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Popularity of the Hare Krishna Movement
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Subject: Popularity of the Hare Krishna Movement
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From: Claire <krishna@krishna.org>
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Date: Wed Oct 30 11:23:11 1996
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Message-Id: id7009
>
>I am student at Leeds University, studying Theology and Religion. I
>am currently preparing a dissertation on the popularity of the Hare
>Krishna Movement between 1969 and 1996.
>
Dear Claire
Hello. Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
It's good you're studying the Hare Krishna movement and religion in general, it
is the purpose of life to enquire about spiritual matters and God. This age,
Kali-yuga, is generally a very difficult time for people interested in
spiritual life, it is a very materialistic world. But there is one great
benefit of this age:
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good
quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
transcendental kingdom." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51)
Srila Prabhupada mercifully brought the pure chanting of the Hare Krishna
maha-mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
to the Western world. Otherwise who would know anything about Krishna outside
India now?
"Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness of oblivion. It
has made rapid progress in the field of material comforts, education and
economic development throughout the entire world. But there is a pinprick
somewhere in the social body at large, and therefore there are large-scale
quarrels, even over less important issues. There is need of a clue as to how
humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common
cause. Srimad-Bhagavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation
for the respiritualization of the entire human society." (from Srila
Prabhupada's Preface to Srimad-Bhagavatam)
As for the "popularity" of the Hare Krishna movement, if it is purely
presented, everyone will be attracted -- in one way or another, as Krishna is
all-attractive. Krishna has all knowledge, all strength, all beauty, all fame,
all wealth and all renunciation. So we are attracted to people who have these
qualities in the material world. If someone is very strong we are attracted, if
someone is very beautiful we are attracted, if someone is very wealthy we are
attracted, if someone is very famous we are attracted, etc. So as Krishna is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is all-attractive how much more
popular will Krishna be if the people actually get some bona-fide information
about Him?
Everyone has seen what happened when Srila Prabhupada, from the material vision
one old Indian man, came to the Western countries with seven dollars and some
books about Krishna abord the steamship "Jaladutta". He simply sat underneath a
tree in Tompkins Square Park, New York, chanted Hare Krishna and talked about
Krishna form the ancient Indian scriptures like Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad-Bhagavatam. The language was foreign, Prabhupada's heavy accent was
difficult for many to understand but everyone who met him could sense Srila
Prabhupada's purity, they could feel the spiritual vibrations when he chanted
Hare Krishna and when they repeated the mantra, they could see Prabhupada's
determination to tell people about Krishna and the sense of urgency he
presented the message with.
"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human
society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular countries or
communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Ages, and the world
tendency is toward one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual
communism, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the
oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living
beings. The need is felt by great thinkers to make this a successful ideology.
Srimad-Bhagavatam will fill this need in human society. It begins, therefore,
with the aphorism of Vedanta philosophy janmady asya yatah to establish the
ideal of a common cause." (from Srila Prabhupada's Preface to Sri
mad-Bhagavatam)
In a few short years the Hare Krishna movement spread all over the world and
grew at an incredible rate. It's an impossible story. The more you find out
about Srila Prabhupada the more you'll realize the miracle he worked. He
converted the most fallen into pure devotees of Krishna and established a
completely new cultural movement in the Western world -- something no one else
has done... And who would believe the drug taking, free-sex hippies of the
sixties could be convinced to give up the drugs, the illicit sex, the music,
the whole scene... for Krishna? It's amazing, and then it is not amazing as
Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee of Krishna, he is just presenting Krishna as
He is without his own ideas and speculations. Prabhupada gave us "Krishna
culture" and we have found it to be far, far superior to the "hippy culture".
It's a higher taste and when one experiences something superior the inferior
things loose their attractiveness. Prabhupada is seeing Krishna always so he is
just describing Krishna to us. It is very attractive, very popular...
But something very sinister has happened to the Hare Krishna movement after
Srila Prabhupada left our physical vision in 1977. His "leading" disciples were
plotting and scheming to exploit the devotees and the movement for their own
purposes even when Srila Prabhupada was physically present. He had to
constantly correct the deviations and problems of the "leaders". But after 1977
the "leading" disciples were free to plot and scheme without Srila Prabhupada's
personal supervision... And plot and scheme they did. Although it was quite
clear to everyone they were not at all on the same level as Srila Prabhupada,
they developed the "Zonal Acarya System" and falsely elevated themselves to the
position of "paramahamsas" (the topmost devotees". They claimed they were equal
to Prabhupada, that Prabhupada was no longer available, the only way to Krishna
was through surrendering to them and serving them.
