Life After ISCKON (part 4)

GG: People have asked about your relationship with Narayana Maharaja. Do you care to comment?

B: Maharaja and I have been friends for years. I feel he genuinely sees himself as Prabhupāda’s siksha disciple and I know how much Prabhupāda considered him to be a confidential associate. That he has been alienated from Prabhupāda’s movement, would be an embarrassment to Śrīla Prabhupāda to say the least. Prabhupāda would be more inclined to chastise his own disciples for such harsh treatment and disrespect of a saintly man, than to chastise and prohibit him from lecturing in his temples because of perceived philosophical differences. It is good that the GBC met with him and apologized for the way they first reacted when they told him he wasn’t welcome in ISCKON temples. Nonetheless, he is still banned. So what is the point of an apology with no change in the status quo? When will a shift occur in which all of Krishna’s devotees can honor Krishna, Prabhupāda and each other under one roof? Spiritual eyes see the common good rather than an opportunity to fight over perceived differences.

There are so few people propagating Krishna Bhakti in this world, yet how is it that so many talented people cannot work together? In the room conversation of May 28th, Prabhupāda advises to “do things cool headed” and “take advice from Krsna”. After all, Narayana Maharaja is not an impersonalist. He is not a proponent of ritvik philosophy. He is a genuine Vedic scholar, a rasika vaisnava and a lifetime, heartfelt devotee of Gauranga and Prabhupāda. If he wasn’t rejected for statements taken out of context and wrongly insulted by the GBC, he would have been a valuable asset to Prabhupāda’s ISCKON mission. Despite all of this, he still serves his siksha guru, Śrīla Prabhupāda with palpable devotion. Despite the endless health challenges he continually faces at his advanced age, he is following the ways of Prabhupāda- translating books, traveling, preaching and inspiring many to take up spiritual life with a new hope and enthusiasm.

At first, when so many leaders were approaching him for continued education in Vedic literature, it was a simple exchange. When he made the fatal statement in Vrndavana that Prabhupāda didn’t give us everything, it was taken as an insult although Prabhupāda said, “even understanding one syllable, can enlighten you”. If knowledge of Krishna is unlimited, how can any one give everything? ISKCON leadership reacted harshly and he felt offended and reacted by not caring for their authority. He was obviously hurt because he felt his service to Prabhupāda and his intent was attacked and unappreciated. Prabhupāda told us that Indians are very delicate and sensitive and once the plate is cracked it is hard to repair. Maharaja, saw so many former ISKCON devotees alienated from the ISCKON movement and he tried to maintain their health and well being. Of course when disciples of other gurus were given new names, it became inflammatory.

I don’t say that I agree with everything he or his following did or said in those highly charged times, but that is where everyone’s spiritual maturity and chanting is tested after 40 years. I believe if Prabhupāda read some of the vociferous letters written about him, he would be very, very sad and angry. He never allowed us to openly put down his godbrothers.

How can a devotee practicing for a year be allowed to give a lecture in Prabhupāda’s temple, but Narayana Maharaja, one of Prabhupāda’s dear friends, cannot? Who do you think knows more? Who do you think Prabhupāda would want to sit and hear from more? How can someone who allowed boys to be violently beaten in the Vrndavan School in India and who allowed his twisted assistant to do the same, be allowed to be a guru and lecture in ISCKON temples, but not Narayana Maharaja? It seems somewhat hypocritical doesn’t it? So much for Prabhupāda building a house that everyone can live in. So much for fear and judgment dominating devotion. Rejecting him is rejecting Prabhupāda’s personal concern for his disciples. The details of resolving philosophical points and his working with ISKCON are issues that could have found a much better solution. For one thing, Prabhupāda wanted a GBC and the maths favor acaryas. So for certain, that needed to be addressed to form a satisfying alliance.



GG: There is an opportunity in the West Virginia community of New Vrndavana to lease their land out to the natural gas companies. What do you think about that?

B: This is temptation in its most vicious form. For money they are selling their Mother into slavery and going to the temple to worship Radharani. How do they think anything good or auspicious can come from being in bed with the earth plundering, petrochemical industry who are among the biggest polluters on Earth? They should be protectors of the Earth and represent Krishna. The people of New York resisted these rakshasas. When the gas corporations wanted to drill and fracture the earth in the Catskills where the source of water for New York City came from, the people of New York took them to court and demanded to know what chemicals were going to be used. The companies refused to reveal the dangerous compounds and moved out of N.Y. into the poor redneck areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

All the years of sacrifice to build that community are now going for pollution royalties. Natural gas drilling is going on all over the world and creating wastelands. Where drilling is taking place, people can hold a match to their faucets and ignite the water. Any religion or person who claims to be spiritual, but has no connection to the environment is atheistic.



GG: What would you like to say to those who saw you as their leader or guru?

B: Thank you for all your effort, for all your talent, for your support and your devotion. I know I disappointed you from my sudden and shocking departure. I know you felt betrayed and abandoned. I can tell you that these past years have put me through the fire of ordeal, but have brought many insights that I could not have gotten otherwise. I am open to hearing from you and to working on what remains to be healed. In this regard I want to thank you (GG), Vaishnav and Ishana for setting up the webpage, blog and Facebook.



GG: Wherever I travel your old friends and students ask if you are open to communicate and give some counseling?

B: My Saturn period, which began shortly after I left and is ending this March, marked a great change in my direction. It caused me to take things apart and look at everything much deeper - to evaluate and re-evaluate - to redefine my beliefs and myself. I don’t expect everyone to understand my process, but I own it. If anyone wants to genuinely communicate, I am open to that now.

It always amused me how after someone left ISKCON, the entire legacy of their service was rejected and by that I don’t mean just gurus. I know in my former zone, pictures were destroyed, tapes confiscated and in an attempt to keep order, I was zeroed out. However what goes around comes around. If someone is unforgiving, they may find themselves needing forgiveness and being denied. I may not sound or look the same as 25 years ago, but I have gained more balance.



GG: How do you see your relationship with Prabhupāda now?

B:

He is my gift that keeps on giving.
He opened my eyes to see how all things are connected to a common Origin.
He opened my ears to hear Krishna.
He has shown me how God is Two and also One.
He brought out my creativity.
His determination is my inspiration.
He brought me around the world and gave me awesome friends and students.
He made me a speaker.
He made me a leader.
He taught me how to build.
He taught me how to print.
He taught me how to write.
He taught me how to sing.
He taught me how to pray.
He taught me how to eat.
He taught me how to sleep.
He taught me how to manage.
He taught me compassion.
He taught me gratitude.
He gave me a vision of a better world. He taught me how to leave this world.