Reflections on ISKCON's Guru Culture: An Interview with Kalakantha Prabhu 

Thank you Kalakanta prabhu. I've been a member of ISKCON for 44 years (so I lived through the zonal acarya-era) and lately have struggled with my faith in the institution. Your talk is a shining light and I hope many people are going to hear this.

Hare Krishna Kalakantha Prabhu! Jaya Prabhupada. I was moved to reach out after watching your recounting of ISKCON's history. Amidst a sea of criticism, your elegant and informative approach stood out. I appreciate how you presented the history without disparaging anyone. Your preaching continues to be a source of inspiration for me. I believe it's crucial for us to maintain a balanced perspective when discussing ISKCON's history, acknowledging both the triumphs and challenges. Your graceful storytelling serves as a wonderful example of how we can honor our past while looking forward with optimism. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge with us, and for continuing to be a beacon of inspiration. Your servant, Lilananda dasa

Thank you so much Kalakantha Prabhu. I've been in ISKCON for 51 years, felt so much respect and gratitude hearing you speak. You said it all - from your own experience. I'm actually speechless, you've inspired me and given me hope that pascatya desha tarine may indeed be possible.

Kalakantha Prabhu, it was really so pleasing to hear from you, history in nutshell of Iskcon after Srila Prabhupada disappearance. Jai Srila Prabhupada ❤

A very well articulated description of ISKCON's history, from an insider's point of view. What a great preacher and teacher Kalakantha Prabhu is! Thank you for this Prabhu. My humble obeisances at your feet for the leadership you've taken in helping everyone come to solid Krishna Consciousness in America. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you very, very much for sharing your insights. Greetings from Germany.

Thank you Prabhuji for displaying such a maturity. With so many problems in ISKCON you never left it or created an apasampraday.

The devotees who became gurus were very sincere, they did huge service for Srila Prabhupada but it's not surprising that they fell down. I still respect them for their service. By their dedication and by the dedication of all of Prabhupadas disciples people like me could become devotees

Dearest Kalakantha Prabhu, I cannot tell you how appreciative I am of your straightforward, honest and delicate approach for us to understand our ISKCON history better. When there is someone like you explaining the truth of the past, then we are clearly seeing how we must ALL assist Srila Prabhupada's movement with integrity, decency and devotion. Thank you for holding the torch that brings light to our consciousness. And how much Srila Prabhupada appreciates all of your fine efforts. y/s, mvpdasi

my obeisances Kalakanta Prabhu! This was a wonderful, thoughtful, and gracious presentation. I served under you in Houston in 1985 and in Potomac (D.C.) in 1988 and was always benefited by your association. YS Yasomatinandana Dasa

I appreciate Kalakanrha Prabhus humility and respect for the devotees. I dont resoe t others who demonize devotees who gave it their all but fell short of the ideal of Krsna consciousness.

Could we have more talks with prabhu ?

A very good presentation. Pagmatic and informative. I sometime wonder if the mission of Lord Caitanya is too broad for ISKCON to accommodate. ISKCON has done much in the service of Lord Caitanya but it really seems to struggle with growing beyond its many misconceptions about how Bhakti can and should be practised. If it is not possible for the leaders of the movement to see beyond their impressions of India, or of ISKCON in the 1970’s, then devotees will break away. The need for freedom to practice and take shelter according to the individuals needs and cultural customs will become much more dominant than loyalty to an institution.

Thank you for this Prabhu!

Very well explained. Thank you

I would be interested in your process of taking a newcomer and developing them to the point of wanting initiation and to join the movement. If you have an outline or more please share. I think you may have cracked the code to reach the current generation. I would love to learn the process. Thanks Advaita

lucid analysis and beautiful story.... may Iskon find leaders similar to him

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Happy for you.

Brilliant talk

"These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Your duty is very clear." (Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 30, 1972)

Sadhu! Sadhu! Thank you.

Hare Krishna! As always Kalakantha Dasa Prabhu is a voice of reason. He's steady in his support of increasing Krishna consciousness in the west by empowering all qualified devotees to serve as gurus regardless of their material bodies. True sama darshana and adhering to one of the first principles Srila Prabhupada reinforced-- We are not these bodies. Praying that we can move forward with this. I can confirm that preaching in the west is difficult when having to explain to newcomers, "We believe we are not these bodies. We are spirit souls. However you are limited in how you can serve if you are in a female body." 😅🙏

