Gaudiya Matha association

[Guest guest]

> It's verry hard to deny that Srila Prabhupada himself was the

> real source of ISKCON's traditional coolness toward Gaudiya Matha,

> and so there seems little need to try, if we're submissive to his

> Divine grace. It's also true that much or most of what Prabhupada

> warned us about Gaudiya Matha has come true because some people have

> insisted on re-interpreting Srila Prabhupada's pertinent remarks in

> such a roundabout manner that they've circled themselves several

> times over. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, this is still

> no reason to disrespect anyone in that position.

 

I agree. Thank you for your, as always, thoughtfulI comments.

 

I think the problems arise when disenfranchized disciples join other

groups, then come back to ISKCON telling everyone how useless ISKCON

is, how corrupt the GBC is, how this and that guru fell down etc.

There is no one in ISKCON who has gone out of their way to condemn

other sects of bhakti, it is only when these other groups attack

ISKCON being disrespectful to its devotees that the problems arise,

because then any loyal ISKCON member will feel compelled, and indeed

it is every member's duty, to defend ISKCON against these attacks.

 

There would never be a fight with NM, for instance, if the disciples

who joined him had just gone away to practice spiritual life under his

direction. It is when they came back and invaded ISKCON trying to

convince everyone that NM is the next acharya in ISKCON, and that

anyone who didn't accept was an offender to his lotusfeet, that all

the fighting started.

 

When I worked in the protection ministry I was privy to information

about what NM had said in private about ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada. I

will not go into details but from these statements it was clear that

NM is not a well wisher of ISKCON. Therefore it is so utterly

ridiculous for me to hear anyone suggesting that NM is the next

acharya of ISKCON. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Apart from Narayan Maharaja's group, I don't know of any other Gaudiya

matha which is disrespectful towards ISKCON. ISKCON co-exists nicely

with the other Gaudiya mathas in an atmosphere of mutual respect. It

is not respectful to invade another mathas and demand that the

devotees there accept your guru. ISKCON has never shown disrespect to

other mathas like that, nor have I personally ever shown disrespect to

anyone just because he or she is not an ISKCON devotee.

 

What I can't respect is when ISKCON becomes a happy hunting ground and

whipping boy for embittered fringe devotees, who do nothing but point

of the faults they perceive.

 

Ys, Jahnu das