Back To Prabhupada, Issue 77, 2023
The latest shenanigans in ISKCON have led to the creation of some new deviant types of GBC gurus, as we document below.
The GBC has passed a resolution in which it is stated that simply a failure to complete a "Wills Information Form" and execute a "Will and Advance Medical Directive" per the GBC's requirements within its set deadline, will result in:
"Suspension of ISKCON initiating spiritual masters' right to give initiations"
(GBC Resolution 601:03, 2022)
Thus, it's not that the guru deviated by breaking the regulative principles, or preached bogus philosophy, or broke the law or engaged in any spiritual transgression. Rather, he just failed to fill in some forms. And why are these forms so important to the GBC that failure to fill them in will lead to a guru losing his status? Because those forms are needed to ensure that any "assets" that are under the control of the guru "accrue" to ISKCON if the guru should die or become incapacitated. Hence, by filling in such forms, the gurus are ‘showing' that any assets they control will be handed over to ISKCON – and only then are they considered a bona fide guru. Otherwise, they will be suspended. So this is the "show me the money" guru.
In the lead article on page 3, we documented GBC voted-in guru HG Mahatma Dasa ("MAD") being accused by his GBC voted-in guru colleague HH Sivarama Swami ("SRS") of "killing the Krsna Consciousness movement" because MAD published a video in which he preaches "rtvik". Yet, despite all the many criticisms SRS directs at MAD's preaching, which we listed, at no point does SRS claim that MAD is not a bona fide guru, or that he must be immediately rejected by his disciples or removed as a guru by the GBC. Nor has the GBC removed MAD from being a diksa guru. Indeed, never mind calling for his removal, SRS refuses to even name MAD as being the person whose lecture SRS is analysing! Thus, someone can supposedly be "killing" the Krsna consciousness movement and still be considered a bona fide diksa guru.
Another GBC voted-in guru, HH Mahadyuti Swami ("MDS"), watched SRS's lecture wherein SRS excoriated MAD's video as just mentioned above, and gave SRS's lecture fulsome praise and agreement by stating that:
"It's fabulous!"
(MDS, social media comment, 24/7/23)
MDS thereby agreed with SRS that MAD's preaching is "killing the Krsna Consciousness movement". However, after MAD had published the video mentioned, MDS had also enthusiastically agreed that MAD's video was excellent:
"Excellent! Thank you, Mahatma Prabhu!"
(MDS, YouTube comment dated 28/6/23 on MAD's video)
Thus, MDS agrees with SRS that MAD is "killing", but also agrees that this "killing" is "excellent". MDS thereby becomes the "Killing is Excellent" guru!
One may feel that in stating the above, we are somehow being mean in mocking the GBC and its gurus, and having fun at their expense. However, neither Srila Prabhupada nor sastra has described the above as being the characteristics of a bona fide guru. Thus, it is actually the GBC and its gurus themselves who have made a mockery of the sacred parampara or disciplic succession via their actions, which has led to such "gurus" as above existing, and via their claim that such "gurus" are members of the parampara. And, just as in the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes", we are like the little boy who has simply noticed what is going on and pointed it out. Hence, the only thing we are guilty of, is not mockery, but not being blind and being able to read, and then stating truthfully what we see. Which, as we documented in the Editorial, is exactly what SRS demands we must do!
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