Hare Krishna! I’ve studied some questions that devotees have asked, and am compiling my answers in this form. I am inclined to make this my last formal presentation to the ISKCON affiliated devotees. Individual correspondence is still welcome and I will answer all reasonable inquiries as best as I am able.
What is your opinion regarding adjustments for Western preaching?
Śrīla Prabhupāda already made any necessary adjustments to Western preaching, so no further changes are necessary. We are always told that Śrīla Prabhupāda left everything in his books, and indeed he did. Especially First Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda crammed so much philosophy, not knowing how much time he had with us. First Canto is so rich in philosophical points. My own realization, which surfaced very emotionally the day that Śrīla Prabhupāda re-entered the Original Abode, was that even though he had given us everything in his books, only he knew how to apply these teachings on an individual and personal basis for the inspiration and encouragement of the devotees. I was very afraid, seeing that ability lacking in the body of devotees. If we can develop the ability to inspire and encourage the devotees on an individual basis, it is a sign of maturity, and does not involve any changes or compromises to the presentation or the philosophy. But otherwise, I uphold that Śrīla Prabhupāda already adjusted everything to the needs of the Western world, and no further adaptations are necessary or conducive to the preaching movement.
There has been a move over the years for ISKCON to be accepted in the mainstream. What is your input on that?
ISKCON has been seeking mainstream acceptance, and this has watered down the presentation of Krishna Consciousness. To become mainstream means to have become disciples of the fallen, disciples of the mainstream, to have come under their influence. In that way, the fallen are deprived of the chance to accept proper discipleship. It all becomes ineffectual, and that is not pleasing to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted the names of Krishna to become household words, but those Holy Names have to be transmitted with purity.
Black magic arts practiced by devotees?
In regard to so-called devotees practicing the black magic arts, I know more than I care to discuss, but there are two main points. The first is that these are not Vaișņavas. Devotees of the Lord do not do this. And the second point- If the temples and communities are allowing, supporting or facilitating this nonsense that does not have anything to do with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s directives and is actually opposed to devotional principles, then they cannot be seen as representing Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are anti-Śrīla Prabhupāda, and must be rejected if no correction is possible.
Is it a disturbance to point out discrepancies?
One ISKCON sannyāsi was recently advising that it is a disturbance to speak out if you see something amiss. He advised to not upset anything, better to remain silent and avoid any controversies. But Śrīla Prabhupāda told us if one sees something in the mode of ignorance and does not intervene, he is also implicated. If one sees or hears of abuses to the devotees, sees or hears of abuses to what Śrīla Prabhupāda has presented, there has to be some voice. There has to be correction. But, if the devotees cannot speak truth out of fear of retaliation or punishment or worse, then something is seriously wrong in the society. If it cannot be corrected, it has become fit to be abandoned.
Who are the demons of whom you speak? Can you tell us names?
We are often asked the names of specific perpetrators and their offenses. Our service is to clear Śrīla Prabhupāda’s name from what has gone on in his name that does not properly represent him, his mood, his mission, and his teachings, and that has actually acted to try to sabotage his great gift to society. Our service is to perpetuate the Truths that he has given us, to carry forth his mission in integrity. Our goal is not to simply transmit the details of the evil agenda and identify and call out the abusers. The minds of the curious may be satisfied with those details, or too disturbed to even believe them. But knowing the details of the abuses does not automatically separate them from their perceived association with His Divine Grace. It may create even more doubt in the minds of the untrained neophyte devotees or newcomers to the path of devotional service. Enough details have to be there to show the seriousness of the deviations, but not enough to simply take over the mind and divert it from the purpose of the disclosures.
To give names of the perpetrators puts it on the plane of our word against theirs, especially since the perpetrators claim that we have “no proof” of their wrongdoings. However, we have our efforts at our personal healing and the positive effects of that healing as confirmation of our experiences. “Proof” that satisfies the minds, or even the courts of law, may or may not eventually come from outside sources, as Krishna desires, but to try to provide such “proof” is not our business.
