BY: B. RADHA GOVINDA
Although we have our differences in understanding, please know that I do appreciate your service and the good qualities I see in you, and I’m saying this with all truthfullness; no flattery whatsoever.
My hugs to you were given in a genuine mood of sisterly affection, despite whatever our philosophical disagreements. Even though I may disagree with someone, I can still have liking, even love for the person. So despite whatever seemed to be the “externals,” and your feeling upset with my difference in understandings regarding certain things, I always held respect for you in terms of your service and the good qualities I perceived in you.
From the President’s Desk
I become disturbed when I hear disparaging remarks about Srila Prabhupada’s institution, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), from devotees who all claim to otherwise love Srila Prabhupada.
I have heard “there’s no bhakti in ISKCON,” “it should be called “it’s gone (instead of ISKCON),” and “I love Srila Prabhupada but don’t like the ‘institution’.”
I can’t speak for other devotees, but for myself: There is ISKCON the institution, and the individual devotees who serve through the ISKCON institution (whether they live in or outside an ISKCON temple).
Certainly there is bhakti within the hearts of so many of the devotees, so if someone is saying (as per your words here) “There is no bhakti in ISKCON” I’m sure they are not referring to all of the individual devotees, but to certain things in general regarding what has happened within the institution itself, where bhakti has become compromised with materialism; deviations (of so many levels) on the part of gurus, sannyasis, management, and certain individual “lay” devotees, some/many such people making money and power their priority over bhakti.
This can certainly be elaborated upon, but I feel there is no need to do so since you are an intelligent woman, and must know what I’m referring to.
Regarding ITS GON – as I believe I’m “the ‘deviate'” who first coined this term, (and was told this was one of the reasons that those in position of authority in Alachua did not want to allow me to give my Vyasapuja offering to Srila Prabhupada) – this is certainly not a term referring to that ISKCON which Srila Prabhupada intended, a (spiritual) society based on love and trust, where devotees (despite whatever our differences), in loving mood would be united in serving Srila Prabhupada’s objectives.
ISKCON leaders have pushed out and ostracized so many good devotees, along with these leaders deviating ISKCON from the right track. Srila Prabhupada inspired devotees through love. Present-day ISKCON is being run on fear. So much more can be said, but I think this is enough for now.
It is out of love that certain devotees (who in your mind you might be considering as “rebels”) who refer to the present-day institution as ITS GON, are calling it such, because they want to see in place the (pure) ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada wanted; an ISKCON in which we can all be serving together for the fulfillment of Srila Prabhupada’s and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s objectives.
“I love Srila Prabhupada but don’t like the ‘institution’.” Certainly devotees love Srila Prabhupada, and love the ISKCON institution Srila Prabhupada wanted. It’s the deviations, and thus a deviated ISKCON that they are upset with, and thus, speak something like this, and the above.
Srila Prabhupada’s Vision for ISKCON: Srila Prabhupada created his society to be the source of Krishna conscious education for the next ten thousand years. And, he said, “Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution together after I am gone,” as well as, “We must see the BIG ISKCON.”
We have to properly understand Srila Prabhupada’s words, not misapply them. (Srila Prabhupada Himself did not want “blind following”: See Srila Prabhupada’s BG 10.4 purport regarding asammoha.) Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON leaders to follow HIS instructions and devotees, leaders and the “lay” devotees to cooperate together in following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions.
By the devotees – from “top” to “bottom” – following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, (not deviations from them) ISKCON (in terms of how Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON to be) would be properly kept together.
Certainly Srila Prabhupada did not expect for devotees to cooperate regarding generating and/or upholding major deviations. You are right, we “must see the big ISKCON.” That means understanding (what is Srila Prabhupada’s) ISKCON, what are Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, following and upholding them, and serving (and cooperating in such service) in such a way that Srila Prabhupada’s objectives will be fulfilled; that HIS ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada’s conceived ISKCON will be upheld.
It is in our following and cooperating together to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, that ISKCON will be the ISKCON Srila Prabhupada wanted; not in our cooperating together to follow and uphold deviations to what Srila Prabhupada wanted, even if the GBC rules to put through and initiation such deviations.
There were times when Srila Prabhupada expressed His disgust with the GBC for this very reason, Srila Prabhupada’s even disbanding/putting on hold the GBC, for the fact that they were not properly following His, Srila Prabhupada’s instructions.
Bhakti – service to (bona fide) Guru and Krsna – is the priority of devotees. It is this force of Bhakti which “pushes” them. For many at this point who are serving within ISKCON, it is money (or a green card, or both) which is their pushing force; not bhakti. (And some have become overpowered by their sense of position, name, fame and power, money also factoring into the equation.)
Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us the “formula,” dasadasanudasa. Krsna Himself told this to Arjuna: Ye me bhakta janah partha na me bhaktas ca te janah mad bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas te me bhaktatame matah, “One who says he is my devotee is not my devotee, but one who says he is a servant of my devotee is my devotee,” and Lord Siva told Parvati Devi, aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam samarcanam: “Amongst various kinds of worship, the worship of Lord Visnu is the best, but better than the worship of Lord Visnu, is worship of His devotee.”
And we are told (in Padma Purana), arcayitva tu govindam tadiyam narcayet tu yah na sa bhagavato jneyah kevalam dambhikah smritah: “One who performs worship of Govinda but fails to worship His devotess is to be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord, but a victim of false pride.”
