Subject: Another point of view from Gurukrpa Prabhu
Dear Prabhus:
Gurukrpa is here with me and on his behalf I am writing here.
Question to GK: What happened the final months of SP's appearance in connection with the process of initiating new devotees?
Answer: Nothing happened. In the beginning SP did the disksa, the yajna and the name giving. As the numbers increased, he authorized GBC, and senior sanyassis to pick names and chant on the beads, etc. In 1977 during the months of May, June, July 1977 I was in Vrindaban with Srila Prabhupada, giving him his massage in his bed between 1 AM and mangala aratik. During the day, many letters would arrive. Satsvarupa Swami was the secretary and we decided that only letters that would give joy to Srila Prabhupada would be read. Like numbers of books sold, etc. A maximum of five letters daily were read to SP.
After some weeks like this, there were stacks and stacks of letters, all relating to initiation. Hundreds of people were panicking that SP would leave the planet before they were given initiation. At this time, this situation was brought before SP in his room by Satsvarupa, Tamal, myself, and maybe some others.
Up until this time it was a very simple matter that we were doing the initiations, but we first had to ask permission. SP NEVER refused any recommendation from his senior men. And personally, I would sometimes argue with some GBC that they were giving it too easily.
At this meeting, SP basically said, "From here on, if you feel they are ready, then you may give the initiation on my behalf." I understood this for what it was, simply extending the authority a little further than it had been. Tamal Krsna Swami, began to say, "But who will do it?. Which devotees will do this?" Srila Prabhupada said, "The nearest one will do it. Whoever is closest." Tamal said, "Can Bhavananda do? Can Jayapataka do?" Thus these eleven names came out.
Question: Why were you not on the list of eleven?
Answer: Because it did not matter. Srila Prabhupada said whoever was closest. I was already doing and Srila Prabhupada never told me or anyone else not on the list to stop. For myself, it was not very relevant because I was working in Japan and did not have any new devotees to initiate.
Tamal Krsna Swami, made these list of names himself and SP signed the letter. But they were only priests to act on behalf of SP. Tamal asked about Bhavananda who was not a TP or a GBC at that time. And everyone new well of his homosexual tendencies. But, Tamal pushed his name, because he was already planning how to take over when Srila Prabhupada was gone.
Question: How did Tamal Krsna Swami become so influential at this time?
Gurukrpa: Tamal's original service was as GBC in India. He left that service without permission and arrived in America. Within one year the temple presidents made a huge complaint to SP that he was disrupting the temples by taking important men. I was in the room when SP told Tamal to go to China. Hari Sauri's memory of this incident is not accurate. Either way that is another story.
Tamal went to New York to prepare to go to China. And in May 1976, he showed up in a suit in Honolulu, a broken man. He could not get a visa to China, he had no service to do in India, and he could not go back to America, so he was quite depressed. Approximately a day or two later, SP called for Tamal and me at about 12:30 AM. He said, "My feet are swelling, my teeth are getting loose, I am passing urine too frequently. These are the first signs that death is coming." Then he sent us back to bed. The next day TKG volunteered to be SP's secretary, as the service was vacant at that time. From this position he could control and manipulate the environment around Srila Prabhupada. I can write many more stories that will shock people about TKG's ambitious nature and his desire to take SP's seat..
After SP left, in November 1977, I stayed in Vrindaban till Gour Purnima 1978 and there was no discussion of guru during these three or four months, because SP's last instruction, or as the ritvics call it, "The final order", was that "Now we have build a framework. There is no need to try and expand more. If we can just maintain our men and increase the chanting and hearing that is sufficient. We should sit down now and chant and hear."
There was NO TALK about initiations that I heard either in Vrindaban or in Mumbai during these months. If SP has appointed these eleven as spiritual masters, why did they not start initiating at once? Because they all knew very well they were never appointed! We knew the philosophy what is tattva darshi and what is Saksad Hari...but behind closed doors there was a plot simmering. In the GBC meeting of 1978 the initiation issue was brought up and it appeared they had already concluded that they were going to go ahead and say that they were appointed. I asked Harikesh sitting next to me, 'how are you going to let people call you a paramahansa? You are not a realized soul, you are a piece of shit. He turned to me with a smrik on his face, and said "What are you going to do about it?" That is basically what happened, none of us could do anything after that.
