Chapter 14 of Prabhup\u0101da Vijaya, 'Society Consciousness vs. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness' illuminates the difference between the two and highlights the negative results of the wrong choice. It could be argued that this is the greatest obstacle facing devotees in these modern times. Narasi\u1e45gha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s explanation on the topic is uniquely profound!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>
Question:<\/strong> I read a recent article on the internet by a leading Iskcon sanny\u0101s\u012b<\/em>\/GBC\/guru wherein he said:<\/p>\n\u201cWe cannot even extend this family (Iskcon) to \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti\u00adsiddh\u0101nta. We cannot even take one step forward because the problem is that if we put too much emphasis on \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti\u00adsiddh\u0101nta, then we will miss out on our focus. We will lose the focus on Iskcon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nIs there really a conflict of interest between Iskcon and \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura?<\/p>\n
Narasi\u1e45gha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja:<\/strong> There is a \u2018yes answer\u2019 and a \u2018no answer\u2019 to your question. One wonders who the \u2018our\u2019 in \u2018our focus\u2019 is that he is speaking of? Is it \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da or is it the present Iskcon leadership?<\/p>\nNo \u2013 there is no conflict of interest or a loss of focus if Iskcon gives emphasis to Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta because, in the opinion of Iskcon\u2019s founder, \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Swami Prabhup\u0101da, Iskcon is the movement of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta!<\/p>\n
On the other hand, yes \u2013 there will be a conflict of interest and a loss of focus if Iskcon gives any emphasis to Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta because the present day Iskcon is a deviation from the original Iskcon in numerous ways. The fact that thousands of devotees have left Iskcon and joined other bona-fide branches of the Gau\u00ad\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha is a testimony to this. In the formative years of Iskcon, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wrote as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the disappearance day of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, you may hold a meeting to discuss his activities and offer respect to his memory. Practically this movement is his, because it is under his order that I have come to your country.\u201d (Letter to Upendra, December 2nd, 1968) <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThis movement was started by Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura and then it was entrusted to Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura. Then we are trying to serve his word and many of my god-brothers, they are also…\u201d (Lecture, Los Angeles, January 13th, 1969) <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cPractically there is no credit for me \u2013 if there is any credit it goes to my Spiritual Master, Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b Gosv\u0101m\u012b Prabhup\u0101da, who is helping me by sending so many good souls like you in this movement. Whatever is being done, it is due to His Divine Grace only. So my business is just to carry out his order.\u201d (Letter to Day\u0101nanda, March 26th, 1969) <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cSo I am pet dog of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and you have helped him so nicely to push on the message of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement, and I am very much pleased by your serious and sincere attitude, so you will get all the full bless\u00adings of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. That you may know for certain.\u201d (Letter to George Harrison, January 4th, 1973)<\/em><\/p>\nThese quotes from \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da clearly demonstrate a connection and the non-difference between \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s movement and the movement of Bhaktivinoda and Bhakti\u00adsiddh\u0101nta. They are in harmony \u2013 not in contrast.<\/p>\n
The person you have quoted, however, didn\u2019t join Iskcon until a few months before Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s disappearance and therefore had no real experience of what Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s mood was in estab\u00adlishing Iskcon. It should also be remembered that this is the same person that made a TV series about \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da in which a flash of light emanates from \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s forehead, which repels the personality of Kali-yuga. Such a portrayal of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da as a Bollywood s<\/em>\u0101<\/em>dhu <\/em>by a senior disciple is a serious cause for concern\u2026<\/p>\nIn the early years of Iskcon, it was an established daily prac\u00adtice to recite or sing the pra\u1e47\u0101ma-mantras<\/em> of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta in all Iskcon temples. Although we were not permitted at that time to read the books of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta, still it was quite clear in everyone\u2019s mind that Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta was our parama-guru<\/em> and \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was carrying out his orders and fulfilling his desires. Thus, there is no difference between the interests of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta and those of Iskcon. They are synonymous.<\/p>\nIn 1976 \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da instructed that the logo of the Gau\u00ad\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha (originally designed by Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta) should be painted on either side of the gate at Iskcon\u2019s world headquar\u00adters in M\u0101y\u0101pura. That logo remains there to this day, although hardly anyone pays any attention to its significance or meaning, both of which seem quite clear \u2013 Iskcon is non-different from the movement established by Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta under the name of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha.<\/p>\n
In the final days before his departure, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da called for his god-brothers and sent a message to all saying, \u201cThe war is over\u201d and he compelled everyone to work together in harmony to spread K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.<\/p>\n
\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da also established the Bhaktived\u0101nta Charita\u00adble Trust in 1977 for the purpose of working in harmony with the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha institutions of his god-brothers. \u015ar\u012bmad Bhakti Dayita M\u0101dhava Mah\u0101r\u0101ja of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha was made the first president of the trust. One of the first duties of the trust was to finance the completion of the temple room at \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s ma\u1e6dha<\/em> in Navadv\u012bpa.<\/p>\nThe problem lies not in how to accommodate Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta in Iskcon, but in how to keep Iskcon focused on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious\u00adness and not on society consciousness. These have a tendency to come into conflict with one another.<\/p>\n
