Jadurani Refuted (Narayan Maharaja program)

http://www.iskcontruth.com/2011/07/jaduranis-refutation-refuted.html

[PADA: Jadurani and Narayan Maharaja met me by chance on Venice beach in maybe 1997. They invited me over to talk with NM at his ashram, and so I agreed to go. After driving for an hour to Fullerton, my 8:30 am meeting was suddenly cancelled, and our meeting was forwarded to 11:00 am. So I had to sit and wait until 11:00, and then that meeting was cancelled until 2:30 pm.

So I had to wait until then, and that meeting was ALSO cancelled until 5:30 pm. Jadurani was frantically shuttling back and forth between me and NM trying to get this meeting going. At 5:30 pm Jadurani came out to announce that NM had left the property, and he was going to meet instead with some Hindus, so he would not be able to see me today, could I come back again another time?

So this is how NM treats his guests, and Jadurani was almost crying at the end because even she knew this was not a good way to treat a guest, and it was self evident that even the hamburger eating people have a better quality of etiquette when inviting a guest over. Anyway, we have analysed many of his statements over time and it seems there is a big gap between his ideas and Srila Prabhupada's. ys pd]   

Plight of Women Rap Song (video)

[PADA: Warning! Contains some graphic language. ys pd]

"Purity Party's" Backstabbing and Betrayal

Have to take shelter of the actual purity party

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32111943

[PADA: The self-advertised New Delhi political party of anti-corruption was recently voted in and installed to combat political greed and alleged widespread corruption, which is said by many to be common in Delhi politics. Yep, these heros were going to clean up all these things like "giving political appointments to cronies" "taking bribes from the cell phone companies" "diverting water resources to political allies" and so on and so forth.

Yes! The were the self-advertised party of "purity from personal motivation." Fine except, ooops, this party seems to have descended into a powerful PUBLIC cat and dog infighting program in a very short time after they were voted into office. ISKCON has had the same types of "backstabbing and betrayal" problems, but then again so have a number of other political programs, religious institutions, family infighting over estates and etc.

"Backstabbing and betrayal" happens even to us at PADA from time to time, when some of our alleged friends and allies decide to "take us out" as the way to fix everything, because apparently, this is one of the characteristics of the age of Kali. All the more reason to take shelter of Krishna because the people we want to consider as allies and count on to help us -- may or may not, but Krishna always will help us. He is the only reliable person who can factually "watch our back," and thus this type of public cat fighting episode is simply another good lesson for us -- as to why we need to realize that the people of this world will often fail us, only Krishna will not. ys pd]    

Disturbing Scientology Allegations

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/29/scientology-doc-going-clear_n_6939318.html

Shaksi & Joanne Keown French Attack India's Leaders

Thanks prabhu, yes Saksi now says that the people who promote the ISKCON process of worship of Krishna (like many of the TOPMOST leaders of India's government, -- various Hindu scholars, -- major wealthy India industrialists etc.) are "lunatic cult members." So yes, he is calling the biggest leaders of India "mad cult people." Correct. Of course his main backers are none of these people, but rather ex-Krishna's now quasi-Christians, so -- we should all join the ex-Krishna's now Christian's hamburger eater's club program? Really! ys pd

Australia's Shaksi French. Had to give up his India name to adopt his new mleccha identity. 

http://www.opindia.com/2015/03/why-are-modi-haters-turning-into-india-haters/

[PADA: Oddly, some of the people most critical of Narendra Modi are self advertised "India patriots." They don't seem to realize that Mr. Modi is perhaps their best bet for any progressive transformation in India. For the record, PADA is very glad Narendra Modi has taken office and we think he will do the best he can to implement Vedic principles there, but he is not a magician, so he will be limited as to what he can do there, but some improvement is WAY better than none.  

Anyway, now an ex-Krishna devotee named Shaksi French and his wife Joanne Keown French have joined with other ex-Krishna's (now Christians like ex-Shyamsundar) to take up the job of insulting and attacking India's top leaders like Narendra Modi, Pranab Mukherjee, Hema Malini and many others -- by saying they are endorsing a religion which is "sexist and racist" namely, Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. Which brings us back to the point of the article above, the people who are against the leaders of India are actually against India itself -- and all it stands for.

Yep, leave it to the "super patriots" to say, ... our Hindu nation's leaders are supporting rascaldom and foolishness! Hee hee! Anyway, this is what happens when people who were born in Bharat and were supposed to be in the Vedic culture, run away from it and instead marry themselves into the mleccha (Western) culture, they may become worse than the mlecchas, because the average mlecchas are not out there trying to paint the leaders of India and Hindu culture as foolish, sentimental, superstitious, racist, sexist and so on, like Shaksi and his "Onward Christian Soldiers" program is -- cheer leaded by his wife Joanne. Yep, you could say Shaksi French has become a super mleccha, he is more critical of the Hindu nation and its leaders than any of the Westerners ever could be.

Saksi's program criticizes many (most) of the highest religious and government leaders of India -- who are for the most part highly supportive of Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON. Of course Shaksi has ALSO personally attacked ISKCON itself for allowing in members with names like -- Zakheim, Lieberman, Israel, Herzig, and other Jewish names in its congregation. Apparently Shaksi thinks Jewish people are the problem with the world and with ISKCON, not unlike many "conspiracy" sites. 

Is this part of Shaksi's new religion? He cannot even follow his apparent new Christian faith, because actual Christians are mostly in favor of the Israel program. Yes, Srila Prabhupada allowed Jewish people and everyone else into ISKCON, because he was not a racist and bigot like Mr. Shaksi, 

Saksi French has moved from India all the way to the West (Australia) to join with his Christian critic pals of India's religions and government leaders. At the same time mind you, PADA and Srila Prabhupada give a lot of credit to the Christians for being somehow or other devotees of God, and we credit them with helping us a lot since 1977 especially, in fact we credit the Christians with saving our lives. We really cannot give them enough credit, we owe them our existence.  

Shaksi however, has come all the way from India to the West to create his own version of a quasi-mleccha religion to attack India and its highest Hindu national leaders, and help his so-called Christian pals make propaganda that India's religions are sub-standard, sentimental, and superstitious. Meanwhile Shaksi argues with his shadow saying he supports the religions and leaders of India. He apparently just does not think the current leaders of India are good representatives of India since they endorse ISKCON, and apparently because the leaders of India have not moved to Australia to marry a mleccha woman and become disciples of mleccha culture head over heels.]

Narendra Modi Endorses Akshaya Patra

Chief Minister of UP Attends ISKCON Festival 

Hema Malini: Carrying Photo of Srila Prabhupada. 

Today Evening MP Ms. Hema Malini Visited ISKCON Vrindavan. HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, HG Panchgauda and HG Deena Bandhu Das greeted her in Temple. She has a deep affection for Krishna Balaram. She ate Krishna Balaram's Prasad. She was requested her to be the Chairman for Next Years ISKCON's 50th Anniversary, She Readily accepted it.

Supports Akshaya Patra and Prabhupada programs, Shaksi says that makes him a cult person.

We could easily find 100s of other photos of India's leaders associated with ISKCON's leaders, and Shaksi French is trying to paint these leaders of India as foolish for having said associations. 

Meanwhile: Shaksi says that he agrees that a cadre of deviant Westerners poisoned Srila Prabhupada. So according to Shaksi, the Westerners apparently killed an Indian citizen, and thus we need to attack those of us who are forwarding that issue, and save the "Western" poison sabha folks? Why is Shaksi French trying to save the mlecchas who apparently killed an Indian citizen? Shaksi is in love with the mlecchas so much so, he licks the boots of those who kill India citizens by suppressing those of us trying to get justice for an India citizen? 

And Shaksi says India's justice system is first class, except he also says he could not get their justice system to prosecute the poison issue because the government is too bogged down in corruption there? Meanwhile, its not hard to find news articles FROM INDIA complaining about the corruption. 

Why is Shaksi helping the mlecchas apparently kill the Indians, while claiming to be an India patriot? Worse, Shaksi is offering complaints against Srila Prabhupada, a process that was given by the people who seem to have poisoned him. Why is he on the side of the people who poison India's citizens by de facto justifying the apparent murder? Why isn't Shaksi trying to get justice for the apparent poisoning of his own countryman? 

Nope, he is trying to justify it by also attacking Srila Prabhupada, which is aiding and abetting the position of the poisoners. In any case all the arguments he gives are the same ones the radical Christians give against India, Hinduism and its government leaders, he has become one of them. He moved to mleccha land to become worse than them, because unlike Shaksi, most of the Westerners like and appreciate Narendra Modi, and so he was given a standing ovation when he went to a festival in New York City. The Westerners do not think Narendra Modi is supporting "sexisim and racism," which means Shaksi is worse than the Westerners.  

