BOMBAY ISKCON's TAX EXEMPTION LOSS
PADA: Yeah prabhu, this could make for a lot of economic austerity for the ISKCON community in India. They have a lot of salaried people there and this could mean losing some of their staff. Never mind all sorts of other expenses will be harder to meet.
What is important for PADA is -- Mayapur's Dayaram said he would have Bangalore sued by ISKCON Bombay spending $1,000,000 every year for the next 100 years. So we really needed to have their income chopped and clipped.
Never mind all the other assorted harassments, like hiring temple choki dhar guards who are thugs, paying lawyers, paying hitmen, legally challenging original books programs and so on ad infinitum. They need to have less financial clout, and this may be part of the fix.
There are a number of people telling PADA "the whole thing needs to be shut down before it victimizes more people (especially children)" and -- well yeah -- we are pretty much in agreement. We have to see how it all works out over time.
It does appear that Bangalore was saved -- for the time being, but they had better make sure their temple's tax programs fit the tax codes as well, since getting removed could be a lot of work getting re-instated. I think the Akshaya Patra program is separate and is probably not something the government has any interest in shutting down, since so many children are dependent on it.
Long short, all the people who said Madhu Pandit should not have legally fought the GBC guru process have been proven wrong. He needed to legally separate his program from theirs for all sorts of reasons, not only siddhanta-wise, but financially and legally.
He is correct to un-hook his horse from their wagon. I am sure we are going to see less enthusiasm for their "lets sue the bejeepers out of the ritviks" never ending lawsuits program. They just won't have the endless amounts of funding for that, at least hopefully not.
ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com
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Anatomy of an Academic Dissent: What Goes Wrong in Garuda Dāsa's Speech
In his recent talk "Why Garuda Das Won't Participate in ISKCON's Guru Approval Process," Dr. Graham Schweig (Garuda Dāsa) performs open-heart surgery on power structures at ISKCON.
With the pedigree of being a disciple of Prabhupāda since 1971 and a PhD from Harvard, his criticism carries a weight that the institution cannot ignore. However, behind the facade of humility and academic rigor, hides a proposal that, when trying to "save" bhakti, ends up placing the scholar above the ācārya.
The Diagnosis: Where Garuda Hits.
It is undeniable that Garuda Dāsa identifies actual pathologies in the contemporary structure of ISKCON. His most solid points coincide with Prabhupāda's original vision:
The denaturalization of the Guru: He is right to point out that the Guru-disciple relationship is relational and personal, not an administrative procedure. The GBC’s “approval system” has often turned initiation into a bureaucratic stamp, ignoring the real phenomenon of after-initiation drop-off.
"Sneak (ā" and hypocrisy: He rightly denounces that qualified women already act as de facto gurus (what he calls sneak imientoā), but they are denied formal recognition for institutional policy that cherry-picking letters and conversations.
The original GBC: Remember correctly that the GBC was founded in 1970 as an administrative governing body, not as a collective spiritual authority with power to "vote" who possesses divine grace.
The Fund Failure: The Investment of the Paramparā
The problem arises when Garuda's solution does not come from the instruction received, but from the academic archive. Here's where the article "uncovers" the inconsistency:
The "Harvard Effect" on the ectocārya
Garuda appeals to manuscripts and hagiographies of women initiators that he discovered in his research. Although these sources are authentic in the history of Vaisnavism, Prabhupāda did not incorporate them into his transmission. In the Gau loīya line, the ācārya teaches not only by what it says, but by what it selects from the vast traditional archive.
By reintroducing these elements to "correct" the Prabhupāda model, Garuda reverses the order: it is no longer the disciple who receives, but the scholar who decides what "should have" been taught by the teacher.
Hermeneutics on the cards
Garuda divides the teachings into levels (essential, supporting, supplementary). The scheme is logical, but he is the ref. While Prabhupāda demanded to accept the Bhagavad-gītā "as is" and warned against interpretation, Garuda is granted the authority to decide which instructions are "supplementary" based on his theological training.
The expansion of the Guru-tattva
While the idea that gender does not qualify the guru is defensible (CC Madhya 8.128), Garuda takes a stunt leap by including "sexual orientation" as a variable irrelevant to the guru-tattva. Here he is not quoting sāstras or Prabhupāda, but inserting contemporary values within the framework of the paramparā.
The system of the "anti-system"
The system of the "anti-system"
Garuda rejects ISKCON gurus list for being an 'institutional invention'. However, he himself initiates disciples (about 18 currently) on the sidelines of any structure. Ultimately, his criticism of the "system" serves to validate his own independent operation. It is, in fact, the creation of a parallel lineage under its own hermeneutical authority.
Rhetoric Maneuvers: the use of humor and anecdote
Garuda's speech uses tactical moves to disable criticism:
Humor as a shield: Terms like "sneak emā" or jokes about "Goloka and Coca-Cola" undermine the solemnity of the ācārya and present errors of perception as human anecdotes, blurring the oruddha-sattva (kind of purity) nature of the teacher.