Many thousands of innocent young people read Srila Prabhupada's books, were
convinced by Prabhupada that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
that it is our business to serve Him. So they came to ISKCON, Prabhupada's
organization, to serve Krishna and Srila Prabhupada but the "Zonal Acaryas"
didn't allow that, one had to serve the "Zonal Acaryas", that was the only
option.
If one serve a pure devotee he becomes advanced in spiritual life, but if one
serves a mundane person he becomes a mundane person -- so the "Zonal Acaryas"
were not pure devotees and their "disciples" did not make any spiritual
advancement by serving them. ISKCON became a very nasty place full of politics,
violence and exploitation of devotees in all ways...
"A mundane person in the dress of a Vaisnava should not be respected but
rejected. This is enjoined in the sastra (upeksa). The word upeksa means
neglect. One should neglect an envious person.
"A preacher's duty is to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make
friendships with Vaisnavas, show mercy to the innocent and reject or neglect
those who are envious or jealous.
"There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaisnavas in this Krsna
consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. There is no
need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a Vaisnava. When
Narottama dasa Thakura says chadiya vaisnava seva nistara payeche keba, he is
indicating an actual Vaisnava, not an envious or jealous person in the dress of
a Vaisnava." (from Srila Prabhupada's purport to "Sri Caitanya Caritamrta"
Madhya-lila 1.218)
When the ISKCON leadership became dominated by mundane men in the dress of
Vaisnavas most of the sincere devotees left the movement in disgust and
despair, leaving the society to the "devotees" trying to be "gurus" and the
"devotees" trying to "make a living" out of Krishna consciousness...
Around 1986 the whole "Zonal Acarya" system came crashing down on their heads
and there was a little bewilderment as to how things would go on... Since them
ISKCON has been developing the "Non-Liberated Acarya" system. That is the
current system. There's no guarantee an ISKCON guru is even following the
principles Srila Prabhupada established, no guru claims to be a "pure devotee"
anymore. The "gurus" can perform any sinful activitiy and that doesn't really
matter... He's still an ISKCON guru... The GBC may suspend his "guru" title for
a month or two and ask him to go to India to become "purified" and then he'll
be back as a "bona-fide ISKCON guru" again... Of course the disciples of such
"non liberated gurus" are required, according to the ISKCON law, to worship
their "gurus" as if they were liberated souls, paramahamsa's... On the same
level we worship Srila Prabhupada and Krishna... So they have made the whole
thing very cheep... No intelligent person could take it seriously.
The purity has gone, these "gurus" can't tell us about Krishna, because they
have no idea who Krishna is themselves. They have turned ISKCON into a business
and the target market is the Hindu community. The Hindu's already believe in
Krishna (and many other gods...) and like to go to the temples and give money
to Krishna. They also don't mind that much if the priests are not so pure...
So that is, more or less, ISKCON today. They are trying to position themselves
as a big Hindu church. A congregational organization with members attending the
"church" on Sunday afternoon with the rest of their life practically unchanged.
This is completely different to the society of devotees dedicating their lives
completely to serving Krishna Srila Prabhupada established.
So you may say ISKCON is becoming "popular" with the Indians. But they have
missed the point of Krishna consciousness as Srila Prabhupada taught it
completely...
If you would like to read my considered opinion on the matter you could refer
to "What Happened to the Hare Krishnas" at:
/archive/msg00089.html
So I would humbly suggest, if you want to find out what Krishna consciousness
really is, that you read the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is living in his books.
They have turned ISKCON into a mundane organization and thrown out anyone who
is seriously interested in serving Srila Prabhuapda and Krishna. They have had
some success in their "Hindu Church" program and perhaps they can make it work
and "popular" among the Indians. But that is not Krishna consciousness, it is
not at all what Srila Prabhupada established... They have missed the point
completely...
Please write back with any questions you may have and try to read and seriously
consider Srila Prabhupada's teachings in his books. You will find it a truly
beautiful and sublime experiene.
Thanks for the letter. I would be interested in reading your paper when it is
finished.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
>I have just read the preface to your pages on the Internet
>(unfortunately, at present, I do not have time to read all that you have
>wriiten) and found it very interesting. I thought that you may have
>some interesting opinions on the popularity of ISKCON and The Movement
>and would be very grateful if you could share such views with me! Do
>you think that Iskcon and The Hare Krishna Movement are increasing in
>Popularity? If so, would you say that this is because they are watering
>down the message of the Movement in order to attract more followers?
>
>I would be extremely grateful if you could inform me of your opinions on
>these matters amd all related matters! Or if you could inform me of any
>people, institutions or publications that you think could help me with
>my investigations!
>
>Thank you for your time.
>
>Yours sincerely
>
>Claire
>
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Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!