Third of a Three-Part Series

“If we accept the teachings of Bhagavad-gita As It Is without unnecessary commentary on it, then our spiritual movement will be successful. But if we manufacture something out of our own concoction, it will never be successful.” Letter to K.C. Nigam, May 11, 1975

“We are always thinking these kinds of changes. Why is that? I simply want things to be developed which we have got, not to make so many big, big plans and changing all the time.” Letter to Satsvarupa, July 25, 1972

“I HAVE NO APPROVAL FOR ANY THESE PLANS. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING.” Memo to all ISKCON Temple Presidents, Apr. 7, 1972

The hollow triumphalism that emanates from the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” is just not cutting it anymore.  Particularly difficult it is for them to disguise the tale of decline that has now overcome their movement. Still, that’s not going to check those fellows from putting the pedal to the metal and “somehow or other” making the concoction work.

We have pointed out (in Parts One and Two) that the self-abrogated powers-that-be within the vitiated GBC are engaged in changing the Society’s by-laws to suit their own purposes; perhaps, they have already completed the project. They have changed many things.  Indeed, their de facto leader trumpets this:[1] When the “prodigal sons” come back, they repeatedly remark, “It is so different!” 

The leaders of “ISKCON” think that all of their changes are good, and that any sentiment connected to what was previously emphasized and established (while Prabhupada was externally manifest) demonstrates nothing more than a mentality frozen in time.  

All emphases added for your edification and realization

Not all the devotees think like this, however.  Most importantly, as we shall demonstrate, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada never thought like this.  If he was with us now (in external form), he would certainly confirm that he does not approve of what “ISKCON” has done to his Hare Krishna movement of Krishna consciousness.

Danger of the Aleatory

“Actually, no one has got any philosophy nowadays; everyone is acting according to his own whims. Therefore, there is no security, no peace--everything is unpredictable and dangerous.”  Letter to Danavir, December 12, 1971

“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.  Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. . . The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” William Butler Yeats

Prabhupada gave us a fixed, absolute philosophy, a fixed, absolute process, and a fixed way of life with a guarantee: As long as we stayed true to these absolutes, we would become self-realized—and proceed in spiritual life from there.  However, free will is what it is.  There are two destinies for everyone[2], and this principle applies, as well, to spiritual movements:

“It is most encouraging to me to see that you are spreading this movement so nicely, and I thank you for this. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has forecast that this Hare Krishna mantra will be heard in every nook and cranny of the globe. He is God, so it will happen; that is a fact. So, if we take advantage then we may take the credit, but if we do not someone else will.” Letter to Karandhara, Nov. 4, 1970

With all of these changes, however, it is impossible to perfectly predict just how and where “ISKCON” will wind up.  Nevertheless, in terms of past, present, and future, we can understand some general stages. This important topic has been covered in great depth on our sister website. Ages and Stages of Man and Movement You are encouraged to consult it to advantage. 

Still, we cannot be overly concerned about such a big, international conglomerate, i.e., we must save ourselves first.  You do not want the giant to roll over on you, so that obliges you to understand the giant.  At the same time, personal decisions from moment to moment are far more important than misusing intelligence in trying to figure out the impossible, viz., how to reform “ISKCON.”

That’s because “ISKCON” is far past any stage of reform. It’s a fast-moving, powerful train, running on a different time-scale, one that has gone off the rails--degrading, converting, and destroying everything close enough to its path, in its way of never-ending change.  It thrives on chance, because the fix-it-as-you-go-everything-according-to-time-place-and-circumstances mentality dovetails well with this movement.  However, that was not the guidance that Prabhupada gave us, and we should not allow that contamination to enter our mental quantum.

This much we must know: “ISKCON” is far more dangerous than either the rittvik concoction or neo-Mutt.  That does not necessarily mean that “ISKCON” is objectively the worst.  In point of fact, the darkest group is, without question, neo-Mutt.  The traitors who constitute this second order simulacrum simply use Prabhupada in order to entrap fools into thinking that they, neo-Mutt, have successfully used him as a steppingstone to bigger and better knowledge and prospects. 

Rittvik is “ISKCON” light; it basically attracts those who cannot stomach the ambience of the vitiated GBC and the Dark Ages mentality underlying it.  There is one overriding reason, however, why we must continuously emphasize the deviations of “ISKCON” over and above neo-Mutt, rittvik, smorgasbord, and solar smorgasbord.  The fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” possesses a potential that none of the other deviations has:  It could possibly capture political power in the West in a chance future, when things come apart at the center of the American weltanschauung.

