General Principles of Etiquette in Vaisnavism Today
BY: PUSTA KRISHNA DAS
Oct 09, 2011 — SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, USA (SUN) — In relation to the recent article, "Radhanath vs. Prabhupada", I want to present some important food for thought in the complex world of ISKCON. Naturally, the GBC has the authority to make decisions in ISKCON that may supercede anything that I state here, and I accept that.
Srila Prabhupada, being much older than his young disciples, often reminded us that he might die at any moment. He left us his translations with purports in order to provide guidance for us. Everything that we know about Krishna is learned from his books, from those we may have associated with who learned from his books, or from direct revelation (rare).
I live in Santa Cruz, California, which is a place that Srila Govinda Maharaj visited almost 2 dozen times from 1992 until his passing in 2010. I always felt that I was representing Srila Prabhupada when he came here, since our Srila Prabhupada invited the Gaudiya Vaishnavas to preach in the West according to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's wish. As you may know, Srila Sridhar Maharaj placed Srila Govinda Maharaj in charge of his mission (Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math) toward the end of his life. Srila Govinda Maharaj and I were very friendly and open with each other. He related to me how many ISKCON GBC and some Sannyasis had come to visit Srila Sridhar Maharaj to get advice after Srila Prabhupada's departure. Many only wanted to support their own positions, but this is what he had to say.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj was asked about becoming acharyas in ISKCON, i.e., sitting on the vyasasana, receiving worship in the ISKCON temple. Srila Sridhar Maharaj specified that ISKCON was Srila Prabhupada's mission, and that it would be inappropriate for anyone to receive worship like that in the ISKCON temples. If anyone wanted to be served like that, they should leave ISKCON and start their own missions.
He warned them not to occupy the vyasasana in the ISKCON temples, which are uniquely the property of Srila Prabhupada (I am not speaking of sitting upon an honorific seat or asana for giving a lecture in the ISKCON temples). To do otherwise would be like trying to digest the honor of Srila Prabhupada.
It is very complex indeed to see many new "leaders" emerge in ISKCON who serve within ISKCON, taking advantage for service from Srila Prabhupada's service mission and property. How can one look upon this? When Srila Prabhupada's 100th Birthday celebration was approaching, his Centennial, I personally organized monthly meetings at homes all around the Bay Area, from Marin County to Santa Cruz in the south. This went on for two years. Finally, the last meeting was arranged by me for a hall in Santa Cruz. This was attended by about 600 people. I invited Srila Govinda Maharaj, Srila Bhaktiswarup Damodar Maharaj, His Grace Harivilasa Prabhu, GBC for this area, and I was the host narrator. It was a very nice glorification of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Govinda Maharaj was most happy to fly across the world because he had not been invited anywhere else to glorify Srila Prabhupada.
It was interesting to hear about the relationship of Srila Prabhupada and the younger Srila Govinda Maharaj. Srila Govinda Maharaj joined his gurudeva's mission at age 17. Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Govinda Maharaj lived for some time in the home of Srila Prabhupada in Calcutta. Srila Govinda Maharaj was studying Sanskrit in Calcutta with a scholar then. He also was the first person, other than Srila Prabhupada, to distribute Back to Godhead newspapers in Calcutta. In any case, at this meeting in 1996, Srila Govinda Maharaj said, "I do not know what others say, but I know that we (who are preaching Krishna consciousness in the West) are simply taking the prasadam of Swami Maharaj" (the name they used from the early days for Srila Prabhupada).
This is our situation, and the situation for all future preachers of Krishna consciousness. The powerful mission that Srila Prabhupada started is the catalyst for future preaching. He is the transparent via medium through which others must receive and transmit Wisdom. No small minded individuals should become bloated with their own importance to overlook this reality.
I have seen a number of websites, and a number of photos, where some of the ISKCON men have tried to present themselves as the next Acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. When I see these, they appear extremely childish and disturbing. The world of ISKCON is the world of Srila Prabhupada as the Founder-Acharya, whom we come before to learn from and serve. We may be helped along by living bhaktas, but we must know whose property we are dealing with. In my opinion, it is important that this remains the standard for the near and distant future for ISKCON. ISKCON could be broken up by disturbed individuals desirous to usurp the property of ISKCON because of their temporary following. Hey, GBC, do you hear what I am saying?!? Are you going to allow ISKCON to be exploited by anyone with a little charisma?
Fortunately, Krishna is the Supreme Controller. The rug may be pulled out from under anyone at any time. No one should think themselves beyond the influence of Krishna or His maya. It is far more important to preserve the authority of Srila Prabhupada and his teachings (in his books) than anything else. The "person bhagavatam", if such a one comes along, is to be understood as the humble servitor and representative of Srila Prabhupada if they are to be permitted to serve in ISKCON. The GBC must decide how they will relate to all of this. They must not allow ISKCON to be divided amongst any form of raider. We must not be seduced by any, regardless of their manner of speaking, if the focus is other than that which Srila Prabhupada emphasized.
This is a matter for repeated discussion. The GBC must not be impotent. Their responsibility is the preservation of ISKCON as a preaching mission, with its shining beacon, Srila Prabhupada.
