APPRECIATING ISKCON WITH A POSITIVE BALANCED CONCEPTION

[Guest guest]

Dear Makhanlal Prabhu.

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

First I would like to apologize for my delayed reply. I did quite some

soul-searching in past days. I needed to take some time, to define some

guidelines for my near future.

 

I would like to thank you for your really caring letter. I know that it must

have taken you considerable amount of time to write it, and I'm really

thankful for your endeavor.

 

I agree with all your points, and will do my best to adjust my views. Please

allow me to express some additional thoughts on several of your points.

 

> However, I strongly caution you not to paint the entire ISKCON movement,

> along with all its devotees, with the same brush.

 

I was warned several times in this direction. not to overgeneralize. I will

try hard to avoid doing this. It is not proper, and unfair to majority of

ISKCON devotees. I hope I didn't make too many offenses.

 

There is no need to defend myself. Let me just say, that as I see it,

overgeneralization is common thing in communication between devotees. Even

those who point against it, can be seen as using it frequently. It is there,

and it seems quite hopeless to expect, that it will be removed, before we

can start properly communicatiing. I'd rather say, that overgeneralization

is to be understood, according to situation. When one says "Everybody in

ISKCON is in maya!", one can obviously blame him for such gross

overgeneralization. But actually such words can be understood differently

too. And there is need for this, because one rarely says such thing, unless

he is highly disturbed. The point is not at all in "everybody is in maya",

but actually in "what is going on here? Help me!" Maybe he is not trying to

say, that everybody is in maya, he may be just saying, thateverybody in his

near surrounding is in maya. Or even more likely, that everybody, that is

causing him trouble, is in maya. Or possibly, that he himself is in maya and

is just frustrated because he cannot understand some things, and therefore

he just said something to express his confused emotions, although he didn't

really mean it.

 

My point is, that evergeneralization will allways happen when person is a

bit on edge, or pushing something, and instead of judging him for it, it may

be better to try to understand his situation, and maybe try to put oneself

in his situation. I think thats called empathy. I mean, this is just

suggestion, based on my understanding, that it is hard to expect, that

everybody will communicate perfectly, just the way we expect them to.

 

> Yet, I will again come back to the fact that ISKCON still is Srila

> Prabhupada’s body.

> ...

> The bottom line is that Srila Prabhupada is alive and well; we just have

> to keep sincerely working, like your good self, to see that his standards

> are maintained - but cooperatively and in the association of fixed up

> devotees.

 

Thank you for this. I try to maintain similar mood. I'm learning how to act

in situations, where standards are compromised for some reasons. I will

learn eventually, I'm sure. I hope I will not cause too much truble on the

way.

 

> “Physician, heal thyself”. You become a mini acharya, you sincerely

> demonstrate Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, and associate, preferably

> physically, with like-minded devotees committed to Srila Prabhupada, and

> you make a difference! Even a half dozen like-minded devotees can create

> a very beautiful sanga. That’s how the movement started and spread all

> over the world.

 

I will do this. Thank you for encouragement.

 

> Of course, some of these critics have valuable things to say, but be

> cautious when they have a mixed agenda that does not includes cooperating

> with ISKCON merely because they find problems there. That kind of

> association will turn you into one of the same, without doubt-completely

> disillusioned, and a separatist, at best. There are so many bitter critics

> of ISKCON, the GBC, etc, who blast out on the Internet but may have not

> put their hand into a bead bag for the past 20 years (how about them

> getting up at four in the morning; some of them follow only two of the

> regulative principles, but are very opinionated about ISKCON), although

> they still consider themselves to be devotees. Please don’t take that kind

> of association, for it will ruin you.

 

This is a good warning. And it seems, that there is no way, that I can be

protected form this. Of course, there is always solution, to just unplug

internet, and be picky with personal association. It is just hard for me to

accept, that some devotees are better to be avoided, or that some devotees

are not to be taken seriously, and their points to be ignored. But it seems

that this is the only solution in these times. Although I really don't like

idea of ignoring others, who are crying out for help, but whatever, it seems

that I will have to learn how to properly block my ears in most situations.

