Gaura Govinda Maharaja: acharyas vs managers

Mahaprabhu Will Protect Us From Such a Dangerous Situation

Talk given by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja at Bhubaneswar, India on March 5, 1995:

"I was selected as a member of the GBC body in 1986. At first I was not willing. I was not willing at all to become a member of that body. In that year there was a 50 man committee, there was some restructuring of the GBC body. So, some old members resigned and some new ones were recruited. So, somebody gave some names. So my name was given as one of them, although I was unwilling. So out of those names, the GBC body accepted some names and also rejected some. So I was thinking I may be rejected, so that would be good fortune for me. But it was bad fortune, I was selected. Very bad fortune for me, yes. What to do? All right, so, since that year I have been attending GBC meetings. It has now been 9 years, 1986-1995.

[PADA: Unfortunately, GGM cannot make the distinction between (a) acharyas and (b) managers. GGM claims to have joined the ISKCON Governing Body in 1986, but there has not been any Governing Body since 1977, rather there has been a collection of self appointed "acharyas." For example in 1977 the eleven self appointed "gurus" declared that there is now "an acharya board" which rules over the Governing Body. And these independent maverick messiahs running amok essentially dismantles the Governing Body principle. 

In sum, the acharya board hi-jacked the GBC's position and has ever since. GGM also forgot that there is no history where our vaishnava acharyas were EVER "managed" by a Governing Body. GGM totally forgets the entire principle of acharyas, that they ARE getting dictation from Krishna and NOT from a managerial board. Thus from 1977 until 1995 GGM was juxtaposing managers with acharyas, because he thinks God and His successors are ruled by conditioned souls and their managerial voting. Aindra said this idea is the "corporate figurehead acharya" process and not factual acharya's process.]

GGM: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, our revered spiritual master, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadaji Maharaja has set up the GBC body. The GBC body will be the topmost executive body or authority. Everything will be decided here and it will be executed. Whatever is decided, the whole society will accept it. Otherwise, there will be no discipline in this society. 

[PADA: How can a managerial body rule over acharyas? Already by 1986 Jayatirtha, Hansadutta, Ramesvara, Kirtanananda and others had ALREADY said that they are NOT going to accept the decisions of the GBC -- because acharyas are above the votes of manager, and they are acharyas. Actually that is correct, the acharyas are not ruled by conditioned souls and their managerial board, the problem is, GGM never asked the eleven -- who authorized them to be acharyas, free of the controls of the managerial board?]

The main purpose of setting up this GBC is to keep discipline on the society. That is number one purpose. Number two: When so many persons are working, and all are conditioned souls. 

[PADA: Wait a minute? They are acharyas and -- they are ALL conditioned souls? Why doesn't GGM know that conditioned souls are not acharyas? This is the problem with people like GGM, he has no idea what is an acharya in the first place. They are all acharyas, which means -- they are also conditioned souls, that means GGM thinks acharyas are conditioned beings. Srila Prabhupada says this is one of the ten offenses to the holy name, to think the acharyas are ordinary mundane men.]

How many are liberated souls? Mostly all are conditioned souls there. All have the four defects, yes. Who are free from the four defects? Who are free from anarthas--how many? That's a question.

[PADA: If there is a question of their purity, then why compromise with them calling themselves acharyas?]

But they say, "The GBC body that Srila Prabhupada set up or formed is a society of Vaisnavas." So I was taking up (giving) a class there, generally I take up one class, but this year was such a class that fortunately that topic came up, Krsna arranged, that such a topic came up where Prabhupada is saying, "Everybody should act like this." Narada Muni was instructing Druva Maharaja. That verse was there. "Those who are very, very advanced, elevated personalities, one should pay respect to them. Should not be envious of them. Those who are equals, one should keep friendship with them. Those who are inferiors, one should be very compassionate to them, " That is the sum and substance of the verse, so I was speaking on that topic, on tri-vidha Vaisnava.

