Back To Prabhupada, Issue 47, Spring 2015
rila Prabhupada explained the mission of his movement very simply as a declaration of war against maya:
"So this movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is a declaration of war with maya."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 30/3/71)
And this declaration is required even to begin practising Krishna consciousness:
"Maya is very strong, and to begin devotional service is to declare war against maya."
(Teachings of Lord Kapila)
Maya here is defined as that which is illusory and false:
"maya [illusion] is false"
(Bg., 7.14)
Conversely, the exact opposite of maya is reality:
"And when one serves the illusion, he is deluded by maya. One has to understand, however, that he is in all circumstances forced to serve. Either he serves the illusion or the reality."
(The Perfection of Yoga)
Yet, as we shall demonstrate over the next two pages, ISKCON is currently engaged not in a war against maya, but in the acceptance of maya. And, therefore, it is actually engaged in a war against reality! All emphases added.
Such a war against reality begins as soon one starts committing to ISKCON. As we saw in the article on page 7 and from our reply to a letter on page 10, as soon as one becomes serious to commit oneself to a guru, the first step is to induct them via the ISKCON Disciples Course ("IDC"). This course is a prerequisite now for one accepting initiation from an ISKCON guru. As we documented, the course offers indoctrination in a pack of lies regarding why Srila Prabhupada cannot be one's diksa guru. Yet, as we saw in our very first article in this issue, "GBC Unable to Reply to Founder-Acarya Book", the GBC's own "Foundational Document" accepts that these lies, are indeed, lies! Thus, from the very start, a person's participation in ISKCON is based on denying the reality of Srila Prabhu-pada's diksa guru position in ISKCON.
Once one lives in an ISKCON temple, the very first act one engages in every day is also based on denying reality. Upon awaking, all ISKCON members are supposed to engage in worship of the spiritual master by singing the Guruvastakam prayers, which begin with the phrase "samsara-dava". HH Jayadvaita Swami, a GBC guru, explains that these prayers should be directed towards the GBC ISKCON gurus:
""Samsara-dava" is not the Prabhupada song. It's the guru song. It's the song offering respect to the spiritual master which doesn't mean the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. It means your spiritual master, his spiritual master, [...] And the Gurvastakam, anyone can think 'this is for my guru', and then you're alright. [...] Gurvastakam, that's good for your Guru Maharaja [spiritual master], his Guru Maharaja, my Guru Maharaja, their Guru Maharaja."
(Jayadvaita Swami, Kirtana Standards Seminar, ISKCON Juhu, 11/14)
Part of these prayers which start as "saksad-hari", state that the spiritual master should be worshipped as good as God. And another ISKCON GBC guru, HH Sivarama Swami, explains that all ISKCON GBC gurus should be worshipped as being on this level regardless of how fallen they may actually be:
"there may be so many other types of personality traits or even lack of realization that may be there within a spiritual master. But still saksad-hari. Still he has to be treated as good as God".
(SRS Podcast, 11/1/09)
Thus, ISKCON members must deny reality by pretending that their gurus are on the highest level of Krishna consciousness, regardless of their actual level.
Another basic requirement for all ISKCON members is to study Srila Prabhu-pada's books and understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. Indeed, after a few years in ISKCON, one can even be rubber-stamped as a "brahmana" by taking a second initiation. Yet, as we saw in the article on page 7 about the IDC course, far from ISKCON being full of "brahmanas", even its top leaders -- never mind the rank and file members -- have not mastered even the very basics of Srila Prabhupada's teachings. For example, in that course, put together by supposedly the "leading educators in the society", the idea that a bona fide guru "cannot fall" is condemned as a "false doctrine". Yet, even in the 'ABC' beginner's book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada states:
"A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord"
(Bg., 4.42)
"The Bhagavad-gita is the ABCD. It is just beginning of understanding of what is God. ABC."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 27/2/73)
So there is no possibility of the bona fide diksa guru in the disciplic succession ever falling, as he never deviates. And yet, it is claimed that what Srila Prabhupada states is a "false doctrine" not taught by Srila Prabhupada! And in every BTP issue we are presenting many other examples of how even the basic 'ABCs' of philosophy are not understood in ISKCON, with page 4 of this issue being yet another example. So even the basic reality of Srila Prabhupada's words is denied.
In the official "Sannyasa Annual Reports 2014", GBC guru HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami stated:
"I see ISKCON as being increasingly off course".
And, in his 2014 Vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhupada, he wrote:
"what is mainstream in ISKCON today would at that time have been considered an unthinkable deviation from your instructions and example. [...] Some devotees call this mission drift, but I see it more as a hijack. Srila Prabhupada, I just need to let you know that I am not aligned with persons who use your name and institution to promote their own agenda, among which some programs bear hardly even a semblance to your mission."
The persons responsible for this mass deviation and hijack are the GBC, ISKCON's "ultimate managing authority", the majority of whom are also ISKCON diksa gurus. Yet, BVKS does not oppose all these deviants on the GBC continuing to function as diksa gurus. So, again, we have a denial of basic reality. A person is a deviant, but he is also supposedly 'as good as God' in his role as a diksa guru!
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