2^ND SEPTEMBER 2000

1. Harinama Revived in World Famous Times Square 
2. GBC Promotes Incest 
3. Sankirtan Stories 
4. Classic Quotes

 

As part of the IRM's program to revive Srila Prabhupada's revolutionary spirit back into ISKCON, a regular harinama party has been resurrected in the most famously influential place on the planet - Times Square, New York City. The famous Time Square Harinamas of the 70's were long ago abandoned by ISKCON despite Srila Prabhupada's order to never stop them. These high profile harinamas were the foundation of ISKCON worldwide and our most important service to save all humanity and ourselves and to please Srila Prabhupada. Times Square area, the most powerful phantasmagoria of lights and media hype on earth has been completely renovated in the last few years.

It is safe and one of the top family attractions in the world. *** 1.5 million pedestrians *** walk through Times Square daily. The World Headquarters of the major media and entertainment networks are all here. It is unrivalled anywhere in the world in terms of its Stage theatres, Musicals and Opera. And naturally it is filled with some of the most influential people from around the world. Thus the abandonment of Harinamas in this most important of 'hot' spots was extremely unfortunate. Srila Prabhupada came to New York City in the beginning because he knew that the most important mission in the world had to first be introduced in the most important city in the world. Then the rest of the world would automatically follow. 

And Srila Prabhupada knew where in New York City we needed to make this impact. In a letter Srila Prabhupada instructs:

"Another thing is, if we get our headquarters in the very important business quarter of New York, just like I saw those photos, big, big skyscrapers surrounding, millions of people passing daily, oh, that will be very wonderful thing. But that quarter of 77th Street, that is costly also, but it is not very important. So I think if you get one place, one skyscraper building, just by the 5th Avenue, say, around 40th Street, 45th Street, *** Times Square ***, like that, that will be the beacon-light for our world-wide propaganda of Krishna Consciousness Movement."
(Letter to Bali Mardan, 23rd December, 1972)

During the 70's the harinamas in Times Square were huge. Devotees used to go out 200 strong in the evenings, with 100 on each side of the street. On Saturday nights they used to be out until 1AM. The upper echelons of New York Society would regularly join these great kirtans including philosophers, priests, and nuns. At this time ISKCON had prestige and strength all over the world. Unfortunately, later on ISKCON lost our renowned New York City skyscraper temple and the famous harinamas in the Theatre District at Times Square also were to stop. With this disobedience, the great foundation of our movement has crumbled, our prestige has been lost, and the rest of ISKCON wordwide has practically become deserted. 

Part of the process to revive the fortunes of ISKCON will therefore require such high profile harinams to be reinstituted so that the streets again begin to resound with the booming resonance of the holy name, which immediately catapults anyone who is within earshot momentarily into the transcendental realm. The IRM's program of 'revival' is in this case actually literally true, for the person who leads these resurrected harinamas is the same devotee who also used to lead the famous Times Square Harinamas in the 70's - world-famous kirtan leader Locananada Das!

These kirtans on Saturday evenings in Times Square are explosive.They usually go on for at least 2 hours during the peak Saturday night period of between 7-9 pm. The theatre crowds, the United Nations delegates and their families, tourists - indeed every one is glad to see us again. So many respond with smiles and nods and a "Hare Krishna". Many dance by or stop to dance. Crowds gather. Flashbulbs are constantly popping. Video cameras are always aimed at the devotees from all directions at once. Pedestrians stuff dollar bills in the chanter's hands and pockets just in appreciation of hearing the Lord's Holy Name. Even cab drivers have stopped their cabs and thrust donations into the hands of the devotees! The Limousine chauffeurs who wait in in front of Elton John's Broadway show standing outside their limos dance with the devotees as they march by. Indian shop owners/workers come out and greet the harinama party with folded hands and bowed heads. The kirtans are so loud that once the Police came with sound meters and told the devotees that they were 15 decibels above the legal limit! However they still continue at this rip-roaring pace. The harinam parties are always accompanied by devotees distributing books just as Srila Prabhupada wanted, and the crowds love the kirtans so much that the books just fly out of the devotees' hands. Indeed within half an hour the book bags are normally empty.

There have been some amazing incidents. Once the party was spotted by a Policeman, who immediately started to make his way towards the party. 
The devotees were in anxiety thinking that they were going to either be arrested or asked to move on. But as soon as the Policeman reached the harinam, he stopped and started to sway to the rhythm, tapping his baton in tune with the beat! 

Another time the party was stationary in one spot for many minutes, at which point the Police did tell them to move on, but also went to the trouble of telling the party where a good spot to chant was, adding that "its a 5th amendment spot"! (Meaning that no one will be able to curtail the chanting there). Another time a mother walked by with her son and urged him to dance with the party. He slowly moved away from her, and joined the chanting for a few minutes. Holding a devotee's hand, smiling and shyly dancing to Srila Prabhupada's swami step, he then went back to his mom who embraced him for doing such a wonderful thing. Locananda always gestures to all to come "join & chant the Holy Name", and once 2 members of the crowd came and joined in for 30 minutes.

Some popular comments are:

"This is great! Where have you guys been all these years?"

"I used to go to the temple on 55th st. What happened to it? 
We loved the food. Do you have a restaurant in Manhattan?"

One guy who remembers the devotees in the seventies being everywhere wanted to know if I had any sweetballs. Apparently they were the rage back then and everyone in New York City knew and loved the devotees because of the very wide distribution in the hundreds of thousands of this maha prasadam treat.

Sometimes you can catch the NY IRM devotees live on the internet at 45th and Broadway 7pm Saturdays on live earthcam number 3 at: http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/ 

We can only end here with Srila Prabhupada's instructions in regards to performing harinama in New York:

"I have been informed by Sriman Syamasundara of your question via telephone from New York Temple, and my reply is that this sankirtana or street chanting must go on, it is our most important program."
(Letter to Bali Mardan, 18/9/72)

"Regarding Sankirtana Parties in New York, Krishna will provide devotees, don't be worried. Krishna can provide anything and everything within a moment but He waits to test a devotee. And when the devotee comes out successful from the test, he gives him all opportunity for devotional service. So everyone of you should go on with the Sankirtana Party and gradually Krishna will send more and more devotees to join you."
(Letter to Rsi Kumara dated 4-11-70)

Thus the moral is that the more you do harinama sankirtan, the more devotees will come. The less you do, the quicker they go away. Also the same principle which first attracted Srila Prabhupada to found ISKCON in New York is still in operation today. In order to make anything a success in this world you have to first be a success in New York City. So the IRM center in New York City is trying to make a humble attempt to restore Srila Prabhupada's mission by again laying the ground work here like he ordered by performing Harinama sankirtan in the heart of the City. The chanters are exhilarated in a way that the devotees say is exactly the mood of the old days.

So we are inviting everyone to please join the party and experience and share in this transcendental ecstasy 7-9 pm every Saturday. It will be very easy to find - just follow the sound of the holy name!

Harinama Sankirtan Yajna ki jaya!

Having reported in previous newsletters about how the GBC has, amongst other things:

Chosen a Paedophile to represent them in the High Court Re-instated a Child Abuser into the Parampara Boasted How Srila Prabhupada is 'Dead' on the Front Page of a national newspaper, You would have thought that after this shameful catalogue of blunders even the GBC would struggle to surpass this nonsense. But just when you thought it couldn't get any worse - it does. They have now not only sanctioned a Guru marrying his disciple, but also that he *continues* acting as a Guru to his existing disciples:

However Srila Prabhupada comments that sexual relations with one's disciple is no better than incest, since the disciple is after all no different to being the Guru's child:

"In New York there is a yogi. I do not wish to name his... But in the paper it was published that he was having sex with his disciple. Is it not? 
[...] Yes, everyone knows. What is this? (laughing) Even from moral point of view, a disciple is just like daughter. And this man was having sex life with his disciple. And he's a yogi. Just see. Even he has no moral sense, apart from spiritual knowledge. According to human social constitution, one should not have sex life with daughter, with mother and sister. And what is this? If one has sex life with daughter, then where is the moral life?"
(Room Conversation, May 31st, 1974)

Thus a Guru who has committed incest is blessed by the GBC to not only continue in that incestuous relationship, but to also continue to act as a diksa Guru to his disciples. Thus not being content with having inserted paedophilia into the parampara, the GBC have decided to go further and insert incest as well!

Is it any wonder that devotees are leaving Srila Prabhupada's beloved ISKCON in droves to join the Gaudiya Matha - when our 'Gurus' and the GBC do not even have 'moral sense' what to speak of spiritual knowledge - as Srila Prabhupada states? The IRM's mission has now taken on an even greater urgency if we are to stop this moral decay from completely turning ISKCON into Kali's kingdom.

We bring you some more ecstasy from the streets of New York, where our book distributors continue to experience the bliss of Srila Prabhupada's mercy.
Our sankirtana leader there, Madhusudana Das, relates the following nectar:

Aerosmith Gets A Book 

"I was on 8th St. today speaking to an Indian storeowner. When a guy who worked in the man's store came over to tell us that Steve Tylor, lead singer with the big rock band Aerosmith had just walked past us. He stopped a few shops on from us to buy some candy for his kids. As he was waiting for his candy I nipped over and gave him a book. He seemed to appreciate it. He moved on but then returned immediately for more candy so I approached him again and gave him our card and invited him to the temple. He said that he goes to the temple in LA and knows the guy who runs the place there.

Candid Camera 

A few minutes later a small puppy type boy came by me wearing a T shirt with the words SECURITY on the front & back and introduced himself as a freelance security guard. Asking me if I needed protection, I looked at him in mild disbelief. (He looked like he spends more time in his bed than in the gym).
So I kindly explained that I did not need his services (even though he was offering them free for the day since he was still on training). So we bantered back and forth, then I told him that Aerosmith was walking around here today and he could use his service. He immediately ceased the discussion when I told him this and then introduced himself as from Alltrue.com a sort of 'Candid Camera' on the internet. Sure enough, I turned and there was a guy with a movie camera about 25 yards away who filmed our conversation. So he said that he thought that this was real funny and if I signed a paper he would put it on his show on the net. So I duly signed and they told me I would be on on October 2nd. I found this last incident significant because it was only due to my being dressed in a dhoti and with a shaved head that he approached me and gave the opportunity for many people to see a devotee distributing books. This is the value of not being daunted and distributing books openly dressed as a devotee.

'Sleeping' Baby?

I was walking along side Washington Square Park towards the University.
Stopping people as I walked and showing them the books. I noticed one young girl with an almost new born baby trying to avoid me, but I thought to stop her anyway since maybe she might take something. She was a nice person and was taking some time looking at the books but she just could not make up her mind as to which book to take, either 'The Perfection of Yoga' or 'Beyond Birth or Death'. Then much to OUR surprise her baby (which was very tiny and being carried in some kind of pouch arrangement at the mothers front just below her neck) who appeared to be sleeping, sprung to life and reached out with determination and grabbed a completely different book - the Science of Self Realisation! His hand was so small that he could barely get a hold of the book. Yet his intention was remarkably obvious, though he was physically incapable of fulfilling his desire. He even (momentarily) looked really distressed at not being able to fully grasp the book due to the smallness of his hand. So I mentioned that it looks as though your baby has decided for you what book to take. Much to my amazement, she was also surprised at what had just happened. (She was French, not quite fully fluent in English)
So surprised that it took her quite a few moments to say anything (she seemed to have forgotten her English). Then she managed to remember and she asked me how much did I want for the book. So I humbly suggested only $10. She took the book and gave me $15, walked away, totally convinced that there must be something really special about this book that made her tiny baby attempt a determined grab at it from the depth of his slumbers.
(After she decided to take the book he appeared to be 'sleeping' again) 
Do we need anymore proof that the supersoul is guiding the wanderings of all the living entities!

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!

*** Classic Quote No. 5 ***

* GBC Chairman States that the Ritvik System is Following Tradition *

Here the GBC chairman claim that the Ritvik system suffers from trying to adhere to the 'traditional' way of doing things. He further adds that the 'single-acarya' system, which is what the Ritvik system implements (with Srila Prabhupada the sole acarya of ISKCON) also is an example of the 'traditional' method of doing this. He then goes onto argue in the rest of the paper that ISKCON's multiple acarya Guru/GBC system is actually a radical departure from this standard vedic tradition. We have been accused of many things in our time, but this is the first time we have been accused of being 'traditional'! So there you have it from the GBC chairman himself - the Ritvik system is more in line with the vedic tradition than the GBC's own Guru system!!!

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
No 29. City of New York to Honour Srila Prabhupada
No 30. Gurukula Lawsuit Special - The Facts
No 31. BBC Glorifies Srila Prabhupada to the World