The Radhanathazation of ISKCON
BY: VASTAVIKA DAS
Sep 16, 2012 — USA (SUN) — Hospitals, free school lunch programs, counseling systems, retreat centers, autobiographies, preaching with an emphasis on human (and humane) compassion and love – the Ramakrishna mission should be looking over their shoulder, because ISKCON is competing in their backyard.
I wonder if it ever occurred to His Holiness about why Srila Prabhupada condemned philanthropic activities, appeared emotionally detached in the face of the news that Jayananda, Vishnujana and others passed away, and emphasized the importance of telling everyone we meet to talk about Krishna, not peace, love, compassion, etc.?
In the early days, while Radhanath was under the tutelage of Kirtanananda, tucked away in New Vrindaban, we were in the streets chanting 8-10 hours a day, distributing BTG's and "big books" in the face of a lot of hostility. We were preaching in an uncompromising verbiage that often was a carbon copy of Srila Prabhupada's own words. We all knew that philanthropy was a trick of maya. Compassion, as we understood it from Srila Prabhupada, was our practically forcing the Holy Names on the "innocent," and mercy was "prasadam distribution" from the temple kitchen – certainly not from hired cooks. We were trained in this un-sentimentality. We were soldiers on a mission at the bequest of our superior officer. Ours was not to question why, ours was to do or die. With that mood, ISKCON expanded in the West rapidly.
Kirtanananda was the first leader in ISKCON to steer away from Srila Prabhupada's presentation. He introduced a decidedly Christian veneer to the Movement. The robes, the English hymns of Sanskrit prayers, etc. were instituted in the cloak of outreach, but the style was decidedly Abrahamic. Kirtanananda associates such as Radhanath Swami, Devamrita Swami, et al, embraced these changes to such an extent that they remained with their "inspired" leader even after he had been excommunicated from ISKCON. They chose to follow a different (mridunga) drummer. That means that they were inspired by his vision, not by any loyalty to Prabhupada's ISKCON. That "real" ISKCON was ultimately found guilty in court of unspeakable abuses, so, eventually, these same adherents jumped shipped to the other ISKCON that they had abandoned.
However, that other ISKCON, from Radhanath's perspective, needed some changes. He had been mentored by Kirtanananda, and he was still an intimate friend. (A picture of Radhanath Swami laying prostrate at the foot of the Samadhi of Kirtanananda on the parkirama path in Vrndaban has made the rounds on the Internet.) Though he assumed Kirtanananda's role and flock in Chowpatty after Kirtanananda was incarcerated, Radhanath Swami never forgot the lessons that he learned from him – philosophical understandings that forged his own vision of how Krishna consciousness must be practiced. Imbibed with that mission, he practiced what he preached without botheration from any godbrothers/sisters in the privacy of his own yatra in south Mumbai. Radhanath Swami appears to have taken a page from Kirtanananda and is making it into his own self-styled biblical canon.
Radhanath Swami's folksy style was ingratiating, and he began to refine his incomparable role as a raconteur. He has a flawless memory, engaging style, and an insatiable desire to talk. Yes, Radhanath Swami loves to talk. "Shall I go on?" he asks his fawning congregation after two hours of butt-numbing storytelling. " Do you want to hear more?" Prasadam has been waiting. Kids are restless. The hour is late, and the work commute begins early the next morning. No matter. There is not a single soul brave enough to say, "No, Maharaja, we're tired, hungry, and stiff; let's continue some other time." That person would be ostracized by the entire congregation of Radhanath Swami admirers. I've been tempted myself to suggest that there should at least be an intermission for a bathroom break and thence an unobserved escape. But I admit to also being afraid of dirty looks and the consequential avoidance from his fans. Phrases like, "You'll never dance with careless abandon in this temple again," haunt my mind as I have fidgeted on the unforgiving marble floor. Radhanath Swami is a style-setter when it comes to long discourses; many ISKCON gurus have adopted this marathon pontificating despite the fact that Srila Prabhupada rarely exceeded thirty or forty minutes when lecturing.
