ISKCON Justices / Jivas / Russia GBC / Achyutananda Dasa 07 03 24

ISKCON JUSTICES UPDATE

My name is Mahavisnupriya dasi and I am the Director of the Leadership Conduct Office International. I am looking for anyone who may be interested in an investigator position in our Office. We work with assisting devotees who have been abused by "leaders".

Good investigators have a variety of personality traits that help them gather and analyze information, solve problems, and determine the truth: Attention to detail; The ability to pay close attention to details that matter; Analytical thinking: The ability to break down information and analyze it objectively; Critical thinking: The ability to piece together details from evidence and witness statements to determine the truth;

Persistence: The ability to keep pursuing leads, even when faced with setbacks
Creativity: The ability to think outside the box to solve tough investigations
Problem solving: The ability to arrange evidence and use critical thinking skills to determine the truth of a case.

Other traits that can be helpful for investigators include: Professionalism, Integrity, Self-driven, Reliability, Good judgment, Discretion, Patience, Strong people skills, and Empathy. This is a NON-paying position that IS devotional service to others and to protecting Srila Prabhupada's mission and legacy.

If you are interested, please contact me at:
leadership.justice@gmail.com

PADA: Well the truth is that the GBC "leaders" claimed to be absolute realized gurus -- and then created a system of banning, beating, molesting, suing and murders, and other problems -- because they are not gurus. Now there is an out cropping of justice committees, trauma therapy groups etc. -- but the real problem is, none of these leaders are qualified to be gurus and they misused the post. 

ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com


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THE FALL OF THE JIVA 

I understand that the fall of the jiva issue is complicated, and that it’s not so easy to declare victory for one side or the other. The following quotes will rapidly reduce any smug condescension within the mind of fanatical no-fallers who declare that victory is easily awarded to their side alone:

Having forgotten Kṛṣṇa, the conditioned living entity is suffering the misdirection and perversion of his own so-called intelligence. The living entities are fragmental parts of the supreme shelter, Kṛṣṇa, but have fallen from Kṛṣṇa’s kingdom of spiritual pastimes. Because of forgetting the Supreme Lord, they become prone to sinful life and turn their attention to dangerous material objects, which fill them with constant fear.

(From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s commentary on Bhagavatam 11.2.38)

Back to God, and back home is the message of Gaudiya Matha.

(Harmonist 25.1; June 1927/article titled: “The Gaudiya Math: It’s Message and Activities” / author not specified)

We are all sojourners here in this foreign land. We are to go back to God and back to Home—our eternal abode.

(The Harmonist Jan 20, 1936/from piece titled: “Address of welcome” by Srila Bhaktisaranga Goswami)

Attracted living entities have no propensity other than the worship of that Krishna. The moment the attracted souls are distracted, they glance towards maya from Vaikuntha. At that time the universe is created and material enjoyment overcomes the constitutional duties of the living entities belonging to the marginal potency of the Lord and makes them averse to Krishna.

(From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s purport to Chaitanya Bhagavata Madhya Lila ch13 vs84)

Therefore Vrindavana is the living entity’s original eternal home, manifesting its own eternally true nature within the dead material world.

(Bhaktivinode Thakur, Kalyana Kalpa Taru chapter 2 part 3 song 1 verse 36)

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RUSSIAN GBC

Russian GBC ISKCON guru is proud of his disciple who died fighting for Russia.
“Chaitanya Kripa - Danka, who died heroically in the SMO. By sacrificing his life, he saved everyone who was behind him!”

“It was during the war that he realized the full value of the philosophy of the Vedas and as soon as he had a weekend, Danka fled to the temple in Alchevsk.”

“And his mother Mataji Shyamarani, at that time in Omsk, prayed day and night for the well-being of her son and for his colleagues.”

“He diligently followed the instructions of His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu, took care of the younger ones, gave them maha-water and prasadam. I constantly repeated the maha-mantra and left precisely in this consciousness, divine.”

In the video of Chaitanya Kripa, he says: “Dear mom, I got to the temple, washing the floors. Everything is as it should be.”

PADA: OK, to die heroically fighting is good, providing the fight is authorized by higher authority. Otherwise, a devotee is better off to avoid such battles, if that can be done. I know that a lot of people on both sides are being conscripted in, and they have little options. 

Killing other living entities is not a good idea for a Vaishnava, if he can avoid that. I sat down under a tree to rest from the heat on my bike ride. Suddenly, I was covered in ants. I could not take off my clothes there, so I had to brush off those I could and go home. 

Once home, I got a paint brush and took off as many as I could without harming them. But no doubt some died, and some will be lost now, unable to find their home, and not survive. So we are always killing other living beings all the time. 

Sometimes we can avoid and sometimes we cannot. So I get it, the conscripted pretty much cannot avoid the situation easily. I don't blame them for being coerced into going into these battles, but I don't think ISKCON should glorify these soldiers as doing a great work for their society, they are not. There should be a private ceremony for these departed soldiers and ISKCON should not make any advertising or glorification. ys pd   

MD: Just dying on the battlefield is not enough.

In order for a person to die on the battlefield to go to the heavenly kingdom, many factors must be met. Let's consider the ideal option: a ksatriya (warrior class), who from childhood was trained by a brahmana guru, and then went to war, where he died on the battlefield, without showing his back to the enemy and without uttering cowardly, shameful words, without fear and with an understanding of his own fate, who fought with dignity, according to religious principles: did not kill sleeping, drunk, without clothes or weapons, women, children, helpless, leaving the battlefield in fear. 

