Food offered thru bogus iskcon gurus-is not Krsna Prasadam

 
Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Below we have a concise analysis (from Prabhupada's quotes) that food offered thru bogus iskcon gurus-is not Krsna Prasadam. Sound alarming? Then please read further.....

Over the years, we have all seen a lot of damage to the once prestigious worldwide Iskcon organization. Now, it is only a mere shadow of its past glory. And here below is one key reason. The present leaders of iskcon have minimized the actual instructions of Srila Prabhupada, and created their "own" version of Bhakti Tattva.
Starting every day with the offering of bhoga to turn it into Krsna Prasadam thru the un-authorized gurus of iskcon, everyone there is eating sinful foodstuffs, and not Krsna prasadam. See the proof below.

Hare Krsna,
Damaghosa das
--------------------------


760613mw.det                Conversations              
Prabhupada: Who is my disciple? First of all let him follow strictly
the disciplined rules.
Devotee (2): As long as one is following, then he is...
Prabhupada: Then he is all right.

69-07-11.Jay              Letter: Jayapataka          
Master. Out of the ten kinds of offenses, the number one offense is to
disobey the orders of the Spiritual Master. The instructions given to
the disciple by the Spiritual Master at the time of initiation should
be strictly followed. That will make one advance to the spiritual
path. But if one deliberately defies such instructions, then his
advancement is hampered from the very beginning. This defying means to
disconnect the relationship with the Spiritual Master. And anyone who
defies and therefore disconnects the relationship with the Spiritual
Master can hardly expect the assistance of the Spiritual Master life
after life. I hope this will clear up this question sufficiently for you.'
-----------------------------


Without going into all the hundreds of changes the iskcon GBC's have authorized, merely changing
whimsically ,only ONE instruction, disconnects themselves from the param para and renders that "service" useless. What to speak of main instructions-like first of all-HOW TO OFFER  FOOD TO GOD !! Now here below is the actual words of Srila Prabhupada , where he tells his early disciples the process of offering bhoga or food to God, Krsna. And there are many other quotes like this one.
-----------------------------

16 June, 1969
New Vrindaban
Letter to Arundhati

"Regarding your question about offering Prasadam, whatever is offered to the Deity actually it goes through the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master offers to Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya offers it to Krishna. Then Radha Krishna eats, or Jagannatha eats, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu eats, then the Spiritual Master eats, and it becomes Mahaprasadam. So when you offer something, you think like that and chant the Gayatri mantra, and then everything is complete. At last, ring the bell, take out the plate and wipe the place where the plate was kept."
Vrndavana, India
August 1967
Letter to: Devotee & Hamsaduta

"One who understands and appreciates the disciplic succession is certainly advanced, and we should always be very careful to give full respect to those who have so carefully handled this Divine Fruit of transcendental knowledge before us. Even a slight change will spoil it. That is why I have always been so careful to give you only those things which I have heard from my Guru Maharaja
73-01-04.Dhr             Letter: Dhruvananda            
The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and
create our own process for worshiping the deities. So don't ask any
more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact
standard as I have given you, that's all.

The reason Iskcon, thru Gaura Keshava, and before that, all the Gaudiya matha in India, have taken to this system of offering bhoga to Krsna is because they have disobeyed the orders of their own Acarya-both Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj and our Srila Prabhupada in the matter of who is to become "guru" or Acarya of the institution when the real acarya departs. Since both the Gaudiya matha and Iskcon disobeyed their Acaryas orders (Gaudiya matha was to not elect any Acarya but work together and an Acarya (Srila Prabhupada) would emerge amongst themselves, and Iskcons order from Srila Prabhupada was to have ritvik priests take on the business of initiating new disciples on behalf of Srila Prabhupada--because neither of these organizations did what they were told to do, the result was so many falldowns amongst their so called guru leaders, that they were forced to amend the offering process  so that food would be offered first to God, or Krsna and not to fallen gurus, so that way they felt, everybody would be "assured" of having only Krsna Prasadam to take.

Only thing is-its all wrong !! One doesn't go to God directly, but has to go thru His representative-for everything !! .Even the Christians know this as Jesus said"only thru me can you go to the Father".  Therefore, the conclusion is- it is not acceptable by Krsna because they have not followed His order and system to approach Him.
This approach, Iskcon's way, is very arrogant since they think they can directly go to God and bypass their own guru. Since iskcon's own "gurus" are constantly falling down, then how can the blind followers be assured the offerings they personally make to Krsna, thru their own iskcon guru actually go to God, or Krsna?
This is a big problem for the GBC. So what do they do? They change it all around to fix their current problem-gurus who are constantly falling down, by saying-No we dont offer to guru first but to Krsna, then it comes back to us as "Prasadam".
The only thing  is all they are getting- is contaminated kali yuga "prasadam" and not pure 100% transcendental Krsna Prasadam.

