04/30/98 - 1775

Temples of Misunderstanding

USA (VNN) - by Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti

To those who care for Vaisnavas and their impact in the world.

Constructing the empire Architecture and development of structures reflect the concept and conception of those, who conceive them and manifest their presence.

It is rather noticeable that the architecture of ISKCON in their projects in India is some kind of cement worship.

My recent visit to the New Delhi Mandir - the glory of India project, reinforced my conviction that bureaucracy and proud show-off of grandeur will come to reveal itself in an embarrassing way. The lack of sensitivity for the individual Vaisnava is reflected in the lack of sensitivity for the very nature. Ferro-concrete monstrous structures give no hint to Vedic culture and seem to oppress the saintly nature of the humble Vaisnava.

True there was opulence in Hastinapura, but the only reason we give any importance to this place is because of the humble and virtuous Yudhistira Maharaj and not because of Duryodhona and his fellow power mongers.

It presses hard on our mind to think of the eras of the “great” powerful man on earth, and how they wanted to become immortalized by leaving some construction behind to show that nobody has done it before them. ISKCON’s plan to built the biggest temple on earth in Mayapur can already be preconceived as similar failure even if they get to start or even finish that project. Cold buildings, without harmony in the surroundings. A government of misunderstanding to built a temple of understanding. The tourist may keep flocking in, but the witness of time screams for a different concept of the glorious teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

Emperors and dictators are different in their concept of their subordinates. Embellished royalties give rise to esthetic decor of their pleasure-gardens and Palaces, nowadays supplied with Jacuzzis and Air-conditioning by their imitators. Castles of power, monuments of the past, where military might was the very only way to tell of who would be ruling. Dictators in turn prefer to show their “unlimited power” by the might of size alone. Aesthetic embellishment they reserve for their private scenery.

Gigantic monuments of the powerful, some bunker to defy the forces of nature, lastly it becomes the silent testimony of a ruthless creature in the height of power.

Even art must submit to them. The fashistoid value of beauty silently collaborated by Stalinist aesthetics, will try to provide us the powerful impression that these man were capable of anything. But the individual artist later become embarrassed of having sold out their individuality to the false values of a “big muscle” culture.

I recognize that due to the Aisvarya mood in South Indian temples, it is common there to see gigantic Temple complexes quite different to the mood of the temples in Vrindavan. But the brahminical culture carefully preserved in these temple developments and their wonderful love for all the details have helped them not to loose the charm to their own practitioners.

Different in ISKCON. Big is beautiful is a very American concept. A beauty which carries no charm for those who look for love and heart to heart exchanges on the teachings of the loving Vaisnavas. Their own members are in constant anxieties by trying to confine their missions glory within the powerful compound walls.

Their constructive critical members or those who want to question some siddhantic misunderstanding are neither given an ear nor find a ground for justice. (What to speak about mercy). They have to face the prison rule of power. YOU ARE EXCOMMUNICATED. Since we do not have a jail, we expel you from our powerful Zoos and our precooked Philosophy deliveries. And now we have adjusted our inner hankering and frustration to a few new gadgets to make life more tolerable. We are open minded totally ignoring the example of our Founder Acarya Srila Prabhupada, towards Ghost invocations and Ghost hunts, Reiki business, Tarot, I Ching, UFO speculations, and a great variety of other very strange activities such as illegal metal detector treasure searches at ancient Indian monuments. But under no condition will they tolerate that any of their members may become exposed to a Vaisnava -outside of ISKCON.

Blaming it all on Srila Prabhupada and their “absolute” adherence to him alone, they keep pounding into the heads of their newcomers.” All Gaudiya Math devotees are our enemies. They may be devotees but they must contaminate you. You will give pain to Srila Prabhupada by even looking at them.

One young western Gaudiya Math Sannyasi was traveling in India and decided to visit the new ISKCON Bangalore temple. After a long train ride he got there for evening arotik. After seeing the impressive huge temple he noticed that only very few devotees were living in this mega hotel size compound. When he asked whether he could stay over night the temple authority told him to go and get a hotel room.

