PADA: OK if let us review their plan: First, we make illicit sex with men, women and children into gurus; then we ban, beat, sue and assassinate anyone who disagrees; then we get many / or most of the children molested in our ill managed schools; voila -- the temples are empty and we can convert them into Hindu cultural halls!
But we need to have at least a few white bodied folks around to make our show look good, so we shift gears -- and go to Poland, Ukraine, Russia etc. and recruit people there, and send them mainly to India -- where no one knows our history.
Oh oh, then Ukraine and Russia go to war, and our big plans are not working there very much anymore. Our Ukraine devotees are being recruited, and our Russian devotees are also trying to avoid military service, and meanwhile -- Russia itself is not happy that some parts of ISKCON are favoring Ukraine. OK so that plan has basically fallen apart. Prabhavishnu just got booted out of Russia, and now BVKS goes there thinking he is smarter than the rest of them.
But we need to have at least a few white bodied folks around to make our show look good, so we shift gears -- and go to Poland, Ukraine, Russia etc. and recruit people there, and send them mainly to India -- where no one knows our history.
Oh oh, then Ukraine and Russia go to war, and our big plans are not working there very much anymore. Our Ukraine devotees are being recruited, and our Russian devotees are also trying to avoid military service, and meanwhile -- Russia itself is not happy that some parts of ISKCON are favoring Ukraine. OK so that plan has basically fallen apart. Prabhavishnu just got booted out of Russia, and now BVKS goes there thinking he is smarter than the rest of them.
Hey, didn't anyone ever mention, now is the time to avoid and back pedal going there, and making a big scene, which attracts the attention of the government. Duh-oh, this is not a good idea. But when these same people are promoting the worship of illicit sex with men, women and children as God's messiahs since 1978, most people say -- they are not very swift in the brains department.
Anyway yeah, kick all of them out of there, good idea. We don't want representatives of their homosexual and pedophile messiah's cult over there, get em out! So this is good news, they put most of their new operations in the Soviet and / or former Soviet states, and it is crumbling gradually. Meanwhile, more folks from these areas are -- reading PADA. ys pd
Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior”
By Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Global Minister of Communications | Jul 26, 2024
It has been almost thirty years since I first attended a conference of the American Family Foundation, now the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). I was recently in Barcelona, Spain, for their latest international gathering.
What I’ve learned, both in those meetings and through my leadership role in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is that we in the Hare Krishna movement need to be concerned about “cultic behaviors.”
When I first attended the ICSA meetings, I found that many people thought in a simple duality: Organizations, and especially religious societies, are either healthy and benign, or dangerous and destructive “cults.”
However, the study of cults was evolving. Many concerned with the cultic phenomena were not just debating whether a group is a cult or not. They were studying interpersonal dynamics within groups to understand and measure cultic behaviors. In other words, they were finding that leaders of groups may manipulate and harm members—sometimes as an isolated case of abuse within an otherwise healthy organization. They spoke of a spectrum of manipulation, or what some called undue influence.
PADA: ISKCON is world wide famous for its policy of banning, beating, molesting, suing and assassinating dissenters -- well known in many mass medias already. And that is why in 1988 Lokanath swami said, the temples are empty ghost towns.
Anyway yeah, kick all of them out of there, good idea. We don't want representatives of their homosexual and pedophile messiah's cult over there, get em out! So this is good news, they put most of their new operations in the Soviet and / or former Soviet states, and it is crumbling gradually. Meanwhile, more folks from these areas are -- reading PADA. ys pd
====
ANUTTAMA DAS ISKCON
Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior”
By Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Global Minister of Communications | Jul 26, 2024
It has been almost thirty years since I first attended a conference of the American Family Foundation, now the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). I was recently in Barcelona, Spain, for their latest international gathering.
What I’ve learned, both in those meetings and through my leadership role in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is that we in the Hare Krishna movement need to be concerned about “cultic behaviors.”
When I first attended the ICSA meetings, I found that many people thought in a simple duality: Organizations, and especially religious societies, are either healthy and benign, or dangerous and destructive “cults.”
