29^TH JULY 2000

1. City of New York To Honour Srila Prabhupada
2. Time-Out Article on Srila Prabhupada's Tree
3. BBT Admits Books Need to Change To Accommodate Non-BBT Books
4. Classic Quotes 
   
    

34 years ago the worldwide Hare Krishna movement was inaugurated by Srila Prabhupada under a certain tree in Tompkins Square Park, New York City.
There he led a public Kirtan that was to engulf the neighbourhood at the time, and then grow into a movement that was to make 'Hare Krishna' a household word. It was an event that was to also to be captured in the now famous story and picture of Srila Prabhupada in the 'East Village Other' newspaper in 1966. Yet in all this time, though this story has become a legend in ISKCON, there has never been any landmark to commemorate this spot in Tompkins Square Park where the Hare Krishna movement took birth.
Though for many years, various devotees have made some attempts to commemorate this spot in some way or another, they have never succeeded.
That is until now!! What follows is a story of intense devotion to Srila Prabhupada, and another example of the amazing success and empowerment which can result when we place Srila Prabhupada in the center of our lives as the sole Diksa Guru for ISKCON, just as he wanted.

One year ago the IRM (ISKCON Revival Movement) held its famous meeting in New York City to begin the push to revitalise the movement in the West. 
One of the devotees who was the organiser and founder of the IRM center in New York, was Mother Vani Dasi, who is dedicated to distributing Srila Prabhupada's books in New York. For over 3 years she had been performing a personal service to Srila Prabhupda by sweeping the cobblestone bricks around the elm tree in the center of Tompkins Square Park where Srila Prabhupada first started the sankirtan movement in the western world.
So many times while sweeping, people would ask her why she was doing this, and it would give her an opportunity to preach Krishna Consciousness and glorify everyone's spiritual master Srila Prabhupada.

About a year ago, after getting inspired by the IRM meeting in New York that she hosted, she approached Harry Greenberg, the keeper of Tompkins Square Park. She had already developed a nice rapport with him, since in his eyes she was doing "community service" by sweeping around the tree daily. One day she inquired how to go about getting a plaque for the tree glorifying Srila Prabhupada and the Hare Krishna Movement. He told her that she would need to talk to his boss, Margaret Asarro, and he introduced them to each other.

Margaret was very friendly and responsive and gave Mother Vani the address of the commissioner of the Park's Department for the whole of New York City - Commissioner Henry Stern. She advised Mother Vani to write him a proposal and present the idea of getting some type of permanent commemorative marker for the elm tree. She put together an extensive package including an old photo of Srila Prabhupada from the East Village Other article in 1966, and a recent photo of the tree garlanded and decorated with a Hare Krishna maha mantra banner. In all, she wrote a 4 page proposal, giving Srila Prabhupada's history and how he fulfilled the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by coming to the west and starting and spreading this sankirtan movement. 

It took a long time to get a response. Everytime she called the commissioner to inquire about the proposal, she would get his secretaries and they would just pass the buck. She spent a whole year of constantly calling every day at least once and persevering.

During that time in early February of this year, while she was helping renovate the whole floor of a building for the opening of the new IRM temple in NYC, (as highlighted in newsletter No. 22 & newsletter 23) she received a mysterious call from a reporter who said he wanted to write an article on her trying to acquire a plaque for the tree. She was bewildered as to how he knew this and yet it all seemed like another one of Krishna's perfect arrangements. He then also interviewed a devotee from the ISKCON temple in Brooklyn, but ended up wanting to do the story on Mother Vani, since she was making the attempt to get the plaque. The reporter wanted to take a photo of Mother Vani and her husband Brahma Bhuta Das under the tree. 
Arrangements were made and within a couple weeks the article appeared in Time Out New York magazine, which is famous throughout New York City. (Please see next item for full article) As soon as the story came out Mother Vani photocopied it and sent another letter to Commissioner Stern asking - "Now can we get it!". In reply, she was requested to write to him again with a briefer 1 page version of the proposal on why we wanted the plaque for the tree. 
The response this time was "Yes"!

