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November 7, 1998   VNN2472  

Challenge to Jayapataka Swami and the GBC

BY JAYAPATAKA SWAMI

MAYAPUR, INDIA, Nov 7 (VNN) —

Description: Text COM:1827853
From: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)
Date: 05-Nov-98 11:51
To: GBC Discussions [6999]
Subject: Challenge to JPS and to the GBC:

Camp: Bhisma Pancaka, Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, Sri Mayapur Dham, INDIA

My Dear Godbrother Kalakantha Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Thank you for your letter cited below with my comments. I have noted the contents carefully.

> Dear Jayapataka Maharaja (with copy to GBC
> discussions),
>
> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to
> Srila Prabhupada.
>
> Thank you for your letter in response to my criticisms
> about your remarks to the GBC concerning the ISKCON
> reform exercise in Alachua. You've written, "I don't
> know what I can do to heal the wound which I
> inadvertently opened. I am open to any suggestion from
> you."
>
> I appreciate your offer to help heal this wound. You
> say you did not read my Alachua report to the GBC
> carefully, hence your remarks. I accept that.

I am glad that you have accepted my apologies and things are straight on that account.

> Please carefully read this suggestion.
>
> I suggest that you submit yourself to an anonymous,
> non-binding vote of confidence among your GBC
> Godbrothers in your ISKCON capacities as initiating
> guru and GBC Zonal Secretary.

Whatever system of review, accountability and improvement the GBC implemented up to now I have as humbly as possible cooperated with. I have been reviewed by the 50 Man committee. Recently by the Deputy GBC's who are mainly not my Godbrothers. However, to be reviewed by disciples or those on the level of disciples (who are not GBC members) seems out of the etiquette and had a detrimental effect in regards to faith in the Guru institution in ISKCON in my humble opinion.

As far as communicating with me, why only the GBC members, I am open to any of my godbrothers, godsisters or any devotee writing to me or discussing with me about anything I am doing. I am trying to act on the principles of sadhu, sastra and guru that I have understood although I think I have room for improvement. As a Guru anything I do I must be prepared to defend since it is my duty to act according to sadhu, sastra and guru.

> Your two letters have deeply inspired me to speak up.

I am glad something I did has inspired you.

> I am but one of many zoneless, discipleless,
> penniless, voiceless members of ISKCON who are fed up
> with the high-profile, Prabhupada-obscuring level of
> guru worship which you practice, teach, and defend.

Well here you define me as:

1) high-profile:

I have been trying to understand what this High Profile thing is. I live in India were there are 200,000 sadhus according to official estimates. Tens of thousands of Gurus. Amongst all these gurus I am certainly in the lowest 5% in terms of Guru Profile. Maybe the profile required in India is different than that in Alachua. What is the standard to judge High, Medium and Low. I think I am medium to medium-low profile. If you want to see high then look at videos of Bhagavan at his peak. Look at Sankaracarya coming into the Kumbha Mela with a Gold staff on his Elephant with thousands of Naga Baba's dancing with Trishula's in front of him. That is high profile. See the Sri Sampradaya Guru going with someone banging a gong in front to clear the crowds and a servant caring his wooden shoes for devotees to touch as he walks. That is high profile. ISKCON Guru profile is almost an underground movement now. Hardly anything is open or public.

How can following Srila Prabhupada's instructions in regard to Guru-disciple relationship be considered "Prabhupada-obscuring"? You state you are fed up, but never once have you personally communicated with me what is your concern and how you feel I could be a better servant of Srila Prabhupada in regards to my duties as a Spiritual Master in ISKCON. I have been struggling to understand what it is that I am doing against the instructions of Srila Prabhupada that can be considered "High Profile". My standard was considered the lowest Profile of ISKCON spiritual masters at one point in ISKCON's history. Gradually the "High Profile" gurus have left and now I am left so it seems everyone is ganging up on me. It would be nice if you shared with me what I am doing that is against Srila Prabhupada's instructions in this regard. I sincerely think that what I am doing is the way to please Srila Prabhupada in this regard, but I am open to practical suggestions on how to improve.

Srila Prabhupada said disciples should call their Spiritual Master as Visnupada, Acaryadeva, Prabhupada, Gurudeva, His Divine Grace, etc. We have reserved Srila Prabhupada for Srila Prabhupada, but if my disciples follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions in privately addressing their Spiritual Master is that the high profile?

Or is the "High Profile" the fact that sometimes disciples offer me a reception when I come after a long seperation? During Srila Prabhupada's presence I am told receptions were offered to devotees on various occasions. A reception doesn't seem to be against Srila Prabhupada's instructions.

Or is the "High Profile" the fact that disciples worship me at all in "guru puja"? All sastras say disciples should worship their Spiritual Master and offer obeisances three times a day. The Guru puja is offered along with other ISKCON Guru's photos, is held in some designated place usually far away from the Temple room. It is certainly not compulsory to attend but any disciple who wants can attend.

