Guruvani

Anyway, despite what Sridhar Maharaja might have said about this or about that, it is the guidance and design of Srila Prabhupada that should be followed in ISKCON. We don't try to make Prabhupada's standards and practices applicable to the Math of Sridhar Maharaja, neither should we try to make Sridhar Maharaja the head of ISKCON. Eventually, all these instructions he gave about ISKCON changed when the GBC failed to accept Sridhar Maharaja as an alternative to an ISKCON guru. In time Sridhar Maharaja could see the flaws in the ISKCON guru system and in the end he completely withdrew all his sanction and authority from anyone except Govinda Maharaja. I rather like to think that Sridhar Maharaja had a higher vision and better thinking that to endorse homosexuals, pedophiles, crooks, capitalists and thieves as Acharyas of the Krishna conciousness movement.

So, it is quite a curious observation here to see that so-called followers of Sridhar Maharaja now want to make him culpible for encouraging homosexuals, deviants, thieves, crooks, hoodlums, thugs and other such unfit and unqualified aspiring neophytes to become guru? Do you really understand the implications here of accusing Sridhar Maharaja of endorsing a long list of fallen gurus who have wreaked havoc and disaster on the movement? Do you see how this makes Sridhar Maharaja responsible for much of this ? Is that really a service to Sridhar Maharaja; to try and prove that he endorsed and sponsored the guruship of such perons as Kirtanananda, Bhavananda, Jayatirtha, Bhagavan, Hansadutta etc. etc.? Is that what you think about Sridhar Maharaja? Is your idea of him that he is a party to the madness and mayhem that was wrought upon ISKCON by the guru conspiracy? Where does that leave Sridhar Maharaja in the history books of the sampradaya? Will the history books show that he was a party to the monstrosities that occured in ISKCON after the disappearnce of Srila Prabhupada?

Here is some more thoughts by Sudhir Maharaja on Tripurari Maharaja's affiliation with Jan Brzezinski: It is not that Brzezinski is developing newfound appreciation for Srila Saraswati Thakur. This is a ruse. Unfortunately, just the opposite has occurred. People are being asked to give their faith, their lives, their souls. In return, they are promised the purity of the Krishna conception of Saraswati Thakur and his followers, but are getting changed-up in the process. Purity is confounded with fanaticism. Those who emphasize difference and gradation, “have an agenda”. Those who uncover sahajiyaism are “sectarian”, “fanatics” who need to mellow out and get “balanced.” Truth is no longer the standard—rather, balance, eliminating differences, equilibrium—read, non-differentiation. Such so-called preaching sounds like a litany of the New Age hokum found in the directory, Common Ground: “passionate love,” “expressing feelings”, “building relationships”, “achieving balance”, “meaningful sex”, ad nauseam. How can one not realize the absurdity of statements like: “While Jagadananda [brzezinski] is not a card carrying member of the Gaudiya Saraswata Sampradaya...” Duh! This is like saying, “While Sishupal is not a card carrying member of the Sri Krishna Fan Club…” Or, “[brzezinski's] position on contentious issues at this date is very different from what it was 25 years ago when he [rejected Srila Prabhupada and] went to Lalit Prasad.” Yes, it is very different. He is even more offensive. What to speak of Saraswati Thakur, now he even rejects Thakur Bhaktivinode! Brzezinski's endless assault on our guru varga is merely a “comment or two on time place innovations... construed as offensive by fanatics.” Not to worry. We can only conclude that we are being conned. It is a deceitful tactic. What is crucial is being trivialized — to take our minds off the money. Not unlike the changeup. Either knowingly or unknowingly, people are coming under Brzezinski's influence. To be fair, Brzezinski does not represent himself as anything other than what he is—an enemy of our sampradaya. He lost his faith long ago. He may be a scholarly sahajiya, with a pleasant smile, gentle demeanor, sense of humor, and be thorough, thought provoking and considerate, an all around nice guy. He may even try his best to render acceptable, neutral translations. His scholarship is attractive to many, like a jewel on the hood of a cobra. But he is a formidable opponent, who consistently leads the opposition to our guru-varga, challenging its veracity, and dismissing its legitimacy. His position remains unchanged. To his credit, he does not advertise himself differently. To suppress this, becoming his patron, is an alarming development and deplorable. But remember this: Brzezinski is not only a sahajiya, but a guru-tyagi as well. And with his scholarly ascent, the list of those whom he is willing to tyag grows—note the elimination of Bhaktivinode. That is why Srila Sridhar Maharaja said, this route, challenging the authenticity of our guru-parampara, “ends in atheism.” When your faith is broken in one, the rest topple like dominos. Do not underestimate Brzezinski. By his association and patronage we can expect a similar result—the destruction of our faith. We are enticed, come closer, “get to know him better.” But I beg you to carefully consider the following in your heart: If it is a hundred feet for Srila Saraswati Thakur, how far should it be for men like us?

