What is ISKCON?

[Guest guest]

Giri-Nayaka prabhu,

PAMHO. AGTSP

 

In your list of "ills" of ISKCON you have quite a kittari--merge it all

together--good and bad. For example, karmi music you have lumped in with

message therapy, which has a legitimate place in the healing arts if not

abused.

some of the things you have listed are in the mode of goodness and are

compatible with Krishna consciousnes. There are several devotee yoga teachers

in Los Angeles who do very nice preaching around yoga. Of course, some of the

things you mention are in the modes of passion and ignorance--a whole different

story. Then also you mention various deviations of philosophy. This is a big

mix, and, as I mentioned before, beware of becoming one of the people you say

leaves ISKCON out of disliking the mix. Let's hope your description of those

persons is not autobiographical! Remember also that the varieties in ISKCON

also attract many people, not repel them. Yet the strict teachings of Srila

Prabhupada must always be followed, no matter what the external trappings may

be.

If you are a sincere follower of Srila Prabhupada, become a leader. Nothing

is stopping you except your mind. there is a great need in ISKCON for pure

leaders. If you have to change your local setting because you have strong

differences with the local management, then do that. Most importantly, don't

yourself get bogged down in all the sociological stuff, but remin fixed in pure

hearing and chanting daily. Srila Prabhupada orders to read two hours a day in

his books! Engage in bhajan. Move to India. Get out of the west, if you have

to, but don't pickle! You can make a difference in the movement, but by your

personal example and practices.

Your servant,

Makhanlal das

"Giri-nayaka (das) BVS (Ljubljana - SLO)" <Giri-nayaka.BVS (AT) pamho (DOT) net> wrote:

>

> But

> modern ISKCON is proposing, usually in connection to social issues, that

> if Srila Prabhupada was here today, he would speak differently. And

> numerous methods are invented on basis of this premise, in order to bring

> KC closer to people. But at the same time those same methods drive away

> even ISKCONs own devotees. How can those inventions be expected to

> inspire people, if they drive away even devotees?

>

>

>

> Can you be more specific?

 

Yes, although I didn't want to mention any specific examples in the first

place, because then discussion usually immediately jumps to one of those

things, and everybody starts to fight over it.

 

Such social issues are for example homosexuality or feminism. Or devotees

pursuing academic education for fun. Or sports and recreation for fun. Or

the way devotees are told to be "nice and friendly" to each other, not based

on devotional service. Or our presentation to public, where some propose to

adjust Srila Prabhupada's books, in order to make them better. Or the

explosion of bridge preaching methods becoming part of ISKCON itself, not

anymore for preaching, but for devotees to practice. Or increase of

therapeuthic psychology in ISKCON. Or new age relaxation and holistic health

methods as part of everyday life of devotees. Or mixing of other traditions,

like chinese and thailand (martial arts, massages, meditations,

relaxations...) into our suposedly Vedic system. Or general acceptance of

karmi schooling system as benefic to our kids. Or accepting of karmi jobs as

non-influental on ones consciousness. Or the wide spread idea, that it is

not so important what you follow, most important is to be nice. Or inclusion

of karmi music and other media on internal ISKCON seminars and lectures. Or

strong current of promoting sentimentalism as the basis for relationships.

Or invention of karmi bussines methods in devotional managment. Or open

neglect of Vedic rules, in the mood "get real, it is 2000 something..." Or

ideas, that ISKCON is ment to provide all kinds of expertise for humanity,

beside spiritual, even all vedic and other skills, and thus become top most

authority on every possible field of human activity.

 

Things like this leave devotees with some questions in mind. And many are

very sceptical about such things and are seriously thinking, if ISKCON is

the right place to be. And upon seeing this things, many devotees loose

their desire to give their life and energy to ISKCON. Many just don't want

to sacrifice anything to such multi-ideologic all-encompassing organization,

which has its head high in the sky, while standing in bull-dung up to its

knees. While above mentioned things may improve our public image, they

destroy our internal membership. Probably one could find some more things

like this. This are just the ones that came to my mind right now.

 

your servant Giri-nayaka das

 

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Makhanlal Das