 

> Your paintbrush is again over-broad. You can’t say the “vast majority” are

> running on blind faith. While your word of caution is well taken, you are

> not the all-pervading Lord Vishnu who knows everything going on all over

> the world. There are more than 450 centers worldwide. You haven’t been

> there, and have no clue as to what is going on in each and every center.

> Your conclusion is purely conjecture.

 

Yes, you are correct, I was again over-broad. But if some other devotee

would write like this to me, I wouldn't really consider him actually

speaking of whole entire ISKCON, but only about parts of ISKCON, that he is

connected with. I would understand, that in his surrounding “vast majority”

are run on blind faith. Because it is obvious, that he cannot know about all

450 ISKCON centres, and all thousands of devotees. I cannot expect him to

travel allaround, know everybody and everything in detail, and only then he

can say something. So, he is 100% wrong, I'd say, for entire ISKCON. But at

the same time, he is 100% right from his own point of view. He could also

say "In my yatra ISKCON leaders keep vast majority of ISKCON membership on

sentimental blind faith". But maybe he just did not want to point-finger

like this, and therefore he spoke more generally, since he was certain, that

readers of his words will understand well, that he cannot be speaking about

everybody in ISKCON, but that he is just speaking about his own surrounding,

with which he is familiar with.

 

It seems, that not everybody perceives situations the way I do. What a

revelation! I will be more precise in future. Or actually even more likely,

I will just be quiet about things, which are burdening me locally. Krsna

knows it all, anyway, and He can inspire me towards other, less disturbing

ways to correct local situation, if that correction is needed at all.

 

It is really difficult situation, to be disturbed or hurt with something,

and then be expected to express your thoughts perfectly, so that everybody

is happy with them. And it is so easy for the other side to divert attention

from real points, and point towards some non-important rhetorical

imperfections, and thus devalue real points. How can one be expected to be

understood in the world, when he is already fully 'understood' before he

even gets a chance to properly present his points. It seems hopeless. Better

I chant extra rounds and read more. Krsna is in control, and what can go

wrong at all.

 

> Please be careful. The succession goes, historically, like this: First,

> disenchantment with ISKCON; next, distancing oneself from ISKCON

> association; then comes the idea that you can simply have a relationship

> with Srila Prabhupada without the devotees; many then seek non ISKCON

> Vaishnava association; and finally, disillusionment with Srila Prabhupada

> himself, wondering why he created such a “defective society”, “defective

> leaders”, etc.

 

Thank you for this. My situation may be critical already. I hope Krsna will

not wipe me away. Please give me your blessings, that I can see only good in

ISKCON, and to never lose association of ISKCON devotees.

 

> “Anyone who thinks they can live without the [physical-not just cyber]

> association of devotees lives in a grand hallucination!” Many thousands,

> including so-called “big devotees”, have gone down the path I just

> described, so please don’t think you are automatically immune!

 

Luckily I still don't think I'm immune to that. I'm just a bit confused at

the moment. It will pass, I hope. I hope it turns out as a valuable

experience, which will help me serve better in ISKCON.

 

> To refresh your vision of ISKCON today, I strongly advise you to beg,

> borrow (but not steal) the money to come to Mayapur for the Gaura Purnima

> festival next year. When you see the 5,000 devotees from all over the

> world-more than 45 nations-enthusiastically dancing and chanting, taking

> shelter of the giant Pancha Tattva, and going on pilgrimage on the

> Navadwipa parikrama so joyfully, you realize how glorious Srila

> Prabhupada’s ISKCON still is-not just past tense. This will heal your

> aching heart, without a doubt.

 

Thank you for your blessings. May it happen this way, and may devotees

finally be relieved from nasty burden of my criticisms and faultfinding.

 

Thank you for everything

 

your servant Giri-nayaka das