Yogi Bhajan: We have decided that this is the time for everybody to get together, to get their scene together, to merge together.
Prabhupada: They’ll never. You may call all conferences--hundreds and thousands--but they’ll never. Because there is no common platform: Godless.
Yogi Bhajan: That is what we are trying to provide.
Prabhupada: That you are trying, that is nice, but it will be never successful. You can write it down. Conversation with Yogi Bhajan, 6/7/75, Honolulu.

“The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest form of worldliness, from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil. . . The idea of an organized church, in an intelligible form, indeed marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dikes and the dams supposed to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances.” Organized Religion, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada

“Don’t you know that what you want in life and what you get are two different things?”Pat Garret and Billy the Kid

Shattered Solidarity = Jaded Bhaktas

“I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaja's institution. Different godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaja in different interpretations for sense gratification, and the whole mission disrupted. . . I am always afraid of this crack . . .” Letter to TKG from Tittenhurst Mansion, 10-18-69

All emphases added for your edification and realization

After His Divine Grace departed manifestation, one of my godbrothers, referring to the leaders, asked me in a dreadful mood: “What will they do now?”  Things were going to get bad, but we really did not know just how horrible it could become.  We all know now, of course.

The solidarity of Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna movement of Krishna consciousness was held in place by his inconceivable power and purity from the late Sixties through mid-Seventies.  It was still holding together (barely) in the last years before he left manifest physical existence.  However, very shortly after that, an irreparable crack appeared in the solid foundation of his movement.  The animated pie chart (above) helps us to understand the involutionary nature of that fracture.

The process of disintegration did not stop at one crack: We now have four specific and separate factions. The first crack was the illegal takeover of the movement by the eleven unauthorized, pretender mahabhagavats.  They were all GBCs and all Americans as well; these men created havoc by turning a genuine ISKCON movement into the fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” during the spring of 1978.

ISKCON itself was still functioning at that time, but it soon became heavily compromised and very weak.  Shortly thereafter, another crack appeared.  This time, some mostly second echelon men broke away from “ISKCON” (and from ISKCON as well, of course) and soon thereafter formed the Neo-Gaudiya Mutt (hereinafter referred to as Neo-Mutt).  Some cold war jockeying between “ISKCON” and Neo-Mutt could not produce reconciliation, and a schism resulted in the early Eighties.

You would think that it could not get any worse—but it did.  In one of the Next Generation episodes, Riker finds himself shifting from one different alternative reality to another about every ten minutes.  Some were good, like when he was married to his sweetheart aboard the Enterprise.  Some were bad, like when Worf was married to her.  During all of these experiences, Riker was trying to figure out which reality was actually the fact.  The situation in the movement started to become a bit like that.

Actually, there are only two possibilities: Spiritual Destiny (Providence) and Material Destiny (epitomized by Fate).  The cracks in the movement were not according to the Divine Plan of Providence.  In the very late Eighties—for all practical purposes, at the beginning of the Nineties—another crack developed.  This was rittvik, by its intrinsic nature a highly centrifugal concoction.  There are at least four separate rittvik movements at this time, with differing philosophies, approaches, emphases, moods, and processes.  They also have differing interpretations of the history of the movement.  Along with the particular faction of their current affiliation, these devotees have some differences amongst themselves in terms of how His Divine Grace allegedly authorized rittvik.

To say the least, it was quite disheartening when rittvik surfaced out of the ocean of material nescience, but that was not to be the last crack.  Somewhat recently, another faction has manifested to further split the Disk of Discord: This is the Smorgasbord.  It is also centrifugal.  Although to some degree it has a sympathetic relation to rittvik, it is still different. All of these factions have any number of sub-factions or sub-schisms within them.  That is not illustrated in the pie chart, because it would be far too tedious and diversionary if we had attempted to do so.

The fabricated, so-called “ISKCON” has a major schism within it between the “progressive” wing and the conservative wing.  In order to make a show of unity within “ISKCON,” this is kept hidden from the public at large and from most of the devotees not loyal members to this faction. Neo-Mutt is, in actuality, very divided.  Despite their so-called World Vaishnava Association (which meets once per year in or around Mathura), there are many wildcards in this faction.

The rittvik sector boasts the IRM, the Left Coast rittviks, the Prominent Link rittviks (who prefer not to be called rittviks, although they definitely are), as well as the burnt remnants of the original rittvik idea promulgated in late 1989.  As far as the Smorgasbord is concerned, it is all over the map.  It does, however, have some “unifying” principles, but they are better understood in relation to chaos theory.

