By Prayaga das
New Haven, Connecticut, USA — People tend to look at the past through rose-colored glasses. The fallacy that many ‘new’ followers of Srila Prabhupada have is that the corruption in ISKCON began after Prabhupada’s disappearance.
As one who was living in various temples years before Prabhupada left, I can attest to the fact that corruption and perversion among senior managing disciples was not uncommon in the early 1970’s.
Prabhupada, realizing his time was short, set up the best management system he could, using the most qualified disciples he had. I think many of the issues we see are due to the fact that ISKCON grew too fast. I see the same problem, due to the lack of proper management, in businesses that expand too quickly.
One can search the Correspondence folder on the Bhaktivedanta Vedabase for proof. All kinds of nonsense was going on, temple presidents and sannyasis with their ‘servants’ would jet first-class to India in order to whine before Prabhupada about the most minor, ridiculous issues.
Everyone wanted recognition from Prabhupada and did not cooperate to spread Lord Caitanya’s teachings. These people were more interested in ego gratification than devotional service.
Yes, the GBC is responsible for many of the current issues, but the seeds of destruction were present from almost the very beginning. After all, Prabhupada’s ‘most advanced’ disciple, Kirtanananda broke off from ISKCON in 1969 and tried to start his own movement.
Since New Vrindavan is the poster child for abuse within ISKCON, we can only speculate as to why Prabhupada accepted him back into the movement.
In Mulaprakrti devi dasi’s book, Our Srila Prabhupada, A Friend To All, in the interview with Srimati Jahnava Didi on page 271, she recalls a story related to her by Krsnamayi Didi regarding a conversation between her guru and Srila Prabhupada that occurred in 1976, “Guru Maharaja (Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Goswami Maharaja) told Krsnamayi Didi that Swami Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada) had told him confidentially, I bring them here a bit like wild animals, and you should help make them into devotees. They are like monkeys but if given hari-katha then they can become good devotees.”
So even at this late date Prabhupada was not satisfied that his senior disciples were anything more than monkeys and was asking assistance in making them devotees. I am told that in Vrindavan the monkeys steal and imitate.
What an accurate comparison!
Prabhupada was not able to control the rascal tendencies of his disciples even with direct orders. He even asked aid to make them devotees and teach them proper etiquette. No one can wave a magic wand and turn us into pure devotees. We have to make the herculean effort ourselves.
What makes us think that we can accomplish what Prabhupada was unable to do by endless Internet squabbling? Even Krishna cannot force us to love Him. We have to willingly surrender to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga in order to advance in bhakti-yoga.
Prayaga das
3-24-12
Kto wie, jak było rzeczywiście z otruciem Śrila Prabhupada?
Ciało Śrila Prabhupada przyjęło grzeszne reakcje od 5 tysięcy Jagajów i Madhajów.
Czytałem w Śri Nityananda Caritamricie, że ciało Śri Caitanyi Mahaprabhu zrobiło się czarne od przyjęcia grzesznych reakcji Jagaja i Madhaja.
Słyszałem, że Śrila Bhaktisiddhanta miał jeszcze o wiele więcej uczniów.
Who knows how it was actually the poisoning of Srila Prabhupada?
The body of Srila Prabhupada accepted the sinful reactions from 5000 Jagajów and Madhajów.
I read in Sri Nityananda Caritamricie that the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became black from the adoption of the sinful reactions and Madhaja Jagaja.
I heard that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta has still a lot more students.