So I explained and quoted form Srimad Bhagavatam, from Caitanya-Caritamrta, how they have said, and at last that one should understand, one should recognize a Vaisnava. Srila Bhaktivinoda has also said, one should recognize what kind of Vaisnava he is and behave accordingly. Then you'll get the kripa, mercy of Vaisnavas, then you'll achieve perfection--otherwise you cannot achieve perfection, rather you'll commit offense. Yes, that danger is there.

[PADA: Correct, for GGM to say (a) they are all conditioned souls and (b) they are acharyas, is a severe aparadha to the guru lineage, never mind it shows how totally confused he is.] 

Why Srila Prabhupada has formed this society, he himself has said. I quoted Srila Prabhupada's words, "I founded this society for Krsna consciousness so that this will be an exemplary society where there will be no envy at all." 

[PADA: Yes, Srila Prabhupada says that when a neophyte poses as acharya artificially, its due to envy of the acharyas. Why is GGM giving these envious people his rubber stamp by promoting them?]

That is the purpose of the Founder Acarya of this ISKCON society! If we see so much enviousness going on in this society, how the Founder Acarya will be happy? That is the question. We are all here to give him happiness. But is he happy when his purpose is failed, foiled? This is the most important thing.

I say this is a society of Vaisnavas. Vaisnavas are not envious at all. Second verse of Srimad Bhagavatam. Who can understand Bhagavata tattva? Those Vaisnavas who are not envious at all. Otherwise Bhagavatam will not be revealed to them. Yes, that's a fact. I quoted all these things. But what do we see? Then this is so painful for us. Generally it is said in material sphere, "Speak the truth which is very sweet but don't speak unpalatable truth." But in spiritual sphere the Acaryas say, "No matter how unpalatable it may be, the Truth should be spoken." Yes. Mahajana's have said so.

So danger is there to speak such truth, such unpalatable truth. Danger is there on my head. Like a sword is hanging there on my head because I am speaking unpalatable truth, yes! I have already sensed, I have heard, "Gour Govinda will speak against the GBC." Yes. Have already heard it. Because I am speaking the unpalatable truth such danger I am facing, like a sword is hanging, any moment it will be thrust onto my head! Yes, that's a fact.

[PADA: OK so if they are not acharyas, then what were they appointed as?]

Such is the situation. Therefore I feel suffocated there. Very, very suffocated. I cannot feel happy in Sridhama Mayapur, Mahaprabhu's place who is Prema-Purusottama, who gives Krsna-prema, patita-pavana, Gourahari who delivers the most fallen souls and embraces them, "Come to my fold", Embraces them, but in that dhama I feel such thing!

[PADA: So why endorse and participate in a program that you yourself have no respect and confidence in? If GGM is feeling repressed, what about all the rest of us? Instead of getting voted into their guru program, GGM should have done what we did, stay removed from their party and do not participate in it. Instead, GGM gets voted into their guru system, thus validating their system.]

And everything is decided there by majoritive (measurement; counting of hands) vote, Yes decided, you cannot speak. "Stop, we have already decided, already voted, no more talking, finished." So it is going on. 

[PADA: Right, the GBC is voting for acharyas, that itself is bogus. Why not make a separate program and not participate in this program? I am against the Kauravas, therefore, I am going to be voted in as a card carrying co-member of their group, a group which wants to kill the Pandavas.]

Also, I said this is the purpose of setting up the GBC body. Some philosophical dispute is there, some managerial flow is there to discus. Prabhupada said to , "Discuss with a cool head. Should be discussed with a cool head not a hot head, not in a hurried mood, no. Cool head in a Vaisnava way, not in an avaisnava and materialistic way." That's not the purpose of Srila Prabhupada. But no cool head, with a hot head, in a hurried mood, "We have decided". That gives me much pain and afraid of speaking the Truth also, yes.

[PADA: So, you know their system is bogus, but you are afraid to speak up, what kind of sadhu is this? A sadhu should simply speak the truth, these guys were never appointed as acharyas, nor are they qualified to be acharyas, the whole thing is a farce. That is what we said. GGM said he could not join with me in that idea since he has to "cooperate, tolerate and work with" the GBC gurus.]