Since Srila Prabhupada felt that ceremonies in regard to Guru were helpful for his disciples why should I think my more neophyte disciples won't also be helped by following a similar set of etiquette? Whose role model should I follow other than Srila Prabhupada's?

It seems that the present standard of Guru worship that is authorized in ISKCON is considered "High Profile" by some devotees and since I practice it I am being personally attacked. That seems a highly unethical way of changing a standard in ISKCON avoiding sastra and guru references.

> By straightforwardly determining whether your position
> is supported or not by the majority of the GBC
> members, you will help people like me determine the
> direction of our service.

Why would support for my activities affect the direction of your devotional service? Isn't your commitment to serve Srila Prabhupada independent of what I do? If thinking about what I do and being affected by it obscures Srila Prabhupada in your mind then why think about me at all? I am an insignificant jiva trying to do some devotional service in the best way I know how. Why be pre-occupied with me so long as I adhere to the principles?

> This exercise will be good for you as well. You will
> understand your true relationship with your GBC
> Godbrothers. If the GBC endorses you, you are
> vindicated from your critics. If the GBC determines
> your position to be unfounded, you can benefit
> spiritually. You may also avoid a tragic interruption
> to a wonderful devotional career that has been met by
> Harikesa prabhu and so many others.

I am a servant of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is represented in some respects by the GBC. I will try to do whatever they say. I hope their decisions always follow what Srila Prabhupada and sastra state.

Why do I need the GBC to tell me if my position is unfounded. Anyone can tell me if they think my position is unfounded. You know the ISKCON Law perfectly well and can advise me if there is anything I am doing which contravenes ISKCON Law. I am committed to following ISKCON Law as an ISKCON member. You have proposed changes to ISKCON Law even if I don't agree with some of them I will try to follow them if they are made the Law.

> You are as adamant about the status quo as are the
> fanatic ritviks about their empty philosophy. As I
> cannot support the ritviks, I can no longer in good
> conscience support the GBC if they intend to continue
> or are helpless to check the unrealistic guru profile
> you espouse.

Well yes I am adamant about following sadhu, sastra and guru. Shouldn't we all be adamant about that. I am not adamant about status quo. I believe ISKCON needs to improve. I don't think the status quo is good enough. There should be more respect given to all vaisnavas, more training, more personalism, more many things. Who said I am for status quo? Don't believe it. We agree on more points than you think.

If someone says that in principle what I am doing is valid, but they want me to tone something down for sometime in consideration of the current time, place and circumstances I would be happy to consider that in that light.

If someone says that worshipping the guru by his disciple is wrong then I am adamant against that since it is against sastra.

You just keep saying I have a "high" profile, "unrealistic" profile. You don't explain what in your opinion is "high" or "unrealistic" about what I am doing. You leave me to speculate on it. Neither do you give any sastra, no Srila Prabhupada references---it is all mere opinion. I am listening to you, but all I hear is pent up frustration and possibly hatred towards the previous guru system which you are taking out on me for reasons only known to you. I hear you but if your words don't seem to represent my Spiritual Master to me then I don't have to follow you. I am willing to listen if you can convince me that what you are saying has some basis and would really be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and is not just the popular theory. I have seen popular theories come and go and harm ISKCON. I haven't changed in what I am doing for about 12 years. Things are going all right for me, if it is causing you a problem then why not tell me what it is? How am I supposed to know your problems?

I work in India and with Indians primarily. I am following the footsteps that Srila Prabhupada tread as far as Indian preaching, but in a very diminished manner from Srila Prabhupada. We see the videos of Srila Prabhupada being carried in silver and gold palinquins and gigantic processions in his honor. I don't allow those things to be offered to me (apart from once a year on Vyasa Puja to some extent and even that is not going to be toned down) rather I organized Srila Prabhupada processions with tens of thousands of people attending.

I really don't know what you are talking about in any clear sense. So some secret ballot isn't going to help me much. I need something more solid like sadhu, sastra or guru. Or at least something like logic and reason. Your emotions concern me in the sense that I know Srila Prabhupada would like you to be happy. ISKCON is supposed to be a big house to fit the whole world. So why can't the two of us live in ISKCON peacefully in Unity and diversity? Does it bother you so much if someone's disciples offer their guru a flower garland that it will cause you to reconsider your whole devotional service commitment to Srila Prabhupada and the GBC? Seems like a very emotional issue, but if we follow your emotions then down the line disciples may also react. Shouldn't the GBC decide things based on sastra and reason and not just emotions? Otherwise we please your sentiments this year and then next year there is a problem on the other side. The GBC can't bend to everyone, but needs to establish what the middle and limiting points are.

In this regard, do you really think that changing my profile would make any difference? It doesn't seem like it.