In 1978, Janmastami, TKG came to Vrindavan to give Sannyasa diskha to Bhagavan. I was the GBC at the time in Vrindavan. TKG called from Delhi and demanded flower garlands and a large reception greeting at the temple with vyasasana's for them to sit on. I told them this is Prabhupada's temple and everybody can sit on the floor. When they came I gave them no such reception, and the next morning in Bhagavatwam, Bhagavan brought his politics into the class. I went and told him, if you ever do this again, bringing politics into Bhagavatwam class you will never speak again in any temple I manage. That day, Bhavananda, TKG,and Bhagavan asked me to meet them in the guest house for a meeting. When I came, they said, why are you making waves? Just stop making trouble about this appointment of gurus and we'll make you the 12th guru at the next Mayapur meeting. I told them, Prabhupada did not make anyone guru's, you have to be a realized soul. They said
there was some talk about you in Japan doing some things, therefore Prabhupada did not name you. I told them you are now believing your own lies. They were silent. Bhavananda tried to speak. I told him to shut his mouth because he was a homosex and he had never done service and had been living off the money I collected and sent to Mayapur for construction.
Question: So how did everyone become guru's, if Prabhupada did not make them gurus?
Gurukrpa: Had SP seen one of us as being capable, he would have named that person or persons, but he did not mention that anyone was fit. His Divine Grace B.V. Puri Maharaja, who SP said "is the only god Brother who is not envious of me", ask SP "Please stay another 8 or 10 years with these boys." SP's answer was, "They are all hard headed, I have done all that I can do."
Prabhupada said, "I can stay 100 years" many times, but he left after 81 plus a few months.
In the GBC meeting of 1978, they shouted me down and they had already decided the fix was in. This was how the future of ISKCON was going to go.
Question: Is the GBC absolute since they are named as the ultimate managing authority?
Gurukrpa: Prabhupada said the GBC would be the ultimate managing authority. But that does not mean they are perfect, and they have perfect vision. The process of the GBC meetings during the years, we would have the meeting and report the days minutes of the meeting nightly to Prabhupada. Usually it would take 5 days. Prabhuapda said if you people were competent, you people would be done in 30 minutes. In 1977, Prabhupdad told us, just have your meetings and after 5 days give me all your resolutions. After 5 days of meetings, the GBC filed in his room, sat down and read the resolutions; and one after another. Srila Prabhupada said, 'No I do not want that, no that is not what I wanted'. He vetoed almost all the resolutions. So to say the GBC is the ultimate authority is correct, but that does mean that it is absolute. As you can see by how many guru's have fallen down, and how many GBC's have had difficulties.
Guru means one who has no other interest but to realize the absolute truth, Krishna. The guru, must have first realized the Name is non-different than Krishna. When I first joined the movement, we spent 9 to 10 hours a day chanting in the street. These present GBC's do not spend that in a year. Hari nama eva kevalam, in this age only the Holy Name, only the Holy Name. Your bureacuracy and your mangagement is not the process. The elitisim being shown by the GBCs putting themselves up on a platform, above all their god brothers is absolute arrogance and the greatest sin of pride, the opposite of the humble blade of grass. Krishna is the one giving all directions for those who can hear him.
Must of us are now hitting 60 or more, we've made successful businesses, won some, lost some, raised our families, and personally I have gone to 25 straight Kartiks' in Vrindavan. We have been excluded from SP's movement, it started in the GBC meeting of 1978. Still today, the people who have appointed themselves for life have had very little result. Rabindra Svarupa, the GBC of Hawaii, has come once in 6 years, and he will not give up the position. Kavicandra in Japan has done nothing there in 25 years. Even one of these GBC guru's does not wear neck beads, tilak, sikah, or have any faith in the name is still a member in good standing. In the west, most of the temples have more deities than devotees. Most of the devotees are being paid, pujari's being paid, cooks being paid temple presidents are being paid, and they have to bring Indian devotees just to keep the bare minimum going.
