Seven Big “ISKCON” Lies

Januar, 2020

by Kailäsa Candra däsa

“Everyone should adore our members as honest. If we do something which is deteriorating to the popular sentiments of the public in favor of our movement, that is not good. . . These dishonest methods must be stopped.”
Letter to Rüpänuga, 1-9-75

“If you tell a big enough lie
and tell it frequently enough,
it will be believed.”
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Big lies buttress the regimes that utilize them. Especially when there is some kind of gang element present within its hierarchy, this is also the case in religious organizations. Whenever crisis management is required, the regime circles the wagons in a quasi-fascist mode, especially at the top ranks. Unless and until exposed, big lies have previously worked to assist it. However, when exposed, the impact reverses, and a big lie works against the institution, often creating a crisis.

The fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” confederation is no stranger to functioning like a kind of mafioso, one which utilizes big lies. The big lies of “ISKCON” are not limited to seven, of course, but those herein delineated are as good a place as any to begin unmasking them. One has been thoroughly debunked since the early Eighties, but there is a weird dynamic connected to it—technically, a potential dynamic—and this will be discussed subsequently.

In the big lie, there is both the force of apparent credibility combined with that of credulity. Gangs need both of these in order to function effectively. People in general, since they are without genuine knowledge, are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature. Most people do not deliberate and act consciously; they think and act emotionally. As such, they want easy answers to big questions and thus readily accept what gangsters dish out to them.

There are two shibboleths or, if you prefer, two Kåñëa conscious aphorisms, which Çréla Prabhupäda employed from the early years of his preaching in the West: 1) Simple living and high thinking, and 2) Simple for the simple. These must be understood in the right way, and they also must be understood in context, viz., in their true applications (as opposed to the false ones devoured by simpletons).

Although many of root issues (and others, as offshoots, connected to them) involve some complicated deliberation, your author boils them all down to their essences. This allows you to put the pieces of the puzzle together. If you are an honest individual, you can see them simply and clearly, as they are readily understandable in terms of what has happened to Prabhupäda’s branch of the Hare Kåñëa movement.

Here and there, some hidden complications infuse the seven big lies, and they are accordingly revealed. Nevertheless, they still maintain their holds on the institution’s simpletons—the kick-mees, the chelas, the space cadets, the fanatics, etc.–because the dull-witted demand easy answers. All of these shibboleths of the “ISKCON” gang are false. Six of them are exposed (ultimately) in a straightforward manner and can thus be readily assimilated; the seventh is in its own category.

BIG LIE NUMBER ONE

The Hare Kåñëa Movement is “ISKCON”

“But other things, lies, they will not help us to train ourselves in truthfulness. Lie to some, not to others–that is not a good philosophy. Rather, the brahmanas are always truthful, even to their enemies. . .That art you must develop, not art of lying.”
Letter to Çré Govinda, 12-25-72

“(Hitler’s primary rule was) people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one, and, if you repeat it frequently enough, people will sooner or later believe it.”
Office of Strategic Services (forerunner to the C.I.A.)

The Hare Kåñëa movement was founded by the Personality of Godhead Himself, by Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, a little over five hundred years ago in West Bengal, India. It has a connection to the Madhva sampradäya, although it does not ultimately need that linkage. The Hare Kåñëa movement can stand alone as a fifth sampradäya by itself, especially since it has its own commentary on Vedänta Sütra, delivered to us by Çré Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa.

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedänta Swämi Prabhupäda did not inaugurate or found the line (trunk sampradäya) of the Hare Kåñëa movement. He founded a branch of the Hare Kåñëa movement. You can say that he inaugurated the Hare Kåñëa movement in the West, but it was still a branch of the actual line. The Hare Kåñëa sampradäya is still alive, and it will survive.

Despite all the obnoxious make-show of “ISKCON” to the contrary, Prabhupäda’s branch is in grave danger of being scattered and lost. Ironically, it is “ISKCON” itself which is most effectively ruining it. There are some complications that must first be assimilated in order for this to be realized. You are invited to realize it, and, in order to assist in keeping his branch alive at this time, you MUST realize it.

From one perspective, the tree is non-different from its prominent branches. The branch founded by His Divine Grace in the mid-Seventies in America certainly qualified as a prominent branch. It was even more than that: Beginning in 1966, for a little over a decade, it was the most active and effective branch throughout the world. It has since fallen on hard times—very hard times. It is now hanging by a thread. Yet, although the tree of the Hare Kåñëa movement was best represented by ISKCON for awhile, the tree is also different from any of its branches.

