Re-Connecting with Srila Prabhupada?

When Did We Disconnect?

It is not customary on this website to relate to particular incidents of the past and present, containing specific names or places. Why?

Because it is far more interesting and future-defining to analyse the nature of evil and good, stupidity and wisdom, in principle, by their characteristics, rather than getting caught by momentary manifestations conditioned by time.

Nevertheless, this text, inspired by a very recent event in Mayapur Dham, will contain some detailed memories of the past, including the names of those who inspired my spiritual development and who also taught me, by their later actions, what not to do.

Recently, it was announced that on the 20th of February 2025, we will be reconnected in Mayapur Dham with Srila Prabhupada again. It might be just an unfortunate choice of words, and it is certain that any event glorifying His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the Founder of ISKCON and my glorious spiritual master, is praiseworthy. But the way this event was announced evoked a question in my mind: Since we have to connect with Srila Prabhupada on this date again, when did we get disconnected from him?

Mayapur, 1978

The eloquent, well-chosen speakers on this occasion surely have the best intentions, but some of them may not remember anymore or were not yet around when I arrived in India for the first time in 1978 in Sridham Mayapur.

In those days, for us Western devotees, India was not a place to roam around but a place of inspiration, where, as a reward for our preaching service, we were sent by our authorities to the one-month-long Mayapur-Vrindavan ISKCON festival. Two weeks in Mayapur Dham and two weeks in Vrndavana Dham was the quota. Well aware that some of his disciples had already been "stolen" by his never-preaching godbrothers, Srila Prabhupada not only established temples in India for their protection but also clearly defined the circumstances under which his disciples could visit this country. Two weeks of purification in Mayapur and the final ecstasy and intimacy of Vrndavana Dham was the exact schedule for everybody who did not decide to stay in India and serve in one of the ISKCON temples.

Otherwise, for all of us, it was one month filled with inspiration... so we could return to our Western battlefields of book distribution and preaching to fight for the mission of our glorious spiritual master.

When in India, our visits to the Holy Dhams were under strict supervision of our ISKCON authorities, and even the parikramas were viewed as preaching events. In 1978, the sight of a Western devotee was spectacular in India. Most embarrassingly, I had to tolerate local residents of the Holy Dham constantly bowing down in front of me, trying to touch my feet. Being a young brahmacari, well aware of my fallen status, I was deeply embarrassed by the piety of the local residents.

Arriving in Mayapur was like entering another planet. At that time, Mayapur consisted of three buildings being constructed in dug-up fields: the long residential building for brahmacharis and brahmacharini, called “the train”; the taller building next to it, serving as the temple room; and the building near the newly constructed gate and wall facing the street, where prasadam was served.

Nothing else was there—not even the luxurious park where the newly constructed temple stands today. Welcomed by plenty of mosquitoes carrying malaria, feasting on our juicy Western bodies, and living next to a lake made from sewage that spread out behind our brahmacari asrama, we gathered enthusiastically in the small temple room, where eleven small Vyasasanas were placed in a half-circle for the eleven zonal acharyas to receive their guru puja. EVERYBODY took part in the temple programmes; the kirtans were ecstatic, and the desperation of the recent loss of Srila Prabhupada’s direct presence could be felt everywhere.

The Eleven

Not known to many devotees today, it was this desperation that contributed to the intense worship of the eleven "chosen ones"—the new gurus. Some of them were truly scared. It is not at all as the lovers of conspiracy theories claim that there was a plan "how to take over" Srila Prabhupada’s movement. Rather, some of the new gurus were desperate, only recently having become sannyasis—young men, as we all were, emerging from the streets of Kali Yuga cities just yesterday.

Finding their names on the list of the new gurus—a list that was supposed to serve as the beginning of a continued guru-parampara and upcoming generations of diksa-giving spiritual masters—it was not intended to be a creation of the "club of the eleven ones", as it was later defined (the "zonal owners" misunderstanding, with catastrophic consequences).

