Dear Prabhus,
Pamro Agt Srila Prabhupada!
The quotes you mentioned (“rascal editing,” “NO MORE CHANGES”) are there as I have seen them too. Had a little debate over this with JS a few weeks ago in Berkeley Temple during SB class. Mother Aditi opened pandora’s box. JS was rude and tried to do all the talking. I told him what I heard from His Divine Grace.
I told him that Srila Prabhupada got more angry than I’d ever seen him when he found out the devotees were ‘editing’ his books without his approval. Yasodananda Prabhu was reading Sri Isopanisad to Srila Prabhupada in his garden in Sri Vrindavan Dhama. This was June, I believe, of 1977, I’m sure. It can be looked up. Anyway, Prabhupada asked him to reread the last paragraph. Then Prabhupada said,”Those are not my words! They are changing my words. This is the worst thing a disciple can do! Do not become like a leapfrog, and try to jump over your guru.” Then Prabhupada in the mood of Nasringadev turned to his Secretary, TKG, and told him to write the BBT immediately and tell them not to change the books.
In the four months I personally served Srila Prabhupada this was the angriest I saw him get. The books are his ecstacies!
Srila Prabhupada talks about the translating work to be done after his departure on the May 28th 1977 ritvik appointment tape. He said the rest of the Bhagavatam should just be the translations, by his bonafide editor, Pradyumna Prabhu, who I shared a room overlooking Prabhupada’s rooftop at that time. Prabhupada said none of us were qualified to write ‘purports’. But again what did the BBT do? Kick out Pradyumna and have Hridayananda Swami do it with purports, which I avoid personally.
During this little debate with JS, he said he would bring up the 5/28/77 conversation on his laptop during class but never did. Then Rasaraja asked me a rather long question about the editing and instead of letting me answer it, JS went off on a propaganda for changes campaign and wouldn’t let me answer the question specically asked to me.
He is dishonest and a waste of time, I believe. In Berkeley there is an ‘original Bhagavad Gita As It Is, on the Altar, in a nice Nasringasana. That must of burned JS LOL. My final statement to him was that the original Gita made so many devotees and the new one hasn’t. He said the new one has made alot of devotees in Russia. I said Prabhupada lectured so many times say on 4-34 and never said to change it. Now after his departure they try to justify their disobediance, by saying they just want to put it back to the original things Prabhupada said. It’s a circular argument to try to make themselves, the editors, look like they are doing the right thing, when in reality they are not only ‘disobeying the orders of the spiritual master, they are ‘changing’ it! He called it the American disease.
Hoping this meets you well,
Your servant,
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
Chant HARE KRSNA
And your life will be sublime!
(originally posted on Aug 29, 2009)
Hare Krishna.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Yes it is. Actually its Bhagavad Gita As It Is which made devotees all around the world. Its Srila Prabhupada who created spiritual atmosphere everywhere through his transcendental books. And still going on and will go on for next ten thousand years. We just need to maintain the honesty and sincerity.
“I am sure this mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu will be successful. It must be successful because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted it to be done. Simply we, the workers, the servitors, must be very sincere. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu will give us more and more facilities so that we can work very well. So keep this mission always in view and do your best. That is my only request.”
– Arrival Lecture — Mayapur, September 27, 1974
Yours
Bhakta John
Another simple method to hopefully fry a few of these rascal’s brain cells, and maybe evoke a public meltdown in order to expose them for the black snakes they are, is to ask them to follow this logic.
Between 1970 and 1977, using the ritvik system of initiation, Iskcon grew from X number of temples to Y number of temples, from X number of disciples to Y number of disciples.
Then extrapolate using that growth rate and determine the number of temples (Z) and number of disciples (Z) that would have been created as of 2015 if Iskcon kept doing EXACTLY as it had been.
Then compare that to what will be shown to be a tiny fraction of the growth rate that COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN, by using the actual # of temples and disciples in 2015.
And to ice that cake, remind the rascal you are exposing how many disciples LEFT THE MOVEMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ZONAL GOOROOS TOOK OVER.
SIMPLE FOR THE SIMPLE. MAKE EM SWEAT.