There is an organized system of abuse perpetration, it is about the individuals and also about a covert and evil system developed with the intention to obliterate the continuation of the disciplic succession and destroy the acceptance of the process of developing pure devotional service. It is a system that has as its aim the destruction of anything good and Godly, including the devotees who try to educate others in Godly principles. It is the evil agenda that must be exposed and culled, not simply the individuals who have acted as its foot soldiers. By exposing the evil agenda, the innocent devotees can learn to discern what is real from what is not the proper representation of the Absolute Truth, and be given the empowerment to make correct choices moving forward. Empowerment of the individual devotee is the greatest fear of the demon class, for by the devotees becoming individually empowered in the carrying forth of real religious principles, the evil agenda cannot last.
Why do the demons seem to be going unpunished, and seem to still be glorified?
The demonic class externally appears to be blessed with longevity, wealth, followers, and so on, but what awaits them is most horrific. We must remain their compassionate well-wishers internally, while, at the same time, know that our anger is our compassion. We can only forgive what has been done to us. We cannot forgive them for what they have done to others, especially to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his mission and his followers, and especially the children. They have horrendous suffering to bear for their actions. May they eventually, even if it is eons down the line, be able to accept the gift that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave to the world at great inconvenience to himself. We see even in the secular world that many things are coming to public awareness so that people are less apt to be gullible and misled going forward. So, with the propagation of the greatest good, Krishna Consciousness, those who are sincere must be made aware so that this horrible nonsense will no longer be tolerated and that the real teachings and intent of Śrīla Prabhupāda can be brought forward generationally. That is why my prayers have become to let them be caught with their pants down so that what is false may be shown, let them die inglorious deaths for the sake of Truth being known…. No more false samādhis in the Holy Dhāma… No more wailing and crying for the loss of those who were wolves in sheep’s’ clothing and betrayed the masses for their own accumulation of wealth, power, glorification, and prestige. What is the value of these materialistic aspirations when they only lead to yuga cycles of hellish punishment in this material realm? But they persevere, because that is the nature of demons. They may feel unconquerable in their pursuits, but that is not the reality.
One sannyāsi refers to some devotees as more important than others. What is your input?
“Important” devotees, not so, it is not a matter of position, but a matter of alignment with God. Those who are aligned with the will of the Lord will act with humble effectiveness in the preaching mission. Those who consider themselves important are relegated to the sidelines to entice those who simply want some mundane position and thus create a shadow movement that has, as one of its goals, to minimize and criticize those who propound what is real.
Can sincere people still make advancement within the organization?
That is a delicate question and might be better answered on an individual basis. The individual might have to explore if they feel they can express themselves fully within the organization, they do not feel stifled or minimized, they can safely question anything that they are having some gut negativity about, is their personal integrity and authenticity honored or do they have to live some sort of façade? If a person looks deeply at himself or herself, that question might be self-answering…. with great revelation….
I was speaking with one godsister some years back and the question of authenticity arose. She said that she could not feel authentic working within the organization. I told her that if she could not experience personal authenticity in her role, then maybe the integrity of the organization was to be questioned.
The leaders of the organization tried to keep Śrīla Prabhupāda from his disciples, and vice versa, even before he departed, by telling the devotees not to write letters to Śrīla Prabhupāda as he needed to focus on writing his books, and also they selected which incoming letters to actually read to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and which of his replies they would actually mail. Just before Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure, each temple was instructed by the organizational leaders to send two representatives to be with Śrīla Prabhupāda during his final days with us even though Prabhupada himself had requested that he wanted all of us with him. It was one of my biggest personal heartbreaks to hear, years later, that Prabhupaāda had looked around at that time and asked, “Where are they all?” If the organizational leaders tried to keep us separated from Śrīla Prabhupāda and his loving personalism even then, I don’t have much faith that they are capable of really connecting the devotees to his mission and mood now.
