Krishna's dog: I did not join ISKCON because I was bamboozled by some slick character acting as an agent for the post-77 “gurus”/GBC. I did not stay in ISKCON because the GBC, tp’s, “leaders” and exploiters were all in maya. I joined because of Krishna, because of Prabhupada, and because I was in knowledge of the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness.
Everything I knew at the time of joining was because of Prabhupada’s books, but I knew he said we must find a bona fide guru, and I did not read he was to be the only one for the next ten thousand years in his books. So when I joined and saw the hypocrisy I took the good and tried not to take the bad.
It is unavoidable that devotees will fall back down, this we have seen. And when they do they don’t care about the reactions. They have lost their faith many times and steal on the way out. Before they fall they exploit their positions for their own good, the good of their senses. And it is painful to have to remain silent when we see devotees come and go.
I have never had a devotee come up to me and tell me they were going to leave because they felt the present lineage is in maya in ISKCON. If they did I would preach confidently to them about everything I know right and wrong within ISKCON. It is up to us to choose whether to serve Krishna or maya.
In the old days leaving ISKCON meant automatically being considered as fallen. Even not living in the immediate community of devotees. The choice is still the same, it is not whether to stay in ISKCON or not, it is whether to be in maya or not. Why does staying in ISKCON mean remaining in maya, or being forced to support those who are in maya? Or having to choose between the two? Depending on where a devotee lives nowadays, they can try to become Krishna Conscious while remaining in ISKCON and still speak their mind in confidence to other devotees with a little discrimination as to who is who and get away with it, in order to protect newer devotees.
For example, if a “guru” comes to the temple who you might not consider is bona fide then don’t go to class that day. And don’t criticize him to those who go to see him. Don’t talk about him after he leaves to someone who might go and tell another devotee about what you said because that other devotee might like him and get someone to beat you up. But if a devotee is in need of help and you feel you can trust him then tell all. And if he reveals what you said to someone else then just say you were only trying to keep this devotee from leaving and you didn’t mean any of it. Or deny it altogether. Or direct the devotee to this or other websites so you don’t have to tell him anything at all, but let him make up his own mind, or hers.
The ISKCON I love is the same one as I joined. A place where there are Deities, Tulasi to worship, Prasadam, despite what some may claim is not because it is not always offered to Srila Prabhupada but to some other guru who is supposed to be following but is not, Krishna won’t let his devotees eat bhoga, that is what Srila Prabhupada said when asked if someone wasn’t following but made an offering, I love the smell of incense in the morning that was offered to the Deities in the temple room, devotee association, chanting together, classes given by strict devotees, everything that was always there and always will be.
The bogus ones haven’t ruined all that, try though they might. Just stop serving them. If all the devotees stopped serving the bogus so called “gurus” who are without a doubt fallen then those “gurus” will be forced to either leave or straighten up. I am only speaking of the fallen right now. The GBC makes announcements when it is to their advantage when a “guru” falls down but they tell us we can’t do the same thing. How can we trust any of them individually or collectively?
Everything I knew at the time of joining was because of Prabhupada’s books, but I knew he said we must find a bona fide guru, and I did not read he was to be the only one for the next ten thousand years in his books. So when I joined and saw the hypocrisy I took the good and tried not to take the bad.
It is unavoidable that devotees will fall back down, this we have seen. And when they do they don’t care about the reactions. They have lost their faith many times and steal on the way out. Before they fall they exploit their positions for their own good, the good of their senses. And it is painful to have to remain silent when we see devotees come and go.
I have never had a devotee come up to me and tell me they were going to leave because they felt the present lineage is in maya in ISKCON. If they did I would preach confidently to them about everything I know right and wrong within ISKCON. It is up to us to choose whether to serve Krishna or maya.
In the old days leaving ISKCON meant automatically being considered as fallen. Even not living in the immediate community of devotees. The choice is still the same, it is not whether to stay in ISKCON or not, it is whether to be in maya or not. Why does staying in ISKCON mean remaining in maya, or being forced to support those who are in maya? Or having to choose between the two? Depending on where a devotee lives nowadays, they can try to become Krishna Conscious while remaining in ISKCON and still speak their mind in confidence to other devotees with a little discrimination as to who is who and get away with it, in order to protect newer devotees.
For example, if a “guru” comes to the temple who you might not consider is bona fide then don’t go to class that day. And don’t criticize him to those who go to see him. Don’t talk about him after he leaves to someone who might go and tell another devotee about what you said because that other devotee might like him and get someone to beat you up. But if a devotee is in need of help and you feel you can trust him then tell all. And if he reveals what you said to someone else then just say you were only trying to keep this devotee from leaving and you didn’t mean any of it. Or deny it altogether. Or direct the devotee to this or other websites so you don’t have to tell him anything at all, but let him make up his own mind, or hers.
The ISKCON I love is the same one as I joined. A place where there are Deities, Tulasi to worship, Prasadam, despite what some may claim is not because it is not always offered to Srila Prabhupada but to some other guru who is supposed to be following but is not, Krishna won’t let his devotees eat bhoga, that is what Srila Prabhupada said when asked if someone wasn’t following but made an offering, I love the smell of incense in the morning that was offered to the Deities in the temple room, devotee association, chanting together, classes given by strict devotees, everything that was always there and always will be.
The bogus ones haven’t ruined all that, try though they might. Just stop serving them. If all the devotees stopped serving the bogus so called “gurus” who are without a doubt fallen then those “gurus” will be forced to either leave or straighten up. I am only speaking of the fallen right now. The GBC makes announcements when it is to their advantage when a “guru” falls down but they tell us we can’t do the same thing. How can we trust any of them individually or collectively?
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