Meanwhile Shaksi tells us he is going to shut down the program of Madhu Pandit, which is feeding 1.5 million poor and needy children in India. A friend of mine was looking at a photo of Jayaptaka, and he said, "This guy is huge as a house, he must be eating like an elephant, and he wants to shut down your program to feed needy children"? And Shaksi also has a quite well endowed stomach, meaning he eats quite well, but now he has joined with the Jayapataka program to stop needy children from eating? 

Yes, the fat as a lard can folks association apparently cannot stand to see skinny children getting a cup of soup. Shaksi has become identical in nature to the people he formerly criticized, he has become the twin brother of the people who poison folks and starve and mistreat children. His first plan to help the children of the world is, to get rid of the person running the program that feeds them. And the GBC wants to get rid of this program too, thus Shaksi has become the disciple of the mleccha gurus, he speaks like them, acts like them, thinks like them, approves of attacking Prabhupada in one form or another, because he is them.       

Shaksi's guru Joanne Keown French, Shaksi has adopted a mleccha name because he worships mleccha culture, while claiming to be for India's.

===============================================================

Saksi French says ISKCON is horrible! Why? Apparently because -- it has included women in its temples and pooja, which is not usually done in India. Women need to know their place! .

=========================================================

Meanwhile Saksi French seems to say that the India government has vetted ISKCON's leaders and found them to be sound:

Shaksi French: Thank you Mr. Editor for your direct questions, and an opportunity to respond.
Contrary to uninformed consensus re. morals of Law Enforcement within the Indian sub-continent, criminality i.e, breaching of legislated laws, meets with zero tolerance. Any honest research will attest to that.

India is a major player on the world scene. There can be no credence at such high levels unless the player is certified- veritable. The truth is, judging from India’s corpus juris (body of law: Ed), it is the most moral and ethical nation on the planet today.

Again, Thank You. Shaksi

[PADA: Right, here Shaksi says that the law enforcement officials, public leaders and government of India would have vetted ISKCON and found it to be bona fide, moral and ethical. In fact the Indian government leaders support ISKCON because "it is the most moral and ethical nation on the planet."

Shaksi is again arguing with himself? He sometimes says that ISKCON is rubbish, i.e. he is insulting the leaders of India who support ISKCON as supporters of rubbish. Simultaneously, Shaksi says that India, its leaders and corpus jurus support ISKCON because they have vetted the institution and found it to be solid. Is someone not taking their medications?]

Fat ass can against feeding skinny children

Saksi French Mleccha-pada. Me and my mleccha house, mleccha car, mleccha boots, mleccha hat, on the way to the mleccha golf course, to meet at the mleccha hamburger stand with my mleccha golf pals, of course did I forget to mention, mlecchas can't use my toilet since they are not pure enough?

SUPERIOR CULTURE?

PADA: Shaksi claims that India is superior to the Western culture, and in some ways we agree it is, and in some ways it is not. Notice the headlines of India's newspapers these days, seems to be obsessed with sex life. Srila Prabhupada says that sex attraction is the result of losing our attachment for Krishna. Sorry this is a problem ALSO in INDIA.  

Then again, some folks argue that the real reason Shaksi is working with some ex-Krishnas who are now Christians is, to promote radical Christianity's attack on Hindus as idol worshipers. He gets a boot in the door to the Western culture, and then de facto advances a form of radical Christianity.

There seems to be a case for that argument since some of his associates are promoting Christian's ideas -- ok that Hindus are idol worshipers. This again shows that Shaksi is simply a tool for radical Christians while promoting himself as the super Hindu race to others, but he has no idea he is simply a tool for these folks. Another devotee argues that Shaksi would rather have all of us Krishnas be Christians and attack Hindu-ism as idol worship, because he is in sympathy with mleccha culture -- all the way, thus he is even more gung ho against Hindu national leaders than the radical Christians.

Yes, some of the most prominent Hindu organizations appreciate that Srila Prabhupada is giving the Indian Vedic culture to people all over the world. Not only that, he is giving the culture of "Vedic priests" even to Western women, so the culture is spreading in ways no one else thought possible. In India Srila Prabhupada was criticized by some of the "Hindu purists" for allowing women to live in temples, to conduct the poojas and so on. Why is Shaksi French aligned with this racist and misogynist program? Why does the Shaksi program want to exclude others from worship of Krishna, based on race and gender?  

This of course begs the question, why did Shaksi French move away from the land of his alleged "pure Hindu" master race -- to the land of us Anglo-untouchable mlecchas, and marry himself off to the mleccha culture? Sadhus in India often (rightly) criticize -- how folks from India are being Westernized, and Shaksi is a poster child for that complaint.

Krishna says He is the father of everyone. So India should be proud its culture is being accepted around the globe thanks to Srila Prabhupada, and in fact, their leaders like Pranhab Mukherjee are proud of this fact. Meanwhile, Shaksi French has adopted a mleccha's last name "French" as his own name, because he is apparently ashamed of his own Indian heritage, so he wanted to have a nice new Western identity. This would be like me moving to India and calling myself "Ramesh Gupta," the people there would think that is foolish, because it is.

Some Hindu activists recently complained that India is getting a world wide bad media rap from all sorts of internationally published stories of various problems, especially in regards to the mis-treatment of women and children. Why not try to fix these things, denial is the same problem we have in ISKCON already? ISKCON has problems that need to be cleaned up, but so does the modern Hindu culture. So we should ALL work together to fix things and help make a better image for the whole India culture.

Sometimes bogus sadhus in India preach about the glories of sanatan dharma, but they also might be chasing after our Western mleccha girls in the back room. That is the same problem we have had in ISKCON. We have a common problem and should work together to fix these things. Srila Prabhupada says, whether Western body, India body, or for that matter fleas, flies and bugs, hey, we are all the same basic material elements of maya's external energy, -- blood, pus, mucous, urine and stools etc., and that is what creates such bodies.

And more important and ultimately, its the souls inside us that are ALL the same, and the bodies are also ALL the same maya, its all Krishna's potency. Whereas "I am the super race," means Shaksi has gone all the way back to bodily identification, the modes of ignorance. There is no super race in Kali Yuga, Kalau Sudra Sambhava, its all fallen down everywhere.

We have a sort of ongoing scandal in the USA where foreigners marry Western ladies to get a green card residential pass. Srila Prabhupada says these things are going on since many part time Hindus want to become more Westernized. Of course the whole of India has a problem of adopting more and more Western standards and ideas all the time, which is why some important Hindu sadhu are (rightfully) attacking the "Bollywood (Westernized) culture."

Why isn't Shaksi fixing his own mess in India, and instead he has moved here to surrender to the mleccha culture? We think that voting for Narendra Modi is a good start to help revive at least some of the actual original culture of India, but lets face it, India has a myriad of problems that cannot be fixed unless there is a huge wave of desire to change within a larger mass of people. Why is Shaksi living in mleccha land hoping against hope such changes will happen?

Shaksi's moving to the West is the ultimate opportunity to become more Westernized. Many of our own Hindu associates here in the West are also friendly and sympathetic to the original India culture IDEAL -- which is good, but only a few of them want to be strict devotees, and a large number of them are falling down more into Western life if not eating meat.

And many of them even tell me, they do not know much about the Vedas and so on, i.e. they are gradually Western-izing. One of them was chasing a neighbor lady here and he told me honestly, he is not interested in vegetarianism, the Vedas, or anything like that. He says he came here to get into the Western culture, at least this is honest, whereas Shaksi types did basically the same thing, but they just won't admit.

And isn't this separation from the original culture also a big problem in India itself? Why doesn't Shaksi fix this problem? His whole culture is going down to Western rat race lifestyle in so many respects, and he is abandoning the mother ship and living in Mleccha land himself, and he is worried about us mlecchas and what we are doing. Lets face it, he cannot fix the mess in his own culture, much less fix ours.

Of course we devotees of Prabhupada are at least feeding 1.5 million of the kids there, and Saksi told me he wants to shut us down over there. So Shaksi is going to sit around with his hamburger eating golf playing friends over here and -- shut down a program that feeds kids in his own homeland. He wants his own country's kids to maybe starve, while he sits around with the hamburger eaters in our mleccha land, that is his great plan to fix things? He says he is against abuse of children, so he is going to help his own country's children by, starving them? Shaksi is worse than the mlecchans, the mlecchans at least admire our program of feeding children.

Oh my Goodness, there are mlecchas everywhere, I'm surrounded!