False symmetry: By saying that he "doesn't sign for or against" women gurus because the premise of voting is wrong, he washes his hands in a real conflict, rising above dispute by intellectual superiority.
Conclusion
Garuda Dāsa is a brilliant surgeon who correctly diagnoses the patient (ISKCON) is sick of institutionalism. But his prescription is problematic: he proposes that each surgeon should work on his own, under his own textbooks (academic sources) and at his own discretion.
In the end, his stance reveals a dangerous assumption: that the academic training at Harvard grants him interpretive authority higher than the structure his guru established.
The criticisms of the GBC are necessary, but their method of resolving them places the "scholar disciple" structurally above the ācārya, a pattern that Prabhupāda himself battled throughout his life.
source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80V5t9LfDI
PADA: OK for quite some time Gaurda says he was handing people over to take initiation from the GBC gurus. Which means -- he did not understand the system -- at least at that stage.
OK for starters, a neophyte cannot give pure divyam jnanam, nor does he have the brahmana tejyas to burn off sins. Therefore no neophyte can give spiritual diksha, and absorb sins like Jesus etc. Perhaps Garuda did not know that then.
However, if he now thinks he is another Jesus, and he can absorb sins as a diksha guru, he still has not understood the system. Or he is another version of the GBC system. Basically he has carbon copied the GBC guru system, i.e. self appointed acharyas. I hereby appoint myself as the messiah of the jagat! Any questions?
Sending people to the GBC is misleading them to think the GBC guru is another Jesus, when in fact many of them have been falling into illicit sex with men, women and children. Or they were 2/3 show of hands voted into the GBC guru parampara of illicit sex with men, women and children.
Taking the post of acharya is not something that can be done cheaply, even if the conditioned soul acharya "follows the principles." For starters! He is not following the principle of not imitating the acharya. A person who is claiming to be acharya when one is not on that platform is NOT following the process.
At the same time Garuda is right in this regard, the GBC guru voting system is defective. And he says these gurus will secretly agree with Garuda -- only in private -- on some issues, but not be able to admit in public, because they will lose their status as gurus. In other words, the GBC guru system operates on cheating, bluff, double dealing standards, lies, deception, hypocrisy and duplicity. Pretty much what we all thought.
He does have some very valid criticisms, for example when the GBC was pressuring him to help them make a ruling on "what should be done when your guru falls down." He told them -- there is no good answer -- because your whole system of repeatedly falling down gurus is a brand new concoction and was never ordered by Srila Prabhupada, nor is it our tradition. Yup!
They also discuss how people who have doubts about the local guru are pretty much shunned and not welcome. So we are free to choose any GBC guru we want, but if we do not agree with the locally designated, appointed and annointed GBC guru -- we are out of the society.
He also says, if the GBC combined is the acharya, then each member is a ritvik representative of the whole body, because the whole body is the acharya and the individuals are agents or ritviks. So the GBC gurus are ritviks de facto. Hee hee!
He also says the reason they oppose him (and us?) is they fear losing their positions (and all the perks). In that sense it is like a business and they need to preserve their guru status to keep the business going.
Yep. Meanwhile Garuda has become a (self appointed?) initiating guru himself evidently. That would mean he believes he is also capable of taking sins -- like Jesus. Srila Prabhupada told us repeatedly, do not take karma, you cannot burn it off, and you will have to suffer. I do not think he understands the implications of all this. At the same time since he has become an independent guru, outside the institution, and I give him credit for that independence.
If you are a Jesus wanna-be, do that outside the ISKCON institution. That would have helped save the institution a lot of grief.
ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com
TO ACCEPT DISCIPLES MEANS TO TAKE UP THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ABSORBING THE SINFUL REACTION OF LIFE OF THE DISCIPLE.
"You are all my children and I love my American boys and girls who are sent to me by my spiritual master and I have accepted them as my disciples. Before coming to your country I took sannyasa in 1959. I was publishing BTG since 1944.
After taking sannyasa I was more engaged in writing my books without any attempt to construct temples or to make disciples like my other Godbrothers in India. I was not very much interested in these matters because my Guru Maharaja liked very much publication of books than constructing big, big temples and creating some neophyte disciples. As soon as he saw that His neophyte disciples were increasing in number, He immediately decided to leave this world. To accept disciples means to take up the responsibility of absorbing the sinful reaction of life of the disciple.
At the present moment in our ISKCON campus politics and diplomacy has entered. Some of my beloved students on whom I counted very, very much have been involved in this matter influenced by Maya. As such there has been some activity which I consider as disrespectful. So I have decided to retire and divert attention to book writing and nothing more.
Letter, July 27, 1970
AJIT GOVIND DAS VIDEO
Summary of “Asli authority kaun?”
Summary of “Asli authority kaun?”
