“Why is the Spanish Yatra Stuck?”

JAGANNATHA MISHRA DASA, May 12, 2010 — MALAGA, SPAIN (SUN) — This is a candid and straightforward statement of my views on the Spanish yatra after having lived all stages since 1981. I apologize in advance to the devotees who may feel aggrieved directly or indirectly, but sometimes the truth needs the exercise of criticism and the common good sometimes requires this exercise.

I assume that I am the least able to speak in relation to the character of anyone, but I take refuge in the principle that an intelligent person can (and should) learn even from a drunkard who gives good advice.

The Spanish yatra has malfunctioned these 30 years for the following reasons that I state here at the risk of being minimalist, but with the certainty of not being wrong.

To simplify things, we can divide the players in this “drama” in the following categories. Each has played a decisive role in the malfunction of the yatra. And still playing it with changes in form but not in substance.

GBC
Spanish Leaders
Grassroot devotees

THE GBC

The international leadership has done what it can and many times proved wrong, as history shows. But the key to their failure is simple: they thought that what Srila Prabhupada did and said in the organization is obsolete and should be changed according to time place and circumstance. A clear example is not following Srila Prabhupada’s vehement instructions against centralization.

That has been changing our ISKCON movement (with limited exceptions) to descend to dangerous material consciousness stages, attracting people with the same mentality that gradually take over and further change its original principles and thereby its progress.

But this perception that Srila Prabhupada’s original plan is not valid comes only from one source: raja and tamo guna. When a person is influenced mainly by the lower modes they cannot advance very tangibly and worse, they do not understand, cannot understand, the paradigms involved in sattva guna.

In sattva guna the magical principles of Krishna consciousness dominate and cannot be understood by people in lower modes. Fierce battle for political supremacy, systematic deception to others and oneself and implementation of practices that lead to our own suffering and alienation and that of others are indicatives of rajo and tamo gunas.

Solution: Do not try to control like a corporation, to the smallest detail. Listen to grassroots devotees and give way to new “blood” to revive the yatra.

SPANISH LEADERS

The great misfortune of the Spanish yatra is based precisely on a quality of its members: blind subserviency to authority.

A crucial element for the supremacy of the incompetent has been the language barrier of the grassroots Spanish devotees.

Because of their knowledge of English, some individuals have climbed the rankings in a political way and have been there for all these years, the “link” of the Spanish yatra to the GBC.

Each time the GBC has to intervene for some reason these people are the decision makers, because the GBC simply cannot be on a day-to-day basis. They rely on devotees they consider knowledgeable, senior and above, and most importantly with whom they can communicate fluently.

And because these people have worked in the low modes (here I would quote the chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam which mentions that a devotee can be engaged in the activities of bhakti vaidhi to perfection and yet their service is mixed strongly with the modes), the matter has gone from bad to worse.

There is a very interesting description of the symptoms exhibited by devotees when service is mixed with the different modes, such as the devotee absorbed in devotional service mixed with tamo guna who thinks he is the best devotee and accepts no advice from anyone.

The leaders of the Spanish yatra have been the same people for the past 30 years.

Yadunandana Swami (more involved in politics now than ever) for his misfortune and that of his “subjects”, clearly thinks that politics is part of Krishna consciousness and remains in the game, not only remains, likes it and believes it is a part of his spiritual advancement “career”.

The more position and influence you reach, the more spiritually advanced you are, seems to imply his view of Krishna consciousness.

He was “trained” by Kesava Bharati Swami, who in turn was trained by Tamal Krishna Maharaj, and of course with valuable hints of Bhagavan Prabhu, including a taste for prathista and opulent life. It is as if by the act of chanting japa, wearing devotional clothes and not intimately relating to the opposite sex, one is entitled to receive honors with taste in a lifestyle more proper of a king than of a devotee, and controlling the lives of those who interact with him, provided they are in an inferior political echelon.

Vedavyasa Prabhu, after many years of living his private life, has emerged as the Phoenix and has become the GBC in functions of the Spanish yatra. Not because he has been hailed by the Spanish devotees to that position, but again for political maneuvering, using his status as a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and friends in high places. As usual, the elected GBC (Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu) is not the GBC in practical life, leaving the real power to Vedavyasa Prabhu.

This mode of action is very much appreciated by politicians, who is, is not, who is not, is. Thus we have no one to complain to, if something goes wrong.

Just mention the never cleared doubts that many have regarding his financial performance on many years of unilateral management of millions and millions of pesetas (a separate long article is available on request) and his clear inabilities in personal contact and minimum socialization skills required for a leader and symbol of an acceptable mental health to bear important responsibilities and decide on the life of others.

Hanuman Prabhu who has climbed dramatically in the leadership positions in ISKCON (including giving seminars to the gurus) despite its poor management of the BBT (closed because of bankruptcy) and his double life in Jalon. Ask 95 percent of Spanish sankirtaneros on his personal deficiency in respect, service and humility. No one would buy the mostly ugly and expensive books from him, mainly due to his derogatory treatment of devotees.

It was successful in removing Vedavyasa Prabhu from his throne of sole director of BBT and Spanish yatra for several decades, but like all rajo guna actions ended in suffering for him, Vedavyasa and the entire yatra, BBT being the backbone of preaching and subsequently the basis of a healthy ISKCON Spain.