So this is the purpose. When the philosophical disputes come, what shall we do? Those who are experts, those who know the tattva, Prabhupada quoted this thing, some apparent controversial statements will come and it's come. How will it be reconciled? It is a question of reconciliation. Why such apparent controversial, opposite, contradictory statements come? It's not an easy thing to understand, baba. Not an easy thing. What circumstances, what time, what place, why it is said?

[PADA: Nowhere does Srila Prabhupada say that acharyas are conditioned souls?]

Lord Buddha came at a certain time when people were killing unnecessarily the innocent animals. Lord Buddha's heart felt so much pain seeing the unnecessary killing of innocent animals. He came down to stop it. So he came and said, "Stop it." but such persons who were killing innocent animals said, "Why are you stopping? In Veda it is said." But these people cannot understand Veda. Because they were in such a very, very low level of consciousness, covered up with the mode of ignorance and passion, no satva guna at all. That is the time and circumstances. 

Buddhadeva is the incarnaion of Lord Visnu from whom Veda comes. He said, "Throw your Veda! I don't want it!" Why He said like this, He from whom all Veda comes? Can he say like that? Veda is Mother. Veda-mata. Vedic authority. Mother is the authority to speak about father. Mother says Mr. X is your father. Is there any argument to it? Can you argue, "Why is he my father?" No. No, mother says, you have to accept it. This is first principal, you have to accept the authority. First principal, otherwise everything will be topsy-turvy.

So much indiscipline will come. As for example, if you make one mistake in mathematical calculation, you make 2 plus 2 equal 5, then the whole calculation is wrong. Don't manufacture some new path, that is a dangerous path. But why Buddha deva said like that? Therefore it is said; in time, place and circumstances. It is needed at that time therefore they do it.

So Acaryas do like that. There are many instances......but they say, "We don't want to understand all these things, we know this siddhanta" All right, what can I say to them?

[PADA: You can say what everyone else says, they are not acharyas.]

And by majoritive vote everything is granted, by vote. All right then, if majoritive says that a dog has become God, that's very good. Becomes God, the majority said. Granted. Then no more speaking, dog becomes God, finished.

So many quotation are there in Srila Prabhupad's books, "Jiva never falls from Vaikuntha." No exercising our own brains, just accept it. It is inconceivable, yes, Mahajanas say, "What is acintya, inconceivable, don't add any of your material logic or arguments to it." No, don't add. You cannot establish the Vedic truth through material logic and arguments. If you do like that, then it becomes different, different, different. You cannot do it.

[PADA: OK except there are so many other quotes where Srila Prabhupada says we come from Krishna's lila or sport, we have to return back to God, we have to revive our original consciousness, we have to re-establish our connection to Krishna, we have remember our lost relationship with Krishna, we became envious of Krishna, we have all seen Krishna face to face, and so on and so forth.] 

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur says it is the will of the Lord. If you want to establish Truth then from many, many sources, from all directions, untruth will come and suppress it. It is the will of the Lord. But at last satya-veda is there. At last Truth will be victorious. That time has come now.

Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada says, "vox popoli is not always vox dei" that means this taking gana vote, measuritive vote is not applicable on the spiritual sphere. For example, one king was there digging a very big pond. He thought that this pond should be filled with milk instead of water. So he ordered all the cowherd men in his kingdom, "You all should bring milk and pour it into this pond." This is the King's order.

So all the cowherd men said, "We shall have to do, otherwise if we violate the order, then our heads will be cut off." So one of the cowherd men thought of, "All right, all will take milk and pour it. If I take one pot of water and pour it, it cannot be noticed and the king cannot notice it." Somehow this thought leaked out. So every cowherd man thought like that. "Yes, I'll do the same thing." So, in the long run, at last his pond was filled with water instead of milk--this is gana-vote.

Another story also we hear. I say that we must hear from a bona fide source. He is free from the four defects, free from anarthas . He is completely cent per cent Krsna conscious, pure devotee Vaisnava. He is not envious at all.

One washer man was there who had a donkey. His name was Sunanda Gandharva. That donkey served the washerman for many years. At last he became old and died. So the washerman shaved his head and had dip in the holy water. That washerman used to wash the king's clothes. When he went to the king's palace to get clothes, the king's priest saw him and asked, "Hey, why have you shaved your head? Don't you know? Sunanda Gandharva died--very, very auspicious day today. Shall I shave my head? Oh yes, you shave your head." 

