May 08, 2015 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — The further drift away from HDG Srila Prabhupada's intended ISKCON - Reviewing two ISKCON programs/temples: ISKCON Moscow (Russia), and ISKCON Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
I'm not a party pooper at ISKCON's many festivals. I'm liberal, but I have my limits. This article was not at all written as an evil, envious, fault-finding, offence making expedition. Just read it and be independently thoughtful, and you be the judge as to what's gone so wrong in ISKCON. My report is as follows.
ISKCON Moscow, Russia
On Saturday, May 2, 2015, I attended here in Moscow the Russian devotees' nice Nrsimhadeva festival at a very expensive hall. OK, that's wonderful. It's called Goluka Feast. It's not cheap to rent a hall in Moscow and I looked forward to it. However to my great dismay, I once again observed important Krsna consciousness things left out of the program during the many hours of kirtan on the stage.
What was nice is that guests were greeted with flower petals, but then, as you came in the hall you were surrounded by sales, sales, sales! Prasadam sales and more sales tables… ISKCON Walmart, anyone??? All on a fast day, no less. I understand it's for supporting the expensive rental of the hall and the program and I realize this, but sadly, I saw many initiated devotees clearly not fasting at all. And this is not an isolated incident. I've seen it so many times in ISKCON Russia.
Also, on the book tables there was too much emphasis was on the current gurus and not enough preaching and promotion of Srila Prabhupada's paraphernalia, meaning posters, CDs and other items glorifying Srila Prabhupada.
Again, this is nothing new in Russia. I've been seeing this going on for years now. I just want to see putting Srila Prabhupada's books and CDs in the centre of the festivals and main programs more here. I have suggested this to the local GBC and leaders, but to no avail.
What we really have ended up with in many festivals in ISKCON is money + Srila Prabhupada just mixed in with all the current gurus. It's all one now.
Regarding non-Prabhupada books being sold in ISKCON, I have no problem if my godbrothers and other qualified devotees promote krsna conscious books that they have written for preaching. What bothers me is the unabashed proliferation of too many devotee books. It has clearly pushed Srila Prabhupada's importance away from the center of attention at many of ISKCON festivals now. The point is, Srila Prabhupada's books just get lost in the overwhelming book show.
Selling too many books and paraphernalia -- CDs, books, pictures of other gurus, etc. -- this has changed the preaching mood and mindset of the devotees, as well as taking the innocent public away from Srila Prabhupada's books and instructions. The most disturbing element is, this seems to go completely unnoticed by the devotees doing it and those seeing it. My question is, where is the proper Krsna consciousness training anymore? Is it gone? What's wrong with more intentional focus on Srila Prabhupada at programs?
In my training as a devotee from the early 1970's, I personally saw Srila Prabhupada's instructions and his vigilant disciples promoted him to other prabhus/guests at all times, under all circumstances. Now that's gone. Srila Prabhupada was foremost and front and center at all festivals in the 60's and 70's era of ISKCON. He was highlighted by His books and His instructions (for ISKCON festivals) by his disciples.
The devotees would preach to the guests and other devotees, to glorify Krsna's pure devotee, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Reading from Prabhupada's books, discussing his conversations, morning walks and lectures, and representing His strong mood of preaching at these festivals, devotees were repeating Srila Prabhupada's words proudly. But now that's GONE, gone completely!
When Srila Prabhupada was put in the centre of all ISKCON programs, there was no fear to preach boldly on his behalf at that times by his disciples. His blunt and uncompromised preaching to the demonic and innocent was always repeated by his disciples and followers, but alas, we see this no more.
Most of his disciples were very keen on following the strict rules, regulations and austerities on Appearance days and Festivals. Prabhupada's disciples preached and showed personal examples of humility, humble services (kitchen work, cooking, etc.) -- austerity. It was not just a festival made to impress the public but to please Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krsna by strong preaching on his behalf.
