Rama dasa: Srila Prabhupada’s Books

BY: RAMA DASA

Oct 03, 2010 — TIMBUKTU (SUN) — It seems so sinister to say that Srila Prabhupada’s original books are all banned in all ISKCON temples, especially when many of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples only use these 1st editions for all purposes, and reject Jayadvaita Swami’s changed editions. Why ban books that Srila Prabhupada used and thereby endorsed?

Before the winning of the court case to allow the original books to be even just published, Danista devi, ex-long time book distributor, offered Jayadvaita Swami, $10,000 to print a certain amount of the original Bhagavad Gita’s and he passed the buck, saying that he could not do it.

Is that not astonishing, that he would not permit the printing of Srila Prabhupada’s original books unless and until the court decision against him and his fanaticism won out? Why would he be so strict and adamant, although it so highly displeased and very much saddened so many of his own godbrothers and sisters?

Even though he feels he is 100% right in editing Srila Prabhupada’s books posthumously, why not placate all those so adverse to his actions? He is simply a conditioned soul strictly following sadhana bhakti so many years, and has thereby gained influence, position and admiration from the less mature devotees who are apt to swallow whatever they are told by authority, and/or those also in authoritative positions within ISKCON who cannot be bothered to oppose him, thereby creating controversy around them.

Hopefully the time is coming when Srila Prabhupada’s real position and real books will be reinstated back into ISKCON.