ISKM Montreal / Hindus Puzzled / ISKCON Today / Note from Henry 10 24 25

 

PADA: Looks like the ISKM have a small program there and they are doing book distribution and festivals etc. Good progress. We need to have more functioning Prabhupada centers in the Western world. ys pd 

HINDUS ARE PUZZLED

"So here, of course, I am very pleased that the boys and girls who have come to me, they have immediately taken to Kṛṣṇa. But India, although the Bhagavad-gītā is the scripture of Hindus and the Indians, still, they are not so easy to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because their brain is puzzled. Somebody says that "You worship goddess Kālī." Somebody says that "You worship Lord Śiva." Somebody says, "You worship Brahmā." So mostly, in temples, in, I mean to say, temples which are meant for earning some money, they have got all kinds of deities. In one place there is Lord Śiva, one place there is Goddess Kālī, one place there is Rāmacandra, one place is... Just like store, store. You go to a store, and you'll find all kinds of goods are ready there. Whatever goods you want, you pay price and take. (Prabhupada lecture SB 1.5.15 New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969)"

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Hari Parsada Das:

~ Dealing with Falsifiers ~
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There are many individuals who although initiated in a proper guru-paramparā, spend most of their time trivializing people who do not belong to their choice of groups and sampradāyas. Thus, they constantly deride the gurus, paramparās etc. of others by calling them false.
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These individuals forget the fact that many devotees attained Śrī-Krishna even without aligning themselves to a particular sampradāya. For example, Śrī Jayadeva Gosvāmī, Śrī Caṇḍīdāsa, Śrī Vidyāpati (favorite poets of Mahāprabhu) and many others attained prema in this age of Kali even without being affiliated to a particular sampradāya or group. This does not at all mean that one should not take shelter of a bona-fide sampradāya. In fact, one should always aspire to take shelter of a bona-fide guru in a genuine paramparā.
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At the same time, one should know that the kṛpā (mercy) of bhagavān cannot be tied down to and institutionalized within a particular sampradāya, paramparā or group. The mercy of bhagavān and the ācāryas can easily descend upon anyone who is honest and sincere in their outlook and who gets access to even a single source of bona-fide knowledge and realization. As soon as such mercy descends upon qualified candidates, they show signs of genuine Krishna-prema, thereby silencing the entirety of shallow critics. Here is a newly composed verse centered around the same principle:
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मिथ्याऽऽचार्यपरम्परा तव तथा मिथ्या गुरोर्दीक्षणं
मिथ्या ते हरिभक्तिपद्धतिरहो! मिथ्या मनूनां जपः ।
मिथ्येष्टस्मरणं तवेति वदतश्छिद्रैषिणस्तस्य मे
श्रीकृष्णप्रणयाश्रुलक्ष्मि! कुरुताद्वक्त्रावरुद्धिं सदा ॥
[शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्]
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[Meter: Śārdūla-vikrīḍitam (Same as ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam)]:
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mithyācārya-paramparā tava tathā mithyā guror dīkṣaṇaṁ
mithyā te hari-bhakti-paddhatir aho! mithyā manūnāṁ japaḥ
mithyeṣṭa-smaraṇaṁ taveti vadataś chidraiṣiṇas tasya me
śrī-kṛṣṇa-praṇayāśru-lakṣmi! kurutād vaktrāvaruddhiṁ sadā
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Translation: "Oh! How sad! Your guru-paramparā is false! The dīkṣā you got from your guru is false! The methodology of Krishna-bhakti you adhere to is false! The japa of mantras that you perform is false! Your remembrance of your most-worshipable deity is false too!".
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The fault-finder keeps uttering these words. O my good fortune in the form of tears of love for Rādhā-Krishna! Please do me a favor and shut his mouth forever.
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— (Composed by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa, 24th October 2025)
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PS: The import is that as soon as genuine signs of prema descend on a deserving sādhaka (practitioner), that prema (and its after-effects in the form of crying for Krishna) is like a powerful lady that shuts the mouth of the false critics forever. 

PADA: Well that is all fine, but the people who are victims of ISKCON's gurus are not crying for Krishna, they are crying because they were banned, beaten, sued, molested and /or their friends were killed by the false guru process. And other false gurus like Sridhara, Narayan, BP Puri and others promoted the GBC's false gurus. So yeah, these are false guru sampradayas and we need to warn people of the dangers of accepting them as bona fide.  

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ISKCON TODAY

Today's American ISKCON temples are primarily composed of Indian-origin people who attend as congregational members rather than as full-time resident devotees, marking a significant demographic shift since the movement's early days.

From Western counterculture to Indian diaspora

When the Hare Krishna movement was founded in the 1960s, its members were almost entirely Westerners, often from the "hippie" counterculture. The founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to the West to specifically attract non-Indian devotees. However, by the 1990s, the demographics began to reverse.