Now here below we hear from Krsna's actual representative, Srila Prabhupada, where he explains that if a guru is bogus, (which he becomes- simply by changing only one item of devotional service, what to speak of hundreds of other changes) then how can anyone go forward to Krsna, with any kind of devotional service or bhakti yoga from that incorrect starting point??? If you add 2+2 and get 5, even if you do everything correct after that, its still all----- WRONG !!

Now let us hear what the real Acarya A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada has to say on this important matter.....

701223SB.SUR                   Lectures                
Devotee (3): In regard to worshiping arca-vigraha form, you have
explained that if one receives a mantra from a spiritual master who is
not bona fide, that mantra has no effect. So I would like to ask if
one is worshiping a Deity and his spiritual master is not bona fide,
so that Deity cannot be considered the Supreme Lord?
Prabhupada: Well, first of all, thing is if the spiritual master is
not bona fide, how his mantra can be bona fide? Your statement is
contradictory. If you say the spiritual master is not bona fide, then
how his mantra becomes bona fide? If he is bona fide, then his mantra
is bona fide.
Devotee (3): Then why is he giving instruction to worship the Deity?
If the spiritual master is not bona fide, then is the Deity also not
bona fide?
Prabhupada: I do not follow. What does he say?
Tamala Krsna: His idea is that if one receives a mantra from a
spiritual master, if the spiritual master is not bona fide...
Prabhupada: Then there is no question of mantra. There is no question
of worshiping Deity. These are all bogus things. If you are not...
Just like here is a young medical man. If he has not received
instruction from a bona fide medical college, so what is the value of
his medical, being... That is... What is called? What is the technical
name?
Devotee (4): Quack.
Prabhupada: Quack! (laughter) (pronounces like "quark")

761101SB.VRN                   Lectures                
   So for that there are so many practices, regulative principles,
mentioned here. The first thing is hamse gurau mayi bhaktyanuvrtya.
This is religion. Adau gurvasrayam. If you do not get a qualified
guru, then everything is bogus. If you, by good fortune, if you get
the association of a guru, qualified hamsa, paramahamsa... Paramahamsa
guru means sannyasi's last stage is paramahamsa. Kuticaka, bahudaka,
parivrajakacarya, and paramahamsa, these are the different stages.
.....then he is paramahamsa. So one must find out a guru who is
paramahamsa. Neither kuticaka, nor bahudaka, nor parivrajakacarya.
Paramahamsa.

701219SB.SUR                   Lectures                
So we have to accept religious principles from the leaders of the sampradayas.
Otherwise it is useless. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te viphala
matah: "If you do not accept mantra initiation from the disciplic
succession of the sampradaya, then it will be useless."
Sampradaya-vihina ye. So people are manufacturing religion without any
reference to these authorities.

69-10-31.Din                Letter: Dinesh            
Regarding the disciplic succession coming from Arjuna, disciplic
succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic
succession (also known as initiation) means to accept the disciplic conclusion. Arjuna was a
disciple of Krishna and Brahma was also a disciple of Krishna. Thus
there is no disagreement between the conclusions of Brahma and Arjuna.
Vyasadeva is in the disciplic succession of Brahma. The teachings to
Arjuna was recorded by Vyasadeva verbatim. So according to the
axiomatic truth, things equal to one another are equal to each other.
We are not exactly directly from Vyasadeva, but our Gurudeva is a
representative of Vyasadeva. Because Vyasadeva and Arjuna are of equal
status, being students of Krishna, therefore we are in the disciplic
succession of Arjuna. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one
another
--------------------

So, if one has a guru (in iskcon) who is not authorized by Srila Prabhupada and/or his
instructions are contrary to Srila Prabhupadas, then how the offerings made are Prasadam?)
And on the other hand, if you DO follow Srila Prabhuadas instructions, then the result is
Bhakti yoga or pure devotional service if done under his instructions.

