Oct 24, 2010 — TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (SUN) — Recently in their latest Back To Godhead magazine, Nov/Dec 2010, an article entitled, “The Mission Of Book Distribution” by Karuni Dharini devi dasi failed to inform the public that the Bhagavad-gita As It Is that they are distributing is a massively revised edition of the original 1972 McMillan edition which Srila Prabhupada himself approved.
In fact, nowhere in any literature or publication does Srila Prabhupada specifically approve of the massive changes the BBT has engaged in regarding all of his books.
An early reference in the article points to the fortunate approval of Pavaki dasi, formerly Christina, who in 1976 bought a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s 1976 Gita, which had not been altered. That was 6 years before the defamed Gita of 1982.
Her revelations came as a result of the 1976 edition, but the overall article leads the reader to think that the 1976 edition is the same as the one distributed nowadays by ISKCON simply because the revised 1982 Gita is not mentioned.
Bhrgupati dasa is a Friend of The BBT and makes his living distributing any books the BBT puts out. Very noble indeed, but when the product changes, is it not the job of sincere devotees to inform the public of changes to the original product? ISKCON will talk at length as to why they have made and continue to make changes, but that talk is not for the customer at all in any day-to-day exchanges. That is false representation of the author, commonly called fraud.
In the sub-section entitled “Srila Prabhupada Initiates Book Distribution”, she writes about the 1972 edition of the Gita that was acclaimed by scholars and that “It can now be read in over one hundred languages”. That is more misinformation misleading the public. It cannot “be read in over one hundred languages”, as the original 1972 edition which made devotees like Pavaki dasi has been out of print since 1982.
And ISKCON does not distribute it. Then she mentions the Krsna Book, which we know has also been changed by the BBT and it’s employees.
Nicely it is described how in the early days, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples found ways to distribute his Krsna Books. There are a number of examples of experiences of devotees in relation to Srila Prabhupada’s books, but there is no timeline. Back To Godhead magazine was designed by Srila Prabhupada as a publication to inform with the truth.
So far, by page 20 and the beginning of the ‘Traveling Brahmacaris’ section, the new reader has no idea who Srila Prabhupada is accept that he wrote the books they are encouraged to buy. He is not referred to as His Divine Grace, Founder/Acarya of The International Society For Krsna Consciousness in the beginning or up to this point. One wonders who this article is speaking to?
It seems to simply be a couched report for those in the know and a sort of literary pep rally for book distributors for the BBT. Krsna as the Supreme Personality Of Godhead is not mentioned at all accept for the total title of Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book. Regardless of the fact that this article is in the BTG, which recognises Srila Prabhupada formally, the fact is that he is not properly or formally recognised in this article. This inconsistency is unacceptable and misleading to the reader.
Let’s move on.
Disciples of Srila Prabhupada who originally distributed Srila Prabhupada’s books used to wear tilak and traditional dhoti, kurta, or for the ladies, saris while distributing his books. This article does not show the face of one book and it does not even state the titles of the many books it says were sold. No numbers are given.
The title of this article is ‘The Mission Of Book Distribution’. Is it the mission of ISKCON and the BBT to mislead the public to buy books that are illegally revised and edited from the originals, while selling the changed books on the legacy of Srila Prabhupada and his original disciples as if those books were the originals? The public is not being informed, and why not?
The reason is very simple. Not informing the innocent public that the books they are buying are illegally revised and edited while talking face-to-face with the public is done specifically to sell the public the new millennium ISKCON and BBT and their conditioned version of the absolute truth, because they have failed to understand the original. Like Bob Dylan said in It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding…
While he who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from societies pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole that he’s in.
In conclusion, not once in this article does Karuni Dharuni devi dasi indicate that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nor is Srila Prabhupada introduced to the reader as His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder/Acarya of the International Society For Krsna Consciousness, or even the founder of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
She does, of course, give her allegiance and recognition to her ISKCON guru, His Grace Virabahu dasa, but does not publicly thank Srila Prabhupada for the mercy he has given her.
Friends Of The BBT states on their home page:
“Second generation devotees, who comprise over half of BTG/Krishna.com’s staff, are involved in all aspects of this new venture, from programming, to customer service, to writing and graphic design. They also write, edit and run subscriber services at Back to Godhead magazine, which shares the same office with Krishna.com.
But their biggest challenge is preserving the eternal relevancy of bhakti amid changing fads, even as time passes since Srila Prabhupada first brought the seed of Vaishnavism to Western shores. It’s each preceding generation’s job, they feel, to pass that eternal treasure unchanged to future generations, who will then place it in a new bottle.”
The words “unchanged” are false — not true at all. Srila Prabhupada’s books are constantly under attack by the BBT, to be changed endlessly at the whim of a few top corporate bureaucrats whose job is to feed the public what they think the public should be fed from the Vedas and Srila Prabhupada’s original books.
It is extremely important in any endeavour that one search for truth, not simply to be served and accept the truth from others blindly. Searching means to examine in order to find something lost or concealed.
People, please beware of the current ISKCON and its BBT, and consider this in your search for truth.
“For agreeing to be served the truth severely reduces one’s personal and societies collective vision. To search for truth demands intelligence, integrity and wisdom which are all born of sincerity. It is sincerity that provokes the heart to relish the full potency of the truths revealed.
Srila Prabhupada told us never to accept blindly which is the wants of those who wish to be served the truth. Srila Prabhupada said many times that changing means imperfect knowledge, no change indicates that a search is on and those are the individuals we want to associate with. For by their association the search is eternal and an ever constantly expanding ecstasy.”
Srila Prabhupada’s original pre-1978 books can be found at Krishna Books Inc.
YS Hasti Gopala dasa
