Back To Prabhupada, Issue 51, Spring 2016
he IRM's scholarly reputation has been featured in previous issues of BTP, and includes live presentations to major academic conferences, such as the International Cultic Studies Association, the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and the American Academy of Religion; as well as its articles and scholarly papers being published by esteemed academic presses, including Continuum Books, Martin Luther Universitat Halle-Wittenberg and Columbia University Press, to name a few. Below we present some updates regarding the IRM's scholarly contribution.
The latest scholarly publications highlighting the IRM are shown below:
1) Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, by George D. Chryssides, Honorary Research Fellow in Contemporary Religion at the University of Birmingham, UK (Second Edition, Scarecrow Press).
The IRM has its own separate entry, on par with world religions, and some extracts include:
"A movement within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) [...] The ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM; also referred to as the "Back To Prabhupada" movement) [...] position has been set out in a short book titled The Final Order by Krishnakant, first published in 1996. This was followed by a regular magazine, Back To Prabhupada, which first appeared in 2003. [...] The IRM holds that the issue is important since spiritual progress within ISKCON demands obedience to one's guru's instructions".
2) Revisionism and Diversification in New Religious Movements, edited by Eileen Barker, Emeritus Professor of Sociology with special reference to the study of Religion, The London School of Economics and Political Science (2014, Routledge). Here the IRM is highlighted as the group that is carrying forward Srila Prabhupada's teachings and vision:
"Finally, some of those leaving ISKCON joined the schismatic group, the ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM), to carry forward Prabhupada's teachings and vision. [...] Members of the IRM have sought to restore Prabhupada's authority as ISKCON's only initiating spiritual master, excluding his ‘successors'. [...] Ironically, the devotees committed to Prabhupada and his teachings remain largely outside the organisation he founded to promote Krishna consciousness across the globe."
("The Changing Faces of God: The Hinduisation of the Hare Krishna Movement", Chapter 3, E. Burke Rochford Jr.)
On April 23rd, 2016, ISKCON organised an academic conference at Bath Spa University in the UK as a celebratory event to mark 50 years of ISKCON. In advance of this event, the IRM sent a paper to all the academics who would be attending the event. The paper was titled "ISKCON at 50: A summary study of how today's ISKCON is not the ISKCON established by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada". On receipt of the paper, the academics wrote to the BTP Editor, welcoming the paper:
"Thank you very much for your paper and the interesting points it raises. I'm sorry you won't be there in person to voice the perspectives of the IRM. I'll make sure to include some of your points and perspective in my overviews on how ISKCON has changed in response to various controversies, and also how some of the same changes have caused controversy and break-away groups... it won't be the same as having you there though. Thanks for adding your perspective."
(Dr. Suzanne Newcombe, Research Officer, Inform, The London School of Economics and Political Science)
"I am not sure if anyone coming has links with the ISKCON Revival Movement but they would be welcome."
(Dr. Catherine Robinson, Senior Lecturer in Religions, Philosophies and Ethics, Bath Spa University)
Alas, true to form, ISKCON authorities then informed the scholars that neither IRM devotees, nor IRM's paper on ISKCON's 50th anniversary, would be allowed at the conference. So much for ISKCON's openness to academic inquiry! However, the opening speech, which was sent to us by the academic who delivered it, did mention the IRM and the issues its paper raises. An example:
"[...] this issue has also inspired the separate ISKCON Revival Movement, who argue that ISKCON's leadership has deviated too far from Prabhupada's original vision to be legitimate."
What makes the situation of banning the IRM from the conference absurd is that an interview was held at the conference with an ISKCON representative and a Buddhist monk, on the subject of "Collaborating Hare Krishna and Buddhism". In respect of Buddhism, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"Caitanya Mahaprabhu has described Buddha religion as atheism."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 20/2/67)
Thus, ISKCON is willing to accommodate a representative of an atheistic philosophy and discuss collaboration with it.
Similarly, at the conference, the opening address warned:
"Some of the children see the continued presence of those whom they accuse of perpetrating the abuse within the ISKCON leadership as sign of a lack of commitment to justice by the organisation."
One such person is Gauri Dasa. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness Central Office of Child Protection had issued a statement on 14/7/08, which admitted that they: "found Gauri Das responsible for "inappropriate and excessive corporal punishment" whilst a teacher at an ISKCON affiliated school in India during the 1990's."
Yet he is acting today as the "Managing Director" for ISKCON's largest temple in Europe. He is also Executive Secretary to ISKCON's Governing Body Commission (GBC). Not only that, but he was selected by ISKCON to represent them as a panellist at this very conference!
This is the same Gauri Dasa who, by the way, had banned devotees from worshipping at Bhaktivedanta Manor simply for agreeing with the IRM (see BTP 7).
Thus, those whose philosophy is opposed to Srila Prabhupada's teachings, and convicted child abusers, are accommodated by ISKCON. But the IRM, who due to their POP (Prabhupada-Only Paradigm) discipline, can and will only present Srila Prabhupada's orders, are banned. This is a perfect example of the hypocrisy described by another academic:
"Still there are sceptical voices claiming that ISKCON, like the famous Janus, has two faces — the smiling face in dialogues with their external partners, and the strange, repressive face towards its own members — preaching wine to the dialoguing world and water to their devotees."
(Prof. Dr. Ulrich Dehn, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1)
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