Sep 20, 2013 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SUN) — Where and why did this nonsense originate?
Looking at ISKCON New Vrindaban's recent splashy mundane Festival of Colors video with people whooping it up made me sick in my heart, and really sad for ISKCON. Seeing the devotees on stage with no devotional clothes and pushing an enjoying mood on a crowd of karmis (non-devotees) who have no idea what real Krsna consciousness or real Holi is, or what Srila Prabhupada preached, turning it into a farce of sense gratification done
in the name of preaching… this is how low and bad things have degraded in ISKCON.
No one protests the abomination of Holi and Krsna consciousness being done in ISKCON, in Utah and New Vrindaban. And it will unfortunately spread all over ISKCON. I wondered out loud… how far is this nonsense posing as spiritual practices going to be allowed in ISKCON? In other words, are there no more standards in ISKCON, following and respecting HDG Srila Prabhupada's standards for His society, for preaching His original ISKCON anymore? Is it GONE?
I can say for sure to the GBC body, to their faces, this is a TRAVESTY to HDG Srila Prabhupada to allow such events in ISKCON and to do it without any consideration for what Srila Prabhupada would have to say about this kind of so-called 'preaching'. Moreover, I suspect this is not the end, and there will be more compromises to Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON, as there is not one GBC man or woman who has stood up to defend Prabhupada's ISKCON's way of preaching, and His Instructions on rock music and deviations and change in ISKCON. Kali has again sneaked into ISKCON, this time under the pretense of preaching at so-called Holi 'Festival of Colors'.
Now my internal question is, how/why did this happen at all? What's going on in ISKCON? Is it because of something done wrong in the past by these devotees? I ask, where did this concoction-nonsense in ISKCON originate from? And WHY?
Perhaps none of Caru das's disciples and followers know of his past history from the late 1970's. Many devotee women who were under the protection of Caru das (former Berkeley Temple President) fell down and were coerced into 'marrying' one man, Jiva das (who was nuts). Jiva das was a monster/gangster and Caru das stood by while he did his perverted thing. WHY? It's all about PDF: Profit, Adoration and Distinction -- the disease that kills pure Bhakti Yoga.
The Berkeley ISKCON Girls, as I fondly remember them, were so sincere, but as women they were easily exploited. In ISKCON this type of exploitation of woman was happening in many places, most notably in Berkeley and New Vrindaban in the late70's and 80's. In Berkeley ISKCON in the 70's the money was flowing in and Srila Prabhupada's books were flying out the door at a glorious and unprecedented amount. It's historic.
As Temple President, this all happened under the watchful eyes of Caru das. Unfortunately, by exploiting the women's Sankirtan Party ashram, ISKCON Berkeley at that time was one of the biggest cash cows and biggest book distribution temples in ISKCON! I saw it. I lived there, and I have to tell you to this day, I wonder about and feel sorry for these women. Apparently Caru das has completely forgotten them, forgotten about what he allowed (the abuse), and that he is responsible for ruining their Krsna conscious lives. I'm talking about a real situation, that really happened, not for gossip but for reflection on it. What happened to Caru das and his commitment to following Srila Prabhupada strictly? How did things go so very off, and why?
The Berkeley Women's collecting party -- the exploited, abused and forgotten women devotees… where are they now? Has Caru das made any effort to compensate them? Why would Caru das stoop to such low levels of preaching in Utah. For popularity? What's going on in his mind? Is he trying to make up for past mistakes he made in Berkeley Temple? I don't know, only he knows.
Then there is New Vrindaban ISKCON and its sad personality cult history… exploitation of the women SKP devotees and worse in the 70's. Is New Vrindaban haunted by the ghosts of its murdered devotees? Or the well known exploitation of the women's book distribution/collecting party there for decades (70s -80s)? Is Malati dd (GBC) who followed the cult of Kirtanananda Swami trying to cover up the history with this… putting on a happy PR face in making this silly Festival of Colors at New Vrindaban? Looks like it… cheap PR. Malati dd also shares a sordid history in ISKCON.
Those who supported Kirtanananda Swami share company with other ex-New Vrindaban godbrothers who keep silent and let deviations go on even now, as they did in the good ole days with Kirtanananda. It's just another variation of the same ole CULT stuff. There are even some who emulate Kirtanananda's mood of personality cult to this very day (in their own unique way). Same stuff coming up all over again… cults… at New Vrindaban and Utah… not Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON at all, but a perverted reflection managed by some other personality's cult.
Regarding the non-devotees who attended these festivals, how many are reading Prabhupada's books? Where are devotees dressed in dhotis and saris and preaching to them? Are these people who come to the Festival of Colors giving up meat eating, illict sex, intoxication and gambling and becoming sincere Krsna bhaktas? (I do not think so.) It appears all superficial… a PR stunt and money maker and a very compromised sad attempt to preach.
I ask Malati dd, does she seriously believe HDG Srila Prabhupada, if he saw this going on at New Vrindaban now, would approve of it? She well knows the answer… it's Hell No. Are she and others who were part of the Kirtanananda cult feeling guilty for the ghastly murder of our godbrother, Sulocana das? Any remorse? Anything at all? Or like Caru das, are you all so comfortable just to forget history, sweep it under your rugs! Then decades later, make this Holi Festival of mundane colors stuff in ISKCON.
Are Malati dd and my other godbrothers who supported Kirtanananda seeing the ghosts of the murdered new Vrindaban devotees the FBI dug up a few decades ago? OFFENSES were made, and I wonder… is this why you all deviate from Srila Prabhupada's real, pure, original programs, and do it so openly now? Or are you just attracting cheap followers? More Quantity instead of Quality?
Finally, I have to share my realizations that all of this happened under the closed eyes of the GBC body, in Berkeley and New Vrindaban, and THEY will accept the karma and reactions for allowing so much bogus change, compromise and deviation today to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Movement.
