BY: HARINAMANANDA DAS, Apr 03, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, USA (SUN)
Before we start this short article, I want to applaud the courage of devotees like Sulocana das and the editors of the Sampradaya Sun. Also Radha Krishna das of El Tambor Rugiente. Likewise George Smith, Rupanuga das, Aniruddha das and so many other contributors to the noble cause of re-establishing Srila Prabhupada in the place where he belongs: the center of the spiritual movement he founded. These devotees have had the guts to publicly defend the memory, teachings, and legacy of our beloved Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, without looking for material rewards or recognition. Many times while looking for an address we find ourselves at a dead end. When we find ourselves at a dead end, the only thing we can do is to turn around and go back to the starting point. There are many signs along the way to indicate that we are entering a dead end. If we do not see the sign, or ignore it, we will face the same situation—we must go back to the beginning.
In the journey of spiritual life, specifically in the process of devotional service set by the parampara to reawaken the loving relationship we have with Krsna, we will encounter many stumbling blocks—detours, potholes, sharp curves, slippery surfaces and dead ends. Everyone has this personal experience. It is indispensable to put into practice the instructions of the Spiritual Master the moment we face any of the above-mentioned impediments. Exactly like the map we use to navigate when we are looking for an address. If we ignore the signs and do not use common sense, then inevitably we will stop our spiritual advancement.
In the last 33 years following the departure of the Sampradaya Acarya, Srila Prabhupada, many of our spiritual Godbrothers had been pursuing the vain and ugly enterprise of trying to replace and even remove the sad guru. Beginning in 1978 with the self-anointed eleven original “successors”, going through the bunch who were elected as such after the New Vrindavan “Reform Movement” in 1985, until the more than hundred voted-in during the nineties and the aughties. Many of them, consciously or unconsciously, keep their mouths shut and allow the heresy perpetrated by the GBC, slowly but surely eclipsing and underrating Srila Prabhupada. This is the price they have to pay in order to climb the corporate ladder of the new ISKCON. Either they unconditionally surrender to the absolute will of the GBC, or face the ignominy of not being publicly worshiped by the masses. The prabhus don’t want to sacrifice their exalted egos on the altar of selfless service to Srila Prabhupada!
It is very sad to belong to an institution where you cannot freely express your opinion, where you are literally forced to conform. But it is even sadder when you have to live pretending what you are not, and on top of that, when you have to praise people you know for sure are not what they claim to be. Nevertheless, blinded by desires of achieving greatness, you selfishly allow the memory and dignity of your gurudeva to be diminished and trampled by kali-celas.
This party of Godbrothers has been systematically trying to kill Srila Prabhupada. The heinous charge of murdering Srila Prabhupada has never been satisfactorily addressed —beyond any reasonable doubt— by the GBC. With the publication of Not That I Poisoned, they unilaterally decided to put the poison issue to rest, consistently blocking afterwards all attempts to ventilate the case in the Indian courts. They have also embarked upon the hateful task of re-editing Srila Prabhupada’s books —now that His Divine Grace is gone—often totally changing the meaning of his original words. To me this is a deliberate attempt to promote themselves to the same level as Srila Prabhupada. For example, in the new Spanish version of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, Purport: “…the bona fide spiritual master is a member of the eternal disciplic succession”, while the McMillan version reads: “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal”.
What is worst, sometimes I clearly perceive they want to pose as greater than Srila Prabhupada. Evidence of this is the nefarious Hridayananda das, who openly says to his fanatic followers that Srila Prabhupada is dead. Not only did he say that Srila Prabhupada is dead, but that “he exceeded his authority in contradicting the ´irrefutable´ postulates of modern science”.
Another example is the accident-ridden Jayapataka Swami. For many years he has frantically traveling around the world to materialize his well-conceived, obsessive scheme to replace our Srila Prabhupada. In other words, to crown himself as the only “self-effulgent” acarya in ISKCON. But the silly thing is, he hasn’t realized yet he has reached a dead end! One week ago, Jayapataka organized his own 4-day lavish “vyasa-puja” (by the way, with no objections from the devotees of the LA temple). And he immodestly would have another round of the same carnival (with even more pomp) in India this coming May. This is totally unacceptable for any hardcore Srila Prabhupada disciple! Nobody should use Srila Prabhupada´s temples for their own glorification and aggrandizement! By the same token, not a single square inch of his properties should be allotted for the erection of other people’s “samadhis”.
While the whole of ISKCON remains in total mutism, Jayapataka is diminishing the position of Srila Prabhupada. In the name of service to Srila Prabhupada, nobody has the right to consent to a 3-day self-laudatory ceremony in both hemispheres of the world. This is disrespectful and insulting to the memory of Srila Prabhupada. Isn’t Srila Prabhupada the one who repeatedly told us we should not imitate the great personalities, but only follow in their footsteps? Not even Srila Prabhupada allowed so much extravagance for himself. My God, where are humbleness and simplicity, the foremost qualities of true followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? To hell with all the feelings of the majority of his Godbrothers and all devotees who have exclusive devotion to Srila Prabhupada! Their heart bleeds seeing this orgy of vainglory and prepotency, never seen before in the history of Vaisnavism.
For us, disciples of Srila Prabhupada who did not sell our integrity to the GBC, it is heart-wrenching to see how the usurpers feed their egos, performing these ostentatious and days on end birthdays in the centers established by our Srila Prabhupada. The Sampradaya Acarya, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada, is the only one deserving such worship! This circus is a conscious and sinful attempt at trying to minimize and overshadow Srila Prabhupada. We have all witnessed this farce before. Do you remember the costly fiestas Bhagavan would throw for himself in Europe? The same pattern: a different “vyasa-puja” in each major temple. But now it is coming back again with renewed zest. And nobody, big or small, is complaining! Why?
One after another without exception, all these usurpers have entered a dead end. Many who promoted themselves to the level of “liberated souls” have had to ingloriously return to the starting point: punar musika bhava. Now they are either sunk in sense gratification or living in hell. Others, like Hridayananda and Jayapataka, despite the many warning signs along the road, still keep trying to punch a hole in the wall at the end of the dead end. But we are positively sure they will never accomplish this obdurate goal. Lord Krisna will not let them.
Srila Prabhupada is categorically and undoubtedly the only irreplaceable Sampradaya Acarya for the next ten-thousand years. These persons will pass into history as what they really are: disciples who wanted to overcome their guru. Sooner or later they have to go back to the level where they really belong: kanistha-adhikari. What to speak of their deviated doctrines and traveling circus; not their titles, neither their followers, nor their big bank accounts, neither their imposing samadhis are going to help them to enter into the eternal pastimes of Radha and Krsna, the place where Srila Prabhupada is. The time factor and the brave devotees of the Sampradaya Sun and El Tambor Rugiente are going to disclose to everyone what these pretenders are: greedy usurpers. Their lives will serve to future generations as examples of what you should not do in the path of spiritual life, which is narrow as a mountain crossing and as cutting as a razor blade. Hare Krishna.
Sampradaya Acarya Srila Prabhupada, KI JAYA!!