I did not create any of this conflict. The conflict exists outside of anything I have done. I am just a roving reporter who reports the facts about what is really going on in regards to issues I think need to be covered as a service to Prabhupada - to promote his mission and his message. It's a nasty job - but somebody has to do it! bow-like-wow /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I am just a barking dog. However, this issue of Tripurari Maharaja rendering another edition of Bhagavad-gita with the help of Jagadananda das, a known Prabhupada-tyagi(rejected Prabhupada and criticisized him) and sahajiya sympathizer is a very pitiful effort by Tripuari Maharaja and as an old friend of his I am taking the burden of trying to help him realize how offensive and outragious it is to all those who respected and revered him over the years. I was a big supporter of Tripurari Maharaja for many years, but I became quite disappointed to find out that he is in cahoots with a major offender of Prabhupada, a sahajiya disciple, a sahajiya promoter and thereofore an outright sahajiya. I took this very personal because I have had a lot of great expectations for Tripurari Maharaja to represent Prabhupada so well and have been kicked in the face with this sahajiya conection of Tripurari Maharaja with Jan Brszinski. Maybe you spent a few weeks with Sudhir Maharaja and that is nice. I spent two years with him in the early days of establishing the temple in San Jose, so I am no stranger to him. I had many intimate and close conversations with him during those wonderful days when Sridhar Maharaja was still with us. If you want to know the real inner mood of Sudhir Maharaja you should read his writtings. I do. I am an avid reader of his website and I don't think he is afraid to stand behind his words. Your casual conversations with him lately apparently did not touch on his real inner thought and expressions that he writes and publishes on his web site. Here is another excerpt from his web site: Regarding sahajiya association, Swami writes: [bhakti Sudhir Goswami] thinks I cannot attain nistha or more, because of my association with [brzezinski], and this betrays his lack of understanding in general. Indeed, it is ludicrous to him, for anyone to think that our cooperation [bhagavad Gita etc.] can produce anything spiritual.” Yes, together, with the leader of the western world Sahajiyas, Brzezinski, they will plagiarize spiritual literature and achieve name and fame among the ignorant. Actually, Brzezinski et al. are the counterfeiters, illegitimately appropriating the works of our guru varga for their debased purpose.

Sudhir Maharaja also had something to say about Tripurari Maharaja becoming friends and collaborators with Hiranyagarbha das (Jagadananda das) who was the Sanskrit scholar who rejected Prabhupada, criticized Bhaktivinode and took re-initiation from Lalita Prasad and who is very favorable to Tin Kori baba and some other known sahajiyas. Sudhir Maharaja said: That once stalwart followers of Srila Prabhupada have been duped by a group of Prabhupada tyagis is tragic. Therefore, we have been warned by Mahaprabhu, as echoed in our entire guru varga: asat sanga tyaga—ei vaishnava achara. That the presiding guru of a website known as Sanga (Association), should fail to grasp this point, the very foundation of spiritual life, is as ironic as it is pathetic. Such internet presence is insidious: it's like watching someone morph into a sahajiya, in real time, through unsolicited email. I hereby "" to duSanga Spamkirtan.

I'm the guy who looks like an old Alfred E. Newman. Big ears, small smirky smile.

