02/10/98 - 1593

War On Maya

USA (VNN) - by Madhudvisa dasa

goloker premadhana, harinama-sankirtana, ratina janmila kenetay samsara-visanale, divanisi hiya jvale, judaite na kaimu upaya

"Sankirtana is imported from Goloka Vrindaban it is not material musical rock and roll. It is actually imported from Goloka. Narottama sings, Everyone is burning in the materialistic way of life. That burning can be extinguished only be employing Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is a fact that the western countries are in blazing fire of material enjoyment. But as soon as they take to Hare Krsna surely they will find peace and happiness. There is no doubt about it." (74-02-01.Bha Letter: Bhagavan)

Dear Paramananda Prabhu (Shelter)

Haribol. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

72-04-10.Mah Letter: Mahatma

".So if you have talent for musical achievement, that is nice; but if you nourish some idea of becoming famous by playing some music, that will be a source of frustration--the end. So it is better if you play your music for Krishna by having very ecstatic kirtanas in your center in Vancouver, and in this way, as I have introduced it, all of the devotees and also the general public as well will be able to join together cooperatively in the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not that we shall glorify anyone else. Let the materialists operate in their own way, but we have got Vaisnavism stand and we should train the general public to accept it and come up to our platform of process of doing things, NOT THAT WE SHOULD REDUCE TO THEIR STANDARD."

74-12-28.Jag Letter: Jagadisa Pandita

"My opinion is that it is not necessary for us to utilize these different musical talents for spreading Krsna Consciousness. I would rather see people follow strictly the path of Lord Caitanya and His Sankirtana devotees. We are using mrdanga, karatala, that is enough. We are not musicians. We are Krsna bhaktas. Therefore we do not stress so much importance on these different musical talents. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself. Had He thought it would have been better to spread Krsna Consciousness by another way He would have done so. But no, simply with mrdanga and karatala, traveling and chanting Hare Krsna, asking everyone to chant Hare Krsna, preaching simply Srimad-Bhagavatam philosophy, this is the process. There is no need for us to try and add anything to this simple method. It will only be a distraction. Therefore I request you to follow the simple path of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and help me spread this wonderful mission all over the world. Keep yourself pure and fixed up in Krsna Consciousness by following the basic principles that I have given; chanting 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes etc. This is of the utmost importance."

You know very well that hard-core "preaching" is not liked by many, many devotees, because it is not approved by Srila Prabhupada and it is in the mode of passion and ignorance, and devotees want to come to the platform of goodness, they find the modes of passion and ignorance repulsive. You talk about offenses to Vaisnavas, but you and your "fans" have forced so many nice sincere devotees out of ISKCON, simply because they followed Srila Prabhupada and had no interest in this "Hard Core Maya". So you are responsible for that. It is a great offense.

69-07-02.Muk Letter: Mukunda

"As I have already written to you, we should not try to become a very popular musical party. Music is one of our items for chanting, but we are not musicians. We should always remember this fact. The best example is that we take advantage of the typewriting machine, but that does not mean we are professional typists."

Srila Prabhupada accepted the standard method for distributing Krishna consciousness as introduced by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Hari-Nama Sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare

Along with the distribution of prasadam and books and speaking from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So there is no need to give up the standard method. You have concocted a system of "preaching" out of your own imagination. But your system of preaching keeps you and your followers firmly fixed in the modes of passion and ignorance. But to become Krishna conscious one has to come to the platform of goodness.

69-10-18.Tam Letter: Tamala Krsna

".The difficulty is sometimes things are interpreted in a manner dovetailing one's own sense gratification. I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaja's institution. Different Godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaja in different interpretations for sense gratification and the whole mission disrupted. This is still going on for the last 40 years without any proper settlement. I am always afraid of this crack, but I am sure if our aim is to serve Krishna sincerely and the Spiritual Master simultaneously, that will be our success. That means serve Krishna and the Spiritual Master simultaneously with equal faith and serious vow, and then success is sure."

You travel around the world and introduce your passionate "preaching" into the ISKCON temples thus dragging the bhaktas down to the level of passion and ignorance. Actually devotees are completely repulsed by the modes of passion and ignorance you are "preaching". So you repel the devotees and attract a completely different class of men.

69-03-06.Ray Letter: Rayarama

".I am so glad to learn that you felt too much inconvenience in the company of the karmis in your last tour to Los Angeles. There is a verse in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in which it is stated, the more you advance in Krishna Consciousness, the more you become disgusted with the material modes of life. When the American boys are disgusted with cigarette smokers, or listening to rock music and meaningless chattering, it means there is Krishna's Grace. May Krishna bless you more and more, as you advance in Krishna Consciousness."

And you talk about being offensive to Vaisnavas! I have seen Vraja Kisora in his "Hard Core Preaching Conference" on com, with his "fans", attack so many nice devotees simply because they did not like his Hard-Core "Preaching", and why should they? It is a complete concoction never sanctioned by Srila Prabhupada. Where does Srila Prabhupada recommend such "preaching"?

So you attract some people. That is certain. But you are not attracting them to Krishna, that is the problem. They are attracted by sense gratification, sex, heavy music. It is Maya.

72-07-08.Mad Letter: Madhudvisa

"Regarding your question of dancing-show, whatever it may be, it may not deviate from the real Krishna Consciousness program. We are Hari Kirtana men, that's all. We can attract people by some gorgeous show, but inside there must be strict purity and seriousness, otherwise, we shall be attracted by the gorgeous show only. There are two energies always working simultaneously, and Maya means when we diminish the spiritual energy, then automatically we become attracted to the external dress of Maya."

77-01-03.Bha Letter:

Bhakta Wayne "As far as music is concerned, we have got our standard of music, the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. We do not require to introduce anything new."

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

Your servant

Madhudvisa dasa

PS: I think there is great potential in the US for a group of young devotees like yourselves to travel and preach in the standard way. In the standard Vaisnava dress with dhoti, kurta, tilok, shaved head, kneck-beads, etc. With Mrdungas and Kartals chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and prasadam, holding preaching programs, speaking on the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The young people of the USA will love it, you will attract so many more people than you can with the "hard core" as Krishna consciousness is universally attractive, and you will all be floating in the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement. You will look just like you have descended from Goloka Vrndavana. What a wonderful sight that will be! I hope you do it! Why not give it a try? You could just do it next Summer as a trial. I think you will find it wonderfully blissful... And that will certainly be a great attack on maya and your "War On Maya" will be wonderfully successful.

"And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuntha. In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brahmanas." (NOD)