thankyou

Pranams Dear Kalakanta Prabhu!, All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Thank you for your overview and perspective from doing so much dedicated service to Srila Prabhupada and his mission for so many years. I believe we are the same age (born in 1954 here) and we joined at the same age after high school in 1972 (me in Los Angeles / joined in Laguna Beach after dropping out of UCSD after one quater), I think we only met briefly once in Alachua in later 2005 or so. I would agree with your characterization of ISKCON history for the most part. You were there, and saw it from within. I saw it also, but from being in the community, after about 3 years of brahmacari life in a temple, until 1975. I kept devotee association over the years, and tried to assist HH Bhaktiswarupa Damodar Swami in his years as the head of the Bhaktivedana Institute, as given to him by Srlia Prabhupada. My perspective has probably been influenced by living 12 years in Asia (two of them in India with all the bits and pieces added up) then returning to California living here again since 2009. From what I could observe, Srila Prabhupada was very conservative in his own character and values, and at the same time very liberal in giving time to those of us who needed it, to continually approach higher standards, without compromising those standards. I started chanting while in my last year in high school, and from adding Krishna as you say - adding chanting, plus seeing Srila Prabhupada at LA temple from mid-72 onward, somehow enough spiritual strength and credits were built up, So I could quit school and move into the temple. Gaining the strength from chanting (and of course HUGE blessings from meeting His Divine Grace) gave me boost needed to overcome my own cultural conditioning and biases, to appreciate the spiritual culture Prabhupada presented and embodied. Prabhupada offered us a spiritual culture and experience, even though it obviously had some of the trappings of Indian culture included. The spirtual culture was primary to me; the Indian-ness was just seen as collateral. All cultural affiliations, both Eastern and Western, are meant to be transcended in Krishna consciousness.. "Sarvopadhi vinirmuktam...." is what Prabhupada was trying to teach us. .. Conservatism works in India, (and contributes to a growing body of devotees and temples) because they still have have a sense of values and culture to some degree. Being born in India, can be a pious birth in some ways. Indians are the wealthiest immigrant community by far in the US, and many talented Indians are now the CEOs of many top USA corporations. Scratch the skin of an Indian, and you will find a devotee, Prabhupada used to say. India is becoming stronger, as America declines, on many levels. It seems there may be a coordinated trend of dumbing down the educational systems and the populace, for social control, but I digress. Modi, India's present conservative prime minister, who has cleaned up corruption in India in an unbelievable way, is about to win a second term with vast popular support. He has gone on record and video in glorifying Srila Prabhupada, with the highest levels of praise and appreciation. America, on the other hand, is rudderless - especially it's present political leaders who are preaching "equity" as the pinnacle of social justice and preferred standard of worth. The population here is a completely divided mess. Equity, is a veiled platform to unify, but it's practical intent and effect, is that of more confusion, suspicion division, and polarization. It tries to legislate the rights of the few, over the rights of the many to think and live by their own standards. Imho, worshiping the god of equity, is a type of impersonalism - trying to make everyone one and the same, without distinction of individual qualities and characteristics, which different people posses. Equity does not recognize obvious, inherent strengths and weaknesses of individuals. As to guna and karma, not all men are equal to each other, nor are all women equal to each other, and certainly all men are not equal to all women. In juxtaposition, there is true equality that is compatible with individuality, but only on the purely spiritual platform - but it is not applicable in the arena of conditioned souls who stick to their body's material designations with ferocity . So for equity oriented devotees, this brings up a question: If when trying to appease/approach Westen cultural conformity, with it's bodily designations of a socially confused population, would a trans-identified person, who follows the regulative principles and chants 16 rounds - say a man dressing in a sari and acting like a woman - be approved as a guru, in the name of equity? Wouldn't be an obvious next step, for those following the equity agenda? How far can Western materialistic culture be catered to, considering its based on bodily idenfication? Imho, America's problem in not making new devotees is not based on not having female gurus. It's based on the fact that leaders, whether sanyas or householders, have become of obsessed with securing money and a secure position somehow..Due to such attachments, their taste is meager from a lack of renunciation, and they don't have the glow of happiness and humility, that people are inspired by. Most young people would look our leaders and think, "is that how I want to end up, after 50 years of being a Hare Krishna? Actually maybe some would be inspired, if they could go up the corporate ladder and stash a bunch of personal cash along the way.. There may be a few exceptions, and some people may have a more generous vision of devotees - but to think that our movement in the west will be saved by some lady gurus, while the existing leadership has stagnated in many cases, and who also basically have no concern for rank and file devotees who have stuck it out for decades, is naive. Many western leaders and others, have access to millions of dollars with no oversight, while the rest of the society members are on their own. By their actions, many leaders in the West and East also btw, are projecting that everyone should join and surrender - but actually in the end: Its every man/woman for themselves. Am I wrong? Are lady gurus going to step in and fix this, or is it more likely that they will just carve out their own following and their own security blanket like their male counterparts, while some also fall over the course of time? Any male or female disciple can go out and preach. No one can stop them. If they are empowered and potent, they will succeed - they don't necessarily need a corporate entity to vouch for them. I wish everyone the best of luck. Hare Krishna. Respectfully, Bhojadeva Dasa

