Back To Prabhupada, Issue 38, Winter 2012/13, Editorial
Welcome to Issue 38 of Back To Prabhupada (BTP).
In the last few issues we have presented much evidence showing how ISKCON has been forced into various climbdowns by the IRM's preaching which has resulted in ISKCON adopting the same philosophical positions as the IRM. This has meant that, in essence, all we have left in ISKCON is largely a "label hoax", whereby Srila Prabhupada's position as diksa (initiating) guru has been redefined as being only that of a siksa (instructing) guru, and the role of ISKCON's rtvik (proxy) initiators has been re-defined as "diksa" guru. In this way, although the function and philosophical positions of Srila Prabhupada and those acting as "initiators" in ISKCON today remain largely unchanged compared to their positions in ISKCON pre-1977, these label re-definitions have still allowed these rtvik initiators to grab all the benefits of acting as "good as god" diksa gurus for themselves.
In response, some have argued that as long as Srila Prabhupada remains "in the centre", how does it matter what labels are used and what different parties are called? Indeed, as we revealed in the last issue ("Using philosophy as a bogus cover - 2"), the guru hoaxers themselves effectively use this reasoning to deflect attention away from their hoax by arguing that it is in any case "siksa" – and therefore Srila Prabhupada – that is the "main consideration" and "more important". And, thus, we do not need to be unduly concerned about the fact that they have taken up the position of diksa guru. However, the reality is:
1) The whole purpose of Krsna consciousness is to overcome maya, or illusion:
"The way to get out of illusory maya is to engage in the topics of Krsna [...] The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is operating for this purpose."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.7.44)
Maya in turn is defined literally as "that which is not":
"The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called maya, or illusion. Maya means ‘that which is not.' And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, he is said to be in illusion."
(The Science of Self-Realization, Chapter 5)
Therefore, by claiming that we are something that "we are not", diksa gurus; and that Srila Prabhupada is something that he is not – not the diksa guru – we are deliberately promoting what constitutes the very definition of maya. Thus, it is impossible to be on the path of Krsna consciousness when we are actually dedicated to promoting maya!
2) By artificially trying to become diksa gurus and be falsely worshipped "as good as God" when we are not diksa gurus, we are, as the quotation defining maya just given states, trying to be "lords of material nature while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws". And a very practical consequence of this is that countless devotees have had their faith shattered, become disillusioned, and thus left Krsna consciousness altogether when those whom they thought were are "as good as God" diksa gurus revealed that they were actually morally degraded and often "fell" from following even the basic standards of Krsna consciousness. And with around over 1/3 of all gurus having already gone this way, we are speaking not of an isolated incident, but a very deep and ongoing problem.
3) To think that usurping Srila Prabhupada's position does not matter because it is only a question of a "label", is itself merely a symptom of a deeper underlying disease – the disease of disobedience. And this is borne out by the fact that the "mislabelling" is merely the tip of the iceberg – with ISKCON deviating in every single major sphere (please see "ISKCON's New Mission", BTP 30).
So, not just a question of wrong labels, but deep maya! (See page 15 for more on this.)
Please feel free to write to me at the following email address: irm@iskconirm.com
Thank you and Hare Krsna.
In Srila Prabhupada's service,
Krishnakant
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