However, the study of cults was evolving. Many concerned with the cultic phenomena were not just debating whether a group is a cult or not. They were studying interpersonal dynamics within groups to understand and measure cultic behaviors. In other words, they were finding that leaders of groups may manipulate and harm members—sometimes as an isolated case of abuse within an otherwise healthy organization. They spoke of a spectrum of manipulation, or what some called undue influence.
PADA: ISKCON is world wide famous for its policy of banning, beating, molesting, suing and assassinating dissenters -- well known in many mass medias already. And that is why in 1988 Lokanath swami said, the temples are empty ghost towns.
Most people are simply not attracted to a violent homosexual and pedophile worshiping cult, at least not the intelligent and thoughtful folks. Yeah, that is why there has been an out-cropping of mental cases in the temples -- so the temples can cash in their social security check, and start an out cropping of Hindu congregation money collecting, but none of that is healthy or the original idea of Srila Prabhupada.
Leaders speak at ICSA Annual International Conference in Barcelona Spain. Conference participants in one of key sessions.
Conversely, new ISKCON gurus must participate in a special course that teaches principles of shared leadership, peer association, being open to feedback, and the dangers of power and prestige. Other ISKCON leadership courses also prioritize people-centeredness, servant leadership, and the empowerment of others.
On the managerial level, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) has restricted and even expelled some leaders, including GBC members, GBC ministers, gurus, swamis, temple presidents, and others who have abused their power.
The above efforts all protect our members, but they do not guarantee that harmful group dynamics will not develop. I believe more needs to be done in ISKCON to avoid manipulative, dangerous, or cultic behaviors. It starts by gaining knowledge of how the problems fester.
ICSA Presentation on dangerous leaders. Social shunning, considered cultic by many, causes serious social and individual harm. What We Learn From Cult-Watching Groups
Below are some of the dangers that manifest when group dynamics become cultic. In short, within cultic groups, an inordinate amount of power is in the hands of a few without sufficient checks and balances, and those leaders misuse their power to manipulate and harm members. Below is a list of what to watch out for and fix:
Isolation.
Cultic communities cut themselves off from the rest of society. This means more than minimizing the negative influences and connections to an overly materialistic world, as all Vaishnavas (indeed all religionists) seek to do. Being overly isolated or separatist is dangerous because it creates a culture ripe for mistreatment and exploitation. In some unhealthy ISKCON communities, we have seen this include cutting devotees off from their families and / or the larger world of devotee association in the name of maintaining purity. It often includes insisting devotees only learn from or hear from their local leader, counselor, initiating guru, etc.
Us vs. Them Mentality.
Cultic behavior sees the world from a black-and-white, us vs. them mentality. The group believes that only they are right and that they are blessed with special insights into “the truth.” In the case of ISKCON, this may be expressed as claiming special insights into sastra or Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Such communities declare the rest of ISKCON as ‘wrong.’ To preserve their perceived unique position, the smaller group binds tightly together to shut out all outside influences.
The leader is considered faultless and / or can’t be criticized.
In a culture such as ours where the “Guru is as good as God” (a scriptural adage meant to include instructing as well as initiating gurus), ISKCON is highly vulnerable to this cultic pattern where leaders, or their immature followers proclaim the leader is faultless. Srila Prabhupada said, “In my movement there are no big devotees, only small devotees.” That means that no leader is above appropriate critique and improvement.
No accountability.
Part of keeping any society healthy is ensuring that decisions are made public, finances are transparent, and reasonable questions are welcomed and responded to. (There may be rare exceptions regarding legal issues.) In cultic groups, secrecy is usually the norm.
Sexual norms are violated; rumors are not investigated.
Over the last twenty years or so, countless priests, rabbis, teachers, coaches, ministers, gurus, swamis, political leaders, business leaders, and others throughout the world have been exposed for sexual abuse of minors or adults under their shelter. Within cultic groups, sexual abuse has been prevalent and hidden for years.
Psychological and emotional abuse.
Members of cultic groups are often subject to psychological and emotional manipulation. This includes creating an emotional rollercoaster where everyone is kept in fear of the leader’s outbursts or harsh critiques and where the shunning of problematic members is enforced. Cultic behavior manifests in a culture of belittlement, criticism, and gaslighting.
