious boys and girls than to go on getting many followers who do not understand and practice the real principles. Better one moon that many stars."
(Letter to Damodara -- Honolulu , May 9, 1972)
"I am not much fond of the idea of changing things to accommodate the public -- better to change the public to accommodate us."
(Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay, December 28, 1971)
"The standards I have already given you, now try to maintain them at all times under standard procedure. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything, that will ruin everything. Simply do as I am doing and be always serious and sincere to serve Krsna, and He will give you intelligence how to do everything."
(Letter to Bali-mardana, Pusta Krsna -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972)
"So we don't want cheap popularity; I was very glad to learn from Gargamuni that Brahmananda refused to place my identification with so many cheater Swamis. We shall always remain distinct from all these cheaters. If we can convert one person in Krishna consciousness, that is our success of life. We don't want too many rascal followers. Let us perform this movement sincerely with faith in Krishna and people will gradually appreciate our service."
(Letter to Satsvarupa – December 23, 1967)
"Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way that we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk."
(Letter to Hansadutta – June 22, 1972)
"So far the Road Show and this Yoga Village are concerned, these things should be stopped. Simply perform our kirtana. If we divert our attention in this way, the whole thing will gradually deteriorate. He is going far away. All these things are nonsense inventions. Such inventing spirit will ruin our this movement. People may come to see, some will become devotees, but such devotees will not stay because they are attracted by some show and not by the real thing or spiritual life according to the standard of Lord Caitanya. Our standard is to have kirtana, start temples. What is this "Road Show" and "Yoga Village?" It will be another hippie edition. Gradually the Krishna Consciousness idea will evaporate: another change, another change, every day another change. Stop all this. Simply have kirtana, nothing else. Don't manufacture ideas."
(Letter to Sudama – November 2, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada: "We haven't got to manufacture. To manufacture ideas is troublesome. Why should we take the trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my…., that is DANGEROUS. …That you are singing every day, "what our guru has said, that is our life and soul." …As soon as this POISON will come -suppress guru and I become Brahman- everything FINISHED. Spiritual life is finished. Gaudiya Matha finished, …VIOLATED the orders of Guru Maharaja…..And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. …Our mission is to serve bhakta visesa and live with devotees. NOT THAT YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF GURU. THAT IS NONSENSE, VERY DANGEROUS. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become AMBITIOUS to TAKE THE PLACE of GURU-gurusuh nara matih. That is MATERIAL DISEASE."
(April 1977, Bombay)
Prabhupada: "Yes. Well, preaching, you cannot manufacture preaching. You must do preaching according to the principles ordered by your spiritual master. You cannot manufacture your own way of preaching. That is required. There must be some leader. Under the leadership. Yasya prasadad bhagavat... Why it is said? Everywhere, in the office, there is some immediate boss. So you have to please him. That is service. Suppose in office, in a department there is office superintendent. And if you do in your own way, "Yes, I'm doing my business," and the office superintendent is not pleased, do you think that kind of service is nice? No. Similarly, we have got, everywhere we have got immediate boss. So we must work. That is systematic. If everyone manufactures, invents his own way of life, then there must be chaos."
(Morning Walk – December 5, 1973, Los Angeles)
Morning Walk – Paris, June 11, 1974:
Satsvarupa: Some people say they don't like to talk to Hare Krsna people because we're like that. We always say we know everything about everything.
Prabhupada: Yes, we know everything. That's a fact.
Satsvarupa: They resent it, and they say, "Oh, you people, we can't talk with you."
Prabhupada: You may resent, but we know everything. That is a fact.
Satsvarupa: So how do we deal with that attitude if they're turned away by our...?
Prabhupada: No, no. He's a rascal. How we can...? We know everything, and he denies. Then what is the use of talking with him? And waste your time. Let him know everything. We have nothing, no business.
Satsvarupa: We can't compromise and just say that we don't know.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Satsvarupa: What does he...
Prabhupada: No, no. How you can...? You know everything. How you can say, "I don't know."
Satsvarupa: Yes.
Prabhupada: You do not know practically that. You must be also a man of knowledge. Otherwise, you cannot say. You cannot be falsely say that "Yes, I know." You must know. Then you say. But if you think that you do not know, don't say foolishly like that. Then you'll be slapped. You must know also. So how do you know? The next question will be: "How do you know everything?"