An Acharya is self effulgent and unstoppable by any kind of institutional rules or forces. Krsna manifests through that Personality. He is externals manifestation of permatma in our heart. But he is hidden from insincere people. Krsna hides himself. But he cannot hide himself from sincere and genuine devotees who are crying in their hearts for the real shelter and protection. So such self effulgent acharya is not dependent on any kind ecclesiastical body. Srila prabhupada showed it by his personal example. We just need to pray to Krsna, he will tell whome to take shelter from. Rest initiation ceremony is just formality, real initiation means accepting to follow the instructions and guidance.

ISKCON began in New York with the mission to preach to the western English-speaking countries. Then it quickly spread around the world. Every country has its own culture. The current world mood of culture is a fast-growing culture of inclusiveness and diversity gaining over the opposite. The overt East vs. West concept is antiquated at best and doesn't appear sustainable. Neither America or India owns ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada does. He expects the two to fully cooperate, and make some reasonable adjustments, not separate. If you separate, you separate yourself from Srila Prabhupada's mission, which stems from Lord Chaitanya's mission of every town and village. It's not Western consciousness or Eastern consciousness, it's Krsna consciousness.

Thank you . This is a great way.to preach .

Creepy. I spent 40 years as a mushroom waiting for knowledge. Now I found my way

Pranams.Bhavananda had "some difficulties"? Nope, he was an active homosexual falling down with people inside and outside the society. But thank you for clarifying that Srila Prabhupada did not appoint any gurus. One is guru by qualification, and only those qualified should have taken this position.

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. PURPORT by (His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda) It is clearly stated that the Gītā was especially meant for the saintly kings because they were to execute its purpose in ruling over the citizens. Certainly Bhagavad-gītā was never meant for the demonic persons, who would dissipate its value for no one's benefit and would devise all types of interpretations according to personal whims. As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to reestablish the disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago it was detected by the Lord Himself that the disciplic succession was broken, and therefore He declared that the purpose of the Gītā appeared to be lost. In the same way, at the present moment also there are so many editions of the Gītā (especially in English), but almost all of them are not according to authorized disciplic succession. There are innumerable interpretations rendered by different mundane scholars, but almost all of them do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, although they make a good business on the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This spirit is demonic, because demons do not believe in God but simply enjoy the property of the Supreme. Since there is a great need of an edition of the Gītā in English, as it is received by the paramparā (disciplic succession) system, an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want. Bhagavad-gītā-accepted as it is-is a great boon to humanity; but if it is accepted as a treatise of philosophical speculations, it is simply a waste of time.

It all makes sense what Kalakantha Prabhu is saying. But at the same time it makes Srila Prabhupada look like he appointed the worst rascals as his successors - those who were not even kanistha. Why should Srila >Prabhupada have done such a thing? Only US gurus what is a massive provocation for India. If however, Srila Prabhupada did not appoint successor gurus then our attempt to have gurus anyway makes the parampara to be broken.

"By the mercy of Krishna, one gets guru, and by the mercy of a genuinely elevated Vaishnava guru, one gets Krishna. The institutional rubber-stamping of guru as well as the recurrently observed herding of unsuspecting fledgling devotional candidates into institutionally endorsed liaison with chic-awash, locally lionized, ecclesiastically rubber-stamped guru figure-heads simply boasts of a preposterously overestimated shot at managerially manipulating, governing, or meddling with the entirely independent will of the Absolute." - Śrila Aindra Dās Babajī Mahārāja

This is the section of the CC Adi 7.31-32 purport that Kalakantha Prabhu refers to: “Not knowing that boys and girls in countries like Europe and America mix very freely, these fools and rascals criticize the boys and girls in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for intermingling. But these rascals should consider that one cannot suddenly change a community’s social customs. However, since both the boys and the girls are being trained to become preachers, those girls are not ordinary girls but are as good as their brothers who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” Note “cannot suddenly change” in the purport. Did Prabhupada want the free mixing of the boys and girls to be perpetuated as an unchangeable standard in the progression of his movement? No. So he introduced higher cultural things like addressing women as mothers to hopefully elevate the consciousness of animalistic westerners. There was a bridging of the gap in place to get followers to become more civilized. When I joined I understood the tradition was from India and that there were different cultural standards involved. Addressing women as mother didn’t induce me to head for the door. I knew it was a higher perception to subdue the propensity for lust. Are newcomers now so temperamental that they can’t tolerate anything beyond what their minds tell them? And we should acquiesce to that perpetually? That doesn’t line up with Prabhupada’s intentions of “boiling the milk”, or establishing varnashram.

