Srila Prabhupada should continue as the diksha guru for ISKCON (Bhakti Ananda Goswami)

Bhakti Ananda Goswami: What do you think about this gender mainstreaming plan for the human society worldwide in compare with Vedic knowledge ?

The authentic Vedic Vaishnava Culture, based on the equanimity and equal-amity of Sri Krishna’s Samata Yoga, had nothing to do with mundane sexism. It included, respected and uplifted all people, regardless of their physical ‘sex’ or gender identity and expression. Even to the time of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the remaining Vaishnava Vedic Culture provided some place for intersex people, which can be seen in the fact some ‘Hijra’ music and dance performers were ‘auspiciously’ present to celebrate the birth of Nimai Gaurangadeva Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I do NOT agree with Amara Dasa of GALVA that the Hijra Class of India was or is primarily made-up of ‘homosexuals’.

I have been to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and have interviewed various kinds of ‘Hindu’ ‘Hijras’ there, and ALL of the people that I interviewed and studied would be scientifically classed as intersex people. Factually while Amara Dasa may be generally correct about the role of ‘Third Sex’ people in Vedic and ‘Hindu’ Culture, in my opinion, his own homosexual bias has blinded him to the purely biological, the scientific reality involved.

>And is Prabhupada the only real Diksa guru in Iskcon for you or not ? What is your knowledge about that point in guru tattva because you are a senior Vaisnava therefore you must know much more about this point ?

Is ISKCON Srila Prabhupada’s Institution? Is he ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya? Then HE is ISKCON’s Diksha Guru.

During the Zonal Acharya days I was told that it was Srila Prabhupada’s last will and ORDER that I had to accept one of my God brothers as a ‘living guru’! Apparently because some of his criminal associates wanted my farm property, for a year they put great pressure on me saying that I would be cut-off from Srila Prabhupada if I did not OBEY SRILA PRABHUPADA AND SUBMIT TO MY ISKCON ZONAL ACHARYA. Still I resisted, but finally relenting I told the ‘Acharya’ that “I am Srila Prabhupada’s man, not yours.”

He said that he accepted this but to please Srila Prabhupada I still had to formally take new vows with him. Of course later I learned that their whole plot was to usurp Srila Prabhupada’s Authority, and so I completely rejected my relationship with that ‘Zonal Acharya’, and any further connection to the “ISKCON” that fraudulently created the Zonal Acharya System.

A Vaishnava Acharya is always THE ACHARYA for the lineage or sub-lineage that he has founded. Srila Prabhupada is THE ACHARYA for the “ISKCON” sub-lineage of the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Line of modern Gaudiya Vaishnavism. No one else can or should ever make this claim or try to assume any status equal to HIM in HIS OWN GAUDIYA VAISHNAVA SAMPRADAYA ISKCON SUB-LINEAGE.

If some follower legitimately becomes an ‘acharya’ in their own right, then it MEANS that they MUST establish their own ‘school’. If their teachings do not contradict that of their own Acharya, then their new school or sub-lineage should be accepted as a sub-branch of their own Acharya’s Lineage. If their teachings are contradictory then they should NOT be accepted as still-connected-to their own Acharya’s lineage or school of thought. If their teachings are acceptable but their behavior is not, they may also be rejected as part of their Acharya’s Sampradaya.

In religious history a disciple is either acting as the initiating agent on behalf of his or her own spiritual master, or she or he is acting as a DIKSHA guru and initiating disciples on his or her own behalf. This depends on many things. Most essentially it depends on what the nature IS of the contract of initiation between the guru and disciple? Is the guru vowing to ‘take the sins’ of the disciple? If so, then the guru must personally make that decision OR must have previously set the conditions for acceptance of a disciple, and for severing the relationship and rejecting a disciple. If the disciple breaks the initiation contract, then the diksha guru is no longer obligated to take any more post-initiation vi-karmic (sinful) reactions for the disciple.

When someone dares to become a sin-taking diksha guru, ‘taking sins’ on their own, it means that they are willing to suffer the vi-karmic reactions of some disciple(s), rather than allowing their own guru to ‘take those sins’. Thus if they are very magnanimous, they may vow, like the Pure Land Buddhists or Vasudeva Raya, to ‘take’ the vi-karma of all of the sinners of the World! Of course it is ultimately only the Original Spiritual Master, the Second Person of the Godhead, Lord Ananta-Baladeva, Who ultimately “…takes away the sins of the World / Cosmos”.

As for the situation in ISKCON, it is not proper for any disciple to take the position of his or her Guru in a holy place established by their Guru and thus belonging to Him. Thus Srila Prabhupada should be the ONLY ACHARYA in HIS ISKCON ESTABLISHMENTS. His disciples should not receive ACHARYA VENERATION in any of his ISKCON ESTABLISHMENTS.

If any of his disciples want to start their own missions, establish temples etc. then they are certainly free to do so under their own credentials and authority, whatever that may be. BUT, whatever they do ON THEIR OWN should be honestly and properly labeled / identified, and NOT presented as being done under the EXPRESSED authority and permission of Srila Prabhupada. If, though, a disciple is truthfully and humbly continuing an expressedly approved, or ordered, or empowered service to Srila Prabhupada, then that service should continue. This principle is the same for the Books too. Sri Krishna’s permissive will allows everyone to be free to do what they can or want-to TO EITHER IMPROVE, OR TO RUIN Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai’s Non-Sectarian Hari Nama Sankirtan Movement. The freedom is there, but the reaction will be too.

Honesty and humility dictates that everyone honestly presents their offering to the Lord and to the public. This means that the public should not be cheated. Thus a teacher, a guru or spiritual intercessor, should first of all be honest and humble about what they are offering the public. This means that there should not be any ‘bait and switch’ where guru(s) USE Srila Prabhupada to attract the public and them give them something other and less than Srila Prabhupada. If a teacher or guru truly attracts and ‘makes’ their own disciples, based on their own merits, then they should have their own mission. In history this is the usual protocol.

Based on my knowledge of religious history in general and Vaishnava history and Gaudiya history and theology in specific, my conclusion has always been that Srila Prabhupada’s established Temples, Rites, Books etc. should have been kept the way that he established them, and that if any of his disciples wanted to establish anything differently, they should have started their own mission. This is what I personally told and wrote to Kirtanananda about his syncretistic changes at New Vrindavan. I was opposed to his New Age Syncretism, and pointed-out the many faults in it to him. Because Radhanath Swami was personally a staunch Vaishnava Traditionalist, I ask him, and NOT Kirtanananda, to ‘give me sannyas’.

What “changing” means

By Hasti Gopala Dasa

Change: To cause to be different – change the spelling of a word.

We can understand from this simple meaning of the word “change” that when the BBT changes Srila Prabhupada and Krishna’s books they must first have understood the original meaning. Otherwise how would they recognize what they want to change? Why then do they not report their understandings of what they plan on changing to Krishna and Srila Prabhupadas disciples and followers before they make the change?
Simple, because if the devotees and followers understand what they understand before it is changed then they will learn something from Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and will know what the BBT, GBC and ISKCON leaders know. Then the devotees and followers may have a decision about the change, which is their natural right. Is the BBT their own ultimate authority or is Krishna and Srila Prabhupada their ultimate authority?

