The Art of Criticism

Despite the massive information and disinformation available today through the internet, few people point out the responsibility these facilities bring.

Even writing this text likely invites criticism, regardless of one's perspective. The most judgemental ones accuse others of being judgemental; the most cunning ones pose as protectors of justice; the most opportunistic ones present themselves as defenders of human rights. Such is the world we live in, and such is the anonymity the internet provides. A medium without etic rules, without boundaries for human and non-human conduct, a medium in the hands of those who should not have it.

And so the ocean of offences being made swells only up, making any kind of rational exchange impossible.

Srila Prabhupada himself faced crises in his movement as soon as it was started; he faced the envy of his godbrothers and even his own disciples, and he faced attacks from atheists and men and women of demoniac mentality. Unafraid, he firmly maintained his policy to present sastric evidence even in times it was obvious that it would create agitation on the part of the audience.

Some may argue that we cannot imitate His Divine Grace, and that is true. But we have followed. Preaching means criticising. But the criticism should be conducted in the form of analysis, not in the form of a direct personal attack, especially in a public forum such as the internet.

There are two ways to present one's misgivings:

1. In the form of presentation of the principle established by the Founder Acharya, or established by the basic codes of human conduct as Srila Prabhupada has done in his books. For the intelligent ones, such a presentation is sufficient to understand, and they may come, consequently, to see who in close vicinity is a deviant in regard to such principles.

   But sadly, most will not understand, and even when suspecting they have gotten the correct information, they are not bold enough to act upon it.

2. Then a direct exposure of such a deviant person is necessary. Such exposure should include clear evidence of his or her misconduct, at best based on one's personal testimony. If personal testimony is not available, then one has to mention the names of those one bases one's statement on as well. They have to be in agreement and join the united effort to expose the deviant.

Generalising in the form of “they all” or assumptions like “as we know, they are all like that” brings only offences about them, as there are those who may seem to be of the same age or have had the same type of position or service but are not guilty of some abusive conduct. There are always exceptions after all.

Outside of these two principles of criticism, one likely ends up being designated as 'the man with a problem', and one's points of criticism will be brushed aside as being a mere 'personal conflict' between him and the culprit in question. 

Over and over such valid complaints were brushed aside by ISKCON leadership, making everybody who remained silent while being in a leading position a passive collaborator of atrocities being conducted.

No wonder we see the response today of very angry devotees who for many years were isolated and ignored by the arrogance of their leaders. Nevertheless, one shouldn't be controlled by mere anger. A valid question for anybody who brings out the problems so notoriously covered up in the past would be: What would I do if I were in the position of the one I am criticising? Would I do better?

In most cases we see today we can boldly say, “YES!”

Even my bodily father, a man who never lied or cheated anybody, used to ask me when hearing about some ISKCON scandal: “But I thought you people never do such things? “These were embarrassing moments, as I had no answer for him. I could only agree. He was not envious and understood that especially in religious movements one finds, thanks to the wide-open social forum they offer, the most degraded or cunning class of men, taking advantage. Church institutions and ISKCON are full of such examples.

That doesn't change the dignified forum Srila Prabhupada left behind for us to act upon, and that doesn't change his policy on how to deal with deviants. Surely he didn't approve of the lynching type of actions we see today, but he openly rejected his disciples when finding them notoriously guilty of moral misconduct. He didn't do so out of his own personal desire, but he did so in order to protect those who came to serve him in good faith, hoping to find a place where hypocrisy and cheating are not permitted.

It was he who said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I don't criticise, I analyse."

It was he who offered a second chance to those who fell down out of weakness. But it was also him who was ready to expose any notorious cheater who dared to make his misconduct a “new type of Krsna Consciousness”.

It is truly challenging to keep rational balance in times where the abusers and the lynching mob meet each other in the open arena the internet provides. But the many years of maintained intimidation in the name of “vaisnava aparadha“ cannot be sustained anymore. That's a fact.

My personal answer to such attempts to intimidate me is, 'First let's analyse who is a vaishnava, then we can take vaishnava aparadha into consideration.'

For fifty years I encountered in ISKCON the most wonderful type of vaishnavas and the most bizarre type of deviants, even demons. I am enthused by the younger generations of devotees who strive despite all the bad news they read on the internet for better ways to represent Srila Prabhupada's movement, and I am repulsed by the arrogance with which plain mayavada or direct abuse to the basic standards Srila Prabhupada established is introduced. Sex or age doesn't play a role for a deviant; stupidity and deviation are gender-free and timeless.

