Challenging the Zonal Acarya System, Part 16

BY: SUN EDITORS - 30.5 2023

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SREYAS OR PREYAS

When Srila Prabhupada departed from this mortal world, his last days contained emotional requests to his disciples.

"There is nothing new to be said. Whatever I had to say, I have already said in my books. I have already given the ideas in my books, so you should all read them. Do good to others; to not exploit them. This is our mission: whatever we have teach others. If I depart, there is no cause for lamentation. I will always be with you through my books and my orders. I will always remain with you in that way."

Srila Prabhupada emphasized two things primarily when he left: 1) NO MOTIVATION, and 2) PLEASE COOPERATE. Unity is currently being stressed very strongly through ISKCON. It was the main theme of last year's spring festival. But there can be no real unity unless the first order, namely "No motivation" is actually established. We have presented this paper, and it clearly shows that the primary order which Srila Prabhupada left us currently may not be so firmly established. We will certainly be criticized as threats to the unity of ISKCON for this presentation. To avert this reactionary backlash would require a minor miracle, considering how volatile all of the issues are. Yet we have no such intention. It is actually those devotees who are maintaining or cooperating with any form of material motivation, even if it is in the guise of battlecry for unity, who are the real threats to ISKCON's long-term unity. [-->]

What do we want, sreyas or preyas? Ultimate benefits or immediate fruit? By our policies of establishing the new guru process, and patterning all the devotees views in the ways previously described, will we be creating strong individuals well-versed in sastric realization or weak (or fanatic) yes-men? When a spiritual institution gets weak, it falls victim to kancana and kamani. Personal motivation produces, as it's fruit, attachment to the two demons: women and wealth.

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"One who does not follow the regulative principles as they are laid down in the scriptures and who acts according to his whims is called demoniac. There is no other criterion but obedience to the regulative principles of scripture. Accepting our hymns and chant accordingly. The result is that they become more and more attracted to two things – sex enjoyment and accumulation of material wealth. Thinking themselves all-in-all, not caring for scripture, the demoniac sometimes perform so-called religious rites. They think that whatever path one can create is one's own path; there is no such thing as a standard path one has to follow. These things are always due to ignorance and illusion. He knows that this should be done, but still he does not do it; he knows that this is forbidden, still he acts. Such persons are destined to be condemned by the Supreme Lord."

Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 16.

Our outlook should be toward the next 10,000 years with what we establish now. We should see to it that everything is established in a very authorized way according to guru, sastra, and sadhu. If we find that money and women are entering into the forefront of consideration, we must know for certain that we have deviated from the proper line. Those who wish to cling to such unwanted attachments should be ostracized when we find this to be the case. Sridhar Swami has told us that religion means adjustment. We must be willing to adjust if preyas is seen to be directing our considerations instead of sreyas.