What is the Hare Krishna Society?
June 10, 2012 in Articles, Narasimha Dasa
What is the Hare Krishna Society?
In the early days of Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the West, some ISKCON leaders wanted to install teletype machines in all the temples, but Srila Prabhupada did not approve of the idea. He expressed concern that his neophyte students would use the machines for politics and gossip and thus waste time.
”…The installing of telex communications for our main temples is not required. Then they will gossip more through the telex….” Srila Prabhupada letter, February 5, 1977
Today it is practically seen that many ignorant persons posing as preachers hide behind their computer screens and spread unfounded allegations against devotees or try to raise doubts about the activities and purposes of bona fide sangas of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. Those with a political agenda, and other ignorant or malicious persons, sometimes spread false allegations about Srila Prabhupada’s faithful disciples and thus commit the offense know as sadhu-ninda. Sadhu-ninda can quickly ruin one’s forward progress in devotional service. By hearing malicious rumors about disciples of Srila Prabhupada and by accepting and tolerating such nonsense without challenge or protest, internet surfers and sufferers may disrupt their forward progress on the path of bhakti-yoga.
“…Anyone who is a bona fide preacher of the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be respectful to the real devotees of Lord Caitanya; one should not be envious, considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly. This is a material distinction and has no place on the platform of spiritual activities…”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition Adi 10.7 :
“… If a Vaiṣṇava, by the mercy of the Lord, is empowered by Him to distribute the Lord’s holy name all over the world, other Vaiṣṇavas become very joyful-that is, if they are truly Vaiṣṇavas. One who is envious of the success of a Vaiṣṇava is certainly not a Vaiṣṇava himself, but an ordinary mundane man. Envy and jealousy are manifested by mundane people, not by Vaiṣṇavas. Why should a Vaiṣṇava be envious of another Vaiṣṇava who is successful in spreading the holy name of the Lord? An actual Vaiṣṇava is very pleased to accept another Vaiṣṇava who is bestowing the Lord’s mercy. A mundane person in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava should not be respected but rejected. This is enjoined in the śāstra (upekṣā). The word upekṣā means neglect. One should neglect an envious person. A preacher’s duty is to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make friendships with Vaiṣṇavas, show mercy to the innocent and reject or neglect those who are envious or jealous. There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaiṣṇavas in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava. When Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā nistāra payeche kebā, he is indicating an actual Vaiṣṇava, not an envious or jealous person in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava…”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – Madhya-lila 1.218
Over the years, a few antagonistic persons have tried to malign the Hare Krishna Society for ridiculous and selfish reasons. Some persons have apparently felt slighted by HKS because of our strict policy to ignore the various vitiated “iskcon” groups, the various members associated with these groups, senior devotees who are still confused about Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, and other misguided persons associated with various other groups, such as branches of the former Gaudiya matha. (See references below.)
We also tend to avoid persons who are obsessed with the idea of trying to reform corporate iskcon’s clerics. We also avoid those who want to advertise and exaggerate the alleged faults of specific devotees, particularly those who are unpretentious preachers who know the siddhanta. Because we refrain from involvement in drawn out, rambling discussions on the internet with persons who are misguided or antagonistic, some devotees feel slighted. (See references below.) We feel the best way to deal with various misguided persons is to teach the truth about Srila Prabhupada and His instructions. If we attack something, we attack the sin and the sinful idea rather than all the individual sinners. We generally avoid discussing individuals—unless we are forced to do so. We have enough to do to explain the fundamentals of Krishna consciousness to innocent devotees who have been misled by bogus preachers.
“…If one hears the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām)….”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 9.362 :
Our positive agenda is to preach the glories of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada and the bona fide parampara. In the course of preaching correctly about the mission and teachings of the Krishna consciousness movement all opposing elements are defeated naturally. It is not HKS policy to attack and expose individual leaders for their sinful secret lives and extravagance. This is not practical. Nor is it advised in shastra to chase after and try to reform unrepentant deviants. We naturally expose obvious deviations in siddhanta and sadhana by preaching the truth. (See references below.)
HKS generally avoids direct confrontation with the fallen branches of iskcon. Some persons criticize us for 1) not attacking iskcon, 2) attacking iskcon, 3) not being under a gbc, 4) not supporting devotees who attack iskcon leaders, 5) supporting those who attack Iskcon leaders, 6) creating an organization separate from iskcon, and so on. (See references.)
