IRM Back To Prabhupada, Issue 40, Summer 2013
When you do not have evidence in the form of documented orders from Srila Prabhupada to support the deviations you wish to engage in, what do you do?
The response of ISKCON's leadership has been to use different techniques that are designed specifically to deceive devotees into accepting false conclusions regarding Srila Prabhupada's teachings. Throughout previous issues we have been presenting examples of some of these Techniques of Mass Deception ("TMDs") in action. Here we categorise, in ascending order of deceptive influence, some of the major TMDs that devotees may encounter, so that they may be able to recognise and resist them.
TMD1: Senior Vaisnavas
One technique is to present the "understanding" of "senior Vaisnavas". For example:
"on May 28, the leaders of ISKCON who were present with Srila Prabhupada were clear that Srila Prabhupada gave the instruction that after his physical departure those who would initiate would be 'regular guru'..."
(GBC letter to ISKCON Bangalore devotees, 9/3/2013)
(GBC letter to ISKCON Bangalore devotees, 9/3/2013)
In this way we are presented with the authority of what "all the senior Vaisnavas" understand, to urge us to also accept this understanding. But the only understanding which matters is that of Srila Prabhupada, as given by his direct statements, and not that of others.
TMD2: Tradition
Another technique is to claim we have to follow tradition, or what has happened historically. For example, GBC-elected guru hoaxer Bhakti Charu Swami ("BCS") states:
"The difference is that rtviks are saying that Prabhupada will continue to give diksa. That is the point that we cannot accept because there is no such precedence in the past."
(BCS Lecture, 14/8/2004)
(BCS Lecture, 14/8/2004)
As with the previous TMD, this is just another way of saying:
"We can't present any evidence directly from Srila Prabhupada stating what we want."
For, if it was the case that Srila Prabhupada had ordered that in ISKCON we follow a tradition from the past, then that evidence from Srila Prabhupada himself would be presented!
TMD3: Guru, sadhu and sastra
Like "tradition" in the previous entry, "guru, sadhu and sastra" is misused to propose or reject conclusions while hiding the inability to present Srila Prabhupada's teachings establishing the same. This is covered separately in detail in the next article.
TMD4: Phantom quote
Another technique is to simply falsely claim that one is referencing a specific quote from Srila Prabhupada, and then just hope that devotees will not go and double-check in Vedabase!
A variation of this technique is to claim that Srila Prabhupada "said" something on the authority of someone claiming he was told this by Srila Prabhupada. However, anything can be claimed, but:
"Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said.""
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 2/9/1975)
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 2/9/1975)
Thus, whenever anyone claims something Srila Prabhupada supposedly "said", unless recorded evidence from Srila Prabhupada is presented, then, again, it is just another way of saying --
"We can't present any evidence directly from Srila Prabhupada stating what we want"
-- and, therefore, you just have to take our word for it!
We present multiple examples of these techniques on pages 6 and 7 of this issue.
TMD5: Half-quote
When presenting quotations, it is common practice for the sake of brevity to omit those parts which are of no relevance to the argument being proposed. But if you deliberately omit parts of the quotation which are relevant, then this is just cheating. For example, in the quotation from the GBC presented earlier, it goes on to claim:
"Srila Prabhupada gave the instruction that after his physical departure those who would initiate would be "regular guru" and that the initiates would be, in Srila Prabhupada's own words, 'He is granddisciple... disciple of my disciple'."
(GBC letter to ISKCON Bangalore devotees, 9/3/2013)
(GBC letter to ISKCON Bangalore devotees, 9/3/2013)
Only, the actual words spoken by Srila Prabhupada are:
"His granddisciple...when I order you become guru he becomes regular guru. That's all. He becomes disciple of my disciple."
In this case, omitting the part of the quotation which states "when I order you become guru" is highly relevant, because then we would have to see if such an order was actually given!
Thus, all relevant parts of Srila Prabhupada's statement must be presented.
