| Who is really destroying ISKCON? |
Autumn 2005
One ridiculous accusation which has been hurled at the IRM is that we
are “destroying” ISKCON.
Gauri Das, the Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor, who has been
responsible for banning devotees from taking darshan of the Deities
there, stated that:
| “IRM is seeking to
destroy ISKCON based upon their own interpretation of Srila
Prabhupada’s instructions.” (Letter from Gauri Das, 18 December 2004). |
Gauri Das has, however, provided not a single
shred of evidence that Srila Prabhupada’s status as the initiating Guru
will lead to wholesale destruction.
When you examine ISKCON’s statements over the past 20 years, it is easy
to see who is really destroying ISKCON; and it is not the organisation
that wants to keep Srila Prabhupada as the initiator! But we will let
ISKCON’s leaders speak for themselves:
| 1985: | “The position of initiating guru has
become institutionalized in ISKCON in a manner that is contrary
to the desire of Srila Prabhupada and incompatible with his
plans for ISKCON. The assembly agreed that this deviation from
Srila Prabhupada’s order lies at the crux of ISKCON’s most grave
and intractable problems.” (Ravindra Svarupa Das, Under My Order: Reflections on the Guru in ISKCON, August 17th, 1985) |
| 1987: | “The GBC, both indirectly by impure
acts and directly by confrontation and force, has driven large
numbers of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples out of their service,
out of their homes, and out of ISKCON… By allowing, advocating,
taking part in, perpetuating, and defending these and other
forms of contamination and decay, the members of the GBC have
brought the ultimate managing authority of the entire
International Society for Krishna Consciousness to a state of
disrepute and pollution.” (Jayadvaita Swami, Several Grievances Against the Members of the GBC, March 5th, 1987) |
| 1996: | “FACT: The ISKCON GBC has supported
even fallen gurus and tried to paper over their falldowns. ISKCON gurus have usurped and misused money, and diverted other ISKCON resources for their own personal prestige and sense gratification. ISKCON gurus have had illicit sexual intercourse with both women and men, and possibly children as well.” (Jayadvaita Swami, Where the Ritvik People are Right, 1996) |
| 2000: | “The GBC (and ISKCON) still needs to
atone for its sins and its offenses” (Ravindra Svarupa Das, GBC memo, May 2000) |
| 2000: | “I can see that soon after Srila
Prabhupada’s disappearance we took it for granted that Srila
Prabhupada is not here any more - like any other mortal, as he
left his body, he is no more. I very strongly feel that this is
the greatest mistake we have made. And as a result, ISKCON today
is in such a critical condition.” (Bhakti Caru Swami, Speech on Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day, 2000) |
| 2003: | “…that defective system may have been
watered down to some extent but it’s still prevailing. After
Harikesa fell down in 1998, in 1999 I proposed that it’s obvious
that we are going in the wrong direction.” (Bhakti Caru Swami, Toronto Meeting, July 20th 2003) |
| 2004: | “Recently we had to contribute $60,000
to the legal case in USA. When we discussed sending the money
many devotees who work very hard to raise it, asked ‘what about
Gurus, Sannyasis and leaders who have accumulated gifted money,
will they be contributing anything?’ And they were serious
because there is talk about individuals especially sannyasis and
Gurus having amassed gifted money. It may or may not be the
fact, but there is an air of distrust… I am sure the IRM would
be very happy to do something with this information. Unless
something is done this will probably end up in their next
publication.” (Gauri Das, ‘Financial disclosures by ISKCON leaders’, January 4th, 2004) |
| 2005: | “The German yatra is presently
facing a severe crisis… this crisis was not of the German
devotees’ own making but rather was mostly created by the
GBC-appointed former zonal secretary” (GBC Resolutions 2005, addressing the 1 million Euro debt crisis in ISKCON Germany) |
| 2005: | “Some Hare Krishna devotees and gurus, including at least one in Los Angeles, were subsequently convicted of child abuse… said Anuttama Dasa, spokesman for the society.” (Los Angeles Times article ‘Krishna Payouts Begin: Society starts resolving its $9.5-million child abuse case’, June 26th, 2005) |
| 2005: | ISKCON Gurus have fallen down “several times in ISKCON’s short history since 1977”. (ISKCON UK Headquarter’s “Spiritual Master and Disciple” Course) |
We now invite Gauri Das to please show us in each case how the IRM is responsible for such wanton destruction of Srila Prabhupada’s movement. Until then, we prefer to stick to the one Guru whom we know will never fall or fail us – His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.