Governor of Assam endorses Srila Prabhupada:

On 26th March, we had a Prabhupada katha lecture in Mayapur Temple by His Excellency P.B Acharya (the Governor of Assam, Tripura and Nagaland). He's a Vaisnava born in Udupi, Karnataka and had the fortune of serving Srila Prabhupada at his house in Bombay for 40 days.

During that time he had many memorable experiences with Srila Prabhupada and he narrated some of them. We can't replicate the nectarine experience of hearing this katha in Temple but we attempt to share some of the pastimes told by him.

Even before he met Srila Prabhupada, he was surprised to see His western disciples clean a bushy land even without caring for their meals. One day he asked Brahmananda prabhu for tea/coffee but he refused to have that. Then he invited him for a meal at his home. Brahmananda prabhu accepted food after knowing that it was prasad. Few other devotees also honored prasad at his home during next few days. When he first met Srila Prabhupada, He asked if he was a Vaisnava. He said yes and to his surprise Srila Prabhupada asked if He could stay at his home. He agreed and devotees cleaned His room very nicely. One day devotees objected to use of grinder as that may disturb His rest. He appreciated the attention His disciples had in serving Him.

During the Hare Krsna festival, he was amazed to see devotees from Western countries in Bombay dressed in Indian attire, chanting Hare Krsna while he was in shirt pant. He felt that Srila Prabhupada's remarkable contribution is to spread the Holy Names and teachings of Lord Krsna throughout the world in a short time.

Right people came to him and Srila Prabhupada expertly engaged them in Krsna's service. One Dutch hippie wanted to meet Him , Srila Prabhupada agreed and after hearing from Him, he became a clean shaved devotee within a week. He was an architect and Srila Prabhupada told him to make a design for Juhu Temple by visiting other Indian temples in 6 months. He could do so in 5 months and that design was used by Srila Prabhupada. Now the beautiful temple is a tourist attraction and it has benefited many people spiritually.

He closed by saying that situation is not so favorable in Purvanchal (North East India ) for bhakti. People there lack basic facilities and there are even threats to those who chant Hare Krsna. He asked devotees to remember NAMASTE (Nagaland, Arunachal, Meghalaya/ Mizoram/Manipur, Assam, Sikkim, Tripura : East) states and urged devotees to help people there take to bhakti.

Krishna West Approved by GBC

http://hdgoswami.com/news/articles/item/207-krishna-west-approved-by-gbc

[PADA: Of course anyone who worships Prabhupada is not approved! Heh heh heh! ys pd]

Drifting into "Landmark Education"

PADA: A devotee says that many members of certain ISKCON temples are getting their folks involved with the "Landmark Education" program. The first meeting allegedly costs $500 for a week end, and it seems, can go up to thousands for "more advanced meetings" after that.

Gopa Vrndapal and his folks were doing a similar thing in Berkeley back in the 1980s. You paid $350 for the seminar, then you'd smoke a cigar, make gorilla sounds while doing chest pounding, paint your face with war paint, and do silly war dances with American Indian war whoops, and finally you'd "become a man."

I said to Gopa and his pals -- if you guys are "real men" then come on over to the temple and help me, well nope, that's too dangerous. This means for starters these devotees are not really getting satisfied with Krishna consciousness -- since they are seeking knowledge and bliss elsewhere.

As Srila Prabhupada says, many devotees are just show bottle, they are licking the outside of the bottle and not tasting the honey within because -- they are not serious. Hee hee! I saved myself $350 since they told me what it was all about for free!

Later on this same sabha started a "relationships group" where they discussed their sex lives and other nonsense. What happened to thinking of Krishna? Anyway! This means a certain sector of the current members of ISKCON are simply not experiencing very deep understanding of Krishna or they would not be going off the reservation into these side track (and expensive!) out croppings. What amazes us is that many folks try to save themselves from one problem by getting into a worse problem.  

 ys pd

==============================  

*** The Landmark Forum have their origins in the Est Training, the edgy and controversial personal growth program started in the 1970s by Werner Erhard. The Landmark Forum is said to have a gentler approach and different course material than the Est Training, but both Est and Landmark have a cult following among those who say the courses have ‘transformed’ their lives. ***

Holy Places of Lord Rama (video)

Tirtha Yatras In India

Hare Krishna, I am organizing a pilgrimage tour to Bhadrachalam. This is a place from where Mother Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. Bhadrachalam is considered as the Ayodhya of South of India. Here one can have darshana of Sri Vaikuntha Rama in a big celebrated temple.

The yatra will depart Bangalore on Jul 31 (Fri, 7 pm) and return on Aug 03 (Mon, 11 am). We shall be travelling by train. Travel, prasadam during the yatra, accommodation everything will be arranged by us.

Special features will be abhisheka of Sri Vaikuntha Rama (Mula Vigraha), Kalyanotsava of Sri Sita Rama, Dip in Krishna and Godavari rivers.

On our way, we shall be visiting the temple of Sri Panaka Narasimha and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha (installed by Yudhisthira Maharaja) in Mangalagiri.

In Bhadrachalam we shall be having the darshan of Vaikuntha Rama, Parnasaala where Lord Rama and Sitadevi stayed in a hut. There are impression on rocks of Rama's dhoti, Sitadevi's saree, stones which Sitadevi used to apply kumkuma and turmeric and Marichi's foot print.

Yatra amount is Rs 4999/- per head. Last day of booking is April 05, 2015. I invite devotees to come for this yatra and experience a wonderful bliss.

If you wish to come you may contact me at 09844700850

Thank you
-Agrani Krishna Dasa

For more details of schedule, etc please visit www.tirthayatra.org/bhadrachalam

Sita Rama Jaya Sita Rama (video)

"Scientology" HBO 29 March

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/going-clear-scientology-114747708150.html

[PADA: Oh oh, Ron Hubbard's program examined. ys pd]

*** A religion founded by a science-fiction writer with a fondness for yachting caps, Scientology may be recognized as a legitimate religion by our government, but by anyone else who watches HBO’s documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, it seems more like a cartoon of mendacity.

Former members tell stories of forced labor, removing children from their parents, compelling adherents to part with large sums of money only to be repaid with the revelation that our Earth is a “prison planet” overseen by the all-powerful galatic overlord Xenu, who sounds like a foe Jack Kirby might have dreamed up to battle the Fantastic Four. None of this makes Scientology sound like the most welcoming of religions, does it?

Yet this frequently jaw-dropping documentary by director Alex Gibney, drawn largely from the book of the same name by Lawrence Wright, demonstrates vividly how a cult can spread among people searching for something greater in their lives, some advantage over others, some grand answer. ***

March 28th Appearance of Lord Ramacandra

Sri Rama Navami

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna incarnated Himself as Sri Rama in the month of Chaitra (Mar-Apr), on the ninth day of the growing moon (Chaitra Masa Shukla Paksha Navami Tithi).

The Supreme Lord appeared as the son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya. Dasharatha was a king in the dynasty of Maharaja Ikshvaku (also known as Raghu vamsha). He had three wives: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, but had no children. On the advice of Maharishi Vashishtha, the king performed Putra Kameshti Yajna and as a result the three wives conceived sons. Kaushalya gave birth to Rama and Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata. Sumitra gave birth to the twins: Lakshmana and Shatrugna.

The life and activities of Rama are explained in detail by the great sage Valmiki in the book Ramayana. A summarized version of the Ramayana as narrated by Shukadeva Goswami to Parikshit Maharaja is included in the ninth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana)

LORD RAMA THE SEVENTH INCARNATION OF KRISHNA

Lord Ramachandra, also referred to as Lord Rama, is the incarnation of Krishna that appeared in Ayodhya during the Treta Yuga. According to the Vedas, the universe is constantly created and destroyed and each creation is divided in to four yugas, or time periods; Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and the Kali Yuga, which we are currently in.

The reasons for the Lord's advent were many and they differ slightly for each creation. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that "whenever there is a decline in religion, I personally come Myself to restore the tradition of the Vedas and to protect My devotees”. Prior to Lord Rama’s advent, there was a very powerful demon named Ravana who was wreaking havoc throughout the world and disrupting the sacrifices of the saintly people on earth. The sadhus of the world prayed for the Lord to personally come and save them and He answered their prayers.

There was a great king who ruled over Adyodhya at the time by the name of Dashratha, who was very pious and respected by all. His life was perfect except for the fact that he had no son to whom he could pass down his kingdom. On the advice of his priest Vashishta, Dashratha performed a yajna (Vedic sacrifice) for Lord Vishnu, and in due time his wives gave birth to four beautiful sons named Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna.

