Jagannatha's blogging Hut

16 December, 1974

My dear Jayatirtha,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated
Dec. 5, 1974. Regarding the GBC meeting to be held in Mayapur 1975, the
meeting should be held five days before the actual festival is to begin
and it will be held in my presence. As far as your proposals are
concerned, the real thing is that we must make broader constitution of
the management by GBC. But the difficulty is that our GBC men are
falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will
fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering
then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved
whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. We shall discuss
this at our meeting. If the GBC men can ever manage properly then I
shall get some time for writing my books.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

source

BY: VYSWAMBHARA DASA

Jul 26, MONTREAL, CANADA (SUN) — Haribol Dina Dayala Prabhu, Please accept my obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you for inquiring about my participation in the sub-committees for the writing of an ISKCON constitution. Sadly, I resigned from the Constitutional Committee some weeks ago, after the GBC-New Vrndavana meetings. I am surprised that you and the other members of the committee were not informed of this since I gave notification to the GBC chairman HG. Sesa Prabhu as well as to the Canadian GBC member HH. Bhaktimarga Svami. I also discussed my reasons with HG. Krsnadas Kaviraja Prabhu and HG. Visnumurti Prabhu, committee members from Canada and Belgium respectively.

I fully understand the importance and urgency of fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire to have a constitution for his Society. My disagreement is over the ratification process.

I only need to cite HG Bhaktarupa’s comment on ratification for anyone to understand why the apparent good intentions of the committees’ members will come to naught in the end: “The process that we are currently following is a GBC Body-initiated process. The GBC Body understands that it would not be properly fulfilling its role as the ultimate managerial authority unless it establishes a constitution. Coming up with a document that the GBC does not agree with would be failure. Coming up with a document that the GBC Body likes but most everyone else doesn’t like will also be failure. We have to be expert enough to satisfy most everyone, because only then we will be sure of satisfying Srila Prabhupada.” “So, in this scenario, ratification is more or less a technicality. But, in case you missed it earlier, the ratification process has been discussed and the basic scenario settled up, at least for the time being: Once we have a document we are satisfied with it will be posted on the web for a moderated public discussion, but the final approval will be by vote of the GBC Body.”

1. The process of writing a constitution is not a GBC prerogative; it is an instruction of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Srila Prabhupada that the GBC has for the last thirty years failed to comply with.

2. The logic that a constitution that would not satisfy the GBC is unacceptable and a constitution that does not satisfy “most everyone” is also unacceptable and therefore, only the GBC should ratify the constitution is illogical and incorrect. It is like saying, “We both must agree on a course of action, but I will decide what it is.”

After thirty years of their best effort, the GBC policies have effectively alienated most of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples and thousands of others. How then can anyone trust the GBC’s ultimate judgment on a constitution? Besides, the elitist and condescending attitude that somehow or other the service of the GBC is theirs as an absolute privilege rather than a responsibility on behalf of Srila Prabhupada’s Society and its members is itself offensive. Such an attitude is contrary to the concept that one is the servant of the servant: Only an irresponsible leader takes his position to be his personal property and misuses it at will. (See: SB 4.25.10). Srila Prabhupada’s instruction is as follows: “Now this displeasing of Godbrothers has already begun and gives me too much agitation in my mind… With our GBC and senior men present we should discuss how to make unity in diversity… (SPL 10.18.73)

3. There is universal precedent for a constitution to be ratified by a significant majority of those who will pay allegiance to it. There is no precedent for an oligarchy successfully imposing a constitution on the people of its society. Where it has been attempted it has consistently failed and even caused bloody revolutions. If unity is sincerely desired, then ratification of an ISKCON constitution should be done by a 2/3 majority of the Vaisnavas who will consider it as binding.

