HH. MAHAVISNU SWAMI: Kanistha ISKCON- Diagnosis
May 28, 2011May 28, 2011
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So let us look in sastra at a summary of the characteristics of the kanistha-adhikari and see if Srila Prabhupada would be considered justified in warning his would-be preachers, (madhyam-adhikaris) to beware of being too entangled with the Indians because of their unfavourable kanistha-adhikari characteristics. Some of these details have been taken from the ISKCON commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam 11th Canto which quote Sripad Madhvacarya, Jiva Goswami and Srila Bhaktissidhanta Saraswati Thakura .
If the Indians at that time in Nairobi were actually madhyam or uttama-adhikaris why Srila Prabhupada called them “nonsense Indians” and warned his would-be madhyam-adhikari preacher Brahmananda Swami from being “entangled” with them and their money? If they were either uttama or madhyam-adhikaris why did Srila Prabhupada frankly tell his preacher that these people were not very much interested to become devotees and their devotion was “show only, sentiment or custom”? If the Indians were uttama or madhyam- adhikaris why did Srila Prabhupada admit that “the Africans and the Asians will not like to mix” and “no, the Indians, they do not like to sit down.” with the Africans? Uttama and madhyam-adikaris would have had no problem with mixing with any ethnic group as Srila Prabhupada showed himself. If the Indians were uttama and madhyam-adhikaris in India why did Srila Prabhupada say that he tried to start his movement in India but “I was not at all encouraged “? If the Indians were uttama and madhyam-adhikaris then Srila Prabhupada’s comments make no sense whatsoever .Why would he warn his preacher disciples against being “entangled” with uttama and madhyam-adhikaris? So by the simple process of elimination we can safely conclude that although. Its true there is no record ,I know so far, that Srila Prabhupada ever specifically labelled the Indians as “kanistha-adhikaris”. But by the process of elimination what else could they be? What other “adhikari” is left?
Favourable
He is superior to the karmis and jnanis because he has preliminary faith and full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord and may have received the hari-nama initiation from the spiritual master.He certainly loves and regularly and faithfully worships the temple Deity and is eager to engage his materialistic qualifications in the service of the Lord. As he becomes gradually purified he can help others by his faith that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He is superior to the karmis and jnanis because he has preliminary faith and full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord and may have received the hari-nama initiation from the spiritual master.He certainly loves and regularly and faithfully worships the temple Deity and is eager to engage his materialistic qualifications in the service of the Lord. As he becomes gradually purified he can help others by his faith that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Unfavourable
1)”Useless for practical preaching work”.
They are useless for practical preaching work because of their limited vision and activities. Because the kanistha-adhikaris’ faith is unfirm, rudimentary and not actually based on the statements of Vedic literature and theological science they cannot understand the exalted position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within everyone’s heart and therefore they cannot actually manifest love of Godhead, offer all respects to others or see to the interests of the mass of people. As they do not even know how to properly respect other devotees how can they feel for the interests of the mass of people or ordinary living entities who are not even devotees? They can even criticise a pure devotee who is preaching and instead be infatuated with and glorify the material qualifications of so-called great materialistic persons.
1)”Useless for practical preaching work”.
They are useless for practical preaching work because of their limited vision and activities. Because the kanistha-adhikaris’ faith is unfirm, rudimentary and not actually based on the statements of Vedic literature and theological science they cannot understand the exalted position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within everyone’s heart and therefore they cannot actually manifest love of Godhead, offer all respects to others or see to the interests of the mass of people. As they do not even know how to properly respect other devotees how can they feel for the interests of the mass of people or ordinary living entities who are not even devotees? They can even criticise a pure devotee who is preaching and instead be infatuated with and glorify the material qualifications of so-called great materialistic persons.
2) Bodily concept of life.
They have a bodily concept of life with its extended self-interests of family, caste, ethnic community and nation.( yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhi kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhi….A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, and the land of his birth to be worshipful….is to be considered like an ass or a cow.(SB 10.84.13)
They have a bodily concept of life with its extended self-interests of family, caste, ethnic community and nation.( yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhi kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhi….A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, and the land of his birth to be worshipful….is to be considered like an ass or a cow.(SB 10.84.13)
3) Karma -misra bhakti is the ultimate.
They think that karma-misra bhakti, or devotional service mixed with material endeavor, is the ultimate in spiritual life. Thus they think that material work in which a portion of the fruits are offered to God forms the highest platform of human life.Though they like dovetailing their material occupations for Krishna’s service they mistake their own material expertise to be the sign of their advanced devotion.
They think that karma-misra bhakti, or devotional service mixed with material endeavor, is the ultimate in spiritual life. Thus they think that material work in which a portion of the fruits are offered to God forms the highest platform of human life.Though they like dovetailing their material occupations for Krishna’s service they mistake their own material expertise to be the sign of their advanced devotion.
4) Institutionally blinkered.
They have no idea that the Supreme Lord has the power to exist outside an establishment like a church, mosque or temple,(or an institution like ISKCON),and are attached to ceremonial worship.
They have no idea that the Supreme Lord has the power to exist outside an establishment like a church, mosque or temple,(or an institution like ISKCON),and are attached to ceremonial worship.
5) Puffed up and cannot see their own spiritual level.
Being puffed up by their own ceremonial worship they are proud and cannot imagine that anyone is more pious or religious than themselves.
They are not even aware that other devotees are more advanced and cannot understand the madhyam or uttama-adhikaris position and are simply trying to transcend the material boundary to reach the spiritual plane.
Being puffed up by their own ceremonial worship they are proud and cannot imagine that anyone is more pious or religious than themselves.