Lord Rama performed many glorious pastimes during His time on earth, but His most celebrated pastime was His slaying of the demon Ravana, who had abducted His wife Sita. Stories related Lord Rama’s life are beautifully told in the original Ramayana, written by Maharishi valmiki, who was instructed to write the Ramayana by his spiritual master Narada Muni. Other historical accounts of Lord Rama’s life can be found in almost all of the Puranas (ancient Vedic stories), including the Mahabharata and the Shrimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana).

Around five hundred years, Goswami Tulsidas wrote his own poem detailing the pastimes of Lord Rama, called the Ramacharitamanasa, also known as the Tulsi Ramayana. In this beautiful work, Tulsidas references all the stories of Lord Rama contained in various Vedic literatures, but especially the Valmiki Ramayana and the Brahmananda Purana, and merges them to tell the story of the Ramayana in a mood of devotion and love, and for this reason, it is considered to be one of the most important Vedic literatures.

Lord Rama is considered an avatar of Vasudeva (Lord Krishna), and thus there is no difference between Him and God. He is usually worshipped along with His wife Sita, younger brother Lakshmana, and His greatest devotee Hanuman, collectively known as the Ram Darbar.

Lord Rama played the role of a perfect human being, a role model for everyone. He was an ideal son, husband, friend, and king. He had no other interest in His mind other than to please His devotees and to serve them. Recitation of Lord Rama’s name is the only means of salvation in this age of Kali as it will immediately remind us of His beautiful form and wonderful pastimes.

Ramanavami Vrata

On the auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra one has to observe the following:
Wake up early in the morning. It is recommended that one should rise early in the morning, during the brahma-muhurta. The time early in the morning, one and a half hours before sunrise, is called brahma-muhurta. During this brahma-muhurta, spiritual activities are recommended. Spiritual activities performed early in the morning have a greater effect than in any other part of the day.
Cleanse yourself and wear fresh clothes. Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal. External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness one has to think of Krishna always and chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind.

Chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. It is recommended that one should chant a minimum of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare / hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare (1 round = 108 times). These sixteen names of the Lord are mentioned in many Puranas and Upanisads, and they are described as the Taraka-brahma nama of this age. You can chant as many rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra as possible on this day.

Fast: It is recommended that one shall fast till sunset on this auspicious day. One who cannot fast fully can drink water or take some fruits. You can also relish some Panakam.

Hear the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra: The great epic Ramayana is the history of Lord Rama's activities in the world, and the authoritative Ramayana was written by the great poet Valmiki. It is said that Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, underwent meditational austerities for sixty thousand years. In Srimad-Bhagavatam Shukadeva Gosvami has summarized this in few verses, excerpts from which can be downloaded.

Chant the Holy Names of Lord Ramachandra: The 108 names of Lord Ramachandra is included in the site.

SRI RAMA ASTOTTARA

om sri ramaya namah
om sri rama bhadraya namah
om sri rama candraya namah
om sri sasvataya namah
om sri rajiva locanaya namah
om sri srimate namah
om sri rajendraya namah
om sri raghu pungavaya namah
om sri janaki vallabhaya namah
om sri jaitraya namah
om sri jita mitraya namah
om sri janardanaya namah
om sri visvamitra priyaya namah
om sri dantaya namah
om sri saranatrana tatparaya namah
om sri vali pramathanaya namah
om sri vagmine namah
om sri satyavace namah
om sri satya vikramaya namah
om sri satya vrataya namah
om sri vrata dharaya namah
om sri sada hanumad asritaya namah
om sri kausaleyaya namah
om sri khara dhvamsine namah
om sri viradha vadha panditaya namah
om sri vibhisana paritratre namah
om sri hara kodanda khandanaya namah
om sri saptatala prabhetre namah
om sri dasa griva siroharaya namah
om sri jamadagnya mahadarpa dalanaya namah
om sri tataka-antakaya namah
om sri vedanta saraya namah
om sri vedatmane namah
om sri bhava rogasya bhesajaya namah
om sri dusana tri sirohantre namah
om sri tri murtaye namah
om sri tri gunatmakaya namah
om sri tri vikramaya namah
om sri tri lokatmane namah
om sri punya caritra kirtanaya namah
om sri tri loka raksakaya namah
om sri dhanvine namah
om sri danda karanya karsanaya namah
om sri ahalya sapa samanaya namah
om sri pitru bhaktaya namah
om sri vara pradaya namah
om sri jitendriyaya namah
om sri jita krodhaya namah
om sri jita mitraya namah
om sri jagad gurave namah
om sri ruksa vanara sanghatine namah
om sri citra kuta samasrayaya namah
om sri jayanta trana varadaya namah
om sri sumitra putra sevitaya namah
om sri sarva devadi devaya namah
om sri mrta vanara jivanaya namah
om sri maya marica hantre namah
om sri maha devaya namah
om sri maha bhujaya namah
om sri sarva deva stutaya namah
om sri saumyaya namah
om sri brahmanyaya namah
om sri muni samstutaya namah
om sri maha yogine namah
om sri maho daraya namah
om sri sugrivepsita rajyadaya namah
om sri sarva punya dhika phalaya namah
om sri smruta sarva ghanasanaya namah
om sri adi purusaya namah
om sri parama purusaya namah
om sri maha purusaya namah
om sri punyo dayaya namah
om sri daya saraya namah
om sri purana purusottamaya namah
om sri smita vaktraya namah
om sri mitabhasine namah
om sri purva bhasine namah
om sri raghavaya namah
om sri ananta guna gambhiraya namah
om sri dhiro datta gunottamaya namah
om sri maya manusa jaritraya namah
om sri maha devadi pujitaya namah
om sri setukrte namah
om sri jita varasaye namah
om sri sarva tirtha mayaya namah
om sri haraye namah
om sri syamangaya namah
om sri sundaraya namah
om sri suraya namah
om sri pitavasaya namah
om sri dhanur dharaya namah
om sri sarva yajna dhipaya namah
om sri yajnaya namah
om sri jara marana varjitaya namah
om sri vibhisana pratisthartre namah
om sri sarvapaguna varjitaya namah
om sri paramatmane namah
om sri para brahmane namah
om sri sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaya namah
om sri paramjyotise namah
om sri param dhamne namah
om sri para kasaya namah
om sri parat paraya namah
om sri paresaya namah
om sri paragaya namah
om sri paraya namah
om sri sarva devatmakaya namah
om sri parasmai namah

SRI NAMA RAMAYANA

Bala-kanda
suddha brahma paratpara rama
kalatmaka paramesvara rama
sesa talpa sukha nidrita rama
brahmadyamara prarthita rama
canda kirana kula mandana rama
srimad dasaratha nandana rama
kausalya sukha vardhana rama
visvwamitra priyadhana rama
ghora tataka ghataka rama
maricadini pataka rama
kausika makha samraksaka rama
srimad ahalyoddharaka rama
gautama muni sampujita rama
suramuni varagana samstuta rama
navika dhavita mrdupada rama
mithila purajana mohaka rama
videha manasa ranjaka rama
tryambaka karmukha bhanjaka rama
sitarpitavara malika rama
krta vaivahika kautuka rama
bhargava darpa vinasaka rama
srimad ayodhya palaka rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama
Ayodhya-kanda
aganita guna gana bhusita rama
avani tanaya kamita rama
rakachandra samanana rama
pitru vakyasrita kanana rama
priya guha viniveditapada rama
tat ksalita nija mrdupada rama
bharadvaja mukha nandaka rama
citra kutadri niketana rama
dasaratha santata cintita rama
kaikeyi tanayarpita rama
viracita nija pitr karmaka rama
bharatarpita nija paduka rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama
Aranya-kanda
dandakavana jana pavana rama
dusta viradha vinasana rama
sara bhanga sutiksnarcita rama
agastyanugraha vardhita rama
grdhradhipa samsevita rama
pancavati tata susthita rama
surpanakharti vidhayaka rama
khara dusana mukha sudaka rama
sitapriya harinanuga rama
maricarti krtasuga rama
vinasta sitanvesaka rama
grdhradhipa gati dayaka rama
sabari datta phalasana rama
kabandha bahu cchedana rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama
Kiskindha-kanda
hanumat sevita nija pada rama
nata sugriva bhistada rama
garvita vali samharaka rama
vanara duta presaka rama
hitakara laksmana samyuta rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama
Sundara-kanda
kapivara santata samsmrta rama
tadgati vighna dhvamsaka rama
sitaprana dharaka rama
dusta dasanana dusita rama
sista hanumadbhusita rama
sita vedita kakavana rama
krta cudamani darsana rama
kapivara vacanasvasita rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama
Yuddha-kanda
ravana nidhana prasthita rama
vanara sainya samavrta rama
sosita saridi sarthita rama
vibhisanabhaya dayaka rama
parvata setu nibandhaka rama
kumbhakarna siraschedaka rama
raksasa sanga vimardhaka rama
ahimahi ravana carana rama
samhrtha dasa mukha ravana rama
vidhi bhava mukha sura samstuta rama
khasthita dasaratha viksita rama
sita darsana modita rama
abhisikta vibhiisananata rama
puspaka yana-rohana rama
bharadvajaa bhinisevana rama
bharata prana priyakara rama
saketa puri bhusana rama
sakala sviya samanasa rama
ratnala satpithasthita rama
pattabhisekalankrta rama
parthiva kula sammanita rama
vibhisanarpita rangaka rama
kisa kulanugrahakara rama
sakala jiva samraksaka rama
samasta lokoddharaka rama
sakala jiva samraksaka rama
rama rama jaya raja rama
rama rama jaya sita rama

Ravindra Swarupa -- Another Ritvik?