For the sake of accuracy, I will post the actual material on the subject of Sridhar Maharaja deserting the "ambitious party" from the web site of Bhakti Sudhir Goswami: Sri Rupa's caveat is not sectarian positioning nor malicious, but a caution from the adept of bhakti rasa. Rather, to imitate is to mock the siddha purush. This point you fail to grasp and in so doing rush to defend the lower while offending the higher. Which brings us to your assertions concerning Swami. For the sake of accuracy Srila Sridhar Maharaja said the following regarding his installing Srila Govinda Maharaja as Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Referring specifically to western sannyasis preaching in his name as "the ambitious party and those who want name and fame rather than the substance itseslf," his exact words are excerpted here [note they are in English, intended for English speaking devotees, not targeting Bengalis]: For those that have got no sraddha [faith], they may go away. They may not accept. I do not care. I don't accept them. If anyone has no recognition of this opinion of mine, I do not want them to live in the Mission. I drag them out." Dr. Asthana: But can they operate from outside and still operate as a part and parcel of you? Srila Sridhar Maharaja: As a revolt. That is revolt — without sanction — anyone can do. I have deserted them. But they may do anything and everything as they wish and reap the results far from the spiritual world, from God. Unlawful. Power may be extended and withdrawn also — I want to withdraw myself from them. Those that won't have faith in my decision, I withdraw from them. It is not a fashion but a question of faith. If they have no such faith in me, I withdraw myself from them. According to their faith — what to think? What to say? Those that do not obey me after my departure means automatically they will be left by me. Only it is a transaction of faith. No right but faith. If no faith in my word, they are automatically rejected... my disciples also, if what they do Govinda Maharaja does not accept, then they will be rejected. — Srila Sridhar Maharaja If someone you know feels this is applicable to Swami, that is their conclusion, and not something I am "telling everyone" nor, for that matter, have told anyone. He was recognized by Prabhupada as the "most expert of all our sellers" and consequently the "incarnation of book distribution." He will be forever praised and respected for this service to Srila Prabhupada and the Krishna consciousness movement. That he expresses some appreciation for the "siksha" of Srila Sridhar Maharaja is laudable. But it is understood, with threefold initiations (harinam, mantram, sannyas), that he is substantially a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. As such he need not profess allegiance to Srila Govinda Maharaja or Srila Sridhar Maharaja. That is his prerogative and not in question. However, if someone approaches me, unsolicited, and enquires sincerely as to someone's qualification as a substantial representative of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and his line, I must give an honest opinion. Invoking the issue of allegiance to Govinda Maharaja is a red herring meant to deflect from actual events. When Srila Sridhar Maharaja sought Swami's consent to release one of his disciples, Swami refused and thereby challenged Srila Sridhar Maharaja's judgment. Srila Sridhar Maharaja considered this impertinent (maryada vyatikrama). It is from that time, circa 1987, that Swami's nascent relationship with Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was aborted. Srila Govinda Maharaja tried, behind closed doors, to repair his relationship with Srila Sridhar Maharaja — not the inverse. That he advertises himself as a "siksha disciple" of Srila Sridhar Maharaja appears to be a marketing strategy not unlike the professional who boasted, "I have read Bhagavatam before Gaura Kishore Das Babaji."

I have to confess that my source of information about Sridhar Maharaja deserting those who wanted to be guru instead of recognize the seniority of Govinda Maharaja, was Sudhir Goswami and the material is available to see on his website.(should I post the exact reference and show you?) I know you are a disciple of Tripurari Maharaja and that you both are having a hard time digesting the sad truth about Sridhar Maharaja withdrawing his sanction from his ritviks other than Govinda Maharaja and also severing his approval for them to be gurus. It is an well known fact in the camp of Govinda Maharaja, so don't make me out to be the bad guy because I am narrating a true story. You know as well as I do that Tripurari Maharaja lost a lot of credibility in the camp of Govinda Maharaja when he chose to stand as guru rather than defer disciples to Sridhar Maharaja and Govinda Maharaja. None of the other sannyasis in the camp of Govinda Maharaja take their own disciples. They defer all students to be initiated by Govinda Maharaja. At one time some of them did, but when they came to know the wishes of Sridhar Maharaja they had osme of their disciples re-initiated by Govinda Maharaja. Since you want to accuse me of lieing, I will retrieve the actual quotes from Sudhira Maharaja's web site and show how it is not my version of the story but a well known fact in the camp of Govinda Maharaja.