Each of the four factions—all of which together comprise a roof or covering that keeps genuine Krishna Consciousness almost completely concealed—has a central node that energizes each specific sector.  For example, the node of the “ISKCON” faction is the vitiated GBC.  The node of rittvik is the IRM.  A person does not need to be living to energize his sector. The node for each of the factions (represented by the black dot found in them) is very different; these cumulative nodes are not restricted to just one group, organization, person, or website.  It can be any of them, but, in each faction, it is only one of these.  Although he is exploited by all of the factions, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada is not represented by any of the four nodes shown in the Cracked Disc of Discord.

The bhaktas and bhaktins under the thralldom of any one of the unauthorized factions are, on the whole, good and nice people.  They have some interest in Krishna consciousness, and most of them are trying to take to the process.  However, they are being completely victimized by leaders who have a vested interest in the specific sector of their controlling influence.  In this age, people are easily misled:

prayenalpayusah sabhya
kalav asmin yuge janah
mandah sumanda-matayo
manda-bhagya hy upadrutah

“O learned leader of the assembly, in this iron age of Kali, the quarrelsome people are short-lived. They are lazy in self-realization, misguided, unlucky in spiritual life, and, above all, always disturbed.”Srimad-bhagavatam, 1.1.10

As a result of the crack—now numbering four cracks—in the solidarity of the Krishna consciousness movement, almost all of these bhaktas and bhaktins have become contemptuous and jaded.  They have been surreptitiously trained in this attitude.  They are keen to criticize those in the other factions, or, for that matter, any and all devotees who are not bamboozled by any of the factions.  It is a most unfortunate situation, and quarrels amongst and between these fanatics are par for the course in the iron age of Kali, which destroys all the good qualities of man.

Nevertheless, there is a subtle—and highly malefic—unity amongst these groups.  It is covert, occult, and insidious; it is also not easily recognizable.  The unity fervor is very strong amongst all of the jaded devotees who actively participate and push the specific deviation of their choice.  Indeed, that hidden “unity” amongst the sectors needs to be understood.

The New Dyson Sphere

“One may make a show of devotional service like the prakrita-sahajiyas, or one may try to support his philosophy by . . . identifying himself with a certain dynasty, claiming a monopoly on spiritual advancement. Thus . . . one may become a pseudo guru or so-called spiritual master.” Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya, 19.161, purport

“Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to the amelioration of the worldly state--in any worldly sense—due to the worldly success of any really spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons of the mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion, the Putanas, whose congenial function is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspected appearance.” Organized Religion, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada

In the last century, a futurist named Freeman Dyson described a hypothetical megastructure that became known as the Dyson Sphere.  In order to both encompass and capture the energy of a small star, such a structure or sphere would surround that star from a very great distance, in effect, a humongous shell.  It would be the logical consequence of ever-escalating energy needs from a civilization that had become victimized by its own technology and reached its resource limit.  Since long-term survival depended upon this solid shell of matter enclosing the star, residents of the Dyson Sphere would be inside, utilizing an unlimited source of power and light.

Whether or not a Dyson Sphere exists in the cosmography of this universe is a separate question entirely; we are simply employing the concept for its analogous value.  For those who have read about the Hollow Earth—and your author believes the theory’s evidence is solid—a kind of Dyson Sphere already exists inside this planet.  One of the evidences could well be the aurora borealis.  However, the source of light, heat, and power inside our planet would not be that of a star; it could instead be an advanced, artificial creation by humanoid beings far more intelligent than humanity.

The analogy can be most successfully applied to how the four deviant factions (comprising the Disc of Discord) surround the brilliant teachings and power of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.  It is a good analogy that shows us how vested interests have converted his movement to the fulfillment of their own power desires and so-called needs.  It allows us to visualize how they take advantage of his light, how they empower themselves, how they warp and reflect it in a perverted way, and how they change and stifle that light--and how it seldom, in its pure form, actually reaches the people of the world. 

According to Dyson Sphere theory, the outer globe would be invisible from a distance; it could only be seen when you were right up on it. This was conjectured in terms of light electro-magnetically being warped by the gravitational influence of the star inside the sphere, with no light reaching the outer surface of the megastructure.  However, in our analogy, there are cracks in the Disk of Discord.  It is in our spiritual interest to focus on those cracks, as they will expand if enough people do so.  That is wanted.  We need to see the New Dyson Sphere for just what it is.

