by Chaitanya Charan Dasa The question is: how can we see the current Ritvik conflict…
Month: June 2025
Interviewer: How does educating the devotees about Srila Prabhupada’s role as Founder-Acharya strengthen their commitment…
by Candramauli Swami
Interviewer: What does it mean to say that the Founder-Acharya is above or more important than everyone else?
Prabhupada’s teachings determine the path to follow and are compulsory for his followers. Being his follower means aligning strictly with his teachings. Sometimes we claim to follow him, but we struggle to explain his teachings—hence, reading his books is crucial. Everyone in the movement is considered a follower, and future teachings or writings must align with Prabhupada’s. This is called chastity to the Founder-Acharya. In our tradition, senior devotees may write books, but the core principles must remain unchanged, even if adapted for time, place and circumstance—like using different language to communicate the same truths.
by Caitanya Candrodaya das
Just as it is true to any lasting relationship the actualisation of a relationship with the Bhagavata—embodied in the living tradition of the guru, scripture (sastra), and the devotional community (sanga)—requires fidelity over mere formality. In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), this relationship was once vividly personal through the presence of its Founder-Acarya, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Schismatic deviations were rare and easily rectified, in person, by Founder-Acarya himself. However, after his departure in 1977, ISKCON faced multiple schismatic episodes that tested the community’s ability to sustain authentic fidelity to Prabhupada in the absence of his physical proximity, in other terms in post-samadhi paradigm. These crises revealed deeper structural and theological tensions and illustrated how schisms in the body of his movement, and outside of it, emphasised the greatness of Srila Prabhupada’s prophetic significance, effectively strengtening his position as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.
Celebrating 60 Years of Spiritual Legacy September 12–14, 2025 | ISKCON Boston In 1965, a…
by Mukunda Goswami
An important insight is that empowerment isn’t limited to renunciates. When a brahmana named Kurma wanted to leave his family life, Lord Chaitanya advised him to stay home and chant the holy name. This teaching affirms that householders, often underestimated, are fully capable of spreading Krishna consciousness.
by Kalachandji das
In July of ’76, the Rādhā-Dāmodara Party converged on Washington, D.C., for the 200th anniversary of American independence. Śrīla Prabhupāda was there, and though Aindra had been His Divine Grace’s initiated disciple for three years, he had never seen his guru mahārāja in person.
Interviewer: Devotees want to work and live in a devotee community and have financial stability. And these two things seem not very compatible. And that’s what causes the problem.
Urmila D.D.: That’s the problem because we haven’t trained devotees that you can go out into the world as a devotee and that your work can still be devotional service. We discouraged the devotees from doing that.
We’re okay if people who are already financially stable and successful in their careers become devotees and then stay in their careers and have influence in their careers somehow. We didn’t use to be—in the early days of ISKCON, we would tell them to drop everything and move into the asrama. I’d say, the last maybe 10–20 years, we’ve been fine to preach sthane sthitah. You can stay in your place and be a devotee.