Concentration of power.
Cultic behavior often concentrate power in the hands of the leader and a few of their inner circle. Every group needs leaders to make decisions and guide others. But in cultic groups, members are inordinately dependent on the leader to make decisions for them, often including personal decisions about health, relationships, occupation, spending of personal funds, etc.
Culture of Fear.
Cultic behavior exists in a culture of fear: fear of speaking out, fear of not fitting in, fear of the leader’s reprisal, fear of punishment, ostracization, or delegation to a lower status. We sometimes hear of ISKCON communities past or present, where fear became a factor of life. This is different from a healthy degree of fear of our own limitations or fear of reprisal for criminal or otherwise hurtful behaviors.
These are some of the major indicators of cultic behavior. I suggest they can serve as a checklist to measure our health as individuals and as communities. Where these behaviors are present, or worse yet, prominent, things must change.
Positive change starts with education about what can go wrong in communities and ensuring that integrity, transparency, and accountability are the expected norms of behavior. Leaders need to be willing to be held accountable, to follow proper Vaishnava behavior, and to exhibit genuine care and respect for those we oversee. Similarly, members need to contribute their time and energy to create healthy communities and to speak out in respectful ways when harmful conditions manifest. Where manipulative and abusive conditions exist, it is our duty to bring these problems to the attention of higher authorities to be rectified. Authorities must be proactive in addressing these problems and not ignore them out of a concern to avoid criticizing other leaders or in the name of Vaishnava etiquette.
While avoiding cultic behaviors, it is essential to understand what cultic behavior is NOT. Long-standing Vaishnava traditions such as offering obeisances to each other, worshiping Deities, chanting sacred mantras, serving the guru and other seniors, dressing in traditional attire, fasting, enthusiastically sharing our faith with others, and following regulative principles may be seen by outsiders as cultic. Clearly, these bhakti traditions are part of a historic religious practice, and they are beneficial to our personal and spiritual growth. They do not constitute cultic practices per se. However, if a leader uses these or any other aspects of Vaishnava culture as a means of manipulation, that’s a problem.
To better understand the dangers of cultic behaviors and to educate others about ISKCON’s positive aspects, as well as our strides in weeding out cultic behavior, I, as well as other ISKCON devotees, continue to attend ICSA conferences. We’ve spoken on multiple panels discussing our society, its strengths, and its shortcomings in an open spirit.
=================
GURU PURNIMA
*1. Guru (Vyasa) Purnima― Appearance Day of Śrīla Vyasadeva*
*2. Disappearance Day of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Prabhupāda*
*3. First month of Cāturmāsya Begins*
Guru (Vyasa) Purnima― Appearance Day of Srila Ved Vyas.
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Some devotees are getting all excited that today is Guru Purnima. Here's what Srila Prabhupada says about it:
Nobody can estimate the scholarly importance of Srila Vyasadeva. He composed many millions of Sanskrit verses and we are just trying to receive a fragmental knowledge out of them by our tiny efforts only. Srila Vyasadeva therefore summarized the whole Vedic knowledge in the shape of Srimad-Bhagavatam which is known as the ripened fruit of the desire tree known as Vedic knowledge. The ripened fruit is received hand to hand through disciplic succession and anyone who does this work in disciplic succession from Srila Vyasadeva is considered as representative of Vyasadeva and as such the bona fide Spiritual Master's Appearance Day is worshiped as Vyasa Puja. Not only that, the exalted seat on which the Spiritual Master sits is also called Vyasasana.
In the Mayavadi Sampradaya they observe the Guru Purnima day to offer respect to the Spiritual Master. This system of offering respect to the Spiritual Master is current in all sections of Vedic followers, but so far we are the Gaudiya Sampradaya is concerned, we offer on the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master our humble homage annually and this particular auspicious moment is called Vyasa Puja."