Acintyä-bhedäbheda tattva is applicable here, but not completely. This is not as inconceivable as it may first appear. Even general intelligence (what to speak of prajïä) can grasp this truth, viz., that today’s so-called Hare Kåñëa movement is not the same as ISKCON was back in the day, while it was bona fide and thriving.

It is certainly not the same as is “ISKCON” today, which is working against it—although, for some, that is a bit difficult to discern. As we wind on down the road, it will be made less difficult, especially when the egregious deviations (and similar sahajiyä outrages) become the norm.

BIG LIE NUMBER TWO

ISKCON Can Never Become an Apa-sampradäya

“There are many so-called followers of the Vaiñëava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahäprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the çästras, and therefore they are considered to be apa-sampradäya . . .”
Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi 7.48, purport

“The essential English leadership secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle that, when one lies, one should lie big and stick to it.”
Joseph Goebbels, “From Churchill’s Lie Factory”

The big lie sub-header here has a sister lie, viz., that ISKCON is like the Ganges: Despite whatever deviations which go down within it, the cult must always remain pure. Its inviolable status can never be diminished. That is a powerful combo of self-serving beliefs, but the truth of the matter is different. Its brazen deviation, in the spring of 1978, from the spiritual master’s order–and everything down-line connected to that–has converted it into an apa-sampradäya.

Branches of the Gauòéyasampradäya never have had, no can they ever have, a guaranteed status. They can deviate from çästra, and deviating from the Founder-Äcärya’s self-evident and essential order (“Regular guru, that’s all”) led to ISKCON being converted into the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” over forty years ago. Branches of the sampradäya are all subject to putrefaction as a result of deviation(s) actuated by their most powerful members. They also can disappear in other ways, but we are not discussing (at any length) the subject of disappearance here. We are, as per the sub-header, focusing instead upon MAJOR DEVIATION.

Çréla Bhaktivinode Öhäkur Prabhupäda’s branch of the Gauòéya sampradäya withered away under the force of time after his disappearance. Its leading members—or, at least, many of them—then made the right decision to link up with the Gauòéya Matha founded by his leading son, Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasväté Gosvämé. That organization has not disappeared, of course, but it has been severely deviated for just short of a century, invalidating its spiritual and devotional sequence.

After deviation, there is putrefaction. Sometimes, it is gradual. Sometimes it is, more or less, disguised—at least, to the vision of the less intelligent. By definition, they have a poor fund of knowledge in the spiritual science. After putrefaction, it is subject to complete destruction, but this can take a very long time. Once deviation is locked in, very quickly the former bhakti cult loses the ability (what to speak of the initiative!) to actually reform. “ISKCON” cannot be reformed. It is far, far past the stage where any kind of reform could even be considered applicable to it.

Prabhupäda’s ISKCON movement never received any kind of guarantee that it could not be converted into an apa-sampradäya. Just as importantly, even though he was a pure devotee on the highest plane of power and realization, he could not give it any such guarantee. Excerpts from his letters (we shall be posting some of those excerpts subsequently) strongly indicate that his movement COULD become an apa-sampradäya. And that’s what went down.

People are catching on. It is now outside the sampradäya, beyond the stage of reform. It is now deviated, and your author will continue to expose it. As such, you must overcome the big lie that such a conversion could never take place to that branch . . . because it has taken place. Good enough a time as any to realize that.

BIG LIE NUMBER THREE

Prabhupäda Appointed Eleven Dékñä-Gurus

“Çréla Prabhupäda indicated that soon He would appoint some of His senior disciples to act as ‘ritvik’ representative of the acarya, for the purpose of performing initiations, both first initiation and second initiation. His Divine Grace has so far given a list of eleven disciples who will act in that capacity. The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swämi Prabhupad, the above eleven senior devotees acting as His representative.”
Letter to All Governing Body Commissioners, 9-7-77

And a parting on the left
Is now a parting on the right,
And the fears of all grow longer overnight.
The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

As many of you remember, the appointment of eleven rittviks (in the second week of July, 1977), was misconstrued to be something else after Prabhupäda left us later that year: It was wrapped into a sahajiyä burrito, in which it was conveniently combined with dékñä-guru. That self-serving misconception (read, conspiracy), engineered predominantly by T.K.G., was that the appointment of eleven rittviks the previous summer was, allegedly, a covert, future appointment of dékñä-gurus.

