Myths of the BBT and ISKCON GBC

Myths of the BBT and ISKCON GBC

BY: JAYA MADHAVA DAS (ACBSP)

Simple Truths and Outright Lies - Part One.

The Massive changes to Srila Prabhupada's books and BBT

INTRODUCTION

From Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's writing entitled 'Vaisnava Ninda': There are three types of proper motive for speaking out about mistakes of a Vaisnava:

(1) If the intention in analyzing someone's sins is to ensure that he attains his ultimate welfare, then such reflection is auspicious.

(2) If the motive behind reflecting on someone's sins is to benefit the whole world, then this is to be counted as an auspicious act.

(3) If such reflection is undertaken for one's own spiritual welfare, then it too, is auspicious. There is no fault in such reflection.

Once again for the reasons stated above by HDG Bhaktivinode Thakur, I shall address practices and the following issues which if not corrected, will end ISKCON (spiritually) as it was intended by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

1) The questionable editing of Srila Prabhupada's books after His Departure;

2) The GBC Paper, "Harmonizing Lines of Authority" presented by Hari Vilas prabhu in Seattle, May 2013 -- Why it can't work unless ISKCON is reformed from top to bottom, from GBC to BBT;

3) Complete lack of real Guru reform, bogus preaching methods, women diksa gurus; and

4) Temples/Gurus/Projects in ISKCON no longer strictly following Srila Prabhupada's proper ISKCON.

All are a clear and present danger to ISKCONs existence.

*** Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON is in deep (trouble) Spiritual Mission Drift ***

PART ONE

This is my humble plea to H.H. Jayadvaita Swami and the BBT to reflect and reverse direction… stop tampering with Srila Prabhupada's books and restore the originals in ISKCON, ASAP. I know Jayadvaita Swami is deeply concerned about the Mission Drift in ISKCON, however his editing of Prabhupada's books has made the situation in ISKCON worsen.

I am by no means a Sanskrit scholar and pandit, like my esteemed senior godbrother, H.H. Jayadvaita Swami, yet I have the same deep concern for his attitude and complete stubbornness about his huge editing of our Spiritual Master's books. This grave concern is voiced by hundreds, if not thousands of devotees worldwide.

I know Maharaja is committed to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. He is sincere, that's a fact I'm so sure of. No one will convince me otherwise. But he is human and has made a mistake. Sincerity does not guarantee he is bulletproof and free from mistakes regarding his editing of Srila Prabhupada's books, and most disturbingly, the wholesale editing and changing of complete sentences spoken by HDG Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada's originalBhagavad-gita As It Is is special -- a Deity.

The original Bhagavad-gita As It Is is fundamentally correct. He can't show proof positive that Srila Prabhupada directly instructed him to alter it, after Prabhupada's departure! Neither can he fully justify so many book changes to Srila Prabhupada's words (books). There has to be a LIMIT -- an end. That end is not indicated by him or the BBT and that's very disturbing. Moreover, Srila Prabhupada was blissful and pleased by the final 1970's MacMillian Bhagavad-gita As It Is and we as his disciples were blissed out. Now many devotees are frustrated, angry and not blissed out about Prabhupada's books being changed. Srila Prabhupada's disciples distributed millions of these books and the results were legendary in ISKCON.

I really tried to get to the heart of the matter of Srila Prabhupada's books changes. In 2011 at the Mayapur festival I met two of my beloved godbrothers, who work very much in ISKCON (I will not name them). One is BBT and one is GBC. One day after mangal arotik we all took a nice walk and chanted japa together (well that didn't last long, you know how that goes at a rare reunion of godbrothers! As we walked, I made my inquiry and explained this issue of the book changes really bothers me too much, and I did not see the point in its being done, as HDG Srila Prabhupada was ecstatic about his printed books. Any Prabhupada disciple knows that he was happy with his BBT books up to the time he departed. And Srila Prabhupada gave specific instructions to the BBT and ISKCON leaders not to change anything. Here's what they told me (came up with) to defend this editing of Bhagavad-gita As It Is:

It's all Hayagriva das's bad editing work… he was in maya… he was gay, etc., etc....... That was their sole excuse. I didn't buy it, as I never heard Srila Prabhupada say, "Please re-edit my new full MacMillan Gita version… it's OFF… Hayagriva das is in maya."

Here is why the book changes were done --- SIMPLE TRUTHS:

The Editing of the original MacMillan Bhagavad-gita As It Is

This all happened in the zonal gurus' time. Jayadvaita Swami was given a blank check.... no checks/balances. The Zonal Acarya system was false and maya took hold in ISKCON mostly with all leadership. When the cats away… Prabhupada's disciples who questioned things were put out of ISKCON, one way or the other (as they are to this day).

Srila Prabhupada deeply appreciated Hayagriva's work on his books. He was happy with it and was proud of the final MacMillan full edition and read from it in Temples. He never said it was faulty. NEVER! Prove it! Srila Prabhupada said Krsna sent Hayagriva to him to help him! I accept that. Who are we to say otherwise, and years later edit Bhagavad-gita As It Is to DEATH? Not only that, but changing the original cover artwork and deleting many paintings from it!

Politics and bad mouthing the devotee, Hayagriva das, was the excuse for editing, and now the original version is banned and disrespected in many Temples. That's true and it's unbelievable and aparadha.
Simple Truths: Bhagavad-gita As It Is got edited too much and we see the real results of changes to Srila Prabhupada's Instructions (books) and Programs in ISKCON:

Many USA/UK -EU Temples are EMPTY, the Bhakta Program is dead

BBT is in financial trouble... books sales have plummeted worldwide

Big Gurus and Temples are running unauthorized programs and preaching methods are very questionable (off)

Deities have been dressed like Ken and Barbie dolls, in Santa Claus outfits (this is very offensive)

Tons of devotees have exited ISKCON over the years, and the GBC keep silent

The BBT lost millions of dollars in the court case with Hansadutta das

The ISKCON Movement is no longer united, it's split up

Here is what His Divine Grace said about his Books and Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- read it carefully:

Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Hyderabad India, April 27, 1974:

"So if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that is mad-āśrayaḥ. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gītāaccording to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is called mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My protection, as I am tea..." We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gītā isa book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? 

"Can you change the lawbook according to your interpretation? Then what is the meaning of that lawbook? That is not lawbook. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gītā as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand whatis Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Kṛṣṇa or to kill Kṛṣṇa—the Kaṁsa's policy. The Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you."

Here is the 'smoking gun' -- an interview with Ramesvara das on YouTube on Memories of Srila Prabhupada's instructions on his books. Then there is my senior godsister, Govinda devi, reconfirming statements on the truth without envy or politics. Sincere devotees like her are shunned or silenced in ISKCON, for simple truths. Please go to her webpage and read it carefully. Truth is there. Read her testimony and read the entire Ramesvara Swami (das) Ex-BBT Head Interview. He knows the truth and is speaking out now (to his credit)! His Interview is the smoking gun.

Save Srila Prabhupada's original Books and Movement before ALL IS LOST.