So obviously when the changes are studied we can see that they are covering knowledge and deleting knowledge that they do not want you to understand or have access to. That is an act of creating nescience not revealing science therefore the BBT, GBC and ISKCON leaders are in the business of managing a literary industrial complex by promoting the mode of ignorance or darkness. Simply based on that reality the BBT must be shut down. The BBT and the GBC act as nanny’s insulting the intelligence of the general public what to speak of Srila Prabhupada and Krishnas disciples and followers. And who do they get their money from?

The BBT and GBC are quite aware that their ongoing criminal activity of changing the books of God and his bona fide representative is being followed, countered and exposed yet they continue unabated. Only career criminals with quiet secure backing can perform like that.

Don’t think for one moment that Jayadvaita Swami and Dravida dasa are the only ones involved in changing the books at the BBT. The BBT has several devotees in training to expand the work and speed up the process so that when Jayadvaita Swami and Dravida dasa move on the changes can continue until there is nothing left of Srila Prabhupadas and Krishna’s books reading like prostituted mythology.
While the book changing continues along with the controversy the book changers have become the focus, not Krishna and not Srila Prabhupada. This maintained focus is the desire of the Fabians within the BBT, the GBC and ISKCON. Evolutionary socialism to promote impersonalism not by the way of revolution is what is behind the GBC and the BBT workings. It is the ongoing evolution of social interaction within a controversial activity that is very important in keeping the masses of devotees distracted by temple worship and ritual rather than understanding the realities of material existence via Srila Prabhupada and Krishna’s books. Removal of temple and deity worship will come later. Srila Prabhupada has already outlined throughout his books how real socialism should come about with Krishna in the centre.
The BBT and GBC do not suffer from any so called “change disease” that is simply a welcomed idea that keeps the BBT and GBC’s so called critics massaging the BBT and GBC’s feigned weakness while making their detractors feel good displaying cheap psychological observations with no solutions. Which only they enjoy to read.
Giving a completely different form and appearance to Srila Prabhupadas books is simple theft disguised as a helpful reformation which is only understood by the thieves. They are planning that the next generation will succumb to their Fabian Mayavadi Society and never know the difference. Srila Prabhupada and Krishna are countering that. So the BBT leadership is a den of thieves and should be over turned and driven out!

“My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.” Jesus of Nazareth

Hasti Gopala Dasa

In addition.

From Yasodanandan prabhu.

And do not forget, they are afflicted with deep envy of the acarya, Srila Prabhupada.

The editors deleted Srila Prabhupada’s honorific title “the greatest exponent of Krishna Consciousness in the western world” from His original Bhagavad-Gita as it is.

The editors deleted the sacred picture of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada from the 1983 edition

Lectures : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures : Adi-lila: Lectures : Adi 1: Lectures : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.13 — Mayapur, April 6, 1975 : 750406CC.MAY :
So Krishna says, the acarya… Here it is said that advaitam harina advaitad. So of course Advaita Acarya is expansion of Visnu-tattva, but any acarya, he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that, that acaryam mam vijaniyat [SB 11.17.27]: “One should understand the acarya…” Acarya bhakti-samsanat. Acarya means who is spreading pure bhakti cult. “That acarya,” Krishna says, “you should consider such acarya as Myself.” Acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit, that… You cannot consider, “Yes, he’s acarya, but not as good as Krishna.” No. Na avamanyeta. Don’t deride in that way. Then there will be falldown. Acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it is said, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau: [SU 6.23] “Anyone who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar faith in guru…” Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah: “All the Vedic literature,” prakasante, “becomes revealed simply by these two principle.” Guru-krsna krpa paya bhakti-lata-bija. We should not jump over Krishna without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through. Because Krishna says, acaryam mam vijani… Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijsasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] “Actually one who is serious to understand higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru.” Tasmad gurum, prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunctions. Caksudana dilo yei, janme janme pita sei. So anyone who opens… Guru means who opens the eyes of the ignorant person. Ajsana-timirandhasya jsanasjana-salakaya. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge… Guru-krsna krpa paya bhakti-lata-bija. So bhakti-lata, the devotional service, the seed of devotional service, can be received by the parampara system through bona fide spiritual master. And if we abide by the orders of spiritual master faithfully, then Krishna becomes pleased. That is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. Ara na koriya mane asa. Narottama dasa… All the acaryas, they say like that. Acaryam mam vijaniyat. Acaryavan puruso veda: “One who has accepted acarya, he knows things as they are.” Others, they do not know. It is not possible.

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual Masters : Adi 1.46 :If one poses himself as an acarya but does not have an attitude of servitorship to the Lord, he must be considered an offender, and this offensive attitude disqualifies him from being an acarya. The bona fide spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this test he is known to be a direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Such a spiritual master is known as acaryadeva. Influenced by an envious temperament and dissatisfied because of an attitude of sense gratification, mundaners criticize a real acarya. In fact, however, a bona fide acarya is nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead, and therefore to envy such an acarya is to envy the Personality of Godhead Himself. This will produce an effect subversive of transcendental realization.

Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 2: “The Cosmic Manifestation” : SB 2.3: Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart : SB 2.3.24 : PURPORT The advanced devotee who chants the holy name of the Lord in a perfectly offenseless manner and is friendly to everyone can actually relish the transcendental taste of glorifying the Lord. And the result of such realization is reflected in the cessation of all material desires, etc., as mentioned above. The neophytes, due to their being in the lower stage of devotional service, are invariably envious, so much so that they invent their own ways and means of devotional regulations without following the acaryas. As such, even if they make a show of constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord, they cannot relish the transcendental taste of the holy name..

Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 3: “The Status Quo” : SB 3.29: Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila : SB 3.29.8 :TEXT 8
abhisandhaya yo himsam
dambham matsaryam eva va
samrambhi bhinna-drg bhavam
mayi kuryat sa tamasah
SYNONYMS
abhisandhaya—having in view; yah—he who; himsam—violence; dambham—pride; matsaryam—envy; eva—indeed; va—or; samrambhi—angry; bhinna—separate; drk—whose vision; bhavam—devotional service; mayi—to Me; kuryat—may do; sah—he; tamasah—in the mode of ignorance.
TRANSLATION
Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness.
PURPORT
It has already been stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, that the highest, most glorious religion is the attainment of causeless, unmotivated devotional service. In pure devotional service, the only motive should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not actually a motive; that is the pure condition of the living entity. In the conditioned stage, when one engages in devotional service, he should follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master in full surrender. The spiritual master is the manifested representation of the Supreme Lord because he receives and presents the instructions of the Lord, as they are, by disciplic succession. It is described in Bhagavad-gita that the teachings therein should be received by disciplic succession, otherwise there is adulteration. To act under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master with a motive to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pure devotional service. But if one has a motive for personal sense gratification, his devotional service is manifested differently. Such a man may be violent, proud, envious and angry, and his interests are separate from the Lord’s.
One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service, but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful, is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tamasah. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura advises that a Vaishnava who is not of good character should be avoided. A Vaishnava is one who has taken the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate goal of life, but if one is not pure and still has motives, then he is not a Vaishnava of the first order of good character. One may offer his respects to such a Vaishnava because he has accepted the Supreme Lord as the ultimate goal of life, but one should not keep company with a Vaishnava who is in the mode of ignorance.