Now he is duplicating his efforts (salaried as always) in South America. It’s like a manager of an international company gets a country in bankruptcy and then is sent to manage another country. Even materialists are not so dumb.

Dharmaraj Prabhu, due to political influence, we see today as resurgent because of his contacts with friends with attractive financial position for the elite. He is another example of supine mismanagement and remains committed to make decisions and force his thinking in ways that have led and continue leading the yatra to the most miserable failure.

And then there is a cohort of acolytes too numerous to make a list of, that dance around these leaders, hoping to catch a bit of power, influence or privileges.

Of course, the great “leaders” take decisions without consulting anybody below them, and when their plans fail they blame the grassroots devotees for lack of cooperation — the same devotees who they ignored in the first place.

It’s such obvious immaturity, even children better handle relations in their games. They have grown used to not self-analyzing, to playing the game of arrogance, as if they were liberated souls, rajarsis with absolute power and of course, without the qualities such as humility and constant self-analysis as required of a leader.

The meetings serve only as an attempt to impose their ideas and above All, hiding behind a group, to avoid responsibility for repeated, well documented failures.

They have been used to do as they please without any element of external Criticism, and if someone raises his voice, as I did, they give you a name like “offensive” and administer an exemplary punishment so that if anyone is thinking to talk, they know the risk of consequences, like ostracism, excommunication, etc., which they call “being outside.”

And I wonder, “off” from where? Is it progress and knowledge of how to organize a spiritual movement, a geographic question?

Let me make clear that I do not believe in a conspiracy theory of the leaders to destroy the yatra or gain power as a whole. That takes a special intelligence which unfortunately, or fortunately, is not common. I do not think malice is implied, only an individual rampant immaturity mixed with delusions of grandeur and skipping the basic principles of Krishna consciousness in the name of necessity.

Solution

The solution is, those devotees should leave any position of leadership, after so many years having demonstrated their failure. A devotee should have enough awareness to realize when things do not work, and it is your responsibility to withdraw.

Whenever someone disturbs the “status quo”, these leaders offer an “honorable way out.” Now, I offer the same to them after years of demonstrable failure.

Devote yourselves to chant Hare Krishna and let new blood lead the business locally. Stop teaching the same principles of gentrification to new devotees, who come to think that Krishna consciousness is “that.”

Leave office before causing the biggest disaster and plunging the Spanish yatra into absolute chaos.

Why not listen to people who want to help? For years I have been trying to explain what has practically worked for me and continues to work, going back to the simple principles of Srila Prabhupada. You haven’t being willing to hear and have killed the messenger instead.

DEVOTEES

Grassroots devotees have failed to join among themselves, an association for being a power balance. The constant jealousies and selfishness, not wanting to lose privileges won by force of political maneuvering, have eroded even the natural right to choose their leaders.

Just one example: In Spain, legally the temples supposedly elect their leaders every three years, but the mechanism is such that the leaders are those who choose who has the right to vote, making the whole exercise a pantomime.

Solution

Lets stop acting only according to our personal needs and policies. Let us join together locally to courageously choose our leaders and do wonderful things for Srila Prabhupada. Many of us will be around only for 20 or 30 years more, luckily. It is time to stop playing.

NEW VRAJAMANDALA

As things go now, the farm will end up being sold and you do not need to be a component of the Delphi Oracle to predict that.

The New Vrajamandala can be lead to success, but the main elements are NOT the money and/or academic education. Even businesses, residential quarters and other contraceptions that can be implemented there are not the key.

The NVM needs to regenerate from below with local devotees making decisions, not strangers who do not even live there, and most of whom have also demonstrated their inability to organize even their own homes or spiritual life.

Rajoguna, the same mentality that everything can be solved mainly with money (and now with the academic education element which graces the set and gives hints of illustration and validity) will not be able to solve the basic problems of the farm, and will fail despite large amounts of money siphoned in (as has happened over and over again).

But this time the donors will want their money back somehow, and it will be possible selling the property to get something out of what eventually will be considered as a bad bargain.

The money will evaporate and the only symbol of unity of the yatra will also disappear, with stunning consequences for the spiritual life of the old and new devotees to come.

And of course, these leaders as usual will resort to blaming the grassroots devotees when failure inevitably comes.

Solution

Implement the simple preaching and self-sufficiency program as mandated by Srila Prabhupada. Associate locally and make a serious plan with specific actions to raise the NVM.

Have very clear paradigms and principles and organize well. Everything will be in place in time in a natural way, without Herculean efforts or injections of large amounts of money.

CONCLUSION

I declare publicly that I do not want anything, political position or to be part of an elite that is dying and, with fewer and fewer subjects, based on political and financial power, and fear of reprisal. I am satisfied with my book distribution and my simple life.

Please, listen to this simple advice and try to do things right for once, with the right mentality. Change the paradigm that is burying the Spanish yatra.

The Sankirtan movement will not stop, the preaching is not going to stop, but there will be a tremendous disaster resulting in the sad disintegration of what can be a wonderful and powerful yatra.

If you do not listen, and if the grassroots devotees allow this to continue happening, I, like Pilate, wash my hands … Good luck.

Dasanudas