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Re: Born Again Krishnas

mpt@mail.utexas.edu (michael tandy) wrote:

>In article <3os8ac$pq6@dingo.cc.uq.oz.au>, madhudvisa@krishna.org (Madhudvisa dasa       ) says:

>>
>>   The mood within  ISKCON had  dramatically changed.  Instead of the
>>   emphasis on endeavouring to please Srila Prabhupada and Krishna by
>>   preaching and distributing books, the  emphasis was on making lots
>>   and lots of money.
>>
>	This was unfortunately true in many places. An admirable 
>	exception was the zone of Srila Harikesa Svami, who never
>	ever minimized book distribution, and who continues to stress
>	it even today.
>	However, even when book distribution was minimized here in Texas,
>	it was not simply to make money, but to do so in order to 
>	facilitate projects such as restaurants that distribute 
>	Krsna-prasada; this was also very important to Srila Prabhupada.
>	Our experience here has been that many people who might otherwise
>	have never come in contact with Krsna conciousness have now, and
>	visit the temple regularly as well, certainly moreso than when we
>	simply emphasized book distribution. Now because of such programs,
>	the Dallas temple is fairly well-known, and Sripad Tamala Krsna
>	Gosvami is very respected among civic leaders here. So one should
>	be careful to not short-sightedly criticize such devotees if one
>	cannot appreciate their motives. They have much more experience
>	than us, recieved much more personal instruction from Srila
>	Prabhupada than we did, and in my opinion, based on their obvious
>	ability to greate it in others, they also have much more devotion
>	than we do.
>	

  We have a similar situation in Australia. They didn't even minimize the
  book distribution here [until Bhavananda fell down]. They did business
  and made lots of money, worshipped the Deities gorgeously and printed
  millions of books and gave them out for free! They opened lots of
  restaurants and distributed tons of prashadam including establishing a
  high-profile Food For Life centre in Sydney.

  This program worked from the point of view of the public. People became
  very favorable towards the Hare Krishna's here, but it didn't work for
  the devotees. The devotees, generally, were engaged in mundane business
  activities which were transcendental in the sense that much of the
  money they collected was being used to worship the Deities and print
  books but they didn't get a chance to preach. So we had lots of favorable
  people here but no preachers...

  Most devotees left for one reason or another [generally not because 
  they didn't have faith in Krishna and Prabhupada but because of bad
  management, incompotent "gurus" and arguments with other devotees] and
  now the public is very quickly forgetting us. When I distribute books
  in dhoti and kurta now many students ask "What are you?" They have no
  idea, they've never seen a Hare Krishna! It's amazing because we still
  have a [relative to ISKCON elsewhere] fairly high profile with
  restaurants and still some favorable media coverage. So the public
  opinion is flickering. It can change quickly. The real fruit of the
  Krishna consciousness movement should be the devotees. We should be
  training men and women to be pure devotees of Krishna and engaging them
  in direct devotional service.  Every successful organization is built
  on people and to be successful an organization has to look after its
  people. You have said the "public" are happy in Texas and they are also
  relatively happy here but what about the devotees? The devotees have
  had (and are still getting) a VERY ROUGH time here.

  That's the real problem. ISKCON is not a business, it's not a Hindu
  church, it's not an organization to provide a platform for puffed-up
  "preachers" to further inflate their ego's. It's an organization of
  pure devotees working cooperatively together with each other with Srila
  Prabhupada's instructions and Krishna in the center. IT'S FOR THE
  DEVOTEES. We don't mind so much what the public think, what the Hindu's
  think, what Prabhupada's godbrother's think. We don't care. We follow
  Prabhupada's instructions, read his books, print and sell his books, go
  out on Hari-nama, have a fantastic Sunday feast and invite everyone...
  We have to taste the nectar of Krishna consciousness... Otherwise who
  will join?

  It is getting more difficult to do everything, the demons are becoming
  more intelligent. And they definitely don't want us. Krishna
  consciousness is frightening to them... [and don't forget the demons 
  join as well -- they play the part of devotees but they just want to 
  smash ISKCON] So if we want to do anything we'd better start doing it
  NOW. IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET MORE DIFFICULT.

  I spent about a week in the Dallis temple in 1991 and saw Sri Sri Radha
  Kalachandaji's reasturaunt was very successful. But 3 out of the five
  days I was there there was only Their Lordships, Srila Parbhupada, the
  pujari and myself there when the curtain opened... A few people came in
  and by Tulasi aroti there was seven or so...

  And Tamala Krishna Maharaja. He is a very intelligent man but
  intelligence is only useful if it is used in the service of Krishna. He
  and many other "leading" devotees in ISKCON have been totally
  contaminated by the association of Srila Prabhupada's envious
  godbrothers. Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers have used [and are still
  using] devotees like Tamala Krishna Maharaja to bring down ISKCON. They
  poison them and then the poison is introduced to ISKCON. The poison is
  minimizing Srila Prabhupada. You know what they are saying, I don't
  want to think about it, let alone talk about it.

  It's all because we're not following Prabhupada's instructions. Krishna
  consciousness is a science, we have to follow it or it won't work. Even
  the basic things, chanting 16 rounds, following the four regulative
  principles, ONLY EATING PRASADAM. These are ESSENTIAL if we want to be
  Krishna conscious. But devotees are generally very lax in following
  these rules...

  We're becoming "prakrita sahajas". We are taking Krishna consciousness
  very cheaply. But it's not a cheap thing, it's  the most valuable jewel
  and Srila Prabhupada has given it to us, put it in our care. It's our
  responsibility to him, to Krishna, to ourselves, and to the world to
  take it seriously. There is no other hope...

  PLEASE CHANT HARE KRISHNA AND BE HAPPY!!! (IT REALLY IS THAT EASY)

Your servant

Madhudvisa dasa       .


Thank you. Hare Krishna!

Madhudvisa dasa       
(madhudvisa@krishna.org)     /sudarsana 
                                
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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