Aindra Prabhu's Book?
BY: KRISHNA CHANDRA
Jul 26, 2010 — INDIA (SUN) — Everyone loves Aindra Prabhu. He was a Sadhu. And Sadhus are always unconventional. For this he was banned from giving classes in ISKCON Vrindavan. Just one week before Aindra Prabhu left his body in Vrindavan, his long awaited book should have been published. The GBC and ISKCON were warning him that he should not release it and if he did so, then he would have to leave ISKCON. And now that he leaves his body they celebrate him as one of their saints. Many GBC members wrote heartbreaking remembrances - did they also stand for him in the GBC, when the publication of his book was being discussed?
In ISKCON it is only allowed to write books that are exactly "in line" with the given opinion. Critics and persons who write slightly different opinions are banned. I would call this an intellectual corruption. 15 years ago, Kundali Prabhu wrote his books "Our Mission", and for this he was thrown out of ISKCON.
The maturity of a society is measured by how it deals with critics. To erase criticism is always a sign of fear - that one does not really have faith that one is in the truth: because truth does not need to be defended. It is sva-pramanya (self-illuminous). A sincere searcher on the way home is inviting other opinions and he wants to consider them thoroughly, and then make a decision in his heart. Only children have to be protected.
As long as there is no culture of free discussion we will not attract thoughtful souls to our Bhakti movement, but only people who are looking for dependence.
I am still hoping that the devotees around Aindra Prabhu will have the courage to publish his book, and the GBC will not censure it.