*(Letter to Bali-mardana— Tokyo, 25 August, 1970)*
____________________________________
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada(ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"I am glad to learn that you have performed the Guru Purnima ceremony by _kirtan_ that is all right. But this Guru Purnima is generally performed by the _Mayavadi_ sects. *The idea of _Guru Purnima_ is to offer gratitude to the Spiritual Master by the disciple once in a year.* That is called _Guru Purnima._ So far as we are concerned, _Gaudiya Vaisnavas,_ we offer all our gratefulness to the Spiritual Master on His appearance day ceremony, called _Vyas Puja."_
*(Letter to Gaurasundar ― Los Angeles, 2nd August 1969)*
Disappearance Day of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Prabhupāda*
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to accomplish many purposes through the exegetical endeavors of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. First Sanātana Gosvāmī compiled the book called Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta to teach people how to become devotees, execute devotional service and attain love of Kṛṣṇa. Second, he compiled the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, wherein he collected authoritative statements from scriptural injunctions regarding how a Vaiṣṇava should behave. Only by the endeavors of Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī were all the lost places of pilgrimage in the Vṛndāvana area excavated. He established Madana-mohana, the first Deity in the Vṛndāvana area, and by his personal behavior he taught how one should act in the renounced order, completely devoted to the service of the Lord.
Leaders speak at ICSA Annual International Conference in Barcelona Spain. Conference participants in one of key sessions.
ISKCON is certainly not a “destructive cult.” We are an ancient tradition, inspiring culture, and worldwide organization that makes phenomenal, positive contributions to the world. At the same time, I learned that ISKCON, like all human communities, is vulnerable to abuse of power and cultic behaviors.
PADA: Oh swell, the GBC leaders are God's messiahs / successors / gurus, and the sum totals of the demigods residents of Vaikuntha, but they are subject to human defects, failures, or as Bhakti Vikas swami says "crashing like jumbo jets," which means their guru cadre are ordinary men. It is one of the ten offenses to consider the guru is ordinary. Worse, their gurus are prone to abusive and cultic behaviors. OK so they are not gurus. ISKCON keeps saying that their acharyas are falling into illicit sex with men, women and children, and who knows what else, which means, they are mis-representing who is Krishna and who are His successors.
And, as Srila Prabhupada taught, we are vulnerable to the flaws of personal and communal arrogance, which can breed abuse. “Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.37 Purport).
On the positive side, I know of no other tradition (among those that prioritize the guru-disciple relationship) that mandates its new members attend a multi-day course that includes warnings about what to do if their guru or leader ” falls” or succumbs to the temptations of elitism, power, sex, or other serious deviations.
PADA: Wow, so the GBC guru is an assistant of the gopis, a resident of Krishna loka, and simultaneously -- he is prone to the mundane temptations of elitism, power, sex, or other serious deviations. How can Krishna's successors have any or all of these deviations manifesting in them?
On the positive side, I know of no other tradition (among those that prioritize the guru-disciple relationship) that mandates its new members attend a multi-day course that includes warnings about what to do if their guru or leader ” falls” or succumbs to the temptations of elitism, power, sex, or other serious deviations.
PADA: Wow, so the GBC guru is an assistant of the gopis, a resident of Krishna loka, and simultaneously -- he is prone to the mundane temptations of elitism, power, sex, or other serious deviations. How can Krishna's successors have any or all of these deviations manifesting in them?
Conversely, new ISKCON gurus must participate in a special course that teaches principles of shared leadership, peer association, being open to feedback, and the dangers of power and prestige. Other ISKCON leadership courses also prioritize people-centeredness, servant leadership, and the empowerment of others.
On the managerial level, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) has restricted and even expelled some leaders, including GBC members, GBC ministers, gurus, swamis, temple presidents, and others who have abused their power.
The above efforts all protect our members, but they do not guarantee that harmful group dynamics will not develop. I believe more needs to be done in ISKCON to avoid manipulative, dangerous, or cultic behaviors. It starts by gaining knowledge of how the problems fester.
ICSA Presentation on dangerous leaders. Social shunning, considered cultic by many, causes serious social and individual harm. What We Learn From Cult-Watching Groups
Below are some of the dangers that manifest when group dynamics become cultic. In short, within cultic groups, an inordinate amount of power is in the hands of a few without sufficient checks and balances, and those leaders misuse their power to manipulate and harm members. Below is a list of what to watch out for and fix:
Isolation.