“It’s Church! It’s Church! It’s Church!”

“The man who builds a factory, builds a temple; the man who works there, worships there.”Calvin Coolidge, 30^th American President

“The preacher took his Bible, and he laid it on the stool.  He said, ‘With the congregation running, why should I play the fool?’” Neil Young, The Last Trip to Tulsa

In High Plains Drift, Clint Eastwood is the vengeful brother or ghostly reincarnation of a sheriff who had previously been whipped to death in the street by three desperados who controlled the town.  The townspeople cowardly watched this nighttime execution, and the Eastwood character has vindictively come back to balance the scales.  These desperados, having later been framed by the civic leaders, are soon being released from a prison that is one day’s ride away; everyone knows that they will be immediately returning, seeking vengeance. 

The town wants protection desperately, and the Eastwood character is willing to supply it—but only if they, without question, obey any demand he makes of them.  The leaders agree, and he starts making unexpected and difficult demands.  He orders that every building be painted a shining dark orange.  The sign on its outskirts has its name crossed off and underneath in dark orange is painted “HELL.” As the place eerily transforms, the astonished pastor approaches the Eastwood character and asks whether his order also means that even the church is to be painted over, to which he sternly replies, “I especially mean the church.”

You see, in genuine Krishna consciousness, the form serves the active function, the real workers.  These actors are the lucky humans engaged in staunch devotional service.  They are spreading Krishna consciousness, they are not spreading another version of a gold-plated Ponzi scheme.  When the paradigm is surreptitiously switched by vested interests—when the yin element comes to dominate over the yang—then simply attending the temple, making donations, and being a member in good standing becomes of paramount value.  Consciousness becomes secondarily important, if it even remains important at all.

This ritual and hackneyed manifestation (of but another form of climbing the latticework of the bureaucracy) spoils the whole thing.  When it becomes the new dispensation, genuine Krishna consciousness is lost.  This transformation is already consummated in “ISKCON.”  Since the other factions are nothing but reactionary movements, a similar process of transformation can be found within them, also.  Rittvik is nothing but “ISKCON” lite.  The post-modern manifestation of what only superficially appears to be the Krishna consciousness movement is in the church mode, but people in liberal democracies are becoming no longer attracted to this:

“Because they've seen church is useless. . . They refuse to take advice from the church, because, at the present moment, church is a bogus thing. . . Yes. It's simply . . . what is called, stereotype. The church. Just like you said they want more pay, payment. They have no knowledge, so what is the use of taking advice from such rascals?” Morning Walk on Dec. 11, 1973 in Los Angeles

Although this lack of attraction is certainly the case for the atheists and agnostics, occultists, who are also Western theists, ever-increasingly find themselves disinclined to the stereotype.  They have seen the corruption of Judeo-Christian word jugglery, priesthood, and organization. But, as far as so-called Krishna consciousness is concerned, we have experienced even worse word jugglery and corruption in the “ISKCON” matrix.  That same mentality can be found in the other factions as well; in most cases, however, it is not so egregiously or blatantly manifest there.

Congregational Chanting . . .

“Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality. . . When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion.” Srimad-bhagavatam, 3.29.9, purport

“Any individual is generally found to be reasonable and sane, but put him in a group and he immediately becomes a blockhead.” Schiller

It is a fact that the pure congregational chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord is the yuga-dharma of the age.  Nevertheless, questions may be raised about congregational chanting in general: “What is the result when it is performed by non-devotees, covert Mayavadis, pasandi Hindoos, and/or sahajiyas?”  This question is very sanguine, as it deals with the perverted nature of conditioned souls, especially those who are fully identified (ahankara) with a particular hierarchical structure, a particular bureaucracy, a particular temple, or a particular faction.  Does the congregational chanting of the Holy Name by these people benefit them in spiritual life?  Does it similarly benefit those who hear such group chanting?

Or does it, on the other hand, simply increase the participants’ bile secretion, while, at the same time, further empowering the perverted reflection of unity imbedded in the spirit of their rally?

