Mahasrnga Dāsa – Jaipura: The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, especially by giving them jobs. (With reference to privileges bestowed on the “nephews” of popes, who were in many cases their illegitimate sons). New Oxford American Dictionary
Anyone having read or studied Srila Prabhupada’s books for the last 10-40 years pretty much understand the definition of the bodily conception of life. And unless one is a pure devotee of Lord Krsna, there has to be some material bodily influence over his/her decisions through life’s journey.
From white, brown, black, to American, Indian, African, Srila Prabhupada dispelled our brain washing of love of country, attachment to family and loyalty to birth place. We simply are not these temporary bodies; but a spiritual spark, part and parcel of our best friend Lord Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada was, is and will be our spiritual master for eternity what to speak of the next 10,000 years. We all have different degrees of love for him and strictness, in which we follow his guidelines and instructions, but without question he is the maha-bhagavat Uttama-adhikari giving light in Kali Yuga.
Ten thousands spirit souls fell at Prabhupada’s lotus feet from 1966 until 1977 developing their love for His Divine Grace daily, swearing their loyalty to him and his ISKCON mission. However, since his ‘physical’ or vapu departure, faiths have been shaken, destroyed or stomped on, due to ambition, cheating and false hood with the gangster mentality of leaders expelling loyalists from his ISKCON.
Out of the original 10K only a few hundred “original” disciples remain, spread around the world with mind sets from blind loyalty to the GBC, democratic mass production of gurus, ritvik gurus, ritvik Temples, switching to Gaudia Math, or just plain doing their own thing. A ten year old girl with half a brain can understand something is wrong.
Srila Prabhupada spoke about the symptoms of nepotism: 4 times during conversations; 3 times in lectures and 3 times in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Although 10 times may not seem much in comparison to thousands of other points, if one scrutinizes today’s ISKCON it’s easy to see the majority of Gurus still functioning, as having serious problems with this evil disease.
Conversation #1
“…That cannot…, you cannot stop in this material world. The tendency is that everyone is thinking that he shall be the best enjoyer, best enjoyer. So this is called struggle for existence. Naturally, this higher class and lower class will remain. You cannot stop it. Even in communistic country, this Khrushchev was driven away. He was taking all advantages for his family, for himself. As soon as he got the post, he misused it. He gave his son-in-law very big post, his family members. That was detected, and he was charged that “you are using your influence, nepotism.” Therefore, he was driven away. So this natural tendency, as soon as one gets power, he will try to utilize it. This psychology you cannot stop in the material world. That is not possible. That sacrificing spirit, that, “My life is dedicated to Krsna,” then it is possible. Otherwise as soon as one will get some position and power, he will try to utilize it for his personal benefit. How can you stop it? It is like if you try to make the lion nonviolent…..”
Srila Prabhupada uses the example of Khrushev and as always speaks with enlightening spiritual perception. Some understand some don’t. Those men who have received the blessings of a ‘demoncratic’ 2/3 majority of conditioned souls and have thus become ‘gurus’ in disciplic succession from Lord Krsna, [oh, yea], have to develop this “own-man-ship” idea in order to maintain their false positions.
Conversation #2
“Kruschev. Kruschev. He was making money, therefore he was driven out. His son-in-law, his sons were employed, neopolism,, what is called? Kirtananda: Neopotism. Prabhupada: Nepotism. That is human nature.”
Unfortunately, history has shown that the leaders have indeed misused their false position of leadership. From sexual impropriety to thievery and murder, all have surrounded themselves with loyal “yes” men and have alienated themselves from godbrothers/sisters who offer corrective criticism or disagree with their ‘guruship’ methodologies of management.
Most of these “yes” men have not read many of Srila Prabhupada’s books and are just fascinated by melodious kirtans, charismatic personalities, magical mannerisms, mesmerized by oracle masterpieces or have linguistic similarities.This groupie, or “own-men-ship” mentality as Prabhupada calls it, is a functioning epidemic in today’s ISKCON society based completely on a bodily conception of life with no spiritual realization.
Recently the secretary of a North Indian ‘guru’ was exposed as an active homosexual preying on young men. Because of this nepotism disease, the ‘guru’, who is questionably in our param para, just transferred him to another Temple, under his control where there was another repeat performance of this sinful and degraded mentality; Implicating both maharaja and disciple in future hellish karma.
This nepotism must be driven out of ISKCON if Prabhupada’s mission is to succeed to the level where Lord Caitanya will be pleased. This nepotism is based on a bodily platform which is a characteristic absent from a bona-fide guru.
Conversation #3
“Tamal Krsna: Why did they depose him? Prabhupada: The cause may be many, but we have to see the result. The main cause was that he was appointing his own men in big, big office. Tamal Krsna: Same thing as Indira. Prabhupada: Nepotism. Indira’s plan was next prime minister, Sanjay.”
The example of Indira Gandi’s plan to install her son Sanjay as prime minister of India is another example of this nepotism. But Lord Krsna who is in total control of everything that exists gave them their accumulated destiny and she was assassinated and Sanjay died in a plane/glider accident with all her plans evaporating like the morning mist.
Lecture #1
“So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But still, dehatma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so strong… That Arjuna admits, drstva tu svajanam krsna: [Bg. 1.28] “My dear Krsna, I have to kill my own men.” What is that “own men”? “Own men” means this bodily relationship. Why others are not own men? Everyone is own men. Because everyone is Krsna’s son. So when one becomes Krsna conscious he can see everyone own men. And when he is not Krsna conscious, he simply sees own men where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect. They are advertising, humanitarian work, philanthropic work, communism, this “ism”, but when there is question of bodily relationship, immediately everything is changed. You know, the Communist country, the Khruschv was driven out because he was patronizing his own men. That was the defect. So you can advertise that “I am for everyone,” but there is affection for own men. Nepotism. Nepotism. It’s called nepotism. So many big big leaders Jawaharhal Nehru, he was sending his own men as ambassador. Vijaya Lakshmi, a woman, she was being sent as ambassador. She was high commissioner here. So this “own men” question is very prominent everywhere………..”
