For 432 Years There Were No Registered Societies

[suchandra]

Good points by JALAKARA DASA (ACBSP) in his meditation upon leaving ISKCON, "did all these devotees of Lord Caitanya for 432 went to hell because there wasnt any registered Vaishnava society?"

The first registered institutional Gaudiya Vaishnava society started about 1918.

A Short Meditation on Leaving ISKCON

 

 

 

BY: JALAKARA DASA (ACBSP)

Jun 19, USA (SUN)

I have seen the recent articles and opinions on leaving ISKCON and associating outside ISKCON. I have a lot to say, but for now, I’ll just say a little. For that, dear reader, be grateful!

 

It seems a lot of people make a big issue out of leaving ISKCON, even going to the rather extreme extent of equating leaving the spiritual master’s mission with abandoning the spiritual master, or worse.

 

It makes me wonder; what is more important: remaining with a mission even if it appears to you to have lost its personal relevance to you, or bhakti? I always sort of thought bhakti was more important. I mean, I’ve read all the books, and that seemed to be the point. My impression is our spiritual master wanted us to advance in Krishna consciousness. I never had the impression that allegiance to the official registered mission took precedence over one’s personal bhakti.

 

The Nectar of Devotion quote given by

Bhagavat prabhu

is a very important one, and it will be difficult to skate around it, although expert skaters will try. It will be interesting to watch.

 

Now, dear reader, hear from that most castigated of books,

Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta

, pp 226:

• "Abhay still thought of the Caitanya Math as the headquarters of his spiritual master’s mission…and since 1948 it had been under the legal ownership of Bhaktivilas Tirtha Maharaj. Bhaktivilas Tirtha Maharaj replied “Those who are against Chaitanya Math, they are motivated by their individual ambitions.” Anyone who was against the Chaitanya Math, he said was acting illogically and against the instructions of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. So according to Tirtha Maharaj, the thing for Abhay to do, the thing he had neglected to do for so many years, was to join the Chaitanya Math and act under his direction."

But what’s going on here? Prabhupada is quoted:

Abhay still thought of the Caitanya Math as the headquarters of his spiritual master’s mission

. Huh? You mean to say, the official ISKCON biography of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, states he

thought of the Caitanya Math as the headquarters of his spiritual master’s mission?

 

Yet Srila Prabhupada was a co-founder of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti in 1940 and was of material aid to B.R. Sridhar Maharaja in the founding of his mission. Not only that, but Srila Prabhupada founded the League of Devotees and later, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Arguably, ISKCON was his great instrument, and we all benefited in various degrees from him wielding it.

 

But here we have Sri Chaitanya Math insisting it is the correct mission of Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, and

Lilamrta

confirms Srila Prabhupada thought that too, and we know that there was another mission, the Gaudiya Mission, insisting it was the correct mission Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

 

Meanwhile back in ISKCON, if I remember correctly, we always more or less assumed that WE were the real mission of Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. There is something about photos of spiritual masters on the altar, and Srila Prabhupada's picture comes directly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Pretty obvious symbolism, don’t you think? What is the message here - that ISKCON is NOT to real successor mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s 1918-37 Gaudiya Math? Didn’t that man famously say something about selling the marble bricks and printing books?

 

And not only that, but from the birth of Lord Caitanya in 1486 until 1918 (a total of 432 years for those of you who don’t have a calculator handy) there were no registered societies (although Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur organized nama hatta). Only in the last 88 years has there even been a question of organized societies. I wonder if all the devotees who lived prior to the establishment of religious organizations did not pass go but went directly to hell? Oh dear, how Christian of me…or is it Catholic of me? I forget.

 

Which brings us to the present day, and the discussion of can one, or can’t one, leave his spiritual masters mission? It is a question that has, after all, only confronted us for 88 years and, as such, must be seen in that perspective. ISKCON has been around for 42 years, and while it hints it will be here for 10,000 more, that has yet to be seen. It is interesting that the Japanese word Banzai means “ten thousand years”. It is an easy word to use, but actually a very long, long time.

 

Oh, I meandered away. Sorry! Returning to reality, I ask the question again: can one, or can’t one, leave his spiritual masters mission? Well, Srila Prabhupada did. It can be proved historically by written registration documents and even in the

Lilamrta

. We can go on and on about why he did it, and whether or not there were exceptional circumstances that prompted him to do it, but the unmistakable, unalterable fact is; he did it.

 

Yes, he did it.

 

Was he acting according to a higher calling? You bet he was! Did his Godbrothers criticize him and accuse him of disloyalty? I can’t prove it, except for the statement by Bhaktivilas Tirtha Maharaja quoted above, but it seems logical that there would have been criticism from some quarters, knowing how human nature acts and given the extreme emotional commitment some members have to their societies. After all, even the President of the United States isn’t above saying, “You’re either with us or against us.”

 

And now the real question: what about us? Will some claim our spiritual master has established a mission, and we must follow that mission no matter what? For good or bad, my ISKCON?

 

Is it possible that a disciple may have a higher calling, a voice within, or call it what you like, even a visionary epiphany? I think that is a no-brainer! We have no idea who anybody really is. To deny that Krishna can talk to any one of us, empower any one of us, open the heart of any one of us…well, to deny the possibility of that is to deny Krishna and the power of God.

 

What if a disciple feels his bhakti can flourish more in an alternative environment? What if he feels stifled? Is he or she to be condemned, encouraged or congratulated?

 

If someone leaves his master’s mission, will you entertain the possibility that he might have a higher vision of what his master’s mission really is? Or will you simply shrug him off as being in

maya

?

 

If so many within the mission condemn him for leaving, should he listen uncritically to them, or should he meditate and consider carefully and fully and then, whatever the decision is, follow his heart?

 

Is following your heart to be encouraged? Can any institution exist if the members follow their hearts? Can a mission go on if sincere individuals do what they consider is best for their bhakti?

 

Even further, is there a time in our devotional lives when we move beyond an institution and the support structure it provides?

 

Now remember; I have not said disrespect any institution or fight against any institution or criticize any mission or devotee. It is important to note that Srila Prabhupada kept cordial relationships with members of many Gaudiya institutions, as well as non-members.

 

The point I raise is thus: Prabhupada abandoned the institution(s) claiming to be his spiritual master’s mission(s). At what point does the institution claiming to be the spiritual master’s hereditary mission forfeit that status, and does a sort of caste Brahman-ism or society-ism set in?

 

And even if one leaves the hereditary physical mission, who is to say that the devotee in question is not in the most confidential and devoted association with his spiritual master at all times, even if outwardly he appears to have spiritual association with singular or various spiritual personalities?

 

Personally, I think if I want to follow my inner voice, and go where I judge it is best for my bhakti, there is no one who can see inside my heart and tell me I’m wrong. At some point I need to make my own reasoned spiritual decisions, and dance to the drummer that I hear, however measured and far away.

 

Did Prabhupada leave his spiritual master’s mission(s)? Yes he did. Should you leave your spiritual master’s mission? That is your own decision for only you to make, and no one can make it for you.

 

Accept what is favorable and reject what is unfavorable to devotional service (bhakti)

. How can so many sincere devotees who have dedicated their lives to God see that simple statement in so many ways? Why do we fight one another?

 

I think Srila Prabhupada came here to give his blessings. The association of all different types of devotees from different countries and societies is one of the blessings he gave us. We should be cautious of being excessively insular, and we should mind how we water the tree of bhakti from time to time. We should take blessings from those Vaishnavas who will give them, and never offend anyone.