His impressive visit was just a symptom of how ISKCON views a non ISKCON Vaisnava. On the other hand ISKCON’s western Vaisnavas have been generously received, treated and respected by Gaudiya Math in general. Whether in Jagannath Puri or in other cities of India, ISKCON devotees have stopped by and took Prasad on noumerous occasions in Gaudiya Math temples. In the Gaudiya Math and I do generalize here to the point of inaccuracy, even a simple ISKCON Temple president is highly respected, what to speak of a Sannyasi or Acarya. On the other side even a simple newcomer in ISKCON is already trained to not even talk with a Gaudiya Math devotee what to speak of respecting their efforts and leaders. Another prove is that when ISKCON’s sponsored a Sarasvat Gaudiya Vaisnava Association many Gaudiya Math Sannyasis, even disciples of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati attended those meetings and expressed the best appreciation of ISKCON’s efforts. In return when Gaudiya Math invited ISKCON to participate in a WVA (World Vaisnava Association) unification effort of all Vaisnava missions. Official ISKCON chose for five years to totally ignore that effort.

This is a one sided relationship of generous appreciation which is attributed by ISKCON leaders only to their own estimation of their own greatness which have made the Gaudiya Math submit to ISKCONS diplomatic maneuver of the Sarasvat G.V.A. That is far from the truth. Even though Western might and Eastern sight could go a far way if the sectarian arrogance could be overcome. Truth is, and Srila Prabhupada surely deserves this clarification, that a Vaisnava in his line respects all Vaisnavas and worships the truth above all other considerations. If we choose to cling to “Srila Prabhupada said” with distorted interpretations then why do you not cling to his last words to Srila B. Promod Puri Maharaj where he said. “Maharaj, the war is over. Prabhupada wanted us all to cooperate. Please convey to all my brothers that I beg them to forgive me for my offenses I made to them in my preaching.” Srila Puri Maharaj answered: "You have not done any offenses." Again Srila Prabhupada insisted.” No Maharaj I know what I am saying and I want all of them to know that I want to be forgiven by them for my offenses.”

Do we want Srila Prabhupada’s heart and last feelings to govern our lasting relationship to the Gaudiya Math Vaisnavas of our own family. Or do we want to be guided by some thing he said in a moment of disgust after hearing some critical remarks made against him or some mistake done by some other Gaudiya Math devotee. These quotes now serve perfectly to hide all our mistakes behind the emotional curtain of our so called Prabhupada only love.

Simultaneously we alienate all those who appreciate real sadhu sanga. Like in a vicious circle. We make a mistake and alienate some devotees. They talk to their friends in the movement and we repeat the mistake of condemning them. Then all have to leave and we become even more resentful and offensive. This again will be noticed by their friends in the movement who again have to choose to be with the truth or with the powerful institution. Then this situation of animosity will lead to the clear need of the individuals to redefine their own spiritual status which leads to the (by ISKCON) so much feared reinitiation. They blame it on others but force it upon their own. From behind the compound walls they keep yelling their slogans: “Without Prabhupada, all you outside will just go to hell. We have him tight here alone. His grace cannot go beyond our confined walls.”

This is going on and it pains all of us to see how there is no sensitivity to this issue from ISKCON’s leaders. Communication is on an all time low and Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaj and Srila B.V. Puri Maharaj are the latest victims of the GBC slander politics, regardless to the fact they were respected in ISKCON previously as proves that Gaudiya Math approves of ISKCON’s behavior by inviting them regularly to speak in ISKCON temples and even tour ISKCON projects in Europe. The institution blindly hits in all directions, only hitting the unexpected targets within their own group. Blind and angry they create hell within their own heaven. Just like their distorted teaching of the fall down from Goloka now they have to experience the same story. Every day some prominent member is missing. What happened? Where is he? He fell down . He went to the Gaudiya Math. He got contaminated. He is doing Braj Mandal Parikrama and listening to classes for the first time in the last ten years. He must be the victim of anti GBC poison.
I consider myself a ISKCON well-wisher. Last not least, ISKCON provided the cradle for my start in the Vaisnava family. I even feel that ISKCON and our service in the preaching world is identical in purpose and thus one. But I could never subscribe to their behavior with other Vaisnava missions, nor with their way of dealing with their own members.