On Changing the Psychology

“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?” Letter to Dhruvananda, Jan. 4, 1973

“Don't change from this to that. That is your American disease. This is very serious that you always want to change everything.” Letter to Bhakta das, Nov. 24, 1974

 “Even if there is some deficiency, you should try to correct it without thinking in the Westernized way.” Letter to Janis (Janardana das Adhikari), Dec. 10, 1966

Srila Prabhupada did not come here to establish another organized religion.  His was (and is still supposed to be) primarily a cultural movement, meant for changing both the character and the psychology of his disciples.  They—at least most of them—had come from either Christian or Jewish backgrounds.  They had rejected that, and, to some extent (perhaps total, for a few), they had rejected the Western mindset as well.  As could only be expected, there was a backlash.

Now, however, “ISKCON” revels in a Western mentality with an Eastern gloss.  If you look past the superficialities of the situation and apply some prajna in your analysis, their mentality is not difficult to intuit.  There was pressure from above and below[3], and the leaders, after Prabhupada departed, in effect choked.  Dogmatic thinking has become locked in now, especially on arcane cult-specific subjects; a very sick psychology emanates from the upper echelon of that movement. 

The difficulties came when the Western mindset—its theological psychology, in particular—was challenged at the very root.  Necessary precautions were not taken, because the leaders falsely thought themselves to be special, on the spontaneous platform.  Now, “ISKCON” has become the symbol of a new dogma, instantly manifest whenever there is a challenge concerning its hierarchy, its initiation process, and its governing body.  When it comes to practically anything else, however, you will find everyone in the organization quite amenable. 

The host culture won. Christians and Jews in particular[4], and the West in general, got over.  This all amounts to a big change from what Prabhupada gave us, what was established while he was here, and the spiritual psychology from his disciples that he expected and demanded.

On Changing the Books

“The conclusion is that we have lost our faith in the traditional Vedic knowledge handed down from the guru to chela or from the father to the son, although such system of deductive knowledge from the authority is the most perfect form of knowledge.” Letter to Sri Padampat Singhania, May 7, 1957

“One who understands and appreciates the disciplic succession is certainly advanced, and we should always be very careful to give full respect to those who have so carefully handled this Divine Fruit of transcendental knowledge before us. Even a slight change will spoil it.” Letter to Hansadutta and Satsvarupa, Aug., 1967

“The thing is, you must see that the meaning of the verse is in no way altered or changed. Simplification is alright, but do not change anything.” Letter to Dayananda, Feb. 2, 1975

There has been a two-fold attack on Srila Prabhupada’s implicit and transcendental authority, as well as his incomparable status.  The first attack took place in the late Seventies and early Eighties, when the “Lilamrita” surfaced from of the ocean of nescience.  That very severe blow was then followed up by massive changes to Prabhupada’s purports--to his Bhagavad-gita, in particular, and some of his other books.  The transcendental authority contained in them has been lost due to these changes, at least for those who foolishly read those unauthorized commentaries.

To write a so-called biography of the saktyavesh-avatar that:
1)dwells on his life as a child and a young man,
2)allows a critique from an outsider to applaude the work as an insightful description of “a very human story of a very human Srila Prabhupada,”
3)opines he was bewildered when he left his wife
4)says he was more lost than any bum in the Bowery when some temporary living quarters was taken away, thus demeaning him to a status comparable to (or even lower than) one of his own chelas.  There was a method behind this madness, of course.  It assisted conditioned souls pretending to be mahabhagavats, adding another argument in the ultimately failed effort to pull off the colossal hoax they had foisted upon the movement.

However, the changes to his books is the most egregious offense.  He constantly warned about this.  When it was brought to his attention that Hayagriva had culled out a statement (in Easy Journey to Other Planets, his second published book) revealing that the astronauts never went to the Moon, Prabhupada manifested intense spiritual anger and disappointment.  He repeatedly warned that there must be no such changes.[5]

Obviously, this topic could not be sufficiently covered even in an article ten times longer than this one.  There have been over seven hundred and forty changes in the Bhagavad-gita, from the 1972 Macmillan version to the 1983 Lichenstein edition. 

Although Hayagriva was a careless and complacent editor, the corrections that were required to the rushed publication of the 1972 addition could have easily been made later by almost any initiated brahmin in Prabhupada’s movement, one who was or is skilled in the English language, rules, and syntax and who has stayed true to him. Frankly, it could have been done in a week. 