I have witnessed over all these years how the elitist mentality of the GBC's and guru's have excluded all their god brothers. They have put themselves on a high pedestal. They have no taste for staying in the holy dhama's of Mayapur and Vrindavna, and they run back to their comfort zones soon as they finish the meetings.
In 1977, during the rainy season, all the GBC's showed up in Vrindavan.. SP said, we should go in a room and make out his will for him. I.e., who would manage what properties and so forth...Kirtananda and everyone was there, and they were going on saying someone will do this, and someone will do that...I noticed how they totally left me out. So I just went to the Yamuna and took my bath and came back to find them still dividing everything up. When they were finished, it was brought into SP room and read to him as he laid on his bed. After they finished reading the will, the first question SP asked was, 'Where is Guru-krpa's name'? I had already opened a dozen temples and collected the most money in ISKCON history, up to that point, and they totally left me out. But SP noticed it right away. So now, although I am the first executor in his will, and he told me to develop Hawaii and other places, (you made read the will), they also have totally
neglected that order. Giriraj even came and asked me if I would resign from the will. I told him, 'How can I give up the order of the guru'? It is not as easy for me as you people.
There is no new blood in this organization, things have become stagnated and dry, not dynamic and the offense of neglecting all their god-brothers by excluding them from their spiritual birthright, they will have to answer to SP for this apparadha.
Question: What is your idea of how the guru - disciple relationship should now be handled in ISKCON?
Love can not be insituationalized. I feel in love with SP the second I saw him. That is why I could surrender to the depth that I did, to get the insurmountable service I did at that time. Once in Mayapur, Kirtananda came to me, and said "Why are you giving all that money to Prabhupada. You should give it to me, in America we are protected. The communist one day will come and take these buidlings away.. Prabhupada is making a big mistake." I was shocked by what I just heard. At that time, Kirtananda was considered by Satsvarupa to be the greatest of the great, and the most divine of the divine. My answer was, I do not care what he does with the money. He can flush it down the toilet, for all I care, I just love to give it to him.
Its a matter of the heart. According to one's state of the heart, if one has many material desires, he may say he loves Bhagavan Sai Baba, the Pope, Charles Manson. Its according to one's sukriti. Krishna is sitting in one's heart, He knows exactly what our intentions are. Before anyone has a right to ask a question, you must first enter the class. The price is surrender. Those who have not fully surrendered can not understand those who have surrenedered. Those who have surrendered can understand about everyone.
SP initiated thousands, he told me once in his room in Vrindavan, he said "My guru ordered me to go to the west, and I did that. My main service was to translate these books and I did that. I have a personal desire to build these temples in India. That is my personal program. But they (his disciples) will not give me money and my head is getting hot. I have to translate these books, write many letters, and I am thinking how to raise the money to build these temples because my disciples have their own programs and will not give me money." So, seeing SP like this, I told him that from today forth, you just translate the books peacefully, and I will take the headache and go and get the money. When I walked out of the room, I could not believe what I just said. So to think all the GBC are 100% surrendered souls, and the gurus are 100% surrenderd souls with no self interest, and their only interest is to serve SP mission, they did not even care during
his time(SP time). SP said he would be happy, if he could get one moon. To get one disciple who would be perfect, out of many thousands. How rare is a personality of SP character.
The GBC's duty is to see that SP standard is being maintained. That standard is based on chanting and hearing, also becoming a lover of Krishna. If SP said I bless you, I give you a benediciton, it will manifest. He has the right, the adhikari to do that. If someone else says I am your guru, I am giving you diskha, can he give you Krishna? Can he give you the holy name? Can he take you to Vaikanthua? Have you been there, has the guru been there? SP told me in the car in New Zealand, he turned to me in the car, and said, while you were building Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindavan. Krishna was building you a house in Goloka. I have seen it, it is very nice. That is why you can only surrender to the depths, to one who is from that place, and who can you give you that place, who wants that place, otherwise it is just a big show. Whistels and bells with no substance.