> If you want to heal the wound, prove to me that the
> GBC supports you. Or prove to yourself that they
> don't, and then abide by their decision.

> I challenge the GBC body to say collectively and
> openly what so many have said to me privately, but
> dare not utter publicly out of fear of some kind of
> retribution from powerful gurus.

The idea that there will be retribution from powerful gurus is a thing of the past and in today's ISKCON is a bogus idea. I think you are living in the past. What retribution can I do or would I do? Nothing. I have no money and no power. Most of my disciples are bengali villagers. I am a simple sadhu. Apart from that I have no inclination but to serve the vaisnavas. I want to get love for Godhead if I commit an offense against a vaisnava how will I even survive as a devotee? What retribution will happen if someone tells me what they think? Prthu is telling the world and am I retributing? It is a question of principles. Sometimes it seems you are trying to brow-beat me by sentiments and your threats of leaving rather than taking the trouble to present me something based on sastra or reason. As sadhus we are to follow sastra and not peoples sentimentality. What is the difference of a fanatic disciples sentimentality or a fanatically negative godbrothers sentimentality if both are going against sastra?

If anyone is really my friend then they will confide in me what they think I should improve in. Better an "enemy" who is open and tells me what he thinks than a friend who is silent and doesn't speak anything and let's his friend "go to hell"... The worst that can happen with me is I may not agree with what they are telling me. There is absolutely no question of retribution from my side.

> To you all I say that I realize it is not my place to
> do this. Probably I am nothing but an offender and
> deserve to just slink off in the night. If you ignore
> or stonewall this suggestion, I will take your
> response as such and slip away.

Please don't slip away. I don't know why you are obsessed by what I do. What do my activities have to do with your life? I don't act in public in any different way than anyone else. I chant japa, dance, sing, lecture, read, teach, and try to encourage devotees. Whatever happens between me and my disciples is a private affair (except for vyasa puja]. Stating that my intentions are bad when they aren't or that I am doing something which is wrong which isn't wrong or that I did something which actually I didn't do---could be offensive. That is between you and Lord Sri Krishna. I am not the one who is going to adjudicate those things.

> You decide. Here are the details of my suggestion.

> (For yes or no straw votes from GBC members)
>
> 1. Do you feel that, at this time, His Holiness
> Jayapataka Swami should refrain from initiating more
> disciples and concentrate on training and caring for
> those he has already initiated?

I don't accept the primary premise of this point in the first place. My "initiating disciples" is a passive thing. I don't initiate it. People approach me and want me to be their Spiritual Master. If they are sincere devotees who are serious about getting back to Godhead then they can help me in the long run in caring for my disciples and in spreading the Krishna consciousness movement. If more preachers would concentrate in the areas I work in then naturally more new devotees would take their shelter. I have seen that in Mayapur if during any year Bhakti Caru Swami preaches there for more time then a higher percentage of new devotees ask for him to be their Spiritual Master.

What is gained if I stop initiating? What if the people who have decided to surrender to Srila Prabhupada's movement due to my association decide to go to some other movement instead? How does ISKCON gain by that? Why not have a law that each Guru should inform aspiring disciples how many disciples he has, how much time he may or may not be able to give, and then let them decide if they want to take from such a Spiritual Master or go for someone with less disciples. I am happy if they take shelter within ISKCON, but I am afraid that many will simply not be inspired since hardly anyone is preaching in Bangladesh, West Bengal and many other places where I am going.

The basic premise that a guru should be limited in how many disciples he has goes against Srila Prabhupada's instructions that there is no limit in a guru's accepting disciples. Srila Prabhupada stated that he wants his disciples to make more devotees than he did.

A guru who is on Probation can't initiate, having me not initiate would de facto put me on probation even though I haven't done anything wrong. My Godbrothers have been trying to get me to stop initiating ever since I started. I voluntarily stopped for a year and now the Riktvik vadis claim that I was forced to stop and it shook up the faith of my disciples. I see anything artificial like this as very harmful and dangerous.

Even if a large number of the GBC members voted for this if they didn't take the time to know me, to travel with me, to preach with me, to associate with me and understand me then i wouldn't take their subjective opinion about me to be very well informed. I am trying to organize things so I can take better care of my disciples and also other devotees as well. I see ISKCON's preaching and caring for devotees as a team effort and don't see "care of my disciples" as "only my job" or as "my only job". I consider that there are many ISKCON leaders who will help me in caring for my disciples and while I travel i can also try to show other devotees that I care as well.