Srila Prabhupada explains that even Arjuna was on the bodily platform and that this concept is very strong and that “own men” simply means bodily relationship, which “gurus” are not supposed to have if they are Krsna conscious. Everything changes when an unqualified person takes a position and then supports it by this “own-men” nepotism consciousness.
I’ve known my god brother ‘gurus’ for almost 40 years and have seen their spiritual qualities, dedication to Srila Prabhupada and sincerity to serve ISKCON. But as His Divine Grace pointed out so clearly, “when there is a question of bodily relationship, immediately everything is changed.”
Another recent example is of another “guru” fabricating a lie against one of his ‘own men’ disciples because the devotee realized how neophyte his ‘guru maharaja’ was and refused to follow him blindly. The questionable swami ‘guru’ removed him from his Temple President position and moved him to another preaching center. There is even a GBC ‘law’ that states that it takes 3 GBC men to remove a Temple President but the autocracy of ‘gurus’ within ‘their’ zones is alive and well in ISKCON. This is not what Srila Prabhupada wanted!!!
Lecture #2
“So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they were assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they are not fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they are they are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this “own-men-ship”, in relationship with the body, is the barrier for spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist, that “I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen, relatives…” This conception of life is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this rascal “own men” conception. That is the vairagya. It is called vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Two thing required in human life: knowledge and vairagya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of all, it increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB. 5.5.8]. This whole world is based on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got attraction for man. This is nature’s bondage. Shackle……”
Srila Prabhupada states that this “own men” consciousness is the greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness and I believe that it is the greatest barrier for Prabhupada’s ISKCON movement. This type of thinking has nothing to do with Vedic culture and shows a huge attachment and understanding of the position of a guru wanting total control of ‘his’ zone.
Srila Prabhupada stated thousands of times that the whole world is based on sex life. However, that refers to the material world and supposedly not to a GBC ‘guru’ of ISKCON coming in disciplic succession.
Another recent example of this farcical ‘guru’ system recently came to light when another ‘guru’ “sannyasi” GBC member was exposed after repeated fall downs and denials with local Bangkok girls. After a superficial display of humility and damage control he gave up his “renounced” order, put on white, went to Vrndavan and surrounded by “his-own-men” got back on an elevated seat and gave a lecture. SHAMEFUL, SHAMEFUL, SHAMEFUL. Not only for himself, but for Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON as well.
Adding insult to injury this PVd being unable to resist that elixir of “pratistha” stepped into the limelight in Chennai, insinuating that I’m still pure enough to bathe the Deities. If you review the pictures of this event on PrabhupadaVision. Com, the problem suddenly becomes crystal clear.
The majority, if not all of his GBC/guru cronies are over their heads in nepotism, and just can’t say anything against anyone because the accusers would be as guilty as the accused. There just cannot be honesty or integrity amongst thieves.
Bhaktivinode Thakur speaks about this type of neophyte guru anarthas in his book Jiva Dharama, where they have the tendency to develop vatsalya bhava with their disciples. But that is another discussion.
SB.
“The king or the administrator is the representative of the Lord to look after the management of the Lord’s will. He must therefore be a recognized person like Maharaja Yudhisthira or Pariksit. Such kings have full responsibility and knowledge from authorities about the administration of the world. But at -times, due to the influence of the ignorance mode of material nature (tama-guna), the lowest of the material modes, kings and administrators come into power without knowledge or responsibility, and such foolish administrators live like animals for the sake of their own personal interest. The result is that the whole atmosphere becomes surcharged with anarchy and vicious elements. Nepotism bribery, cheating, aggression and, therefore, famine, epidemic, war and similar other disturbing features become prominent in human society. And the devotees of the Lord or the faithful are persecuted by all means.”
Was Srila Prabhupada seeing the immediate future of his ISKCON after his departure? He couldn’t have called the fate of 50 and counting “democratic” ‘gurus’ more accurately: no understanding, no responsibility, animal propensities, personal interests, anarchy, violence and of course nepotism which continues unabated to this day. These disturbing features are very prominent throughout his ISKCON today and people who challenge or bring up wrong doings are simply persecuted and intimidated.
SB:
“The symptoms of the Kali-yuga, as mentioned above, namely avarice, falsehood, diplomacy, cheating, nepotism, violence and all such things, are already in vogue, and no one can imagine what is going to happen gradually with further increase of the influence of Kali until the day of annihilation.”
SB:
“All these habits, or so-called advancement of civilization, are the root causes of all irreligiosities, and therefore it is not possible to check corruption, bribery and nepotism. Man cannot check all these evils simply by statutory acts and police vigilance, but he can cure the disease of the mind by the proper medicine, namely advocating the principles of brahminical culture or the principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness.”
Simply stated, Srila Prabhupada is saying that this nepotism, which is going on in {his} ISKCON, is evil and cannot be checked by ‘statutory acts’ (GBC resolutions) or ‘police vigilance’. Our only hope seems to be with the last dwindling leg of truthfulness which has pretty much vanished since 1977. Being truthful with ourselves is seeing and understanding what Prabhupada is saying and looking at today’s situation objectively praying to Lord Krsna to give us the intelligence how to correct it.