Take Control of the BBT!

Hasti Gopala Dasa

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta  Swami Prabhupada the founder acharya for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

did not leave ISKCON a directive indicating the following. That after leaving his body those in charge of the BBT should cease publishing former editions of his books once the BBT had completed specifically revised editions. Nor did he indicate in any manner that his original pre 1978 books not be read sold or used for study by anyone. Absence of that specific directive leaves all of the original publishing programes in place,an a fortiori. Revision of an original book by Srila Prabhupada does not set legal precedent to cancel the continued publication of the original editions at any time.

There was and is no legal authority invested in the BBT to do this unless said by the author in legal documents hence actus reus. The BBT never prepared any preparatory statement to the public at large or to ISKCON at large about it’s plan to revise the original 1972 Gita and never requested input from the ISKCON society or any of Srila Prabhupadas disciples outside of ISKCON. Nor did the BBT inform the above that the original 1972 edition of the Gita would no longer be available. The BBT and ISKCON are decades over due regarding what they owe the public and Srila Prabhupadas disciples erga omnes. They have acted continually in bad faith regarding this issue and anyone outside of their tight inner circle.

There must be an immediate international effort to take control of the BBT and all publishing of Srila Prabhupadas books while cancelling any further changes to Srila Prabhupadas books.  The reprinting and distribution of all of his original pre 1978 books books should commence as soon as possible after the BBT is secured. If we do not move on this and remain silent then as individuals we must prepare to pay the individual consequences.

Ys  Hasti Gopala Dasa

The Continuing Transgression of the Absolute Truth

HastiGopalaDasa

This presentation is first and foremost not an action that is designed to specifically target the BBT and ISKCON leadership regarding their illegal and immoral tampering of SrilaPrabhupadas books. It is a presentation in the defence of my guru maharaja His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this action is my duty. Whatever Krsna has said in His Gita and whatever SrilaPrabhupada has written in his Gita is applicable in any age.  The BBT and ISKCON leadership have not written any commentaries on SrilaPrabhupadas books yet continue to construct elaborate presentations of changes to those books based on their belief that their changes to his and Krsnas books are as authoritative as writing their own commentaries. Those commentaries would reveal a more comprehensive and honest understanding of the works of Krsna and SrilaPrabhupada to their readers and would encourage others to read SrilaPrabhupadas original books while expanding their own understandings of this Krsna consciousness philosophy. That is leading by example and that example is obviously absent within the leadership of the BBT and ISKCON therefore they are not world leaders of the Krishna consciousness movement. The inadequacy of that particular aspect of leadership is clear indication not only of a serious shortcoming of the understanding and appreciation of Krsna’s and SrilaPrabhupadas books but a clear indication of direct targeting of the very foundations of the Hare Krsna movement to its detriment.

Since the leadership of the BBT and ISKCON have concluded (by the very ongoing acts of illegal book revisions) that the complete literary works of their founder acharya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are material as opposed to transcendental literatures, their silent conclusion therefore is that the entire works of SrilaPrabhupada are not from the energies of Krsna. This conclusion is based on their materialistic revisionist ideology that does not recognise that SrilaPrabhupadas books exist as a result of the transformation of the Absolute Truth. This ideology is directly linked to the same theory proposed by SripadSankarcharya.

Those of SrilaPrabhupadas disciples and followers who believe and realise that SrilaPrabhupadas books were transformed directly from Krsna are considered by the leadership of the BBT and ISKCON to be suffering from illusion. The widely held notion that the BBT and ISKCON leadership are as academically and spiritually qualified as SrilaPrabhupada is their illusion. Their followers and supporters knowingly or unknowingly accept this propagated illusion to their spiritual and material detriment. Continuing to think, feel and act within their illusion, the BBT and ISKCON leadership confirm their arrogant belief that they are one with SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna. This BBT and ISKCON leadership position regarding the ongoing illegal changes to SrilaPrabhupadas books reflects the same ideology as that of the great Mayavadi guru SripadSankaracharya, which is an atheistic ideology. SrilaPrabhupadas original pre 1978 books, printed and bound are the conclusion to the transformation of the Absolute Truth.

It is not that those Mayavadis SrilaPrabhupada speaks of exist only in the past, they are spoken of in order to reveal to the readers a warning with evidence and advice to be followed. This was given to us in order to recognise that Mayavadi activity is in the midst of the BBT and ISKCON, to take decisive counter measures, and to re-establish the original works of Krsna and SrilaPrabhupada. SrilaPrabhupadas disciples and followers are engaged in this action as we speak.

The BBT does not explain their challenges to SrilaPrabhupadas original books and other writings for the supposed benefit of the Hare Krsna society or the world as a whole. That challenge and understanding they do not have, if they do they do not share it so they leave their followers and world readers blind to understanding the difference between what they claim is a much improved version of SrilaPrabhupadas works and his original works. Indeed his original works are not even presented so that the reader may know that they even existed or exist. So we can conclude two things. They do not understand themselves why they are changing what they are changing or they do not want the world to understand what they understand. Both of these positions are the positions of those who steal by stealth.   Text 121 of the 7th chapter of the Adi-lila CC on paragraph two SrilaPrabhupada explains enough to write a book in itself that: ( one should read this whole text )

"For example, a father is one fact, and a son generated from the father is another fact. Thus both of them are truths, although one is generated from the other. This generation of a second truth, independent truth from a first truth is called vicara, or transformation resulting in a by-product." So the whole of ISKCON and the BBT leadership have been going down a blind alley, instead of looking for the opportunity to correct so called mistakes they should have been absorbing truths and realizations from SrilaPrabhupadas writings, making commentaries and expanding on his writings with their loving understanding of his most glorious works. By this time since the changes started some 35 to 40 years ago there would have been libraries of books based on realizations from SrilaPrabhupadas books by his disciples. Where are they?  It was and is their lack of faith in the spiritual master and Krsna that has left them in that blind alley. So, the present devotees will write their books and commentaries based on SrilaPrabhupadas original writings leaving the BT and ISKCON to continue with their naval gazing. The continued illegal book revisions will stop, however their continuation is a clear indication that the BBT and ISKCON leadership have not and do not recognise that SrilaPrabhupadas and Krsnas books are a direct transformation of the Absolute Truth. They therefore do not recognise Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or SrilaPrabhupada as His representative.

SrilaPrabhupadas and Krsnas books are the transformation of the Absolute Truth.

