Bhakta Aniruddha, Apr 22 2009, JAIPUR, INDIA: A request to all the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, all the aspiring devotees wishing to become disciples of Srila Prabhupada, and well-wishers of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. (His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, popularly known as Srila Prabhupada, is the Founder/Acarya of the whole of ISKCON society all over the world.)
Respected Prabhus, Matajis & Friends, Hare Krishna!!! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!! Please accept my humble obeisances. I am a well-wisher of the Sankirtana movement who has benefited immensely from Srila Prabhupada’s books, and am thinking about when will that moment come when Srila Prabhupada’s Brihad-Mridanga, his transcendental books, be read by each and every human on the surface of the earth (or for that matter, demigods steal his books from earth to be read in their own heavenly planets), Sankirtana of the Holy Names of the Lord be spread to every town and village on the surface of the earth, thus over-flooding the living entities in the universe with Love of Godhead, and prasadam distribution be spread in all parts of Earth so that not even a single living entity be materially or spiritually hungry.
For this purpose I would like to make few requests to everyone connected in anyway with ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada has mentioned that coming too close to physical form, i.e. vapuh of a great devotee, Acarya and even the Lord, may sometimes be dangerous. Srila Prabhupada gives the example of a bug which is close to the king while he is seated on the throne. But the bug only bites the king, thus creating problems for him.
Close physical association is not always recommended. Familiarity breeds contempt. I request all those who have served Srila Prabhupada during his physical presence not to demand respect from or boast among the new generation devotees that they are superior due to their rendering of direct service to Srila Prabhupada. There are innumerable instances where Srila Prabhupada has instructed that serving the Vaani of the Spiritual Master is more important than serving the Vapuh of the Spiritual Master. So, please massively spread the book distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books, spread Sankirtana of the Holy Names of the Lord by more and more festivals and public gatherings with large participation, and expand the prasadam distribution program to higher and higher levels so that not a single living entity goes hungry.
Srila Prabhupada’s Vaani is in the form of his books, lectures, conversations, and letters. Srila Prabhupada has very clearly said whatever he had to say, he has said in his books. Please do not amend them to suit the need of the day or for the personal motives of some people holding strong position in the management level of ISKCON, so that everyone is able to read exactly what Srila Prabhupada has written for the balance of 9,500 (approximately) human years of the Golden Age of Sankirtana in Kali Yuga. Srila Prabhupada had expressed his unhappiness over making amendments in his books while Isopanishad was being read to group of disciples in his presence at Vrindavana, sometime in May 1977.
Please do not blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives for spreading the Holy Names of the Lord – this is the first offence towards chanting the Holy Names of the Lord. We have to at least avoid committing offences towards the Holy Names of the Lord so that we can progress on the spiritual journey, Back to Godhead. Please understand that there are over 300 people who have been associated dedicatedly full-time with ISKCON Bangalore post-1998, after the revolutionary Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada was made by His Grace Madhu Pandit Prabhu at ISKCON Bangalore when the devotees understood that Srila Prabhupada is the ACTUAL ACHARYA of ISKCON. These devotees did not sentimentally decide on this. There were many discussions and debates with extensive research of instructions of Srila Prabhupada, July 9th Letter appointing RITVIK ACHARYAS to HENCEFORWARD perform initiations on behalf of Srila Prabhupada with no subsequent directive issued by Srila Prabhupada to abort the July 9th Letter, or any authorization of gurus in ISKCON.
In near past there were some websites communicating lies about Hare Krishna Hill temple management. Truthfulness as mentioned in Bhagavad-gita is a divine quality and is not found in asuras (refer Bhagavad Gita As It Is – Chapter 16th). So all those who do not wish to be cheated know who are the divine devotees and who are of the demoniac qualities). Even if something happens wrong in a temple, over which the temple management has little or no control, talking irrelevantly about the temple devotees is an offence – one of the meanings of “blaspheme” in the English dictionary is to talk irrelevantly.
