Back To Prabhupada, Issue 36, Summer 2012
If a bottle of poison is marked "poison", people will naturally avoid it. But if it is mislabelled as "medicine", then masses of people can be duped into taking it. Similarly, the most dangerous cheating is that which is done in the name of Srila Prabhupada, as this deliberately seeks to take advantage of devotees' natural attraction, trust and faith in Srila Prabhupada - which one would not otherwise be able to garner - for the purpose of self-aggrandisement. In our feature article on pages 4-5, we detail both: how this cheating is being perpetrated in the ISKCON world; and what must be done to combat it. Below, we present Srila Prabhupada speaking out on the nature of such cheating tactics. Throughout, we have added underlining for emphasis.
"In the dress of a police if he is a thief, that is very dangerous. That is very dangerous. Just like this dress of sannyasi, saffron cloth, one will respect that "Here is a sannyasi." But if he is a thief in a dress of a sannyasi, that is dangerous."
(Questions and Answers, 17/1/1974)
"So Ravana had ten heads. [...] He became a sannyasi and he went to take some alms from Sita. The purpose was to cheat, to enter. Because according to Vedic civilization, a sannyasi has open door. He can even go inside."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 5/7/1971)
"for the Mayavadi philosophy is disguised as Vedanta philosophy, and is thus more dangerous than Buddhism or atheism."
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 25, 1968 Edition)
"Although the Buddhists are directly opposed to Vaisnava philosophy, it can easily be understood that the Sankarites are more dangerous because they accept the authority of the Vedas yet act contrary to Vedic instruction."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 6:168)
Note: The deviants who claim to accept Srila Prabhupada's authority are more dangerous than those who make no such claim.
"Indra took up the saffron-colored dress as a way of cheating others. This saffron dress has been misused by many imposters who present themselves as liberated persons or incarnations of God. In this way people are cheated."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4:19:12, purport)
"In order to make trouble and impede the performance of King Prthu's great sacrifice, King Indra has adopted some means that in the future will destroy the clear path of religious life. I draw your attention to this fact. If you oppose him any further, he will further misuse his power and introduce many other irreligious systems."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4:19:31)
"Consequently he stole the horse and hid himself amid so many irreligious personalities, taking on the false guise of a sannyasi. Such activities are attractive to the people in general; therefore they are dangerous."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4:19:36)
Note: Cheating in the name of religion is especially pernicious since it destroys the clear path of religious life. And today we see this is what has happened in ISKCON; it is now a movement full of hodge-podge, contradictory teachings.
"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that there are many materialistic persons who become preachers, gurus, religionists or philosophers only for the sake of maintaining a high standard of living and sense gratification for themselves and their families. Sometimes they adopt the dress of a sannyasi or preacher [...] Thus they spread a network of business schemes to collect money for sense gratification by cheating people in general who have no knowledge of pure devotional service."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 9:69)
"So your position is like that, simply if you have a tilaka and a kanthi, that does not mean that you belong to the Krsna consciousness movement. Any cheater can do that. You must know the philosophy. If one challenges, you must reply. [...] If you do not know the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, if you simply mark your body with tilaka and kanthi, then you are not proper servant, you are not qualified."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 4/6/1976)
Note: The contradictory gibberish we feature from ISKCON leaders every issue demonstrates that they clearly do not know philosophy. Indeed, as we demonstrate on the next page, they do not even know the ABCs of Krishna consciousness.
"So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has remarked that the Buddhists are honest. They frankly say that "We don't accept your Vedas." But the Shankarites, they are cheaters, because they are accepting Vedas, but on the basis of Buddha philosophy. That is cheating."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 17/9/1972)
"If you want to cheat others, you cheat in your own way. Why do you take Bhagavad-gita? [...] That is great cheating, great cheating. [...] He is preaching his own ideas and taking Bhagavad-gita."
(Morning Walk, 25/12/1976)
Note: ISKCON's guru hoaxers should be honest and attempt to become gurus on their own strength through starting their own societies, instead of simply using Srila Prabhupada's movement and teachings – see diagram on page 3.
"That will be the greatest disservice to Krsna, if we work so hard to make a man a devotee and then seeing the older members taking intoxication and doing all nonsense, they become lost to Krsna, that is the greatest sin."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, date unknown)
"Many are hankering after spiritual advancement, but many cheaters come, take advantage of their money, bluff them and go away."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4:25:13, purport)
Note: As over 1/3 of ISKCON's gurus have so far "fallen down", tens of thousands of disciples of the false gurus in ISKCON have had their faith shattered due to those who had falsely portrayed themselves as ‘good as God', "doing all nonsense" and then "going away".
"So any Indian, so-called sadhu and guru comes, they go there. But they are cheated unfortunately. So you make your society so strong that you be not cheated, and others may not cheat. Then it will be first-class. And if you make another society of cheaters and cheated, there is no profit. Therefore you have to follow the rules and regulations very strictly and become serious. Then you'll be ideal. People are in need of some spiritual energy. Therefore, as soon as some swamis or guru comes, they flock together to get some food. But these rascals are cheating. So you don't do that."
(Morning walk, 14/6/1974)
Note: Unfortunately, ISKCON has become a society of cheaters and cheated - see BTP 33, Editorial.
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