K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness means the absolute consideration and society consciousness means the relative consideration. The soci\u00adety is established for the purpose of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness (the absolute consideration) and not the other way around. When the society ceases to represent the Absolute and functions only for its own well-being, then such a society is no longer transcendental \u2013 it simply becomes another mundane society. Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta has summed it up in this way:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea of an organised church in an intelligible form, indeed, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dikes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmis\u00adtakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bona-fide spiritual teacher.\u201d<\/em> (From the essay, P\u016btan\u0101, The Harmonist, <\/em>January, 1932)<\/p>\nCould the above quote apply to Iskcon? If one pays careful attention to what is happening, then one will come to the conclu\u00adsion that many of Iskcon\u2019s leaders do not want to give any value to the words of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta. If they do, then the hoax will be exposed and the evidence suggests that the movement established by \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da has been hoodwinked by pseudo-spiritualists and led astray.<\/p>\n
It is the opinion of some of our editors, that the title of this article, Society Consciousness vs. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness, <\/em>is antiquated because, in their opinion, the battle for Iskcon is already lost \u2013 it has become a society for itself and by itself, i.e. an International Society for Society Consciousness (Isscon).<\/p>\nOn the path that Iskcon has chosen, society consciousness prevails. This is reminiscent of the formation of the Christian church after the Council of Nicea in 325 C.E. when the church abandoned spiritual wisdom for the lure of dollars, diplomacy and despotism. One would be hard-pressed to show the difference between what the church became and what Iskcon is becoming.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, if one reflects on Iskcon and listens closely to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, one will discover that in Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s own words, the only addition that he made to the movement of Bhakti\u00adsiddh\u0101nta was that he (Prabhup\u0101da) as a sanny<\/em>\u0101<\/em>s\u012b<\/em>, performed the marriage ceremony for his young disciples. Otherwise, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da said that all other aspects of his movement were already established by Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta. That means that the Deity worship, the formation of a GBC, the establishment of the temple president as a lifetime commitment, decentralisa\u00adtion, preaching in foreign countries, printing and distributing books, hari-n\u0101ma sa\u1e45k\u012brtana<\/em>, diorama exhibitions, film projects, pras\u0101dam<\/em> distribution, printing and distributing journals, the establishment of daivi-var\u1e47\u0101\u00e7rama<\/em> and the acceptance of sanny\u0101sa<\/em> as a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava a\u1e45ga<\/em>. Literally everything Iskcon does or has, was established by Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta and given to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da to form Iskcon. So how could anyone in their right mind think that the mood of Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta could be a negative influence in a progressive Iskcon?<\/p>\nProof of the weakened position of Iskcon at present is evident in their inability to defend the parampar\u0101<\/em>, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, and even the society itself from the attacks of the anti-party, caste-gosv\u0101m\u012bs<\/em>, sahajiy\u0101s<\/em>, Madhva-ugrav\u0101d\u012bs<\/em> and even aggressive Gau\u00ad\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava preachers. In all these cases, Iskcon leaders have turned to devotees outside of Iskcon for help, guidance and relief. Had they included Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta as at least a member of the Iskcon family, then they might have been able to take care of themselves and not call others to the rescue.<\/p>\nIt is the view of the Iskcon neo-cons (new-conservatives) that they can only be comfortable if all branches of the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya sam\u00adprad\u0101ya<\/em> (including Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta) come under their control. They see themselves as the trunk of the tree and have even rel\u00adegated Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta to that of a sub-branch. This is not a very humble view of one\u2019s self. Of course, the societal jingoism is that Iskcon is Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s movement, Prabhup\u0101da was better than anyone else and nothing has changed. In reality however, everything in Iskcon has changed! Practically nothing is the same \u2013 particularly the laws of Iskcon that \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da hand-wrote in 1966. There were only eight and they could all fit on one page:<\/p>\n1) All initiated devotees must attend morning and evening classes.<\/p>\n
2) Must not be addicted to any kind of intoxicants including coffee, tea and cigarettes.<\/p>\n
3) They are forbidden to have illicit sex connections.<\/p>\n
4) Must be strictly vegetarian.<\/p>\n
5) Should not extensively mix with non-devotees.<\/p>\n
6) Should not eat foodstuff cooked by non-devotees.<\/p>\n
7) Should not waste time in idle talks nor engage himself in frivolous sports.<\/p>\n
8) Should always chant and sing the Lord\u2019s holy names.<\/p>\n
The present Iskcon law book consumes nearly 1000 pages. What to speak of changing the laws, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s original books have also been changed and that is a controversy that con\u00adtinues to rage on.<\/p>\n
Iskcon wants everything under their control \u2013 to silence the voices of dissent and crush any opposing views. Everything must come under the standards of \u2018Prabhup\u0101da,\u2019 that they themselves have created. This sounds like a draconian cult, or worse still, Christianity, and as Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has said, party spirit (society consciousness) is the enemy of truth:<\/p>\n
\u201cParty-spirit \u2013 that great enemy of truth \u2013 will always baffle the attempt of the inquirer who tries to gather truth from reli\u00adgious works of his nation, and will make him believe that absolute truth is nowhere except in his old religious book.\u201d<\/em> (The Bh\u0101gavata, <\/em>1869)<\/p>\nIf Iskcon is so sincere, then what is the difficulty in coming under Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta when even Prabhup\u0101da took shelter at his lotus feet? This is not to suggest that Iskcon should join the Gau\u00ad\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha or that the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha should join Iskcon, but that harmony amongst Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas will be drawn from acknowledging the common factor and grandfather of all, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura.<\/p>\n
What is actually happening is that, step by step, slowly but surely, some of Iskcon\u2019s leaders are pulling Iskcon away from the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya samprad\u0101ya<\/em> to become an apa-samprad\u0101ya<\/em> \u2013 a shadow of the parampar\u0101<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chapter 14 of Prabhup\u0101da Vijaya, ‘Society Consciousness vs. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness’ illuminates the difference between the two and highlights the negative results of the wrong choice. It could be argued that this is the greatest obstacle facing devotees in these modern times. Narasi\u1e45gha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s explanation on the topic is uniquely profound!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[206,208],"krishna_talk_article":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5635"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5635"},{"taxonomy":"krishna_talk_article","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/krishna_talk_article?post=5635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}