Is ISKCON suffering an Identity crisis?

By Jaya Govinda Caran das

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An objective analysis

‘We have the absolute truth but we lack a culture to support it…And without culture, we find ourselves facing so many different problems as a society. How to educate our kids? Where to earn a living. How to live peacefully in Krishna Consciousness. So many things’. (Prabhupada disciple, May, 1992) (Cited from Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001)

The personality of ISKCON

For the better understanding of this article, let us personify ISKCON for a while. How do you think ISKCON would look like: male, female, short, tall, blondie or brunet? Well, these details are indeed immaterial, because I am sure that the personality of ISKCON would be aware of the difference between matter and spiritual consciousness, don’t you think so?

The most prominent question is: what ISKCON is? Is ISKCON an institution or a society? Wether one or the other, it makes a lot of difference believe me. Technically speaking, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada registered the branch of the Hare Krsna movement in West as The International Society for Krishna consciousness, so by birth right ISKCON is a society. However, this brings in an even deeper question, what do we mean by a ´society’? Do we mean an organization or association of persons engaged in a common profession or activity, or perhaps the totality of social relationships among human beings or may be the conglomeration of many communities?

I told you this was going to be a bit confusing, because, now that I remember, some devotees refer to ISKCON as an Institution, and since many temples have the ISKCON name in their front side with big, big letters, then it could be also a religious institution. Well, this last one sounds pretty much convincing. Huff, finally I understood it, let’s see if I’m right. ISKCON is composed of many temples around the world were people of all ages gather together to chant Hare Krsna, they are in disagreement of whether eating chocolates or not and they have a website called Dandavats where a dude called Pragosh Das publishes crazy articles such as this one.

But wait a minute, something else comes to my mind now that I mention Dandavats, I have heard people talking about the implementation of Varna and looks like this is really ‘an issue’ because one group says that this social division is not meant for Vaisnavas. Did I say Vaisnavas!!! Someone out there, please help me! Tell me what I am, am I a society, am I an Institution, am I a cultural movement, am I a sect or a cult? Please, Heeeeeeeeeeelp!

Seem that our personality of ISKCON is very much confused. I remember having gone through an identity crisis when I was younger, but nothing as serious as this. So let’s make a common effort to help out our very dear friend, what do you think?

Basic definitions

Western sociology, though is the antithesis of the Vaisnava sociology due to the fundamental ontological principles on which it develops its structure, can help us understanding the definition of institution and society respectively. Once we understand these definitions we can make a comparative observation of ISKCON – at present – and objectivity determine whether ISKCON is one or the other.

We shall avoid getting into the landscape of endless and exhausting definitions typical of modern social sciences, nevertheless. We will mention here just those definitions which are relevant with the subject at issue.

Institution

The Dictionary of the Social sciences by Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D, gives the following definition of Institution

INSTITUTION, SOCIAL

A pattern of social interaction, having a relatively stable structure, that persists over time. Institutions have structural properties – they are organized – and they are shaped by cultural values. (Examples of social institutions are marriage, family, the Catholic church, etc.)

According to this definition, ISKCON could be an institution because it has a customary way of operation and behavior, it has a relatively stable structure and has structural properties (temples and farms). ISKCON is also well organized and it is shaped by Vaisnava cultural values. So ISKCON could be a religious institution whose mission statement is to help humanity at large understanding the real purpose of life.

There is one particular meaning of institution I found in the dictionary that has caught my attention in a comical manner. The WordNet Dictionary says:

3. (nun) a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced persons.
Ironically, this definition could be quite suitable, considering the fact that bodily identification according to the Vedic literature is a material madness, which makes of a person a spiritually incompetent. ´Every man in the material concept of life is a madman because he does not know his identification. Therefore he’s a madman’ Bh-g 2.27-38 68/12/11
Fortunately by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada we are getting the transcendental medicine.

SOCIETY

A human community, usually with a relatively fixed territorial location, sharing a common culture and common activities. There is cultural and institutional interdependence between members of the society and they are, to some extent, differentiated from other communities and groups. Societies are generally identified as existing at the level of nation states, but there can be regional and cultural communities within nation states that possess much of the cultural distinctiveness and relative self-sufficiency of societies.

What makes of ISKCON a society

a) A human community, usually with a relatively fixed territorial location.
The ISKCON farm communities ‘potentially’ fulfill this requirement.
b) ISKCON members share a common culture and common activities.
c) There is (though minimal), cultural interdependence between members of ISKCON
d) ISKCON posses cultural distinctiveness

What does ISKCON lack to be a society

a) Lack of cultural institutions
b) Therefore, there is no institutional interdependence between members of ISKCON
c) ISKCON does not existing at the level of nation state

d) ISKCON does not have regional and cultural communities within nation states;

e) Lacks a relative self- sufficiency of societies.

Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy is the determinant principle.

Most of sociologists are in common agreement that culture and social structure are the two most prominent components of a society.
However, a historical inductive reasoning tells us that philosophy has played a determinant role in shaping modern society as seen during the French revolution which took place between 1787 and 1799. A close look at this part of history will reveal that the broad acceptance of the reformist writings of the ‘philosophes’ was fundamental in the unfolding of events.
In fact, all the social revolutions and cultural reforms throughout the world have been influenced by visionary writers like Karl Marx (1818 – 1883.) and his economic determinism theory. Even modern market economies have a philosophy of consumption called ´utilitarianism’ to support their grow.

Although currently ISKCON lacks some of the important constituents of a society, it has a very peculiar and distinctive Philosophy of culture and a powerful Spiritual philosophy, which together form the Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy (VCPH)

The Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy with its social rules, spiritual regulations and its attractive and colorful spiritual culture has the power to re-shape modern society and eventually its institutions along with its mode of production.

Therefore, as it has been predicted, the Sankirtan Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to stay and it is taking roots in the society and causing a slow Vaisnava acculturation of west. This is called Vaisnava Cultural Determinism. (VCD)
Vaisnava Cultural Determinism Marx has argued that the mode of production of a society: the social and technical organization of its economy, can shape its institutions and even its culture. Indeed this is a fact. The sophisticated techonology used in the developed nations helps the capitalists increasing their production of goods within a very short time. This availability of commodities demands its immediate consumption and therefore, to induce people to consume even more there is the need of a cultural interdependence such as that created by McDonalds, TV, music, and film industries. So technology has shaped the culture of consumption and the institutions of today’s society.

Notwithstanding, a powerful and distinctive Spiritual Cultural philosophy can reverse the situation.

Simple living, high thinking

The Sanatana Political economy says that (we use Marx model to explain it), the Spiritual Knowledge Forces: the free educational organizations based on spiritual philosophical principles, can re-shape the mode of thinking of the society, (e.g.. the goal of life, social values, social rules, spiritual regulations, etc.). This in turn will create a new social organization based on spiritual and cultural values of its people. And subsequently this new social relation – under the guide of qualified Brahmins – shall create a cultural revolution and determine the new institutions of society and eventually its new mode of production.

The spiritual Knowledge Forces The reason why industry has been so successful is because the capitalist class has made people faithless and ignorant of spiritual knowledge. It serves their purposes. ´So your question was that how we can know a sudra? That because everyone is now faithless and everyone is seeking after employment. Therefore… We may discuss in so many ways. Because people have become sudra, therefore the capitalists are exploiting them’ (S.B. 1.5.22-08-03-74 )
The books introduced to west by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ´as they are’ form the Spiritual Knowledge Forces and they must, compulsory, be taught free of cost to humanity at large. ´Now the school, college, the teacher is also depending on salary. So they are sudras. So what teaching they will give? Teaching is the business of the brahmana. No salary’ (S.B. 1.5.22-08-03-74 )
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada’s first priority was to create a self-less and merciful brahaminical class to spread this spiritual knowledge for the benefit of people in general, (with special attention to the intellectuals). The brahmanas in modern society have the social duty to help people developing faith in the Vaisnava literature and teach them; by personal example and speech, that the Four Regulative Principles (4RP) are the principles of freedom. And that real freedom means self-sufficiency.
The mode of thinking The function of the temples is to educate people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life. This, plus the power of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra will radically change the mode of thinking of people in society.

If under brahminical guidance people follow voluntarily the (4RP) and develop taste for the self-sufficient and colorful Vaisnava

Culture, in the long term there shall be three notorious social phenomenon:

a) A scarcity of cheap handwork due to lack of laborers
b) A rise of price of commodities
c) A disruption to the market demand

The subsequent natural reaction will be a slow deterioration of the industrial mode of production and hence the establishment of a new Vaisnava Social Order (VSO) shall be imminent. ´Because people have become sudra, therefore the capitalists are exploiting them. If everyone denies to be, serve, then these so-called industries will fail. Immediately’ (S.B 1.5.22-08-03-74 )
Therefore, the Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy in due curse of time will provoke the Vaisnava Acculturation of west.

Unused potential It is important to notice that at present the ISKCON farm communities have the potential to become regional and cultural communities within nation states, due to the Vaisnava cultural distinctiveness. Srila Prabhupada understood this potential and therefore He requested in His ´will’ not to sell ISKCON farms. Furthermore, in the Video entitled ´The last lesson’ Srila Prabhupada tells His senior disciples to start developing self-sufficiency when He departs.