Cultic communities cut themselves off from the rest of society. This means more than minimizing the negative influences and connections to an overly materialistic world, as all Vaishnavas (indeed all religionists) seek to do. Being overly isolated or separatist is dangerous because it creates a culture ripe for mistreatment and exploitation. In some unhealthy ISKCON communities, we have seen this include cutting devotees off from their families and / or the larger world of devotee association in the name of maintaining purity. It often includes insisting devotees only learn from or hear from their local leader, counselor, initiating guru, etc.
Us vs. Them Mentality.
Cultic behavior sees the world from a black-and-white, us vs. them mentality. The group believes that only they are right and that they are blessed with special insights into “the truth.” In the case of ISKCON, this may be expressed as claiming special insights into sastra or Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Such communities declare the rest of ISKCON as ‘wrong.’ To preserve their perceived unique position, the smaller group binds tightly together to shut out all outside influences.
The leader is considered faultless and / or can’t be criticized.
In a culture such as ours where the “Guru is as good as God” (a scriptural adage meant to include instructing as well as initiating gurus), ISKCON is highly vulnerable to this cultic pattern where leaders, or their immature followers proclaim the leader is faultless. Srila Prabhupada said, “In my movement there are no big devotees, only small devotees.” That means that no leader is above appropriate critique and improvement.
No accountability.
Part of keeping any society healthy is ensuring that decisions are made public, finances are transparent, and reasonable questions are welcomed and responded to. (There may be rare exceptions regarding legal issues.) In cultic groups, secrecy is usually the norm.
Sexual norms are violated; rumors are not investigated.
Over the last twenty years or so, countless priests, rabbis, teachers, coaches, ministers, gurus, swamis, political leaders, business leaders, and others throughout the world have been exposed for sexual abuse of minors or adults under their shelter. Within cultic groups, sexual abuse has been prevalent and hidden for years.
Psychological and emotional abuse.
Members of cultic groups are often subject to psychological and emotional manipulation. This includes creating an emotional rollercoaster where everyone is kept in fear of the leader’s outbursts or harsh critiques and where the shunning of problematic members is enforced. Cultic behavior manifests in a culture of belittlement, criticism, and gaslighting.
Concentration of power.
Cultic behavior often concentrate power in the hands of the leader and a few of their inner circle. Every group needs leaders to make decisions and guide others. But in cultic groups, members are inordinately dependent on the leader to make decisions for them, often including personal decisions about health, relationships, occupation, spending of personal funds, etc.
Culture of Fear.
Cultic behavior exists in a culture of fear: fear of speaking out, fear of not fitting in, fear of the leader’s reprisal, fear of punishment, ostracization, or delegation to a lower status. We sometimes hear of ISKCON communities past or present, where fear became a factor of life. This is different from a healthy degree of fear of our own limitations or fear of reprisal for criminal or otherwise hurtful behaviors.
These are some of the major indicators of cultic behavior. I suggest they can serve as a checklist to measure our health as individuals and as communities. Where these behaviors are present, or worse yet, prominent, things must change.
Positive change starts with education about what can go wrong in communities and ensuring that integrity, transparency, and accountability are the expected norms of behavior. Leaders need to be willing to be held accountable, to follow proper Vaishnava behavior, and to exhibit genuine care and respect for those we oversee. Similarly, members need to contribute their time and energy to create healthy communities and to speak out in respectful ways when harmful conditions manifest. Where manipulative and abusive conditions exist, it is our duty to bring these problems to the attention of higher authorities to be rectified. Authorities must be proactive in addressing these problems and not ignore them out of a concern to avoid criticizing other leaders or in the name of Vaishnava etiquette.
While avoiding cultic behaviors, it is essential to understand what cultic behavior is NOT. Long-standing Vaishnava traditions such as offering obeisances to each other, worshiping Deities, chanting sacred mantras, serving the guru and other seniors, dressing in traditional attire, fasting, enthusiastically sharing our faith with others, and following regulative principles may be seen by outsiders as cultic. Clearly, these bhakti traditions are part of a historic religious practice, and they are beneficial to our personal and spiritual growth. They do not constitute cultic practices per se. However, if a leader uses these or any other aspects of Vaishnava culture as a means of manipulation, that’s a problem.