So then the chief minister saw the priest's shaved head and asked why. Same answer, so he also shaved his head. Then the queen saw the king had shaved his head. She asked, "Why have you shaved your head?" The queen was a bit intelligent."Oh don't you know, my dear queen? Sunanda Gandharva died--very, very auspicious day."

"Who is he? Who told you? What is the source?" She wanted to know the source. "Oh, chief minister told me." The queen called for the chief minister, "Hey, who is Sunanda Gandharva? "Oh queen, I heard from the priest, I told the king and the king heard from me. Our priest, priest he has said."

The priest was called for and the queen asked, "Who is that Sunanda Gandharva? From who have you heard? You said shave head, so all are shaving their heads, the chief minister and the king."

"Oh, the washerman said."

"The washerman who cleanses the dirty clothes! So a low-caste person who has a low level of consciousness. You heard from him! And you accepted it as a very, very auspicious day. All right, call for that washerman." The washerman was called for. The queen asked, "Who is Sunanda Gandharva?"

"Oh, I had a donkey, he died today." (crying).

"So the washerman's donkey died today--oh very auspicious day, and all of you shaved your head!" This is hearing from such a person of low consciousness and accepting it."Oh very auspicious day!"

This such thing is going on in this material world. Therefore in the spiritual sphere one should hear from bona fide acarya, mahajana sadhu, who is bona fide authority. We have to follow the path. Mahajanas say, "That is truth", and we should accept as truth, yes. Then there will be no problems at all. No disputes at all, yes. Make advancement in this path of devotional service--otherwise how can you make advancement?

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "Don't fight. Stay always in friendship and brotherhood." There may be some different: different countries, different places, maybe something different I am. Time, place, circumstances. There may be some differences but don't fight on the issue. Accept what the mahajanas have said and remain as brothers, remain as friends and engage yourself in Hari bhajan, thereby you'll get the blessings, the mercy of the mahajanas and your life will be successful and you'll make advancement in devotional service. Otherwise bhakti will be lost to you. That's a fact. Yes.

I accept it. This is the will of the Lord, such time has come, Truth is suppressed. All right I accept, though it is painful, I have to tolerate it. For how long can I tolerate? I pray to Mahaprabhu, He says taro eva sunicena, be as tolerant as a tree, but at the same time one should say, the Vaisnava becomes intolerant when mahajanas-sadhus, sruti, sastra is dishonored.

It is very, very offensive, yes. It is intolerable that also they have said. So, I am in a dilemma. I cannot figure out, I cannot decide what to do? I have to tolerate it. I am waiting for the direction of Mahaprabhu and Krsna, nothing to say. A very, very dangerous period has come. Very, very dangerous. Only Krsna raksate, only Krsna will protect us. Mahaprabhu will protect us from such a dangerous situation and..."

[PADA: This is rather amazing in our opinion. The GBC is making all sorts of deviants into acharyas, and the real issue is, -- that we need to prove that Srila Prabhupada is not correct to say that we all originated in Krishna's leela or sport? The main problem in ISKCON is, not that fools are posing as acharyas, the main problem is, Srila Prabhupada is -- wrong -- in his jeeva tattva presentation. 

At the same time, he is correct to say that challenging the GBC is very dangerous, a sword over your head. Why not pick your battles? Instead of proving that Srila Prabhupada's jeeva tattva is defective, why not prove that conditioned souls cannot be acharyas? 

Anyway, as we see above, GGM confused the process of managers and acharyas, he could not understand that the acharya is never under the authority of conditioned soul managers. He says the GBC are mostly conditioned souls, then he says these conditioned beings always vote for things, and everyone (including their acharyas) has to accept. That means he is promoting a system where the acharyas would be subordinated to conditioned soul managers. Sorry, the acharyas do not participate in mundane voting systems. They are above these programs. What is worse, the only thing GGM wants to challenge, is the direct statements of Srila Prabhupada that we were all originally Krishna conscious beings, that's all he wants to chop down, the words of the actual acharya. ys pd]