Srila Prabhupada: “Suppose I have established this temple. Now under my direction, my disciples are worshipping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rupa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that “Our rascal Guru Maharaj established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration. That is called galagraha, a burden, “He has left us a burden.” This is the risk. (Lecture, sept. 24, Vrindavan, 1976)
Why Srila Prabhupada’s temples are deserted and the deity-worship is neglected/ concocted
Below is a very short conversation with Srila Prabhupada where he explains why some people come to Krsna Consciousness, stay for a while, then fade away. He also once said, don’t be surprised by who comes to Krsna, be surprised by who stays.! This means both to come to Krsna and to stay with Krsna requires good fortune. That good fortune is obtained and kept by pleasing the bona fide spiritual master. (Damaghosa das)
750510mw.per Conversations
Amogha: Srila Prabhupada? Why is it that some people, when they hear about Krsna consciousness, they take it, and some do not. And still, after that, some of those who take it, they stay, and some who take it take it for some time and then they fail?
Prabhupada: That is fortunate and unfortunate. Just like one inherits father’s property. Many millions of dollars, and he has become a poor man by his misusing the money. Like that. He is unfortunate. He got the money, but he could not utilize it.
Jayadharma: Does fortune mean it’s the mercy of Krsna?
Prabhupada: Krsna’s mercy is always there. It is your misuse of free will. You are given the opportunity–that is fortune. But you do not accept the fortune. That is your misfortune. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrita. Lord Caitanya said, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva. Kono–some fortunate man can accept it. Because mostly they are unfortunate. Just see, throughout the whole of Europe and America we are making propaganda. How many students have come? A very insignificant number, although they have come. They are fortunate.
Amogha: Sometimes we see that a devotee may be very sincere, but at the same time he becomes weak somehow, and he falls down.
Prabhupada: Even if he falls down, still he is fortunate, because the injection is there. It will act, some day or another. Still he is fortunate. As fortunate man he took it, but he fell down. That does not mean he’s unfortunate. Still he’s fortunate, because the poison is already there. It will develop. That is called ajnata sukrti. Therefore he is not loser. He continues to be fortunate. It will take
some time.
Amogha: So he became weak because he misused his individual will.
Prabhupada: He misused the instruction of his spiritual master.Therefore he became unfortunate, or he fell down. (pause) This is botanical garden?
Conclusion——-Good Fortune is generated by following the instruction of the spiritual master, than our fortune will continue to increase.
CONCOCTED DEITY WORSHIP
Srila Prabhupada warned us:
“From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way. You manufacture ideas and then I have to waste my time. I have given you everything already, there is no need for you to add anything or change anything. Why you are asking these things? Who has given you such freedom?”
In 1975 at Srila Bhaksiddhanta’s appearance day festival in Gorakhpur Prabhupada confirmed the process of offering prasadam to the Deities which we must follow:
“The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don’t directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he’ll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.”
This is the system Srila Prabhupada teaches us for offering bhoga to the Deities. We are to first offer it to Srila Prabhupada and he will offer it to his spiritual master and in this way it will go to Krishna through the disciplic succession. When Srila Prabhupada disappeared ISKCON changed the system and started offering to the new 11 zonal acharyas instead of to Srila Prabhupada. This system was still in place in ISKCON up till the mid 90’s but after so many of the “acharyas” fell down the ISKCON devotees no longer wanted to accept “prasadam” that was offered to ISKCON gurus as it was obvious many were not pure devotees and also the guru of the pujari was not the guru of many of the devotees in the temple and they did not like the idea of accepting prasadam offered to someone else’s guru. So the GBC came up with a new system for offering prasadam to the Deities. And this new system is described in this book on page 30 which reads:
“Note: It should be understood that by the mercy of the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, we are able to engage in the service of the Lord in His arch-vigraha, like offering bhoga and therefore we ask his permission first in order to be able to serve. Then at the end, after the offering, we meditate that Srila Prabhupada and your spiritual master, where appropriate, are taking taking the remnants both in Krishna-lila and Gaura-lila after all the associates have taken.”
This is unfortunately completely bogus, a complete concoction. Srila Prabhupada warned us in a 1973 letter to Dhruvananda:
“The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all.”
The most essential part of worshiping the Deities is the process of making offerings to Them and unfortunately this change by ISKCON turns the whole Deity Worship process Srila Prabhupada gave us on its head. It is very unlikely that the bhoga is being accepted by the Deities when offered in this concocted way.
So please replace the last paragraph on page 30 of the Deity Worship Manual with:
“The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don’t directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he’ll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.”
Srila Prabhupada: You may dress Lord Caitanya in the standard way, main things is do it nicely, don’t make it funny. In your Western countries Lord Caitanya should be entirely covered, He should not appear bare-chested.
….Now you are asking if Lord Jagannatha carries flute? Why this nonsense question? You are asking me so many concoctions and manufactured nonsense. Don’t bother my head in this way any more. From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way. You manufacture ideas and then I have to waste my time. I have given you everything already, there is no need for you to add anything or change anything. Why you are asking these things? Who has given you such freedom? Pujari should operate entirely under the supervision of temple president and GBC, not independently. The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all. (Letter to Dhruvananda)
Srila Prabhupada: “If there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden.”
In this new system where it is described in this book on page 30 which reads:
“Note: It should be understood that by the mercy of the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, we are able to engage in the service of the Lord in His arch-vigraha, like offering bhoga and therefore we ask his permission first in order to be able to serve. Then at the end, after the offering, we meditate that Srila Prabhupada and your spiritual master, where appropriate, are taking taking the remnants both in Krishna-lila and Gaura-lila after all the associates have taken.” ……….( Concocted idea )
It appears to me that that has been replaced according to the Instructions of Srila Prabhupada as written in the article ;
So please replace the last paragraph on page 30 of the Deity Worship Manual with:
“The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don’t directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he’ll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.” …..( Corrected )
I find that it is not clear if the concocted idea is still prevailing or has it been corrected ?
Hari BOL.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.