THE TRUTH is Not an “ISKCON” Value

November, 2017

by Kailäsa Candra däsa

First of a Two-Part Series

“Relative truth is conditional and when the conditions fail, the relative truth disappears, but Absolute Truth does not exist on conditions. It is above all conditions. So, when we speak of Truth, we may take it for the Absolute Truth, and when we speak of approaching THE TRUTH by new ways, we may take it for granted what we want to approach THE TRUTH by the inductive way.”
Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru, 1-20-52

“As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to re-establish the disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago, it was detected by the Lord Himself that the disciplic succession was broken, and therefore He declared that the purpose of the Gétä appeared to be lost.”
Bhagavad-gétä, 4.2, purport

“. . . if circumstances become impossible, schools become impossible. . . There is another thing in connection with this. Religion is a more stable thing. Maybe it was organized in that way in order to exist, but schools cannot be organized in the same way.”
P. D. Ouspensky, The Fourth Way, Chapter 15.

The purpose of any yoga system, especially the bhakti-yoga system, is realization of the Absolute Truth. THE TRUTH can never be realized in the association of those who are engaged in scattering this original purpose of the paramparä. Rejuvenation is what is sorely needed by the Hare Kåñëa movement of Kåñëa consciousness, Çréla Prabhupäda’s school or branch of the Gauòéya disciplic succession. At the present time, this rejuvenation can only take place individually, since we must have healthy trees before we can talk about creating a healthy forest. That Prabhupäda’s movement is in great shape now is a mistaken belief, and, since all sincere and serious transcendentalists want to know and see things as they are, they must confront the reality that its original purpose is scattered.

We must become conscious of the fact that we are, at least indirectly, responsible for our influence. To be fully responsible for it–and thus in control of it–requires a bhakta or bhaktin always knowing what he or she is doing and why. THE TRUTH must be at the root of all personal, evolutionary momentum, but you will not find that as even a minor value within the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” confederation.

All emphases added for your edification and realization.

For all practical purposes, Prabhupäda’s branch of the sampradäya has now been so infiltrated with lies and hypocrisy that it is spoiled. It was ruined both from within and without, but esoteric knowledge of Kåñëa consciousness, even here in the West, has not yet been destroyed. Its decline, of course, has been egregious, as the organized machine for dumbing it down has been very effective. Knowledge in Kåñëa consciousness still remains viable nevertheless. Individual devotees have reached a positive stage of development, experience, and mercy, by isolating themselves from the wrong and imitation schools currently in the ascendant.

As long as sincere devotees remain active, they will actuate school work for themselves. If they are more developed, they may also do so for a small group of followers who accept their guidance, their teaching, and their explanations. We have to deal with today’s adverse circumstances as they are and thus make the best use of a bad bargain.

Since the personality of Kali has dealt every devotee this severe blow, we must now realize that the original purpose of Prabhupäda’s movement, as an international entity, has been lost. It has been degraded into but another organized religion, one with a saffron-plated veneer of quasi-Vaiñëavism. Such a thin coating of so-called bhakti cannot deliver anyone to esoteric realization. It cannot liberate a devoted personalist to the spiritual world beyond the mahat-tattva or even to experiencing the celestial music of the higher spheres.

In terms of noticeable impact on the civilization in general, that previous effect of Prabhupäda’s school has currently been dissipated, and it will have to be re-established before the culture at large can once again be benefited. If his branch of the sampradaya is to be re-established to such an extent that it impacts civilization, it is going to take a great deal of time, sacrifice, and suffering. Atrocities could turn out to be part of such a fire of ordeal. The current situation is similar, to some extent, to what the end of this age will be like, and there is no organized religion on the face of the earth now which can provide any effective help in this connection. We require a rejuvenation of pure Kåñëa consciousness, but that will not reappear on a mass basis at all easily or quickly.

Institutional Gurus are Gurus Who Lie

na hy asatyät paro ‘dharma
iti hoväca bhür iyam
sarvaà soòhum alaà manye
åte ‘léka-paraà naram

“Nothing is more irreligious than lying. Thus, Mother Earth has spoken this: ‘I think I am able to bear everything except the most heinous man who is a liar.’”
Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 8.20.4

“The spiritual master is the representative of Kåñëa. How he becomes representative? What is the test? The test is: Just like anyone can understand, representative. . . if he goes, in the name of the firm’s representative, and he does his own business, then he’s a liar. Similarly, Kåñëa’s representative means one who speaks about Kåñëa as Kåñëa speaks, and if he adulterates, he’s a liar. He’s not representative.”
Platform Lecture in Ahmedabad on 12-13-72

And the parting on The Left.
Are now parting on The Right.
And the fears have all grown longer overnight.
The Who
“Won’t Be Fooled Again”

Institutional gurus rely on institutional charisma or official charisma, and only sometimes possess a bit of personal charisma to supplement it. As such, in order to keep their adoration and distinction going—in order to have their post seen as viable by their disciples—the institution which props them up must be seen to be representing the Absolute Truth. Truth, as opposed to Lie. The institution cannot be seen as lying to its adherents, because its gurus would then have to also be liars.

This is a paramount consideration for any and all sampradäyas coming to the West from India. Beginning in the Sixties, there have been many wild-card gurus—impersonalists or voidists—arriving over the decades, and there have also been a number of southeast Asian institutions implanted here by them. Obviously, Çréla Prabhupäda’s ISKCON movement was not in this category, and, unlike all of the others, it contained not a scintilla of falsity . . . until after he departed physical manifestation in late 1977, that is. Since that time, his movement has adopted many new ways and has been converted into something else. That new and different entity, “ISKCON,” is chock full of lies at every level.

THE TRUTH is not an “ISKCON” value. This stark fact was exemplified by THE BIG LIE, viz., that Prabhupäda appointed eleven God-realized gurus to conduct initiations after he left the scene. He did not do so, and there is no official record that he appointed any initiating gurus at any time. Yet, this was the institutional propaganda throughout the late Seventies and early Eighties. When a malcontent, an older devotee held in esteem for her accomplishments, demanded a copy of the so-called appointment tape, only then was the ruse exposed, as there was no appointment of anyone to anything on it!

That message got around, and sincere and serious disciples started to catch on that something was grievously amiss, especially if such a big lie could be successfully propagated for almost three years without discovery. Of course, that revelation sent the vested interests scrambling, but the simple fact that Prabhupäda never appointed anyone as dékñä-guru gradually became accepted movement-wide, even by the mis-leaders of “ISKCON” (although none of them brought the topic up, of course).

However, then came another lie. It was based on the illusion that the rittvik appointments were a covert—but, nevertheless, intended—appointment of all eleven to be initiating gurus upon Prabhupäda’s disappearance. This lie is obviously based upon a presumption, and you do not carry on a sampradäya by presumptions! Yet, introduced and led by Professor Blueblood—the man who almost single-handedly masterminded the Second Transformation in the mid-Eighties—this presumptive misconception gained the status of legal tender in the “ISKCON” movement.

You see, that’s how it works in organized religions: The institutional edict is accepted as the truth, even when it isn’t. And the gurus who were either appointed, voted in, not vetoed, or indirectly approved via certification, know it well where their bread is buttered. As such, they will always back the Party Line, in no small part, because they themselves are rent-äcäryas, Party Men conducting fire sacrifices on behalf of the institution.

In other words, whatever is accepted as the only way or the history can turn on a dime at any time. A parting on one side of an idea can and does, when taken to the extreme in difficult circumstances, become a parting on the other side of the same idea. First, there was the illusion that Prabhupäda appointed eleven dékñä-gurus. Then, when that was unmasked, it was replaced by the illusion that, although he did not appoint them, the G.B.C. did, and Prabhupäda appointed the G.B.C. and empowered it to create gurus. Then, after the idea of any appointment fell by the wayside, there was a period where institutional gurus were voted to that status by the G.B.C. Then came a brief non-veto stage. Now the “No Objection Certificate” is in vogue, but all of these things are nothing but lies!

It is fix-it-as-you-go, and it can turn on a dime at any time. When it does, you must simply accept the new Party Line or face ostracism. Now, almost everyone in “ISKCON” buys into the illusion (read, lie) that Prabhupäda actually did appoint eleven gurus, but in a way that was not direct—instead, indirect and mystical. If he saw those rittviks (in July of 1977) as having attained the status of regular gurus, he could have—and, more importantly, would have—said so. There was no need for him to resort to any kind of covert appointment.

On Overcoming “ISKCON” Identification

“Similarly, we find in India the so-called Hindu are doing all sorts of nonsense. So, practically the whole world is without religion. Officially, they claim some sectarian identification. Therefore, it is a fact that the religious principles of Krishna consciousness, which we are trying to preach under the direction of Lord Caitanya, inducing people to chant HARE KRISHNA, is the only panacea for the animalistic human society at the present moment.”
Letter to Purusottama, 11-3-68

“ . . . one suffers the consequences on account of false identification. Consciousness is not like mist, but when it is materially contaminated, it looks like that.”
Letter to Cidänanda, 7-12-68

“Those to whom evil is done, do evil in return.”
W. H. Auden

The negative emotions of so many bewildered devotees nowadays—not only within the new ones, but even within those initiated by Çréla Prabhupäda (1966-77)—can be actuated at any moment. It is then expressed due to identification with the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” confederation. That is a false identification, one which misleads its adherents. This syndrome has nothing whatsoever to do with advancement in spiritual or devotional life, and it hinders the development of real Kåñëa consciousness.

Real possibility for advancement in bhakti-yoga is present in the emotional center, in the ocean of devotional ecstasy within the core of the heart. Negative emotions, however, have taken over within the conditioned soul, and the bhava-sindhu, the ocean of negative emotions, are the source for all their expressions. The real problem is in the heart, and “ISKCON” does not at all help you to confront and resolve this problem, although a real bhakti cult is meant for just that.

Instead, in “ISKCON,” you are not discouraged in “dovetailing” such emotions in its service, but negative emotions, when dovetailed to the cause of imitation schools, makes them stronger. The contamination within them becomes greater, and the unfortunate that has been duped by the imitation school is entangled in his wrong attitude that backs it.

Genuine yoga is meant to create resistance to material emotions by the development of a right attitude and work to purify contaminated consciousness, which contains the source code for all negative, astral emotions. There is a science and a related discipline in overcoming nescience, but it can never be learned and actuated in the association of institutional gurus or wild-card gurus or gurus through the back door (rittviks).

We must develop the right attitude by learning specific techniques. None of this is possible by maintaining identification with that which is not—and thus remaining in bad association. We must seek out good association in order to understand the science and practice effective methods. We cannot defeat the entanglement of negative emotions by simply suppressing or repressing them, as that keeps identification in place. Identification must first be transcended, and only then will checking the expression of negative emotions, shutting them down externally, actually become effective.

A right attitude in Kåñëa consciousness cannot be created overnight; it has to be practiced and developed. When that attitude reaches a certain stage, it alone can then check the emergence of negative emotion from the lower astral. These material emotions do not emerge instinctively, as they are the product of contaminated consciousness.

Our process is purification of consciousness, but that process is only imitated in “ISKCON.” Its Party Men at every level often take pleasure in expressing negative emotions, and thus their disciples imitate them, becoming more and more implicated in the pitiless intrigues of the material energy by doing so. We do not live in a well-meaning world when associating with any of these degraded people.

In order to develop right attitude, know that bad association stifles all such deliberation connected to checking negative emotions. “ISKCON” Party Men have become past masters at dumbing down the process, and they do so to advantage. You must be able to see this, and then, with the determination of intelligence, cease to associate with such liars and cheaters. A right attitude entails right deliberation.

Identification with “ISKCON” is wrong identification. It is spiritually counter-productive, and it is also conducive to a bizarre form of sense gratification, particularly when negative emotions are expressed in defending the cult, the G.B.C., or a particular institutional guru or temple president. These entities and personalities are all loaded with hypocrisy.

We set ourselves up for future suffering when we express negative emotions and justify that (often through aparädhas) in the cause of a bogus cult or one of its leaders. The worm within simply grows and grows, but it can only do so when you are infected by the “ISKCON” béja. This sad state of affairs is analogous to the plight of a heroin addict. If someone says that a heroin addict is a diseased person in the grip of a sickness, your author would agree with that. However, before he or she became an addict, that individual did have control, i.e., he or she was responsible for shooting up the first time. After that, the individual became an addict and, for all practical purposes, was no longer responsible for his or her addiction.

If you put yourself in a bad place where you then became infected by the “ISKCON” béja (or by the Neo-Mutt béja or by one of the many Rittvik béjas), no one else is responsible for that initial wrong decision. These apa-sampradäyas are all splinter groups opposed to the guru-paramparä, and none of them represents the science rightly.

Now, someone may be addicted to the sense gratification he or she experiences when expressing negative emotions in various ways, including even in kértans. If so, no one can help them out of the complicated labyrinth after a certain point. Cease wrongly identifying, stop expressing negative emotions in the service of the asat-sabhä, and develop the right attitude in Kåñëa consciousness. That solves the whole problem of identification. Then you can become a powerful and clear bhakta yogé or yoginé in due course of time.