TMD6: False conclusion
Finally, we come to a TMD which is the most dangerous since it relies on using full documented quotations, and thus appears to have the direct support of Srila Prabhupada, giving it the greatest power to deceive. Here an accurate quotation from Srila Prabhupada will be used to claim that it actually states something else! For example, GBC-elected guru hoaxer Sankarsana Dasa ("SAD")presents the following quotation:
"Then, in future... Suppose you have got now ten thousand. We shall expand to hundred thousand. That is required. Then hundred thousand to million; and million to ten million."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 6/4/1975)
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 6/4/1975)
and claims that this quotation states that:
"Srila Prabhupada predicted that ISKCON would have ten million initiating gurus (acaryas)."
(Sankarsana Dasa, 11/8/2005)
(Sankarsana Dasa, 11/8/2005)
But, the quotation states:
"suppose you have got now ten thousand. We shall expand to hundred thousand. That is required. Then hundred thousand to million; and million to ten million." (Emphases added).
That is, the 10 million would be an expansion of something that already existed at around 10,000 in 1975, when the statement was made. SAD claims this refers to "initiating gurus". But, we know for a fact that in 1975 there were not 10,000, or even 100 "initiating gurus". There was only one, and that was Srila Prabhupada. So clearly, the expansion to 10 million from 10,000 does not refer to "initiating gurus" as SAD claims.
Conclusion
1. As soon as you hear or read a claim regarding what should be done in ISKCON, or what Srila Prabhupada taught, see if there is a direct, documented quotation from Srila Prabhupada produced to support the claim. If not, ask for such a quotation.
2. If such a quotation is produced, verify it is an accurate and full quotation, and then check if what is claimed about the quotation matches exactly what the quotation states.
In this way, all 6 TMDs can be foiled!
IRM Back To Prabhupada, Issue 41, Autumn 2013
Above issue's cover story described various Techniques of Mass Deception ("TMDs") deployed by ISKCON specifically to deceive devotees into accepting false conclusions regarding Srila Prabhupada's teachings. These TMDs were categorized under 6 separate headings:
TMD1: Senior Vaisnavas
TMD2: Tradition
TMD3: Guru, sadhu and sastra
TMD4: Phantom quote
TMD5: Half-quote
TMD6: False conclusion
TMD2: Tradition
TMD3: Guru, sadhu and sastra
TMD4: Phantom quote
TMD5: Half-quote
TMD6: False conclusion
As confirmation, just after our article went to press, right on cue, GBC-elected ISKCON guru HG Kripamoya Dasa ("KMD") gave a lecture on 3/8/2013, which contained the following extract:
"Prabhupada was 63 at the time, the brahmacaris were much younger. They took Prabhupada to one side and they said, 'You can't initiate. Only in our asrama, only Kesava Maharaja initiates'. So the next day Prabhupada went to Kesava Maharaja. He said, 'Is this true?' Kesava Maharaja said, 'Yes, that's the custom, each asrama has one'. And Prabhupada said, because Kesava Maharaja had given him sannyasa, he said, 'Oh, so you have got me married, but now I cannot have any children?' (1) So it's quite clear that Prabhupada saw initiation as a vital component of giving Krsna consciousness to others. (2) When he said in 1973, 'So all of you will be the spiritual master next', he actually meant it (3). So leaving aside that particular debate -- how one becomes a guru in Krsna consciousness (4) -- one essential point we can take from this is it means to bring a person, our preaching means to bring a person to the point of commitment. (5)"
And, as we demonstrate below, the above utilises multiple TMDs in just a few sentences! For ease of reference, we have labelled these sentences with numbers which we shall refer to throughout this case study.
TMD 4: Phantom quote
In (1), KMD opens with some statements Srila Prabhupada is supposed to have made when he was 63. However, there is no evidence Srila Prabhupada actually made these statements, because KMD admits when questioned over a month later that he is not relating statements from Srila Prabhupada, but a story told by Srila Prabhupada's Godbrother:
"Its a story that was told by Srila Prabhupada's godbrother Krishnadas Babaji. He found it amusing".
