Is Srila Prabhupada a "member" of ISKCON?
Philosophy · asked by user [] · 2010-11-14 · 2 answers
'93Well, are you ISKCON?'94 the boy asked. This was a loaded question. The devotees had been preaching that Srila Prabhupada was ISKCON because one cannot refuse service to ISKCON and yet claim to serve Srila Prabhupada. But the anti-ISKCON party had argued that Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON were different. Prabhupada was pure and transcendental; ISKCON was corrupt, a mere organization.
Srila Prabhupada started to laugh. '93I am not ISKCON,'94 he said. '93I am a member of ISKCON.'94 Then he looked at his disciple who was the GBC secretary for Hawaii. Prabhupada pointed at him and said, '93And he is a member of ISKCON.'94 Then he pointed to the ISKCON Hawaii temple president. '93And he is a member of ISKCON. We are all members of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.'94 Almost everyone present cried out, '93Jaya!'94
Srila Prabhupada started to laugh. '93I am not ISKCON,'94 he said. '93I am a member of ISKCON.'94 Then he looked at his disciple who was the GBC secretary for Hawaii. Prabhupada pointed at him and said, '93And he is a member of ISKCON.'94 Then he pointed to the ISKCON Hawaii temple president. '93And he is a member of ISKCON. We are all members of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.'94 Almost everyone present cried out, '93Jaya!'94
user [2] · 2010-11-14
my humble view, ready to be pierced with arguments:when we say this, standing from the absolute position and take Srila Prabhupada'b4s humble words about himself to the letter. Isn'b4t that aparadha even?
I see how very sad is the subtle jeopardy of HDG position, slowly but surely becoming "one more".
And I see why his prophetic instruction to keep his name preceded by "Founder Acarya".
user [447] · 2010-11-14
I am not sure where the problem is -?Do you mean that (some) devotees are being too egalitarian, on unduly familiar terms towards Srila Prabhupada?
(I read that once when Srila Prabhupada arrived at an airport, there was a crowd of devotees waiting for him. One devotee tried to organize them, so that Srila Prabhupada could pass, and said that "all devotees should move to the side". Srila Prabhupada moved to the side too, and the other devotee said he didnt mean him, and Srila Prabhupada said "Im a devotee too!")