Ravindra Swarupa has been the biggest defender of the Kirtanananda / Radhanath regime, and he helped excommunicate Sulochana for protesting the New Vrndavana program in 1986. And he has been the main person trying to bring in the former New Vrndavana henchmen like Radhanath, Devamrita, Kuladri, Umapati and others "back into ISKCON."

http://www.iskcontimes.com/response-to-ravindra-svarupa

==================================

Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON—A “Soft-Ritvik” Work? 

ISKCON Now A “Fifth Sampradaya”? 

A Reply to These And Other Criticisms

By Ravindra Svarupa dasa

(Editor’s note: To download and read the original document properly formatted and with the diacritics click here: http://dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads5/Response.docx)

As part of a strategic planning effort by ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission to undertake certain foundational projects to secure the long-term future of ISKCON, I devoted considerable time and effort to researching and writing a scholarly essay on the significance of Srila Prabhupada’s position as ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya.

Successive drafts of this work were critiqued by fellow members of the Srila Prabhupada’s Position Committee and others, then reworked and revised accordingly. Next, a near-final draft was distributed to all GBC members, sannyasis, and initiating gurus for review, and then discussed in a lively leadership sanga of the same convened in February 2013 in Mayapur.

Again, the work was revised in light of their feedback. Then, after a final review by GBC members, the work was accepted and approved by unanimous vote as a “GBC Foundational Document.” Thus Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON came to be published in February 2014 by the ISKCON GBC Press.

In February 2015 an accusation against my paper Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON began to be propagated on Facebook and other social media frequented by devotees in and around ISKCON. The item thus circulated — which gives the appearance of having been extracted from a larger text — reads as follows:

"Ravindra’s Founder Acharya Doctrine is also a way of over emphasizing Prabhupada so as to under emphasize present and future ISKCON gurus. It is in fact a form of soft Rtvikism. Basically they say Prabhupada is the one taking people back to Godhead by his teachings / siksha (a la Jesus, he is the Uddharaka guru, literally the one who uplifts). Whereas the other ISKCON gurus present and future will only be Upakaraka (a fancy word for assistant or rtvik) gurus who simply link you to Prabhupada for him to save you. That is nothing but Rtvikism plain and simple and there is where the whole thing is headed and always was."

No name is attached to this allegation, so I know neither the author’s identity nor his or her current or former standing vis-m-vis ISKCON. In any case, it is evident from the text that the writer has an axe to grind regarding this organization: The word “also” in the first sentence above indicates that this particular complaint is only one among several instances offered in evidence of ISKCON’s allegedly “over emphasizing Prabhupada so as to under emphasize present and future ISKCON gurus.”

[PADA: A GBC named Badrinarayan das wrote a similar "emphasis on Srila Prabhupada" paper after Ramesvara departed, saying that the "disciples" of the new gurus have to be considered mainly as the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, because otherwise, when the "GBC guru" leaves, he will take a huge sector of people with him since these people identify with the GBC guru and not with Srila Prabhupada. 

Badrinarayan said that we need to have the "disciples" established as the property of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON -- and not as the property of the new gurus. Essentially this is the ritvik idea, the flock belongs to Jesus and the Church and not to the priest. So the GBC is sneaking ritvik into ISKCON through the back door. 

The interesting thing here is that the GBC knows full well that ever time one of their "gurus" leaves (bloops), at the same time hundreds or perhaps thousands of people leave with him, so this is one reason ISKCON has hardly been able to retain much manpower. Badrinarayan had been arguing that if this process continues, ISKCON will be a ghost town, pretty much what has happened. 

Its amazing that despite knowing their policy is bankrupting the temples of manpower, they really do not officially change the idea that the disciples are the property of the new GBC guru, so they keep losing manpower this way, just like they lost a large group of people when Prabhavishnu and Mahanidhi left recently.]  

RS: The writer bestows a name upon this purported deviation: “soft Rtvikism.” However, at the conclusion of the excerpt, even the “soft” is withdrawn, and the alleged offense is declared to be “Rtvikism plain and simple.” Finally, the sweep of the assault finds a broader target: “and there is where the whole thing is headed and always was.”

[PADA: Correct, the GBC simply can no longer continue to paper over the countless failures of its so-called acharyas, thus "the way this is headed" is to re-establish Srila Prabhupada as the acharya, which was PADA's original idea in 1978, that we should keep the focus on the acharya and not on the GBC members.]  

RS: In the third and fourth sentences, our polemicist helpfully provides a precise definition of what is meant by “soft Rtvikism,” complete with the exact Sanskrit theological terms. “Basically, they say . . .” the writer begins — evidently including me among the “they” — that Srila Prabhupada is the uddharaka-guru — the actual savior — while those who come after him as diksa-gurus serve “only” as upakaraka-gurus, as mere helpers or assistants to the savior.

[PADA: Correct, the acharya is the person who factually saves the souls and absorbs the sins, not the priest who is conducting the initiation or baptism ceremony. Of course since the GBC gurus are falling down left, right and center, they cannot even save themselves never mind save others.]

RS: The writer attributes this teaching to Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. However, if you consult that document, you will nowhere find those two terms put forward, either in Sanskrit or even stealthily cloaked in a camouflage of English. It is, therefore, likely that the writer has not taken the trouble to read the work (or has read it with a calculated carelessness).

However, I do happen to know something about those very words and ideas. While this so-called “soft Rtvikism” does not appear in the “Foundational Document” published by the GBC, there is, nevertheless, a particular BBT-published work in which this very doctrine — complete with Sanskrit terminology — has been expounded in reference to Srila Prabhupada.

This exposition will be found in the introduction to the 1996 edition of the Sri Vyasa-puja book published annually in honor of Srila Prabhupada. (The Vyasa-puja observation of 1996 was, of course, special, commemorating the centennial of Srila Prabhupada’s appearance.) H. H. Lokanatha Swami is credited as the author of the book’s introduction, in which he, in turn, credits a devotee named Atmatattva dasa with the research that produced the doctrine of founder-acarya propounded in that same introduction.

Here is the relevant excerpt:

Five Symptoms of the Founder-Acarya

Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON. He did the groundwork. He is the founder-acarya, and we must understand his position as such. Some or maybe all of the problems that arose in our movement after Srila Prabhupada left have their origin in our not properly understanding this position of founder-acarya. A scripture from the Sri sampradaya called Prapannamrta Tapana explains that a founder-acarya is known by five symptoms.

First, he is udharika, which means that he is the savior of everyone. The Prapannamrta Tapana goes on to explain that those who come after the founder-acarya in the disciplic succession, who act as spiritual masters, are upakarika, his helpers. They are never to be equated, even after hundreds of generations, with the founder-acarya.

Second, he is dinabhaya. Dina means “very fallen,” and abhaya means “to remove fear” or “fearless.” The founder-acarya removes the fear of all the fallen souls by his teachings, whose nature is that anyone anywhere who takes shelter of them will become fearless.

Third, he gives purports to the scriptures carrying the Vaisnava siddhanta, such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and makes them available to the world in maha-grantha, or great books.

Fourth, he also gives purports to the songs of the Vaisnava acaryas.

Fifth, his name becomes identified with the philosophy of Lord Visnu Himself. Srila Prabhupada’s position as the founder-acarya of ISKCON exactly corresponds to this ancient definition of founder-acarya. Establishing a relationship with a spiritual master in the line of Srila Prabhupada first of all means establishing a relationship with him as the founder-acarya.

