Tamohara dasa (ACBSP), May 08, Winnipeg, Canada: This is the latest reaction of my 84 year-old mother, who has been following ISKCON, initially as a vitally interested outsider, since I joined in the early years. She now worships Gopal, and follows the four regs:
“Are they stupid, or what? The whole thing is ridiculous! Prabhupada started the movement, he is the holy man. Now they want to change his books, change his arrangements? What if Jesus’ disciples started saying that they were as good as Jesus? It would be unacceptable, ridiculous. Nobody will believe them. People are not going to buy this. They (GBC, etc.) MUST be stupid!”
This is interesting, as it gives us a little perspective into how the citizens of the world will react to Srila Prabhupada being relegated to a background position, as opposed to his directions to approach him, the bona fide Spiritual Master, as Founder-Acarya of ISKCON and savior of the world’s fallen. Clearly, people will not want to accept a bunch of wannabes when they can have a recognized world leader, a rare and holy saint who is recognized by ALL as a true “Man of God”.
Strictly for simple and obvious principles of success of this movement, we should put forward the very best. Who can deny that Srila Prabhupada is the best of us all? If so, then kindly get off the vyasasana.
Even the akarmis recognize his greatness! To accept or provide less than this, unnecessarily, I mean to say his clear leadership, is to have some personal motivations. Srila Prabhupada is to be glorified first, all others follow in his footsteps, as humble servants and floor sweepers before Prabhupada. We should accept this principle in all things.
So why not recognize Srila Prabhupada as the Jesus of the modern times, the new-age Messiah which they seek, the world-delivering Jagad-guru? … and be done with all the internal philosophical wrangling! Be guru, teach what he taught, but don’t pretend to be a diksa guru unless you are, 100%, of the highest quality.
Then be a true Godbrother, and do not stay to try to steal your Godrother’s loving home and turn it into a place for your own aggrandizement; go build newer homes for your lucky sisyas. Don’t take Srila Prabhupada’s success, then insert your own name into the picture, except as humble subserviants. You are not the rulers of your Godbrothers, nor was there ever a mandate for you to inherit everything for your own misguided purposes.
For every moment we spend shoring up our temporary empires, playing the GBC boss, or acting like dictatorial Temple Presidents with no istagostis, no voted-in officers, paid flunkies, and co-opted board, another conditioned soul is lost. Instead of doing harinama Sankirtana, you are engaged in lying in the courts, wasting time and all the laxmi. You cook and decorate the Deities nicely, but are you disobeying Srila Prabhupada’s orders for Harinama Sankirtana to supercede all other services? He said that the temple doors can be closed for the purpose of going out, everyone, to do street kirtana. Even japa is strictly secondary to the prime service of sankirtana. These “japa retreats”, 64 rounds, are indeed a “retreat” – a retreat before Maya’s influences! They are in disobeyance to Srila Prabhupada’s orders, and are just an example of the sly deviations. We do not follow Gaudiya Maths, Naranaya Maharaja, or anybody else’s programs
Simply apply Srila Prabhupada’s orders, give up the speculation, and everything will fall into place! The current set of GBC’s are predominantly entrenched and holding on to their positions and power, even against the expressed wishes of most of the devotees. They are centralizers, against Prabhupada’s clear orders and earlier revocation of all GBC powers for the same deviation of attempted centralization, even while he was still with us.
They are like dictators or lords who hold the money and power, and dole it out like gods, 100% against Srila Prabhupada’s orders, lording it over the assembled Vaisnavas. He clearly said that this acquiring of position and power, and then doling out welfare to the Godbrother devotees, is totally unacceptable. These cheaters, claiming to follow Prabhupada but ignoring his directives, like Hari Vilas, must go, or reassess what they are doing and come back to Srila Prabhupada.
I humbly urge all devotees living in ISKCON to form groups, discuss and demand that Srila Prabhupada’s orders be followed 100%, refuse initiations from questionable authorities, and demand the institution of the DOM. Use this power, meant for us by Srila Prabhupada in his DOM, to oust the new-age usurpers and deviants, like Devamrta. Use what you have learned.
Alternatively, please join discussion groups like the Prabhupadanugas. Get knowledge, and come help us rebuild ISKCON. Together, all things are possible.
YS
Tamohara dasa (not the GBC)
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