Back To Prabhupada, Issue 13, Autumn 2006
Recently, the Editor of BTP, Krishnakant, was in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, where he gave a multi-media presentation to academics from the Society for Studies in Sects and New Religious Movements, giving them the true picture of what is happening in ISKCON today. The Society represents the only organization in the Czech Republic which studies and advises on new religious movements. Krishnakant has been invited back by one of the academics, Professor Vojtisek, to give a presentation to his University students on the subject. Professor Vojtisek also runs a Czech magazine, Dingir, which is devoted to the study of New Religious Movements, and in the latest issue of this magazine, he writes about his meeting with Krishnakant as follows (translated):
Ritviks also in Prague
Krishnakant opened his tour in the Czech Republic with a lecture in Prague entitled "Srila Prabhupada - our eternal spiritual master ". […] IRM - ISKCON Revival Movement - is the official name of the ritvik organization which is part of Hare Krishna Movement . The substance of IRM's mission is this message - After the departure of ISKCON's founder Prabhupada in 1977, 11 of his disciples grabbed the leadership in this organization and began to present themselves like gurus/spiritual masters. Ritviks speak about this incident as a hoax, and support this idea with some documents from Prabhupada. […] So the ritviks call to go 'Back to Prabhupada' and to follow his will. And according to the ritviks, Prabhupada is still the sole Guru, and therefore for his disciples it is not possible take a position higher than a ritvik priest in this spiritual tradition.
- Zdenek Vojtisek, Professor of Religious Studies, Carl University, Prague, Czech Republic
Dingir Magazine, www.dingir.cz
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