08/06/98 - 1970

Harikesh Falldown: The Opinion of a Srila Prabhupada Grandisciple

USA (VNN) - by Aniruddha das

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada! All glories to our illustrious guru parampara! All glories to Sri Gauranga and Sri Nityananda!

What inspired me to write this letter was Ameyatma das article "This Madness Must be Stopped". English is not my maternal language, so please excuse my deficiencies in regards to grammar and vocabulary. After all, I want to say that I´m a so-called "grandisciple" of Srila Prabhupada although I joined ISKCON in 1976, when His Divine Grace was still amongst us. So I think that my 23 years of commitment and service to the institution gives me ample right to express the following points. Besides, I have no personal motive whatsoever apart from conveying my own realization.

I appreciate Ameyatma Prabhu´s straightforward and unabashed presentation of his viewpoints (despite his sometimes crude remarks). I agree with him 100% in that we should call a spade a spade: Harikesh das has fallen down due to the heavy weight of his offenses. It´s irresponsible and useless trying to justify him --a sentimental act. Of course, all of us are deeply sorry that such a disgrace happened, and we should make any brotherly attempt to help him. But that doesn´t mean that we should not see things in the proper spiritual siddhanta, and come up, again, with the wrong conclusions. The GBC action of downplaying or covering up this whole affair is but another shameless attempt to deceive the devotees in order to retain their hegemony. The old politics game.

Harikesh das falldown must be a hallmark to purify the leadership of ISKCON once and for all, and to ponder deeply about the future of Srila Prabhupada´s Movement. I don´t want to bring in their past and most celebrated blunders (because according to the Gita we should not judge the devotees retroactively), but let me tell you that the delusion is still going on: I can personally bear witness of today´s hypocrisy and megalonamia of my local GBC and regional secretary. I cannot speak for the rest of them, although judging by second-hand referrals, their performance is also far from acceptable.

In 1995 I wrote a letter to one GBC-guru wherein I state the following: "It is very sad and painful to see how persons that at a particular time harshly criticized the first ISKCON gurus and the infamous "zonal system," instead of learning the lesson and realizing the fact that what ISKCON really needs are leaders that shine forth purity and real humility, now that they are in charge they are also being carried away by the same desires (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur calls them "anarthas") of securing labha, puja and pratistha."

Back in 1985, when the validity of the Rittvik system was being analyzed by a group of devotees, I suggested that the best course of action, philosophically speaking, was for the leadership of ISKCON to conduct an exhaustive investigation on the matter, not only from Srila Prabhupada´s books and teachings (because judging by the results, the official GBC interpretation of such tattva has proved to be inaccurate to say the least), but consulting also the acharyas and panditas of the four Vaisnava sampradayas, including, of course, the senior members of our Gaudiya sampradaya. We have to be honest and acknowledge that to resolve this delicate and crucial issue requires a sort of wisdom and experience that is beyond the grip of any ISKCON member.

Of course, this statement will generate a lot of controversy. But, in light of the latest setbacks (Rohini-kumar, Isvara, Harikesh and many others kept hidden), this approach should be soberly considered. We should humbly recognized our pathetic failure in implementing this most important aspect of our devotional science, and look forward for a healing, practical and definite solution. We cannot cheat the devotees anymore. Up to now we have been forced to rely on the GBC´s competence and sense of discrimination, but it´s obvious to me that they don´t deserve our trust anymore.

In support of the above-mentioned suggestion, I will say that our philosophy doesn´t depend only on the verdict of guru. All these years we have been trying to accommodate Prabhupada´s teachings to the standard (or lack of it) of the current ISKCON gurus. And the result has been disastrous. We have to supplement Prabhupada´s vision on guru-tattva with the illuminating input of sastra and the living. sadhus. To solve SCIENTIFICALLY all matters we have to rely on guru, sastra and sadhu, not only in one or two of these. Otherwise, we are fanatics. Just for the record, I will tell you that even though I´m deeply disappointed with the performance of my diksa-guru, I have never look for reinitiation out of faithfulness for Srila Prabhupada. This is my way of "cooperating" with ISKCON and showing my love for him.

The problem is that the leadership of ISKCON has created the impression that beyond them there are no truly sadhus. To discourage devotees to approach genuine sadhus, they put forward the old cliché that "Prabhupada´s godbrothers are envious." "We have to protect ISKCON." "Everything is in Prabhupada´s books."

I will tell from my personal experience that my scarce four hours of association with a Prabhupada´s godbrother (Bhakti Bhaivava Puri Maharaja) were more valuable than 10 years of association with my local GBC! In a few sentences he got rid of my ignorance and confusion. And believe me: I found on his part not a trace of personal ambition or lack of devotion for Srila Prabhupada.