Adi7.121

TEXT 121

vyāserasūtretekahe ’pariṇāma’-vāda

’vyāsabhrānta’--bali’ tārauṭhāilavivāda

SYNONYMS

vyāsera—of ŚrīlaVyāsadeva; sūtrete—in the aphorisms; kahe—describes; pariṇāma—transformation; vāda—philosophy; vyāsa—ŚrīlaVyāsadeva; bhrānta—mistaken; bali’-accusing him; tāra—his; uṭhāila—raised; vivāda—opposition.

TRANSLATION

"In his Vedānta-sūtraŚrīlaVyāsadeva has described that everything is but a transformation of the energy of the Lord. Śaṅkarācārya, however, has misled the world by commenting that Vyāsadeva was mistaken. Thus he has raised great opposition to theism throughout the entire world.

Page 115 of the Purport SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna says: “Not believing in the fact that the energy of the Absolute Truth is transformed, Śaṅkarācārya has propounded his theory of illusion. This theory states that although the Absolute Truth is never transformed, we think that it is transformed, which is an illusion.Śaṅkarācārya does not believe in the transformation of the energy of the Absolute Truth, for he claims that everything is one and that the living entity is therefore also one with the Supreme. This is the Māyāvāda theory.”

For the leadership of the BBT and ISKCON to conclude, still to this day that all of SrilaPrabhupadas books need their immediate attention due to grammatical and philosophical faults is extremely blasphemous to Krsna and SrilaPrabhupada.

From the Purport of Text 121 on page 117 SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna say: “It is therefore to be concluded that Śaṅkarācārya, in order to present the Supreme Lord, the living entities and the material nature as indivisible and ignorant, tries to cover the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He maintains that the material cosmic manifestation is mithyā, or false, but this is a great blunder. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a fact, how can His creation be false? Even in ordinary dealings, one cannot think the material cosmic manifestation to be false. Therefore Vaiṣṇava philosophers say that the cosmic creation is not false but temporary. It is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but since it is wonderfully created by the energy of the Lord, to say that it is false is blasphemous.”

SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna have never made any so called literary mistakes in regards to their collaboration in producing SrilaPrabhupadasbooks . For that matter they have not made any mistakes of any kind. SrilaJivaGoswami proves this from his Paramatma-sandarba: Purport to  Chapter 7  Text 122 Adi-lia page 118.  “ŚrīlaJīvaGosvāmī, in his Paramātma-sandarbha, comments regarding the vivarta-vāda as follows: “Under the spell of vivarta-vāda one imagines the separate entities, namely, the cosmic manifestation and the living entities, to be one with Brahman. This is due to complete ignorance regarding the actual fact. The Absolute Truth, or Parabrahman, is always one and always the same. He is completely free from all other conceptions of existence. He is completely free from false ego, for He is the full spiritual identity. It is absolutely impossible for Him to be subjected to ignorance and fall under the spell of a misconception (vivarta-vāda). The Absolute Truth is beyond our conception. One must admit that He has unblemished qualities that He does not share with every living entity. He is never tainted in the slightest degree by the flaws of ordinary living beings. Everyone must therefore understand the Absolute Truth to possess inconceivable potencies.”  From Text 127 of the Adi-lila Chapter 7 on page 121 from the purport SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna teach us and give us a further understanding and appreciation of the very serious damage being done by the BBT and ISKCON leadership not only to SrilaPrabhupadas and Krsnas books but to the Hare Krishna movement as a whole.

“The falsity of ŚrīpādaŚaṅkarācārya’s explanation of vivarta-vāda and pariṇāma-vāda has been detected by the Vaiṣṇavaācāryas, especially JīvaGosvāmī, whose opinion is that actually Śaṅkara did not understand the Vedānta-sūtra. In Śaṅkara’s explanation of one sūtra, ānanda-mayo ’bhyāsāt, he has interpreted the affix mayaṭ with such word jugglery that this very explanation proves that he had little knowledge of the Vedānta-sūtra but simply wanted to support his impersonalism through the aphorisms of the Vedānta philosophy. Actually, however, he failed to do so because he could not put forward strong arguments. In this connection, ŚrīlaJīvaGosvāmī cites the phrase brahma pucchaṁpratiṣṭhā (TaittirīyaUpaniṣad 2.5), which gives Vedic evidence that Brahman is the origin of everything. In explaining this verse, ŚrīpādaŚaṅkarācārya interpreted various Sanskrit words in such a way that he implied, according to JīvaGosvāmī, that Vyāsadeva had very little knowledge of higher logic. Such unscrupulous deviation from the real meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra has created a class of men who by word jugglery try to derive various indirect meanings from the Vedic literatures, especially the Bhagavad-gītā. One of them has even explained that the word kurukṣetra refers to the body. Such interpretations imply, however, that neither Lord Kṛṣṇa nor Vyāsadeva had a proper sense of word usage or etymological adjustment. They lead one to assume that since Lord Kṛṣṇa could not personally sense the meaning of what He was speaking and Vyāsadeva did not know the meaning of what he was writing, Lord Kṛṣṇa left His book to be explained later by the Māyāvādīs. Such interpretations merely prove, however, that their proponents have very little philosophical sense.

( Etymologically means in an etymological manner or according to etymology. Etymology is the study of the sources of words as well as their development)

Krsna and SrilaPrabhupada quote directly from sastra a timeless truth.

"The self-evident Vedic scriptures are the highest evidence of all, but if these scriptures are interpreted, their self-evident nature is lost.” Text 132 Chapter 7 Adi-lila.

 These books presented by Krsna and SrilaPrabhupada reveal all truths that are applicable to any circumstance in one’s life. The circumstance in this case is illegal and nonsensical book changes.

“We quote Vedic evidence to support our statements, but if we interpret it according to our own judgment, the authority of the Vedic literature is rendered imperfect or useless. In other words, by interpreting the Vedic version one minimizes the value of Vedic evidence. When one quotes from Vedic literature, it is understood that the quotations are authoritative. How can one bring the authority under his own control? That is a case of principiisobsta.” 

principiisobsta  means “resist the beginnings”  SrilaPrabhupada and Krsna books are self-evident Vedic scriptures and the BBT and ISKCON leadership continue to resist the beginnings.

In all of my other books-SrimadBhagavatam, Sri Isopanisad, etc-the system is that I give the original verse, it’s English transliterations, word-for-word Sanskrit English equivalents, translations and purports. This makes the book very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self evident.

Preface to Bhagavad Gita

Therefore it is evident that the BBT and ISKCON leadership are continuing their transgression of the Absolute Truth.