Reading this for the first time in 1996, I had immediate misgivings concerning the first “symptom,” where the founder-acarya (here denoting Sri Ramanujacarya) is the “savior” while all subsequent gurus are “helpers.”

This doctrine, advanced on the authority of Prapannamrta Tapana, was supposed to enlighten ISKCON about Srila Prabhupada, it’s own Founder-Acarya. I wondered, however, why, within the vast trove of works produced by the four Vaisnava sampradayas, this particular teaching, in this particular work, should be singled out as authoritative in this matter for us.

Among the authorized sampradayas there might be a variety of diverse teachings bearing on this topic. Why should the Prapannamrta Tapana in particular be chosen as definitive for Lord Caitanya’s movement? In addition, the Sri-sampradaya itself has in time split into a number of branches that differ among themselves in doctrines of salvation. Did they all agree on this specific matter? If not, which among these, if any, should be authoritative for us?

It seemed that the winnowing of the writings of the four sampradayas had been undertaken by previous acaryas like Rupa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami; in recent times Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had continued such work. And in fact there is much still to be done. Who, I wondered, was this one person, Atmatattva dasa, that he should decide for us in this matter?

These were some of my initial misgivings.

Somewhat later, I discovered a bit more about Prapannamrta Tapana. According to that work, Sri Ramanujacarya himself is an avatara of Adi-sesa. This surprised me: I had not heard from any of our own authorities that Sri Ramanujacarya was visnu-tattva. Yet if one accepts Prapannamrta Tapana as authoritative on the matter of founder-acarya, one must also accept it so concerning Sri Ramanuja himself. (If I accept the former yet reject the later, then I have made myself the authority.)

And thus one wonders whether, for the adherents of Prapannamrta Tapana, Sri Ramanuja’s own positions as uddharaka and founder-acarya are entwined somehow with his status as visnu-tattva. How, then, could one apply this to Srila Prabhupada, who, as is well known, once banished disciples from ISKCON temples for preaching that he was visnu-tattva.

[PADA: Good point, why is the GBC always studying so many other writings, and dubious translations, when they have not yet even understood Srila Prabhupada's basic teaching that acharyas are not falling into deviations? At the same time, the acharya has to be as pure as Krishna, so in that sense he is qualitatively as pure as Krishna, shaksat hari tvena. Whereas Ravindra Swarupa's party says that their gurus are often falling into illicit sex and so on, which means they are essentially saying that persons that are as pure as God, are often debauchees.]

RS: Because of such misgivings, I did not rely on this 1996 introduction for any direction or instruction in the matter of researching my assigned work on Srila Prabhupada’s position. At some point, I did consider inserting my apprehensions about the ’96 introduction somewhere within that work — a footnote or appendix — but already there were too many footnotes. Besides, I thought that few if any would even recollect a twenty-year-old Sri Vyasa-puja introduction. Certainly none of the host of ISKCON leaders who reviewed drafts of the work ever brought it up.

[PADA: Now Ravindra Swarupa is saying that the other GBC gurus are making faulty statements in their Vyasa Pooja offerings, and they are citing dubious materials. Why are these people still considered as gurus if they are citing faulty translations and documents?] 

But — wouldn’t you know — not only did somebody, somewhere, remember it—and there may have once been a clique preaching it—but then went on to misattribute it to Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON.

[PADA: There are cliques within the GBC circles who are mis-attributing dubious translations as the works of Srila Prabhupada. Why isn't Ravindra routing these folks out?]

RS: Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON does not depend upon Prapannamrta Tapana. It reaches its central conclusions by relying on Srila Prabhupada’s own writings and lectures; on authorized ISKCON literature like Back to Godhead and Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta; on writings authorized and approved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, specifically, Sree Krishna Chaitanya, Vol. 1 (1933), and The Harmonist (1927-1936); in addition, it relies upon Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Sri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya (1890). All information derived from these and other sources is conscientiously referenced.

The unique place that Srila Prabhupada as Founder-Acarya occupies in ISKCON is summed up in these words (22):

In ISKCON, Prabhupada himself remains present, generation after generation, as the single prominent siksa guru immanent in the life of each and every ISKCON devotee — a perpetual, indwelling active guiding and directing presence. He is thus the soul of ISKCON. As such, Srila Prabhupada himself continues to act effectively in this world so long as ISKCON continues as the coherent expression and unified instrument of his will. In this way Srila Prabhupada remains the soul of ISKCON, and ISKCON his body.

[PADA: Except Ravindra never explains how his conditioned soul acharyas can act as diksha gurus and absorb sins like Jesus? And why is it that anyone who actually worships Srila Prabhupada is kicked out, banned, sued -- if not beaten and assassinated?]

RS: That Srila Prabhupada has and will continue to have a distinctive, efficacious relationship with every devotee in ISKCON is due to his unique position as Founder-Acarya. He is the animating soul of ISKCON, ISKCON is his body — the embodied, outward, organized expression of his will. Any individual devotee in ISKCON, acting in harmony with all the rest, becomes an integrated part of that body and is animated by Srila Prabhupada just as the whole body is. (Note that there is a condition stated in the excerpt above for this healthy state to be realized.)

So although Srila Prabhupada is no longer on this planet in bodily form, he is not absent. So long as we members of ISKCON make every effort to cooperate with one another, on the principle of unity-in-diversity, then we will be directed, individually and as a whole, by Srila Prabhupada himself.

I for one am quite convinced — by personal experience — that from his eternal position in the transcendent Navadvipa of gaura-lila, Srila Prabhupada exercises a providential care over ISKCON, intervening as necessary. (We would not have lasted this far without it.)

Srila Prabhupada continues to aid all in ISKCON who come after him; that is his visible legacy, the inheritance bequeathed upon generation after generation of beneficiaries. Although a devotee properly receives initiation by the mercy of his or her diksa-guru, ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya has provided both that guru and that disciple with immense facilities to enable robust spiritual advancement: his volumes of books in over fifty languages, to begin with; temples with properly installed Deities, served daily with devotion; a calendar chock-full with regular and occasional classes, lectures, seminars, kirtans, and festivals to provide knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement; abundant opportunities for all varieties of services of all kinds of talents and aptitudes; facilitates to visit transcendent places of Vaisnava pilgrimage; and hundreds of “embassies of the spiritual world” positioned around the globe providing gateways opening on the passageways leading back to Godhead.

All this and more has been provided for us by our ISKCON Founder-Acarya, and any present or future diksa-guru has all this simply given for the deliverance of disciples. Such is Srila Prabhupada’s great legacy to all. Our only task is to open our arms to receive it. In short, such continuing mercy, made available generation after generation, seems to me to be the meaning of “Founder-Acarya.”

At the same time, were I to apply the vocabulary of Prapannamrta Tapana to our own situation, then I would have to say that for us the term udharika, or savior, applies properly to Lord Caitanya (or the Panca-tattva), and the term upakarika — helper or servitor — to all who come after Him and receive potent mercy from Him.

Srila Prabhupada has been specifically empowered to save and deliver us precisely because he became so consummately the servant of the servant of Lord Caitanya. Indeed, Prabhupada’s own self-declared position is that of upakarika, and that is the way he taught us to honor him: namas te sarasvate deve. As Prabhupada once said, with tear-flooded eyes and choking voice: “My spiritual master was no ordinary spiritual master. He saved me” (Giriraja Swami, 1995 Vyasa-puja Homage). Discipleship is Srila Prabhupada’s greatest, most sublime lesson for us, taught by his own astounding example.

We learn from him how, by just becoming the mere upakarika — and indeed, the upakarika of the upakarika — a devotee of such humility can be empowered by Gaura-Nitai to act as asraya-vigraha or “Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead” (CC. Adi 1.46 purport), as saksad hari-tva: directly endowed with the qualities of Hari.

Thus there is not the least temptation to consider the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON as uddharaka.
Yet another mistaken claim in circulation concerning Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON is that it teaches, or implies, that Srila Prabhupada founded a new, fifth Vaisnava sampradaya. This notion is explicitly addressed and rejected in the pages of the book itself (88-90).

According to the Sri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the four Vaisnava sampradayas were promulgated in this yuga to prepare for the eventual appearance of Lord Caitanya. His teaching of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva synthesizes and completes their theistic understandings of Vyasadeva’s Vedanta-sutra. Between the time of Mahaprabhu and the present age, that tradition was preserved and enriched by a line of teachers; it did not, however, began to unfold it full potential until the modern Industrial Age. Then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura prepared the tradition for global expansion, which attained fruition through their servant A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, whose ISKCON covered the world.

As Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, He effectively originated in this Kali-yuga His own distinctive sampradaya—later titled the Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya—just as prehistorically, that same Supreme Lord had inaugurated sampradayas with Brahma, Sri, Rudra and the Four Kumaras. However, because Caitanya as bhakta-rupa fully immersed Himself in relishing the feelings and activities of a devotee, he received diksa initiation from Isvara Puri, thus particularly honoring the Brahma-Madhva-sampradaya. We abide by his act and take our place in that tradition, while at the same time we cherish most of all the special energy, mercy, and wisdom transmitted by the yuga-avatara.

We also revere the other three Vaisnava sampradayas, all of whom prepared the way for Lord Caitanya. In this connection, I wish to make a final point. Even though I refrained from using the Sri-sampradaya teaching found in Prapannamrta Tapana for the Founder-Acarya book, yet to characterize that teaching as “soft Rtvikism,” as our unidentified critic does,

I consider careless and possibly offensive. The doctrine of Ritvikism is a quite recent innovation, an unwanted plant (upasakha) sprung up locally in ISKCON’s soil. Ritvikism asserts that the Founder-Acarya himself is properly ISKCON’s only authorized diksa-guru. Ritvikism holds that those who after Srila Prabhupada undertake the prescribed activities of initiation are not themselves diksa-gurus but merely ecclesiastical functionaries, or rtviks, carrying out the ritual formalities on behalf of the Founder-Acarya, the actual initiator. Thus, after Srila Prabhupada there is no guru-parampara. So far as I know, such an unorthodox idea has not appeared anywhere within the Vaisnava sampradayas nor, for that matter, among any others that are astikya, faithful to the Vedic tradition.

It is of interest to note that while one critic criticizes Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON for being crypto-rtvik, another disparages it for being not rtvik.

This is found in a booklet issued in April 2014 by the rtvik group ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM) and written by Krishnakant [Desai]. This work bears the exact same title as the GBC-published book and displays a cover formatted just like that book. Where the ISKCON cover bears the words “A GBC Foundational Document,” the IRM work proclaims: “Presenting the Conclusions of the GBC Foundational Document.” Within, however, one discovers a quite different conclusion: that the GBC Foundational Document is missing a vitally important element, now supplied by this IRM work: “Acarya of ISKCON means Diksa Guru of ISKCON.” It is best to go to the authentic GBC Foundational Document to find out what it is.

That book, the real Srila Prabhupada: The Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, can be downloaded free of change at http://www.founderacharya.com/.

[PADA: Ravindra Swarupa was a huge supporter of Kirtanananda, was voted in as acharya by the same folks who re-instated Bhavananada, so its a little strange that a person who supports re-instating known deviants as acharyas has been selected by the GBC to write their position papers? In any case this is proof the ritviks are winning, the GBC is forced to promote the idea that Srila Prabhupada is the current savior and acharya, because the GBC's debauchee guru program cannot fill that role under any circumstances. ys pd]

Krishna Book +Nice Illustrations

http://krishnalilas.com/

Prostitution in Vrndavana?

http://news.vrindavantoday.org/2011/02/is-prostitution-part-of-vrindavans-tourist-trade/

PADA: Ladies are apparently doing this to finance their travel and stay in the holy dham. If this is the case, we would say the GBC is wasting money on other programs, like suing us, instead of helping their flock. Allegations of this problem have been going on for at least a decade. With incurable TB, STDs, and other problems going on, this also sounds like a serious potential health crisis for the participants. If this is a factual problem, we are not faulting the poor ladies, they would be victims. Of course this begs the question, why would some people be going to the holy dham to have sex? ys pd

Rama Navami Festival Details

https://www.iskconbangalore.org/news/rama-navami-program-details/

SCI-FI Mahabharata Art

http://www.buzzfeed.com/sahilrizwan/my-whoa-logy

Problems with Narayana Maharaja Camp

LW: “At this present time the ”Back to Bhakti” website has shut down with the message that reads….”ALL POSTS SUSPENDED UNTIL HARMONY IS RESTORED” Don’t they know that HDG Srila AC Bhaktivedantata Swami Prabhupada is the ONLY successor of HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada?”

No, I’m afraid they don’t think this way at all, Prabhu. I know an old friend from my home town who took up Krsna consciousness about 30 years ago. Recently he went to a Narayana Swami meeting and became a convert. Since then he has been going on and on about how everyone must go through Narayana Swami -- even Prabhupada disciples.

He now “preaches” that Srila Prabhupada came to introduce the ABC’s of spiritual life to the meat-eaters, but Narayana Swami has come to teach the “higher” rasas. He also believes that N. Swami is the successor to Prabhupada, i.e. the next in line in the parampara. 

According to my old friend, N. Swami said that once he accepts you as a disciple, he “kicks out Supersoul” and resides in the disciple’s heart. (This is his favorite quote from N. Swami.) Now my friend only likes to speak about Radha and the gopis and finding our “siddha-deha,” “siddha-pranali,” etc. However, Srila Prabhupada has clearly condemned this mentality:

Prabhupada: In this sahajiya party, then preaching will be finished. Siddha-pranali. Then everything will be finished. Preaching will be finished.
Tamala Krsna: What does that mean, Srila Prabhupada, siddha-pranali?
Prabhupada: Siddha-pranali is nonsense. They have manufactured a siddha-pranali.
Ramesvara: [break] …the initiation that you are given your siddhas, your eternal position.
Prabhupada: They have learned it from these Radha-kunda babajis.
Tamala Krsna: From Radha-kunda babajis?
Prabhupada: Babajis, yes. After all, they’re fool, rascals, so whatever they say. Let them say all nonsense. They are disqualified. Sahajiya babajis, that’s all….
Hari-sauri: I always understood before that the rasa was fixed, but that within that rasa one may take different…, one may take a different line.
Prabhupada: That will be revealed when you are liberated. Why you are bothering now? A patient is thinking, “How shall I dance when I become healthy?” First of all, rascal, become healthy, then talk of all this. The rascals are thinking like that. You are patient; first of all cure your disease, material disease. Then talk of all this. Utopian….

(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, 6-7-76, LA)

Funny thing too is that my old friend has gone back to smoking ganja yet he is now talking about Radharani and the gopis and how Srila Prabhupada’s teaching are only for neophytes. Satsvarupa, Tamal Krsna, Giriraj, Sivarama and many other so-called ISKCON “swamis” and “leaders” were taking such “higher instruction” from N. Swami at one time.

While talking to this fellow, I once called his guru “Narayana Maharaj” and he got very angry with me saying that I must address his guru as “Srila” Narayana Maharaj, otherwise I’m committing a grave offense. There’s no reasoning with this fellow at all and so there’s no common ground for a friendship any more. So it’s no wonder to me that they can find no harmony within their organization since they openly denigrate Srila Prabhupada as if he is some kind of second-rate neophyte. Total madness!

[PADA: Right, this problem is in part our own doing. For example, we have all sorts of people fighting with PADA and / or among the so-called ritviks, and one of the results is -- that a sector of folks are drifting off into various other camps and programs like Mother Amma, Hinduism, Narayana Maharaja, the Gaudiya Matha, Christianity, anti-Vaishnavism and etc. The GBC in fact spawned its own competition, and some of the so-called Prabhupadanugas are doing a similar thing. 

For example some "Prabhupadanugas" recently bragged to our associates that they "stopped two people from going to Bangalore." Right, and then these people went off to the Narayana Maharaja camp. So these so-called Prabhupadanugas are de facto -- recruiting for NM's program. Great job guys! 

This simply begs the question, are these people doing this on purpose to hurt the Prabhupada program, not unlike how the GBC's program us hurting Prabhupada's program on purpose? In any case, we just have to soldier on and do the best we can with whatever we have. ys pd]   

Krishna Balarama Swami Update

Yes, my lotus padas are all you need to go back to God.

PADA: Krishna Balarama swami has recently said that ALL the GBC's gurus and ALL their followers are going to hell -- and so forth, and now he has made another paper to that effect (see below). Is he trying to "out do" PADA's rhetoric? What about the time he was working with the GBC's gurus before he left their program?

Its a little amazing to PADA that followers of Krishna Balaram swami have often criticized PADA over the years for "being too heavy" and then -- they ended up saying the very same things we said, except that they are WAY heavier than what we usually write. Apparently, at some point a little light bulb goes off and these people start saying, heck yes, PADA is right, these GBC's gurus are bogus!

Hee hee, and that is why they say -- "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." KB swami is just imitating us, and saying what we said all along, that's all. He has surrendered to our idea, that the GBC's are not authorized acharyas, and he is starting to make this more clear in public writings, which is what we did ages ago. Good, but a little late.