After Srila Prabhupada´s disappearance, just when the first incongruencies arise, Sridhara Maharaja advised Ramesvara das envoy, (Deera Krishna das), that the new ISKCON gurus should go out of Srila Prabhupada´s temples, and try to make their own centers and disciples by the strength of their preaching. Prabhupada´s temples should remain in the care of his disciples (with him as the sole central figure), and that would avoid friction between them and their fellow guru-godbrothers. There are a lot of implications here, but the point I want to make is that if the GBC would have obeyed that single, unselfish instruction, what a difference would it have made! Instead of encroaching in Srila Prabhupada´s legacy, these persons would really have proved their actual stature and sincerity. But no, the GBC decided that they were wiser than Sridhara Maharaja. They not only rejected him, but openly started to criticize him, highlighting only the controversial side of Prabhupada long-standing relationship with him. This is just an example of how disregarding the advice of sadhus can create havoc.

Please understand that following such a wise instruction would not mean disloyalty towards Srila Prabhupada. After all, Prabhupada wasn´t anymore present in the planet. And he recommended that we approach his godbrothers for "practical" advice.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and all holy scriptures strongly warn us against committing offenses to other living entities, specially against the lotus feet of advanced vaisnavas. And it is here where I disagree with Ameyatma Prabhu: I don´t believe the major cause of Harikesh falldown is for having sued Hansadutta and spending half a million dollars in legal fees. After all, this is the "American" way of settling things. Of course, it´s regrettable that they chose the courts instead of the "love and trust" that should prevail in vaisnava dealings.

I strongly believe Harikesh das has fallen down on account of committing vaisnava- aparadha against devotees of all levels (godbrothers, ISKCON members, etc.), and specially against exalted Vaisnavas such as Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja and Srila Narayana Maharaja, to mention a few. He has also fallen down due to implementing wrongly Srila Prabhupada´s last will and instructions, imitating him instead of following in his footsteps. To sustain my claim I could refer to the classical examples found in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, but just to quote something new I will relate you a passage I read two days ago from Chapter Twenty of the book "The Story of Rasikananda," edited by Bhakti Vikasa Swami (ISKCON leader): "Once when Rasika was staying at Balaramapura, twenty Vaisnavas came to his place. He welcomed them and offered them rice, cooking paraphernalia and all other ingredients. One of Rasika´s servants informed him that only ghee was missing. Although it was in the middle of the night, Rasika immediately went to the city to bring some ghee. But in the darkness he could not see the correct path. Inadvertently he entered into the house of a yavana, who was sitting on his bed enjoying the company of his wife. Seeing Rasika enter his room, the yavana seized him and began to beat him.

"Rasika caught hold of his hand and told him with a smile: ´My dear great personality, why are you beating me? Your hand will become sore from striking my hard body.´ The Mogul was astonished to hear this. He released his grip and fell to the ground, holding the feet of Rasika.

"After this, Rasika continued his way. He collected the ghee and returned home to continue serving the Vaisnavas. Thereafter, within a few days the Mogul lost all his elephants and horses. Moreover, his property was destroyed and all his wifes died. Everyone was astonished to see the influence of Rasika. Shortly thereafter the frightened Mogul came to take shelter at his feet. He said: ´I´m a fool because I did not recognize your position. Please be kind to me".

We in ISKCON has been routinely committing vaisnava-aparadha. Individually because there are leaders who actually articulate the verbal offenses. And collectively because the mass of devotees (trained to follow blindly) repeat the offensive statements issued by our so-called leaders. In Caitanya-Bhagavata Narada Muni says: "One who is openly fallen hurts only himself, whereas a phony saint is worse, because he drags all of his followers with him." And how curious: have you ask yourself why the whole Movement is suffering immensely right now? How it is possible that a "powerful acharya" such as Harikesh das has fallen down in spite of his printing and distributing million of Prabhupada´s books? How it is possible that even after hearing about this gross falldown, the mass of devotees cannot ascertain the cause of it? It seems to me that we are in darkness on account of the commission of massive vaisnava-aparadhas.

I have always said that one of the greatest mysteries is to determine what kind of relationship has Sri Krishna or Srimati Radharani with a particular jiva or devotee. After all, we are all his beloved parts and parcels. You have to exert your greatest discretion in treating devotees: "A person who calls one Vaisnava a ´big Vaisnava´ and another a ´little Vaisnava´ may be peaceful and happy for now, but for how long will he remain peaceful and happy? One should avoid a person who offends Vaisnavas, even if that person is otherwise very qualified. A little association with an offender will make one fall down.