Several factors led to this transition:

• Immigration: An increase in Indian immigration to the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s provided a new congregational base for ISKCON temples.

• Cultural familiarity: In the absence of established Hindu temples, many immigrants found ISKCON to be a culturally familiar space where they could connect with their traditions. ISKCON's strict adherence to Indian cultural standards for worship, dress, and music made it feel like a "cultural home" for the diaspora.

• A "home away from home:” Temples became a central hub for Indian families to recreate their religion, culture, and ethnicity for themselves and their children. ISKCON leaders actively wove Indian traditions into modern life to provide a home for the diaspora.

Shift from resident to congregational membership

This demographic change coincided with a shift away from a resident-based lifestyle to a congregational one.

• Early years: In the 1970s, more than 90% of followers lived in the temples.

• Today: More than 90% of followers live outside the temples, supporting themselves with jobs in the "outside world.”

The new congregational members, who are largely Indian-American, have a different level of commitment than full-time resident devotees.

• Cultural commitment: They attend temple services as a way to preserve their cultural heritage, not necessarily to become initiated members with the accompanying ritual and behavioral commitments.

• Influence and support: Despite this, congregational members are the financial lifeblood of the temples and often serve as advisors to temple boards, holding significant influence.

International vs. "Indian Hindu" movement

This demographic shift has raised concerns among some long-time devotees. Some argue that because ISKCON temples are no longer dominated by Western converts, the movement is at risk of being perceived as an "Indian Hindu Movement" rather than the International Society for Krishna Consciousness it was intended to be.

American ISKCON temples today are predominantly composed of people of Indian origin, many of whom attend as part of their cultural heritage, representing a significant demographic shift since the movement's early days. Full-time resident devotees, who were once the majority of ISKCON's membership, are now a much smaller percentage of the total temple population.

Demographic changes over time

• From Western counterculture to Indian diaspora: When ISKCON first emerged in the 1960s, its members were primarily Western converts, many of them drawn from the hippie and counterculture movements. However, beginning in the 1970s, an influx of Indian immigrants seeking to maintain their religious and cultural ties in a new country led to a gradual demographic shift.

• Cultural sanctuary for immigrants: Indian immigrants sought out ISKCON temples as a familiar "cultural home" where they could connect with fellow Indians and participate in authentic cultural and religious practices. Temples responded by intentionally weaving Indian traditions into their modern life, offering a sense of connection to the motherland.

• Indian immigrants become the majority: By the 1990s, Indian immigrants had become a significant, and often the majority, presence in North American ISKCON temples, particularly at weekend services and large holidays.
Shift from residential to congregational membership

• Shift from temple residents to householders: In the 1970s, more than 90% of followers lived in ISKCON temples. By the 1990s, the movement saw a major transition toward congregational membership, with the vast majority of members living outside of temples as householders.

• Householders and cultural practice: This new wave of congregational members, mainly of Indian descent, often see their attendance as a way to engage with their cultural background rather than dedicating themselves to full-time monastic life. While they are often the primary financial contributors, many have little interest in becoming initiated members with deep ritual commitments.

Current state of ISKCON

• Mixed attendance at temples: Today, it is common to see a mix of older Western converts and younger Indian-origin individuals at American ISKCON temples. However, the sheer number of Indian-origin attendees, particularly at weekend events, means they often make up the majority of the congregation.

• Growth in centers: According to ISKCON, the number of centers and congregational members continues to grow. This growth is largely driven by the Indian diaspora.

• Debate over the future: This demographic change has led to internal debate over ISKCON's future. While some see the Indian influx as a sign of successful expansion, others worry that the movement is becoming perceived as an exclusively Indian-Hindu organization rather than the international movement it was founded to be.

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Henry Doktorski:

PADA: Yeah ironically, the biggest critics of Henry Doktorski are the Sanat / Mukunda / Prahlad / HKC Jaipur / Mathura Pati type people. They are crying because PADA is not supporting their idea -- of promoting the cheer leaders of the Radhanath lover's club and the writings of Bhavananda's bucket boy Hari Sauri. 

Whereas Henry is exposing Radhanath as a co-conspirator in the Sulochana murder. So the HKC folks are promoting the cheer leaders of Radhanath, while Henry is exposing Radhanath. Henry has his faults, ok, but at least he is exposing who assisted the murder of a Vaishnava named Sulochana, and who was our main assistant. 

That needs to be done for historical reasons, and he is the main person who has recorded it. Of course, these HKC Jaipur guys also complain me and Sulochana are bogus sahajiyas, citing their hero messiah's club of Kirtanananda. They just cannot free themselves of being in that club. Henry has left that club, and they should as well. Yep, us bogus gopi sahajiyas had to expose the pedo guru club, no wonder they are upset.   

  

 ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com   

Oh man, PADA is not joining the Radhanath cheer leader's club!

Forsooth!