Let me tell you a story which reveals where ISKCON is standing and where Krishna is standing.

One time in 1984 after I had left ISKCON in the company of 100 Vaisnavas due to the prohibition to take instructions from Srila Sridhar Maharaj we were living in Columbia and had been preaching in five temples. When we decided to leave ISKCON we had a big meetings and invited those who wanted to stay with ISKCON to take a temple of their choice. They choose to stay with the temple in Medellin.
Shortly after I started to get calls from the Guerrilla forces of Colombia. Their message was to me. Get out of Columbia or we kill you. I thought this to be a ISKCON scare tactic, since the Guerrilla had never bothered us before. The calls kept coming daily for six weeks, declaring me to be the enemy of the Colombian people. This was not the real situation because I was only there due to the request of the Columbine devotees who had left ISKCON with me being tired of the politics and Interventions in our life coming from insensitive North American Guru and GBC people who had only created years of suffering which have no place here to be told.
Then one morning the City of Medellin was under Guerrilla attack. One of the targets was the ISKCON temple in Medellin, which was totally destroyed from the bombs. I received a call the same day. The guerrilla asked me: "How did you like our gift in Medellin. The next one we will put right into your hands if you don’t leave." The picture was clear. ISKCON had painted me as the imperialistic person which takes away the temples from the Colombians. But they failed to explain that one temple was in their control. Balance: ISKCON bombed their own temple in Medellin. (Fortunately, due to a weekend tour of the devotees there were no casualties).

Next thing was six month later. The police arrived and I was arrested. Accused of many illegal activities such as kidnapping, smuggling and forgery, ISKCON’s representative had put a case against me. After hours of interrogation I realized that they had made up so many lies to make my preaching impossible. I was disheartened and the judge pronounced an immediate deportation order. At the end he asked me whether I wanted to say anything in my defense. I wanted to set the record straight and while the secretary typed I told the whole story of ISKCON in Colombia. The Guru politics, their attempt to bomb me, their war against the Gaudiya Math and the frustration of the devotees which led them to send all North American GBC members back to their mothers and to start a Colombian Vaisnava family with guidance from Srila Sridhar Maharaj.

Simultaneously without my knowledge some devotees had managed to get an interview with the General in charge of the Colombian police. They told him the whole story as well and pleaded on my behalf. After some time he called for me and for the deportation order. Slowly he red the entire document. Then he looked at us and talked while he was tearing the deportation order: "Congratulation for your good work." You have nothing to worry in Colombia. You will get a legal permanent Visa here. You are free and can go to your temple.”

I never wrote these two stories before, not to embarrass ISKCON, but it seems to be necessary to set some old records straight in order not to keep repeating the same old mistakes. Great crimes have been committed in ISKCON. Let us all help them to stop all that nonsense and come to the real platform of Srila Prabhupada's real loving spirit. Whoever, whether in ISKCON or in the Gaudiya Math focuses on the buildings and creates power-structures will loose the preaching potency, purity and capacity to discriminate properly.

I want things to change but I am convinced that only within a forum of true Vaisnava freedom and the deep acceptance of unity in diversity will we be able to fix the broken.

We have the finest philosophy of the world and we are to serve the whole world with an army of Brahmins, who can all stand on their own feet and still speak the same eternal truth. One by one, in their own words, but all connected to the link of Sri Chaitya Guru and service to the one and only Lord in the heart.

Even if we digitize the whole truth and feed it into our computers we will still not be able to extract an ounce of wisdom. That can only be derived from a loving heart. From a Vaisnava saint who will give life to our dried up hearts and bring about the flourishing of our own wisdom through devotional affection.

This is a far cry from those who conduct meetings of committees who judge over the lives of those they neither know nor gave them a chance to speak.

We will properly see more concrete bunkers being constructed to make a clear statement of their whereabouts. Even if they have a personal humble Vaisnava demeanor they still cannot hide the fact that Srila Prabhupada is not satisfied with the current state of affairs and that the attitude to blame it all on others is not Vaisnava like at all.
Thank you for giving me a chance to speak to you.

Vaisnava dasanu das
Swami B.A.Paramadvaiti