To better understand the dangers of cultic behaviors and to educate others about ISKCON’s positive aspects, as well as our strides in weeding out cultic behavior, I, as well as other ISKCON devotees, continue to attend ICSA conferences. We’ve spoken on multiple panels discussing our society, its strengths, and its shortcomings in an open spirit.
While many ICSA participants—some of whom are former ISKCON members—remain skeptical about ISKCON and our commitment to avoiding harmful cultic behaviors, attending these conferences has been informative and, I believe, helpful to our society.
ISKCON has an important mission—to spread Lord Caitanya’s movement, promote “real unity and peace,” and help awaken love of God throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna are undoubtedly empowering us, individually and collectively, to carry out that mission. We must be careful that any such empowerment is not misused.
For additional information on this topic, please see the article “Cults, Psychological Manipulation and Society” by Michael D. Langone, Executive Director of ICSA (formerly the American Family Foundation), published in the ISKCON Communications Journal by clicking here. Photo by Engin Akyurt.
Tag: Community-life , Cultic-behavior , cults , Healthy-Organizations , ICL , ICSA , iskcon , leadership , opinion
PADA: Well ISKCON does all of the above and worse. Yeah a number of cult watch group members are former ISKCON people. That means they never got a voice in ISKCON and still do not, so they have to go outside. And so do we. Sorry, a society that worships deviants is a cult. And a dangerous one to boot.
ISKCON has an important mission—to spread Lord Caitanya’s movement, promote “real unity and peace,” and help awaken love of God throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna are undoubtedly empowering us, individually and collectively, to carry out that mission. We must be careful that any such empowerment is not misused.
For additional information on this topic, please see the article “Cults, Psychological Manipulation and Society” by Michael D. Langone, Executive Director of ICSA (formerly the American Family Foundation), published in the ISKCON Communications Journal by clicking here. Photo by Engin Akyurt.
Tag: Community-life , Cultic-behavior , cults , Healthy-Organizations , ICL , ICSA , iskcon , leadership , opinion
PADA: Well ISKCON does all of the above and worse. Yeah a number of cult watch group members are former ISKCON people. That means they never got a voice in ISKCON and still do not, so they have to go outside. And so do we. Sorry, a society that worships deviants is a cult. And a dangerous one to boot.
ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com
=================
GURU PURNIMA
*1. Guru (Vyasa) Purnima― Appearance Day of Śrīla Vyasadeva*
*2. Disappearance Day of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Prabhupāda*
*3. First month of Cāturmāsya Begins*
Guru (Vyasa) Purnima― Appearance Day of Srila Ved Vyas.
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Some devotees are getting all excited that today is Guru Purnima. Here's what Srila Prabhupada says about it:
Nobody can estimate the scholarly importance of Srila Vyasadeva. He composed many millions of Sanskrit verses and we are just trying to receive a fragmental knowledge out of them by our tiny efforts only. Srila Vyasadeva therefore summarized the whole Vedic knowledge in the shape of Srimad-Bhagavatam which is known as the ripened fruit of the desire tree known as Vedic knowledge. The ripened fruit is received hand to hand through disciplic succession and anyone who does this work in disciplic succession from Srila Vyasadeva is considered as representative of Vyasadeva and as such the bona fide Spiritual Master's Appearance Day is worshiped as Vyasa Puja. Not only that, the exalted seat on which the Spiritual Master sits is also called Vyasasana.
In the Mayavadi Sampradaya they observe the Guru Purnima day to offer respect to the Spiritual Master. This system of offering respect to the Spiritual Master is current in all sections of Vedic followers, but so far we are the Gaudiya Sampradaya is concerned, we offer on the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master our humble homage annually and this particular auspicious moment is called Vyasa Puja."