It was no such thing. Indeed, that idea was a big lie, but the “ISKCON” leaders were confident that they could pull it off. They did so . . . for about two years. That time-frame allowed them to amass all kinds of new people—initiated by each of the “new gurus” with that pretender’s béja, as well as with the “ISKCON” béja—and to stock the temples throughout the world with their own disciples. Along with this, they would and could, directly or indirectly, drive out those Prabhupäda’s initiates who do not go along to get along. However, many of the genuinely initiated disciples (1966-77) fell for the ruse–hook, line, and sinker–and the ploy initially worked.

It was buttressed by Swämi B. R. Çrédhar opining: “Rittvik-äcärya, then it becomes as good as äcärya.” The use of the preposition “then” by the Navadvépa mahant referred to the time that the Founder-Äcärya (Çréla Prabhupäda) departs, which was the November previous. This powerful cliché, uttered by Swämi B. R. Çrédhar, provided soil for the eleven seeds of ambitious men to sprout. Oh, how well that BIG LIE played out in the beginning years of the “ISKCON” deviation!

The appointment imposition has been exposed, however, for just short of forty years now, and everybody has known it was a lie for a long time. It was replaced with another rationalization, and that one is detailed in my new book, Beyond Institutional Gurus, Initiations, and Party Men. Nevertheless, there is something that you must all realize: The appointment scam could make a comeback at any time. Deviated cults are notorious for reversing positions, and what is allegedly true at any given time can be replaced by something entirely different at another time.

It can even be replaced by what it replaced when first instituted!

Any given banner may not be flown forever. Another one may be run up the flagpole in the future, replacing it. And it may be the same banner that was previously discarded as false. The big lie of Prabhupäda having appointed dékñä-gurus only appears to be dead and gone. It is not. Do not be surprised if it once again resurfaces in full force sometime in the indefinite future.

BIG LIE NUMBER FOUR

G.B.C. Has An Automatic Self-Corrective Mechanism

“And I am surprised that none of the G.B.C. members detected the defects in the procedure. It was detected only when it came to me. What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by G.B.C.?”
Letter to Hansadutta, 4-11-72

“In most cases, they think they speak the truth, and yet they lie all the time. To speak the truth is the most difficult thing in the world, and one must study a great deal and for a long time in order to be able to speak the truth. The wish alone is not enough. To speak the truth, one must know what the truth is and what a lie is, and, first of all, within oneself.”
P. D. Ouspensky, In Search of the Miraculous

Five years is a very, very short time for any movement representing, or allegedly representing, Lord Caitanya’s prophecy. “ISKCON” was in danger of cratering in 1987. Previously, it had incurred setback after setback. The levee was leaking badly and about to break. The split with Gouòéya Mutt in the early Eighties started the ball rolling. This was followed, in short order, by one change after another as how to determine initiating gurus. There was the G.B.C. showdown (actually, two of them) with Kértanänanda Swämi at his Moundsville compound, and these produced mixed results. Actually, they were failures.

Then, Sulochan was assassinated in the late spring of 1986, just weeks after the G.B.C. had partially opened the floodgates for approval of gurus from the second echelon (and even from the lesser members of the governing body). The exalted worship of the gurus was reversed in most of the temples. This was precipitated, in part, by the assassination, but many chelas still wanted to worship their gurus opulently. Change was in the air, but those followers pined for authority and stability. They were not getting either during this five-year saga of setbacks, however.

Something had to be done to restore order . . . even more importantly, to restore hope and confidence. The attrition rate was increasing. The G.B.C. was still the capstone of ultimate power in “ISKCON,” but now even some of the stalwarts were beginning to doubt. What was to be done?

Ah, come up with a new, fresh shibboleth, that’s what!

It was as follows: The G.B.C. has an automatic, self-corrective power intrinsic to it. The follow-up to this mendacity is quite obvious: Everything will ultimately be alright, because, in the end, the G.B.C. is certain to get everything right. A related tangent, accordingly, was that the apples who did not stay on the tree were doubting Prabhupäda, because he had allegedly invested this power, authority, and mechanism in the G.B.C.. In the final analysis, everyone was simply being tested.

All of these beliefs were and are nothing but lies. The big lie, however, was the notion that the G.B.C. was ever invested with a so-called automatic, self-corrective mechanism. Such an occult feature, if it existed, would certainly be outstanding, but it was and is verified nowhere in the written or aural record.

The G.B.C. was suspended by Prabhupäda in early 1972. What does that indicate? The G.B.C.s was given an ultimatum by Prabhupäda during their 1975 Mäyäpur annual conclave. He directly told them that he was willing, able, and ready—at the moment during that tense meeting—to drop his connection with ISKCON. They could have their devotees, and he would have the Holy Name and those who wished to follow him. The G.B.C. capitulated, and this event was accordingly hidden.