My view of seeing this organization, it is croniyism. Most of the leaders, their hearts are still, steel framed, they are self interested. They are not self-less. They have stopped somewhere on this road back to Godhead; they are satisfied with their easy lifestyle, food, respect, honor, travelling all at the expense of the community and the younger devotees who go on the street. Its a long way from chant, dance and be happy.
Question: Then how did it come about that immediately after SP was not present physically, these eleven became worship able as paramahamsas of the highest order?
Gurukrpa: Because it is the cheaters and the cheated. People are basically sudras who want a master tell them what to do. They do not have sufficient
intelligence, or spiritual knowledge,therefore they accepted; and the more realized devotees left , after trying to correct things. They were told to leave because they were disturbing the faith of the new disciples.
Because they could not take it any more any more they left. Now it has become like the Pol Pot regime, "accept our way, or die." Devotees never die, KRSNA is always in their hearts. They are the losers for losing the association of their brothers & sisters. The senior men can do something, other wise the new men cannot do without the association of the older devotees.
Most of the older devotees now also do not have the missionary spirit. SP said, as a group we can't be broken, but alone we are all easily broken..
The leaders have never cared for the God Brothers/sisters. They are happy when the see their brother get victimized by Maya, and never come to try and rescue them. Do you think SP is happy to see the present leader's disciples at his temples and not his own disciples???? They talk of love of God, but they do not care one bit for their own family members, unless the family agrees to accept everything they say. They have no peers around them that may object to anything.
I AM A VERY FALLEN SOUL. I AM NOT BASICALLY A FAULT FINDER, WHICH IS WHY I DID NOT SPEAK UP FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. SO MANY PEOPLE ASK ME TO WRITE A BOOK, BUT I HAVE NOT. I HAVE LIVED VERY NICELY BY SRILA PRABHUPADA'S GRACE. I WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE GBC ACTUALLY BECOME REAL GBC AND GENUINE LOVING COMPASSIONATE VAISNAVAS.
That is the end of this session. If anyone has questions, comments, they can send them and Gurukrpa can answer.
OM TAT SAT PARAM VIJAYATE SRI KRSNA SAMKIRTANAM....
Comments
You're Just Envious Because We Have All The Power
And You Have Nothing",
said one of the GBCs to me.
By The Watchdog staff
June 21, 2010
The following is a Watchdog interview with one of the senior devotees of ISKCON, Guru Kripa prabhu. He became the 12th GBC chosen by Srila Prabhupada, and is also one of few individuals Srila Prabhupada named as the "executor" of his last will. He is also famous for being responsible for seeing to the major portion of the collecting that built the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan.
WD: Guru Kripa, how did you join ISKCON?
GK: I had just returned from the Vietnam war in January of 1970. I was a medic in the Army. I met the devotees in San Francisco in April of the same year and joined their store front temple on Fredrick St one week later. Jayananda was the first devotee I had met. He was at the door collecting 75 cents from the hippies for the Sunday feast. I had already shaved up the week before and went to Madhuvisa, the temple president, saying, "who is that guy at the door. I talked him down to 10 cents to get in. You should put me there". So he put me in charge at the door. These hippies would say, "I don't have the money", and I would tell them to go out and beg it like we do. When I joined I gave $5,000 to the temple. In those days, to the devotees, that was a lot of money. Madhuvisa said, "you sure you want to give all that money"? But I gave everything.
WD: When did you first meet Srila Prabhupada?