It was publicly preached and believed that Srila Prabhupada had divided himself into eleven, and so the worship of these new gurus copied the same pattern as the worship Divine Grace used to receive.

Some of them, known to me, had already issued early warnings: "Better we start on a more low-profile basis, with small seats and lots of preaching, and then we will see how we are doing." They were rolled over and voted down by American megalomania-infected gurus who insisted that "The standards of guru worship cannot be lowered in ISKCON, as this would lead to a general loss of faith."

How wrong these U.S.-produced dogmatic ideas were soon to be proven, but in 1978, nobody wanted to hear such warnings. And so, the eleven gurus gathered in the morning in the temple, chanting their rounds with us. After offering guru puja in a united fashion to Srila Prabhupada’s murti, they sat down on their eleven Vyasasanas, worshipped by their first early disciples (or second-initiation-receiving godbrothers!), receiving their guru puja.

One of them then gave a lecture, followed by comments or questions from the others. Despite the desperation of not having Srila Prabhupada’s direct association, the atmosphere was hopeful and filled with preaching enthusiasm.

From Street to Spotlight

As a matter of fact, the whole Mayapur festival was one big sankirtan gathering, as most of the devotees present spent their time in the West, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. EVERY devotee was a preacher, being part of Srila Prabhupada’s preaching movement. Being, by that time, often at the top of the international book distribution results list, I met my "competitors" from the U.S. and other countries.

I vividly remember Tripurari Das Brahmacari standing on the balcony of the long building, looking down as he saw me passing by. With his hypnotising, stern gaze, he looked at me and simply stated, "Next year, I will defeat you."

I was most inspired to be challenged in this way by the "incarnation of book distribution", as Srila Prabhupada used to call this amazing sankirtan devotee.

Little did I know that soon after, he would move over to Gaudiya Math to obtain what he couldn't get in ISKCON: name, fame, and glory—boasting a spiritual title longer than his guru’s, becoming the celebrated "unique pure devotee of the Lord". Finally giving up the service of book distribution altogether, he turned into another personal cult idol, writing his own commentaries—never to be seen on the street again with Srila Prabhupada’s books in his hands.

Our ways parted, and they remained separate until the end of our lives.

We all received a specific mission from our guru. To change that is a deadly mistake.

And so, I walked through the rubble of the newly constructed Mayapur Dham in ecstasy, seeing the eleven acharyas dancing together in kirtan every day, believing that if such unity was maintained, this movement could never be stopped or diminished.

Prabhupada’s Vision

Later, meeting godbrothers who were present when Srila Prabhupada drew up the plan for Mayapur City was amazing. Mayapur City was originally designed by Srila Prabhupada himself as the first truly varnasrama-dharma-organised city in the world. It was meant to have residential quarters for the individual varnas, maintained in a mood of complete self-sufficiency.

As the vaisyas harvested the rice in the fields and tended to the cows, the kshatriyas organised and protected social life within this unique city—assisted by sudras—who finally gathered to receive spiritual teachings from brahmanas living in their simple bamboo-constructed cottages.

Srila Prabhupada wanted to demonstrate an ideal society in an ideal place—the birthplace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu—centred around a planetarium-containing temple celebrating Their Lordships Gaura-Nitai. A city living independently from the political and economic conditions of the rest of the world.

Such were his ideals.

Always Connected

Well, things certainly turned out differently than expected, as we see today in Mayapur Dham. But for those faithful to Srila Prabhupada’s ideals, the world never changed. They are indeed ALWAYS connected with Srila Prabhupada and see no need to be "re-connected" again.

As Srila Prabhupada is with them forever, they are serving him forever—lifetime after lifetime—wherever he may be, continuing his amazing mission, saving conditioned souls of this universe and perhaps other universes as well.

Where he is, there is the Holy Dham. Where his words are neglected or compromised, Maya-pura Dham is established—a place built on the principle "In money we trust."

The choice of whom to follow and where to go is ours.

For those who are truly devoted, a physical change of locality is irrelevant. They are united with Srila Prabhupada in their hearts, wherever they may be.