When Radhanath's Chowpatty devotees took a page out of Madhu Pandit's Akshaya Patra free lunch prasadam program, Juhu got on the bandwagon. Now it's become standard fare at numerous Indian ISKCON temples. When Madhu Pandit makes an organic farm in Mahdevpura, Srirangapttana Taluk , can Radhanath Swami be far behind? No, he one-up's Bangalore by establishing the Wada eco-sustainable organic farm outside Mumbai, with the additional feature of a retreat center complete with swimming pool and exercise room. Juhu follows with their own ISKCON Bombay farm project at Talasari. Can Baroda, Delhi, Ahmedebad, etc. resist?
Radhanath Swami establishes a "counselor system" that formalizes relationships amongst the more experienced devotees and the newer ones. HH Niranjana Swami institutes a clone in the Ukraine. Other yatras follow. The line between the guru's authority and the temple authority muddies. How does the counselor system play outside of India? Reports are not so rosy; turns out the former Soviet Union has not shed its love of authority. There are numerous complaints of unqualified counselor gatekeepers blocking access to the guru. But it's now the system – formalized, institutionalized, calcified.
ISKCON has appeared to become a more "gentle and kinder" society as it has expanded. Shades of gray have appeared where there used to be black and white. There was a time when you were "in" or "out." You had to live at the temple in order to qualify for initiation. "Outside jobs" were frowned upon. A disciple had to completely "surrender" and join the sankirtan army. Now you don't even have to chant 16 rounds a day to be considered a "senior devotee"; an abundant reservoir of Prabhupada stories is enough to gain an honored seat on an asana in any ISKCON function. You can even be a daily pot smoker – as long as nobody (in any decision-making position) knows.
This wider circle of inclusiveness is the background upon which Radhanath Swami has injected his vision of how people should dedicate themselves to a life of service (not necessarily to Krishna). You hear this idea repeatedly in his lectures – service, service, service; compassion, compassion, compassion; and love, love, love. Sometimes I think that he is an evangelical preacher extolling the virtues of a true Christian or Jew. From his emphasis, Krishna consciousness seems to be a by-product of service to humanity. I thought service to Krishna was service to humanity.
Radhanath Swami's influence can be felt just about anywhere as he rises to the position of most admired ISKCON guru. Whatever he does, ISKCON leadership is practically bound to follow. Some of the gurus are giving chase; they are writing their own autobiographies. I hope they mention Prabhupada more than Radhanath Swami did. He appears in the end not as superior to the mayavadis featured throughout the odyssey, but just as one that appealed to Richard Slavin as he vetted what the 70's in Kali Yuga had to offer. Note in The Journey Home on pages 306-307, Radhanath Swami finds the synthesis of his quest for resolution of the impersonal/personal nature of God conflict via Srila Prabhupada's response to a guest.
"He went on to explain how Krishna, His form, qualities, personality, and abode were unlimited, and that the true religions of the world worshipped the same One God. He had simply revealed Himself in different ways at different times….How beautiful. With these simple and intelligent words, Srila Prabhupada had harmonized two apparently opposing views. As I listened to him, tears of appreciation welled up in my eyes. Yes, now it all makes so much sense, (Radhanath Swami's italics). I thought. A dilemma that had confused my progress was now completely removed."
I don't think that Radhanath Swami has ever resolved that confusion. Srila Prabhupada has spoken and written so much more about the poison of impersonalism, yet Radhanath Swami continues to entertain intimate relationships with them to the point where it excludes time with godbrothers/sisters and disciples. He is very fond of staying at residences of self-proclaimed impersonalists even while in cities that have ISKCON temples. He appears to have taken a self-edited understanding of Srila Prabhupada's moods and neglected the many more comments of his guru denouncing the mayavads (one of thousands of instructions such as this):
"Sunyavadi, they say, "There is no God, and there is nothing, fact. Everything is combination of some illusory things." This is sunyavadi. And the Mayavadi, they say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no form." Therefore we have to kill both of them. Nirvisesa-sunyavad-pascatya-desa-tarine. The whole Western world are filled up with these sunyavadi and impersonalists. India is also nowadays, but there are, still there are devotees in the acarya-sampradaya. They are fighting against sunyavada and nirvisesa."
