Back To Prabhupada, Issue 81, 2024
In previous issues, we have explained the Prabhupada-Only Paradigm or POP. This refers to the need to always only hear directly from Srila Prabhupada - whether it is via his recorded audio or writings. In this way, we can be sure that what we are receiving is completely reliable as it is coming directly from the source, Srila Prabhupada. The alternative is to claim that receiving information about Srila Prabhupada through others is just as reliable and accurate as getting information directly from Srila Prabhupada himself. And such receiving of information about Srila Prabhupada and his teachings from others, rather than from Srila Prabhupada's own recorded words, has become common in ISKCON following Srila Prabhupada's physical departure.
However, as we shall prove, receiving information in this way is not reliable, and there is no guarantee that it is an accurate rendition of what Srila Prabhupada did or said. Below we examine a prominent example of such third party testimony about Srila Prabhupada, to prove just how unreliable it is to receive information about Srila Prabhupada in this way.
ISKCON and other related entities have launched various food distribution programs for the poor. These programs go under various names such as "Food For Life", "Annamrita Foundation", etc., and are massive multi-million dollar undertakings, involving many thousands of people, and spanning the whole globe. However, when describing why and how these philanthropic programs for the poor were started, they all claim that the programs are based on the following supposed story involving Srila Prabhupada:
Srila Prabhupada was looking out of his window one day, whereupon he supposedly witnessed by chance an incident involving the hungry scavenging for food, which moved him so much that he immediately ordered that a regular food distribution program for the poor be started to combat hunger.
However, the basic details of this story regarding -
a) Who Srila Prabhupada supposedly saw;
b) What he saw them doing;
c) When he saw it;
d) Where he saw it;
- differ widely depending on which source is telling the story, as we document below:
Contradictory Stories - Who?
1) Only one young girl (The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking, Ch. 3, BBT)
2) Only a group of children (HH Jayapataka Swami ("JPS"), Back To Godhead (BTG), #13-04, 1978)
3) A group of children and women ("Wonderful Prasadam", BTG, #30-03, 1996)
4) A group of children and dogs (ISKCON Delhi website)
Contradictory Stories - What?
5) Persons searching garbage (JPS, BTG, #13-04, 1978)
6) Persons fighting with dogs over food scraps (ISKCON Jaipur website)
Contradictory Stories - When?
7) 1960s (ISKCON Hungary Food for Life website)
8) 1973 (The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking, Ch. 3, BBT)
9) 1974 (Annamrita Foundation, formerly known as "ISKCON Food Relief Foundation", website)
10) During Gaura-purnima period (JPS, ISKCON Communications Journal, 2.1, COM-ments)
11) On Govardhana-puja (JPS, "Memories" DVD 04)
Contradictory Stories - Where?
12) Mayapur ("Saving the Coat", BTG, #43-04, 2009)
13) Calcutta (ISKCON Hungary Food for Life website)
Thus, we have many different versions of supposedly the "same story"!
1) Clearly, all these stories with their contradictory versions cannot be true!
2) Nor can we be certain if this story, in any version, is true at all.
This farcical situation whereby there are many versions regarding what, when, where and who Srila Prabhupada supposedly saw arises because, instead of simply always accepting all information directly from Srila Prabhupada - POP - we are reduced to instead having to rely on "stories" told by others. Indeed, above we see that even when the story is told by the same person, in this case JPS, the story changes!
But even if there was only one consistent version of a story, we are still left to gamble that the story is 100% accurate. Whereas, if we receive all information and orders directly from Srila Prabhupada himself via his recorded words, then there is zero % gamble and 100% certainty that we are definitely dealing with the truth of what happened and what was said.
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Thus, such a farcical situation can easily be solved if we simply consult only Srila Prabhupada himself on the matter. And what do we find when we hear directly from Srila Prabhupada regarding why he started a regular program for prasadam distribution? Srila Prabhupada speaks a number of times about his reasons for starting such a program. For example, he states:
Srila Prabhupada: "But whatever income you'll get from this record business, spend it for giving prasadam. So we have got so many centers, they will feed."
Ramesvara: "Hmm. That's very good. That way a whole new department."
Srila Prabhupada: "Therefore, I started Mayapur this prasada distribution. And it is coming to be successful."
(Conversation, 13/1/77, emphasis added)
But he never gives the "garbage" story as the reason. At no time when talking about prasadam distribution does Srila Prabhupada ever even give a hint about the "story" involving him looking out of the window. Indeed, such a story is never mentioned by Srila Prabhupada, period, in any context. Rather, only after Srila Prabhupada physically disappeared, and many years after it was supposed to have happened, do we get the first recorded mention of this story.
To avoid farce and instead get the truth, we should rely only on Srila Prabhupada's recorded orders - POP. And if no recorded instruction from Srila Prabhupada exists, we should not rely on "stories" to try to "fill the gaps".
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