I feel this sincere devotee might benefit from reading " The Final Order" by Krishna Kant. Please search " Back to Prabhupada" .

Show some scriptural reference or class or conversation where Prabhupada called ALL THE WOMEN Prabhu

Historically when it came to management there was a gulf of difference between things that Prabhupada said and what he practically did. His general quotes about equality and equal opportunities among the boys and girls wasn’t something he ever implemented when it came to leadership roles in ISKCON. He also discredited his letters and to some degree his conversations as reference points to establish his intentions for his movement. For that he pointed to his books as the authority. In his books is where to find confirmation on the sastra based actions Prabhupada practically performed during his direction of his society. There in the SB purport to 4.12.32 Prabhupada says no to female diksa gurus. And practically Prabhupada only spoke to men about becoming diksa gurus. These distinctions based on Prabhupada’s practical actions are historically elaborated upon in this video by Sivarama Swami: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3Jj4-8or_tA.htmlsi=U4b7R0I5S9F9nacn

Kalakantha Prabhu is the first devotee I met and he gave me preliminary guidance to practice devotional service. I love him but don’t agree with all of his perspectives. Concerning this video and others broadcast by ISKCON outlets I’ve seen, the jury is rigged on this topic relating to the FDG issue. ISKCON India has strong arguments for their contrary views on the topic, but they are allotted no air time by mainstream ISKCON outlets to express those views.

To resolve leadership chaos, are we solving that if the wife become an initiating spiritual master, but the husband is not? Srila Prabhupada stated that a wife's status is dependent upon the position of her husband. If he is a brahmana, she is a brahmani, if he is a ksatriya, then that becomes her status. Gandhari adopted wearing a blindfold so as to not be superior to her husband, out of her chastity and loyalty to him. Does that have any value anymore? Is that an example to follow, or because the west is influenced by feminism, we must follow that example?

