BY: ISKCON AS IT IS

Aug 20, 2013 — CANADA (SUN) —

Under the Banner of ISKCON As It Is

In December, 1967 Srila Prabhupada received a letter from Sri Hanuman Prasad Poddar, his friend and proprietor of the Gita Press in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The letter read:

Respected Sir,
Really you are doing wonderful work. By successfully flying aloft the banner of Sri Radha-Krishna's sweet Name in such a far off and strange land. You have marvellously proved the glory and irrepressible charm of the Divine Pair and Their sweet Name. I am sending some books and pictures which you would find useful for your noble mission.
With salutations to Sri Hari,
I am yours sincerely,
Hanuman Prasad Poddar

The following year, Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to Sumati Morarji, the person who helped him get passage on Jaladuta. As it happens, today is the official observance day of Srila Prabhupada's departure on the Jaladuta. In his opening diary entry, he wrote:

"thanks to Lord Sri Krishna for His enlightening Smti. Sumati Moraji for all these arrangements. I am quite comfortable."

Four years later, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was well established, and Srila Prabhupada was writing this report to Sumati Moraji:

"Perhaps you know that I am organizing here a community center in West Virginia on a land of about 200 acres, and it will be a replica of Vrindaban. So it is my ambition, as foretold by Lord Caitanya, that the people of the world will be happy under the banner of Krishna Consciousness, and let us try our best for this greatest philosophy of life."

The common thread between the letter from Hanuman Prasad Poddar and the letter to Sumati Moraji is mention of the banner under which the preaching goes on.

Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana Party
Chore Bagan Art Studios, Calcutta

We have received a number of questions about our use of the symbols of the banner and Vaisnava standard to represent ISKCON As It Is. Just as depicted in the picture on the homepage of www.IskconAsItIs.com, Srila Prabhupada leads the devotees in his harinama sankirtana party under waving flags and banners that announce the delivery of the Holy Names to the fallen conditioned souls of the western world. This scene is a blissful representation of a very similar scene often depicted in devotional art images: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's own sankirtana party going out under waving flags, banners, pennants and standards marked with symbols of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

We refer to the Gaudiya Vaisnava symbols as 'standards' for want of a better term. There is undoubtedly a proper name for these symbols, being carried aloft on poles and bearing a cut-out shape marked with tilak and other designs. If any devotee can tell us the proper name and origination of these transcendental symbols, we would be happy to hear from them. These Gaudiya standards are also seen below, carried by the devotees on sankirtana through Navadvipa. The image is well known, being the album cover of one of Achutanananda's kirtan/bhajan albums called India, recorded in Mayapur circa 1973.

Sankirtana Party through Navadvipa

Srila Prabhupada often referred to banners in his lectures and purports. Sometimes he used the symbol of the flag or banner in a negative connotation, for example, referring to those who foolishly live under the banner of nationalism, or scientific advancement, or maya. But primarily, the banner is used as a symbol of cooperation in preaching and harinama sankirtana.

The Sanskrit term dhvaja means 'banner', and is used throughout Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta, where it refers not only to sankirtana flags and pennants, but also to the flag symbol found on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Krsna:

"The devotee should first concentrate his mind on the Lord's lotus feet, which are adorned with the marks of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus. The splendor of their beautiful ruby nails resembles the orbit of the moon and dispels the thick gloom of one's heart." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.21)

Likewise, the flag symbol appears on Sri Caitanya's lotus feet, as described in the following passage about baby Nimai:

"When the Lord tried to walk, in His small footprints the specific marks of Lord Visnu were visible, namely, the flag, thunderbolt, conchshell, disc and fish.

Seeing all these marks, neither His father nor His mother could understand whose footprints they were. Thus struck with wonder, they could not understand how those marks could be possible in their home." (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 14.7-8)

We also find mention in the Prologue of Teachings of Lord Caitanya, which mentions 'the banner of Caitanya Mahaprabhu':

"The Kazi then joined the sankirtana party. The world was astonished at the spiritual power of the Great Lord, and hundreds and hundreds of heretics converted and joined the banner of Visvambhara after this affair." …

"Upon his return to Puri, Raja Prataparudra-deva and several pandita brahmanas joined the banner of Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

Our use of these symbols of banner and Gaudiya standard have a very specific meaning in our minds as they related to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness As It Is. They represent the mood of the early sankirtana party of Srila Prabhupada, dancing ecstatically in the mood of Lord Caitanya's own harinama party. But we also see them as very positive symbols of invitation for the devotees to rally: to rally around the concept of a revival of ISKCON, As It Is, and to do so under the banner of a Constitution, the draft of which is now being discussed and refined by members of that workgroup.

There have been long and painful years of division in the devotee community since His Divine Grace accepted maha-samadhi. As Srila Prabhupada states:

"This is a symptom of Kali-yuga that has already appeared. People cannot feel secure about their lives and property, yet the so-called governments continue, and government ministers get fat salaries, although they are unable to do anything good for society. The only remedy for such conditions is to enhance the sankirtana movement under the banner of Krsna consciousness and protest against the sinful activities of all the world's governments." (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 17.141)

ISKCON has essentially fractured along several lines, most notably those of guru-tattva and the mis-management of the GBC, which has fractured out into many fine lines. In both cases, it becomes more clear every day that there is the potential for devotees across the board to move past some of these dividing lines, and to re-engage in a cooperative preaching mood under a concise set of statements about the principles that join us together: a Constitution.

Among many elements comprising the Constitution for ISKCON As It Is are the Oaths of Allegiance to be made by members of the Society -- both individual, group (temples, etc.) and GBC. In the following room conversation from March 27, 1975 in Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada was discussing this Oath of Allegiance, which he specifically asked be declared by every member of his Governing Body Commission. In it, we again find the symbology of the banner, uniting his followers under his preaching mission:

Atreya Rsi: You want me to read it, Prabhu?
Prabhupada: Yes, yes, yes.
Jayatirtha: I think so.
Prabhupada: Everyone may hear.
Atreya Rsi: I... The same pledge, that the Indian gentleman has written, where it says, "Prabhupada, I, Mr. So and So, karmi name, initiated name in parenthesis, date of birth, at present residing at, of certain nationality, do hereby solemnly affirm, declare and state as under as follows: I state I have been elected or nominated a member of Governing Body Commission, under the recommendation of my Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder and acarya of Krsna Consciousness Movement..."
Rupanuga: Supreme Authority.
Atreya Rsi: Shall I...
Satsvarupa: Yes, Prabhupada wanted it...
Rupanuga: Acarya and supreme authority.
Atreya Rsi: It's down... There as well?
Jayatirtha: There as well.
Rupanuga: Everywhere. Everywhere.
Atreya Rsi: "Acarya and..., of Krsna consciousness movement under the banner of International Society for Krsna Consciousness. I state that I have imposed all my faith, integrity and honesty in my aforesaid Guru Maharaja with the result he is the sole responsible person and supreme authority of my present position and status which I have gained and I am holding in the organization of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. I, the said Mr. So and So, both names, do hereby swear in the name of Krsna that I will bear true faith and alliance to the constitution, by-laws, rules, regulations and directions…"

(Room Conversation - March 27, 1975, Mayapur)