Devotees worked, WITHOUT PAY or expectations of any recognition on the Holy special days of the Lord. Topmost were the benefits from fasting at this time. Now, due to the concern for making money and poor training in Krsna consciousness, many new devotees fail to appreciate the benefits of austerity. It's not even encouraged anymore! It's optional! Unbelievable!
What in God's name has happened to HDG Srila Prabhupada's 'original ISKCON'? I'm more and more hearing Prayers to Srila Prabhupada omitted at Russian ISKCON programs, in the temples and at festivals… I have no reason to make this up.
As readers know, I've lived in Russia for a long time and I care about Prabhupada's ISKCON here. I care about the Russian devotees, but I can't tolerate the mistakes being made here and not being corrected by the Russian leaders.
As so often is seen here now in Russian programs, mostly the leaders do not to offer their public prayers and offerings to Srila Prabhupada enough, e.g., pranams during a kirtan. This has become typical. Moreover, at this festival they didn't chant the prayers to Pancha Tattava. These prayers we are required to chant before we chant the Maha Mantra… it's not an option! Big gaps are appearing in ISKCON's standards and practices of Krsna consciousness now. Be aware of it.
I really wanted to be inspired by this Nrsimhadeva program and see festivals as I remembered them. Honestly. I don't want attention for myself, I wanted some Vaisnava Sanga and I wanted to associate with devotees, I wanted to do service. But as usual, I was not offered any devotional service as a senior devotee here. And If this was not embarrassing and humiliating enough, I was aghast at what was missing in the program.
On the center stage, I saw no effort or awareness to put our Jagad Guru HDG Srila Prabhupada's picture on a seat or Vyasana - or any asana for him on the main stage. Zero. His picture is not there. To ISKCON leaders I ask, WHY?
Here is a perfect example where ISKCON Russia and other zones are off. I have visited the Gaudiya Maths in Moscow. As I can see with other maths, in Russia at the big Gaudiya programs they always, have a Vyasasana for Srila Sridhara Maharaja, presented respectfully and purposefully for the public to see. This is absolutely the proper procedure and proper Vaisnava etiquette for a leading acarya of the Gaudiya Math, what to speak of the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. At all times, Srila Prabhupada must be put front and centre, as he is our link to Lord Krsna. Without Srila Prabhupada we can't even approach/serve Krsna.
It goes without saying, HDG Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON followers should be taught to put Srila Prabhupada at the centre of all of ISKCON's programs, That's not the case now in ISKCON. Putting Srila Prabhupada in the center also means following his instructions on all aspects of Krsna consciousness. That's the truth, and ignoring this is offensive to Srila Prabhupada. Whether its preaching, Deity worship, temple management or the BBT, all must be in line with Prabhupada's instructions, which are not to be ignored or changed by devotees' whims. (Can you imagine the hell that would break loose if some devotee dared to change HH Sridhara Maharaja's books or instructions in the Gaudia Math? There would be a scandal!)
Again, how in hell can the gurus/leaders be leaders if they give poor Krsna conscious examples to their disciples and to the new guests, and don't honor Srila Prabhupada in front of the innocent and untrained new devotees? Giving poor training, or no proper training in the etiquette of Krsna conscious, the result is change and compromise. And that's what's happening.
How can respect for HDG Srila Prabhupada's preeminence be promoted by the devotees if gurus don't train the devotees properly on Vaisnava etiquette? If the leaders and gurus allow programs to omit Srila Prabhupada's pictures, and allow more emphasis on themselves and a clearly more sentimental Krsna consciousness approach to preaching -- in other words, unintentionally minimizing Prabhupada -- how can ISKCON get blessed by Krsna?
The leaders are letting the standards be lowered more and more in ISKCON to attract and please the crowds, both public and devotees. This is not Srila Prabhupada's program. Then where is ISKCON headed, except down the road of mundane religiosity!
Now call me old fashioned, call me an envious fault-finder, but it remains a fact that Srila Prabhupada's preeminence is now being overshadowed and pushed away by so-called leaders, gurus and sannyasis in ISKCON. I say this with regret, but this is what I've seen going on for decades in ISKCON. And yes, I'm upset about it. Those who now present themselves as the leaders in ISKCON have let this situation drift in.