(KMD, personal website, 10/9/2013)
(KMD, personal website, 10/9/2013)
It is significant to note that in the original lecture, KMD fails to declare that he is merely relating a story from the Gaudiya Matha, rather than presenting quotes directly from Srila Prabhupada. This is an example of TMD 4: Phantom quote, since Srila Prabhupada does not accept such "stories" as authoritative:
"Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said.""
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 2/9/1975)
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 2/9/1975)
TMD 6: False conclusion
KMD states this supposed story about Srila Prabhupada in (1), because KMD uses it to claim in (2) that any person preaching Krsna consciousness should also initiate:
"So it's quite clear that Prabhupada saw initiation as a vital component of giving Krsna consciousness to others."
KMD then uses this to support the same overall conclusion he offers in (5):
"one essential point we can take from this is it means to bring a person, our preaching means to bring a person to the point of commitment."
However, the story states that in any asrama, only one person who is the head initiates. KMD's guru colleague, HH Bhakti Charu Swami ("BCS") agrees, and states that for ISKCON:
"ISKCON is Srila Prabhupada's asrama. [...] Generally the guru has an asrama and he hands over the authority of the asrama to one disciple. He appoints a successor. But Srila Prabhupada didn't do that in ISKCON."
(BCS, Disciples' Meeting, 1/8/2007)
(BCS, Disciples' Meeting, 1/8/2007)
Therefore, even if this story was true, it does not change the fact that in the ISKCON "asrama", only Srila Prabhupada should initiate, since he did not authorise anyone to succeed him, as BCS, whom KMD fully supports, admits above. Thus, without any succession authorisation from Srila
Prabhupada, KMD cannot claim that persons who are preaching in ISKCON, such as himself, should initiate instead of Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada, KMD cannot claim that persons who are preaching in ISKCON, such as himself, should initiate instead of Srila Prabhupada.
TMD 4: Phantom quote
KMD goes on to state that Srila Prabhupada did authorise guru successors who would initiate, by claiming in (3):
"When he said in 1973, 'So all of you will be the spiritual master next', he actually meant it".
Only, Srila Prabhupada never stated in 1973 that "you will be the spiritual master next", as KMD claims here.
TMD 6: False conclusion
The quote KMD refers to is actually a statement made in 1969, where Srila Prabhupada says:
"Every one of you should be spiritual master next. And what is their duty? Whatever you are hearing from me, whatever you are learning from me, you have to distribute the same in toto without any addition or alteration. Then all of you become the spiritual master. That is the science of becoming spiritual master. [...] Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara 'sarva-desa: "O My dear disciples, I tell you that you, all of you, become spiritual master. Simply you carry out My order. That's all." "And what is Your order?" "The order is the same: yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]*."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 5/9/1969)
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 5/9/1969)
*"Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam."
The process Srila Prabhupada describes above, of becoming spiritual master by spreading his teachings unchanged, was followed by his disciples for many years after receiving the above order in 1969. It resulted in all persons in ISKCON becoming initiated by Srila Prabhupada, and not by those doing the preaching. That is, the preachers acted as instructing spiritual masters on Srila Prabhupada's behalf. And Srila Prabhupada does not state above that this process should change in the future, whereby those preaching his teachings should become a different type of spiritual master, who would replace Srila Prabhupada as the initiator of ISKCON.
Conclusion
Two years ago, KMD changed his position to become a GBC-elected guru, thus initiating those whom he preached to as his own disciples. In the above excerpt, KMD employs multiple TMDs to try to support his position that those preaching should initiate. However, Srila Prabhupada does not state that preaching in ISKCON means that he is to now be replaced as ISKCON's diksa guru by those doing the preaching.
This case study also demonstrates how one must scrutinise statements from ISKCON's leaders very carefully, as even a handful of sentences can be dripping with deception!
This case study also demonstrates how one must scrutinise statements from ISKCON's leaders very carefully, as even a handful of sentences can be dripping with deception!