Satsvarupa: It's not that I am great, but it's the authority of my spiritual master and the sastras.
Prabhupada: Yes. Or Krsna. Krsna is great. So I am talking of what Krsna has said. Therefore I am great, I am knowing everything. It is not that I know everything. I do not know anything, but I, I am surrendered to a person who knows everything. Therefore I know everything. I take my knowledge from Him. So you should think how much knowledge you have assimilated. The knowledge is there, guru-krsna. Guru is there. Krsna is there. So we have to take advantage of guru and Krsna, sad-dharma-prccha, ask him, and become man of knowledge. Then you can say. If you simply think that "I have my guru, and there is Krsna. Now I am perfect," no. You should ask and know. You must be man of knowledge. Then you can say, "Yes, I know everything." Diksa. Diksa, initiation, diksa, this Sanskrit word, diksa, means divya-jnanam ksipayati. To ask from spiritual master with service and surrender the transcendental knowledge. The more you ask, you become a man of knowledge. Then you can challenge, "Yes, I know everything." Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare... Actually, we know everything. Just like when I speak, I immediately ask reference from Bhagavad-gita, and we stop the man's argument. So if you become well-conversed with the whole Bhagavad-gita, then you have full knowledge. There is no need of saying that "I do not know." You'll become full knowledge, man of knowledge. But you must study......
Paramahamsa: Our position in preaching should be to encourage people in all respects to associate with us.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Paramahamsa: That means sometimes we might have to compromise in certain ways.
Prabhupada: Why compromise? You don't compromise. Then you associate with him. If you make compromise, then you associate with him. Then gradually you'll also go down. When we, when we see some person, we do not associate with him, but we give him chance to associate with me. Why you should make compromise? What is the reason? If you know something positively, why should you make compromise? When people come to talk with me, see me, I don't make any compromise. Do I make any compromise?
Devotees: No.
Prabhupada: Then why shall we make compromise? That gentleman, Mr. Herbert, Gene Herbert, he said that "It has taken eighteen years to write these books." I said, "Still, there are so many mistakes." Immediately I said. And he could not say anything. Do you remember that?
Devotees: Yes.
Prabhupada: Immediately I said, "Yes, you have labored eighteen years. Still, there are so many mistakes."
Nitai: Anyone else would have said, "Oh! Very nice."
Prabhupada: (laughs) Eh? I did not say.
Pusta-krsna: He said that morning "What can we do, Prabhupada?" He said, "What can we do? If we do not compromise, we will make enemies."
Prabhupada: No, you'll not compromise; at the same time, you'll not make enemies. That is tactics. If you make enemies, then what is your tactics? You must speak the truth; at the same time he'll not be displeased. That is tactics. If you can defeat him by your argument, then he'll not be displeased. After all, everyone is human being. If you can find out his defect, why he shall be enemy? Therefore, it is said, "You better make a reasonable man an enemy, but don't make a friend fool." You don't make friendship with a fool, but if a man is intelligent, better make him an enemy. Because, because he's intelligent, although he's an enemy, he'll not do any harm. Because intelligent. But a fool, he may pose himself as friend, and he can do anything which is very harmful.
Paramahamsa: So we should be able to see the quality of man we are preaching to.
Prabhupada: Yes, you have to make him intelligent. Everyone is fool, mudha. Everyone within this material world is supposed to be a fool. Because everyone is thinking, "I am this body." So he's fool. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am German," "I am Frenchman," "I am this," "I am that." What is the difference? A cat is thinking, "I'm cat." A dog is thinking, "I am dog." So if somebody thinks that, in relationship with the body, "I am Frenchman," "I am Englishman," "I am...", then where is the difference between the cat and the dog? He's thinking himself as this body. Therefore everyone is thinking, at least in this modern world, the so-called nationalism, everyone is thinking, "I am Englishman," "I am Frenchman," "I am Indian," "I am this," "black," "white." So everyone is fool. Is it not? Yes. He's thinking in a way what he is not. Therefore he's a fool. All these big, big political leaders, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, and in Europe , they fought with this consciousness, "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am Frenchman." That's all. Even the big, big leaders, they are fools. And what to speak of common men?