"From Brahma down to the grass, every living being is Lord Krishna´s energy. Therefore, the sastras declare, ´Lord Krishna becomes very angry with anyone who blasphemes another living being.´ If a person studies the four Vedas and then blasphemes others, he will fall into hell and suffer birth after birth. The sin of blasphemy robs all intelligence, and fills the heart with suffering. Lord Caitanya delivers anyone, except the sinners who blasphemes Vaisnavas". ("Appreciating Navadvipa Dhama," Mahanidhi Swami, p. 198).

Also comes to my mind the following reminiscence of Sudama Prabhu recorded in Part Five of the Memories of Srila Prabhupada video series: "Prabhupada told me: ´If somebody thinks that he is spiritually advanced and plays a role, then he becomes mad.´"

I never personally meet Gour Govinda Maharaja, but after reading just two of his books, I realized that this person was "the self-effulgent acharya" that Srila Prabhupada foretold would eventually emerged from his disciples. But again, instead of appreciating the high spiritual status of their godbrother (by the way, this sadhu belonged to ISKCON), the majority of gurus and GBC´s felt threatened by him. Because Gour Govinda Swami had a far greater level of spiritual realization than his fellow guru-godbrothers, they never got a chance of understanding his position, and consequently either envy him or opposed him. Even when he gloriously but prematurely left his body on Gour Purnima in Mayapur (according to one of his disciples, he left because he was deeply frustrated by the way he was treated in ISKCON), one of his godbrothers openly try to ridicule him in the Iskcon World Review, now Hare Krishna World. Post-mortem envy.

Out of fear and greed, these lower class of devotees pretend they can check the movements of an empowered Vaisnava. And doing so, they commit a horrible aparadha. The same thing is happening now in regards with Srila Narayan Maharaja. Because they are afraid of him, the GBC´s are trying unsuccessfully to shield ISKCON from his authoritative and soul-lifting preaching. In order to retain their hegemony, they are quoting Prabhupada anachronicly and out of context. But as I told my local GBC: "Devotionally speaking, you don´t come close even the toe of Gour Govinda Maharaja or Narayana Maharaja."

The cause of our leaders falldown is pride. And as you know, pride is opposite to humility, the crown-jewel of all Vaisnava qualities: "Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: ´ami ta´ vaisnava´ ei buddhi haile amani na ha ba ami... If this things enters your mind, ´Oh, I am a great Vaisnava or Sadhu now,´ a demon enters into you. Then you will develop pride and become puffed-up. Now you will demand respect. You will never pay respect. But Mahaprabhu says, amanina manada: ´Don´t demand respect, pay respect to one and all´. But if someone thinks, ´I´m a great sadhu or Vaisnava now,´ you cannot become amani and pay respect to all. You will demand respect now, and your heart will become contaminated. Pratisthasa --you will run after name, fame, prestige and adoration. That is material gain and thus your heart will become contaminated. Prathithasa ami ´hrdaya duyibe haiba nirayagami´. ´Then I will go to hell.´

"To criticize a Vaisnava, find fault with a Vaisnava, or speak ill of a Vaisnava, these are all vaisnava-aparadhas. But why shall such vaisnava-aparadha take place? Why shall there be criticism, enviousness and hatred in the society of Vaisnavas? This vaisnava-aparadha is most severe anartha. Bhakti-devi will disappear and one will never be able to develop prema-bhakti. So generally, out of enviousness and fear, this vaisnava-aparadha takes place. Where there are both enviousness and fear, this vaisnava-aparadha takes place. And when this aparadha is committed, krodha, or anger, will arise. That offender will become very angry with that Vaisnava. He is afraid of him because he is a very powerful Vaisnava. ´He´s making rapid advancement whereas I am not making such advancement. Fear comes. ´Most of the people will be attracted to him, nobody will be attracted to me´. So, it is only because of enviousness that this hatred and criticism arises and, therefore, he speaks ill or that Vaisnava and concots stories". ("Sri Guru-vandana," Gour Govinda Swami, p. 76, 46).

There are many considerations and lessons to be learn from Harikesh falldown, but I just wanted to mention the ones I believe are the most relevant. One thing is sure: all this hypocrisy and cheating cannot go on. All of Srila Prabhupada disciples and grandisciples should soberly meet and take the necessary and SCIENTIFIC steps to avoid the dissapereance of ISKCON.

Finally, I want to end my presentation by quoting several passages from the book "The Hearth of Krsna" written by Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja: "By offending a devotee who has taken shelter in the Holy Name, the taste for chanting disappears. One hovers on the material plane of consciousness plagued by desires which bring misfortune and inauspiciousness.

