Message from Adridharana Dasa, Temple President ISKCON Calcutta:

 Welcome to the 16th issue of our newsletter. As usual we bring you more news of how the IRM is going from strength to strength. Every couple of weeks as soon as a newsletter does not appear we are inundated with messages asking when the next one will be coming. It has clearly become the medium by which the world-wide community of vaisnavas are following the progress of the re-taking of ISKCON by Srila Prabhupada.
Please read on ...

1. ISKCON Calcutta Triumphs Following Arson Attack.
2. IRM Newsletter Forces GBC Climbdowns.
3. The 'Art of Fighting Without Fighting'.

Last year, as was widely reported over the internet, ISKCON Calcutta's large prestigious pandal (function hall), that is used for social and religious functions by many of our 13,000 life members, was burned down in an arson attack. It happened on the day of last year's Ratha Yatra, the largest in the world where some 1.5 million attend. Consequently, it was well known that on that day our hall would be unattended. Immediately the GBC led by Hari Sauri gloated that this burning was wonderful news, and that it was a message from Lord Jagannatha. He wrote on the 29th September:

"We therefore undertook to approach various authorities in Calcutta to have the pandal permanently finished." [...] We feel that the course we have undertaken is correct and pleasing to Srila Prabhupada.
[...] I was originally quoted here on Chakra, in reference to the pandal burning down, that I think Lord Jagannath is trying to tell him (Adridharan) something but whether he will hear it or not remains to be seen. From his recent text it appears that the Lord's message is falling on deaf ears."
(Hari Sauri,29/9/99)

We are pleased to report that far from being 'permanently finished', the pandal was re-built in record time, to a better specification and standard than existed previously and has been fully booked since January of this year. Since the temple relies on the donations that are received for the use of the pandal, naturally Hari Sauri and co. were happy that the pandal was burnt down, thinking that our supply of funds was cut off. 

The reality was that the burning, though unfortunate, could not have happened at a better time, since it occurred during the 'off-season' monsoon period, when it is not even used, and thus we did not lose a cent. Plus by getting it re-built it has allowed us to increase the facilities, and thus the bookings are much higher than existed with the previous pandal and the collections have doubled. However, and this is the real 'killer punch', due to the demand for the use of the pandal being so high we have now built ANOTHER pandal. This has been built to the highest specification, even by western standards. Some features are:

Area of 3700 sq. foot with full air conditioning.

Full marble floor, including in the kitchen, imported from Italy.

22 carat gold frame chandeliers with crystals imported from Europe.

First class sound system, and sofas custom made from Italian designs.

Plaster of Paris false roof with studio lighting.

1600 sq. foot roof garden.

Elevators imported from Finland 

Comfortably accommodate 400 people.

This second hall has also been taking brisk bookings. Therefore contrary to Hari Sauri's statement that their action to 'permanently finish' the pandal 'is correct and pleasing to Srila Prabhupada', we have seen that not only has Srila Prabhupada inspired us to rebuild an even better pandal in record time, but that he has also blessed us with a SECOND pandal, due to demand having more than doubled following the arson attack. Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Climbdown 1 
In our IRM Newsletter No. 11, called 'GBC Funded Video Says Ritvik Spiritual' we exposed the contradictions and falsities inherent in the latest video - 'Disciple of My Disciple' - produced by the GBC to try and defeat Srila Prabhupada's position as Diksa Guru for ISKCON. We particularly exposed how at the same time as trying to portray the ritvik position as deviant, in an attempt to appear reconciliatory and reasonable, the narrator and producer of the video - ITV's Nrsinghananda Das - concludes the video by stating that the Ritvik position was still 'spiritual'. This newsletter immediately stung the GBC into action. The video, which had cost $10,000, paid to Nrsinghananda by Giriraja Swami, Tamal Krishna Goswami's right hand, had until our newsletter came out, been shown in ISKCON temples in full, without any editing. Following our newsletter, which exposed this ludicrous contradiction, Tamal Krishna Swami ordered that in his zone in Hong Kong, the video should only be shown with the conclusion edited out, and in this way save their obvious embarrassment. Naturally this has not pleased Nrsnghananda, who worked hard to put out a well-rounded video. 

This is just another example of how the GBC is on their last legs, only able to control their dwindling number of inmates through a policy of strict censorship. It is interesting to note that in Vrindavan where devotees had also seen the video, they were shocked when they read our rebuttal, and saw how easily the video's claims were smashed. 
History teaches us that any regime can only survive through deception and censorship for so long. Sooner or later more and more temple devotees are going to be exposed to the truth. If the GBC actually had any faith in their papers and videos, they would allow devotees to read both sides and make their own minds up. Of course this they will never do in a million years, otherwise their hoax will quickly be exposed. We are finding that as soon as we meet Temple devotees who pass through Calcutta on their way to Mayapur, and they actually sit down and read our papers they are shocked to see how absurd the GBC's philosophical stance actually is. 

Most of them had never been allowed to hear the other side of the argument before. That is why temple devotees have been warned that under no circumstances should they visit ISKCON Calcutta on their way to Mayapur.

Recently 15 devotees visited from Czechoslovakia, and one of them approached me to ask about the position on the Guru. As soon as the other devotees saw that he was talking to me on this subject, he was pulled away by them - they literally ran out of the temple. Luckily about 10 minutes later the devotee concerned managed to sneak back in and take a copy of the 'Final Order'. Suppression of freedom of speech, censorship and keeping devotees in the dark can only work for so long. Please remember the maxim:

'You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time !' 

Climbdown 2 
In our IRM Newsletter No.14, we reported how the Mayapur authorities had raided the funds from Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi. This had led to the resignation of long-serving Srila Prabhupada disciple, Uttama-Sloka Das, who had managed the Samadhi so successfully over the years that it had been able to build up such a healthy surplus that could be raided in the first place. Now they have put the Gaudiya Matha in charge of Srila Prabhupada's samadhi. That's correct. Sad Bhuj das, a disciple of his HH Puri Maharaja is now in charge of the samadhi. However one good bit of news is that stung by our exposing their daylight robbery, the Mayapur authorities have not yet spent the money they took. The public outcry following our exposure has made them think carefully before taking the next step.

Thus we can see the power of the IRM newsletter that is sent out to 3000 people worldwide. Independent research has revealed that each newsletter is read by an average of 5 people, and our list grows daily. We have major academics, life-members and influential donors to ISKCON all now receiving this newsletter. And we know that the GBC study it very carefully.

It is commonly assumed that the IRM and GBC have different philosophies on the position of the Guru. This is not actually the case! Because before 2 sides can debate an issue each side has to have a clear position which supports their conclusion. The GBC are clear that they wish to be Diksa Gurus. But beyond that they have no philosophy or explanation to support that view. Before one can have a debate, each side has to have a coherent position that they are debating, otherwise the debate cannot even BEGIN - never mind the issue of who has won the debate. The reason that the GBC have no position which they can debate is because they have put out simultaneously 4 different position papers:

In 1985 they endorsed Ravindra Svarupa's 'Under My Order' paper which set up the current Multiple Guru system in ISKCON In 1995 they put out 'On My Order'. In 1997 they put out 'Disciple of My Disciple'.  In 1999 they put out 'Prabhupada's Order'.  The problem is that all these papers are trumpeted as official GBC papers and EACH CONTRADICTS THE OTHER on the key questions of WHEN, HOW AND WHO was authorised to become Diksa Guru by Srila Prabhupada:

Therefore the issue of the GBC 'winning' the debate with the IRM over the Guru issue does not even arise - for they do not even have a set position that they can debate. Please note that the IRM position on the Guru issue is crystal clear and is detailed in 'The Final Order' and 'The No Change in ISKCON Paradigm'. (These are both available from our website: www.come.to/irm )

Before they even attempt to try and point out some flaw in the IRM position they need to first state what is the position THEY are defending or propounding. This they will not be able to do. Therefore the next time any IRM representative wishes to debate a GBC supporter on the Guru issue, please use the following rules:

1. Get him or her to confirm that they are presenting the philosophy held by the GBC.
2. If they will not do this then that means that the view they are espousing must DIFFER from GBC. At which point you need to simply point out to them that therefore they are just as 'bogus' as we are since they also deviate from the official GBC position.

GAME OVER.

If they agree that they are representing the GBC's view, then please ask them WHICH GBC view they are representing - and refer them to the 4 official GBC papers mentioned earlier, which are all currently in circulation and official - and point out that they all differ on the very point under debate, WHEN, HOW and WHO was authorised to be a Diksa Guru by Srila Prabhupada.

(The argument that all the papers agree that they should be gurus and that ritvik is bogus is not an argument. Its like saying that the mayavadis, buddhists and evolutionists all agree that Krishna is not God. However that does not mean they are the same! They need to agree on the KEY point - which is the explanation and evidence for the Diksa Gurus coming into being). 

At this point they will either be unable to answer, or if they are really foolish they will pick one of the 4 official GBC papers. In which case you can just say that they are deviant because they do not agree with 3 other GBC official papers.

GAME OVER 

In future newsletters we will be running a regular series highlighting the wacky and weird world of the GBC and the contradictory philosophies they propound from time to time. Please stay tuned.

Therefore please remember:

THE GBC CAN NEVER WIN ANY DEBATE ON THE 'GURU ISSUE' BECAUSE THEY DO NOT EVEN HAVE A POSITION TO DEBATE. IF THEY EVER WERE TO PUT FORWARD A POSITION THEY COULD BE DEFEATED SIMPLY BY QUOTING A CURRENT AND OFFICIAL GBC PAPER BACK TO THEM.

We will be repeating this 'mantra' from now on at the end of each of our newsletters, so that the message that the GBC position is totally redundant will begin to sink in throughout the whole of ISKCON, and we will all regain our sanity and go back to the way things were when Srila Prabhupada was physically present - NO CHANGE.

Srila Prabhupada - Accept No Substitutes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please keep your letters, and e-mail addresses of other devotees who should be added to our list, flowing in. A hard copy of our main position paper 'The Final Order' is available on request. 
All other IRM papers can be accessed through the EDITORIAL SECTION of the IRM website at http://come.to/irm If you would like to receive any of the back issues of the Newsletter please let me know.