[Text 1653194 from COM]

Camp: ISKCON Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, Radhastami Festival, Mayapur Dham, India.

My Dear Spiritual Nieces & Nephews,

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thankyou for your letter cited below with my comments. I have noted the contents carefully.

I must say that as he describes it, it kind of makes sense to me. And it seemed that JPS also agreed with this, when they discussed. Or am I off? I am really interested in hearing opinions on this.

Srila Prabhupada and sastra are very clear that sex life for having Krishna conscious children is a devotional service and therefore isn't sinful. If one is following such a level of sex life and devotional service, but suddenly dies while still in the household asram they will still go back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada said householders who follow this are called as Grihastha Brahmacari's. It is the standard of Krishna consciousness in all sastras. I don't have any different idea on this.

What I discussed with HKM was that if a devotee failed to follow this the way that Srila Prabhupada preached to them was basicly to do the best they can. I overheard some instructions, but since I was a sannyasi I didn't pay so much attention so i don't feel confident to say what Srila Prabhupada actually said. But it wasn't really sanctioning that one didn't have to follow, it was giving devotees some guidelines in case they couldn't how to gradually come back to the standard. The context in my discussion with HKM was that certainly Srila Prabhupada would never have imagined or wanted a devotee to commit suicide for not following. HKM agreed that the devotee must have been a little crazy to apply it like that, but he felt strong about the issue. I didn't agree that changing the principle was the solution. Rather advising people who can't follow what they should do in that case so that they know what to do to get back on the track.

Every devotee vows to chant 16 rounds, but if one misses one day it isn't that they should commit suicide nor that we should reduce the number of rounds to chant per day. However if one can't chant 16 then Srila Prabhupada would advise to chant some number as a daily minimum and gradually increase until one gets back to the desired number. That type of guideline is what I was suggesting.

If we break a principle then we are liable for the karma. Sex for pleasure has some karma factor. If it is within marriage then it is less karma than if it is out of wedlock. Like that there are some levels of karmic responsibility. Since sastra says sex for pleasure brings karma if a Guru says to change the principle then he is allowing disciples to do vikarmas. Both the Guru and disciple will have to accept the karma. In Bengal people can hardly follow vegetarian diet. They are very attached to eating fish. They consider fish a kind of swimming "water fruit" and say it is okay to eat. So many so-called vaisnava "gurus" tell their followers it is okay to eat fish since that way they can have more followers. In this way we can adjust the 4 principles in so many variations, but each variation will attract vikarmic reactions. What Srila Prabhupada gave may be difficult, but it is karma free. If someone goes off the karma free route then karma is the result. A guru can't change the Law of Karma to suit the relative weakness or strength of the local people. The infallible Law of Karma is the same for everyone.

My point was a grihastha may accept a certain risk factor if they can't follow and they should know how to take the least dangerous alternative. The totally risk free alternative is actually following the principle of garbodhana samskara. However, even in the Samskara Dipika by Gopal Bhatta Goswami, one of the 6 Goswamis, there is a ceremony in the simantanayana rite for doing a yajna to make up for a conception which failed to have been achieved with a garbodhana samskara. So even 500 years ago the possibility of sex outside of garbodhana samskara was acknowledged and some remedial yajna was prescribed. Certainly suicide wasn't the solution. So householders should try there best to follow strictly, and know what the consequences and remedies are in case they fail.

This is what I meant in our discussion. Of course, each Guru may give some personal instructions to his disciples, but no guru can change the law of karma and its reactions.

I don't agree with this wanting to change the regulative principles as given in sastra and by Srila Prabhupada. In SB #1 the 4 pillars of Kali are given and one of them is illicit sex. The sanskrit word is "avaidya maithuna" which is non-vedic or illicit sex. How can we give in to Kali on one of the main pillars? At the same time we should not make householders feel so guilty if they don't follow 100% that they become psychotic or depressed. It may take some householders some time to follow perfectly. That is a risk they take, but they need to know what is the standard they should work to achieve. That is how I understand it.

I am concerned that Srila Prabhupada's instructions are being made light of and that can be very offensive. I wonder on what authority HKM feels he can just make any adjustment he wants without referring to sastra. This instruction and the garbodhana samskara are mentioned in sastra and not only Srila Prabhupada's instructions. Disciples should be careful to remain securely under Srila Prabhupada's shelter. The obvious invitation for devotees to leave ISKCON and statements that ISKCON was a "SECT" are very painful for all of us ISKCON devotees to hear. HKM has gone over the limit of acceptable action in making such statements and encouraging his followers to leave ISKCON. I had a lot of hope that things would work out soon with Harikesa Maharaj, but now my hopes have gone done a lot. My heart is shattered. I don't know whether to feel cheated or what. I am very unhappy about the whole thing. I want very much for Harikesa Maharaja to be with us all in ISKCON serving Srila Prabhupada, but it seems he has another idea. There is really no excuse and he could easily be an ISKCON member grihastha and have a health clinic as a business or service for devotees. His desire to be out of ISKCON is something almost unfathomable to me. I still hope that one day HKM might change his mind, but as things are happening it seems like a longer period of time may be needed for him to return---if at all. I was giving Harikesa Maharaja's disciples some hope because I was feeling hopeful. I haven't given up as yet, but I am finding the new turn of events very difficult to tolerate.

I am still praying that all the obstacles in the way of Harikesa Maharaja's return to ISKCON and the shelter of Srila Prabhupada may be removed and we can be united again. I am also praying for all of you. Please stay with us in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON family. If we all stay here and don't leave

and if we tell Harikesa Maharaja that we are not unhappy. That ISKCON isn't a cult or sect, but a happy religious family that wants him to return---then maybe he would consider in due time. I don't see any reason to leave ISKCON and I am sad he is encouraging his followers to do so if they like to. Well I am encouraging all of you to stay. If I can do anything to serve you please tell me. My heart is very heavy today.

I hope that this finds you in good health.

Your ever well wisher and spiritual uncle,

Jayapataka Swami

All glories to His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!