---------------------
68-08-19.Tam             Letter: Tamala Krsna          
The chanting Hare Krishna is our main business, that is real
initiation. And as you are all following my instruction, in that
matter, the initiator is already there. Now the next initiation will
be performed as a ceremony officially, of course that ceremony has
value because the name, Holy Name, will be delivered to the student
from the disciplic succession, it has got value, but in spite of that,
as you are going on chanting, please go on with this business
sincerely and Krishna willing, I may be coming to you very soon.
------------------------

Similarly here, because if one follows the real gurus orders, then he is
present there and the food offered does go to Krsna and return to
us as prasadam. Unlike the iskcon scenario where the link to God,
Krsna, has been cut or severed by their unauthorized methodology
of first offering to God. As Prabhupada says-"these are all bogus things"


74-06-30.Bal              Letter: Bal Krsna            
   Allow me to congratulate you and your wife for giving birth to a
new child. Now see that she is raised in Krsna Consciousness so that
at the end of this life she can go back to Home, back to Godhead. As
far as my blessing is concerned it does not require my physical
presence. If you are chanting Hare Krishna there and following my
instructions, reading the books, taking only Krsna prasadam etc., then
there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord
Caitanya whose mission I am humbly trying to push on.


OK, now let us depart to a slightly different topic. Assuming we are all on the "same
page" with the above, let us see about accepting foodstuffs from impure places and
people, and whether or not THAT is acceptable by Krsna??
--------------------

Antya 6.275    " 'My consciousness is impure because I (Raghunatha das Goswami) accept all these goods from people who are interested only in pounds, shillings and pence.
Therefore by this kind of invitation I only get some material
reputation.

                               PURPORT

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that people who are
under the bodily conception of life are called materialists. If we
accept the offerings of such people, place them before the Lord and
invite Vaisnavas to partake of the prasada, that attempt will gain us
only a material reputation, not the actual benefit of service to a
pure Vaisnava. One should therefore try to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by fully surrendering at His lotus feet. If one
engages for the service of the Lord whatever money one has honestly
earned, that is spiritual service to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas.

Antya 6.276  " 'At my request Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepts the invitations
because He knows that a foolish person like me would be unhappy if He
did not accept them.'

                               PURPORT

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that people who are
advanced in learning but attached to material enjoyment, who are
puffed up by material possessions, by birth in an elevated
aristocratic family or by education, may offer showbottle devotional
service to the Deity and also offer prasada to Vaisnavas. Because of
their ignorance, however, they cannot understand that since their
minds are materially polluted, neither the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Krsna, nor the Vaisnavas accept their offerings. If one
accepts money from such materialistic persons to offer food to the
Deity and Vaisnavas, a pure Vaisnava does not accept it. This causes
unhappiness for the materialists because they are fully absorbed in
the bodily conception of life. Therefore they sometimes turn against
the Vaisnavas.

Antya 6.278    "When one eats food offered by a materialistic man, one's mind
becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, one is unable
to think of Krsna properly.

                               PURPORT

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura suggests that people who
are materialistically inclined and sahajiyas, or so-called Vaisnavas
who take everything very casually, are both visayi materialists.
Eating food offered by them causes contamination, and as a result of
such contamination, even a serious devotee becomes like a
materialistic man. There are six kinds of association--giving charity,
accepting charity, accepting food, offering food, talking
confidentially and inquiring confidentially. One should very carefully
avoid associating with both the sahajiyas, who are sometimes known as
Vaisnavas, and the non-Vaisnavas, or avaisnavas. Their association
changes the transcendental devotional service of Lord Krsna into sense
gratification, and when sense gratification enters the mind of a
devotee, he is contaminated. The materialistic person who aspires
after sense gratification cannot properly think of Krsna.

Antya 6.279    "When one accepts an invitation from a person contaminated by the
material mode of passion, the person who offers the food and the
person who accepts it are both mentally contaminated.

                               PURPORT

   Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that there are three varieties of
invitations--those in the mode of goodness, those in passion and those
in ignorance. An invitation accepted from a pure devotee is in the
mode of goodness, an invitation accepted from a person who is pious
but materially attached is in the mode of passion, and an invitation
accepted from a person who is materially very sinful is in the mode of
ignorance.

730506SB.LA                    Lectures                
  . So do not think that "We have made such nice, sumptuous plate for Krsna. Krsna must eat." No. There
is no such thing, "must." You cannot make Krsna must. That is not
possible. So Krsna will see how much you have love for Him. Then He
will accept. Otherwise He'll reject. Therefore, it is forbidden, those
who are nondevotee, those who are not initiated, those who are not
chanting regularly, their offering to Krsna will not be accepted. We
must be very careful. We must know our position, whether I am
sincerely following the principles of devotional service. Then Krsna
will accept. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So
either you offer Krsna prayers or you offer foodstuff, everything must
be along with bhakti, devotion, love. Then Krsna will accept.

Conclusion----Srila Prabhupada has said, spiritual life is like a razors edge !!

We have to be so careful and conscious , as he says above, of what we are doing....
Chant Hare Krsna and Be Happy !!
Damaghosa das