Sugrīva Dāsa – USA: Ever since joining the movement, I’ve always struggled with the dichotomy that exists between ISKCON and FISKCON. On one hand, Śrīla Prabhupāda represents the absolute truth and all that is good and right and on the other hand, the society that he set up and left for us, to allow us to keep following his instructions and work together to go back to Godhead, has been taken over by greedy demons who saw a way to be served and gain power, wealth and women while doing as little work as possible.
We’re here because of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He is the one that attracted us to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness in the first place. The only reason that he had the power to spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness across the entire world is because Kṛṣṇa empowered him to do so. He was a śaktyāveśa avatāra and that is why he was able to live his entire life as a perfect example of pure Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
These other demons pretend to be on the same platform as Śrīla Prabhupāda, but we can clearly see by their actions, their consciousness and their constant falldowns, that they are nothing like Śrīla Prabhupāda. In fact, their consciousness is lesser than the neophyte devotees, who strives to act properly and be truthful. These demons display their faults for all to see and yet, due to the mentality that has been woven into the minds of the naive devotees, no one thinks to question the actions of one who has been appointed a guru by FISKCON.
While I was at the temple recently, I saw a ‘guru’ who, judging by his awkwardness and brand new yet to be washed sannyāsī ‘uniform’, must have been a brahmacārī only days ago. But due to his connections in the FISKCON management, he had somehow been made sanyassi. I had seen him around before and he never appeared to be anything out of the ordinary. Just another young Indian brahmacārī. Yet here he was, dressed up as a Sannyāsī, looking awkward as people offered their obeisances to him.
I saw one senior Prabhupāda disciple offer his obeisances and then get up smiling with a nod as if to say “wow, you’re a Sannyāsī now, good work” as if the brahmacārī had received a mundane promotion.
Maybe this boy was special, maybe he was so self realised that he was now ready to take discliples and give instructions on how to achieve Kṛṣṇa Prema. Who am I to judge? He is a guru and I am not, so therefore I should just accept that I cannot pass judgement.
But my intelligence knows better. I can see clearly that so many FISKCON gurus are falling down in one way or another. They are getting rich and cheating people left, right and center. These are not the actions of a pure devotee. Śrīla Prabhupāda was a pure devotee, that is why he did not fall into these material ways. He led a perfect, pure example.
These ‘gurus’ pretend to be on the same level as Śrīla Prabhupāda, but it is obvious that they have no real spiritual realizations, they can merely remember some śāstra and dress for the role that they occupy, but they cannot control their minds, for this is the Kali Yuga and they are conditioned souls, just like us. Ultimately they can’t help it, they’re under the influence of Kali and therefore they cheat, steal and do what they can to get as much power and wealth as they possibly can. You may not be able to help them, as they are so much in māyā, but what you can do is help yourself and others by not taking their association, not listening to them and not letting them pretend that they are any different to you.
I could put on a car racing outfit and get in my car that is plastered with logos that I had printed out and stuck to my car. Anyone would believe that I had sponsors and judging by my attire, was some professional race car driver. I could even take them for a drive and they would think it was wonderful. People would believe me, but ultimately I don’t actually have the knowledge and the experience to race that car. If I try to race it, eventually I’ll lose control and crash. It doesn’t matter though, because I can explain to everyone that professional race car drivers crash all the time, it is nothing out of the ordinary and those who criticize me know nothing of what it takes to be a race car driver and they have never driven a race car, so how are the qualified to pass judgment?
“There is nothing new to be said. Everything is in my books. Therefore, if you want to know me, read my books.” – Śrīla Prabhupāda
It is very simple. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains to us that everything we need to know is there in his books and more importantly that we can know him by reading his books. We can know him and take instruction from his by reading and understanding his book, so what need have we of these pretenders who are constantly showing the world just how unqualified they really are.
