Back To Prabhupada, Issue 69, Vol 2, 2021, Quotes, Notes & News
In the last issue, we ran extracts from an interview with prominent ISKCON GBC member Praghosa Dasa ("PD") titled "Is ISKCON in Peril?", which discussed "the very future existence of Srila Prabhupada's Movement". In the interview, PD described how the GBC's voted-in gurus block Srila Prabhupada by diverting attention and worship to themselves:
"we tend to insert ourselves into situations, looking for recognition, looking for prominence, looking for appreciation".
And that a way they did this was (all emphases added):
"often it is gurus, but not just gurus, I don't think that there should be any sort of "autobiographical" type books on the lives of devotees in our movement currently. I don't think there should be any of those [...] there's a lot of books about individual devotees in our movement and how they joined and, you know, what they were doing beforehand, and what they've done now, etc., etc., and I personally don't see why that really should happen, because I just think it actually deflects away from Srila Prabhupada."
Now, right on cue, a GBC voted-in guru has promoted exactly such a book about himself! Kripamoya Dasa ("KMD") posted the following announcement alongside a photo of his forthcoming book, One Life: A Biography, which has a picture of himself on the cover:
"Maybe a tad grandiose, but energetic and fun. Cover of my lockdown-written story."
(KMD, 22/4/21)
1) Since PD is the GBC for the UK where KMD is based, PD is KMD's direct authority. Thus, we will see if PD actually acts on his words and insists that KMD withdraw this book since it "deflects away from Srila Prabhupada".
2) We can also see if, having heard this advice from his authority, KMD will himself withdraw this book even without being asked – or if his desire for self-promotion will win out.
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