remain strong on the spiritual platform

[Guest guest]

It's such a relief to know that someone who initiated himself can now

explain to us the real meaning behind Srila Prabhupada's teachings. But

you're just going to have to excuse me if this sticks in my throat.

 

 

> Dear Prabhus

>

> Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila

> Prabhuapda!

>

> The full letter is below. I find it is always better to read the quotes in

> context. A letter is only a few paragraphs so there is no difficulty in

> reading the whole letter and in that way we can understand it more

> clearly.

>

> And rather than speculate on it it is better to find out the actual

> history.

>

> Srila Prabhupada left the United States in 1970 because he felt many of

> his leading devotees were minimizing his position. There was a string of

> incidents indicating disrespect to Srila Prabupada including the BBT

> publishing books that just fell apart when Prabhupada opened them,

> buildings without "His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,

> Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

> displayed on them, and many other things.

>

> In the face of this growing disrespect for their spriitual master among

> Prabhupada's leading disciples, Srila Prabhupada decided to leave the

> United States and preach in India. He had some money, I think it was about

> $20,000 and he went to India via Japan. In Japan he visited Dai Nippon

> printers and convinced them to print something like $200,000 worth of

> books and send them to India for him. So he Prabhupada went to India and

> invented the life membership program for distributing his books and

> reestablished Krishna consciousness and opened temples there.

>

> At ITV we have the film of Srila Prabhupada's departure address from Los

> Angeles where he says that he is going to India to preach and distribute

> books there and to open some temples there.

>

> After Srila Prabhupada went to India, at his Vyasa Puja festival in New

> Vrindavana, Brahmananda, Gargamuni and Visnujana, who were all swamis

> then, started preaching Mayavadi philosophy to the devotees. They were

> saying that Srila Prabhupada was actually Krishna and now he has left the

> society and so many other things. The bottom line was: "Prabhupada has

> gone and now we are in charge..." Brahmananda admits to this today and

> says it was not that they were consciously trying to do anything against

> Srila Prabhupada, he says they were under the spell of some "mayic"

> infulence which was forcing them to do these things.

>

> This was simply a further development of the same posionous effect in the

> society that Prabhupada had detected eairler and which had prompted him to

> leave the US, the arena of his disciples offences, and go to India to

> preach.

>

> When news of this reached Srila Prabhupada he wrote this letter to

> Hansadutta, about this poisionous effect that had entered the society.

> Basically that posinous effect is disrespect of Srila Prabhupada. Our only

> hope for making spriitual advancement is to get the mercy of Srila

> Prabhupada but there was a great movement in ISKCON at that time, which

> still continues today, to undermine this relationship between the

> disciples and Srila Prabhupada.

>

> Srila Prabhupada made it very clear that he know where this poision had

> come from. He said his godbrothers in India had become very upset that his

> disicples were addressing him as "Prabhupada," and for this reason they

> had tried to poison the whole society. This poison was introduced by Srila

> Prabhupada's godbrothers to Prabhupada's disciples who were preaching in

> India at the time and by this time it was spread all over the society.

>

> The poison is minimising the position of Srila Prabhupada. And it was

> going on before Srila Prabhupada left for India, and it got worse after he

> left, Srila Prabupada has indicated in this letter that the poison will

> not act if some of his disciples are as good as Prahlada Maharaja. We are

> still waiting for that. The posion is still strong.

>

> To claim, as has been claimed in this thread, that the GBC members at that

> time were all as good as Prahlada Maharaja, is outrageous. Prahlada

> Maharaja is one of the 12 mahajanas, his glories are unlimited and

> unfathomable, he was a pure devotee from birth, with all due respect how

> can anyone say that the GBC members at that time in ISKCON were all as

> good as Prahlada Maharaja? Most of those GBC men are now very much in

> maya. That proves they were not as good as Prahlada Maharaja. Such a pure

> devotee on the level of Prahlada Maharaja is so very rare. How can one

> even imagine that 11 men who are for the most part no longer even

> practicing Krishna consciousness are as good as Prahlada Maharaja?

>

> Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

>

> Your servant

>

> Madhudvisa dasa

>

> Letter to: Hamsaduta

> —

> Calcutta

> 2 September, 1970

> 70-09-02

>

>

> Hamburg

>

> My Dear Hamsaduta,

>

> Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 23rd

> August as well as the German "Zuruck zur Gottheit.'' This masthead was

> submitted to me by Jaya Govinda and I approved of it, but I advised him to

> put the words "Back to Godhead'', as it is. The idea is that the original

> name, "Back to Godhead'', even it goes to foreign country it should

> continue to be the same. As you can see from other important magazines

> like "Life'' and "Time'' they are distributed in foreign countries is the

> same name without being translated into the local language. If you think

> that such change will be more convenient, I have no objection—such change

> means, instead of "Back to Godhead'', "Zuruck zur Gottheit.''

>

> Regarding the poisonous effect in our Society, it is a fact and I know

> where from this poison tree has sprung up and how it affected practically

> the whole Society in a very dangerous form. But it does not matter.

> Prahlada Maharaja was administered poison, but it did not act. Similarly

> Lord Krsna and the Pandavas were administered poison and it did not act. I

> think in the same parampara system that the poison administered to our

> Society will not act if some of our students are as good as Prahlada

> Maharaja. I have therefore given the administrative power to the Governing

> Body Commission. I have tried to give you all Krsna Consciousness, now it

> is your duty to develop it. If you remain strong on the spiritual platform

> then your progress will not be checked or blocked. I do not know what was

> resolved in New Vrindavan although Sriman Rupanuga Prabhu has informed

> others that he has sent a tape in this connection. I am still in darkness

> about the proceedings in New Vrndavana, but I have heard that Brahmananda

> is preaching about me that I am Krsna, that I am Supersoul, that I have

> withdrawn my mercy from the disciples, that I have left the Society and so

> on. I do not know how far they are correct, but I have written him a

> letter that he may not do something which may harm the interest of the

> Society. You are also one of the members of the GBC, so you can think over

> very deeply how to save the situation. It is a fact however that the great

> sinister movement is within our Society. I have not heard anything from

> Krsna das or Syamasundara., so all of you may try to save the Society from

> this dangerous position.

>

> So far my coming here [india], it appears that it was Krsna's desire.

> There was very good reception in the Airport and the public opinion is

> that it was the unique reception so far given to any VIP man. Here in

> India, especially in Bengal, the political conditions are not very good.

> Everyone is feeling some sort of anxiety due to the political condition,

> so I have given them a sort of hope that if they take to Krsna

> Consciousness their problems will be solved. It is not my mental

> concoction, but I believe in the words of Narottama Dasa Thakura that the

> shelter of the Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda is as cooling effectively as

> the combined moonshine of millions of moons. So I am sure anyone taking

> shelter of Krsna Consciousness Movement will be happy. Please try to push

> this Movement on this process.

>

> Offer my blessings to Himavati. Hope this will meet you in good health.

>

> Your ever well-wisher,

>

> A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

>

> ACBS:ds