Back To Prabhupada, Issue 81, 2024
Following on from the previous article regarding the need to follow POP, we discuss some applications of POP in ISKCON. (All emphases added.)
If there is one organisation that should be the most enthusiastic about POP, it is The Bhaktivedanta Archives ("BA"), which is the official repository for documents, manuscripts and media of Srila Prabhupada. Thus, it has been created specifically to deal only in Srila Prabhupada's recorded statements. The BA's signature product is the VedaBase, which is supposed to be a database of all of Srila Prabhupada's recorded statements. However, over the years, the VedaBase has become diluted with the addition of many works by others - especially those by the GBC gurus - which have been added to the official VedaBase as if they are on par with Srila Prabhupada's teachings. The last official version of the VedaBase, published in 2019, contained over a hundred such non-Prabhupada works.
However, in a recent newsletter, the BA announced that their VedaBase will now be made "Prabhupada Only":
"Big changes for VedaBase tm. 2025 are coming. The next iteration of the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase tm. will be centered on the words, writings, and books only of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. [...] Streamlining the VedaBase tm. to ‘Prabhupada only' will be an exclusive repository centered on his teachings only."
(The Archival Spirit, Vol. 7, September 2024)
One may thus observe the influence of BTP, which vigorously preaches the "Prabhupada-Only" Paradigm (POP) in every issue!
GBC voted-in guru HG Kripamoya Dasa ("KMD") claims that Srila Prabhupada supposedly ordered certain individuals to be diksa gurus in 1975 and 1976:
"Yet it was not that his [Srila Prabhupada's - Ed.] directives on future initiations had been left until his final months. For a handful of senior disciples there had already been, one or two years previously, a direct verbal instruction for them to initiate in his physical absence."
(KMD, The Guru & Disciple Q & A Book)
KMD does not name them or give any details, but there is no record of such diksa guru appointments in 1975 and 1976, period. Thus, we would have to believe that Srila Prabhupada supposedly gave such important orders, which would affect the whole movement, in secret. Thus, once we have a standard of "proof" that is just based on anyone claiming whatever they want, then anyone can claim anything. It is no surprise, therefore, that KMD bitterly opposes the idea that any claim regarding what Srila Prabhupada supposedly said, needs to actually be backed up with proof from Srila Prabhupada, i.e. POP:
"Now, these days, even as a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, I can say ‘Prabhupada said', and not one person in the audience believes me. You know why? Because the next question they ask me is, ‘Prabhuji, could you just give me a quote for that, where Prabhupada said that?' [...] We live in an age where you have to validate every statement, unfortunately."
(KMD, Class, 17/10/21)
But, without such POP proof, we have no idea if Srila Prabhupada definitely did say it!
GBC voted-in guru HH Sivarama Swami ("SRS") has engaged in spending a lot of time practising swimming in order to be able to complete a lengthy swim to raise money:
Interviewer:"Guru Maharaja, what are we doing here swimming 2 hours a day?"
SRS: "Well, you're swimming. I'm preparing for the national cross-lake Balaton swim."
Interviewer: "That's 5 kilometers, why would you do that?"
SRS: "Two reasons. One is, it's a challenge. And the other is that it's a fundraiser." [...]
Interviewer: "But why do it by swimming?"
SRS: "Well, my spiritual master said that spiritual sports or Vaisnava sports are two in number: one is wrestling and the other is swimming."
("Preparation for the SWIM-A-THON challenge" Video, 12/7/24)
Thus, SRS tries to justify his project of spending lots of time swimming with three reasons:
1) Swimming such a long distance is a challenge;
2) It is done to raise funds;
3) Srila Prabhupada said swimming is a "spiritual" or "Vaisnava" sport.
1) In regard to reason 1), what SRS has tried to accomplish, especially given his age, is indeed a very difficult challenge. He has thus needed to devote many hours every day over a prolonged period swimming in order to undertake not just the swimming challenge mentioned above, but also another difficult swimming challenge which was later celebrated with the boast that he had "Conquered the Thames Marathon". However, Srila Prabhupada has never authorised his disciples to spend time engaging in such challenges. Rather, he condemns them as activities invented for "wasting time":
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"Every moment should be utilized, especially for the human being. It's so valuable. And they are finding out sporting, swimming and surfing - simply all programs of wasting time, especially in the Western countries. How much they have invented, I see only and laugh."
(Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, 11/11/75)
We can note that swimming is specifically singled out by Srila Prabhupada as an example of an activity that wastes time.
2) In regard to reason 2), engaging in swimming to raise funds, again we find Srila Prabhupada specifically condemning this:
"We are not interested in these things like hatha-yoga and swimming. We do not encourage such useless activities. We would never take to such activities for earning money. We get money enough. We don't require to adopt any unauthorized means."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 6/1/75)
Thus, Srila Prabhupada states that one should not engage in swimming to raise money since it is a "useless" activity and an "unauthorized means".
3) Hence, there is also no record of Srila Prabhupada stating that his disciples should engage in swimming because it is a "spiritual" or "Vaisnava" sport.
Thus, when we consult Srila Prabhupada, we find the opposite of what is claimed and done by SRS.
Let us always ensure that only Srila Prabhupada's recorded orders are our guide in life.
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