There are many more examples. “Regular guru, that’s all.” The G.B.C. defied this. Also, it never informed Prabhupäda that it would not hold elections in 1973, although its founding charter demanded those elections. Deviation by omission–and deviation by commission when it divided the world into eleven zones for the benefit of eleven great pretenders. And remember that all of them were members of the Commish.

The concoction is a post-dated, blank check—drawn on an account that was closed years ago—made out to all the devotees who accept it as payment for buying into THE BIG LIE that the G.B.C. possesses an automatic, self-corrective mechanism.

BIG LIE NUMBER FIVE

The Zonal Äcärya Imposition Was Merely a Mistake

“The so-called Acharyas of the age of Kali are more concerned to exploit the pocket of their followers than to mitigate their miseries.”
Caitanya-caritämåta, pre-1967 commentary on Chapter Three

“The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Rationalizations abound in order to further muddy the waters and prevent you from putting the pieces of the puzzle together in the right way. The history gets further muddled by the rationalization that the eleven pretender mahäbhägavats were just young, over-enthusiastic boys who, due to being too innocent, were thus misled by Swämi B. R. Çrédhar, and then imitated uttama-adhikäré for a short time. Their motives were good, but their decision to do so turned out to be wrong. This was realized by them after a few years, and they overcame that mistake.

Ah, but they kept all of their initiated disciples (because, even as bogus gurus, their initiations were still valid, allegedly), and decided to cut a lower profile as madhyam-adhikärés. That way of looking at the zonal äcärya epoch is wrong on every count! If you want to put the pieces of the puzzle together, you must reject every single one of the rationalizations just delineated.

They may have been young in age, but that was irrelevant: They were all practiced and expert cult manipulators. They were not at all innocent when the approached the Navadvépa mahant. On the contrary, although he did mislead them, they wanted that bad advice. The seeds needed the soil, and Swämi B.R. Çrédhar provided some well-fertilized nutrients along with that soil, e.g. “Mat guru si jagat guru,” ad nauseum.

Its not that you imitate mahäbhägavat worship and do not know that you are engaged in imitation. Some absurd levels of delusion entered as the years went on, but, in the beginning, they knew that they were imitating. When someone is completely addicted to heroin, it may, at that stage, be called a disease. However, he is still responsible even then, because he made the intentional decision at the time of first injection. They willfully disobeyed the Äcärya by acting as full-blown sahajiyäs, and their intentions were not at all good the moment they did so. They are culpable!

A bogus guru cannot give a bona fide initiation. None of their disciples were genuinely initiated. All of them received a sahajiyä béja from their guru. Some got free from that bad seed when the scam collapsed, but many (if not most) of those had already assimilated the “ISKCON” béja by that time, and it is harder to exorcise. All of those unfortunates were invultuated when coming into contact with the eleven great pretenders and their “ISKCON” movement.

BIG LIE NUMBER SIX

“ISKCON” Destined to Fulfill Caitanya’s Prophecy

“Actually, He has said that this KC Movement will spread to every nook and corner of the world—so there is no doubt it will happen. He is God, so how can He be wrong? So, it will happen. So, if we are intelligent, we will assist and get the credit. Otherwise, someone else will.”
Letter to Rüpänuga, 12-10-71

All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.
Bob Dylan, “Things Have Changed”

A version of this excerpt from the letter to Rüpänuga was snail mailed to other commissioners near the end of the previous year, although this one was phrased a bit differently. In other words, Prabhupäda wanted this prophecy by Lord Caitanya to be known and accepted throughout his movement, as it helped to encourage confidence for those who required it.

However, notice a couple of important points also made in the letter. In particular, it is provisional. The preposition “if” is used, i.e., it was not a stone cold lock that ISKCON would fulfill the prophecy. In point of fact, ISKCON was converted into something else in the late Seventies, and that new entity will not fulfill the prophecy. It may appear to (if it secures political power from behind the curtain in a future marriage with THE TECHNOCRACY), but, if that goes down, it will only mean that the actual fulfillment has been delayed.

Now, in bhakti-yoga, we do not discard logic, particularly when it is obvious and does not run counter to guru, sädhu, and çästra. Is the Kåñëa consciousness movement (referred to in the excerpt as “this KC movement”) the exact same thing as Prabhupäda’s ISKCON branch? Even before ISKCON became degraded, was that branch the only representative of Lord Caitanya’s movement?

Logically, from the letter, we can know for certain that it was not. The overall gist is that the Kåñëa consciousness movement will spread to every town and village of the world. Certainly, that is not happening now. Since the 1978 deviation, awareness of Kåñëa consciousness has dramatically faded, especially in America.

The intelligence citation from the excerpt refers to higher intelligence. The “ISKCON” mis-leaders are certainly astute manipulators, but they lack, to a significant degree, prajïä. This has been proven by the scams that they have attempted over the years, and how most of those have been exposed and have thus failed. They are very intelligent in the art of buying time, however, but that is not helpful in fulfilling Lord Caitanya’s prophecy. How can someone else fulfill the prophecy unless another movement, led by someone else, is part of the Kåñëa consciousness movement?

BIG LIE NUMBER SEVEN

“ISKCON” Cannot Take Over

“ . . . because Krishna took part in politics, we have to follow, but if people do not become Krishna conscious, it won’t be possible. Actually, if we can take up the government, our movement will be very easily spread and beneficial to the people. We can make happy, peaceful men, God conscious—this is our aim.”
Letter to Balavanta, 10-4-76

“There’s a click before the strike: Listen to the clock.”
Cort, “The Quick and the Dead”

This big lie is not perpetrated by “ISKCON.” Instead, it is currently perpetuated by those who have left “ISKCON” and hold it in utter contempt. It is about “ISKCON,” but is not preached by the institution. Nevertheless, “ISKCON” is certainly not displeased with this big lie, as it potentially benefits them.

Holding the cult in utter contempt is a major mistake, and this one should not make. Even in its perverted form, “ISKCON” could come to dominate a one-world interfaith government, as preposterous as that might seem now. In the context of this seventh big lie, let us briefly review an important chapter in Western history.

During the Roman epoch, the followers of Iesus Kristos were severely persecuted. They were also held in utter contempt. They were executed in horrible and terrifying ways within the Roman Coliseum for the pleasure of the fans. Up until the early Fourth Century, the Roman emperors were all against and persecuted them, even Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor, 161-180 A.D.), who was the best of the lot. Although some might have seen a potential that the “Christian” cult could take over, the vast majority of people, including the Roman authorities, certainly did not seriously consider that as even a possibility.

There were many reasons for the Christian take over, not the least of which is that the brahma-realized theistic founder of the cult possessed full mystic powers. “ISKCON” is in far better shape than was the early Christian movement was to take over the culture, both religiously and politically. There are many other reasons for that. The Founder of ISKCON (before its conversion to “ISKCON”) was a pure devotee on a higher platform than Iesus Kristos. “ISKCON” leaders and followers are not being persecuted by the government. Compared to the Bible, there is more science in the original Vedic and Vaiñëava teachings.

Today’s technology is exponentially superior than just after Iesus Kristos was crucified. The leaders of “ISKCON” are more united at this time (that could change) than were the early Christians (this particularly pertains to the breakaway faction of Saul of Tarsus, a.k.a., St. Paul canonized by Catholic Rome). The ethic of Western governments at this time, however, is not as united (and thus not as powerful) as was the Roman ethic and belief system before its complete collapse in the Fifth Century.

The SINGULARITY could work in favor of “ISKCON” in a way that was inconceivable during the early centuries. Related to that, THE QUICKENING will assist the current development (still preventable), along with the Interfaith Initiative, which “ISKCON” is surreptitiously and effectively exploiting. Things are moving far more quickly now, as an imminent perfect storm of global heating, global pandemic, and nuclear exchange—though still preventable (barely)–has a potential to cause an exponentially more severe crisis than what Emperor Constantine had to face when he converted to the banner of the cross in order to vanquish his foes.

From a cult with no prospects at all—even with hardly any prospects for its mere survival—the Christians took over all of Europe and Asia Minor in less than a millennium. You must learn this lesson and apply it. Most definitely, “ISKCON” could take over in as little as fifty years—if we let it! Do not minimize all the factors that point to a deplorable condition which “ISKCON” could and would exploit—and how little chance any of us would have to stop if and/or when it turns the corner.

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it. We must not allow “ISKCON” take advantage of unfounded contempt that many (who left it) have foolishly adopted. It needs to be fought. It should not be shrugged off with cynical complacency. We need to fully expose “ISKCON” for what it actually is while we can still do so. If we are able to accomplish this, when all hell breaks loose, the powers that be will not allow “ISKCON” to get its foot in the door.

From behind the curtain after their marriage to THE TECHNOCRACY, there will be a warning before the “ISKCON” leaders are in a position, in due course of time, to worm their way into a one-world government. It is incumbent upon us to act at this time. If we do not, at a certain point, it will be incredibly difficult to do so. There will be that warning, because that’s what you are now receiving.

OÀ TAT SAT