There had been lot of troubles regarding land purchase of ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai (at that time ISKCON Bombay). Mr. Nair (the Manorama group engaged in publishing of magazines), had previously cheated many people by selling the same land to many people (to get money as advance without actually completing the sale deal and handing over the land documents). Mr. Nair, wanting to cheat ISKCON, tried selling the same land to ISKCON by giving them possession, for which the advance cheque was paid by Srila Prabhupada. But, Mr. Nair did not know that with Srila Prabhupada, Lord Krishna was directly acting. Lord Krishna is even the best Cheater among cheats. In spite of Mr. Nair’s sending bulldozers, etc. along with armed gangsters for demolishing the temporary temple structure where Sri Sri Radha Rasabhihari-ji were residing, Lord Krishna made all arrangements to cheat Mr. Nair by getting the approval from the court on Monday, (i.e. two days after this bulldozing effort was carried out), stating that Hare Krishna Land must be in the possession of ISKCON. Yet, Mr. Nair did not surrender to Lord Krishna’s will. So, finally to those who do not surrender to Lord Krishna during one’s lifetime, Lord Krishna comes to them as painful DEATH. Mr. Nair suffered a heart attack and died. Within a few days of Mr. Nair’s death, Mrs. Nair officially transferred the land into the name of ISKCON and submitted all the available land documents to Srila Prabhupada personally. This incident signifies that those who want to take over Srila Prabhupada’s temples, where he and his disciples (along with those of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who will come in future) worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they will have to face reverses by the Law of Land (in case Lord Krishna wants to teach a lesson by minor punishment) or finally by the Law of God as death, due to which a living entity misses the chance to return home, Back To Godhead, in spite of being so fortunate of having come in touch with Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. (Srila Prabhupada asks devotees to become pure devotees within this present lifetime without waiting for future lives). So, beware and take care.
Also for the land problem during the 1970’s at Bombay, Srila Prabhupada has mentioned in one of his letters that this land deal issue has given him a problem. So those who are trying to check the progress of genuine devotees trying to follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada to the best of their capacity will be troubling Srila Prabhupada. And Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is going to release his Sudarshana chakra to kill these pretenders and imposters who are trying to harm Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON, even though they may be holding legal positions in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada has also mentioned in one of his Srimad Bhagavatam classes that Yamaraja punishes the miscreants. But punishment for those in higher positions is graver, as they are misusing their powers allotted to them. So, better check out now, or later in the court of Yamaraja.
By the way, Juhu was almost like a jungle area in the early 1970’s and the land deal was fixed for merely Rs.15,00,000.00. Now Juhu has become the hub of Bollywood bigwigs, and Sri Sri Radha Rasabhihari-ji is sitting right in middle of Juhu, attracting even those who make the foolish masses mad after them. If any one actor becomes mad for achieving Lord Krishna, then his entire list of fans will become mad after achieving Lord Krishna. Try thinking of a situation like this, which might happen if Lord Krishna desires.
Truly Lord Krishna is Rasabhihari-j, Whom all the living entities from all the universes, whether material or spiritual, want to dance with. Does anyone need any proof? Srila Prabhupada has rightly selected the places. Even during his physical presence on this earth, his disciples were sent to Bangalore, and they formed a separate legal society registered under local state government. Well, genuine devotees who are within ISKCON or outside ISKCON have learnt the lesson of people trying to occupy the post of Acarya in an unauthorized way.
And the ISKCON Bangalore, which was formed during Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence on earth. On a later date, under the bold and courageous guidance of His Grace Madhu Pandit Prabhu, hundreds and hundreds have become full-time devotees as disciples of Srila Prabhupada, and thousands are following Krishna Consciousness practices of various levels at their homes. This is all Srila Prabhupada’s arrangement. Srila Prabhupada had even visited Bangalore years before traveling to America for the first time. So, even the people of Bangalore are greatly blessed, like all other places where Srila Prabhupada has visited or stayed. And he has chosen the Hare Krishna Hill for a great place of pilgrimage, and the new Vasanthapura Hill of an area over 2,000,000 square meters as a multi-media hub for the propagation of Krishna consciousness, right in the second silicon valley of world – BANGALORE. Please assist in whatever way you can to make this dream become a reality.