Currently, due to the lack of self-sufficiency and cultural institutions ISKCON is in the ‘stone age’ of societal development. Hence, within ISKCON, the development of self-sufficiency and cultural institutions is compulsory; is a prime necessity and there should be no excuses, no more delays.

So what ISKCON actually is?

The key question should be: what ISKCON is meant to be? Do we think that ISKCON is meant to remain a religious institution till the end of Kali yuga, – a sectarian institution as defined by the present social order – which offers Vaisnava pastoral services and Sunday feasts to the people?

Institution is in fact a very small dress for ISKCON. As such, ISKCON is limited to church services which includes altars, prayers and sermons. Here the focus goes more on opening temples, offices and on developing a sort of ’emergency-economics’ for maintaining these structural properties and staff. As an institution, the potential of the Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy is not being used to the fullest. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has the potential to be a society; at the level of nation state.
Institution or society what is the difference if the goal is preaching and spreading the Holy name? If someone puts forward this argument then that someone must first answer this question. What is the result of spreading the Holy name? The answer is very simple: The result of spreading the holy name shall be ´A Massive Change of Consciousness’ (MCC). Now, I have a subsequent question. What could be the social consequences of such Massive Change of Consciousness? Before answering this question consider that this MCC presupposes the acceptance of the Four Regulative Principles (4RP), at a colossal level. Picture this, hundreds of thousands of people in your country becoming vegetarians, they do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, do not use drugs, do not gamble and do not have illicit sexual relationships.

Considering that these are the four pillars of the modern economic system, the number one consequence will be a notorious disruption to the market demand, in the business term. A second consequence will be that due to the instinctive propensity of human beings of the same Cultural philosophy to gather and live together, there will be the necessity of Vaisnava communities for their survival. These two social phenomenon are already taking place in a minor scale.

Thence, in simple plain English words preaching means human expansion and due to the very ontological nature of the Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy, this human expansion requires the implementation of a peculiar educational, social, political and economic system. We are talking about the systematic creation of a worldwide Vaisnava Social Order (VSO)

Now I have a question, not only to the ISKCON leaders who represent Srila Prabhupada, but to all the leaders of the other Vaisnava congregations all over the world: Are you ready to support this massive grow of human volume?
If we do not take serious steps in the development of self-sufficiency and cultural institutions, ISKCON, alike other Gaudiya Vaisnava institutions, will be limited to church functions and subjected to government inequities toward devotees like the one perpetrated recently by the Kazaztan government.

Expressing the case in a simple formula for easing its understanding it sounds approximately like this: (VCPH+HN)=MCC=VSO. Where VCPH stands for Vaisnava Cultural Philosophy, HN, stands for Holy name, MCC for Massive Change of Consciousness, and VSO for Vaisnava Social Order

Developing Vaisnava cultural institution

What is Srila Prabhupada’s desire?

I heard from H.H. Sivaram Swami that Srila Prabhupada once said: ´My disease is that I cannot think small’ and this is clearly reflected in His seven purposes of ISKCON.

Even the first only, of His seven purposes of ISKCON, clearly shows that a future massive propagation was in His mind at the moment of registering ISKCON.

1- To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
Spiritual knowledge to society at large The first mision statement of ISKCON, takes us to elaborate on the point we have already discussed.

Propagation of spiritual knowledge to society at large presupposes an increase in human volume and this increase in human volume rises an a posteriori concern.: To what avail is the increase in human numbers if there is no development of Vaisnava Cultural Institutions to support and accommodate family life? (Burke Rochford 2001) If we do not develop our own educational, economic and governmental systems we shall have to compromise our principles to accommodate those of the dominant Status Quo who is feeding us. The analogy of the man who rescues a person from drowning in the ocean but leaves him is a solitary empty island surrounded by hungry crocodiles can illustrate this point. We are being told not to be this material body but we are left in the middle of a culture which is the antithesis of this principle.

‘Here I will argue that the failure to develop cultural institutions to support and accommodate family life precipitated the exodus of large numbers of parents and their children from ISKCON’s communities. (E. Burke Rochford Jr, Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001)’

Therefore, Srila Prabhupada has ordered us to start developing self-sufficiency because His Divine Grace foresaw that this gradual increase in human volume necessitates social and cultural organizations based on Vaisnava principles. Therefore, for the benefit of humanity at large, as well as for the benefit of those persons who at present have taken shelter in the holy name and are following the 4RP, Vaisnava leaders must seriously start conceiving strategic plans for developing Vaisnava Cultural Institutions such as:
a) strict Vaisnava education, (VE)
b) economic system based on Vaisnava principles and
c) government

Cases from the real life

I put myself as a practical example. At present I work in a factory where people smoke, eat all kinds of meat in front of me, play the radio very loud, speak bad words and sometimes laugh at my sika.