Truths generate new truths and realizations. As SrilaPrabhupada said.  So for all of us to move ahead of the bad affects of the BBT and ISKCON leadership  we must take and share with the world SrilaPabhupadas advice. Chapter 7 page 113 purport to text 120 of the Adi-lila last paragraph.." Therefore the Hare Krsna movement or Krsna consciousness movement is the only light for the foolish living entities who think either that there is no God or that if God exists he is formless and they themselves are also God. These misconceptions are very dangerous, and the only way to counteract them is to spread the Hare Krsna movement"

HastiGopalaDasa

They're ruining my books." -- Srila Prabhupada

 http://bookchanges.com/theyre-ruining-my-books-srila-prabhupada/

A very, very important document has just become public. It is a 300+ page transcript of a 1979 interview with Ramesvara Prabhu, the manager of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, the person directly in charge of printing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Ramesvara had unlimited direct instructions from Srila Prabhupada in regard to printing his books. He also gives an eye-witness account of many other important events that occurred in ISKCON in the presence of Srila Prabhupada. The events were very fresh in his mind at that time as this interview took place only two years after Srila Prabhupada had disappeared from our material vision.
In this interview he is giving a completely honest account of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to him in regard to not changing his books and on many other points also.
This is perhaps the most important document that has come to light in ISKCON since 1977.
I request you to please read the whole 300+ pages of the interview transcript. You will find it uplifting, encouraging, inspiring and also very informative.
In today’s ISKCON almost everything has been changed and so many of Srila Prabhupada’s orders have been disobeyed. This document is truly a wake up call for the BBT and ISKCON, coming perhaps just at the right moment.
You can download and read the PDF file of the interview by clicking on:

Ramesvara-interview-1979

Please read it…
A few short quotes from the interview (these are about book changes but the interview covers a very broad spectrum of interesting topics so please read the transcript for yourself):
“Prabhupada got involved in many of the facets related to his books. In 1974, for example, we had proposed to put a new picture on the cover of Isopanisad, Krsna playing the flute on the rock. We mailed a copy of the picture to Prabhupada and told him, “We’re planning to do this.” Prabhupada fired back a letter, “Don’t you dare change the picture on my book! I have deliberately chosen the picture of Visnu because I want this book to be attracting the Mayavadis and impersonalists.”
Prabhupada just explained how everyone’s a rascal for daring to touch anything in his books. The greatest anxiety he has is that after he’s gone we will add things to his books that are bogus, we will take things out that are bona fide, we will make changes in his books and the whole work for 10,000 years, his plan Prabhupada was working on, it will all be spoiled by us because of our tendency to change. And Prabhupada gave an example that the disease to do things differently is so inherent in the Americans that for the sake of doing things differently we would walk on our hands rather than our feet.”
“The artists were always writing letters to Prabhupada asking him to explain how he wants the transcendental lilas painted. How to paint the spirit soul, how to paint Krsna, how to paint the spiritual world, what it looks like, what the atmosphere is, what the ground should look like, all kinds of detailed questions. And Prabhupada would write hundreds of letters to his artists explaining to them the answers. Even though these questions bothered him sometimes, they were like teasing him, but still he took the time to always answer. He once had said that ISKCON Press is the heart of ISKCON and the art department is the heart of the Press. So to Prabhupada these paintings were windows to the spiritual sky.”
“Prabhupada actually wanted 50 paintings in every volume. That was Prabhupada’s vision. Genius! No philosopher ever thought of such a thing. And therefore their books never sell. These art paintings were the basis of all the book distribution. Of course, it was our sincerity and our drive and our desire to please Prabhupada. But the technique was showing people the paintings, attracting their senses, getting them curious and interested and attracted by the art. The more beautiful the art the more you could tell people that this describes the most beautiful, peaceful way of life, the most beautiful spiritual thing. You’d show the paintings and you’d say things like, “This explains how to experience the highest happiness. Just look at this painting. Wouldn’t you like to be there?” The paintings were the basis for the book selling. And Prabhupada is the genius who thought that up.”
“By 1974, Radhahallabha and I and the artists were talking about reprinting the Krsna Book, “Let’s update the paintings.” These paintings were done in 1969, 1968. The artists have gotten much better. Their expertise was much better. So the decision was made by myself and Radhaballabha, we were going to upgrade all the paintings. The artists would get together with Radhaballabha and pick out which ones they wanted and then we would work it out together which ones to take out and which ones to put in. So Prabhupada and Bali came to Los Angeles and I had a meeting with Prabhupada upstairs in his room and I started showing him all of the paintings that were corning out, page by page, and all the paintings that were going in. This was one of the most astonishing meetings I ever had with Prabhupada in my life.
Just before we started going over the Krsna Book paintings, we went  over these drawings that Pariksit had done for the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. He had worked for one year on about 24 or so black and white drawings which would be going on the title page for each chapter of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. This was his first major work at the BBT art department. And they had sent them to me so I could show them to Prabhupada because we were getting ready to print the TLC in Dai Nippon. So we went through drawing after drawing after drawing and Prabhupada was becoming angrier and angrier and more and more livid, and it was becoming a frightening experience. He was condemning them, he was throwing them out, he was rejecting them, he was blasting them, he was describing how they were going to ruin his book, they’re off, they’re misrepresentative, they’re not clear, they’re bogus, and “If you put anything bogus in my book, this is my greatest fear that you will ruin my book and the whole book will be ruined because of you!” And on and on, it was devastating! And I wrote a letter to the artists with the description of Prabhupada’s comments like a blow by; blow because it was so impressed in my mind. As soon as I got out of the room I ran downstairs and typed out this letter, remembering all of the things Prabhupada said. So I’ll be able to find that letter and you can refer to it and you’ll see exactly how Prabhupada analyzed the drawings in relation to what they were supposed to be illustrating very carefully and rejected them and just with devastating critique. Prabhupada was so expert. So then after going through that scene, then I took out the Krsna Book and said “Now, these are the paintings they want to take out and these are the ones they want to put in, Srila Prabhupada.” And we started again going page by page, color plate by color plate. And Prabhupada was becoming more and more livid, and more and more angry. And it was just the most terrifying experience that I have ever gone through. He was screaming, “They’re ruining my books! They have no brain! They are hippies! They are rascals!” Screaming, pounding his fist on the desk. At one point they wanted to take out the old Putana, the dead Putana with Krsna sucking the breast of Putana or playing on her lap, whatever it was, and in the background you have the Vrndavana village. And they wanted to put the new one in from the 2.2 which Prabhupada considered to be an inferior painting because it did not show as much. “An ugly black lump,” he said. But the worst was when we came to the rasa-lila, this was one of Prabhupada’s favorite paintings, the original Devahuti painting of the rasa-lila which we’ve made the poster of, which is now in the Krsna Book and so on. They wanted to take it out and  they wanted to put this painting of Krsna dancing with the gopis from the first printing of the Third Canto, Volume 2. Now in the reprinting of the Third Canto, Volume 2 this rasa-lila has been taken out and the original Krsna Book rasa-lila has been put in. Because the rasa-lila that they wanted to put in the Krsna Book was the final straw. Prabhupada just turned white! He looked into his bedroom at the original painting which was hanging on his wall. From his sitting room in Los Angeles he could look into his bedroom. He turned white. He looked at that painting. Then he looked down at the painting that they were proposing was better. Krsna’s hair was wild and long, Radharani’s head was uncovered, the gopis‘ hair was uncovered. It was like a, Prabhupada said, “hippie dance, sex dance. Hippie seeds, hippie contamination, hippie mentality, hippie, hippie, dirty! Rascals!” On and on. Prabhupada was screaming, banging his fist on the desk. There was nothing you could say, it was just an explosion that “They’re ruining my books.”

