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A CRUCIAL NATIONAL CENTER OF HINDUISM: REFORMULATION OF ISKCON IDENTITIES
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“ .
. . one significant development of ISKCON has been the gradual realignment of
the movement to be seen as a sectarian part of the broader religious category of ‘Hinduism’. This development was not only a theological and
categorical shift, but also had very important political consequences . .
.” (Multiculturalism and Minority Religions in Britain: Krishna Consciousness, Religious Freedom and
the Politics of Location by
Malory Nye p. 27) All emphases
added. The title of this article is
a dual-compilation formulated by combining direct quotations from the text of
the above cited book as quoted on pages 140 and 32, respectively. To make Krishna consciousness seen as part
of Hinduism turns the meaning of Prabhupada’s movement upside down. Besides the abovementioned ones, the main
negative consequence for this gradual and insidious deviation is the creation
of just another apasiddhanta, fully qualified to be considered part of
Hinduism—but not part of the Vaishnava disciplic succession. “ISKCON
leaders have instead promoted an interpretation that they are
(almost) synonymous (with Hinduism), and that Krishna consciousness can be
definitely placed within this (Hindu) religious culture. In the majority of their public statements, ISKCON have
been very clear in saying that they are most definitely Hindu . . .” (pp. 31-32) (All emphases added; the
parenthetical “(almost)” was in the text.)
To interpret means to
change. To make public statements that
Krishna consciousness is Hindu is to bring Lord Caitanya’s movement down to the
mundane plane for the purpose of public approval. This is a foolish delusion and Maya’s trick; the trap was set, and
the “ISKCON” leaders walked right into it. “ .
. . the model of Krishna consciousness that they (devotees) had envisaged . . .
at the time of initial conversion needed to be contextualized within a wide and
very rich picture of social development that was rooted
in Bengali
society and Hindu/Vaishnavite theology and philosophy.” (p. 17) All emphases added. The model that the real
workers envisaged was not changing the thing into something it was never meant
to become. “ .
. . a shift from ‘the temple to the congregation’ is perhaps one of the most
important sociological changes that has occurred within ISKCON.”
(P. 20) All emphases added. “A
particular motivating factor behind this recognition, beyond the
maturity and skills which many of these congregational devotees could bring to
their temple, was the fact that many were in salaried employment (‘in the
world’), and so were potential financial benefactors . . .” (p. 20) All emphases added. “The
role of the congregation is to financially and socially support the temples and
core activities of the movement . . . the congregation is one of the places
where former temple residents should be expected to go . . .” (p. 21) All
emphases added. “ .
. . if they decide not to take on a leadership role within the ‘CLERGY’ . . .
(then) the crucial principle of this scheme is that ‘anyone joining the
temple’ does not stay there . . .” (p.
21) All emphases added. Cha-ching! The shift was to
change everything into an ecclesiastical bureaucracy (“clergy”) and revenue
machine, turning those who would not directly partake of this corruption into
money-surrendering karmis in order to provide facility and a comfortable
livelihood for the vested “ISKCON” priesthood.
This eventually has devolved into an institutionalized situation in most
temples, and now newcomers are “expected” to leave the temples, the sooner the
better. In 1986, Srila Prabhupada
revealed to one of his early disciples the essence of this scheme: “It’s
church! It’s church! It’s church!” “ .
. . (eventually) a process of routinising his (Prabhupada’s) charismatic
authority into the bureaucratic institution of the GBC . . . would be the
only effective machinery for preventing the disintegration . . .” (pp. 15-16) “Many of these non-Hindu (and non-Indian)
devotees wish to retain the internationalism of ISKCON, and see the
primary purpose . . . to preach . . .” “This
perspective is largely justified by passages of Prabhupada’s own teachings, in
which he makes a clear point about distinguishing ISKCON from Hinduism,
clearly stating that Krishna consciousness is not Hindu. For him, this ‘Hinduism’ was a
hodgepodge, a khitchari of religious beliefs and practices which misrepresent
and distort the Vedic teachings . . .” (p. 30) All emphases added here, as
well as in the immediate section just previous to this one. The parenthetical
was in the text. There is one exception
here regarding the emphases, however: The statement “Krishna consciousness is not Hindu”
contained the emphasis in the text itself.
The meaning of this section
is self-evident and requires no further elucidation whatsoever. All the excerpts quoted above
have been culled from the following book: Multiculturalism and Minority Religions in
Britain: Krishna Consciousness, Religious
Freedom and the Politics of Location by Malory Nye 2001 hardcover Related Information: The Hinduisation
of "ISKCON." “Regarding
the Hindu community: Don't expect anything very wonderful from them, as we have
got experience in Montreal -- they have come in the foreign countries to earn
money. As such, you cannot expect any cultural contribution. So you will
tactfully deal with them, and whenever possible, vehemently protest against
their foolish ideas. But you should try to support your statements on the
strength of Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Best thing will be to avoid them as
far as possible. I am concerned to preach this gospel amongst the Europeans and
Americans, and I am not at all interested to preach amongst the Indians,
because they have now become hodge-podge, due to so many years of subjugation
by foreigners, and having lost their own culture.” Letter to: Gurudasa --
Seattle 29 September, 1968 “Regarding
the Hindu centers in the foreign countries, none of them are bona fide. There
is a similar hodge podge center in London. Actually Hindus and non-Hindus
everyone is at the present moment out of touch of the real science of spiritual
knowledge. Everyone is going under some religious badge only, so it is very
difficult to deal with them unless they are very much serious to understand the
science of God. Everyone of the Hindu community in the Western world has got
some very good feeling for me because superficially they are seeing that I am
spreading Hindu religion, but factually this Krishna Consciousness movement is
neither Hindu religion nor any other religion. It is the function of the soul.
So even though the Indian Hindus are very much inclined in my favor, so far I
have experience it is very difficult to turn them into pure devotees." Letter
to: Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970 "These
so-called Hindus are generally impersonalists, and we do not want to have
anything to do with them. Better we stick to our own standard, and eventually
they will all come to us for learning what is God." Letter to: Giriraja --
Paris 22 July, 1972 "We
cannot agree to make a mixed up association without any authorized principles.
So far as Hindus are concerned, they are not fixed up in one principle. Under
the circumstances, do not be misled that because some of the Hindus are taking
interest in this movement, they are of the same opinion." Letter to: Mukunda -- Seattle 1 October,
1968 "Although
posing as great scholars, ascetics, householders and svamis, the so-called
followers of the Hindu religion are all useless, dried-up branches of the Vedic
religion. They are impotent; they cannot do anything to spread the Vedic
culture for the benefit of human society. The essence of the Vedic culture is
the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
Adi 12.73 Purport "There
is a misconception that the Krsna consciousness movement represents the Hindu
religion. In fact, however, Krsna consciousness is in no way a faith or
religion that seeks to defeat other faiths or religions. Rather, it is an
essential cultural movement for the entire human society and does not consider
any particular sectarian faith. This cultural movement is especially meant to
educate people in how they can love God." ![]() Quotes from the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are copyright by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust |