It is high time to express disapproval of what has now manifested and devolved into “ISKCON.” Beware: “ISKCON” today is not representing Çréla Prabhupäda’s teachings! It is not his original movement! If you are considering joining this movement, you need to read this article. If you are in that movement and are experiencing doubts, you also need to read it. No matter your involvement, please consider the following:
We have Çréla Prabhupäda’s true movement on the one hand, and then there is the deviation known as “ISKCON” on the other. Both are producing effects, and both causes will have to play out. However, they will not play out well together. Their effects are completely different entities. Çréla Prabhupäda’s Krishna Conscious movement remains pure. The other movement that is now being presented to the public is fabricated and watered down. To which do you belong?
Your eight points are brilliant. You’ve not only highlighted the road-blocks facing Krishna Consciousness (KC) movement at the present moment, especially the so-called ISKCON, but you’ve also given a way forward (solution) to many of them (in the end, to all of them).
As you’ve rightly concluded, all road-blocks are ultimately material in nature, while the solutions you’ve proposed, all based on guru, sadhu & sastra, (take for example, taking shelter of Book Bhagavata; or a qualified sisya of Srila Prabhupada needing The Order from him to become a guru etc.) are spiritual. Very nice. This is in stark contrast to endlessly passing useless resolutions, leading to no solutions at all.
Of course, all real solutions are transcendental according to our KC philosophy (dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te – BG 10.10). No matter how hard they try their fix-it-as-you-go material solutions/strategies, they’d simply dig themselves deeper and deeper holes, and not a way out of them.
The genuine KC is on the transcendental plane and is not at all subjected to material calamities (ahaituky apratihata – unmotivated & uninterrupted – SB 1.2.6). In other words, the so-called ISKCON and other deviants are now materially destined, because they’re materially motivated. This is due to they having walked far away from the path chalked out by a mahajana – His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada (mahajano yena gatah sa panthah – Mahabharata), hence there is now danger at every step for them (padam padam yad vipadam – SB 10.14.58) – i.e. more and more chaos and confusion.
If they heed to good instructions such as those of your good self (and other Vaishnava Foundation articles) and raise once again to the transcendental plane (i.e. once again firmly taking shelter at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada to render devotional service as authorised by him), then, only then, they’re safe. Failing that, they’re destined to sink on their stone boat, if it isn’t already (majjanty asma-plava iva – SB 6.7.14).
Thank you. Hare Krishna.
Bhakta Sri Hari