With the BBT, the size of the books, the type of art in the books and so on, on principle Prabhupada would not allow changes even if the change was an improvement. Just to teach that principle of don’t change. When the Dallas Gurukula was collapsing, I begged Prabhupada, “Let us send money from the BBT.” He said, “No. It is not the business of the BBT to support children, it is the business of parents.” The parents didn’t have any money, how could they support the children? But on this principle, Prabhupada wouldn’t let the BBT bail out the Dallas Gurukula and it closed. I was ready to bail them out. I proposed it, I wanted to bail it out, but it just didn’t happen.

I’ve had many experiences with Prabhupada literally drilling me, pounding it into my head that you’re never allowed to change anything in his books. He trained me so intensely on this point. Even when the changes make sense he wouldn’t let me change. Just to train me.

You can download and read the PDF file of the interview by clicking on:

Ramesvara-interview-1979

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

Madhudvisa dasa
 http://bookchanges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ramesvara-interview-1979.pdf

“What happened to the BBT”

Although this is an older post, still it is relevant, in light of the recent post by Rupanuga Prabhu “The Change Disease” and an even more recent reply post by Ramesvara Prabhu entitled “A Reply to Rupanuga’s Article“. Followed by the reply from Hansadutta Prabhu; “Ramesvara was never a BBT Trustee“. One needs a score card to keep up with it all, but personally I find it all very interesting, and perhaps in the big picture on Book Changes, all this is needed.
“What happened to the BBT”
Posted by Hansadutta das
My Dearest Urdhvaga Prabhu,
Obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I owe it to Srila Prabhupada and to the devotees, to yourself, as having been appointed by Srila Prabhupada to act as trustee for life, to clarify what happened with the BBT.
In your post “Copyrights Transferred to the BBTI?”, published up on the Sampradaya Sun, you’ve understood correctly that BBTI is not the same as Prabhupada’s BBT. BBTI (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.) is a California corporation (non-profit) that was registered in 1988, in a deliberate attempt to bypass the legal trust.
Immediately thereafter, ISKCON GBC voted to assign the copyrights from BBT to BBTI. However, they had no legal authority to do so, because Prabhupada gave express instructions in the trust document that ISKCON was to have no jurisdiction over the trust.