Certainly, this is a preaching opportunity and a good way to show others that the devotees of Krsna are also responsible householders. In fact I have taken some of my workmates to the temple, and whenever someone asks a question I take the chance to talk about Krsna consciousness.

However, this can be a temporary arrangement and not a permanent solution, because a prolonged association with the lower modes of material nature will affect the spiritual consciousness of a neophyte who is already straggling to keep up his spiritual life. As Srila Prabhupada has said, city are for those who are honest and active preachers.

I have a dream Every day I dream of living within a devotee community where I can practice Krsna consciousness, have an independent means of livelihood – according to my nature – that enables me to give donations to the temple, maintain the family and live surrounded by a spiritual and productive environment. I am very sure that hundred, if not thousands of devotees out there are going through the same situation and having the same dream that I have.

‘With declining financial resources available to its communities, ISKCON faced a significant turning point in its (North American) history. No longer able to maintain financially its communal lifestyle through literature distribution and other forms of public solicitation, and without alternative means of economic support, ISKCON’s members had little choice but to seek outside employment’ (E. Burke Rochford Jr, Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001)

Two alternatives at present

1- Living in a farm community

For many people; including devotees, living in a farm community does not sound as exiting as living in the city. I remember once I stayed for eight months in the Brazilian Amazonian jungle, and believe it or not, during those tortuous days I was missing even the smoke of the cars. So I agree that farm life is too quiet for persons is the lower modes of material nature. However, Vaisnava farm communities not necessarily have to follow that boring prototype because the Vaisnava culture is colorful and very joyful. There are so many festivals to celebrate.

Sri Mayapur Dham is the best practical example I can cite in this regard. I guess most of you have had the opportunity to experience the unforgettable Mayapur Gaura Purnima festival mood. Well, the same joyful festival mood is repeated many times throughout the year. In Mayapur Dham there is always a festival going on and devotees take pleasure gathering in the temple to chant and dance for the satisfacton of Sri Sri Radha Madhava.

Actually, living in a farm community is the prime alternative for those who are serious in going back to the spiritual world is this very lifetime. Notwithstanding, at present some ISKCON farm communities, if not all, have inherited the ‘temple president’ managerial system characteristic of the earlier 1980s, when the local leaders had ample control over the grihasthas. This phenomenon characteristic of religious institutions is understandable from the historical view. At the beginning ISKCON’s first priority was to expand the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even at the cost of sacrificing family ties.

‘Only by renouncing couple and family relationships could intimacy become a collective good serving the interests of the community as a whole’ ( E. Burke Rochford Jr, Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001)

Although that is history and it belongs to the past, and in despite of the present different circumstances this tendency still persists. I have seen grihasthas in some ISKCON farm communities still asking for permission from the leader even for having children or for visiting the parents. Imagine a village of two thousand people having to report to the temple president every single activity or a Vedic city where every citizen would have to report their privet life in detail to the city major! Even in monarchical governments people maintain their autonomy.

The temple’s priests should help the community members keeping up spiritual standard and the communal leaders should help devotees creating a proper spiritual and prosperous environment and not controlling their life.

2- Hare Krsna Ghettos

I heard from H.H Jayapataka Swami that Srila Prabhupada once pointed out with his walking stick toward an empty Christian church and commented that in the future ISKCON temple’s will be like that.

This statement was indeed enigmatic because in those days temples were full with people, so much the devotees had to sleep in the veranda or even in tents outside in the garden. So H.H. Jayapataka Swami asked Srila Prabhupada what was the actual meaning of His statement.

Srila Prabhupada explained that in the future, the ISKCON temple’s will lack of full time temple devotees, however, He assured that the outside community will grow and that in the future every house will be a temple.

According to this, the second option at present would be creating Hare Krsna communities within the city as the China town and other ethnic communities within North American cities. I am not sure if the term Hare Krishna ghettos is proper for these Vaisnava city communities. This at least will provide permanent devotee association.

ISKCON at present

Marxists maintain that the workers are objectively underclass people, even if they see themselves as middle class. Subjectively a person may feel healthy but in the objective sense some sort of cancer is spreading without the person knowing. Similarly, despite some people calling ISKCON a society, objective indicators tell us that ISKCON’s managerial structure is that of an institution

The real profit By managing ISKCON as an institution, the tendency is to focus on opening big temples and accumulating more material assets. This consequently deviates the attention of the leaders to the hard task of temple maintenance; biggest the building structure, biggest the hazard. In this way we forget about the real profit of ISKCON which is people.