. . . And a Thing Called “Love”

“We know that all this word jugglery springs from the imagination of Shankaracharya, and yet, because we belong to his sect, we accept it, although it does not satisfy us.”            Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 7.136

“Now it is practically in your hands to finish and push on what I have started. I am now getting all respect and honor, so now you must preserve that standard and not dishonor me.”  Letter to Bhagavan das, 12-10-71

“I stole the candles from the chapel.  Jesus won’t mind, and the chaplain works for me.” King Henry II, The Lion in Winter

In A Bronx Tale, we find Sonny at his tavern on the main street corner of this capo’s territory.  It’s the Sixties; the goodfellas’ heyday has passed them by, although they still cling to Fifties music and lifestyle. A biker gang rolls up, parks its choppers at the tavern, and decides to juice up.  Begrudgingly, Sonny allows this—after all, it’s America--but he informs the leader of the pack that they all can have one drink and then must leave.  The gang looks down upon these squares; its leader demonstrates their attitude by blowing his drink on the bartender.  Sonny’s henchmen are right behind the adjoining basement door with bats and truncheons in hand. He is on the spot to witness this insult, goes to the main entrance of the establishment, and proceeds to lock the door from the inside.  He then informs the leader of the biker gang, “Now choose can’t leave.”

Do you know what a vortex is?  Do you know what a black hole is?  If you want to know about these in human terms, then allow your author to illustrate some examples of how they work.  These vortices are all dangerous.  If you are a healthy individual but associate yourself with a sick person, then you will also, in due course, become sick. 

One of the most dangerous features of these vortices is that, once you get sucked in, there is a point of no return.  You can yuck-it-up on the fringe and maybe still get away--when it finally dawns on you where the whole thing is at.  However, once you get snapped, there is no turning back.

In the “ISKCON” vortex, there are a number of big lies accepted as undeniable facts, and these permeate the whole institution.  The thing is also loaded with so-called “pets,” who must be accepted as special.  The emphasis is not on what you know but who you know.  Ritual and profile—being “pukka”—are heavily emphasized.  Somehow or other, you are falsely assured that you will be going back to Godhead as long as you stay on the boat.  Being a good passenger on this sinking ship requires a mind that is completely free from fault-finding any of the leaders or “gurus,” all of whom have been rubber-stamped by the ecclesiastical arrangement imbedded in this international institution.

However, it is not that its leaders are weak men.  Corrupt, yes; weak, no.  Most of the “ISKCON” leaders are expert—due to continuous experience—in the matter of cult manipulation.  They know methods that would make Machiavelli look like a piker.  Although not all of them possess this shakti, one of their most effective allurements is love-bombing. 

These men know that fear only goes so far, particularly in the matter of making members.  However, when they turn on the “love,” which is a perverted reflection of the real thing they picked up in association with Prabhupada, only a man or woman steeped in knowledge, spiritual power, and the ability to act in genuine Krishna consciousness can resist it.  Of course, they do not want those kind of people. 

In other words, if you have been lazy in self-realization, if you are still subject to being misguided, and if you are unfortunate in spiritual life, when this love-bombing hits your astral body, you will enter the vortex.  You made the choice, and now you can’t leave.  Whether you realize it or not, that “ISKCON” vortex now becomes integral to the rest of your life, because ultimately you wanted it to be so.

Neo-Mutt works in a similar fashion, as does rittvik; however, rittvik emphasizes group fervor more than Neo-Mutt.  “ISKCON” is dark brown, rittvik is a lighter shade of pale, but Neo-Mutt is pitch black.  Once you become victimized by warlocks with dandas, there is little chance of escape.  You cannot say that you were not warned.

Smorgasbord is characterized by atmavad manyate jagat: “Everyone is just like me.”  They are loaded with anger and resentment about anyone claiming to have any spiritual authority.  They believe that Truth is found both everywhere and nowhere; many if not most of them believe that all of the initiations in all of the groups are valid, at least to some extent.  They value mental speculation and opinion, and they believe that everyone is engaged in that same thing in all of the groups.  They advocate such concoctions as so-called “horizontal authority.”  This vortex is based on faithlessness and opposition to anything claiming to be Absolute.  Everything is dumbed down more and more.  All kinds of contentious issues remain continuously unresolved, because Smorgasbord believes that they cannot actually be resolved.  It is a race to the bottom.

Once you become a sold out member to any of these cults—once you are in a particular vortex--you will be forced to stick with it, even when you see its evils, deviations, and where it is likely headed.  You’ll buy into slogans such as: “’ISKCON’ with all thy faults, I love thee,” based on a shibboleth popular in Britain during the Eighteenth Century.