Yes, at least one purport must have been butchered by Hayagriva’s sloppy editing, but that problem could have, and should have, been legitimately confronted as well.  What instead has been done is to split the publication of Prabhupada’s works.  Now there’s this new entity, the BBT(I), which never existed while Prabhupada was with us.  As a backlash and a concession to the last legitimate BBT trustee, there is Krishna Books, Inc.  Where is the BBT?  It should have never been converted into another corporate entity, what to speak of two.  When the public is informed that there are dual outfits (with differing translations and purports), both with legal standing to print literature in the name of transcendental authority, it will simply throw up its collective hands and, in effect, pronounce a pox on both their houses.

On Changing to Accommodate

“I am not much fond of the idea of changing things to accommodate the public . . . “ Letter to Bali Mardan, Dec. 28, 1971

“If we divert our attention in this way, the whole thing will gradually deteriorate. He is going far away. All these things are nonsense inventions. Such inventing spirit will ruin our this movement. . . Our standard is to have kirtana, start temples. What is this ‘Road Show’ and ‘Yoga Village?’ It will be another hippie edition. Gradually the Krishna consciousness idea will evaporate: Another change, another change, every day another change! Stop all this! Simply have kirtana, nothing else. Don't manufacture ideas.” Letter to Sudama, Nov. 5, 1972

“Regarding the Hindu community: Don't expect anything very wonderful from them.  As we have got experience in Montreal, they have come in the foreign countries to earn money. As such, you cannot expect any cultural contribution. So, you will tactfully deal with them, and whenever possible, vehemently protest against their foolish ideas, but you should try to support your statements on the strength of Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Best thing will be to avoid them as far as possible. I am concerned to preach this gospel amongst the Europeans and Americans, and I am not at all interested to preach amongst the Indians, because they have now become hodge-podge, due to so many years of subjugation by foreigners and having lost their own culture.”   Letter to Guru das, Sept. 29, 1968

When the massive deviation of the Zonal Acharya era became exposed on a widespread basis, the majority of the devotees still in and around “ISKCON” lost their service spirit of tapasya.  As such, very few of them could continue to hit the streets, strip centers, parking lots, and airports and do “the pick,” because that requires tremendous stamina fundamentally underpinned by an attitude of severe austerity and penance.  Thus, the revenue stream was grievously threatened, which was not at all the case during the time Prabhupada was still with us.

Enter the Western Hindu.  We have all respect for the Hindus in the West, particularly in America.  They are ideal citizens.  They work hard, and they are very intelligent in their particular vocations or crafts.  They have become great engineers, scientists, IT men, surgeons, etc.  They understand a system that still has some meritocracy left in it, and they pay the price for material success.  They practically control the small motel franchise throughout the country.  Some of them have certainly helped us (materially) over the years, and we appreciate them for this assistance.  Many are still vegetarian and offer their food to someone before partaking.

What we cannot appreciate is when the Hindu injects his false notions and hodge podge culture into the Krishna consciousness movement.  His leverage for this, in order to initially get his foot in the door, was becoming a patron—check that, the chief patron—of “ISKCON.”  It all started in a big way when the Bhaktivedanta Manor ran into huge legal problems in England.  Without Hindu intervention at various levels, its would not have prevailed, but there was a price to be paid for that assistance.  Now the operation at the Manor openly advertises itself as Hindu. 

Actually, the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” movement is changing many things relative to pecuniary requirements: It has already (to no small degree) surrendered to systemic Western Hinduism for crass subsidization of temples, programs, and sense gratification.  His Divine Grace never wanted this.  He did not want such compromise in the name of accommodation.  If the devotees had actually remained legitimate, then they should have downsized.  Of course, this is all an academic question, because “ISKCON” was converted into an apa-sampradaya in the spring of 1978. 

Nevertheless, it is particularly odious to see how the Hindu hodge podge has powerfully invaded so many American and European operations, even to the point of controlling the management.  It is all an unauthorized invention for the purpose of meeting the bills, along with the extravagant desires of rapacious leaders who strongly desire big revenue.