GK: The first darshan was In June or July of '70, Srila Prabhupada came to San Francisco for the Rathayatra. I was one of the cooks - myself, Babruvahan, and Gaura Hari. We were cooking for days at some church for the Rathayatra feast. We had to make 10,000 puris. All the devotees from different temple such as Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, etc., gathered in the airport to meet His Divine Grace. Brahmananda had just come from Japan with the first "Krsna" book. In those days, one had to descend from the plane by a staircase and then ascend another one to enter the airport. Visnujana Swami was chanting. As Prabhupada appeared, everyone hit the floor, except for Visnujana, because he was leading kirtan. He just bowed somewhat, and Prabhupada came over and patted him on the back. As I saw Prabhupada it was just unbelievable. I was just a short guy in the crowd, and I stood against the wall trying to get a glimpse of him over devotee's shoulders. Srila Prabhupada was finally just near the exit, and I was way in the back just trying to get a peak. Suddenly he stopped and turned, and he walked, and everybody moved, and he walked right to me. He looked me right in the eye, and then he put his arms around me and hugged me. Many of the devotees gathered around saying, "Do you know him? Why did he do that"? I knew by that look in his eyes that I came to serve him, that I was with him before, that he knows everything. That was the first time that I saw him.
WD: When did you go to India for the first time?
GK: Sometime after the Rathayatra of '71, I went with Yasodananda to Bombay. He was a new sannyasi at 18 years of age. I was still a brahmacari. Prabhupada was there in Bombay. Every opportunity I had, anyone who came into Srila Prabhupada's room to see him, I would go in the room with them and sit in the back. And then I would get the ego from the older devotees who were also there, "What are you doing in here? Who said you can come in here"? I'm tough anyway, and in my mind I would say that "if he doesn't want me in here, let him tell me to get out. I'm not going to let you tell me to get out". The only one that didn't give me that, was Shyamasundar. He was only nice and friendly. I would go on these morning walks with Srila Prabhupada, and he would always say things to me that I didn't know. He would turn and say, "Why is that grass growing in the cracks"? I would reply, "I don't know". We went to Madras and he said on a morning walk, "What's that statue over there", and I would say, "I don't know". He was teaching me, that you don't know anything in front of the guru. Everything he said I had no answer for. And then once in a while he would give me one of those special looks. When we went to open Puri Maharaj's temple in Vishakapatnam, I asked Srila Prabhupada, what was the difference between cow milk and buffalo milk. When he just kind of looks at you but doesn't answer, then you don't ask another question for two months. I'll tell you another nice story. We went down to the train station when Srila Prabhupada was going to Calcutta. Shyamasundar, who was Prabhupada's servant, saw this giant coconut in a tree and he got someone to climb up there and cut it for Srila Prabhupada to drink. It was 12 o'clock noon, sweaty hot, and we were dying of thirst. But we kept chanting and chanting in the kirtan waiting for the train to leave. It wasn't leaving on time, Indian style. So Shyamasundar opened that coconut and Srila Prabhupada drank from it. Then Shyamasundar drank, then the servants drank, and then they brought it out to us and we all drank and had our belly full. It came to me first, and I just chugged and chugged. I didn't care if the other devotees got any. But even after it was passed around and everyone got their fill, it was still never finished. And I knew that it was Prabhupada's mystic potency, that we all ten devotees.drank from one coconut, to our full satisfaction. He used his mystic powers very seldom, but he did it once in a while. We finally gave the coconut to some kid and he walked off with it drinking from it WD: When had you taken sannyasa?
GK: During kartike of '72, at Rupa Goswami's samadhi.
WD: Were there others who also took sannyasa with you?
GK: Yes. There was Paramahamsa and Parivrajakacarya. They had just appeared in Vrindavan from Denver and requested Srila Prabhupada to give them sannyasa, but nobody knew them or their service very much. At first Prabhupada said no to them, but when they went back and said that they were going to go to Vietnam, and it was still during the war, then Srila Prabhupada said, "then you must take sannyasa to preach in a war zone". Unfortunately, they never went to Vietnam.
WD: When did Prabhupada choose you to be GBC, and which number were you?