Actually, the way I heard it from Sudhir Maharaja, was that they asked Sridhar Maharaja if these sannyasis of the Maha-mandal could initiate their own disciples if there were some devotees who didn't want ritvik initiation from Sridhar Maharaja but rather wanted to become the direct disciple of the ritviks that Sridhar Maharaja appointed to his international following he styled as Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Krishna Kirtan Maha-mandal. When asked about it in that form, Sridhar Maharaja agreed that they could accept disciples under those terms if they chose to do so. Sridhar Maharaja did not really ORDER Akshayananda to accept his own disciples, rather he submitted to their request when they pressed him that some devotees wanted to be their disciples and not ritivk disciples of Sridhar Maharaja. Eventually, Sridhar Maharaja withdrew his sanction to that kind of initiation. I personally saw some devotees like Brahma das pressuring new devotees at the San Jose temple to become disciple of Sudhir Maharaja instead of taking ritvik initiation from Sridhar Maharaja.(That was why I left that mission eventually) When Sridhar Maharaja found out what was going on he withdrew his sanction from those sannyasis initiating their own disciples and he made it quite clear that Govinda Maharaja would be the sole ritvik, guru, and Acharya of his Math and all it's branches.

In regards to Sridhar Maharaja ordering Akshayananda to initiate disciples, he was asked about that after he appointed Govinda Maharaja as the sole ritvik to him and successor acharya in his Math - he replied: "Dr. Asthana: But can they operate from outside and still operate as a part and parcel of you? Srila Sridhar Maharaja: As a revolt. That is revolt—without sanction—anyone can do. I have deserted them. But they may do anything and everything as they wish and reap the results far from the spiritual world, from God. Unlawful. Power may be extended and withdrawn also—I want to withdraw myself from them. Those that won't have faith in my decision, I withdraw from them. It is not a fashion but a question of faith. If they have no such faith in me, I withdraw myself from them."

Either way, Lord Krishna has advised that we abandon these religions and surrender unto him.

Either way, Lord Krishna has advised that we abandon these religions and surrender unto him.

So, are you saying that Sridhar Maharaja was encouraging neophyte devotees to be guru, even though there was a good chance that they might fall down from sannyasa and create a disaster for all their disciples? So, Akshayananda was initiating his own disciples instead of doing ritvik initiations and that offense caused him to fall down?

Let me rephrase the statement that got deleted. My point was that Narayana Maharaja advocates a "living guru" philosophy. Therefore, after he passes away he will no longer be relevant, he will no longer be "guru" by dint of his own philosophy. My wording was perhaps a little abrasive, but I was trying to make the point that the "living guru" philosophy is going to work against him someday to relegate Narayana Maharaja as irrelevant after his passing. According to his philosophy, only a "living guru" can be diksha or siksha guru. Therefore when he is passed on, he will no longer be guru according to his own teachings and his disciples will have to seek out a "living sadhu" to explain to them what the guru was trying to teach. Or, does that philosophy only apply to the disciples of Prabhupada? Where does the "living guru" philosophy eventally start to negate the contributions of all the predecessor acharyas?