However, still no immediate action took place. Within the next three months she again called regularly, inquiring when she would receive a more definite answer as to when we would be getting the plaque. Finally at the beginning of July she called commissioner Stern's office again determined to make an appointment with him and again the secretary put her on hold. After a long time the secretary came back to the phone saying that our letter had just been reviewed and signed by him and that we would receive it in the mail in a few days. Sure enough the letter came with the final say. We reproduce it below:

What is even more special is that originally we had offered to pay for any wording or sign that would go up. Now not only has the city agreed to honour Srila Prabhupada, but they are going to pay for it too! The text for the historical plaque is being worked on right now and the current draft reads:

"Among this grove of elms is a very special elm. Under this very elm tree a spiritual revolution started, and spread throughout 6 continents. Here, in 1966 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, Founder and current Guru (spiritual master) of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) introduced the western world to the sublime chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare"

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

This is the article referred to earlier that appeared in 'Time-Out', one of New York's most famous magazines:

 A photo with the following caption also appeared with the article:

We had reported earlier in newsletter no.26, how Dravida of the BBT had admitted changing Srila Prabhupada's Caitanya Caritamrta to fit the current Guru Tattva touted by the GBC. (In summary, Dravida has changed a passage from the CC wherein it states that Jaganntha Das Babaji *initiated*
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, to omit the word *initiated*, even though he 
*admits* Srila Prabhupada wrote it that way.) 

The whole issue had been sparked by a letter to Dravida from Dhira Govinda prabhu, the chairman of the CPO (Child Protection Office). We had explained in our earlier newsletter the inherent danger in such changes, justified as they are by ISKCON's subjective understandings at any one point in time. Now in a reply to the article by Dhira Govunda prabhu, Dravida prabhu has elaborated on the justification that he gave for making these changes to Srila Prabhupada's books. 
Dravida prabhu states:

Dravida quite confidently asserts that 'we know' that Bhaktivinoda already had an initiating spiritual master by the name of Vipina Vihari Goswami.
However *how* do we know this? We definitely do *not* know this from Srila Prabhupada, since this individual is not even *mentioned* in the entire canon of Srila Prabhuada's teachings. We can only assume that Dravida has picked up this information either from the books of the Gaudiya Matha, or through some other source not translated by Srila Prabhupada. It is interesting to note that specifically in regard to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, which is what we are dealing with here, Srila Prabhupada does quite emphatically state:

"Whatever is to be learned of the teachings of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura can be learned from our books. There is no need whatsoever for any outside instruction."
(Letter to Guru-Kripa, Yasodanandana, 25/12/73)

Now it is one thing to argue that it is fine to read books other than those directly written and translated by Srila Prabhupada, however it is a completely different matter to try and use these outside teachings to *supersede* that which has been given by Srila Prabhupada. How can it be bona fide to *change* Srila Prabhupada's books based on what is contained in *other* books? Even if it *was* permissible to read other books, this should only be done to *supplement* our knowledge of Srila Prabhupada's teachings, not to *supplant* it. How can the *supplementary* teaching be used to *replace* the *primary* teaching? 

We have the ludicrous situation whereby the BBT, the supposed guardians of Srila Prabhupada's legacy, are proposing that they be allowed to *change* Srila Prabhupada's books based on information contained in *other books*. Books which themselves may or may not be bona fide, rendered into English via translations which may or may not be bona-fide.

As well as being shocking, this state of affairs is also hypocritical since even Dravida and others are *against* trying to use information contained in these same outside books to supersede Srila Prabhupada's books when it suits them. When devotees began presenting evidence from *outside* Srila Prabhupada's books which differed from Srila Prabhupada's teaching on the 'origin of the soul', they were forced hastily to pass the following GBC resolution:

The GBC also emphatically stated that:

However they seem more than happy to toss their own guidelines aside when they want to justify changing Srila Prabhupada's words in regards to the thorny issue of *initiation*. Then we are told that we *must* jump over Srila Prabhupada and see his words through the words of others. And worse that we must then change Srila Prabhupada's words to fit in with these outside teachings. And the reason for this outrageous double standard is so that there is not the slightest chance that Srila Prabhupada could emerge as the Diksa Guru in ISKCON. Dravida has admitted that this is his motivation in rejecting the sastrically supported explanations of Dhira Govinda prabhu:

Thus in summary we have the following state of affairs:

1. The BBT has changed Srila Prabhupada's books.
2. It has admitted that the change has been made to words that Srila Prabhupada actually wrote.
3. The change is justified to fit in with what happens to be the GBC's current understanding of 'initiation'.
4. The change is justified to fit in with what is written in sources 
   *outside* of Srila Prabhupada's books.
5. These are the same outside sources which the GBC say we *cannot* use to supplant what Srila Prabhupada has given.
   Regardless of what one's view is on the Guru issue, surely the above state of affairs must be something the whole movement is concerned about. We have a clear choice before us:
   Do we want Srila Prabhupada to be allowed to speak for himself; OR Do we want Srila Prabhupada's books to be doctored to fit in with what Dravida has 'learned' by consulting the books of the Gaudiya Matha and others?
   Please act to protect the words of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada's books are his legacy to us. Lose this and we lose everything.

In this regular column we shall be highlighting the bizarre and contradictory world of our GBC and 'Gurus', who have occupied Srila Prabhupada's position on the pretext of being able to guide us out of darkness and back to Godhead. However as this column will show over the coming weeks, these personalities would be better advised coming into the light themselves, and to move out of the way from blocking the clear and transcendental light which is emanating directly from Srila Prabhupada.
Physician heal thyself!

*Jayapataka States GBC Guru Tattva Not In Line With Guru & Sastra*

*Jayapataka States That Guru & Sastra Can Be Overruled By 'Time, Place & Circumstance*

(The above extracts were taken from a letter sent by H.H. Jayapataka Maharaja to all his disciples, dated 24th March, 1999)

Here Maharaja DIRECTLY states that the GBC are not acting in line with Guru OR Sastra. We are always reminded that everything must be in line with Guru and Sastra and Sadhu. Well Maharaja is admitting that the GBC on this point are NOT in line with Guru and Sastra. Maharaja is also supporting this decision in saying that 'Guru and Sastra' can be overruled by 'time, place and circumstance', since in doing this there is 'merit' in the decision of the GBC. Thus as well as pointing out the deviation of the GBC body, Maharaja is also endorsing this deviation, and proposes that this deviation can be supported on the basis of whatever the GBC consider to be 'time, place and circumstance'. By this logic one could overrule any order of the Guru and any sastric injunction. Thus this idea that the GBC and JPS are faithful adherents of 'Guru, Sadhu and Sastra' has now been smashed. As we have seen, it is actually the IRM with their unstinting resolve to always follow Srila Prabhupada's direct instructions without any change, who are actually trying to uphold 'Guru, Sadhu & Sastra'.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please keep your letters, and e-mail addresses of other devotees who should be added to our list, flowing in. 
A hard copy of our main position paper 'The Final Order' is available on request. 
 

If you would like to receive any of the back issues of the Newsletter please let me know.

No 1. Invitation to Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja
No 2. GBC Lose First Round of Court Case 
No 3. The Story VNN Refused to Publish 
No 4. Poison Theorists Accuse Adri of Complicity 
No 5. Iskcon Continues to Promote Child Abusers 
No 6. Invitation to Malaysia 
No 7. United World Body Formed 
No 8. Does Srila Prabhupada Support Poisoning Theory?
No 9. PADA Attacks IRM Position 
No 10. PADA Continues to Present False Evidence 
No 11. GBC Funded Video says Ritvik Spiritual 
No 12. Child Rapist Selected by Gurus to Defend their Legitimacy 
No 13. GBC Facing Perjury Charge in Calcutta High Court 
No 14. Sahajiyaism Makes a Comeback in Iskcon.
No 15. Govt. Minister Inaugurates Bangalore Rathayatra 
No 16. Iskcon Calcutta Triumphs Following Arson Attack 
No 17. Fighting Lies with Truth Not More Lies
No 18. GBC Resolutions Continue to Provide Laughter
No 19. Indian Leaders Endorse IRM Position That GBC Confused 
No 20. Convicted Child Abuser Officially 'Returns' To Parampara
No 21. GBC Chairman Admits ISKCON 'Disintegrating' 
No 22. Krishna Confirms ISKCON Re-Birth
No 23. Hare Krishna Explosion Begins In New York as IRM Temple Opens 
No 24. IRM Launches Media Campaign to Defend Srila Prabhupada
No 25. GBC Teaches That 'Living Gurus' NOT Required 
No 26. BBT Admits Books Changed To Fit GBC Philosophy 
No 27. Big Breakthrough For Krishna In Singapore 
No 28. Bangalore Tops World Book Distribution