How can devotees in Russian have a major program or any programs and blatantly neglect to chant Srila Prabhupada's pranam mantras? A minor oversight? Or leave out Prabhupada's picture on the stage and mostly forget Vaisnava etiquette?
How can the leaders forget to chant Prabhupada's name? (Or chant it very few times only.) It looks like Maya at work here. Of course, we don't mention her name much anymore in preaching to devotees or to the public these days. It's now become old fashioned and fanatical preaching to mention Maya's influence. It's Politically Incorrect in ISKCON to talk about Maya now, isn't it? Women Gurus are the new vogue, and just shut up. Get out of ISKCON if you don't agree with ISKCON.
In the 1960s /70s at ISKCON festivals these sorts of things nearly never happened. Now it's all too common. Something is wrong and very off here in ISKCON, as Mission Drift is widening and spreading. Like I said, the scary part is the leaders and devotees don't seem to see it at all. Forgive my political incorrectness, forgetting is called Maya.
ISKCON Atlanta, Georgia
Reported by senior devotees.
ISKCON Atlanta was previously manned by Americans, westerners and book distributors, and mostly Srila Prabhupada's disciples. That's why Srila Prabhupada came to Atlanta ISKCON.
He was attracted by the Deities of Gaura-Nitai and the huge book distribution being done forcefully, day and night, by his disciples. As the books were going out, new devotees were joining.
Fast forward to ISKCON Atlanta, 2015, now managed by Indian devotees.
How did the Atlanta ISKCON temple go from being a fired-up preaching centre, being the world's top book distribution temple, very full of American Westerners who preached day
and night all over Atlanta and the South, to just years later morphing into a Hindu temple?
Question: Why do ISKCON Indians come to ISKCON Atlanta for green cards, while some go work at 7-11s or karmi jobs selling sinful stuff, e.g., meat, beer and smokes? Sadly, one Mayapur gurukuli Indian from ISKCON was even killed (shot) while he was working illegally
in a 7-11 (on a green card). Ask yourself this: why does ISKCON allow this?
ISKCON Atlanta is also a hotel for singles, renting rooms instead of establishing the original programs (ashrams) for preaching to local people to join and move in. Apparently this is the new trend in ISKCON. ISKCON Motel 6, anyone? Plus for years, they've been doing car pujas and all this other Hinduized nonsense too! (Will we see this in the new proposed Baltimore Temple to be built by ISKCON?)
This recent report was sent to me by some senior devotees in Atlanta, because I was a former brahmachari at the Atlanta Temple/B.I. in the 1980s. I was so sad to hear this news about Atlanta ISKCON:
ISKCON Atlanta's Nrsimhadeva Festival was reported to be most disappointing, as 99 per cent of the attendees were local Indians. This is a big cultural shock for most American guests, for sure. Definitely not attracting people to move into the Temple. At the fire sacrifice, Indians were asked to write on paper what they wanted, then ask in front of the installed Deities, no less, for these things . The fire sacrifice was merely a money-making activity with the local Indians, who where asked to write their blessings, wishes and desires ($$$, etc.) -- whatever they wanted from Lord Nrsimhadeva. Is God now Santa Claus in ISKCON?
So in a nutshell, at the fire sacrifice puja for Lord Nrsimhadeva, instead of serving Krsna, the Indians were asked for donation money to ask Krsna for their material things. Karma-kanda… not Bhakti Yoga. In effect, Lord Nrsimhadeva was used to collect money for the temple!
Next, at the abhisheka for Lord Nrsimhadeva, no Indians could do it unless they pledged a certain amount of money! Like a bribe to God! This went on and on… as a result, Prasadam was served well past 9:30 p.m., and there was not enough. I was told that many people left upset before taking any prasadam! Apparently in our new Hinduized ISKCON, money collecting was more important.
So we are seeing the mass extinction of Srila Prabhupada's strict instructions and standards all over ISKCON now. It begs the question: in ISKCON now, is Krsna for Sale?