GK: I was number twelve. He chose me to be GBC in 1974. He made me GBC in Hawaii. They were having some political problems in the Honolulu temple, which was donated by Ambarish. So I went there and helped resolve things. When Prabhupada finally arrived, he made me the GBC. But I didn't accept right away. I said that I didn't want to be a GBC. And he said we would talk about it later. So then we went to Mayapur together for the festival in February. Again Srila Prabhupada said he wanted me to become a GBC. Again I told him that I didn't want to. So this went on for about ten days. Finally, into the fifth day of the GBC meetings, Srila Prabhupada sent someone to find me. When I came to him I bowed down, and he said very sternly to me, "Enough. Now go to the meetings!". So I surrendered. Friendly talks were over.
WD: So you were there during the early days of the GBC. Can you say something to compare then, to how things are managed by the GBC today?
GK: Yes. Recently in Vrindavan this past January or February, as I was walking to the ISKCON gosala, I met Ravindra Swarup along the pathway and had some conversation with him. Now Ravindra was chosen to be the GBC for Hawaii for the recent six years. I also have been going to Hawaii three or four times a year because of my business I do there. During those six years, Ravindra Swarup visited Hawaii maybe once for four days, to give a Bhagavad-gita seminar. So during his visit that time, I knocked on his door and said to him, that this temple has been neglected by the GBC and there are so many problems. I said to him that Prabhupada gave me this service, and that "why don't you GBC people give it to me"? There was no response. So the next time I saw him was in Vrindavan. me and another vaishnava had just come from bathing in the Yamuna. From a distance I said, "Is that him"? Because I hadn't seen him at the temple or at the morning program. As I got near to him, he tried to give me a hug, but I challenged that, "why have you come here to the dham? It's a place for vrata". His reply was that he had come there to goof off! And I thought to myself that this is a reply from someone who is supposed to be a guru or spiritual master? I also said to him that he and the other GBCs shouldn't decide anything without talking to at least 200 of their own godbrothers, that the devotees are concerned which way they see that ISKCON is headed. Then he said to me, "You just want what we have. We've got the power and you want it". I couldn't believe it. And I said, "you got the power - what power"? They think this way, that we are envious, that we want what they have, to be the enjoyers, like any materialistic person thinks. "Oh I own this gas station, this or that thing". They have simply become attached and are trying to protect their so-called positions.
WD: What is the difference in the way you saw Prabhupada deal with the devotees and even his own godbrothers, as compared with what you are describing in this instance?
GK: I personally observed that Srila Prabhupada would always try to engage all his godbrothers. Even Puri Maharaj told me that Prabhupada wanted him to go to America with him on the boat. He's a vaishnava. No devotee wants to be alone. We are all Krishna's servants, part of the spiritual family. So I asked Puri Maharaj why he didn't go. He said he thought about it many times and finally concluded that Krishna must have wanted Prabhupada to take all the credit. I'll relate to you a nice story. In 1975, Srila Prabhupada wanted to go to the Big Island of Hawaii. There was a farm that the temple owned. That wasn't his motive to go there, though. He didn't care about this farm. I remember that Sruti Kirti was Prabhupada's servant, him and Paramahamsa. This was my chance. I was the GBC of Hawaii and so I said to them, "No you can't come. I am going to be alone with Prabhupada". It was a dream of mine. I said that it was only for a day, that I would give him his massage and cook for him. So Prabhupada and me got on a plane to the Big Island. When we landed, this devotee Nrisringha who was in charge of the temple farm property, came to take us there. But Prabhupada didn't really want to go to the property. He said to me, "Where's Gaurasundar"? I said that I don't know, that he's got some farm with some goats or something. Prabhupada said, "Can we find out"? Later I gave Prabhupada a massage and I asked him, "Why are you after this Gaurasundar"? And he said, "I like that rascal". Two weeks later Gaurasundar shows up in the Honolulu temple while Srila Prabhupada is still there. He had heard that Prabhupada was looking for him. I snuck up to the room to hear their conversation. Prabhupada was sitting out on the veranda area where he got his massage. And I listened and I saw, Srila Prabhupada with tears in his eyes, saying, "Why have you left? What did I do, it must be me. I cannot figure out what you have done wrong. It has to be me. Please forgive me". Prabhupada was crying and begging him to please come back. Now, todays' GBC, do they want anybody to come back? Do they care? Prabhupada was crying for this one devotee, blaming himself that he had left. This is a vaishnava.He is only thinking what he can do. "I must have made some aparadha", Prabhupada said, "please forgive my offenses" and the tears came out of his eyes. When I saw these things, then my faith increased. Then I understood what is a devotee, a real devotee. What will please a real devotee. So my advice to this present GBC, "go get the godbrothers", with a straw in your teeth. They are not envious. Offer to engage them. That will please Srila Prabhupada very much. Then everything, all the blessings will come.