*(Letter to Bali-mardana— Tokyo, 25 August, 1970)*
____________________________________
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada(ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"I am glad to learn that you have performed the Guru Purnima ceremony by _kirtan_ that is all right. But this Guru Purnima is generally performed by the _Mayavadi_ sects. *The idea of _Guru Purnima_ is to offer gratitude to the Spiritual Master by the disciple once in a year.* That is called _Guru Purnima._ So far as we are concerned, _Gaudiya Vaisnavas,_ we offer all our gratefulness to the Spiritual Master on His appearance day ceremony, called _Vyas Puja."_
*(Letter to Gaurasundar ― Los Angeles, 2nd August 1969)*
Disappearance Day of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Prabhupāda*
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to accomplish many purposes through the exegetical endeavors of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. First Sanātana Gosvāmī compiled the book called Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta to teach people how to become devotees, execute devotional service and attain love of Kṛṣṇa. Second, he compiled the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, wherein he collected authoritative statements from scriptural injunctions regarding how a Vaiṣṇava should behave. Only by the endeavors of Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī were all the lost places of pilgrimage in the Vṛndāvana area excavated. He established Madana-mohana, the first Deity in the Vṛndāvana area, and by his personal behavior he taught how one should act in the renounced order, completely devoted to the service of the Lord.
By his personal example, he taught people how to stay in Vṛndāvana to execute devotional service. The principal mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mathurā and Vṛndāvana are the abodes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore these two places are very dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He wanted to develop their glories through Sanātana Gosvāmī."
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Antya-līlā: 4.81, Purport)*
*Beginning of the first month of Cāturmāsya*
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"The Cāturmāsya period begins in the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) from the day of Ekādaśī called Śayanā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. The period ends in the month of Kārtika (October-November) on the Ekādaśī day known as Utthānā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. This four-month period is known as Cāturmāsya. Some Vaiṣṇavas also observe it from the full-moon day of Āṣāḍha until the full-moon day of Kārtika. That is also a period of four months. This period, calculated by the lunar months, is called Cāturmāsya, but others also observe Cāturmāsya according to the solar month from Śrāvaṇa to Kārtika. The whole period, either lunar or solar, takes place during the rainy season. Cāturmāsya should be observed by all sections of the population.
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Antya-līlā: 4.81, Purport)*
*Beginning of the first month of Cāturmāsya*
*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"The Cāturmāsya period begins in the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) from the day of Ekādaśī called Śayanā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. The period ends in the month of Kārtika (October-November) on the Ekādaśī day known as Utthānā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. This four-month period is known as Cāturmāsya. Some Vaiṣṇavas also observe it from the full-moon day of Āṣāḍha until the full-moon day of Kārtika. That is also a period of four months. This period, calculated by the lunar months, is called Cāturmāsya, but others also observe Cāturmāsya according to the solar month from Śrāvaṇa to Kārtika. The whole period, either lunar or solar, takes place during the rainy season. Cāturmāsya should be observed by all sections of the population.
It does not matter whether one is a gṛhastha or a sannyāsī. The observance is obligatory for all āśramas. The real purpose behind the vow taken during these four months is to minimize the quantity of sense gratification. This is not very difficult. In the month of Śrāvaṇa one should not eat spinach, in the month of Bhādra one should not eat yogurt, and in the month of Āśvina one should not drink milk. One should not eat fish or other nonvegetarian food during the month of Kārtika. A nonvegetarian diet means fish and meat. Similarly, masūra dāl and urad dāl are also considered nonvegetarian. These two dāls contain a great amount of protein, and food rich in protein is considered nonvegetarian. On the whole, during the four-month period of Cāturmāsya one should practice giving up all food intended for sense enjoyment."
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Madhya-līlā: 4.169, Purport)*
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*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spent the entire period of Cāturmāsya [the four months of the rainy season] in the happiness of discussing topics of Kṛṣṇa with His devotees."
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Antya-līlā: 10.133, Translation)*
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Madhya-līlā: 4.169, Purport)*
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*His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON Founder Acharya)―*
"Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spent the entire period of Cāturmāsya [the four months of the rainy season] in the happiness of discussing topics of Kṛṣṇa with His devotees."
*(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta :― Antya-līlā: 10.133, Translation)*
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