I have met devotees who told me that if they hadn't met me they wouldn't have stayed in Krishna consciousness. They said they stayed because of my association, care, example, ie. something that inspired them. They felt love for Srila Prabhupada when they saw that I had dedicated my life to serving Srila Prabhupada. The problem with your proposal is I find it very theoretical based on your "from a distance" opinion of who and what I am without understanding the ground realities I am working with. I don't think this kind of speculative program is what Srila Prabhupada envisioned the GBC doing nor did His Divine Grace ever instruct to do these kind of things. Do you want a "BIG GOVERNMENT" GBC that is going to involve itself in every devotees life to that degree? I would rather see a GBC that facilitates every man, woman, and youth to be able to achieve as much as they can for Srila Prabhupada? Do you want the GBC to decide how many children you can have as a grihastha? Maybe too many children won't be good for you and they won't get personal care? STill that is your decision. At least disciples have a choice of which guru they take. Children have no choice who their parents are.

> 2. Do you feel that His Holiness Jayapataka Swami
> should retire from service as a GBC Zonal Secretary in
> favor of a full-time, non-managerial preaching service
> such as the international promotion of Mayapura?

For all practical purposes this is already happening to a large degree. I spend most of my time doing promotion of Mayapur, promotion of Congregational Preaching and recently some trouble-shooting and devotee caring. Also, as you probably know, I have been proposing that most if not all GBC's (including myself) should be off of Zonal Management altogether as it is a conflict of interests in many ways. My proposal is that the role of GBC and Zonal Secretary should be seperated. Although some GBC's might initially continue as ZS's as a principle a GBC role should be:

to simply oversee how things are going in the world; to spend more time meeting with and encouraging devotees, to insure that ISKCON Law is being adhered to; To be seen as protectors and champions of devotee's rights; To be approachable and caring; To be dynamic examples of preaching enthusiasm and spiritual practices; To be teachers of devotional principles and Krishna consciousness; To be visionaries who come up with dynamic strategies and ideas for expanding the preaching world-wide and as true brahmanas promote these ideas throughout the Society.

If you agree with my proposal and get the GBC to pass it then you automatically achieve my being no longer a Zonal Secretary. We need to start training up the next level of managers and leaders too much is centralized in the GBC's which is stifling the progress and growth of future leadership. Rather than the crash course we had to take we have the oppurtunity to allow qualified devotees to grow into leadership positions. I think something like that is really urgently needed otherwise devotees with good potential will feel uninspired and leave. It is already happening in some cases.

Even now I am "Co-GBC in most places, as you know, and my role is as a reserve force in those places. I am available when needed. I visit occasionally and try to enthuse devotees. I don't know if you actually know how I work. Ask my co-GBC's and they will probably tell you I am a very "hands off" Zonal Secretary. Unless there is a problem I let the local managers do their thing. I don't need a vote here. This is already my goal. I am just proposing every year for the GBC to facilitate this for me.

> The results of the straw vote can be more fully
> considered in three months in Mayapura.
>
> Jayapataka Maharaja, I believe you have a great
> opportunity to help ISKCON by submitting yourself,
> fully and honestly, to the direction of your GBC
> Godbrothers on these points.

I think you don't know me very well. In our lives we have never talked more than three sentences in a row. We have had no association. What do you know about me? How many of my GBC godbrothers really know me? Not so many, but probably some do since I am working with many of them. Don't you know that about three years ago we did this and broke into small groups and discussed each others good and bad points with peers? They got on my case for some things. I took that to heart. I like more personalism. If we are going to take "Gallop polls" then let it be broad based to include all the devotees I work with. In general impersonal approaches don't appeal to me very much.

> That's the suggestion. Now you and the GBC kindly
> decide to do it or not.

> Your servant,
> Kalakantha dasa

Your servant,

Jayapataka Swami

> PS: Thanks to the many GBC members who wrote private
> letters of encouragement. Please write the Executive
> Committee and ask them to conduct this exercise *now*,
> while ISKCON needs clear signals from the GBC body.

P.s. to GBC members:

I again state that if someone is really my friend or well-wisher and thinks I should adjust something in what I am doing I would appreciate them telling me directly. If it is based on siddhanta then tell me that. If they aren't challenging the principle of what I am doing but think for other reasons a change is good then tell me that. If they don't know what I am doing and want to find out then ask me. I appreciate that. It is better than keeping it pent up and then denouncing me publicly based on hearsay. Now there are no more BIG GBC's everyone of us is small under Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet. If we can't make this group more tight nit, more personal and trusting then how can we expect our Godbrothers like Kalakantha das or other devotees to trust in us? Even if some of us have different ideas on how to preach if it is within the limits set by Srila Prabhupada then we can still appreciate that. Satsvarupa Goswami has been "low profile" for a long time. I appreciate him. He writes useful books helping many of my disciples and many devotees. In ISKCON I don't think we want CLONES that all act the same way like ROBOTS or something. There will always be some differences. We should see what the upper and lower limits of these differences are and then learn to love each other for what we are. Who knows, maybe someone elses idea will be better for preaching!

I hope that this finds you in good health.

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