ISKCON: It Can't Happen Here
BY: NAGAR BEHARI DAS
Jul 26, 2012 — CANADA (SUN) — When I first went to India I marveled at how even unqualified shudras sauntered about dressed as sannyasis. These ordinary karmis in the dress of renunciates were able to live at the expense of society simply because of the color of their cloth. I thought that there should be some authority empowered to discipline such imposters, who were walking offenses to the very Vedic society they claimed to represent. I was happy that I came from an enlightened organization, a Society of discriminating transcendentalists who acknowledge that the sacred saffron cloth is meant to identify only those who are qualified by their austerity and devotion to wear it. I was overjoyed to be part of an enlightened group, that I did not have to suffer the company of ignorant fools who bow before saffron no matter who it is wrapped around. Here in ISKCON no one would ever blindly worship an unqualified person simply because of the colour of his dhoti.
It can't happen here…
[The truth is that in ISKCON, an overwhelming number of our sannyasis have been the last to lead the lives of renunciates, yet they have been the first to take full advantage of the innocent devotees' offers of service. Service in the form of regular massage, special diet and an overall good life of unearned privilege. Today hundreds of ISKCON's sense gratifying swamis have fallen back into their hippie mentality, taking entire flocks of devotees down with them.]
In India today, those who are in the Guru Business use their assumed status to collect millions and they also hide their wealth behind charitable foundations dedicated to mundane social services. In this way these false Gurus live like wealthy potentates, fooling others into believing that their sole motivation is their burning compassion for suffering mankind. But this was never true of the ISKCON sannyasis I was proud to bow before and serve. For in ISKCON, every penny that fell into a sannyasi's hand had to be employed in Krishna's service.
It can't happen here…
[ISKCON today has many millionaire sannyasis who have stockpiled large fortunes and live in expensive mansions or in private apartments with many personal cooks and other servants at their beck and call.]
As a proud initiated devotee, I felt lucky to have the association of spiritually advanced personalities that gave me shelter and a sense of protection from the evil ways of the world. I had left behind the Catholic Church, which was full of perverts in the dress of religious fathers; and I mean child molesters who were protected by the church leaders. ISKCON was different. It had gurukulas , where boys and girls would grow up to become a new breed of brahmanas and scriptural scholars. Thankfully those elders who were invested with the welfare of the children would faithfully look out for them, seeing that no harm ever fell upon these little demigods.
It can't happen here…
[In fact hundreds and hundreds of innocent children were abused and molested in ISKCON. And since growing to adulthood, dozens of these poor victims have committed suicide. It is no wonder that ISKCON practices a weird form of Interfaith nowadays, since there is little difference between many other religions and what ISKCON has now become. Child abusers still hold prominent positions within ISKCON while the children—now grown—and their parents have long since been chased away.]
Fortunately, the leaders of ISKCON were detached from the positions they held. And that is why they were awarded their posts—qualifications. They were the most detached and were unlike the greedy politicians of the world, whose false sense of proprietorship we had long since left behind. Karmis may have a greedy canine-like mentality similar to dogs who mark the territory they think they own. But in ISKCON, the transcendental mentality of the leaders who loved each of was would expand Vaikuntha on earth.
It can't happen here…
[As soon as the Founder Acharya left our vision, the GBC sliced up the world into imaginary zones and chased their Godbrothers out of their personal domains, a mentality that remains to this day. While legends in their own minds pretended to run ISKCON, the society's real purpose—sankirtan yagna—has been sorely neglected.]
In ISKCON a husband and his wife were pleased to simply work together in service to the Supreme Lord, and to live in harmony, free from selfish desires. ISKCON's devotees were the antithesis of the self-centered society they had left behind, a society wherein marriage was aimed only at the fulfillment of sensual desires. While karmis could change partners like a car owner changes his tires as soon as their sense gratification became interrupted, here marriage was for life. In ISKCON, married devotees demonstrate their love of Shri Guru by co-operating amongst themselves.
It can't happen here…
[In fact, although members of ISKCON actively preach against divorce, the divorce rate within ISKCON is easily equal to that of the society they claim to have left behind.]
ISKCON opened up an entirely new world of transcendental education, an understanding of the Absolute Truth. Simultaneously, the old cheating tactics, bloated scientific theories and utter lack of realized knowledge of the karmi education was kicked aside in favor of a genuine understanding of the Absolute Truth.
It can't happen here…
[In fact, ISKCON in India opens and supports karmi-centered schools that teach mundane knowledge that is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Shrila Prabhupada. In this way ISKCON's conscience-free leaders have created their own slippery slope for a coming generation of confusion.]
In the beginning I was thrilled to join ISKCON. Once and for all, this philosophy of Bhagavat Dharma settled all the vegetarian food fads, the false concepts of yoga, the impersonalism of the society I had left behind, everything.
It can't happen here…
[Today, ISKCON's sannyasa minister is a yoga instructor. Many devotees frequently contradict Srila Prabhupada's instructions on diet and many have become vegans. And as far as impersonalism is concerned, this quality is best understood by observing one's behavior. ISKCON is now a large, impersonal corporate entity that is protected by its nameless body of leaders. Just as Forrest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does." Similarly, "impersonal is as impersonal does." Ask anyone who has tried getting a personal response from ISKCON's GBC, something which a living breathing person, a part and parcel of Lord Krishna should deserve.]
I was fortunate that I served a spiritual leader who taught that Krishna katha, glorification of the Supreme Lord, should go on twenty-four hours a day. We were strictly cautioned that the Bhagavat must never become a means of attracting atention to ourselves as is done by many status-hungry swamis in India. There they have Bhagavat Saptas, and publicly recite the Bhagavatam in seven days in imitation of Shrila Shukadeva Goswami's instructing this sacred wisdom to King Parikshit. No, for us devotees of Shrila Prabhupada's ISKCON, the Shrimad Bhagavatam is a full-time lifetime engagement, 24 hours a day.
It can't happen here…
[In fact ISKCON guru Lokanath Swami has staged several Bhagavat Saptas in utter and complete defiance of Shrila Prabhupada's instructions.]
The next acharya?: Bhagavat Sapta poster with Lokanath Swami's photo depicted as prominently as the photo of Shrila Prabhupada, who introduced the Bhagavatam to the world and whose Bhaktivedanta Purports explained the mystery of this crest jewel of all Puranic literature.