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Alarmingly, all across the world in ISKCON centers, Srila Prabhupada's original strict STANDARDS for Practice/Preaching are disappearing and being replaced by New Age, Hinduized programs. And as in the case of ISKCON Tuscon, by Happy Clowns and entertainment and NO Lecture about Lord Rama on HIS Appearance day! It just doesn't get more strange and deviant than that!
Then there's the video, The Women of Bhakti:
WOMEN OF BHAKTI OFFICIAL TRAILERS
And there's my senior godsister's sentimental, borderline Buddhist/New Age preaching in her clip entitled, 'Understanding GOD through the Faith of Another' (below), credited to "Your Friends at ISKCON":
UNDERSTANDING GOD THROUGH THE FAITH OF ANOTHER
As a before and after comparison I am including the original film, 'The HARE Krishna People' (also below) to illustrate how off the mark the preaching has become in ISKCON:
THE HARE KRISHNA PEOPLE
I'm speechless that senior Prabhupada disciples preach such New Age style, sentimental nonsense. I'm dead sure Srila Prabhupada would not at all be happy with what some of his disciples are doing in ISKCON by misrepresenting him and his mood of preaching. This wishy washy preaching is USELESS and as the DEMONS fight for control of the world only by STRONG preaching on behalf of Prabhupada and REPEATING his own words do we have any hope of averting WWIII. Maybe these devotees who preach this nonsense don't read the news… the USA and the world is in deep trouble, and it will get much worse very soon.
And although we know that most of today's religions are the religious systems of meat-eaters and low-class people, we can see from the quotes above that Srila Prabhupada NEVER compromised his preaching to satisfy the general public. And the duty of any Prabhupada disciple and follower is to SIMPLY preach on behalf of HDG Srila Prabhupada and NOT change or compromise Prabhupada's ISKCON for mass popularity.
We respect all religions, but ISKCON should never stoop to their level of mundane-ness and pretend we (ISKCON) and Krishna Consciousness are the same as karmi religions. That's a direct disservice and insult to Srila Prabhupada.
As mentioned in my last article, we see all too often in ISKCON today an effort to GLOSS OVER/EDIT Srila Prabhupada's preaching mood with a more stylish, hip one, promoting 'cool' advertising and promotion of Krsna consciousness and ISKCON. An example of this is the totally frivolous promo webpage/email of the Mayapuris. GONE is Prabhupada's mood along with any serious preaching… Srila Prabhupada is NOT EVEN MENTIONED.
[Photo: The Mayapuris
These are ISKCON devotees doing this! Even Narayana Maharaja's followers respect HIM more than some 2nd generation ISKCON devotees respect Srila Prabhupada these days. Krishna consciousness is promoted by the Mayapuris just like the Kuli Mela groups, Gauravani and the Bhakti Fest 'kirtaniyas' promote 'spiritual' as something cool… Hip and New age, LOVE ALL... PEACE… OM, demigod chanting… God/religion is all one, etc. This is a throwback to the Hippie movement, and the very thing Srila Prabhupada pulled his disciples out of to PREACH MORE SERIOUSLY -- on his behalf. Not to become Hippies again.
Lastly, my godsister Govinda dasi's recent article, "To Edit or Not to Edit, That is the Question", hits the nail squarely on the head as to what has gone wrong in ISKCON. It's all come from the singlemost dangerous mistake of my godbrother leaders, the BBT and the GBC body: to allow UNNECESSARY MASSIVE CHANGES to Srila Prabhupada's original books. I personally see this as the ROOT CAUSE of all ISKCON's ongoing compromises and changes, and the cause of the majority of problems all over our great movement that Srila Prabhupada worked so hard to establish and protect.
Prabhupada's movement is in clear and present danger of being compromised beyond repair from its original intended uncompromised pure form, pre-1978. The BBT/GBC are responsible to PROTECT Srila Prabhupada's LEGACY-- his BOOKS... his exact WORDS (from KRISHNA). This is so important! Think of the implications of disobeying Srila Prabhupada's Exact Instructions. Just as my godsister Govinda dasi said in her recent article, Srila Prabhupada said "KRSNA has written these books" Is the GBC Body protecting Prabhupada's Original Books, Original Instructions and Legacy? In many cases, having not done that they have opened the door to Kali and Chaos, to ever-expanding problems in ISKCON, now and in the future.
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