The time table for the exact day that Narayana Maharaja started offending discples of Prabhupada by condemning them and the ritvik system that Prabhupada established in ISKCON is not the real issue here. The issue is that he has always rejected the rtivik concept and has even made statements to the effect that the ritvik system is totally apasampradaya even when it was being used during the presence of Srila Prabhupada. He has contradicted himself on that issue several times. He has sometimes said that during the presence of Prabhupada it was possible to have a ritvik system but then turned around and said that you cannot give mantra diksha by tape recorder. Arguing over the exact date when Narayana Maharaja offended Prabhupada and a large number of Prabhupada disciples by speaking out against the ritvik system is not the issue. The issue is that at some time he did and continues to do so down to the present day. Now he has created a large following of neophyte disciples who continuously and constantly make negative propaganda against a large section of devotees who follow the ritvik system of Srila Prabhupada. My point is that the time line is not the issue. It is the criticizing and condemning of so many devotees whose faith is in Prabhupada alone, much like the Christians faith in Jesus as their saviour, that is the issue. I don't consider that my showing this to be a fault is "blasphemy" of a pure devotee. I am simply stating the facts that Narayana Maharaja and his followers all speak ill of the ritvik system and those who follow it. Some senior sannyasi of the Gaudiya Math has equated Narayana Maharaja and his followers to sahajiyas. That is not my doing. Apparently, it is not just the ritvik devotees who don't believe that Narayana Maharaja has a proper approach to preaching Krishna consciousness. The whole camp of Govinda Maharaja feels that Narayana Maharaja is a big offender to Sridhar Maharaja. There is a history that could be narrated to explain that issue. Don't try to make me out to be the only person in the world who doesn't accept Narayana Maharaja as anything more than an old Neophyte. Narayana Maharaja has created a bitter opposition in many many devotees by his personality and his statements that go back a long time. My attitude is that I am simply trying to open the eyes of the followers of Narayana Maharaja that they need to mind their own business, follow their own guru and stop attacking and demeaning the devotees who don't feel like they do about Narayana Maharaja. They need to stop "anti-ritvik" propaganda because ritivk is not going away and is to be equated with a whole religion unto itself. It is offesive to attack the faith and religions of other people. All this rivalry and infighting of devotees is exactly what Srila Prabhupaa tried to avoid by establishing the ritvik system. During his presence he kept all the western devotees away from all the Gaudiya Math types with the exception of Sridhar Maharaja alone. That was his wish, that was his order. After he left there began a gradual violatation of those orders to the point where today we have a hellish fratricidal war going on inside the Krishna consciousness movement do to the introduction of those persons whom Prabhupada prohibited. Prabhupada founded this international movement and it has to be conducted under his guidance alone.

[Message deleted - Please refrain from making derogatory remarks especially in relation to Spiritual Masters of other devotees. - admin5]

When the followers of Narayana Maharaja ever come to terms with the cold cruel reality that Ritvik doctrine is alive and well in the Krishna conciousness movement and learn how to respect the faith of others, they might find that those whom they presently criticize and condemn will not be defending their beliefs at the cost of Narayana Maharaja's prestige. Ritvik doctrine is here to stay. It is actually becoming more and more popular around the movement. There are even new sects and organizations that are being established quite significantly under the principle of Ritvik doctrine. One of ISKCON's largest and most magnificent temples (Bangalore, India) is a Ritvik temple with thousands in the congregation. Some senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada with good standing and admirable qualities have recently formed a new society and GBC type committee dedicated to the Ritvik doctrine. Ritvik is not going away. It is a religion to a large section of devotees. It is amazing how some so-called devotees are so sensitive to Christian beliefs and the Christian people, yet they are so cruel and demeaning to devotees who believe in Prabhuapda and his ritvik doctrine. They are crazy about Jesus and crazy about Christianity, but they hate and despise Ritvik doctrine that advocates the saviorhood of Srila Prabhupada. This is indeed a very curious mentality - to demean and belittle the devotees of Prabhupada and be so defensive and sensitive to the Jesus freaks. Narayana Maharaja and his troupe have been slandering and demeaning the ritvik doctrine and it's followers since the day Prabhupada left. What do they expect? Do they want Ritvik believers to just lay down and play dead while they slander and smear their heart felt beliefs? Narayana Maharaja started this war with his big mouth attacking ritvik faith and it's followers. He is getting the results of his slandering and villifying the faith of Prabhupada devotees who don't wan't to hear his brand of dogma. When Narayana Maharaja and his horde can learn to respect other religions and other faiths, including the ritvik religion of Prabhupada, they might find a change in the way they are viewed by other devotees. As long as he and his followers persevere to condemn, criticize and ridicule the Ritvik religion, they should expect that they are going to be classified as fanatic zealots undeserving of the respect they demand. I can't speak for others, but for myself I can say that I can accept Narayana Maharaja as an acharya in his own right and still believe in the ritvik doctrine of Prabhupada. Those who know me know that i am one of the original followers of Sridhar Maharaja amongst his American devotees. I also recognize and respect Govinda Maharaja as a guru and acharya in his own right. Still, I am a ritvik proponent for ISKCON, and that does not even mean to say that I think ISKCON is any better or greater than other Vaishnava societies around the world. Advocating Ritvik doctrine for ISKCON does not mean that there are no other acharyas or gurus that have come out of the Gaudiya Math and it's branches. It just means that we believe that ritvik is the best system for ISKCON, based on the premise that formal initiation is not necessarily the real initiation as compared to the initiation into transcendental knowledge. Diksha is indespensible in the pursuit of Krishna consciouness. The real issue is; what actually constitutes spiritual initiation? Srila Prabhupada expressed many times that formal initiation was not really the criterian for spiritual initiation. Ritivk doctrine is based on the premise that formal initiation is not exclusively spiritual initiation, rather a religious ceremony of inducting one formally into the Vaishnava society. Therefore, this battle of the belligerants will continune until the day that Narayana Maharaja and his followers can learn to respect the faith of others and stop their effort to discredit and demean the Ritvik faith that is growing, expanding and flourishing all over the world. The ball is in your court. If you want respect you need to learn to stop attacking the faith of others. If you don't stop, then you don't deserve any respect at all and you will get exactly what you deserve in kind.