Daily Sankirtan devotees go out to the streets even in cold winter days to preach Krsna consciousness. So much money and human energy, as Srila Bhaktisidhanta said once: It takes litters of blood to make one person a devotee.

When the euphoria characteristic of the beginning cools down, devotees have the natural desire to settle a family but because there is no financial resources available, neither an economic system to support family grow, devotees have to work outside and due to the association with the lower modes of material nature some of them get lost in the powerful webs of illusion.
Of course, there will always be new comers who will help maintaining the book distribution and other temple programs. However, after sometime nature conquers again and here we have the same situation. It is like a vicious circle: They come to practice devotional service for sometime, after a while they want to marry, consequently they leave the temple, new replacements arrive and this cycle goes on all over again. It has happened in the past and continues happening at present and the future looks uncertain.

Future generations The future of every society are children. Sons and daughters of devotees are easily captivated by the lower modes of material nature and due to association they get confused and sometimes lost. And not only them, spiritually matured devotees are straggling to maintain a household by mingling with the lower modes of material nature and on the process they also get swallowed up by illusion. This Indeed is a sad waste of economic and human resources.

The analogy of the bird in the cage can clearly illustrate this point. Temples (building constructions), although helpful for teaching the techniques of spiritual knowledge to humanity at large, are the body. Nevertheless, the very soul of this preaching effort are the people that come for spiritual enlightenment. Once again, acceptance of the Four Regulative Principles implies by default, the rejection of modern political, educational and socio-economic principles. We have to start planning how to implement Vaisnava Cultural Institutions to support this grow.

The process of changing Any process of change needs opposing forces and a driving power to push it ahead. A good example in this connection is the churning of the ocean of milk by the devas and the asuras. In this case the driving power was the desire to obtain the nectar of immmortality.

While one side is stronger than the other side, change is gradual but once the other side becomes stronger, there is a turning point. There are many driving forces that shall eventually produce this turning point in ISKCON. One is the love and gratitude intelligent and honest devotees have for the invaluable sacrifice Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada underwent while establishing ISKCON in the western world. Other driving forces are: the constant increase in human volume, the gradual moral degradation of city life and the detrimental effect that it has on our innocent children, the growing discontent of many devotees with the present situation and the subsequent growing urgent need for Vaisnava Cultural Institutions.

Therefore, those intelligent souls who have actually understood the teachings of the parampara should unite their forces and fight the evils of illusion and cause a positive change within ISKCON, for the benefit of humanity at large, for our own benefit, for the benefit of our children, because at the very end we are the society. Society does not mean buildings and offices, society means you, he, she, they, me, we.

The creation of spiritually oriented communities, where at least the basic Vaisnava Cultural Institutions such as education, economic system and government exists is urgently needed. Vaisnava communities, where responsible Krsna conscious families can maturely exercise their autonomy, where they can have employment, their children can get Vaisnava education and where everyone worships Krsna, chants Hare Krsna and goes back to Godhead is what Srila Prabhupada envisioned. Together, leaders and followers could create a devotional and prosperous social environment; for the satisfaction of Srila Prabhupada and the parampara.
‘So there is no need of remaining poor. You can make your economic development. This is required. Dharmartha-kama-moksanam. Human life means four things he must develop. First thing is dharma. He must know what is religion.’
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 July 23, 1973, London

Change moves in spirals, not circles. Dialectics argues that changing cycles do not come back exactly to where they started; they don’t make a perfect circle. Instead, change is evolutionary, moving in a spiral. The logical conclusion is that ISKCON should sequentially and gradually change into a society, in the full sense. This change is already taking place gradually by the will of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. However, it is up to us if we take the opportunity to participate in this Kali-yuga pastime of the Lord. As Krsna told Arjuna: All these soldiers are already killed by Me, whether you fight or not. It is up to you if you want to take the credit, if so, then fight.

Interplanetary Society for Krsna Consciousness Coming back to our original point of whether ISKCON is an institution or a society, I just found another dictionary definition of institution:

The act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new

The present state of ISKCON is just the beginning of a future one flag, one scripture, one hymn and one religion, ´The Krsna Conscious International Society’. Let’s not forget that Srila Rupa Goswami has referred to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabu’s Sankirtan movement as The Interplanetary Society for Krsna Consciousness. Therefore, from this perspective, even the whole world is nothing but a very small beginning.