The leaders of these four unauthorized movements—and, yes, Smorgasbord also has leaders—have stolen the legacy of pure spiritual life and teachings from His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.  They know that they can get away with it, because they know the black art of running anyone who attempts to expose them through the grease; they are past masters at this.  It is most dishonorable what they have all done, but, in order to overcome it, we must get past the influence of the New Dyson Sphere.  That will take considerable spiritual effort, but it all starts with exposing the thing.  In doing so, we come to discover just where the unity of the Cracked Disc of Discord lies, and we must reject that false unity utterly.

The Illusive Unity Utopia

“There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaishnavas in this Krishna consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a Vaishnava.” Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 1.208

“She is ten-armed, representing the tenfold fruitive activities. She rides on the lion, representing her heroic prowess. . .  She is armed with the twenty weapons . . . She holds the snake, representing the beauty of destructive time. Such is Durga possessing all these manifold forms.” Brahma-samhita, 5.44, purport by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada

In The Candidate, Robert Redford plays an idealistic political activist offered a token nomination for U.S. Senator on the Democratic ticket in a race in which he is supposed to have no chance whatsoever.  Through tactical maneuvers and luck, he catches up to the favorite in the final week of the campaign.  At that time, the young candidate’s father, who himself is a big-name politician, arranges for his son to meet with the head of California’s most powerful union.  The Redford character despises this man, both personally and politically.  When the candidate’s father arranges for them to sit together, he introduces his son to the union leader.  The father then tells them that he will now leave the room so that they can discuss what they both have in common, to which Redford replies,

“I don’t think we have shit in common.”

Elusive + Illusion = Illusive.  The great consort of the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead is the Supreme Universal Matrix.  When, due to great spiritual fortune. forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead on the part of conditioned souls (jivas), imprisoned in the material world, is remarked by them--by coming into contact with fully God-realized souls--their natural aptitude for devotional service to the Supreme Lord is aroused.  At that time, Durga herself becomes the agency of their deliverance by the will of Lord Krishna. Thus, it behooves everybody to obtain the guileless grace of Mother Durga, the mistress of this universal prison house, by propitiating her with the selfless service of God.

However, when Krishna consciousness is exploited in order to fulfill material desires—when the words of the Guru are interpreted for sense gratification--the whole mission disrupted.  If this is conjoined with unspeakable offenses against the person and teachings of the Sampradaya Acharya, then the great universal consort, the supreme ruler of the cosmic manifestation, throws a divine spear right in the middle of the New Dyson Sphere, cracking it. 

We can have nothing in common with that Sphere.  As a matter of fact, we must fix ourselves up, save ourselves first, and then work to expose it—in all of its features--particularly when further cracks develop.  Divine light escapes through those cracks, and that is the silver lining in this dreadful development.  If you just want to be on the side that’s winning, you’ll identify with the faction that you think is destined to prevail.  For you, numbers and temples and PR and money will be very important considerations.  You will enter the dragon willingly.

In doing so, you will ignore this Vedic injunction: Satyam eva jayate.  When the Pandavas went to war with the Kauravas, they (the Pandavas) were outnumbered 11:7 at the outset--and they lost the first day of the battle, badly.  Nevertheless, their cause was justified, although Duryodhana was not a bad emperor in terms of meeting the needs of his citizens. 

There are many fanatics absorbed in their hope of triumphalism in this Krishna consciousness movement, but their association must be completely eschewed in all respects.  Their sankirtan simply solidifies the misconceptions and wrong bijas inherent in their astral bodies.  They are unified in a limited sense only: They are engaged in spreading concocted versions of so-called Krishna consciousness in order to cover it.  In this way, they are directly engaged in the service of the goddess Durga, but she is not at all pleased with them.  On the contrary, she arranges to punish them for dishonoring the Sampradaya Acharya.  As such, real unity in genuine Krishna consciousness eludes these sahajiyas.

There is no real benefit to be attained in hearing the chanting of sahajiyas.  You can increase your bile secretion by joining them and fulfill your mixed desires as a prakrita-bhakta by doing so.  However, once you get deeper into that vortex, you will also degrade to the sahajiya platform.  We must fully reject “ISKCON,” Neo-Mutt, Rittvik, and Smorgasbord.  Their chanting is empowering the perverted reflection of unity that they are all absorbed in, but it ultimately will be of no eternal benefit to either them or anyone who listens to them.  They will never be successful in the true sense of the term. Genuine Krishna consciousness has nothing to do with such ostentatious displays of unauthorized, so-called Krishna consciousness, and we are best advised to always remember this.

OM TAT SAT

Quotes from the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are copyright by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust