04/22/98 - 1755

Precedence For Changing The Perfect

USA (VNN) - by Rocana dasa

There have recently been many brilliantly inspired arguments presented by the exponents of "no-change" to Srila Prabhupada’s books. Many have been backed up by very relevant quotes directly from the lotus mouth of Srila Prabhupada. Personally, I am agreeable with many of these succinct reviews. However, what I understand to be the most important principle, the setting of precedent, seems to be only briefly mentioned by many writers. I feel it has not been given the emphasis that it truly deserves.

There is no disagreement amongst most parties that the sacred texts composed by Srila Prabhupada form the foundation of all bonafide spiritual law books extending over the ten thousand year period in which the influence of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s advent is positively repelling the influence of Kaliyuga. Both Eastern and Western religious historical memory should teach us the importance of preserving the "original" writings of each acarya representative of Srila Vyasadeva. I’m not a scholar of Christian/Judaic theology, but I have read about the extensive archaeological research into the recovery of ancient scriptures such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Essenne texts, and the Lost Gospels. Lord Caitanya himself uncovered the original Sanskrit depiction of Brahma Samhita. The six Goswami’s studied all the revealed scriptures, pulling out the essential devotional essences. Many generations of aspiring Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnavas can skyrocket to the top of the spiritual ladder by relying on the Goswamis’ interpretations to be cent per cent in line with siddhanta. The transportation of these sacred writings from Vrindabin to Bengal is an epic story in itself.

In my understanding, the disciple’s role in Srila Prabhupada’s Lila is that we are deputized to "somehow or other" preserve and protect what was given to this planet by Lord Caitanya via Srila Prabhupada, for as long as humanly possible. This is an enormous task, considering we are all conditioned souls. Above and beyond all the "hard assets" such as temples, properties, and all that is contained within, there is the teachings, traditions, culture, and sadhana process to be protected. The latter is enshrined within the copious translations and commentaries of His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, known simply by his followers as "the Books". Those of us who were causelessly granted the benediction of being actively involved in Srila Prabhupada’s manifested ISKCON Lila are hopefully left with an indelible impression concerning the supreme importance Srila Prabhupada put on his literary creative process. This process encompasses his own dedicated dictation, the transcription, editing, proof-reading, illustration, lay-out, printing, distribution, and last but not least, the studying of these personal realizations by his disciples and future followers.

The preservation of this focused mood is paramount if Srila Prabhupada’s legacy is to continue, as he desired and ordered. To tamper with -- even in an attempt to improve -- any aspect of this process is an extremely dangerous proposal. The BBT trustees invested with the responsibility to see that Srila Prabhupada’s book production and distribution formula are carried out bear a tremendous burden of love, and should be complimented. We can be sure they are appropriately benedicted. As in the assumption of any important duties directed by the Spiritual Master to the disciples, there is anticipation of great mercy along with the risk of committing "maha" offenses. Understanding this principle, it would seem extremely reckless to travel down the low road of authorizing major alterations to the books. There is no question that the decision to make changes for the sake of "improvement" was not motivated by complaints from the grassroots devotees about the quality of editing of Srila Prabhupada’s writings. Rather, a few elite members of the BBT unilaterally proceeded with this controversial move, without even discussing it with the GBC at an annual Mayapura meeting.

Jayadvaita Swami adamantly feels that he has a special, exclusive lifetime mandate from Srila Prabhupada. This service has become his personal mission, and has lead to the "going over" of all Srila Prabhupada’s books with an eye to making improvements. His rational is that this editorial work was his duty during Srila Prabhupada’s Lila, and he now feels that no living soul has the right to remove this responsibility, given to him by Srila Prabhupada. Of course, he can’t produce any written orders to this effect. The fact that his Œenlarged and improved" versions are now exclusively printed shows that the BBT trustees accepted his arguments, and agreed to publish the "Jayadvaita Swami" revived versions. Is it not quite imaginable that future erudite "Bhaktivedanta" scholars will point to the editing of Jayadvaita Swami, and criticize his efforts? They will surely point to the fact that he has no academic credentials beyond a high school diploma, and has only a mediocre status as a spiritual scholar.

Many questions arise about the GBC/BBT making this monumental decision to give Jayadvaita Swami "carte blanche" to edit, such as:

1) What are the boundaries established on Jayadvaita Swami’s editing work?

2) Does Jayadvaita Swami have to attain permission from the GBC to begin editing one of Srila Prabhupada’s books? Does he have to give some plausible reason for "improving" a particular book, or does his original argument cover all proposed work?

3) Are the GBC prepared to pass a resolution legislating the precedent set by Jayadvaita Swami’s nebulous lifetime authorization ? that changes may be authorized by him alone for the duration of his life? Can he appoint/authorize anyone (such as Dravida dasa) to take his place, or to do the work on his behalf?

4) Have the GBC considered the enormous implications that would arise should Jayadvaita Swami ever be exposed for forbidden activities unbecoming a disciple, sannyasi, BTG authority, etc.? We can assume that he has been granted this unusual privilege due to his unblemished spiritual track record to-date.

5) How have the foreign translations taken from the original
books been effected by these changes?

6) Are there certain sacred GBC resolutions which cannot be
over-ridden by future GBC? In other words, can we rely on the GBC’s ability to mandate that a "cease and desist" order be upheld in future? We must examine the ramifications that arise if a specific, irrevocable restriction on further tampering is not passed. Imagine the degree of alteration to our Spiritual Master’s books that can occur in one or two hundred years, what to speak of thousands, based on the precedent that has already been established.


Considering the recent political moves made by very highly placed members of the GBC, who were suggesting a merging of various "Mathas" headed-up by Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers and their descendants with Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON, I perceive a real danger for further changes. There have been pleas made by this group to remove Srila Prabhupada’s unflattering comments directed towards his Godbrothers from the books, especially the Caitanya-caritamrta purports. If this influential group achieves their goals, then we can accurately hypothesis that these phrases might well be removed. We will be left to contemplate the precedent set by Jayadvaita Swami’s edits. All this, after only a twenty year period. It doesn’t take a Nostradamus to envision the future transformations awaiting Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Due to the influence of Kaliyuga, compounded by the present reality that Srila Prabhupada’s followers don’t have the benefit of advanced spiritual leadership, it would be very prudent to proceed carefully when it comes to changing anything that was originally established by the Founder-Acarya. Of all the potential alterations, the changing of Srila Prabhupada’s books must be highest on the list of protected items. I haven’t personally research the "recorded" statements made by Srila Prabhupada to his senior disciples, wherein he beseeches them to somehow or other just maintain what has been created, but several of my Godbrothers have. Srila Prabhupada’s repetitive emphasis most certainly included the maintenance of the originality of his books. For those heavily influenced by the mode of passion, maintenance (a symptom of sattva guna) is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Srila Prabhupada’s insistence that the GBC members adopt the brahminical paradigm, rather than the managerial model, may have been done with the hope that this would help to curb the tendency to unnecessarily alter his legacy.

If ISKCON history was accurately documented, we would discover many serious incidences where leaders have struggled to no avail to get Srila Prabhupada to reconsider his vision of how the Society should be managed. Many promising leaders have resigned and/or faded out of ISKCON management due to being at odds with Srila Prabhupada’s de-centralized stance, and his refusal to allow the GBC to establish a worldwide headquarters. One short meeting per year in Mayapura, that’s it. What does this over-all stratagy tell us about Srila Prabhupada’s deep understanding of the historical dynamics causing spiritual/preaching societies to transform into bureaucratic populous "religions"? By such transformation, they loose the direct empowerment needed for enthusiastic "siddhantically correct" preaching to continue, unimpeded by the impersonal nature of "officialdom".

It requires a higher state of Krsna consciousness to simply maintain Srila Prabhupada’s legacy than it does to passionately expand, madly off in all directions. If only we could come to grips with the sad reality that we are all in varying stages of material conditioning, thus subject to the four defects. This means that every time we have a bright idea, regardless of whether we think it is divinely inspired, it could very well be a mental concoction. We have to be extremely careful, but our post-samadhi history tells a much different story. It is a pathetic tale filled with vikarmic reactions, received due to the many acts of reckless abandonment paraded before us under the title of "bold preaching". The Zonal Acarta System was fed to us as a bold and necessary "preaching stratagy", a sort of transcendental motivational tool. Brahminical objectors, like Pradyumna dasa, Yasodananda dasa, Kailasa dasa, et al., earned instant designations as anti-preaching, un-surrendered, un-cooperative, and mega-envious. Yet they were merely suggesting that the frantic leadership not rush headlong into a program without thoroughly researching all the
spiritual, sociological, and psychological angles! An honest historical account will reveal that these radical changes were "ideas" that were presented and nixed by Srila Prabhupada during his presence. The creative concocters feigned compliance, but obviously didn’t surrender to their Spiritual Master’s order. Thus, they gained no realization.

It is no wonder that after twenty years of erratic adjustments, so many just want to go back to the "original" and start over again. Whether this is possible is yet to be seen, but the desire is so strong that even the proxy initiation system is gaining increasing popularity. The only truly unquestionable change is that Srila Prabhupada is no longer physically present to curb down our strong tendencies to change everything, except ourselves.