One thing about me, it is impossible to offend me or hurt my feelings by calling me names and slandering me. I play hardball and I expect to get it as good as I give. I have lived a hard life. I am very thick skinned. One thing that I always try to remember is that a real Vaishnava never takes offense. I am not a real Vaishnava by no stretch of the imagination, but I admire that quality in the Vaishnavas and I try to keep that as one of my principles to live by. It helps me greatly in my practical daily life. Though I am not very popular on the internet, in my everyday dealings at work with my co-workers I am well liked and admired for being so tolerant, kind and pleasant. I guess when it comes to my spiritual beliefs and my ritvik views I am quite despised and ridiculed, but I am prepared for the persecution and resentment that comes with being a ritvik in the world of a thousand gurus. For those who think that insulting me, calling me names and threatening me ( I don't scare easily) is going to hurt me, silence me or intimidate me you should know that you are just wasting your time. I am a single father that has been raising three beautiful children alone for over 7 years. I cook, clean, do housework and manage this family by myself. I have been raising my youngest daughter alone since she was in diapers. I have done my share of changing diapers and caring for small children. I am very gentle person at home. My kids love me a lot. My little girl Kamala Manjari is very close to me. We are very close and my kids are my everything. Despite what I might appear like in this forum, I am actually a Mr. Mom. My life is all about raising three precious children and I wouldn't trade it for all the wealth in the Universe. I might appear as a very cold and cruel person in these forums, but actually nothing could be further from the truth. My ritvik beliefs are not meant to hurt or offend others. It is just something I actually believe in and I can't help what my heart forces me to believe. If others are offended by my faith in ritvik doctrine, then I am sorry, but I am not going to change or compromise my own beliefs to satisfy the demands of others. Hare Krishna.

If you look at the date on these letters you will see that they were written in the very early days of the movement. ISKCON went through incredible growth, development and progess from those very early days. As ISKCON grew and transformed into a great international mission, Srila Prabhupada's ideas evolved as to how best ISKCON should continue after his departure It is very dangerous to go back to 1969 to try and find Prabhupada's instructions as to how ISKCON would go on after his departure. Prabhupada himself expressed that he never imagined that ISKCON would grow into such a great international mission. The result of that phenomenal growth led Prabhupada to a particular view as to how the movement should continue on unobstructed by infighting and internal conflict and competition. In the end, Prabhupada established a post-samadhi version of the rtvik system and order that it should continue after his departure. It is very reckless and careless to reach for old letters Prabhupada wrote to a couple of disciples back in 1969 to find out what his final orders were for how the movement should continue in 1977. We know what Prabhupada's FINAL ORDERS were for initiations in ISKCON after his departure and it was RITVIK doctrine. They were written, signed and distributed to all the GBC and temple presidents in 1977. These old letters that Prabhupada wrote to some disciples in the very early days of ISKCON have no relevance on how ISKCON should continue after his departure.

