Discussion and Philosophy

[Guest guest]

>

> But seriously, every religion has its progressive/liberal wing and it's

> conservative/fundamentalist wing, who usually call each other much worse

> terms than "fools".

 

Well, remembering "GHQ"... No doubt about it.

 

 

ISKCON being also an institutional, organized form of the

religious practices certainly is not an exception from

the commonly shared phenomena such as above mentioned one,

i.e. the generation of the "fundamentalistis" and "progressive"

wings that both claim to be the real and faithful representatives

of the holy scriptures and the founder of the religious movement,

both fighting for the predominance of their interpretations

and -- the elimination of the opposing parties.

 

 

ISKCON does seem to have all the required ingredients to

develop further in either direction. Personally, I am rather

inclined to think that the easier path of gliding toward is

the path of following all the major religious movements in

the world. Here are some of the moments that might enable

something like that happen (especially in some several hundreds

of years yet to come):

 

-- Srila Prabhupada is already there being promoted as practically

God Himself. Absolutely infallible and omniscient in every respect...

The only real saviour of the world in this age.

 

-- The structure of an unquestionable authority system is

there, with the body of the "ultimate authority" that is never

to be challenged nor disregarded by anybody. The central place

of the ultimate authority's ruling is also there, and it is to

become the biggest and the most spectacular in the whole world

(hat some "Vaticans" of this world are to become a third-class

touristic attraction in comparison to).

 

-- The guruship principles are already a kind of a hybrid,

something in between the straight rtvik and the genuine

guru-disciple principles; an ISKCON guru is an official post

that got to be approved by the highest body of authority. The

formal initiation is there that to connect any prospective

candidate to Prabhupada who is seen as actually the only real

saviour of all the members of the institution (the spiritual

purity and the strength of initiating guru, as well as guru-

disciple relationship is of a secondary importance)... Thus

bringing in to the picture the certain element of the "priesthood"

(the latest example of Suhotra Swami as a kind of a "guru on a

vacations/treatment" simply illustrates this).

 

-- The loyalty (the chief "prostitute" among the words) to the

ultimate authority and the institution is seen as the measurement

for the spiritual advancement or "love of Godhead". (Love of

Godhead can be obtained only through the love of Prabhupada

and this one can be demonstrated only by cooperating with the

GBC and this one can be accomplish only by never disregarding

them on any way what to speak of rejecting their authority.)

 

-- The very revolutionary spirit and the open critical thinking

being those principles on which the "birth" and the growth

of ISKCON as the institution has been supported on, become

condemned and outlawed once the "door-step" has been crossed

over: Every and each "splinter" individual or group is condemned

as the demonically influenced, illusioned, bewildered, offensive,

envious, materialistic, treacherous... down-to--hell heading.

 

-- The abuses of children. Women, cows, the weak.

 

 

And some other points could be mentioned too. But I guess,

these few above are already too many, I am afraid... And

ISKCON is only a couple of decades old. I wander how the early

Christianity of that age looked alike. Certainly not all that

institutional (or "mundane religious", as some would say) as

The Roman Church (Vatican) of today, for example.

 

 

 

- mnd