The meaning of existence of a ksatriya is protection and willingness to give his life for brahmanas, cows, women, children, and old people. If he was able to comply with all of the above, then he goes to heaven, but if he breaks something, he will not be accepted.

In modern warfare, untrained soldiers who do not possess the qualities of a ksatriya howl, die on the battlefield cowardly, uttering inappropriate words, usually in terrible fear, which makes them empty their bowels before their death, kill those who are forbidden to kill, commit acts contrary to the duty of a ksatriya and religious war: for example, they kill cows, eat beef in a combat zone, although they should give their lives for the cows, they kill women, children, those who surrendered, and so on. 

All this denies them access to the heavenly kingdom. Rather, they, killed in war, become ghosts, which is a hellish form of life, and are forced to wander restless, giving people nightmares, coming to their houses at night, in their dreams, trying to take revenge, to annoy, to inhabit the bodies of others in order to use them for their vicious goals. In this sense, it is similar to a form of suicide. When a person commits suicide, he then becomes a ghost.

PADA: Yep. Srila Prabhupada said soldiers in modern wars all go to hell, just being a devotee in those wars might help -- but it is not a guarantee of a good future. ISKCON should not advertise the participants as glorious as a society. Kali Yuga wars are not auspicious or based on religion principles.  

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ACHYUTANANDA DAS

LD: The bottom line is simply this -- and it goes right along with what Acyutananda prabhu has presented above.

"... However, one should not imitate the behavior of an advanced devotee or maha-bhagavata without being self-realized, for by such imitation one will eventually become degraded.

"In this verse Srila Rupa Gosvami advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kanishtha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari and uttama-adhikari. The devotee should also know his own position and should not try to imitate a devotee situated on a higher platform. 

"Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikari Vaishnava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaishnavism. ONE SHOULD NOT BECOME A SPIRITUAL MASTER UNLESS HE HAS ATTAINED THE PLATFORM OF UTTAMA-ADHIKARI.

"A neophyte Vaishnava or a Vaishnava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but SUCH DISCIPLES MUST BE ON THE SAME PLATFORM , and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. THEREFORE A DISCIPLE SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO ACCEPT AN UTTAMA-ADHIKARI AS A SPIRITUAL MASTER."

[Nectar of Instruction (Upadeśāmṛta original 1975 edition)

by HDG Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

NOI Verse 5 purport ]

[EMPHASIS added by Ldas]

MD: I am confused. Is Achuytananda prabhu implying that there are currently many male and female disciples that meet the lofty qualifications that he describes in I to VI above?

He writes “If the guru is on the Madhyam platform, he can bring his disciples to an Uttama-adhikari when the disciple is ready.”

Can he please point out whether, currently, he thinks there are devotees that have attained the uttama adhikari platform?

Can he also please point out what it means to be ready for the association of an uttama-adhikari?

How many of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples were “ready” for His association?

I don’t want to downplay the importance of daily, personal guidance. But how “ready” does one need to be to listen to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and bhajans at least a little bit every day?

And what if an uttama-adhikari “in the flesh” is not readily available? Then what?

Prabhu writes that the "ritvik" group says, “Prabhupad is here now.” And that, although this is true, this is asking a complete newcomer to have the transcendental vision of a paramhamsa or Uttama-adhikari!!

But saying that Srila Prabhupada is here now, is it really "asking a complete newcomer to have the transcendental vision of a paramhamsa"?

Or is it simply part of teaching newcomers that the qualifications of someone who can actually take them back to Godhead are very high, explaining to them that, at the present, several people can assist them get started on the path of bhakti, but that it is doubtful that any or many of them currently possess the necessary qualifications of an uttama-adhikari and that, therefore, a newcomer should associate daily with the teachings of Srila Prabhupada while getting supplemental, clarifying and complementary guidance from the current guides as needed?

Whether you call this approach “ritvik” or something else, isn’t it pretty much the current situation we’re in, i.e. an uttama-guru only available through His vani, and several less-than-uttama instructors “in the flesh” to get us started?

As Srila Prabhupada would say, “What is the difficulty” !

MA: Now apply all that to the current "gurus" and check them off one by one...

JH: Still stuck on the misconception of bodily platform. I see. If people are still worried if a woman can be a bonafide guru. Shyamarani / Jadarani is one of the nost qualified souls in this world. So was Vishnupriya, Gangama, and a whole line of woman who through pure devotion have spread the holy name, unlike some men who molest and sit on piles of money....pronouncing they are Guru.

PADA: Yeah, Shyamarani is a follower of Narayan Maharaja, chief bucket boy for the bogus 11. Now, after endorsing the GBC's illicit sex messiahs, she is a guru who is taking karma. That means she thinks she is another Jesus who can absorb sins. No, she will take these sins with her. 

BD: Srila Prabhupada: "I want All of my disciples to be guru." Lord Chaitanya:" To be guru you need to know and explain the science of KC, with logic and reason, and have a good spiritual character". That's all. In any case why don't start with the simple instruction of Srila Prabhupada>>>>whoever want to be a guru he need to take the Bhaktivedanta exam. That would be a good beginning.

RS: He did some nice service for Srila Prabhupada but then again the reality maybe he missed.

RM: "I am making myself a public figure for you to see, by my example, how a realized soul acts".

KO: The current system is guru by vote. And the voters are questionable.

BD: Can anyone of current ISKCON gurus do that? That's the real question. 

SD: When is the Book Blazing Saris coming out?

BF: Blazing Saris, not Blazing Sadhus. LOL. It says BLAZING SARIS by Acutyananda Das (ACBSP).