We also see Krsna speaking, (SB 11.19.21), mad bhakta pujabhyadhika – performing first class worship of My devotees. (Might as well quote this particular section, (20-24) since it is so nice): “Firm faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant chanting of My glories, unwavering attachment to worship of Me, praising Me through beautiful hymns, great respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances with the entire body, performing first class worship of My devotees, consciousness of Me in all living entities, offering of ordinary, bodily activities in My devotional service, use of words to describe My qualities, offering the mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth for my devotional service, renouncing material sense gratification and happiness, and performing all desireable activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving Me – these constitute actual religious principles, by which those human beings who have actually surrendered themselves to Me automatically develop love for Me. What other purpose or goal could remain for my devotee?”
So “big ISKCON” means Srila Prabhupada’s pure ISKCON; keeping intact that (pure) ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada wanted. What bona fide disciple situated in proper consciousness would be desireous of cooperating to uphold the deviations (some of them extremely horrific) that have gone on, some of which are still going on?, although some devotees are “going along with things” due to their fear to not do so, or for whatever other reasons, including their possibly understanding that Srila Prabhupada wanted devotees to “go along and cooperate” even if/when things were very off.
I as an individual don’t “like to fight.” I actually hate conflict. But what can be done? For some of us, due to our love for Srila Prabhupada, we are feeling pushed to “fight,” to speak up, or speak out against that which we feel is violating Srila Prabhupada directly or or is violating that which Srila Prabhupada wants/wanted.
There are devotees questioning and speaking up/out against certain things because of their love for Srila Prabhupada (and His ISKCON), and for their love and caring for other devotees.
You love Srila Prabhupada and so do so many of us who are speaking up, speaking out. You are serving “within” (present-day) ISKCON because of your love for Srila Prabhupada: Some of us who are speaking up/out, are rendering service in a different way, and some of us speaking up/out, also render service “within” ISKCON despite our calling out the various deviations (our desire being that these be corrected) so that ISKCON will be in accordance with Srila Prabhupada’s desires.
(Of course any person possessed with intelligence will know that there are some devotees on “this or that ‘side'” who, whatever they are doing/saying, are doing so with some mixed motives, but I am speaking about those devotees whose motives are properly centered.)
Those of us who “speak up” want Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON institution – how could we not want what our Father wants? – but we want Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON institution to be what Srila Prabhupada intended.
So it is in this regard we speak/write.
That’s right: Humility, patience and commitment are required on the part of all devotees, including the ISKCON leaders, who, in their accepting such a service, should be willing to listen to those devotees who are desireous of seeing deviations from Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for HIS ISKCON institution addressed and hopefully corrected.
Devotees who are trying to address such things, should not have to feel a sense of fear (including fear of repercussion) from ISKCON’s leaders. We know that there is a very great sense of fear amongst devotees within ISKCON; devotees who “behind closed doors” – when they know no one (an ISKCON authority) is hearing them, will say something in regards to something they are feeling is wrong/off.
Why aren’t there istagosthis with open discussion? We don’t have to all agree on everything, but we can certainly disagree with a sense of love and respect for one another, as opposed to their being such an atmosphere of fear generated that people are feeling so stressed and repressed.
When I say “ITS GON” it is this fear, along with some other things, that I am referring to. We certainly did not feel this kind of fear with Srila Prabhupada.
Some devotees would question you on this, but let them do so. I’ll just mention a few things in this regard: The number of devotees who were kicked out, or who left because… The book and BTG distribution going down (in comparison to how many were being distributed while Srila Prabhupada was present), how the North American temples are so much more empty compared to pre-1978, and in terms of the devotees living in the temples now, are mainly GCB – green card bhaktas, and people who are in the temple for material remuneration.
(It is known that the GCBs usually leave after they get their green card.) We know that in some of the temples, due to lack of number of devotees, the Deity worship has had to be “modified” (standard lessened). I honestly do not think that Srila Prabhupada would be feeling happy to see the present state of His ISKCON temples.
Well, where do you want devotees who have taken up Krsna consciousness to be?; (out smoking dope, drinking alcohol, getting cracked out and/or selling it, and getting laid – like some are doing?
Although even many of these devotees are coming to the temple to participate in kirtan.) Srila Prabhupada wanted us to be IN the kirtan, (especially at the temple where devotees gather), and at the festivals, etc.
We are certainly not speaking up/out “against” the process Srila Prabhupada gave to us. We are simply trying to get the ISKCON leaders to address the deviations to that which Srila Prabhupada gave to us, so that ISKCON can be more to what Srila Prabhupada wanted.
We “deviates,” “rebels,” or whatever someone wants to term us, are doing/saying what we are, because we love Srila Prabhupada, and want HIS ISKCON, the ISKCON Srila Prabhupada created – which He so kindly gave to us, allowed us to be a part of – to be what He, Srila Prabhupada wanted.
So please don’t misunderstand those of us who call present-day ISKCON, “ITS GON”: We love Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON just as much as you do, and thus we cry to see it as it is now, and speak up/out with hopes to see it become what it is that Srila Prabhupada wanted.
Or let us in a healthy and loving, respectful way, discuss our differences of understanding, and serve together to accomplish the objectives our eternal, loving Father, His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada wanted to be accomplished.
The most powerful preaching is by setting the right example our selfs. Actions speak louder than words. We can talk a lot and complain a lot but charity starts at home. Let’s fight and work hard on our own purification only than can you help to wards the purification of others.
We are a preaching movement and a preacher must be an acharya, meaning that he sets the example, only then will his words have a deep effect on others. Let’s help each other to become better followers of Srila Prabhupada and only meditate on how we can improve ourselves for the benefit of the whole.
Let’s have faith in the power of the holy names of Krsna and by improving our japa and kirtan, Krsna will give us the strength and the deeper inside on how to do it all for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Thank you Mukhya for your expressions. Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON movement ki jaya.