The original idea for a society of devotees that live together for the purpose of cultivating Krishna conciousness comes from Srila Rupa Goswami. Srila Prabhupada starts The Nectar of Instruction by saying: "The Krishna consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Srila Rüpa Gosvämé". ISKCON was Srila Prabhupada's attempt to make that ideal of Srila Rupa Goswami a reality for devotees all over the world. Beginning with Srila Rupa Goswami there was seen a necessity for devotees to have their own society, their own sub-culture as a microcosm within the ordinary civil society. Srila Prabhupada was very adament that it was not possible to cultivate Krishna consciousness properly outside of the society of devotees. I believe that it was in the Krishna Book that he said that anyone who thinks they can be Krishna conscious living outside the Krishna consciousness movement is living in a great hallucination. ISKCON is not about "society consciousness" or "rules and regulations" consciousness that has become a popular term used in the devaluing and belittleing of ISKCON. ISKCON is about Prabhupada's answer to Srila Rupa Goswami's call for devotees to combine and unite in a society for the purpose of cultivating and propogating Krishna consciousness. A unified and cohesive society of devotees is the command and call of Srila Rupa Goswami. It is not some neophyte's "society consciousness" that can be attacked and villifed as external and superfluous. The minimizing of the importance of keeping Prabhupada's mission alive and flourishing is very unfortunate and offensive. The success of ISKCON is the success of all the devotess and the failure of ISKCON is the failure to succeed in Prabhupada's mission to establish the devotee society that was the vision of Srila Rupa Goswami. Failure is not an option! Splintering and factioning is not an option! Allowing Prabhupada's antogonists to disrupt and impede his mission is not an option! Minimizing the importance of ISKCON is not an option! For the disciples of Srila Prabhuapda the only option is to somehow or other unite and work together cooperatively. Sure, ISKCON has become a topheavy bureaucracy with too many by-laws and bureaucrats. That needs to be rectified and ISKCON needs a more fluid and flexible administrative approach. However, the work to build and promote the international society of devotees that Srila Prabhupada established has to be continued, has to be completed and has to be accomplished. If not under the banner of Prabhupada and ISKCON, then what hope is there for establishing this international society of devotees to provide sanctuary and haven for all the suffering devotees in the world? Is Prabhupada's ISKCON going to be pushed by the wayside and rejected for a splintered and scattered alliance with those who have no allegiance or affiliation with ISKCON? Is a catastrophic desertion of Prabhupada for the company of anti-ISKCON Gaudiya Math type sadhus who oppose Prabhupada's innovations the real solution? Prabhupada deserves the right of leading and unifying the international society of devotees. The dispersal and disintegration of ISKCON for a broken, belligerant, antagonisitic variety of sects and cults is not what Prabhuapda envisioned as the fullfillment of Rupa Goswami's vision of an international society of devotees. It is not the fullfillment of Rupa Goswami's vision. It is maya's attempt at impeding the fullfillment of the mission of Srila Rupa Goswami. ISKCON was supposed to be about Dhaiva Varnashram - a society and culture of devotees working in a practical way to meet the needs of human society. The act of interfering with the fulfillment of that mission and creating a broken, disjointed, scattered smattering of devotees living within the ranks and confines of ordinary society has nothing to do with the fullfillment of Srila Rupa Goswamis vision for the Krishna consciousness movement. Prabhupada wanted to provide a haven, a Shangri-La for devotees. He did not wander about the Earth initiating anyone that walked up to just leave them abandoned and isolated without support, association. temples and service. He was not a cheater like those people. Prabhupada organized a movement, a society, a sub-culture for devotees to have the tools and facilities to make Krishna consciousness a practical lifestyle instead of a hopeless, impractical and indeed IMPOSSIBLE ideal. If not Prabhuapda, if not ISKCON, then who, what, when and how will there ever be the international society of devotees working together for a common goal? The view that devotees can just be initiated all over the world and then left without any support structure, without any temple and without a Varnashram social structure, is a very feeble and foolish effort that cheats devotees for the sake of someone's personal ambitions. ISKCON is not about society consciousness. It is about fullfilling the mission of Srila Rupa Goswami. Disrupting and interfering with ISKCON is nothing less than disrupting and interfering with the mission of Srila Rupa Goswami. Rejecting ISKCON to chase after some so-called rasika-acharya who has no vision or committment to fullfill this mission of Srila Prabhuapda to provide a working model of Vaishnava society as a sub-culture and counterculture to ordinary society is not helping the mission of Srila Prabhuapda. It is rather obstructing and opposing the mission of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Rupa Goswami. Everybody likes to talk about "love of Krishna" and "rejecting society consciousness for Krishna consciousness", but without the success of ISKCON there will be no "love of Krishna" if all the devotees are imbedded and integrated into ordinary mundane society and surrounded by bad association and not having any meaningful work in the Varnashram culture of a Krishna conscious sub-culture. Talk about society consciousness? Here's your society consciousness - living seperate from ISKCON within the rank and file of ordinary society and claiming to be a lover of Krishna while rejecting the only movement that has the potential to build a practical working model of Varnashram culture that can save us from the Hells we call cities that we are so attached to! Indeed, as Prabhuapda has said in the Krishna Book, "Anyone who thinks they can be Krishna conscious outside this movement is living in a great hallucination". Lover of Krishna? Or, lover of Maya in the name of rasika acharya?

