How to Protect Oneself from Māyā and Her Representatives

The process of staying protected from illusion is simpler than one might think. Only two questions need to be asked daily:

1. Did Śrīla Prabhupāda approve such an action during his presence and in his books?

2. Did he consider the issue at hand important during his time with us?

There are "rascals" masquerading as intellectuals, trying to impose upon us the idea that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions were "circumstantial"—dependent on time, place, and the era in which he preached. Or, in a more cunning way, they try to introduce the idea that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us only the basics of spiritual life, and now they are bringing us the "cream"—the final and highest truths about Kṛṣṇa.

Ironically, such offenders have no hesitation in introducing an entirely unqualified audience to the most intimate pastimes of the Lord, inducing immature, at best, and arrogant, at worst, followers to commit even more offences. Indeed, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

Such rascals—“preaching” beyond their own merit and the ability of their listeners to understand—are becoming increasingly bold in these Kali-yuga days. Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda was flexible and pragmatic when it related to managerial issues, but to define him as being conditioned by time and place is absolutely wrong.

For those who truly understood the depth of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s message, it is clear that he indeed gave us everything.

Now demons—and those foolishly influenced by them—have entered what is still called "ISKCON".

Śrīla Prabhupāda foresaw this, predicting in his commentary to Caitanya-caritāmṛta that many demons would try to infiltrate his movement.

Instead of confronting demoniac policies and their representatives, members of the "ISKCON Public Relations Ministry" are bowing down to them.

(Asking the above-mentioned questions: did this department exist during Śrīla Prabhupāda’s time? The answer is no.)

"Leaders"—older men, content with their flock of dulled followers, pious at best and demoniac at worst—continue to be supported as long as they bring in sufficient financial resources to maintain their luxurious lifestyles.

("Blessing" rich Hindu weddings has become a lucrative business.)

They are celebrated as great renunciates while basking in their own glory.

Protecting no one but their own prestige, these men of no conscience and no fear pay no attention to the Supreme Lord’s words:

“The brāhmaṇas, the cows, and defenseless creatures are My own body. Those whose faculty of judgment has been impaired by their own sin see these as distinct from Me. They are just like furious serpents, and they are angrily torn apart by the bills of vulture-like messengers of Yamarāja, the superintendent of sinful persons.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.16.10

'Protection' is the key word for those who follow in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s footsteps. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave his life to protect us from the onslaught of the Lord’s illusory energy and worked day and night to provide a secure island of knowledge in an ocean of illusion.

Śrīla Prabhupāda did not hesitate to advocate for strong measures—including violence—when it came to protecting the weak and innocent. He did not shy away from expressing anger toward those who block others on the spiritual path—and he demonstrated this himself.

In his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.31, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes:

"Here we can mark that even great saintly persons like the Kumāras were also angry, but they were not angry for their personal interests. They were angry because they were forbidden to enter the palace to see the Personality of Godhead. Therefore the theory that in the perfectional stage one should not have anger is not supported in this verse. Anger will continue even in the liberated stage.”

It is the duty of everyone who claims to be a follower of Śrīla Prabhupāda to, at the very least, speak out—if not act physically—to protect those who are attacked by vulture-like cheaters.

It is the duty of every follower of Śrīla Prabhupāda to oppose hypocrisy, deceit, and the double standards of preaching opportunists.