As a more recent example, many temple authorities mandated the vaccines for anyone living in the temples or coming to do service there. This was an outright violation on many levels, and Śrīla Prabhupāda was also clear, in regard to health protocols, that there was no guarantee of any result, so why sacrifice our principles. Many devotees, who had served in the temples for many years, even decades, were not given a choice about the jab, and their health has been compromised since. I would say that the temple authorities cannot be entrusted with the health and spiritual development of the devotees, and the devotees need to be intelligent how to take care of themselves. Again, regarding the vaccines, I am certain that many of the organizational authorities who pushed the jabs on the devotees did not get them themselves, same as occurred in the “outside” world. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted the spiritual world, not a “devotionally” dressed replica of the material world with all its nefarious dealings and hypocrisy.
If a person is sincere, he or she can make spiritual progress in any environment, and has the protection of the Lord. But a sincere person may also be given guidance from within that another situation might be more conducive for spiritual growth and taking care of the balance of personal needs.
The individual will have to discern, with mature consideration, where the allegiance lies. But if there is a “choice” between the organization and Śrīla Prabhupāda and his teachings, the sincere person will have to choose Śrīla Prabhupāda. Too many temples have banned Śrīla Prabhupāda’s earlier book editions and the devotees that support those books, so what if this means that Śrīla Prabhupāda has been effectively banned from the temples and the organization that supposedly represent him and were birthed from him?
If a sincere person does not yet have the awareness that anything is amiss, or cannot accept it due to lack of personal experience of it, there is no fault, and Krishna will give all protection and accept all service. It is very personal, and between that soul and Krishna. The sincere soul will not be wasted. Krishna will arrange perfectly for that person’s success.
If a sincere devotee is living in a temple or devotional community, is he or she affected by the wrongdoings of others?
If you have to live your life looking at the ground and keeping quiet in order to peacefully exist with the devotees in the temples, then you are affected by what is transpiring. We live in the material world, so we have experiences in it. We are affected by these experiences. If we walk through a smelly place, we have the experience of it and are affected. If we live amongst or identify at some level with hypocrites or offenders, how is that healthy? We will have to condone or make excuses for those offenses or offenders if we are bringing new people to a situation of compromise. We are affected and our preaching is affected, as we are lumped in with all the stuff that is readily available to people on the internet, always having to make some excuse for it or minimize it in the name of the “greater good.” The real thing cannot then be properly transmitted through us, as we will either be making excuses for an organization, or caving to the preaching parameters laid out by the organization. Affiliation with the organization might then be self-limiting, and if real spiritual progress is made, with its resulting independence, you will be defamed and thrown out by those who claim the hierarchy. The ones who are glorified by any organization are the ones who uphold the principles of the organization. Think for yourself, challenge the status quo, and you are the villain, no matter how well you have “served” in the past. However, there are many sweet, honest, sincere, and advanced devotees within the organization, and they must be properly respected.
What if I am initiated within the organization and am having serious doubts about my initiating spiritual master?
A devotee must encourage the disciple in his or her relationship with the diksha guru and not interfere in that sacred relationship. It is a great offense for someone to try to come between the guru and the disciple. However, if there has already been proper conversation and the situation is not resolved, there may be some things to consider.
If you took spiritual initiation to become connected with Śrīla Prabhupāda and his teachings, and you see some discrepancy with the person who gave you initiation, there is no need for taking another initiation within the organization. Take shelter in Śrīla Prabhupāda and his instructions. Śrīla Prabhupāda told us that “The grandfather is always kinder.” You have his special mercy. If you accepted initiation to be a member of some group, out of peer or organizational pressure, or to get a “cool” Sanskrit name, you may have to re-examine your own motives and desire for spiritual upliftment and proceed according to that clarity.
First initiation is begged for by the aspiring disciple. Second initiation is offered by the spiritual master. We have the example of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur and his initiating spiritual master, Śrīla Gaura Kishora das Babaji, and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati mentions this protocol in his writings. It is not that the potential diksha guru canvasses for disciples or pressures people into taking initiation. Our Śrīla Prabhupāda did what was necessary in order to train and empower preachers all over the world. There is no discrepancy in the overriding principle at all. The relationship between guru and disciple is very personal and deep, and not lightweight. It is not a matter of some simple formality. It is a contract entered into by both parties, and is a contract that can be terminated if either party is not fulfilling his or her obligations.