Folks like KB swami are just imitations of what we were PUBLICLY complaining about decades before they even got started in making a public protest process. Nowadays, most of these people, including many Gaudiya Matha folks, are trying to re-write history by saying "we were complaining (just like PADA was doing) the whole time." Really? Fine except, no one else ever heard about your public protest complaints until recently?

Sorry, KB swami, you were not protesting along with us, you were hanging out with the GBC's gurus and lecturing at their ceremonies, meanwhile saying our "ritvik" protesters are wrong. You were fighting against our expose process, ummm, no one should protest bogus acharyas until KB swami starts, then its ok?

Anyway, when PADA editor went to live at Berkeley temple in 1984, there was not one single other Prabhupadanuga living in the temple at the time, and Sulochana was still living in New Vrndavana. So we were sort of -- on our own -- fighting the GBC's guru's regime. We never heard about any so-called big time counter preaching against the GBC's gurus by folks like KB swami at the time.

And we certainly did not see any evidence of complaint documents that he was writing and distributing, as we were doing in Berkeley when we started to print initial copies of "Our Living Guru." Neither anyone else was using our "Prabhupadanuga" title on their documents like us, despite subsequently all kinds of people have ripped off our original title over the years as well, hee hee, Johnny come lately, ersatz imitations, that's all.

There are still some people such as various GBC folks / Gaudiya Matha folks / Bhakta das and his HKC Jaipur / Prahlad das disciples / and Krishna Balarama swami's folks and so on and so forth saying "no one listens to PADA." Ok well that is what these same thinkers were saying in 1984. We said at the time that there is a criminal program going and these thinkers said -- no one should listen to us -- because who cares about these crimes and etc. In other words, lets help the criminals stay in the seats of power and allow the criminality program to spread -- as it did. How has that worked out for these thinkers?

In sum, no one should listen to us, and that would mean, the GBC's bogus guru program wins by default. Meanwhile, we cannot understand what difference does it make if: -- "Many" people listen to us; Or only one person listens to us, or if  NOT even one person listens to us -- when we say deviants are not acharyas? Does that change the factual siddhanta?

What has happened over time is that many of these folks have gradually been beaten down and forced to agree that we are correct, -- that these GBC gurus are bogus, because -- well, we exposed them so badly over the years, hee hee! Does Krishna agree that bogus people are His guru successors? Who cares if many, one, or no one agrees with this or not? Its totally irrelevant. because Krishna Himself does not agree that bogus people are His guru successors, thus it does not matter "how many" people disagree with Krishna -- and agree with us and Krishna.

Anyway our critics are somewhat right, various PADA readers, various FBI folks, scholars, police and news media people etc. have interviewed us over the years, and one of the first things they almost always ask us is, "Why aren't more people listening to you"?

The self-evident answer is, our opponents are compromised with the bogus guru's program. So the people who have been gloating that "no one has been listening to PADA" simply means, they have self - made themselves look like blind fools, ignorant jack-asses, and compromisers with criminality, to the public, the police, the FBI, the media etc. by covering up all these crimes and wrong doings and ignoring our attempts to contain these issues. Sulochana said our opponents are "mindless zombies." In sum, "not listening" to us made the crimes grow exponentially, that's all.

Anyway! Since we are saying that the acharya has to be a pure devotee, there is nothing further to argue here. That is simply an eternal fact of existence, its the absolute truth, it really doesn't matter "how many" accept the absolute truth. The sky is blue, the sun is yellow, does it really matter "who" or "how many" accept and who does not? This is silly.

Meanwhile, these same various GBC folks / Gaudiya Matha folks / Bhakta das disciples like HKC Jaipur folks / Prahlad das / and Krishna Balarama swami folks are now all of a sudden saying -- oh really, we never supported the GBC's gurus either, we were ALWAYS agreeing with PADA the whole time, that these GBC gurus are bogus! Sheesh! Fine except, no one heard about you guys while we complained about the GBC gurus for years without ANY support from ANY of you folks. Of course folks like Bhakta and his disciples are still promoting the GBC's guru process.

This is a little interesting, on the one hand, PADA is a some sort of lone wolf in the darkness that no one cares for, except, on the other hand -- every other day another person says, "Oh no, we always agreed with the PADA's idea the whole time -- that the GBC gurus are bogus." What! You were with PADA the whole time! Fine except, we just did not hear your protest or see your documents being distributed? Hee hee! Yep, Johnny come lately's who say that they were among the first wave of protesters, fine except, we find no evidence of their written documents of protest, especially at the time me and Sulochana were protesting?        

If Krishna Balarama swami was protesting in the early 1980s as he now claims he was, where are the protest papers he was circulating around ISKCON? The main written protesting at the start was PADA and later we were joined by Sulochana, everyone else pretty much came afterwards, and they just copied and pasted the same quotes and arguments we used.
 
Then again another problem we had all along was that various GBC folks /  various Gaudiya Matha folks / various KB Swami folks / and of course Bhakta das and his HKC Jaipur  / Prahlad das disciples said for years that we were "potty mouth protesters." Seriously? Saying that the worship of illicit sex is bogus "potty mouth"? Heh heh heh. Amazing. So, when we told some of our karmi friends that we are getting criticized by some folks for our objecting to the worship of illicit sex -- where are critics are saying we are "potty mouth" -- they said "You mean the gay atheist drama queen opera singers club members are the only ones against you"? Hee hee!

The other problem is that when some people finally agree with us the GBC's gurus are bogus, then they trend to spawn their own self-made guru-ship programs, such as the 1986 guru reformers like Trivrikrama and Prithu, and then again Tripurari swami, Gaura Govinda swami, Gaurahari das, Krishna Balarama swami and so on. OK, does this not mean, the real reason they finally went against the GBC gurus was, so they could self appoint themselves as another wave of independent maverick gurus (just like the GBC was doing), and grab a piece of the stolen booty?

In any case we do not believe Krishna Balarama swami is the next messiah, rather he is simply the next messiah wanna be. Srila Prabhupada is very emphatic on this issue, he says anyone who wants to be the master will glide down to hell. We are not supposed to pose ourselves as masters but as servants. Now KB swami says he is greater than us because he has a brahmana birth, and we can never understand anything because we once had hamburgers in our bodies, really, smarta brahmana-ism and anti-mleccha-ism is not going to fly very far. Period.

Of course we have to agree, even KB swami is getting some people to chant, and that is good, but so are the GBC's gurus? Sorry we have to do more than chant, we need to study the siddhanta.

ys pd  

===========================

ON LEAVING THE IRREVERSIBLE ISKCON (Krishna Balarama swami)

Not only do those who accept worship from others without authorization fall into hell, but those who knowingly support such pretenders also get punished. As it is stated in the Kausika Samhita:

danam grhnati yah sudro mahatyam api capadi
yasca tasmai sampradadyat tav ubhau narakau dhruvam


"If Sudras (low class people), even if they have become spiritualists, accept charity, even in difficult times, they surely glide down to hell, and those who donate to them accompany them there."

Because such deceitful situations commonly occur in Kaliyuga, no one can be peaceful in this world. Those who are innocent and seeking peace will be misled by the hypocrites. Saintly people feel compassion at this situation, as did Yudhisthira Maharaja five thousand years ago. Even though Kaliyuga's influence was not in full bloom because of the boon given by Kali to Yudhisthira, even its minimal influence caused Yudhisthira Maharaja to feel saddened. Srila Suta Goswami spoke to the sages of Naimisaranya forest thus:

yudhisthiras tat pari-sarpanam budhah
pure ca rastre ca grhe tathatmani
vibhavya lobhanrta-jihma-himsnady
adharma-cakram gamanaya paryadhat
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.15.37)

"Yudhisthira Maharaja saw that the influence of Kaliyuga had pervaded his entire kingdom, infiltrating its cities, homes, and individual people. He noticed everyone leaning towards greed, lies, diplomacy, violence, envy, and irreligious principles. Therefore, he prepared himself to resign from royal life and departed from his kingdom to adopt the renounced order of life, dressed accordingly."

In the Canakya Niti (3.10) it is stated, atmarthe prthivim tyaje, "It is proper to renounce the whole kingdom to save one's self." When I saw that an irreversible amount of Kaliyuga's influence had overtaken the mission I had joined, I followed the same principle that Yudhisthira followed 5000 years ago. I left and established Bhagavat Dharma Samaj, adopting, as Yudhisthira had, the pure life of renunciation. Yudhisthira persevered until he saw Kaliyuga's strong influence on his kingdom. Similarly, we carried on until its effect was intolerable.

[HDG Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Krishna Balaram Swami, My Mission]

Not too merciful to the self appointed "Krishna successors"?