They are not even aware that other devotees are more advanced and cannot understand the madhyam or uttama-adhikaris position and are simply trying to transcend the material boundary to reach the spiritual plane.
6) Sympathy with materialists.
In the name of compassion or kindness, they tend to approve of the non-devotional welfare activities of materialistic men and resent that such organisations are criticised by advanced devotees. Because they are ignorant of the higher realms of devotional service and the unlimited transcendental bliss of Krsna consciousness, they see devotional service merely as just one religious aspect of life but think that life has many enjoyable and worthwhile non-devotional aspects like family, social, business and political affairs.
In the name of compassion or kindness, they tend to approve of the non-devotional welfare activities of materialistic men and resent that such organisations are criticised by advanced devotees. Because they are ignorant of the higher realms of devotional service and the unlimited transcendental bliss of Krsna consciousness, they see devotional service merely as just one religious aspect of life but think that life has many enjoyable and worthwhile non-devotional aspects like family, social, business and political affairs.
7) Speculative tendency.
Such a materialistic Vaisnava is still affected by the speculative understanding of the karmavadis ,Mayavadis, and those who are dedicated to sense gratification and impersonal speculation about the Absolute.
Such a materialistic Vaisnava is still affected by the speculative understanding of the karmavadis ,Mayavadis, and those who are dedicated to sense gratification and impersonal speculation about the Absolute.
Process of elimination
Please excuse me, but for the sake of complete clarity, I am going to have to labour to prove the obvious here. I can only use the process of elimination because it is not recorded that Srila Prabhupada ever labelled the Indians as “kanistha-adhikaris”.
Please excuse me, but for the sake of complete clarity, I am going to have to labour to prove the obvious here. I can only use the process of elimination because it is not recorded that Srila Prabhupada ever labelled the Indians as “kanistha-adhikaris”.
If the Indians at that time in Nairobi were actually madhyam or uttama-adhikaris why Srila Prabhupada called them “nonsense Indians” and warned his would-be madhyam-adhikari preacher Brahmananda Swami from being “entangled” with them and their money? If they were either uttama or madhyam-adhikaris why did Srila Prabhupada frankly tell his preacher that these people were not very much interested to become devotees and their devotion was “show only, sentiment or custom”? If the Indians were uttama or madhyam- adhikaris why did Srila Prabhupada admit that “the Africans and the Asians will not like to mix” and “no, the Indians, they do not like to sit down.” with the Africans? Uttama and madhyam-adikaris would have had no problem with mixing with any ethnic group as Srila Prabhupada showed himself. If the Indians were uttama and madhyam-adhikaris in India why did Srila Prabhupada say that he tried to start his movement in India but “I was not at all encouraged “? If the Indians were uttama and madhyam-adhikaris then Srila Prabhupada’s comments make no sense whatsoever .Why would he warn his preacher disciples against being “entangled” with uttama and madhyam-adhikaris? So by the simple process of elimination we can safely conclude that although. Its true there is no record ,I know so far, that Srila Prabhupada ever specifically labelled the Indians as “kanistha-adhikaris”. But by the process of elimination what else could they be? What other “adhikari” is left?
Concluding the diagnosis.
Without any pejorative overtones an ISKCON which is sold out to any kanistha-adhikari community’s money and influences can safely be called “kanistha ISKCON”. Who can take offence from our using our previous acharyas diagnostic tools? This diagnosis nicely explains ISKCON’s present weakness in local preaching.
Without any pejorative overtones an ISKCON which is sold out to any kanistha-adhikari community’s money and influences can safely be called “kanistha ISKCON”. Who can take offence from our using our previous acharyas diagnostic tools? This diagnosis nicely explains ISKCON’s present weakness in local preaching.
Substantiation of a correct diagnosis.
Recently I received a startling letter from members of the ISKCON Kampala Congregational Committee. It proves the point that a kanistha ISKCON cannot preach well. It contains many details of irregular management dealings in a setup where the Chairman is a very cultures wealthy uninitiated Gujarati businessman who displays all these favourable and unfavourable kanistha characteristics above. The result is that the local preaching has been effectively disempowered to date. I have sent this letter to the GBC and Regional Secretary of East Africa and if the GBC discussion is interested to hear some actual nitty-gritty details they can request them to forward them these details. I suggest that the GBC discussion try and get these practical details as they of relevance to all concerned with the progress of ISKCON local preaching globally. Such heart-breaking details stand as poignant evidence that an ISKCON temple run by a kanistha-adhikary cannot spread Lord Chaitanya’s Movement to the local people.
Recently I received a startling letter from members of the ISKCON Kampala Congregational Committee. It proves the point that a kanistha ISKCON cannot preach well. It contains many details of irregular management dealings in a setup where the Chairman is a very cultures wealthy uninitiated Gujarati businessman who displays all these favourable and unfavourable kanistha characteristics above. The result is that the local preaching has been effectively disempowered to date. I have sent this letter to the GBC and Regional Secretary of East Africa and if the GBC discussion is interested to hear some actual nitty-gritty details they can request them to forward them these details. I suggest that the GBC discussion try and get these practical details as they of relevance to all concerned with the progress of ISKCON local preaching globally. Such heart-breaking details stand as poignant evidence that an ISKCON temple run by a kanistha-adhikary cannot spread Lord Chaitanya’s Movement to the local people.
Treating “Kanistha ISKCON”
In Part 2 “Kanistha ISKCON -Treatment”- I will suggest treatments for ISKCON’s preaching malaise based on sastric statements.
In Part 2 “Kanistha ISKCON -Treatment”- I will suggest treatments for ISKCON’s preaching malaise based on sastric statements.
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