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk Conversation, December 3, 1975)
If Radhanath Swami were not a GBC, guru and sannyasi, the expectation of his preaching standard may be less subject to scrutiny. Certainly, the average grhastha isn't expected to deliver holier than thou rhetoric to casual friends or acquaintances. However, Radhanath Swami has cultivated a preaching style from his perch that accommodates the mayavads quite comfortably. He doesn't speak with the passion of a personalist who is willing to be unpopular for his dogma. He has taken the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, that approach dilutes the message rather than making it stronger. Devotees find pleasure in freely associating with other mayavads. They don't believe, as Srila Prabhupada warns, that that sanga will destroy their bhakti-lata-bija. I believe Srila Prabhupada. Do you?
In my humble opinion, the writer missed the most obvious feature of his spiritual quest: he didn't pick his guru. Prabhupada chose him! He singled him out of a large crowd. He picked him up from his maya and mayavad tendencies and offered him a Truth so far superior than anything he had seen or heard that, at the time, it went over his head. Richard Slavin was not convinced by Prabhupada at that Cross Maidon festival. He continued his "journey" of inquiry. Prabhupada wasn't anything like the so-called "saintly" people that Radhanath Swami had met. Prabhupada was a Vaikuntha man, transcendent to all that Richie had experienced. I couldn't get that from reading his autobiography. I don't get it from his watering down of the profound presentation of the philosophy which Srila Prabhupada delivered in a way that created a worldwide society of Krishna bhaktas without pandering to peace, compassion, and love, as it is currently understood by the non-devotees. What I do see is that ISKCON is moving steadily in the direction of a more "universal, inclusive society". I must have been mistaken, because I thought ISKCON's strength was in its "take no prisoners" presentation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, that made it a very exclusive club indeed. As Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.17.5:
"… As King Prthu has illustrated, one who is serious about receiving transcendental Vedic knowledge must accept a guru, or spiritual master, in one of these four disciplic successions. It is said that unless one accepts a mantra from one of these sampradayas, the so-called mantra will not act in Kali-yuga."
The non-Vaisnavas can't help anybody.
Radhanath Swami's latest adaptation of Krishna consciousness is to become a Vegan. He does not want to support the exploitation of the cow who is milked until dry and then slaughtered. A noble gesture, but it is not the example of his guru. Srila Prabhupada never instructed us to exorcise dairy from our diets, though he certainly was aware of the travesties. What does that say about Radhanath Swami/Srila Prabhupada? That Radhanath Swami does one better than his guru? Knows better? Is more "compassionate?" All of the above? Will he take the milk from the cows in ISKCON's goshalas? I hope so. Perhaps I'm the victim of misinformation or misinterpretation; he may just be doing it for his health. But we are followers of the Vedas, aren't we, and doesn't that include the Ayurveda? Milk is foundational to health in that system, as far as I know. What I do know for sure is that there will be a marked increase in Vegans in ISKCON, as word spreads that Radhanath Swami eschews the ingestion of anything made with milk. That just doesn't sound like Srila Prabhupada's program. Without milk preps, our preaching arsenal is depleted. Prabhupada called gulabjamuns, "ISKCON bullets….our ammunition against Maya."
There is a great similarity between Amaji (the hugging "Ma") and Radhanath Swami. They both chant Hare Krishna bhajan. They both have opened hospitals and orphanages. They both preach the gospel of "love" and "oneness." And both enjoy giving lots of hugs. In my opinion, Radhanath Swami presents Krishna consciousness through the lens of a devotee heavily tinged by sentimentality rooted in impersonalism. He is an immaculate Western sadhu. He has good sadhana, near-perfect memory, outstanding verbal skills, and empathic qualities. What's not to like? Everyone wants to be accepted and adored; it's in our human DNA, so to speak.
Radhanath Swami provides a model for how to act if you are looking to be inclusive. Gone is the day when exclusivity was a marketable commodity in the eyes of most ISKCON leaders. Nearly all have been jumping on the "integrate" agenda. Recently, the Russian edition of Science of Self Realization purposely omitted the chapter where Srila Prabhupada discusses ISKCON as not being Hindu. ISKCON is becoming quite ecumenical, less confrontational – more lamb than lion. Who knows, in the future, the GBC might re-name it "The International Society for God Consciousness."