The video appears to be a spiritual or philosophical discussion hosted by Ajit Govind Das, focusing on a central question within the ISKCON community:
Who holds the real authority in ISKCON? Although the full spoken content of the video isn’t visible in the page data, the comments give a strong sense of the themes being discussed:
Key Themes Reflected in the Discussion
Who holds the real authority in ISKCON? Although the full spoken content of the video isn’t visible in the page data, the comments give a strong sense of the themes being discussed:
Key Themes Reflected in the Discussion
Srila Prabhupada as the ultimate authority: Several viewers emphasize that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada remains the foundational and deciding authority for ISKCON. Concerns about GBC leadership:
Some commenters express dissatisfaction with the Governing Body Commission (GBC), mentioning:
Lack of responsiveness to devotees’ issues.
Internal conflicts.
Allegations of mismanagement or prioritizing institutional interests over spiritual guidance.
Desire for clarity on guru-tattva and authority:
Lack of responsiveness to devotees’ issues.
Internal conflicts.
Allegations of mismanagement or prioritizing institutional interests over spiritual guidance.
Desire for clarity on guru-tattva and authority:
Viewers ask deeper questions about:
Whether Prabhupada is still the “living guru” through his teachings.
How authority should be understood in Sanatana Dharma
How decisions should be made within the movement.
Emotional tone:
Whether Prabhupada is still the “living guru” through his teachings.
How authority should be understood in Sanatana Dharma
How decisions should be made within the movement.
Emotional tone:
The comments reflect a mix of devotion, frustration, and genuine seeking, indicating that the topic is sensitive and important to the community.
What the video is likely addressing
What the video is likely addressing
Based on the context, the speaker is probably exploring:
The structure of authority in ISKCON.
How Prabhupada’s teachings guide current leadership.
The role of institutional bodies vs. spiritual lineage.
How devotees should understand and navigate these questions today.
A neutral comparison of viewpoints (Prabhupada‑centric vs. GBC‑centric)
The structure of authority in ISKCON.
How Prabhupada’s teachings guide current leadership.
The role of institutional bodies vs. spiritual lineage.
How devotees should understand and navigate these questions today.
A neutral comparison of viewpoints (Prabhupada‑centric vs. GBC‑centric)
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American farmers appear to be screwed
Story by John Loftus
US-IRAN-ISRAEL-WAR-AGRICULTURE
American farmers are feeling the pain.
The Iran War has triggered massive price shocks for both fuel and fertilizer, and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz will only exacerbate the global supply squeeze as crude oil and fertilizer supplies are blocked from reaching global markets. A recent survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) shows just how intense the economic pressure is becoming for American farmers as they grapple not only with increased diesel prices but also with fertilizer shortages.
The AFBF survey, conducted between April 3 and April 11, found that of the 5,700 respondents 70% said that fertilizer has gotten so expensive that they were unable to buy all the supplies they needed to get through the end of 2026.
Breaking it down by region, almost 8 out of 10 farmers in the South said they did not have enough fertilizer for the remainder of 2026. Only 19% of Southern farmers said they “pre-booked” (when farmers purchase or commit to purchasing fertilizer well in advance) enough fertilizer for the 2026 planting season.
Fertilizer is spread across a field in China Grove, North Carolina, on April 10, 2026. US farmers are facing a double whammy of soaring fertilizer and diesel prices after US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered Tehran’s blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for such shipments.
Related video: 70% of farmers can't afford fertilizer — and grocery prices could surge by summer (Money Talks News)
Money Talks News
70% of farmers can't afford fertilizer — and grocery prices could surge by summer
Video Player is loading. In the Northeast, 69% of farmers said they cannot afford the necessary fertilizer supplies, while only 30% of farmers said they had pre-booked.
Sixty-six percent of farmers in the West said they cannot afford fertilizer, and just 31% said they pre-booked, the survey found. The Midwest appears to be slightly better off than other regions, with 48% of farmers saying they cannot afford fertilizer and 67% saying they had pre-booked.
The AFBF provided a useful graph breaking down each region:
“The skyrocketing cost of fuel and fertilizer is creating more economic hardships for farmers who have already endured years of losses,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a statement. “Without the necessary fertilizers, we’ll face lower yields and some farmers will reduce acres altogether, which will impact food and feed supplies. It’s too early to know how this will affect food availability and prices in the long run, but it’s a warning light that we’ve shared with leaders in Washington. We look forward to working with them to find solutions so farmers can continue to feed families across America.”
The AFBI survey also found that 94% of respondents reported that they were worse off or in the same financial position since 2025. Just 6% said their financial situation has improved.
PADA: Yeah, millions of farmers -- especially in Asian areas -- are complaining they cannot get fertilizer, fuel for water pumps, diesel for tractors etc. And most of them blame the USA for making them suffer these shortages.
This is making America great again, a great big giant pain in the pah-zoo. But hey, this is also making people realize, we have to get out of oil consumption sooner or later, so it might spike a green energy and less processed fertilizer movement.
Marco Rubio now says it might be time to make "plan B." OK you guys did not have a "plan A" in the first place, other than -- bomb the bejeepers out of Gaza, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iraq, Syria, and now -- Iran, and level these places into rubble. Did they not know by now? That is not a good plan? How many times has this plan had a happy ending?
𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Do your deep research. Abusers are masters of illusion before the wedding. Look at how they treat others.