During the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada, there were cases of firing at Mayapur, where some outside groups wanted to harm devotees, take away the Laxmi of the Lord, and also to create fear among people for not visiting ISKCON Mayapur, which started becoming popular in the days of the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada. A similar incident had happened at Bangalore after the terror strikes on the popular Akshardhaam Mandir at Ahemdabad. About half a dozen terrorists were shot down in Bangalore by intelligence and police forces of South Indian states, who also wanted to attack the famous temple at the Hare Krishna Hill. Yes, Lord Krishna protects his devotees. And this is of special significance as this is one of the major temples in the world trying to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions AS IT IS to best of their capacities without interpretation. (To see the sun in the daytime one does not need the torch light, similarly to understand the instructions of Srila Prabhupada there is no need of interpretation or speculation). Just take the words from Srila Prabhupada’s original books AS IT IS. I read most of the Srila Prabhupada’s books twice at a past pace, but when I read some of the original books of Srila Prabhupada, which I had taken from people who had become Life Members before 1978, there was not a comparison. Srila Prabhupada’s original books are required urgently. Please press the present BBT people (both individually as well as collectively) to print original hardcopy editions of all of the Srila Prabhupada’s books.
In a very interesting manner, Lord Krishna took up the land of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama temple, Vrindavana, where He had played with Lord Balarama and His cowherd friends, Raman-Reti (the land whose mud carries the footprints of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama). Mr. Saraf, the then Mayor of Vrindavana-Mathura, wanted to donate this land to Srila Prabhupada for the purpose of temple construction. But during the course of time, he was not sure whether to donate the land or not, as this land was holding some commercial value. So at the suggestion of devotees, Mr. & Mrs. Saraf wrote ‘YES’ on a paper and ‘NO’ on another paper. With these two pieces of paper folded they went inside their home puja-room, meant for worshipping Lord Krishna, shuffled these papers in their palms and finally placed them in front of Lord Krishna’s deity. They picked up one piece of paper and opened it – YES was mentioned on that. And they donated the land to ISKCON.
Owing to present circumstances within ISKCON, another parcel of land was taken up by ISKCON Bangalore on Srila Prabhupada Marg (official name of Chatikara Road is ‘Srila Prabhupada Marg’), and it will be developed in massive scale to spread the Krishna Conscious messages of Srila Prabhupada in a way that is attractive to the general masses of people – ISKCON is a preaching society (His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had permitted sannyasis to travel by car instead of the common injunction that sannyasis must always travel by foot. Srila Prabhupada gave brahminical initiation to women disciples, engaged technological advances like the Dictaphone for dictating books, microphones for delivering lectures, computers for books’ pre-printing design, etc). So, we are all waiting for the Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana-chandra’s Mega Multimedia Theme Park, which will attract people from all parts of the world to the Holy Vrindavana-dham, where Lord Krishna performed His childhood pastimes, which are the most wonderful of all His pastimes.
Millions and billions of living entities will hear the Holy Names of the Lord, hear Hare Krishna kirtans and lectures by Srila Prabhupada. Many will buy Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books, learn the glories of Vrindavana (this Vrindavana on the surface of the Earth is the same as Goloka Vrindavana – the actual home of the Lord), and partake prasadam at Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana-chandra temple (either from a free distribution counter which is open at all darshan times or from the existing Govinda Restaurant near the Akshaya Patra kitchen located in the same temple premises). All of us must look forward to have this wonderful preaching center come up and help all the innocent spiritually hungry souls.
Most of the people who are presently acting as pseudo-gurus of ISKCON had left very comfortable lifestyles and lucrative jobs to join the society during Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence. Now they are back into those lavish lifestyles, with fat personal bank balances whose amounts are not much utilized in preaching work, as prescribed by Srila Prabhupada. In contrast Srila Prabhupada utilized almost 100% of his accounts like the Book Fund, Temple Construction Fund, etc. for furthering the preaching of the Sankirtana movement, which was originally started by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Only a very small amount was set apart for some of the people – as mentioned in Srila Prabhupada’s Final Will, a legal document which also mentions that all of the (3 to 5) directors, of ISKCON temple properties must be duly initiated disciples of Srila Prabhupada.
What will happen, say after 60-70 years from now, in case the new generation devotees are not be considered the initiated disciples of Srila Prabhupada? Devotees do not mind becoming beggars to promote the interests of the Lord by engaging the souls in His service and to spread His Holy Names. On the other side, the pseudo-gurus and those working under them use the Holy Name to beg or accumulate money, manpower and resources for their personal physical and mental pleasures. Please do not use the Holy Name and ISKCON or His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura’s Gaudiya Matha name or position to accumulate personal and mental bank balances. It is better that whatever you have accumulated in your personal and mental bank accounts be re-engaged in the service of Srila Prabhupada’s original movement. All the devotees and other manpower who are following you can be engaged in Srila Prabhupada’s service by your open statement that only Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada alone is the Acarya of ISKCON as well as its Founder. Please think about this – you will finally be pleasing Srila Prabhupada (instead of being like the bug who is always creating disturbance and bringing displeasure to Srila Prabhupada).