Looking back, what might you say was lacking in the training of the devotees?
I would have to say that there was a lack of focus on the introspective process, the process of self-examination. Śrīla Prabhupāda stressed it, that we should be self-examining regularly to see how the 26 qualities of a devotee were developing. These qualities are naturally occurring in us, they are part of our real, spiritual nature, but must be uncovered. They will develop, or resurface, naturally as we make progress in our devotional life, chanting, reading, taking prasādam, serving the Deities and the devotees, and so on, and we can also strive for them in our prayers and self-assessment. So, the development of personal devotional qualities is both an indicator of our advancement and something that can be part of our daily practice. There was a lot of focus on the externals, like how many books someone could distribute, how much money someone could collect, or where someone was at certain times of the day, but generally not much focus on what was going on inside. Of course, the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, being aware to avoid committing offenses, is the center of devotional practice, but we see in practicality that many people who have chanted for years have still not entered into an active process of consciously striving to clear anarthas and assessing their spiritual development.
As a reminder, Śrīla Krishnadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmi, the author of Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmrta, lists the twenty-six good qualities of a Vaișņava: (1) He is very kind to everyone. (2) He does not make anyone his enemy. (3) He is truthful (4) He is equal to everyone. (5) No one can find any fault in him. (6) He is magnanimous. (7) He is mild. (8) He is always clean. (9) He is without possessions. (10) He works for everyone’s benefit. (11) He is very peaceful. (12) He is always surrendered to Krishna. (13) He has no material desires. (14) He is very meek. (15) He is steady. (16) He controls his senses. (17) He does not eat more than required. (18) He is not influenced by the Lord’s illusory energy. (19) He offers respect to everyone. (20) He does not desire any respect for himself. (21) He is very grave. (22) He is merciful. (23) He is friendly. (24) He is poetic. (25) He is expert. (26) He is silent.
What does it mean to “surrender?”
Surrender means to align the free will with the desire of the Supreme Lord. This takes guidance and training, at least in the beginning. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books are both the basis of that training and the ongoing sweet continuation of that training. The books are always giving ever-fresh revelations. The person from whom you accept spiritual guidance must be 100% dedicated to the books and teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda, as he gave them, not simply one who takes “power” from some mundane position of so-called authority.
Surrender is often looked upon as a painful process. In one regard, it is, because there is naturally resistance on the part of the mind and false ego that still hangs onto the mistaken concept that we can enjoy eternally in this temporary realm. However, at the soul level, it is a homecoming, a re-entry into our real eternal and blissful nature. It entails the peeling off of the layers of subtle unwanted and unnatural belief systems and other coverings that have brought us to this material realm and grow denser with each passing moment here, until we accept proper shelter of the bonafide disciplic succession.
The process of the development of Krishna Consciousness, as given by Śrīla Prabhupāda, is the fastest process for attaining spiritual perfection, and yet it is gradual. Therefore, both patience and enthusiasm for the process, mutually applied, are the keys to success. The soul can then shine in its glorious reconnection with the Supreme Godhead, the most illustrious Divine Couple, by the grace of Guru and Krishna, and invite others to similarly come to their natural brilliance in connection with God.
The world is becoming ripe to hear the message of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swāmi Śrīla Prabhupāda. Those who already know the shelter of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and the Holy Names, as he purely transmitted Them, are most fortunate. May we all remember that shelter as the world becomes even more chaotic.
The hearts of the masses who have no such shelter will be greatly afflicted as the world, as they have known it, becomes almost unrecognizable and their illusions about it shattered. They are being made ready, by the will of the Most Merciful Lord, to take shelter, if they are willing, in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings. The world situation is a set-up by Krishna Himself for the powerful resurgence of Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtan mission. Those who are trained in this mission, with honesty and integrity of heart, free of envy and desire for false prestige, will be called to the front lines of the saṅkīrtan army, without doubt. The world awaits….
Your servant,
Kamrā devī dāsī