The Absurdity of Change

“Not that we make some plan, change things, then do not complete it, again change, this way, that way—no.” Letter to Jayananda, May 14, 1972

“We have already got our Vaisnava standard. That is sufficient for Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya. It was sufficient for Lord Caitanya, six Gosvamis, for Bhaktivinode Thakura, for my Guru Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, for me, for all big, big saints and Acaryas in our line. Why it shall be inadequate for my disciples, so they must manufacture something? That is not possible. Who has introduced these things . . . ?” Letter to Ekayani, Dec. 3, 1972

“It was easy to get caught up in the whole nuclear business.  You could eat and breathe the stuff. . . Then, you’d move away from it for awhile, look at it from a distance, and think: ‘God, that’s a crazy world!’” William Kaufmann, Special Assistant to Robert McNamara, 1961

When you step back and take an objective look at “ISKCON,” you see that Reality bites.  They have gone far away.  They have changed the identification.  They have ignored the charter of the governing body, The Direction of Management; that also falls in the category of change.  They have converted Prabhupada’s success into a failure disguised as a different kind of so-called success.  Who is Crazy? was the title of Prabhupada’s first small paperback.  The answer now is not what it was back then.

Prabhupada did not want any of the ideas or principles changed.[6]  But that’s just what the “ISKCON” leaders have done.  This all started in the spring of 1972.[7] The movement never actually recovered from that.  Prabhupada wanted us to change others, not to be changed by them.  When someone or some group could not be transformed, Prabhupada demanded that we completely ignore them.[8]  But now “ISKCON” is loaded with fanatics and dogmatists, because the personality of change, a principality in the lower modes of material nature, has won the day.  It’s a crazy cult within a crazy world, and there is no shelter to be had there.

Fight the Right Fight

“This fighting spirit will destroy everything, but what can I do? You American and European boys are trained up in this fighting attitude. Now put it aside and simply work cooperatively for spreading this movement all over the world. The standards I have already given you; now try to maintain them at all times under standard procedure. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything. That will ruin everything. Simply do as I am doing and be always serious and sincere to serve Krsna, and He will give you intelligence how to do everything.” Letter to Bali Mardan and Pusta Krishna, Sept. 18, 1972

“ . . . though most men in the present age . . . (believe) that the tendency of things, on the whole, is toward improvement, we ought not to forget that there is an incessant and ever-flowing current of human affairs toward the worse.” John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

“In their eyes there’s something lacking.  What they need’s a damn good whacking.” The Beatles, “Piggies”

There were signs of things to come before Prabhupada disappeared (and under nefarious circumstances).  Some of his sannyasis and GBCs, supposedly his best men, became opportunists, riding the chariot of the mind and scamming the rank and file (and even each other).[9]  Prabhupada was helpless; Paramesvara does not interfere. 

Over the course of just a little more than a decade, Prabhupada constantly stressed that his disciples should not manufacture anything related to the siddhanta, the process, or anything running contrary to his orders.[10]  But as the letters attest, that dreadful tendency to manufacture became commonplace.  The real workers in his movement picked up on this negative development, but what could they do?  If they protested—and your author was one who did—they were ostracized, effectively thrown out with barely more than the tennis shoes on their feet.

The material universe is called jagat, that which automatically drives downwards.  You have to make continuous effort in order not to change what the guru insists upon and establishes.  Ducking under the bar and falling on the pillow does not constitute winning in the high jump.  Changing means cheating.  Engaging the cheating propensity in spiritual life means to fall under the sway of continuously making mistakes and becoming illusioned by pramada.  Two mistakes are then made to cover the first mistake; four more to cover those two.

“ISKCON” is certainly making plans.  It inherited massive bank accounts, international facilitations, a good reputation, and great wealth in the form of properties, temples, etc.  It inherited thousands of enthusiastic workers.  It has squandered most of that.  The solution now cannot be its so-called reformation.  The solution now is for individual devotees to work on themselves, seek out good association, and once again develop the all-important service attitude, free from mental speculation—the tendency to change, manufacture, and concoct. 

Prabhupada suspended the operation of the Governing Body back in 1972; he would do much more than that now.  It is up to us to get fixed in Krishna consciousness, pick up the torch again, and carry it.  The real existential problem, the one that is most ominous, is represented by “ISKCON.”  We must individually get linked to the solution at the feet of the Paramesvara within. 

That entails picking up Prabhupada’s attitude toward those who misused their power and opportunity.  They have returned to their old ways.  They require more than mere rejection.  They are weeping Atlas cedars that just need to grow, and grow, and grow—but they must be forcefully checked.  If we have the courage to expose their hoax and give all their propaganda a good shellacking, they will never be successful.

To Be Continued

Return to Part One

Return to Part Two

ENDNOTES