Srila Prabhupada wants to build a HOME WHERE THE WHOLE WORLD CAN LIVE, i.e. ISKCON, but due to our ulterior motives, we want to break this home which was built by Srila Prabhupada. Please do not do it. Srila Prabhupada had requested his disciples, especially his senior disciples, that they should not bring a bad name to ISKCON after his physical departure, which in turn will bring a bad name to Srila Prabhupada himself, as this society was completely recognized in India as Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to glorify great Vedic Indian culture all over the world. Two of my grandfather’s brothers had darshan and heard conversations of Srila Prabhupada in the Vrindavana temple garden – and both of these two relatives say that they have not met such a wonderful and charming person ever in their life, and they still remember him so distinctly, even after more than 30 years. I met another person who was working in the printing press in Nai Sarak, Delhi, where the first three volume of Srila Prabhupada’s great literary work Srimad Bhagavatam was printed. He remembered being fed so many Aaloo Paranthas, which were personally prepared by Srila Prabhupada and offered to the Lord Krishna in the Chippiwada Krishna temple. Which of the present-day gurus can keep on cooking for their visitors and thereafter clean their plates too? Everyone knows Srila Prabhupada did it, as he was completely engaged in the transcendental loving service of Lord Chaitanya, acting as His commander-in-chief to serve Him in freely distributing the Love of Godhead.
Anyway, coming back to the conversation with his senior disciples, His Holiness Tamal Krishna Maharaja had assured Srila Prabhupada in front of many other disciples (you can check the Folio for this particular conversation) that even if they are not able to expand ISKCON, they will at least maintain it on the level on which it was existing in 1977. Well everyone knows what has happened to ISKCON after the physical departure of Srila Prabhupada. How can any of the gurus, if they are authorized by their predecessor, not keep up to their promises made to the Spiritual Master? I fail to understand this. Anyway whatever has happened has happened. Let us all reunite under a single banner of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON and regain the glories the society it was having during the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada.
Can we not leave behind our differences among ourselves and engage collectively in the mission of the Lord? Srila Prabhupada has said wherever there are two or more people there ought to be difference of opinion, but it is always better to co-operate in the service of the Lord. Let us join as a single Hare Krishna Party, a socio-political party according to varna-ashrama dharma, which will be first forming its national government in Fiji and then in other countries, as mentioned in a letter by Srila Prabhupada. A great future has been predicted for Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. Should we not be playing a role in this dream of His Divine Grace Bhaktivinoda Thakur?
And last, I would like to bring to notice that the Spiritual Master is caitya guru, i.e., the external expansion of Supersoul, through Whom comes knowledge, remembrance and forgetfulness. Srila Prabhupada being the genuine Acarya for this period of Kali Yuga also knows whatever goes in and out of his disciples’ heart. So one cannot hide their ulterior motives from Srila Prabhupada. He is keenly observing us and is waiting for us to turn our face towards the instructions mentioned in his original books – and if we do so, he will take us Back to Godhead. It is very simple: attend Mangala Arotik, chant 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on beads, follow the four regulative principles, read Srila Prabhupada’s books, render service to Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON movement and try to develop love for the Lord – and YOU ARE INITIATED!!! Srila Prabhupada has mentioned that initiation means that actual beginning when one starts to follow the orders of Spiritual Master. So doing the things mentioned earlier means the actual initiation. Now, you have begun. And if you continue doing this activity for six months without fail, one can be recommended by the Temple President for the Harinam diksa, where the fire sacrifice is held and we are formally initiated and the journey carries on.
There are thousands of us in different parts of India who have come in touch with Srila Prabhupada’s books via ISKCON Bangalore and want to get formally initiated. If the decision is taken that the present pseudo-gurus be converted as the Ritvik Acaryas of Srila Prabhupada, the face of human society in the world will change. So it is my kind request that everyone hurry up and accept the orders of Srila Prabhupada AS IT IS.
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and his genuine followers,
Bhakta Aniruddha
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