05/05/98 - 1783

Oath to Institution - Stay with us or Kill Yourself

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

Dear Vaisnavas
Dandavat Pranams

It is so good to see some devotees declaring the need to stand up against authorities if they deviate from Srila Prabhupada. The Oath of loyalty to Iskcon is offensive to Srila Prabhupada. He did not start that. In Mayapur devotees are including to promise in their initiation vow to never leave Iskcon.

And what is the practical application of this concept? Here is my story to give you a good example.

I was regional secretary for Iskcon in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica in 1983. I presented a paper to all the GBC's where I complained about the already famous issues of authority abuse and siddhantic deviations. I requested the GBC to deal with these issues. I also wrote that if they, as usual ignore our call for protection against Zonal Guru politics etc., I would consider leaving Iskcon.

In Mayapur I was cited to appear before the privilege committee of the GBC which included dignities such as Atria Rsi Prabhu, Balavanta Prabhu, Rupanuga Prabhu, Satsvarupa Goswami and Jagadish Prabhu and some others. The spokesperson told me: “You have dared to declare that you could leave Iskcon. This has defeated all your points. You should better have committed suicide before ever even thinking that you could leave Iskcon. You lost your service of preaching in the countries where you represented Iskcon. You must travel for six month with Jayapataka Maharaj to learn what is a leader in Iskcon.”

I walked out of this meeting having lost all faith in the sincerity of these leaders. After 12 years of non-stop service and collecting for Iskcon I was not aloud to think for myself. It is long ago and ever since I have been declared an enemy of Srila Prabhupada in Iskcon. That hurts and it is not true. I am not a devotee yet, but I have still a desire to serve Srila Prabhupada.

I am happy now, that years after this some devotees are starting to openly question this intimidation machine created by the GBC. Without a forum like the VNN such notes as this one would just disappear in the garbage of the GBC secretary.

Now they "prohibit" Zonal Gurus. Do you think they may have considered to apologize ever? I still consider my service a valid branch of Srila Prabhupada’s family. I was not invited back to Iskcon in all those years neither in writing nor in person.

Only once, I was visited in Colombia by Jayadvaita Swami. After a two hour discussion, in which our difference in opinion surfaced, I asked him: “Maharaj what purpose do I owe your visit too?" He answered: “We want you to give up the Name Iskcon*. We want you to stop printing books. We want you to stop open temples without permission.” I told him: “If I will listen to you tomorrow you will charge me for chanting Hare Krishna claiming that you got the Copyrights on it.” If you want to get more details you can read the book the Search for Purity, which gives an account of my attempt to reason and discuss with the loyalists of the loyal in Iskcon.

daso smi
Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti
AKA as Alanath das Brahmacary

*In Colombia all the leading devotees did not accept that I, who had been with them from the beginning, be prohibited to continue my service with them. They invited me to stay with them and to give up our connection with the GBC. When we realized that all devotees were of the same opinion we decided to stay where we are and to simply tell the GBC to look for engagement somewhere else. Thus we continued with the corporation Iskcon Colombia