WD: Can you say something about how you view the spiritual health of ISKCON today, especially in the levels of GBC management?
GK: Well, certain devotees are doing good and are sincerely spreading Krishna consciousness. And then you have this other so-called elite group that really can't produce nor get rid of the "rubbish", coming out with so much nonsense ideas like to centralize Prabhupada's ISKCON movement. I told Sesa, one of the GBCs, "You know baseball, how many games are there"? He said 152. I said "yeah there are 152 games, and if you win only 20 but loose 132 games, do you think you are going to be the manager next year? Can't you go and see what certain devotees are or are not doing, and replace some of them and put some fresh blood in the GBC"? Common sense! And you got to love the devotees. You are either a vaishnava or you're not. Why isn't there a great momentum to contact and engage the older devotees and disciples of Srila Prabhupada who have left the Movement, and in many cases, because of how these GBCs treated them? And that is still going on. The GBC is now becoming very expert in how to legislate and kick devotees out with their new resolutions. But can they get on their knees, and like Srila Prabhupada, beg someone to return to devotional service? Me and Bhakta dasa are here in Thailand. No one is coming and approaching us, to engage us. The GBC took away my service. But Prabhupada thought it wise to put my name down, as one of the few executors of his last will.
WD: Sometimes we have seen after Prabhupada's disappearance, when a devotee may have some disagreements with some of the views of the present GBC, the GBC may "black list" him, or even threaten to excommunicate him. To your knowledge did Srila Prabhupada ever deem it necessary to use those kinds of punishments on a devotee?
GK: No. He brought Bali Mardan back three times. He brought Madhuvisa back. Anybody who fell down, he never found any fault. Only to those who were envious of him directly did he ban them. Once I asked Prabhupada about the devotee in the Bhagavatam, Ajamil. I said that he "blooped" from his brahminical vows for seventy years. You know what Prabhupada said? He said, "what is seventy years"? They, the GBC, can't keep doing this forever, ignoring the dissatisfaction of their godbrothers, or alienating and censoring them when they have the balls to speak up. These are the political ploys used by those who don't have enough courage and love like Prabhupada, to deal with such godbrothers or devotees on a real vaishnava level. They are also the tools used by those who want more power and position over the sincere but sometimes unsuspecting devotees. Or many times the defense of the GBC against those who are complaining is to just ignore them. What does that say about their abilities to actually be guiding the ISKCON movement? What does that show us about their qualities, their lack of compassion and integrity? They, the GBC, are not perfect. They make many mistakes, and being the leaders, they are the ones who really have to take the humble position. How many so-called gurus and GBCs have we already seen create some very horrendous situations in ISKCON, the fallout from which the movement is still suffering from many years later?
WD: So what would be your advice to the devotees who may be dissatisfied with the GBC of today?
GK: If you are not satisfied, or cannot convince the GBC to change, or cannot gather enough devotees together to force a change, or if you do not think that they are following Prabhupada, then who is to stop you from going out with some kartals and chanting Hare Krishna? Why not open your own center and preach Krishna consciousness? Stop watching TV, if you are, and stop complaining with so many articles on the internet day and night, and just go out and serve Srila Prabhupada. Either "you get it", as in understanding, or you don't get it. This applies to the GBC devotees and everyone else. You either got the mercy, or you don't. That's exactly what Prabhupada did, amidst the politics of the Gaudiya Math at the time. He went out and represented Lord Caitanya and his guru maharaj, and obviously, he had the mercy. Hare Krishna. WD: Thank you.