4. Ratification is far from being a “technicality”. It is the essence of the constitutional process. In the case of ISKCON, the GBC does not have exclusivity on how Srila Prabhupada wanted things done in his Society. Many times in the past the GBC has misunderstood or misinterpreted the will of our founder-acarya. Currently, the GBC disregards Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on a variety of significant issues concerning his Society. The favorite argument of the GBC for such deviations is that times have changed and therefore Srila Prabhupada would also have changed his instructions and modus operandi. This sort of speculative thinking has served only to divide Srila Prabhupada’s followers; it has not served to unite them. Why should anyone be naive enough to now believe that the GBC will ratify a constitution that “everyone else will like”? And if everyone else does not like a GBC ratified constitution what recourse do they have except to leave active service in ISKCON or, as is now the practice of the dishonest, pay lip service to ISKCON while doing as one pleases? Why then should devotees spend precious years of their lives drafting a constitution that the GBC will then rewrite to suit its own misunderstandings of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON?

5. John Stuart Mill said that a constitution was: “A means of assuring that depositories of power cannot misemploy it.” I wonder if the GBC is seriously desirous of having a document spell out its responsibilities and accountability in accordance with Srila Prabhupada’s will. I rather think the GBC has already determined how it is “the ultimate managerial authority” and will not ratify a constitution that might contradict that determination even if Srila Prabhupada directly instructs it.

6. Presumably an ISKCON constitution will have to define the position of His Divine Grace, the role of the GBC, the role of a temple president, the ISKCON understanding of guru-tattva, the importance of book distribution, the implementation of an effective system of justice, the establishment of daivi-varnasrama, etc. When push comes to shove, is it even sensible to imagine that the GBC will reconsider its present opinion on these important matters? And if it won’t, then what new recourse will the majority of devotees have? The GBC has so far labored under the false assumption that somehow or other its members are superior to other devotees on account of the position they occupy. This is a kanistha-adhikary concept. Management under such a false concept has turned Srila Prabhupada’s preaching mission into a congregational church of blind fanatics, naive followers and exploitative individuals. Presumably, a constitution would seek to redress these ills. But this mischief has been created under the watch of the GBC and the GBC has steadfastly refused to retract itself on these matters in spite of Srila Prabhupada’s best instructions and the good advice of Godbrothers and well-wishers. How can one then hope that the GBC will ratify a constitution that will reform its misguided policies?

7. Over the past thirty years there have been many committees formed to write a constitution for ISKCON but they have all failed to come to fruition. It has to be assumed that the reason for such failure is that the GBC does not really want a constitution that would hold them accountable to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions; therefore they relegate the task of writing it to bureaucratic shuffles and endless equivocations. Otherwise, why are so many stalwarts of ISKCON publishing book after book and yet the whole movement remains powerless to write a constitution? An ISKCON constitution is a relatively simple affair to write since it consists more or less on simply formalizing Srila Prabhupada’s given instructions. So why should all the Vaisnava pandits of ISKCON be unable to write such a document after thirty years? Now the writing of the constitution is being brandished by the GBC as part of a much-vaunted “Strategic Planning” brainstorm. Unfortunately, it is little more than another public relations ploy meant to stoke the flagging enthusiasm of an increasingly despondent membership. A proper constitution will not see the light of day unless all those who will give their lives to its fulfillment have a voice on what it should contain. That voice should be as a vote on ratification.

Since the constitution will essentially spell out Srila Prabhupada’s will, why should the GBC mistrust all other devotees except it own members when it comes its ratification? Is it that everyone else will refuse to bow to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions or is it that the GBC still thinks it alone knows Srila Prabhupada’s will and mind? Rather than unite and rally the Vaisnavas as desired by Srila Prabhupada, the GBC’s policy of constitutional ratification is yet another ill-advised determination that will only serve to perpetuate dissension.

pamho agtSP!

Thank you for your nice email and mood.

I re-read your message a few times and I will try to be very concise.

Debating does not mean automatically lying, being duplicitous or an offender.

If the mood is nice (and I think you can feel my mood behind the sometimes “angry” monster only good things can result.

I agree with you about phone being great for short messages but terrible tool for personal communication,

but letter and similar tool email is the most personal way after face to face.

As we are not likely to meet in person, why not engage in a polite, respectful and useful

conversation about the current status of our movement all for the sake of clarification, and why

not in a way that many more people can derive benefits, public forum.

Anyway, you are right saying I want debate kinda sports way, to tell you the truth I have lost

faith in ISKCON institution, not before I tried (you can’t imagine how hard) to help out.

And I lost my faith, not before trying very very hard every possible venue. But I am not afraid,

cause what I am abandoning is to my understanding the empty shell of Srila Prabhupada’s

institution, the real one thriving in the heart of those who labor hard to fulfill HDG

instructions, with the official label “in” or “out”, doesn’t really matter.

If you see the internet as such nefarious media, why, oh why you write so often on it. You have

many many commentaries. So, what I discern from that is that it is not the media in question,

but the attitude.

You simply don’t want to open your mind to, you seem to be afraid of looking inside you

and inside our institution for truth. And what many call offense, isn’t just fear of the

truth?

Or is it that it is OK to write only if you do not have to have interactions and i mean possible

disagreements too?

I am prepared to commit unwilling offenses, doubt a million times if this means to uncover the

truth about myself, others and God.

The contrary I think is conducing only to self deceive and christian like salvationist comfort.

What is at stake here is much more important that you seem to grasp.

As we are speaking, many intelligent people are turning away from Krishna just because we are

such a poor example of KC.

And believe me, the intelligent people like intelligent debate and will benefit a lot from it,

more than the “pat my shoulder I will pat yours” meetings, (virtual) mellow gatherings and “all

is well” celebrations.

“I am OK you are OK” seems to be the leif motif nowadays and if some devotees are being

ostracized, abused and driven away by the current status, then you can always think they are in

maya anyway, talk about mercy!!!

Regarding the DOM, we should understand well the facts through time.

You say that Srila Prabhupada never talked again about elections, but what was the 1974 doc

ratifying? Everything but that?

You seem to excuse every and all big mistakes by the GBC always in favor of the current status.

You say that elections would create havoc, cause it will be very difficult to manage, etc

What more havoc you want, what more expenses you need apart from what is really happening today?

It will only bring peace, trust and unity. Of course my experience with “authorities” is they do

not really believe in elections or anything like that.

Even if SP said it, it will be dismissed as not possible.

Srila Prabhupada said the best thing to do, then we did not follow suit, we resolved not to

carry out his instructions and when disaster comes we say that was his mistake (as is

ascertained from the declarations of leaders that say we are much better off now than in Srila Prabhupadas time.

Hooray to the emperors w/o clothes and their fidel servants!

You are succeding in your normalization of a transcendental institution into a material (and poorly so) church.

Pariprashnena.com was developed to have an online resource where devotees can ask questions and get fast and intelligent answers. Hence the name Pariprashnena (to inquire submissively).

Devotees can ask questions that go from the Krishna conscious philosophy to health advice, temple standards and sadhana practices.

Without complex registration procedures Pariprashnena allows anyone to start participating immediately.

Five reasons to visit the site:

- senior devotees will provide answers.
- elegant and user friendly web 2.0 design.
- fast and simple free registration.
- intelligent conversations.
- participate in unleashing the educational power of the worldwide Vaishnava community.

Pariprashnena.com has been developed by ISKCON Tech, ( www.iskcontech.com ) a worldwide devotee group of programmers, designers and web developers whose aim is to modernize Iskcon sites and use the latest technology in Krishna’s service. Pariprashnena.com is the first of a series of websites that are now in the works. Stay tuned!

Dear Akruranath Prabhu,

pamho agtSP!

Thank you for your email, your kind words, and your time!

It is very strange that dandavats.com has given you my email address and that constitutes a privacy breach and not very polite on their part.

I know cause I am webmaster to several sites, forums, etc and that is a kind of primary duty, to maintain the privacy of users unless we are told otherwise. They should be writting to me on your behalf to see if I wanted to initiate a private email exchange with you.

I am including them as recipients of this email so I ask them here to erase my email address from their database to prevent such light give away again.

Not that this really bothers me, I am a kind of public person, but it doesnt speak well about the webmaster, or the authority above him, whoever he is.

No, I do not belong to any group, schism, reform, math, etc. I do belong to the internal ISKCON of Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers, since the day one that I distributed magazines in the name of ISKCON when I was 14 years old, back in 1975.

My question is why you do not want to publicly debate the issue for the benefit of all?

My experience is that all people, be it karmis, new devotees, etc will benefit of a gentlemanly and straighforward exchange.

In the event that we do not arrive to a conclusion personally, still the disclosure and public debate of the different arguments will be always useful to one and all.

I am glad to hear that you have not traded Srila Prabhupadas desires for the often changeable establishment opinions and policies.

You ask me for the 1974 doc, here is the link:

http://16108.com/DOM/dom.htm
(the last document, at the bottom)

I recommend you the excellent article by Ameyatma das about the DOM:

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/06-07/editorials1687.htm

Regarding the SB story you mention, personally I am finished with the cover ups in the name of advancing the mission, that are actually regressing it to unthinkable levels.Having myself been a TP, sankirtan leader, temple commander, tskp cook, etc, I can agree that some amount of flexibility has to be applied to leaders.

Sometimes managing can become so difficult that you may damage someone even unwillingly.

But what we are facing here is a major managerial question, so no personal considerations might be in place nor i think is needed.

Due to the censorship in dandavats my article-commentary (as is this letter) are being posted in my personal blog:

http://jaganat.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/dom-gbc-corporations-et-all

and at Sampradaya Sun:

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-07/editorials1784.htm

your eager servant,

JMdas

about this comment appeared on dandavats

Believe me I love ISKCON, I gave my life when I was 18, all my youth and still I do, and I do
not regret it a pinch. Am not here to disturb you or anybody, to cause disruption or in pursuit
of fame.

Something is very wrong and I want to help fix it.

When I read your article my first reaction was of some anger and my
blood was starting to rise its temperature.

But after a while, I came to the conclusion that I have to thank you to
sum up all the misunderstandings, false positions and mistakes that are
keeping our movement from blooming.

In this way I just can go one by one of your statements and refute
them not as a personal matter but in the name of sanity.

You have simplified my “work” and for that I sincerely thank you.

Let me begin by quoting a sentence: the evil of this world is not due
to the bad people, but mainly to those that see the evil and look the
other way.

I do not know you personally, but by your writings I can see that
unwillingly I presume, but you form part of the later group.

In all these years I arrived at the conclusion that we have the leaders
that we deserve, cause if more people would be more just and balanced
some disgraceful things and disgraced leaders would not be able to rise
as they did.

It is always the same thing, trying to mistake humility with yesmenry,
cooperation with tyranny, external status with internal spiritual
advancement. Maybe you haven’t seen enough of all these things, maybe
yes.

But what I can say is that you are doing the greatest disservice to Srila Prabhupada
making the haziness even more hazy, the smoke curtain a bit more
thicker, the deceit more difficult to ascertain behind your apparently
nice words.

“The selection of GBC members is that Srila Prabhupada will nominate,
and if there is a discrepancy, His Grace will change him. There will be
no elections, and the present GBC member will remain.”

You have heard the famous phrase the christians have “only through me
you can go to the father” and you probably know the answer to that.
Why you are doing the exact same thing, taking out of context some
sentence and trying to apply it to eternity?

The sole fact that you doubt that Srila Prabhupada would put such an important document as the
DOM with such significant changes amended in black and white, that alone my friend is an
offense.

Ask servant devotees of HDG how accurate, organized and conscious of details he was. The 2 duly signed
docs from 1970 and 1974 that HDG asked to incorporate to the temples
constitution remain as they are and that cannot be compared to a statement
that obviously can be interpreted, due to its context nature.

Now you can go on saying this or that but that DOM is still there and
if you have a pinch of faith in SP you will know he did not want to
change it, he wanted to be the future instructions for all temples and
all devotees.

Sorry to doubt our dear leaders, but it is not the first time in the
GBC history that they deviated in a very dangerous way, even in HDG presence.

Forgive me if I trust a pure devotee direct instruction signed and not
revoked in any similar way, more than I can trust some devotees that
even though they have my respects I know they are not infallible and
could deviate as proven by historical data.

“Some of the devotees wrote very stridently, accusing the GBC of
disobeying Srila Prabhupada’s order that there be regular elections.
Some even suggested the “Direction of Management” had been hidden by
leading devotees in a conspiracy to cover up Srila Prabhupada’s actual
desire for elections, and so on.”

Now you are the ones that have to prove that those 2 docs are invalidated
by that sentence or that subjective explanation of yours.

For any sane person, any judge for that matter, a purposely signed document
that was to be incorporated to the temples is far more reliable than all
the out of context explanations you are giving so far.

“It is a shame that there is an atmosphere of sufficient distrust and
the kind of speculative gullibility (fueled by haziness about the
details of the history of the legal and managerial organization of
ISKCON) that conspiracy theories can get traction among devotees. We
are playing right into Kali yuga’s hands, quarreling when we need to be
cooperating.”

It is always the same theme: if you distrust if you have doubts you are
not cooperating. You are “out” and a puppet in maya`s hands.
Are you completely free from mayas grip to be able to judge so lightly? Are the GBCs free from
error, as individuals as well as a group?

One thing is to be loyal another thing is to be stupid and GBC might want intelligent people to cooperate with, not lame ones to look after
the well being of the movement.

Now, cooperation is a two way street, can you please
cooperate to unveil the truth?

cooperation:
1 : the action of cooperating : common effort
2 : association of persons for common benefit

You seem to be taking advantage of the haziness you admit.

Let’s dispel it not to form factions but to know the truth, not to
support a conspiracy theory, not to support possible self deceiving managers either.

“Apparently, the old 1970 direction to hold GBC elections was simply
determined to be impractical or otherwise undesirable. Whatever the
reasons, the undeniable fact is that in 1975 Srila Prabhupada
personally approved a resolution stating, “There will be no elections.
. .”

These words you use “apparently” “was simply determined” that you use are very political, not
conducing to straightforwardness and as I said tend to thicken the “haziness”.

“What to speak of other groups and others predisposed to distrust
established ISKCON authority, some of the grumblings about elections
even came from loyal ISKCON devotees. This suggests that we need to do
a better job of keeping devotees aware of ISKCON’s management and its
history. A sense of confidence and trust is still lacking somehow. We
have plenty of room for improvement.”

“Grumblings” is a disrespectful and derogatory word, like the ones that
doubt are crazy, governed by rage or just insane. Prabhu, are you biased?

So, you admit some loyal ISKCON devotees are having doubts, well
that is a credit for their intelligence, to want to dispel “haziness”.
Not to simply follow blindly the leaders maybe right into the ditch.

“It might help if there could be well-documented and carefully
researched historical materials about the details of ISKCON management
in its formative stages. We could use some honest attempts to preserve
and record and recount the facts as best we can while they are still
somewhat fresh.”

I am willing to discuss and present material to prove my point. Are you ready?

“Even a sense that there are existing materials where the records are
available might do a lot to calm down fears that important documents
and statements or instructions of Srila Prabhupada might have been
hidden or “covered up”.

If the truth is the one we propose those who hide the truth will be
exposed and someone will start having fear, those who cheated.

“We already have a lot of materials preserved by Bhaktivedanta Archives
and so on. We should also make an effort to do an oral history project,
recording the various recollections of those who participated in ISKCON
management about their experiences, while we still can.”

Oh yes, lets ask the BA to bring to light all the material is still
unavailable for the devotees at large.

You ask for accounts, but you seem to have your sources and
explanations already chosen. In an apparent effort to find the truth, in
reality you think you already have it. But it is mandatory in this
times of change and free press, to look “open”.

Let’s see who in the “all is well” camp comes with real refutations or
clearer explanations that the “loyal” but doubtful devotees
present.

Let’s do it for the sake of truth, for the sake of advancing our
movement, without political or biased lens.

And if you convince me (us) I will give you the credit and will cease to
be “loyal but doubtful”.

Let’s dispel our doubts or we will continue to be at unease.

But if the explanations do not satisfy us, let us exert our right to be
independently thoughtful and even if the big mistakes are proven and
no action remedy is taken, let us have the right to cease to be loyal.

Cause loyalty to deceive is an even worse kind of evil.

your servant,

Jagannatha Mishra das

source here 

by

Swami B.B. Vishnu

Recently an announcement was posted on “Dandavats.com” wherein the representative of ISKCON’s Sri Sri Krishna Balaram temple in Vrindavana [Shyamakrishna Das] informed all the devotees around the world that “Srila Prabhupada’s Bhajan-kutir is now re-opened.”

Shyamakrishna Das says in his announcement that “H.G. Srestha Prabhu, Co-Temple President, ISKCON, Krishna Balaram Mandir and Nirmal Chandra Goswami, Sevayat Radha Damodar Mandir led the event.”

Unfortunately, Shyamakrishna Das has given quite a misleading picture of what has transpired in the courts and what transpired on the day that Srila Prabhupada’s rooms were re-opened and the Deity of Srila Prabhupada re-installed and pujas resumed.

First of all the interim order passed by the Hon’ble High Court at Allahabad on 12th February, 2007 gave the keys of Srila Prabhupada’s rooms to Radha Damodar and stated that the rooms of Srila Prabhupada were to be open to the public and devotees from 8 am to 1 pm and again from 3 pm to 8 pm daily.

The court case filed in Allahabad reads “The International Society for Krishna Consciousness Vs Thakurji Radha Damodar.” As sevaites of Radha Damodar, the respected sevaite-acharya of Radha Damodar, Nirmal Chandra Goswami is the representative of Radha Damodar in the case.

In compliance with the intern order from the court Nirmal Chandra Goswami is keeping Srila Prabhupada’s rooms open daily from 8 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 8 pm. During these timings all devotees are being allowed to come for darshan of Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON devotees are being allowed to do some service, cleaning of Prabhupada’s rooms and offering some bhoga to the Deity of Srila Prabhupada.

However, the court order released on February 12th has not mentioned ISKCON or given them any seva privileges whatsoever. Their present ability to serve Srila Prabhupada every day at Radha Damodar is simply the open opportunity for any bona-fide devotee of Srila Prabhupada who wants to render such service. In this regard Nirmal Chandra Goswami is very co-operative and enthusiastic to see devotees come forward to serve Srila Prabhupada.

In his announcement on Dandavats.com, Shyamakrishna Das apparently wants to assure the devotees that “ISKCON is in control of the situation” at Radha Damodar temple, but for whatever the reason they are not. In fact, when the Deity of Prabhupada was being re-installed in his bhajan-kutir, H.G. Srestha Prabhu, Co-Temple President, ISKCON, Krishna Balaram Mandir and other ISKCON devotees were not present at all.

The Deity of Srila Prabhupada was re-installed in his rooms on the morning of Siva-ratri by Swami B.G. Narasingha, Swami B.V. Tripurari and Nirmal Chandra Goswami. There were about 70 devotees from various missions present for the event, which included bathing of Nirmal Chandra’s personal Deity of Srila Prabhupada, kirtan, offering the first bhoga to Srila Prabhupada in his room and arotika. But no ISKCON authority was present for the event.

It may also be noted at this point that during the last months wherein representatives of both parties would appear in the Allahabad High Court, no senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, GBC man, sannyasi, or ISKCON guru even attempted to contact Nirmal Chandra Goswami to try and work out the misunderstandings in an amicable way. Had such steps been taken, as Srila Prabhupada would always do in such situations, the outcome of this issue might have been more favorable to ISKCON.

