Bangalore Splinter Group Wins Court Case
Bangalore, INDIA – In the latest development in the longstanding feud between the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and a breakaway group of devotees who took over the prominent ISKCON temple here, a City Civil Court issued a ruling in favor of the splinter group on Friday, April 17. The decision seems to be a blow to ISKCON and its leadership in India, although sources close to ISKCON leadership in India indicate that the organization plans to appeal the decision.
Members of the Bangalore-based breakaway group left ISKCON in 1998, when they adopted the philosophy that ISKCON Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who passed away in 1977, would continue to be the sole initiating guru even after his physical departure. This doctrine, informally known as ritvikism because adherents claim that the individual conducting the initiation be regarded only as a ritual priest, or ritvik, is regarded as a heresy in traditional Vaishnava praxis. It is also strictly at odds with ISKCON’s position that Prabhupada instructed his disciples to themselves become gurus after his disappearance and thus continue the disciplic succession in the conventional manner.
In 1990, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) ruled that ritvikism was “a dangerous philosophical deviation” and prohibited its teaching and practices in ISKCON. In 1999, following Bangalore temple president Madhu Pandit Dasa’s high profile defection and his presentation of ritvikism to the GBC, that body examined his argument and found it “to be erroneous in its conclusion as well as specious and sophistical in its conduct.” As a result, the GBC strongly reaffirmed its repudiation of ritvikism as a dangerous deviation, and specified that “no one who espouses, teaches supports in any way, or practices ritvikism can be a member in good standing of ISKCON.”
The GBC rulings also singled out Madhu Pandit, along with a handful of other Indian leaders who had defected to the ritvik camp, noting that in “openly deviating from fundamental tenets of the Society's teaching” they were “deemed as unfit to be members of ISKCON India.”
In response to the sharp repudiation, Madhu Pandit acted quickly, filing multiple legal suits against ISKCON in a bold and explicit takeover attempt of the prestigious ISKCON Bangalore temple and related assets. Ownership of the temple has been in dispute since then, with Friday’s ruling being the culmination of nine years of the lawsuits slowly winding their way through India’s backlogged court system.
Interestingly, as ISKCON Newsweekly reported, in March Madhu Pandit had sent a letter to ISKCON’s leadership proposing that the two camps settle their disagreements – ostensibly including the multiple lawsuits he filed against ISKCON in India – by adopting a compromise situation within which their divergent views can be accommodated. It is unclear, however, how Friday’s ruling will bear on the state of that truce proposal.
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Reader Comments:
Hare Krishna!! Stop
Hare Krishna!!
Stop fighting, stop following the Kali yuga. Our goal is to spread spiritual knowledge and cultivate devotion in the masses.
This is why I have always been against massive temple building. The Tamils built great temples, but without mass spiritual education - now they are turning to atheism. Distribute books, spread kirtan and prasad. That's why devotees come to ISKCON.
All of this does not
All of this does not surprise me at all.This same thing happened after the death of Jesus,Buddha and Elijah Muhammed.Every one wants to be king and no one wants to be subjects.Its sad because Iskcon is undergoing major growth at this time.The movement is finally beginning to gain respect.And we dont need fighting among ourselves.Hare KRISHNA.
bangalore iskcon
It is regretful that websites like iskcon-bda, which is an arm of ISKCON Jagannath temple, Bangalore are propagating hatred unexpected from Devotees and the community inspite of trying to promote respectful debates about differences in ideologies (through ICJ), is not doing anything about it.
I really wish that the senior leadership does something about it. I am a Scientist by profession and also maintain a healthy social responsibility. I sometimes feel embarassed to be associated with ISKCON, where inspite of a consensus on not maintaining Gurus photos on Altars, the system hasn't changed. I am afraid ISKCON is on its path into medieval European thinking of Authority.
Prabhupada's disciples becoming Guru's.
Dandavats to the assembled devotees. All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga!
Within our line, it is customary for a guru's disciples to attain a level of bhakti to be able to accept disciples. (That is every guru's hope).
However if one is not qualified and accepts disciples then the weight of their sins carries him to Hell and them with him. This is why it is so important to know who is qualified before accepting them.
Remeber, Lord Chaitanya only left eight verses and one of them was emphatic about the not wanting followers for a good reason.
It is also not customary to accept disciples in the presence of a superior Vaishnava. This is offensive.
One has to have attained Bhava before he is qualified to become guru or it is a disturbance to the order. Non-envy can only exist when one has realization of their eternal female form as described in the Samsara prayers and are assisting in the conjugal pastimes of the Divine Couple.
One can take the title 'Swami', but it is better that become 'Swami' before accepting a title.
Your humble servant,
Kulasekhara das.
instructed to become guru?
Re: "It is also strictly at odds with ISKCON’s position that Prabhupada instructed his disciples to themselves become gurus after his disappearance and thus continue the disciplic succession in the conventional manner."
When did Srila Prabhupada give the order for his disciples to become diksa gurus? Would that order apply some or all of his disciples? Is a broad order to become guru in the context of preaching (which suggests introducing or instructing gurus) considered also to mean diksa guru?
Is there an official position paper supporting ISKCON's view? I heard there was one, but that it was withdrawn. If there is a current position paper, I would love to read it. Thank you. Hare Krishna.
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