Bala Dāsa – NY US: His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda , the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness said it best.
“I have tried to give you all Krsna Consciousness, now it is your duty to develop it. If you remain strong on the spiritual platform then your progress will not be checked or blocked. I do not know what was resolved in New Vrindavan although Sriman Rupanuga Prabhu has informed others that he has sent a tape in this connection…. I do not know how far they are correct, but I have written him a letter that he may not do something which may harm the interest of the Society. You are also one of the members of the GBC, so you can think over very deeply how to save the situation… IT IS A FACT HOWEVER THAT THE GREAT SINISTER MOVEMENT IS WITHIN OUR SOCIETY. I have not heard anything from Krsna das or Syamasundara., so all of you may try to save the Society from this dangerous position.” (Letter to Hamsadutta, Calcutta, 70-09-02)
Interesting to note that while Hamsadutta was not able to save the society from the clutches of the sinister pretenders, he was the ONLY one came around in the end.
“The Ācārya , the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the Ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. Unfortunately, when the Ācārya disappears, rogues and non devotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on.” (SB 4.28.48 purport)
The current GBC is unauthorized, thus everything they introduce is unauthorized, from Gaura Keshava Das’ adjustments to the method of Deity worship, to Jay Israel’s changes to the Holy Scriptures, to every anti varnasrama bureaucratic committee such as the CPO (child pollution office).
“The word pakhanda used in this verse is sometimes pronounced pasanda. Both of these words indicate an imposter who presents himself as a very religious person but in actuality is sinful. Indra took up the saffron-colored dress as a way of cheating others. This saffron dress has been misused by many imposters who present themselves as liberated persons or incarnations of God. In this way people are cheated.” (SB 4.19.12 purport)
Bad boys
“When the devotee has an interest or will different from the interest of the Supreme Lord, his mentality is that of a separatist. When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion. (SB 3.29.9 : PURPORT)
Passionate Gurus are ready to take you to hell. All aboard!!
“Kirtanananda may be eager to address in the Harvard university but recently he has lost his link on account of disobedience. You sing every day morning that by the mercy of the Spiritual master one can please the Lord and one who has not pleased the spiritual master cannot have any access in the realm of Krishna Consciousness. Very recently Kirtanananda has developed a different consciousness of Maya which is called misuse of one’s minute independence offered by Krishna. By misuse of one’s independence one at once becomes a victim of Maya and thus he loses all importance in Krishna Consciousness. So it is my definite opinion that his lecture anywhere now will bear no spiritual sequence. He must rectify his mistake before he can play in our Society any important role. By lips he says that he is a surrendered soul but by action he is thinking differently. (Delhi 6 October, 1967 : 67-10-06 )
Or just take the society over if you don’t want to rectify yourself.
“One should not accept a spiritual master without following his instructions. Nor should one accept a spiritual master just to make a fashionable show of spiritual life.” NoI 5 : PURPORT
But all I want is to be “COOL”.
“The unwanted creepers have been described by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He states that if one hears and chants without trying to give up offenses, one becomes materially attached to sense gratification. One may also desire freedom from material bondage like the Mayavadis, or one may become attached to the yoga-siddhis and desire wonderful yogic powers. If one is attached to wonderful material activities, one is called siddhi-lobhi, greedy for material perfection. One may also be victimized by diplomatic or crooked behavior, or one may associate with women for illicit sex. Others may make a show of devotional service like the prakrta-sahajiyas… One may become attached to the four sinful activities-illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat eating, One may also try to carry out a professional business while chanting the Hare Krsna mantra or reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, or one may try to increase his monetary strength by illegal means. One may also try to be a cheap Vaisnava by chanting in a secluded place for material adoration, or one may desire mundane reputation by making compromises with nondevotees, compromising one’s philosophy or spiritual life, or one may become a supporter of a hereditary caste system.
All these are pitfalls of personal sense gratification. Just to cheat some innocent people, one makes a show of advanced spiritual life and becomes known as a sadhu, mahatma or religious person. All this means that the so-called devotee has become victimized by all these unwanted creepers and that the real creeper of bhakti-lata-bija has been stunted. (Madhya 19.160 : PURPORT)
Unfortunately the facts show that the typical voted in Isckon guru exemplifies one or all of the above deviations.
