A Leader Speaks Out “Why Is ISKCON So Wishy-Washy?”
“I should think that the young people joining our movement these days are thinking that yoga is important. It is not at all important. This bodily yoga is of zero importance to Krishna consciousness.”
Shrila Bhakti Vikas Swami has a reputation in ISKCON for his lack of political correctness and blunt explanation of the Absolute Truth. According to him, he is speaking nothing different from the very time he joined the Hare Krishna Movement in England in the mid-70s. Apparently, what was understood to be preaching then is disruptive to the Society today. He has experienced that his traditional (read: parampara) approach has not been widely appreciated in all quarters of ISKCON, especially among the upper levels. In fact, there are temples wherein his books have been banned; which is a shame because his three-volume Shri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava is the most authorized biography of His Divine Grace Shrila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati available. It is a great literary achievement and a long labor of love for which the GBC has given no recognition because they have a preference for Radhanatha and his adventures as a Mayavadi collector as told in The Journey Home.
His Holiness has penned the authorized biography of His Divine Grace Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura—yet the GBC in their infatuation with The Journey Home has hardly taken notice.
In the lecture / video that appears at the end of this Part 62, His Holiness explains the hidden history of ISKCON from the time of the 1978 Zonal Acharya era till today—a new era in which the GBC makes life coaching videos and Mayavadi serial rapist “swamis” are glorified in The Journey Home. The GBC would prefer that much of that history—make that “practically all of it”—should be kept as dirt under the rug. But how long can the dust stay underfoot while those who walk over it pretend it doesn’t exist? As His Holiness points out in the talk, the wrong decisions of the GBC after 1978 have shaped the movement into what it is today—and those who are sacrificing their lives to the mission have a right to know these details.
In ISKCON it should be common sense that sooner or later someone—a person with more of a conscience or fidelity towards the Founder-Acharya—must open his mouth discuss record of taboo subjects. And that is exactly what this lecture is about. Call it “ISKCON History 101.”
Looking back to the era of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta, it took only one faithful disciple out of the entire sixty-four Gaudiya Maths to fulfill the prophecy of worldwide sankirtana. Shrila Prabhupada said that he was the only son of his Guru Maharaja and that all of the other disciples were daughters. That is because a son goes away from the family to establish himself on his own while the daughters remain under the family’s protection. It takes self-reliant son or a genuine disciple to represent his origins while standing on his own two feet. For the preacher in the line from Shrila Prabhupada, that means revealing the truth fearlessly. Otherwise there is no question of becoming guru.
As the current acharya of the Gaudiya sampradaya Shrila Prabhupada explained that he adopted the “chopping technique” for preaching the message of Mahaprabhu. In this age of political correctness the atmosphere is imbued with a fear of fault-finding, and for obligatory genuflecting. Back scratching has replaced any discussion of the many sordid transgressions that have thrown today’s ISKCON off track. When straight-forward honesty is not widely appreciated it must be investigated by whom—which parties are afraid of the truth? It is well known that persons with hidden agendas do not appreciate discussions about their past. Here in this talk the Maharaja directly specifies that agents of Kali could very well be the culprits and the misleaders who are sending the Hare Krishna Movement into a high-speed disaster.
It is obvious that the Maharaja has nothing but the best intentions for the mission of his spiritual master His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. His talk is meant to clear the air and for watering the root of genuine Krishna consciousness that is nourishing and liberating. But for undertaking such a thankless task, he has had to tolerate rude and offensive rebukes that are shorn of any element of Vaishnava etiquette that is expected towards a member of the renounced order.
Here is one such letter from the then Vice Chair of GBC Tamohar Das. (http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-12/editorials9058.htm) After seeing this letter ornamented with the usual insincere ISKCON hierarchical formality (“Please accept my obeisances,” etc.) to hide the vitriol coming down from the upper echelons, I found myself wondering whether Tahoma deserved the hyphen in his Vice-chair title.
I know, Tamohar, it only hurts when you smile.
https://gbc.iskcon.org/tamohara-dasa/
Dear Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prahupada.
There seems to be some confusion regarding your coming to the Alachua/Gainesville area and giving classes. Both the temple presidents of Alachua and Gainesville have told you that they prefer you do not give classes or preach here. This must be, and will be respected.
As the GBC of Alachua, I fully support this decision. We feel that your opinions and style of preaching has tended to be disruptive and at times offensive to devotees, the GBC, and ISKCON.
Of course, any devotee is always welcome to visit, take darshan of the deities, etc. But, you will NOT be asked to preach, do programs, or give classes. Thus, I would suggest you may want to alter your September schedule.
Your servant,
Tamohara das GBC - Southeastern USA
Vice-Chair GBC Executive Committee
After listening to the following talk of His Holiness, the readers of this series may decide for themselves whether the Maharaja or the Vice Chair should be preaching, and which one of them should be sent away to practice a few years of silent yoga exercises. Here is the video.