The Hinduization of ISKCON -- an ISKCON Off-course
BY: JAYA MADHAVA DAS (ACBSP)
Jul 07, 2010 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — A response to B. Radha-Govinda's recent article, "Hodge Podge/Importation".
Recently at the Moscow ISKCON Temple I met a Russian bhaktin who lives in the USA. I heard a whole naive alternate reality from her and I keep silent, so as to not disturb her Krsna consciousness. She's sincere. Frankly, I can't agree with all her realizations (they're sentimental/New age). There are devotees on all levels of realizations.
As we spoke, I asked her about the Hinduized ISKCON (I was curious about it, as I haven't been back in America for 10 years), but it was like talking to the wall. After all, she wouldn't listen to me anyway (why waste my time?)
She said to me the USA is So GREAT (oh yea) and ISKCON is doing just fine...Well, it depends on your experiences and point of view. She is a relative newcomer to ISKCON, so all she has seen is what is happening now. It's New Age... love and I'm OK, You're OK... you know the type. Everything's ok.
But everything's NOT ok with America and the world, and ISKCON is not ok! The thing is, a devotee's realizations are based on many things. Senority, services, etc. It comes from our hearts and hands-on experiences in life and for me, well over 35 years in ISKCON. As compared to her not living in any temple for many, many years.
Because many devotees in the USA never lived in an ashram, they don't know ISKCON's problems. It's not healthy to be in denial -- Srila Prabhupada did not want blind followers... sentimental New Agers or Hinduism in his ISKCON.
Where do realizations come from? From Lord Sri Krsna in our hearts, from Guru, Sadhus and Sastra (Srila Prabhupada's books, tapes, lectures, letters, etc.). It's how long you've been in ISKCON and what you saw before the compromises in ISKCON in the USA/UK. It's a way different ISKCON now, and not for the better in the USA, UK and EU. It's gone downhill towards Hinduism, and that's cheating people.
I guess some people are in denial all the time. Srila Prabhupada said its the cheaters and the cheated in this material world. ISKCON is supposed to be a pure example! Maybe she never knew about the zonal guru mess, the damages from which linger on.
Regarding the USA, naybe she didn't see the news about the BP oil leak disaster, which will ruin the Gulf Coast for many years and bankrupt it? Maybe 911 was not done by Osama Bin Laden, but was an Inside Job (right!) Or she didn't realise America was founded on killing Indians (American) and slavery in the South. Maybe she just hodge podges ISKCON with all other Hindu/Yoga groups... The thing is, America is in big trouble. That's why Srila Prabhupada came to the USA to preach. He realized the whole
world copies America. Now ISKCON USA/UK goes Hindu, and the whole world copies. Is this what Srila Prabhupada wanted for ISKCON in America and England?
To the newer devotees in the USA, the present state of ISKCON is all they ever knew and it's a fact, most never saw how ISKCON was in the 60s and 70's, so they have no real idea how ISKCON has gone downhill, especially in the USA and UK. OK, it's successful… but how? I don't mean financial success. Is money and compromise the icon of success?
The Movement allowed Hindu versions of ISKCON to be incorporated into ISKCON. By researching Srila Prabhupada's book's, lectures, conversations, morning walk talks and his direct instructions in his letters to his disciples, it's clear what Srila Prabhupada wanted for ISKCON in the USA and UK. Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples and followers to preach to the American/Brits - to the locals of those countries -- in America, preach to Americans - all Americans: white, black, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, regardless of race or color.
Srila Prabhupada stated that ISKCON is Non-secretarian, so to call it Hindu is hypocritical. What's America? America is not a minority of Indians from India. To preach to mostly Indians will give non-Indians the wrong impression -- done now
on purpose by many ISKCON temples in America and England. This is OFF.
It gives the impressions that ISKCON is a sectarian religion/Hindu, and it's exactly the opposite of Prabhupada's instructions for American western preaching and Srila Prabhupada's intentions for preaching in the West. This can be verified.
Srila Prabhupada's exact warning and instruction was NOT to make ISKCON appear Hindu. ISKCON in America and the UK have openly disobeyed Srila Prabhupada's
orders and instructions on this issue -- to collect money and financial support from the local Indians, and this is a razors edge that cuts into ISKCON's integrity. It's playing with fire, and the GBC knows it.
The most serious and tragic aspect of this ISKCON scam is its wrongly preaching
Hinduism and compromising Srila Prabhupada's instructions for preaching in the West.
ISKCON can't save America if it wont save and protect itself from compromise and deviations. Someday the stocks will really crash, freedom will be eliminated in the USA and UK. The Economy in the US is in a shambles.... homelessness, police states, loss of Internet freedoms... Soon to come to the United States... greedy takeovers by demons everywhere now, and irreligion in the name of religion. Just see the mess of the Patriot Act, illegal false flag wars, deceptions, Wall Street bank corruption, etc.
Furthermore, when finally the illusions of coming to America and England are exposed by the coming Depression and financial crash, and World War III, ISKCON will have no good shelter for the very Indians they cultivated for money. That's sinful and tragic, and cheating Indians of the Real ISKCON, by giving them only the Hinduized one. This is going to be the fall of ISKCON, when these very Indians wake up and realise they have been short-changed by ISKCON temples.
This is avoidable by immediately stopping demigod worship in ISKCON temples, car/house pujas, and all the sentimental Hinduism from India in Prabhupada's ISKCON. This includes unauthorised kirtans, bhajans, lectures, Diwali festival (which never existed in Prabhupada's ISKCON of the 60s and 70's). That's a fact the Indians do not know. It's compromising ISKCON for their money and it's wrong and must stop.
Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON must be re-established to its original goals and purity. Money will come if ISKCON restores Book Distribution, Hari Namas, Bhakta Programs to the locals, and Brahmacari/Brahmacarini Ashrams. Not just a Mundane Hindu Church.
If you take Hinduism out of ISKCON, it will be hardship at the beginning, but the sincere Indians will stay in ISKCON.... that's for sure. But that's the price you will have to pay for honesty and purity, instead of compromise and changing ISKCON wrongly -- the 'Heart of Hinduism' that's cheating as the many changes to ISKCON for Indian support in America and England.
B. Radha-Govinda hit the nail on the head. Why are the GBC allowing this compromising of Srila Prabhupada's movement? Thus so much loss of faith and respect. The centralization of ISKCON temples was done covertly, behind closed doors. This was done by the GBC to protect ISKCON from any future event where the Indians in the West may try to take over ISKCON. That's right, it could happen if the current trend continues in Hinduized ISKCON. Ironically, this should and never would never have been an issue or problem if ISKCON in the West had simply not become Hindu-only oriented for financial support.
If the GBC had not allowed the Hinduization of ISKCON in the first place, they would not have had to secretly centralize it, disobeying Srila Prabhupada's orders not to centralize anything in ISKCON. The GBC do not trust its Indian congregations and have centralized ISKCON. That's a fact, and against Prabhupada instructions. Srila Prabhupada's order, the D.O.M. (Direction of Management for ISKCON) was also ignored by the GBC - twice! This DOM would have secured ISKCON's integrity. I'm sure the Indians in ISKCON ARE NOT AWARE OF ALL THIS! If they were, maybe they would stop donating. It's all about MONEY, not Purity.
We who are not happy about America's/UK's cop-out to Hinduism really care about the future of Srila Prabhupada's Real ISKCON, not the shadow one.