HANSADUTTA SPEAKS: YOU EITHER EMBRACE SRILA PRABHUPADA IN YOUR HEART EXCLUSIVELY, EXCLUDING ALL OTHER OPINIONS, OR EMBRACE THE OPINIONS OF THE GURUS VOTED BY A COMMITTEE, MAYAVADIS, SAHAJIYAS, IMPERSONALISTS AND OTHER MENTAL SPECULATORS. Ritvik initiation ceremony was conducted routinely for many years on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. Why would Srila Prabhupada have to formulate a letter instructing me and 10 others to perform ritviks initiations that we all had been doing for years? The only reason would be to formalise and fix us to continue after his departure. His departure was an obvious fact, his instructions by a formal letter, indicating specific personalities, were clear. There is no letter where Prabhupada points to any disciple who takes on the responsibility of being a GURU. Prabhupada used to say, “You can say anything, but don’t put it in writing.”. That makes it a legal document.” What Prabhupada said in a conversation is just that. A conversation. What was written are legal documents. What is at stake here is not the rhetoric or mental speculation of the VOTED in GURUS; rather, it is your conviction and loyalty to Prabhupada, because without that, you cannot convince anyone of Prabhupada or Krishna Consciousness. Because Krishna Consciousness flows from Prabhupada the person, NOT from ISKCON the INSTITUTION. “It is the king who makes the kingdom”, not the kingdom who makes the king. Srila Prabhupada is the foundation, the creator of ISKCON, not ISKCON is the creator of Prabhupada. You have to invest your whole heart and soul into Prabhupada's PERSON, then ISKCON's Validity, Authenticity and Power will be clearly visible to you. You will not recognise or determine the MEANING and INTENTION of Prabhupada by conducting an OPINION POLL inside ISKCON. You and Prabhupada are in front of each other. You need to get in line. You can't get Prabhupada arming yourself with OTHERS OPINION. You are alone and you are responsible for your OWN DELIVERY. Its you and Srila Prabhupada. The ocean leaves plenty of room for non-stop paddling, but genuine and experienced sailors always maintain their course by gazing at the constant NORTH STAR (or Polar). This way, every experienced Sailor/DEVOTEE, anywhere in any ocean in the world, knows exactly where they are and how to proceed to their destination. Why are you so interested in “most devotees” and karmis?. You have to be first of all interested in your own and “true orientation towards Srila Prabhupada”. If that's not established in your heart, YOU CANNOT do good to anyone, NOT EVEN YOURSELF. You have to remember that Krishna, after explaining in detail several philosophies: karma yoga, morning yoga, astanga yoga, sankhya yoga, the three modalities of nature, the divine and demonic natures, the qualities of the four orders of the varnas and ashrams, the universal form, bhakti yoga and etc , finally concludes this eloquent summary of all philosophy, thought and Vedic analysis saying to Arjuna (His devotee and friend): Abandon all dharma and simply do what I tell you. Just give yourself to Me and I will protect you.... don't worry, don't be afraid. "If there's any fault or problem, I'll take care of it." But after 5,000 years of reading the Bhagavad-gita, the whole world, including India, has yet to grasp this final conclusion of Krishna's instructions. Sarva dharmam parityajya: “Forget all your DHARMA and all your formulas, traditions, rituals and procedures.”. Just give yourself to Me. I will protect you from every sinful reaction. DON'T FEAR IT. "Who has understood this conclusive order????. Almost NOBODY. So even when Srila Prabhupada spent ten years travelling, preaching, writing 60 volumes of books, building temples, farming communities, recruiting thousands of devotees, meeting dignitaries, pop stars, etc., no one can understand, or NO ONE wants to understand his FINAL ORDER, his final prescription for his disciples and the world, because the heart is filled with ambition to be a GURU-ACHARYA similar to or better than Prabhupada. So he presented himself so that everyone could have his cake and eat it too. Prabhupada's instructions are actually CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, but if one's heart is not CLEAR AS CRYSTER, you cannot see, hear or embrace what is CLEAR AS CRYstals. Therefore there is Chaos, Confusion and Ignorance. Ignorance does not mean something is unknown or not understood. Ignorance means I know the fact, but I WILLINGLY ignore it. Like a man who knows he should completely stop at a red light, but believing they don't see it, he doesn't stop and passes the red light without stopping. So ambition looks like this. Lust: "must get it...." "I want to be a guru." The polluted heart will find all sorts of REASONS, LOGIC, ARGUMENTS and SUPREME AUTHORITY to complement and support its ambitious and lustful desires. There is no room for bad interpretation; there is only room for DEMONSTRATION. Let's see a demonstration of SPIRITUAL POWER. Lets see what someone CAN DO. It's not about interpreting the presence of the sun; it's SELF-EVIDENCE. NO, there is no room for bad interpretations. It's a matter of PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION. Prabhupada has led the example. He used to say, "Do what I do." So who doing what HE DID??? He was a single guru. In 10 years set the world on fire with Krishna Consciousness. So who has even come close by lighting a match in the dark? What's the use of NAMING STRAYERS? When Bhaktisiddhanta was asked: "Who would be the next Acharya?". "he replied: ""The Acharya is SELF-REFULGENT, HE CANNOT be appointed.""". [Prabhupada recalls this in a letter to Rupanuga, dated April 28, 1974] You want bureaucracy, you want formulas, rituals, procedures; but we need substance: "SHOW ME THE MONEY". Why not see things as they are? We can see what Prabhupada did. WE CANNOT SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE. Hundreds of Gurus, so have there been HUNDREDS MORE? Do you think building a system will produce BETTER RESULTS?. No system will replace the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Your humble servant , Hansadutta das

What is a regular guru as per Srila Prabhupada’s teachings ? What is the qualification for a regular guru? Several times it’s said the siksa guru becomes diksa guru, so Srila Prabhupada’s books are giving siksa instructions so how can anyone be diksa guru if all spiritual knowledge and wisdom is coming from Srila Prabhupada’s teachings? The whole guru scam after Srila Prabhupada has continued to 2024 that unauthorized system is being exposed left and right. The only real guru in ISKCON is Srila Prabhupada and the rest are just faking it.

These are fake gurus after Srila Prabhupada.

As quoted, April 6, 1975 "So Kṛṣṇa's upadeśa is Bhagavad-gītā. He's directly giving instruction. So one who is spreading kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, simply repeat what is said by Kṛṣṇa, then you become ācārya. Not difficult at all. Everything is stated there. We have to simply repeat like parrot. Not exactly parrot. Parrot does not understand the meaning; he simply vibrates. But you should understand the meaning also; otherwise how you can explain? So, so we want to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply prepare yourself how to repeat Kṛṣṇa's instructions very nicely, without any malinterpretation. Then, in future... Suppose you have got now ten thousand. We shall expand to hundred thousand. That is required. Then hundred thousand to million, and million to ten million.

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