MMD: Krishna Devotees Getting Salary (ISKCON)

Bernie: Being Used for

"Burnt Out Prabhupada Disciples Meme"

Hee hee!

(Apologies in advance to Bernie)

[PADA: This is regarding ISKCON advertising to give a salary for a "Rathayatra Coordinator," among many other ads for temple managers, pujaris etc. also advertising "service to Krishna" -- with a salary.] 

MMD: I am saddened by all your responses! And remember they still need a lot of the volunteers to show up at the festivals! So I hope to see you all there. Because I’ve been to all the festivals and I don’t see too many people volunteering to help out. 

So, at least they’re paying people so that the festival can actually occur! So if they do pay these two people, how about 10 more of you all jump on that wagon and help them out for free. Maybe if more people, especially around here in Alachua -supposedly there are thousands of devotees - yet I see the same 20 of them at the temple? 

This is not a one time deal?! They are asking somebody to commit themselves and serve HDG Srila Prabhupada for now and the future ... And while it is service, and yes we all agree we wish people didn’t have to get paid for doing devotional service, but here in Alachua there’s not one Ratha Yatra, there are 6!!

So, for those who want to dedicate their life to it and cannot live in the temple where they can get everything for free such as their food and rent …  but need to actually pay bills on the outside, but still want to serve HDG Srila Prabhupada, this is a wonderful opportunity! 

How many people do they need on Sundays? Nobody even helps volunteer on Sundays to cook the feast with Sanka? I see them post constantly asking more people to go out for book distribution and Harinam. I’m hoping you’re just sad that it’s to the point that people have to get paid … versus the fact that devotee's are actually encouraging devotee's to be a part of this movement. Because it is the movement that is turning people away not the fact that somebody’s getting paid for their service!

You mentioned the higher ups … they should be running this like a captain runs his ship. But we all recognize there are some flaws in a big movement that has become a business like every other church … everybody was willing to do so much service in the old days, was because of the old days you felt the power of love, protection, guidance, and inclination to want to serve somebody who is trustworthy, honest, and the well wisher of all. 

Unfortunately people have walked away from this movement because we all understand the division that has been taking place. People are walking away because they are not feeling protected here, because they are being guided by some who have harmed many, and serving those of whom many question whether they are everybody’s well wishers or self-centered looking to prosper financially. 

So let’s keep the focus where it needs to be, and let’s take pride that some devotees are encouraging families and those who need an income to still be able to serve and pay their bills.

[PADA: This always begs the question, serving -- but serving what, which and whose mission? If we are serving the GBC's mission, then most people feel that is not serving Krishna's or Srila Prabhupada's. Hence, we need to attract people with a salary, or they won't serve voluntarily --at least in many / maybe most cases.

One devotee from Alachua told me the community there is "burnt out Prabhupada disciples, sitting around gossiping, waiting to get a sweet ball at the Sunday feast." Who wants to serve that? So the dynamic preaching has been replaced with a sort of gossip club with little potency or ability to recruit new people. And that is also why this devotee has had to leave that community, "a retirement home for the weak and compromised."

Alachua itself seems to be hosting the GBC's guru program, i.e. the illicit sex with men, women and children "chain of gurus from God" ideology. That itself is not going to attract people. Who wants to serve the illicit sex with men, women and children guru parampara?

LD says that Narayan Maharaja preaches: (A) that gurus never fall down, and then (B) he supports Tamal and the GBC which says gurus are often illicit sex with men, women and children sexual predators. So NM is trying to confuse the innocent public with word jugglery, which is what Srila Prabhupada often warned us about. In any event, if they are down to attracting people with salary, that means they are running out of rabbits to pull out of their hat. And the virus problem has choked down their income, making it hard to pay salary.

Maybe Krishna wanted all of us to learn, the hard way? There is no way that replacing the worship of pure devotees with the worship of mundane deviants is ever going to work. It is a failed idea, and a lost cause, right out of the gate. Meanwhile we are attracting people who DO want to do things voluntarily -- without getting a salary. They want to serve Krishna because, they want to serve Krishna. No salary required. That was always the process, and will always be the process. ys pd]