Later that day Narasingha Maharaja spoke with Srestha Prabhu about Srila Prabhupada’s rooms and the bad relationship that has developed between ISKCON leaders and the Radha Damodar Goswamis. Narasingha Maharaja encouraged Srestha Prabhu to sincerely endeavor to improve the personal relationship between ISKCON and Nirmal Chandra Goswami, who has been grievously offended by the demonizing propaganda that ISKCON leaders launched against him over the past seven or eight months.

Narasingha Maharaja has suggested that regardless of where this issue of Srila Prabhupada’s rooms ends up in the future, ISKCON owes Nirmal Chandra Goswami and his family an earnest apology.

In the meantime Srila Prabhupada is once again being happily served by devotees in his bhajan-kutir at Radha Damodar and all devotees are being heartily invited by Nirmal Chandra Goswami to visit and serve Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodar temple.

“I live eternally in my rooms at Radha Damodar temple.” [Srila Prabhupada 1977]

“Give up envy and cooperate”

Such a broad statement, reminds me of the “glorious” zonal acarya times. Envy of whom? Cooperate with who?

http://www.prabhupada.org/rama/?p=4011

“Because the nature of cheap adoration we’ve seen so many times. We can reach the top and

everyone will be praising. But because you displease Krishna, you fall down to the bottom and

everyone starts blaming you. “

It appears to me that popular adoration or hate has being many times the contrary to what you

propose. Usually the saintly are crucified and the cheaters adored. Another thing is that time

reveals the fake. Displeasing Krishna means you are not popular anymore as a “punishment?

Strange philosophy, Sir.

—————–

“Caitanya mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Roy, what is the real glory. What is the real name and fame.

Ramananda Roy, replied, the greatest fame is to be known as a humble devotee.”

exact quote:

Sri Caitanya Mahprabhu then asked Ramananda Raya, “Out of all glorious activities, which is the

most glorious?” Ramananda Raya replied, “That person who is reputed to be a devotee of Lord

Krishna enjoys the utmost fame and glory.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya Lila 8.246)

Observe the addition of “humble” to make the point valid. I heard it sooooo many times. You have

to be humble, cooperate, meaning “do not think, do not use your brain or you can commit offenses

and have a hellish future. It reminds me of the Dark Ages.

—————–

“But if they trampled on others and offended Vaisnavas to get to that point, they get the name

and fame for sometime and they fall down from their position and everyone says, who are you?

They don’t remember. Once you fall, they don’t remember what you’ve done. They only remember

what you are. So what’s the use.”

What is that? A eulogy of fame? Is glory the end and bhakti the means to it? Weird.

———————

“What the spiritual masters, the previous acaryas and all the vaisnava world and Krishna will

see is your humility, your sincerity, to do the very best you possibly can in the spirit of

co-operation and service.!”

What if Srila Prabhupada stayed and cooperated with corrupted missions in India, in the name of humility?

Probably we wouldn’t be writting this stuff now.

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“Should we take the risk of offending a vaisnava for any of our own temporary feelings and

prestige?”

Meaning, root out all criticism, and let us manage in peace with a bunch of yesmen, that is, for

God’s sake stop telling the unpalatable truth, lets make it a fools paradise and i assure you

we will all go to heaven.

It is like looping the loop. Appealing to vaishnava humility tries to impose blind following.

He should say, “please air out all your misgivings, your doubts, even at the cost of so called

“offense” to us authorities. I will become humbler and you will become wiser, and, yes,

whoever is a real offender will go away by himself and we will still pray for him.

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“But Krishna can see and Guru will see, that I am trying to be a humble servant and that is the

goal of life. And not cheap adoration.”

What in the world cheap adoration and being humble servant have to do in this context. It is like trying to glue valid statements to serve the purpose of the lecture: to keep the devotees from thinking instilling fear of offense. Besides, “cheap adoration” can only be aplied to the one who is being adored here, Maharaj.
What if you, my dear Maharaj, become one of the fallen “acaryas”. Should we still follow you, cause we have relinquished our intellect in favor of your promises and fearful classes?