But speaking for myself, I consider first my own situation, and I consider the outcome of my open criticism regardless of how valid it may be as well. Most of the deviants of my generation I consider beyond repair. Too long they were establishing themselves in their misunderstanding, and they came to believe their own lies. If not finding followers in the West, they move to the East; there are always enough fools to follow them. Flattered and reconfirmed by those who never understood the system of guru-sastra and sadhu Srila Prabhupada gave us, such followers and such leaders flock together as birds of the same feather. Personal cults and sentimentalism always bring about frustration, revolution...and no solution. Just to collect the bad news and spread it out again, anybody can do it. But what may the alternative we can offer?

This brings me into the association of those I deeply respect and admire for their strive to stay close to the standards Srila Prabhupada expected us to follow. Surely they claim not to be perfect, but at least they try. It is this policy Srila Prabhupada taught us to follow. Did he or could he reform the compromised movement his spiritual master initiated? No, he couldn't. Forced by circumstances and arrogance he met on the way, he had to start a new movement based strictly on the principles he imbibed from his spiritual master. Entering a whole new non-culture environment, the West, he had to make compromises. But he never compromised the essence and the basic principles established by the guru parampara.

To try to compromise further in the name of populistic “preaching“‘ is an insult to His Divine Grace and the true vaisnava aparadha so many would like to talk about.

Reaching the last portion of my life in this body, I am most enthused to see at least a few within the younger generation raise their voices and oppose hypocrisy and moral decline taking place in the name of mercy and so-called spiritual life. I hope at least some will be able to establish communities of devotees who strive in the same direction. It is only in the form of united effort that deviants can be isolated and made powerless. 

Here are some practical suggestions on how not to get cheated:

1. Don't be charitably sentimental towards anybody who poses himself or herself as a spiritual leader. You are entitled to know how the funds and the energy you sacrifice are used.

2. Demand absolute transparency of anybody who is maintained by congregational support regardless of his position. EVERY leader must live in a transparent way.

   That doesn't deny him rights that others may not have. But even these rights must be made public and clearly define their purpose. No secondary agenda and secondary moral rules of conduct for the leaders. The democratic mayavada doctrine of “universal oneness“ doesn't apply to Srila Prabhupada's original movement.

   He entrusted those who were RESPONSIBLE with DUTIES, and he also protected their RIGHTS.

3. JUDGE those who call upon us to be followed by their adherence to their guru and sastra as such. Don't give in when social pressure is applied; you will get only cheated. We don't join Krsna Consciousness for social purposes; we join Krsna Consciousness for spiritual purposes.

4. Take a risk to follow with faith, but keep always an option in mind that your faith must be based on the abovementioned principles.

Above all: base your considerations and your analytical criticism on teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and don't hesitate to ask those you intend to trust in times where you see these instructions being compromised.

In this healthy spirit one can avoid getting cheated. Maya is the most powerful energy of the Lord and can turn even our best friend into a stranger. Shall we be suspicious per se? No, we should be simply careful, and if not able to stop them on their deviated course, we should at least leave the association of those victims of the illusory energy of the Lord. As long as cheaters find willing followers in large numbers, the game of cheaters and the cheated will go on.

But we don't have to be part of it. Thanks to Srila Prabhupada, who gave us the ability to discriminate, we can abstain from being part of crimes being committed by opportunists and demons entering Srila Prabhupada's movement.

The stupidity originating from sentimentality is always in the majority; we should be ready for that. The more we strive to find and live the truth, the smaller will be the society we will live in. Any idealist in this world finds himself ultimately, by the mainstream demonic agenda following fools, to be a disturbing element. Srila Prabhupada was not spared such designation. We owe him to take a firm stand against the indoctrination of compromised ones, and we owe him to offer our uncompromised loyalty to the legacy he left behind. Words are not enough; actions are needed.

Opposing hypocrisy in an active way while establishing a tangible alternative is the true form of criticism.

All glories to those who distribute Srila Prabhupada's books.

All glories to those who are determined to live a dignified life in the form of communities, however small they may be.

All glories to those who don't support those who proved to be notoriously deviant.