An Exclusive Dispensation—Before and After

“One may make a show of devotional service like the präkåta-sahajiyäs, or one may try to support his philosophy by joining some caste or identifying himself with a certain dynasty, claiming a monopoly on spiritual advancement. Thus, with the support of family tradition, one may become a pseudo guru, or so-called spiritual master.”
Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya Lélä, 19.160, purport

“Brähmaëism is not a system meant to create a monopoly for a particular class of men. Everyone should be educated so as to become a brähmaëa. At least, there must be an opportunity to allow everyone to attain . . .Thus, the Kåñëa consciousness movement affords an opportunity to develop the right destiny for human society.”
Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 10.8.6, purport

“So, I do think it is presumptuous and sanctimonious of our godbrothers to think of themselves as the exclusive dispensers of Prabhupäda and Krishna’s mercy as a pharmacist dispenses prescription medicines in his shop. My personal realization is that Prabhupäda only is to be worshiped, and his disciples should teach that to all the world.”
Hansadutta däs, Excommunicated, Uncommunicated, Incommunicado

The ISKCON experiment went awry. Coming to us through disciplic succession from time immemorial, it was initially the external manifestation of not only Çréla Prabhupäda but also intellectual freedom, whereby all the men and women who surrendered to its perfect process became brähmins in their own right, the platform for attaining real freedom. Now the movement has degenerated through putrefaction, metastasizing out of control. Since the late Seventies, its mis-managers have allowed the cult to be bastardized by all kinds of magical thinking, now employing Hindoo relativism when it suits their purposes.

The fantasy of the eleven pretender mahäbhägavats, a colossal hoax from its very conception and implementation, temporarily thrilled those who bought into it; however, it terrorized, at least internally, every other devotee. It turned out to be a saffron-coated rabbit hole in which eleven conditioned souls claimed themselves sole dispensers of initiation into the bhakti-cult, when, in point of fact, nobody was genuinely initiated by any of them at any time.

Concerning the last of the three quotes (above), it was almost certainly the intention of its author to promote Rittvik in it, as he has been a prominent rittvik for many decades. However, the crux of the statement itself is not limited to such a misinterpretation; instead, it can be understood in a bona fide way. No madhyama-adhikäré, limited to vidhé-sädhana bhakti, can accept worship like Çréla Prabhupäda did in the Sixties and the Seventies. One who accepts such worship without being self-realized (even preliminarily) in the true sense of the term, without having attained the stage of realization and assimilation, will eventually be exposed for what he is and thus degraded.

The fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” confederation employs a steady stream of imitation and monopolistic imposition, the latter being the conviction that it is the sole conduit to Çréla Prabhupäda, his only true branch. Its Party Men and true believers hitch themselves to the idea of “ISKCON” possessing a monopoly in connection to the branch of the sampradäya founded by His Divine Grace. The cult’s imitation, obviously, is in the form of its institutional gurus, all of whom are referred to as “His Divine Grace” within it, although none of them deserves any such accolade whatsoever.

Those bogus gurus and commissioners will never incorporate “monopoly” into their preaching lexicon, knowing well that such a blunder could subject them to vociferous counter-propaganda, but it is not at all difficult to pick up where they are coming from. Their institutional delusion acts just like Rähu during a solar eclipse, covering the Sun of Kåñëa conscious knowledge.

Çréla Prabhupäda actually did bring an exclusive devotional dispensation to the West in the mid-Sixties, and his real workers were fully aware of that in their service to him and his movement. That this would be imitated by “ISKCON” after his departure was predictable, as almost everything was an imitation post-November, 1977. There has not merely been one such imitation dispensation since that time, however, and there will probably be a couple more before the whole can of worms is effectively exposed.

The original purpose of Prabhupäda’s movement is now scattered by these imitation dispensations, and that is being detected by an ever-expanding number of devotees and transcendentalists. As far as an international movement is concerned, the purpose of the message of Bhagavad-gétä has been lost, and the many hundreds of changes to Prabhupäda’s books by the BBT(i) is conclusive evidence of this. What we are thus left with is “ISKCON,” another organized religion. Its stability is on the platform of the material modes, but that cannot be realized by everyone—especially not by those bamboozled via its historical revisionism. As far as the institution is concerned, things have not been bona fide in it for many decades, and the whole make-show is past the point of no return.

THE TRUTH is represented here in these pages, but THE TRUTH is not a value to be found in the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” confederation. The interests of its leading secretaries lie elsewhere. Eventually, their organization will transition from putrefaction into outright destruction, but such is not the case at this time. Their deviation has now cracked into four distinct, weaker factions, assisting that eventual destruction of a dying institution under the jurisdiction of His Lordship Çiva.

End of Part One

Proceed to Part Two