But that’s not all… for years Ramesvara operated a shell as if it were the actual BBT – used ISKCON of America and later another ISKCON registered in California for which he applied to the local authorities for the dba (“doing business as” otherwise known as a fictitious business name) “Bhaktivedanta Book Trust”. For so many years he and the GBC bypassed Srila Prabhupada’s actual trust and trustees.
Devotees did not know it, but Ramesvara was never a BBT trustee – he was only ever appointed secretary by Prabhupada. He might have been a trustee of the Indian Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, which was really only a publishing trust and did not hold the copyrights to Prabhupada’s books.
So you can see that the term “BBT” has been loosely applied to any one of a few different legal entities, a convenient smoke screen for ISKCON to take over the trust.
First of all, stop here and understand what is a trust. A legally constituted trust consists of the Settlor, or the person who is making the trust; the property vested in the trust; a beneficiary, or the party who benefits from the trust; and trustee or trustees, who carry out the terms of the trust.
Prabhupada’s trust, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, is no different. Prabhupada is the Settlor and was, until his departure, one of the trustees. He made ISKCON the beneficiary of the trust.
And he vested all the copyrights to his books in the trust. As for the trustees, he designated that there be no more than three at any time. Initially there were just Srila Prabhupada, Karandhar and Bali Mardan. Later, when Karandhar resigned, Prabhupada appointed me to replace him.
Prabhupada inserted a provision in the Trust Agreement BBTAgreement (pdf, 540 KB) stating that the BBT existed independently of ISKCON and that the trustees were bound to carry out the duties of the BBT separately from and not depending on the ISKCON GBC.
But even without such a provision, by law the beneficiary of a trust has no legal right to direct the trustees or to take over the trust assets. So what ISKCON did is actually illegal.
ISKCON bypassed the trustees and took over the operation and property of the BBT. Let’s say a father sets up a trust for his children, and vests all his property in it, and appoints a trustee to look after it in the interests of the children.
But somewhere along the line, the children decide they want direct control over the property and so they scheme to get rid of or go around the trustee and seize the assets for themselves. Why is this so wrong? After all, they are the beneficiaries, and the trust is supposed to be for them.
But no, the court takes the view that the trust belongs to the Settlor, not the beneficiaries, and although the Settlor may have departed, his expressed wishes live on in the terms of the trust document, and so the court upholds the trust, and finds that the children have attempted to convert the trust res illegally. This is exactly what has happened in the case of Prabhupada’s BBT.
Or another example to illustrate – which is what I presented to Amarendra. Amarendra asked me, during settlement negotiations, “What does it matter to you if BBT exists or not as long as BBTI carries on the BBT’s work? The books are being published, they’re being distributed. What’s the difference?”
So I asked him, “Suppose I take your wife, I do all those things that you do with her – maybe even better than you do – what does it matter to you?” Poor Amarendra was shocked. The point is: BBT belongs to Prabhupada, not to ISKCON. Prabhupada set it up to work in a particular way, and ISKCON has no right to interfere or to take over, as they have done.
Going back to 1988, the time when BBTI was incorporated, devotees may remember that around that time ISKCON began blacklisting devotees who were outspoken against GBC or official ISKCON policies, especially with regard to the policy of forced reinitiation.
Some devotees had gone through four Gurus! Many left ISKCON and went back into material life; and the few who tried to go it on their own were subjected to a campaign to extinguish them – they were made unwelcome at ISKCON temples, they were unable to buy Prabhupada’s books at wholesale rates for sankirtan, and ISKCON devotees went out of their way to sabbotage their preaching efforts.
This is what happened in Singapore to Bhima das, who, with one other brahmachary, had been distributing Prabhupada’s books in Malaysia and Singapore, even Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan, at least 1.5 million books from 1978. But from 1988 the regional “BBTs” refused to sell to him, and he was refused even when he approached “BBT” in Australia.
Not only this, but the BBT was letting so many books go out of print, and publishing only Jayadvaita’s new and improved books.
In 1990 I approached Tamal Krishna Goswami to buy chinese Bhagavad gitas from him, he refused , telling me he would sell them to me only at the retail price. OK, I said I’ll buy two copies, thinking enough is enough. So in 1990 we printed Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Chinese. Within a few months, Bhima received a letter from a lawyer alleging copyright infringement.
The lawyer’s client was none other than Sundar Gopal in Singapore, then still working under Tamal Krishna Goswami. Shortly afterwards, BBTI brought a lawsuit against Bhima in Singapore, claiming their copyrights had been infringed and asking for damages.
We challenged BBTI to prove ownership, and they came back with a fake, back-dated document signed by Svavasa, supposedly assigning BBT copyrights to BBTI. But we presented the original Trust Agreement for Prabhupada’s Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and the resolution bearing Srila Prabhupada’s signature appointing myself as trustee, and demanded that BBTI prove its legal connection with the original BBT. When they couldn’t do that, they all at once backed out of the lawsuit.
That’s when ISKCON and BBTI sued Hansadutta, myself, in 1997. It was not actually a lawsuit against myself personally. It was a direct attack on Prabhupada’s original BBT.
ISKCON and BBTI were seeking a court declaration that Prabhupada’s BBT was never a legally valid trust and thus never held the copyrights to his books; or in the event that it was once valid, that it had ceased to be valid; moreover, that Hansadutta, myself, was never a trustee of that trust, or if I was, then I had ceased to be or should be removed and new trustees appointed. Download the complaint (pdf, 3.2 MB).
Over the course of more than 1-1/2 years, much came to light. For instance, ISKCON claimed that Prabhupada had never owned the copyrights, that they were “works for hire”, meaning that Prabhupada was ISKCON’s hired worker – they supplied Prabhupada with room and board, dictation machine, paper, pen… and whatever he wrote was the property of ISKCON. Read it yourself what ISKCON said (pdf, 1.5 MB).
I did not relinquish my position as BBT trustee lightly. It was a grave decision. I understood very well that Prabhupada had appointed me for life to safeguard his books, and I would never have simply thrown it away. But after 17-18 months of litigation, we had no financial resources to continue the legal battle into trial. Our lawyer, Fedorowsky (Gupta das), required us to come up with another $100,000 in advance payment to go to trial.
Contrary to what has been reported by some, I did not leave ISKCON with money, and I have never done business or been gainfully employed, so I had to rely on Krishna to send help in defending Prabhupada’s BBT. Bhima had spent more than a million dollars fighting the BBTI courtcase in Singapore. Then when ISKCON – BBTI changed course and filed legal action against me, again Bhima came to the rescue, but by then he was pretty much tapped out.
He scrambled to put up the money to retain Fedorowsky. Veda Guhya also contributed – a quarter of the amount Bhima gave. But when Fedorowsky called for more money for trial, we just didn’t have it, and no one responded to our appeals for help – not one of the Prabhupadanugas. Everyone just kept silent. No one came forward, and former friends retreated.
Talk of betrayal… I felt betrayed at that time, deserted by godbrothers who would not support the defense of Prabhupada’s BBT. (I remember in those days you wrote to me your disappointment that Chakravarty did not want to communicate with me because it might compromise his job with BBTI under Harikesa.)
Moreover, Fedorowsky advised me that even if we were to proceed to trial and if we should prevail, there was every likelihood that ISKCON and BBTI would appeal and that ISKCON would petition the court to remove me from the trust in any case, and the matter could drag out for years. We didn’t know it at the time, but Fedorowsky had already misappropriated money that was principal in an investment scheme that was to pay his fees.
Had we known that, we would not have trusted him, but we did trust him, and we had no other option for an attorney – Fedorowsky knew the ins and outs of ISKCON, he had a grasp of the legal issues, which baffled all other attorneys we consulted, and he had made us an offer impossible to refuse – very discounted fees.
And so it was that 18 months into litigation, I was corralled into accepting a settlement, crafted by Fedorowsky and Amarendra. Fedorowsky promised me that in exchange for stepping down from the BBT trustee position, BBTI and ISKCON would give me an “unfettered” license to publish all of Prabhupada’s original books (pre1978) pretty much worldwide. This turned out to be otherwise, but at the time I trusted Fedorowsky’s legal advice.
I had to consider that if we went to trial and lost, BBTI and ISKCON would get away with everything, spelling the end of Prabhupada’s original books and depriving many devotees of access to buying books for distribution. And I had to consider that even if we went to trial and won, it would not be the end of it; ISKCON and BBTI would fight on and eventually I would be removed as trustee.
Then too, Fedorowsky spoke of the cost of protecting the copyrights, how if the BBT did not file legal action for each and every copyright infringement, then they would be lost to public domain – which might have been done anyway. So thinking to make the best of a bad bargain, I made the decision that I felt would protect the integrity of Prabhupada’s original books and enable their publication and make them accessible to the devotees everywhere regardless of their affiliation with ISKCON.
I considered also ISKCON’s and BBTI’s assurances that the BBT would be left intact. It was for Prabhupada that I did what I did. For Prabhupada and the devotees. In the end, I could only hope that the settlement would resolve our differences, and so I took a leap of faith to trust our godbrothers at their word, give them a chance to make it possible for us to participate in serving Prabhupada and his mission by printing and distributing his unadulterated books.
I did not do so with personal profit in mind. That was not the case at all. For that reason I did not object when Fedorowsky added his own name as member of the board of the licensee.
Out of gratitude to him for his services, and desiring to include the persons who had sacrificed money, time and energy to defend Prabhupada’s BBT and the purity of Prabhupada’s original books, I consented to the naming of Fedorowsky, Veda Guhya, Bhima and his wife all as members of the board. As for the settlement money, it was initially agreed that the money would be used as startup capital for printing Prabhupada’s books.
However, Fedorowsky laid claim to it, and a dispute arose. As it turned out, Fedorowsky, with the support of Veda Guhya, Bhagavan and Niscintya, pulled the carpet out from beneath us, and took control of the licensee, ousting myself, Bhima and Das devi dasi.
But I assure you, I did not ever intend to betray Srila Prabhupada or his Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. I acted in good faith. Fedorowsky and others took advantage of my trust and good will. If you are looking for those who betrayed Prabhupada, look to them, look to ISKCON and BBTI.
As you have pointed out, I have since put ISKCON and BBTI on notice that their failure to pay out the settlement monies as per the terms of the settlement means that the settlement has been breached, and so I have rescinded my resignation as trustee of the BBT. As far as I know, the BBT is intact. But ISKCON and BBTI continue to produce and distribute counterfeit books, and the BBT courtcase has been swept underneath the bed.
To check them with legal action is prohibitively costly. But if the devotees rally and demand remediation, that Prabhupada’s BBT be restored and that BBTI cease all revisions of Prabhupada’s books, then it’s possible that one day things will be right again with the movement. This is my stand. And I call for all Prabhupada’s faithful disciples to stand with me, to stand by Prabhupada’s Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, to stand for Srila Prabhupada and his books.
Remember the Alamo! But devotees need to do more than talk. Many devotees have strongly protested the changes to the books, but BBTI and ISKCON turn a deaf ear to them and will continue to do so unless and until they are faced with real consequences such as court action. This costs money. So put your money where your mouth is, and let’s see who is willing to do for Prabhupada.
I know that I have disappointed you and so many other devotees. I am very sorry for so many things I have done recklessly and for having failed to live up to all our expectations. All I can do is ask again for forgiveness from you and from the devotees everywhere, and for your blessings to be allowed to serve Prabhupada alongside his faithful devotees.
We are meant to follow Prabhupada, all of us as members of his entourage, as his servants, in this life and in the next and the next after that, forever, and this is all I look forward to – meeting up with Srila Prabhupada wherever he may be and being counted once again as one of his disciples. Please do not think too badly of me and cast me out from your association.
Your servant, Hansadutta das

Acarya is not to be nominated amongst the governing body

“You are right about Sridhara Maharaja’s genuineness. But in my opinion he is the best of the lot. He is my old friend, at least he executes the regulative principles of devotional service. I do not wish to discuss about activities of my Godbrothers but it is a fact they have no life for preaching work.
All are satisfied with a place for residence in the name of a temple, they engage disciples to get foodstuff by transcendental devices and eat and sleep. They have no idea or brain how to broadcast the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. My Guru Maharaja used to lament many times for this reason and he thought if one man at least had understood the principle of preaching then his mission would achieve success.

