confused

[Haridham]

hare Krsna everyone. I dont know whats going with me someone is definetly testing my faith in everything especially ISKCON.

 

I mean iskcon is in a mess. There is so much happening. From Narayan Marahaj, the ritvik situation and iskcons own personal problems amongst ourselves. Like the molestation case. I dont understand any of it.

 

I dont really know what I am trying to say. I am just a bit confused about everything.

 

I mean it all started with a few nights ago as I was watching tv and its all . everywhere. There is sex here and sex there. Some of my unintiated devotee friends always joke around with stuff such as this and especially tonight two of them were saying amongst themselves that you dont need a guru and something about Jagadish(ex sannyassi) who said bad things about iskcon.

 

I dont think I can leave prabhupads movement but.....

 

I think basically that this is a test by krsna to clear my doubts.

 

maybe i should doubt my doubts and believe my beliefs.

 

Help me if you think I need it. I think I am fried.

[gHari]

 

Many have fallen away into a variety of guna traps. You are a devotee, Haridham. This is where you belong. Many will fall away. That is not to happen to you. It is a high ideal, and few can keep the goal in sight. I know your strength. You will never be defeated.

 

ISKCON is greater than all our greatness combined. Never doubt her. Walk away from those who do.

 

gHari

 

[yasodanandana]

the important thing is to pray krsna to send us an uttama adhikari spiritual master to connect us to parampara and to start real devotional service..

 

organizations are popolated by humans and humans make mistakes

 

spirituality is not politic or a social phenomenon it is personal, if you(me, we, they, he, she) are well situated in the guru-disciple relationship (iskcon-non iskcon is less important) you make spiritual advancement in krsna consciousness and you develope the skills to see all the happenings in the right way and not to get attacked by maya

 

if you (we, me, they, he, she) are not well situated personally, even if the organizations go without any problem and grow esponentially, we do not go back to krsna

 

in my opinion these difficulties in organizations are also to teach us that we have to develope devotion, not simply join a group and to expect to be brought in the spiritual world by the bureaucracy

 

hare krishna prabhu, you are a nice devotee

[krsna]

Srila Gour Govinda Swami was always strongly against devotees leaving the mission of his guru, Srila Prabhupada. He tolerated and served in ISKCON out of devotion to Srila Prabhupada, not out of any mundane party spirit or institutional fanaticism. He always saw ISKCON as the seva/sanga of Srila Prabhupada. The following excerpt from an evening darsana in 1989 is typical of his attitude on this subject:

 

Devotee: You said we should always seek the association of advanced devotees. When Srila Prabhupada left the planet some of his disciples took shelter of....

 

Srila Gour Govinda Swami: Thereby they committed a mistake.

 

Devotee: Who committed a mistake?

 

SGGS: They left Prabhupada's mission. For the clarification of philosophical doubt or [to] accept some siksa from him [one may visit]. But why do you leave?

 

Devotee: Some people took shelter of ... and naturally because he was giving some instruction they became attached to him, and also accepted him as guru, siksa-guru. But because of this it seems that our society [iSKCON] rejected them rather than they rejected our society, in some cases.

 

SGGS: Why should they leave ISKCON?

 

Devotee: Some people... I spoke to one devotee who had taken shelter of... and he said that his life was made very difficult within ISKCON and he could no longer preach, he was so restricted. Therefore in order to preach he left ISKCON.

 

SGGS: What difficulty is there! Preaching the mission of Gauranga Mahaprabhu? Mahaprabhu says, "I will help you... I assure you I'll protect you, I'll help you. You'll never be affected by maya." [if] you have no faith in Gauranga Mahaprabhu, then you'll be put into difficulties. Understand? They have no faith in Gauranga Mahaprabhu, so they faced difficulties. Don't be afraid of problems. Krishna is there. His representative, guru is there. They are always with you. Do you understand? They are always prepared to help you. And these dangers, these problems, difficulties, will help you to become fixed. Do you understand? To become fixed. So they [the problems] are welcome.

 

[20/11/89 Bhubaneswar,Orissa,INDIA]

 

 

 

As Maharaja Rahugana said to Jada Bharata:

 

naham visanke sura-raja-vajran

na tryaksa-sulan na yamasya dandat

nagny-arka-somanila-vittapastrac

chanke bhrsam brahma-kulavamanat

 

"My dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing, trident of Lord Siva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a vaisnava."

 

[Haridham]

Thank you very much for your kind words. You are like a father to me. Always with your advice and keeping me in the right track.

 

I was going through something emotional at the time i wrote this and I know I will go through these again but thank you for your help.

 

One thing that upset me was that all these things that are happening with krsna consciousness and such. Even in this forum I mean sometimes I write something and people dont reply so i am not sure where i stand as a devotee.

 

How can I leave srila prabhupads isckon. I and other youths are the future of iskcon.

 

Thank you

Hare Krsna Prabhu.