“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated. He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” However, if a devotee or so-called devotee purposefully commits sinful activities continually in the hope that Krsna will give him protection, Krsna will not protect him. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kali ke rakhibe, yadi na dibe raja-dhana?: “Jagannatha has saved Gopinatha Pattanayaka from being killed by the King today, but if he commits the same offense again, who will give him protection?” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus warns all such foolish devotees that Jagannatha will not protect them if they continue to commit offenses. (Antya 9.65 : PURPORT)
It seems the GBC who covers up and supports continued criminal activity has not read this verse
“Sometimes not willingly but due to past bad habits—habit is second nature—one does something nonsensical. But that does not mean he is faulty. But he must repent for that—“I have done this.” And he should try to avoid it as far as possible. But habit is second nature. Sometimes, in spite of your trying hard, maya is so strong that it pushes with Pitfalls. That can be excused. Krsna excuses. But those who are doing something willingly are not excused. On the strength that I am a devotee, if I think, “Because I am chanting, I may therefore commit all this nonsense, and it will be nullified,” that is the greatest offense. (PQPA 7: Acting in Knowledge of Krsna)
‘And one may commit offense once—not that to repeat that offense. Unwillingly committing offense is excused, but willingly committing, that is very dangerous. So why one should commit offense willingly? There is no meaning. Unwillingly or unconsciously one may commit. That is excused. [break] …in Bhagavata, bhajatam, sa-pada-mula? bhajatam. There is a verse like that. That is excused. Otherwise how Krsna says, api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavya? [Bg. 9.30]? Unwillingly, by his practice, he has committed. That is excused. Not that “Because I have become a Vaisnava, because I am chanting Hare Krsna, therefore I can do any kind of offense. It will be counteracted.” This is the greatest offense. Sometimes it happens but that is very grievous offense. On the strength of becoming Vaisnava and chanting Hare Krsna and committing offense at the same time, that is the greatest offense. That should be avoided especially. But unintentionally, unconsciously, something is done—that is excused. And if we understand that “We have… I have committed this offense,” immediately steps should be taken. That’s all. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.56-62 — Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel’s House)
Note to GBC: IMMEDIATELY does not mean 12 years later.
“A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to hear the Vedic literature like the Upanisads, Vedanta-sutra and other literatures left by the previous authorities, or Gosvamis, for the benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures, one cannot make actual progress. And without hearing and following the instructions, the show of devotional service becomes worthless and therefore a sort of disturbance in the path of devotional service. Unless, therefore, devotional service is established on the principles of sruti, smrti, Purana and Pañcaratra authorities, the make-show of devotional service should at once be rejected. An unauthorized devotee should never be recognized as a pure devotee.” (SB 1.2.12 purport)
NO means NO. Never means Never.
“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati thakura, commenting on this verse, which is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.24), remarks that sometimes a maha-bhagavata, or very advanced devotee, does not manifest such transcendental symptoms as tears in the eyes, and sometimes a kanistha-adhikari, a neophyte devotee, displays them artificially. This does not mean, however, that the neophyte is more advanced than the maha-bhagavata devotee. The test of the real change of heart that takes place when one chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is that one becomes detached from material enjoyment. This is the real change. Bhaktir paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (Bhag. 11.2.42). If one is actually advancing in spiritual life, he must become very much detached from material enjoyment. If it is sometimes found that a kanistha-adhikari (neophyte devotee) shows artificial tears in his eyes while chanting the Hare Krsna mantra but is still completely attached to material things, his heart has not really changed. The change must be manifested in terms of one’s real activities.” (Adi 8.25 : PURPORT)
“fake it til you make it” does not a Diksa Guru make Radhanatha, but go ahead and swoon all you like and enjoy your little hip hop gooroo dance while you can.
“The prakrta-sahajiyas generally chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, yet they are attached to women, money and intoxication. Although such persons may chant the holy name of the Lord, they are not yet properly purified. Such people should be respected within one’s mind, but their association should be avoided. Those who are innocent but simply carried away by bad association should be shown favor if they are eager to receive proper instructions from pure devotees, but those neophyte devotees who are actually initiated by the bona fide spiritual master and are seriously engaged in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master should be offered respectful obeisances.” (NOI 5)
First note, obeisances are not to be offered to any but a strictly following neophyte. This is important.
Second one might wonder, how does one respect an envious person in one’s mind when they have stolen one’s Spiritual master’s physical and intellectual properties, brought shame upon his institution and inflicted great distress upon every living entity they meet? Someone who you are told to neglect and avoid associating with??
To me, the old Christian proverb “hate the sin, not the sinner comes to mind.”
Which seems the only way one can be diplomatic with an enemy when forced by circumstances to associate with him outside the battlefield, yet quickly allow one’s righteous anger to rule the day and slay his sorry ass when the time is right.
Respect is only meant to go so far, and this is something to meditate on, because members of the sinister movement rely on the fact that soft-hearted devotees will misunderstand the requirement to respect them and extend it to supporting or allowing them to commit their sinister deeds without a fight. They count on your naive sentiment and attempt to make their challengers feel guilty of offensive behaviors.
When they are the actual offenders. At this point they have proven, beyond a doubt, that they should receive no quarter, for they have given not even a dime size place for the loyalists to worship in their Spiritual Father’s house.
Prabhus, if we can’t take out the trash and set Srila Prabhupada’s house in order quickly and readily, we ought to consider building a new one and then dealing with the Maha aparadhis when fortune affords us a future opportunity.
Originally published: March 2012