Back To Prabhupada, Issue 74, Vol. 3, 2022, Editorial
Welcome to Issue 74 of Back To Prabhupada (BTP).
ISKCON UK Headquarters Bhaktivedanta Manor is holding a paid course, titled "Your Relationship with Yourself" run by GBC voted-in guru HG Mahatma Dasa ("MAD"). In the advertisement for the course, it is admitted that the basis of the course is "never really talked about":
"We talk about our relationship with Krishna, Prabhupada, our gurus, and other devotees, but we never really talk about our relationship with ourselves. [...] few of us deeply explore it."
That is because Srila Prabhupada never taught that we should "talk about our relationship with ourselves" or "deeply explore it", since the goal of Krsna consciousness is to think always of Krsna and be only Krsna conscious!:
"The Sanskrit word mat-parah is very important in this verse. It indicates that one has no goal in life save and except acting in Krsna consciousness just to satisfy Krsna. And, while working in that way, one should think of Krsna only: "I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Krsna.""
(Bg., 18.57, purport, all emphases in Editorial added)
This is the opposite of self-consciousness.
Yet, MAD has designed a whole course around teaching people to become more self-conscious, advocating that we must start by focusing on being "compassionate", "tolerant" and "kind" to ourselves before we can start to treat others properly, as the advertisement states:
"how we treat ourselves is how we treat others. When we are self-accepting, self-forgiving, and self-compassionate, we are more accepting, forgiving, and compassionate with others. When we are honest with ourselves, we are more honest with others. When we are tolerant of ourselves, we are tolerant of others. And when we are kind to ourselves, we are more kind to others. [...] how can we be more self-accepting"
But this is back to front, for Srila Prabhupada teaches that we must start with Krsna first and then we will relate automatically in full love with everyone else:
"our actual identity should be, "I am Krsna's." When we think in this way, we are thinking in Krsna consciousness. Only in this way can universal love among all living entities be established. Krsna is related to everyone as eternal father, and consequently when we establish a Krsna conscious relationship, we become related to everyone. When one marries, he automatically establishes a relationship with the spouse's family. Similarly, if we re-establish our original relationship with Krsna, we will establish our true relationship with everyone else."
(Krsna Consciousness The Matchless Gift (1974))
Since it is admitted in the advertisement that –
"Mahatma Prabhu has personally done this kind of work on himself"
– it means MAD is boasting about having personally followed the path of self-consciousness rather than Srila Prabhupada's Krsna-conscious path, even though he claims to be a ‘good as God' diksa guru successor to Srila Prabhupada.
We have already shown how far the ISKCON movement has moved away from Srila Prabhupada and his teachings. They have not just ditched Srila Prabhupada as the diksa guru, but have also ditched many of his teachings, as we document in every issue. But now we are even seeing a moving away from Krsna. Self-consciousness rather than Krsna consciousness is actually being formally taught by ISKCON! Indeed, the course description for what will actually happen on the course does not use the words Krsna or Srila Prabhupada even once.
Some people criticise the IRM as being unnecessary, and not contributing anything "practical". And yet, we are needed to remind ISKCON that the Krsna consciousness movement is about Krsna consciousness. That's a pretty practical and necessary contribution right there! Those who are supposed to be the most advanced in ISKCON, its "gurus", should at the very least, follow the basics.
Thank you and Hare Krsna.
In Srila Prabhupada's service,
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