"If a person witnesses an offense to a pure Vaisnava, he must vehemently protest. If he is unable to do so, with deep regret he must leave the place at once and cut off all connection with the offender. We must never minimize the seriousness or vaisnava-aparadha. Neither should we attempt to defend the offender on the basis of mundane considerations, as this will become an act of complicity which will destroy our spiritual progress and even our material well-being. Therefore devotees must always be extremely careful not to become an accomplice to vaisnava-aparadha. We must always remember how Lord Siva´s wife went so far as to relinquish her body upon hearing offensive words about her Vaisnava husband.

"It is a grave offense to treat a Vaishnava as a non-Vaishnava, or to judge him by mundane standards. Equally offensive is to praise a non-Vaishnava and worship him as a Vaishnava, or to glorify a neophyte devotee as and advanced devotee.

"One who has developed pure love for the Supreme Lord, who is immersed in meditation on the Holy Name, whose heart is constantly searching for Krishna while sincerely crying out to him --such a person in undoubtedly a Vaishnava who can purify the entire world. Under no condition does pride, honor, or even worship affect him. He is always ready to offer obeisances to everyone because he sees all living beings as part of Krishna. Such an exalted person would never insult even an ordinary jiva, what to speak of a Vaishnava.

"The singing of the Holy Names ot the Divine Couple is the highest form of kirtana and the most exalted form of worship. This is real culture and should be the ultimate goal of human civilization. But if aparadha against Hari, guru, and Vaishnavas infect the heart, then we digress from the spiritual path and are dragged onto the miserable path of hedonism.

"Even if the offender is extremely learned, he will be hurled down to the lowest hell. The Holy Name of Krishna is the most potent of purifying agents, but the Vaishnava-offender cannot be acquitted of his offense even by chanting the Holy Name. Blasphemy or criticism of saintly persons is the most damaging offense a person can commit against the Holy Name. "The Vedas unequivocally declare that if anyone hears insults against a Vaishnava he loses all his accumulated piety and is cast into abominable conditions birth after birth.

"Pretenders usurp the elevated seats of saints and misguide the general populace in the name of religion. They encourage the public to engage in false practices and to criticize the actual representatives of religion principles, the Vaishnavas. They destroy themselves as well as their unfortunate followers. Unwary people gather to hear spiritual instructions from these charlatans, but end up hearing insults against actual saintly persons. Believing in such teachings, followers of false gurus pave their way to hell. Vrindavan das Thakura says: ´People eagerly hear spiritual instructions from a man who they think is a saintly person ["rubber-stamped"] by his external appearance. Instead they hear criticism directed against real saints, and due to this offense they plunge into the abyss.´

"Mahaprabhu will not tolerate any offenses to his devotees regardless of who the offender is. In fact He was even once displeased with His own mother, Sacidevi, because she offended Advaita Acharya. Mahaprabhu said that until she begged the Acharya´s forgiveness, she would never attain krsna-prema. Mahaprabhu used this incident to illustrate the dangers of committing nama-aparadha, specially vaishnava- aparadha.

"Vrindavan dasa Thakura focuses our attention on this crucial point: ´If someone even as powerful as Lord Shiva offends a Vaishnava, then according to the scriptures he is destroyed.´ As for those foolish persons who are ignorant of this fact and commit vaishnava-aparadha, they must suffer untold pains, birth after birth. Even Lord Gaurasundara´s mother was not spared the reaction for committing vaishnava- aparadha. Srila Saraswati Thakura writes in his purport: ´If even the Supreme Lord´s mother--most blessed among women--had to face the consequences of vaishnava- aparadha, one can only imagine the outcome for an ordinary soul´. ...Simply thinking about it makes one shudder.

"´...Even the most sacred assembly loses its sanctity with the slightest criticism of pure devotees. In fact, a party of rogues (dacoits) is far better than such an unholy assembly. At least a rogue still has a chance someday to be excused for his sinful behavior, but an offender is bound to hell.´

"Vrindavan das Thakur writes that even a veteran Vaishnava has to suffer the consequences for disrespecting another Vaishnava. Even a person born a Brahmin due to previous deeds does not have a right to act or speak arrogantly or to harbor disparaging thoughts about a Vaishnava. Such thoughts will cause chaos in his life. He becomes controlled by lust, greed, and anger, and madly chases after women, fame and fortune. He becomes totally absorbed in material life, and his attachments so thickly cover his vision that even death cannot open his eyes to the truth of the hell that awaits him.

"An offender may chant and perform acts of devotion, but they are mere play- acting: in a million lifetimes they will not bear the fruit of devotion. What is the use of such bhajana and sadhana if the only medium through whom Krishna´s mercy descends is denigrated? It is impossible to receive the Supreme Lord´s grace if the blessings of the guru and the Vaishnava are ignored.

"My dear devotees, I beg you: ´Please do not commit vaishnava-aparadha´."

Your servant,

Aniruddha das