Krishna is also called RATNABAHU because his arms look like they were carved out of sapphire. The Sapphire is a somewhat translucent dark blue gem. If we think of Krishna as looking like he was carved out of a large sapphire gem, we can get a picture of what his color and form looks like. There is one book by Sri Rupa Goswami called Ujjvala Nilamani. If I am correct this means "brilliant dark blue gem". This is what Krisha appears like.

Does anybody have a picture of Kirtanananda setting on the vyasasan wearing a crown? I saw some pictures like that a few years ago and I have been trying to find them again but I can't. Setting on a throne wearing a crown was the hidden motive behind his building his PALACE OF GOLD. It was supposed to be a shrine to Prabhupada, but when we saw Kirtanananda setting on his throne wearing his crown we finally saw his real motives for building the PALACE OF GOLD. KING OF PEDOPHILES!

There was a time after Kirtanananda took sannyasa when he blooped with a few followers and then he dyed his dhoti and danda black and started his Christian/Krishna concoction. He started a cult called: First United Church Krishna Youth Organization Underground! If you take ther first letter of each of those words, it will give you a statement about his real attitude towards Prabhupada. After Prabhuapda heard about this activity of Kirtanananda he said "My regret regarding the activities of Kirtanananda are nothing personal. My only regret is that despite my best efforts to save him he has become no better than a mayavadi" After Prabhupada's disappearance Kirtanananda revived his Christian/Krishna cult that he never would have been able to get away with during the presence of Prabhupada. Prabhupada said on more than one occasion that Kirtanananda was a MADMAN. This is quite easily apparent. It appears that he has some followers of a similar disposition.

I don't feel that way, nor did I imply that. When Sridhar Maharaja passed away, all the devotees of his camp considered Govinda Maharaja as a guru and not a rtivk. Govinda Maharaja responsed to the sentiments of all the devotees and accepted disciples who felt that they were not willing to overstep his seniority to become rtvik disciples of Sridhar Maharaja. I accept his guruship unquestionably. Sridhar Maharaja appointed Govinda Maharaja as rtvik and made no pronouncement that the rtvik status would terminate after his demise. However, the love and respect for Govinda Maharaja in that camp would not accept a post-samadhi rtvik system and it was the devotees around Govinda Maharaja who demanded that Govinda Maharaja accept them as disciples and not as a ritvik of Sridhar Maharaja. Rtvik doctrine was naturally terminated in that camp, not artificially as in ISKCON by ambitious leaders who wanted to consolidate power to the highest degree.