In the latter days of my Guru Maharaja he was very disgusted. Actually, he left this world earlier, otherwise he would have continued to live for more years. Still he requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acarya of the Gaudiya Math.
But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought that there must be one acarya. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned.
Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure.
The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya.
So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation.
This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them.
[...]
The responsibility goes to the presidents who pick them. Unless they are thoroughly convinced second initiation should not be given. In the beginning we may be a little lenient. But if someone falls down after being initiated he should not be credited with second initiation.”
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/sdg

DUTIES & QUALIFICATIONS of GBC

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder & Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Mandate of the GBC-As Representative of Srila Prabhupada, to manage ISKCON.

As we have increased our volume of activities, now I think a Governing Body Commission (hereinafter referred to as the GBC) should be established. I am getting old, 75 years old, therefore at any time I may be out of the scene, therefore I think it is necessary to give instruction to my disciples how they shall manage the whole institution. They are already managing individual centers represented by one president, one secretary and one treasurer, and in my opinion they are doing nice. But we want still more improvement in the standard of Temple management, propaganda for Krishna Consciousness, distribution of books and literatures, opening of new centers and educating devotees to the right standard. Therefore, I have decided to adopt the following principles and I hope my beloved disciples will kindly accept them. (Srila Prabhupada in Direction of Management, July 28, 1970)

The purpose of the Governing Body Commission is to act as the instrument for the execution of the Will of His Divine Grace. And further,

1.  The GBC oversees all operations and management of ISKCON, as it receives direction from Çréla Prabhupäda and His Divine Grace has the final approval in all matters….

6. The primary objective of the GBC is to organize the opening of new Temples and to maintain the established Temples.

(Particulars of the GBC, Direction of Management, July 28, 1970)

Resolved: The GBC (Governing Body Commissioned) has been established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to represent Him in carrying out the responsibility of managing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of which He is the Founder-Acarya and supreme authority. The GBC accepts as its life and soul His divine instructions and recognizes that it is completely dependent on His mercy in all respects. The GBC has no other function or purpose other than to execute the instructions so kindly given by His Divine Grace and preserve and spread his Teachings to the world in their pure form.

It is understood that the GBC, as a collective body of 14-members has been authorized by His Divine Grace to make necessary arrangements for carrying out these responsibilities of management. These arrangements may include delegating authority, managing resources, setting objectives, making plans, calling for reports, evaluating results, training others, maintaining spiritual standards and defining sphere of influence of the various GBC members as well as other devotees.

The members of the GBC do not have any inherent authority but rather derive their authority from the Governing Body Commission itself and ultimately from His Divine Grace. Their authority may be over a particular geographic area or over a particular function. Whichever area of responsibility be given to the various members their primary responsibility is to the society as a whole.

(GBC Resolutions, 1975 Mayapur in the presence of Srila Prabhupada)

Purpose: To handle management, philosophy questions, personal problems, keep devotional standards at the highest level

I have set up the Governing Body Commission to han­dle management, questions of philosophy, and personal problems. These things are too much botheration to me. I simply want time to write books to satisfy my Guru Maharaja. (SPL to Upendra, August 6th, 1970)

I have formed this GBC for that purpose, to keep the devo­tional standards at the highest level and at the same time to manage a world-wide organization. (SPL to Rupanuga, November 4th, 1970)

One thing is, have you GBC members decided amongst your­selves, how your zone of Far East will be managed in your absence?    There must be someone there who can advise and instruct in all matters. (SPL to Bali Uardan, February 27th, 1972)

You mention that you are no longer much occupied with seeing that the rent and mortgage is paid and that the incense is sold, but GBC means to be occupied with everything in the zone. It is not that now we are preachers we can neglect all other points. No, the GBC member is supposed to know everything and anything about the condition and situation of all matters within his jurisdiction. That is the meaning of secretary …, and similarly, you shall do as I am doing. That is your real business. (SPL to Satsvarupa, July 1st, 1972)

Be Personal Example

These regulative principles are our life, if they are not respected then we fall down from the standard and the whole thing is finished. As GBC you should see the standard is perfectly maintained, and that Deity worship is perfectly done. Then Krsna will give us all protection. Neglecting the principles means neglecting Krsna's order. So you are one of the chief men of this Institution, kindly maintain your behaviour to the standard so that others will follow and the whole thing may go on nicely. It was said about Lord Caitanya: Spanl Heart prabhu jtcere sikhaya, that is, He per­sonally used to practice Himself the injunctions and then He used to teach others. That is our principle: unless one is a perfectly behaved per­son, he cannot teach others. My only request is that all the GBC mem­bers should be strictly to the standard of life, and see that others are also following them. Then our centers will be well-managed. Kindly do that and advise your co-workers to do that." (SPL to Hayagriva, February 13th, 1972)

My only anxiety is to guide you. Krsna sometimes makes me sick just to examine how much you have learned to conduct the business under my guidance, with a little independence. You should never act independently, because my guidance in my words are always there. The main guidance is all of us should remain spiritually strong by chanting the minimum number of rounds and following the rules and regulations. The GBC should personally observe strictly all the rules and regulations and they should become the practical example to others. Then everything will be all right. Then there will be no fear of being victimized by maya. (SPL to Bali Mardan dasa, 5^th, September, 1974)
 So you may remain wherever you may be peaceful. You may resume your GBC duties as secretary for the Central U.S.A. Zone. GBC means that one must be ideal Vaisnava. That means there must be strict observance in following all the rules and regulations. This is your main responsibility, and then to see that all others are following strictly. Then everything will be all right. (SPL to Jagadisa dasa, 6^th September, 1974)
So I request you all to follow strictly the regulative principles, especially the chanting on the beads. GBC means to be a practical example to all residents of temples and devotees. If all of us follow this principle of purity, our spiritual position will remain sound, and maya will not touch us. mayam etam tarantite. A fully surrendered soul always remains untouched by the hand of maya. Otherwise it is not possible. (SPL to Kirtananada Maharaja, 5^th October, 1974)
 Regarding Sydney, that the President has left, if one does not follow the regulative principles, then he will leave. That is a fact. Has somebody else been elected? This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want. (SPL to Madhudvisa Swami, 4^th August, 1975)

 The GBC must be vigilant by following the regulative principles and teach by ideal character the presidents of the centers, and the presidents by their ideal character must teach the others then automatically all members of the whole institution will be ideal to the human society. Then we can dictate to administrators or sometimes take hold of the administration. In the absence of competent leaders we may take the post. …So our business is to keep fit as brahmanas and to train others to be ideal ksatriyas and vaisyas for advancing the whole society. (SPL to Rupanuga Maharaja, 28^th April, 1974)