lifeforce Posted January 2, 2012 Hi everyone. Lately I've been reading a little about Srila Prabhupada, mainly from being linked to his works from other websites. It seems as if he was the real deal, coming to the west with nothing but the clothes on his back and a few books. The Krishna Consciousness movement that he started seems to be a revival of a system which has it's roots hundreds of years ago in India. I know it has been looked on as a cult or brainwashing by many people, but I don't think that was the intention of the founder. I've also heard that there is a conspiracy theory that he was poisoned (and subsequently killed) by his own senior followers, and that the organization was infiltrated by undercover government agents. Apparently all of his written works were changed and re-hashed by these undercover agents/devotees, and that his pre 1972 books are the original translations of Vedic scriptures. It's a fascinating story, and one that I've only scratched the surface of. I would like to ask the folks here if anyone has any experience of his works/teachings and if they are a legitimate source of Vedic translations. I'm especially interested in his Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, preferably his pre 1972 editions. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted January 2, 2012 Hi everyone. Lately I've been reading a little about Srila Prabhupada, mainly from being linked to his works from other websites. It seems as if he was the real deal, coming to the west with nothing but the clothes on his back and a few books. The Krishna Consciousness movement that he started seems to be a revival of a system which has it's roots hundreds of years ago in India. I know it has been looked on as a cult or brainwashing by many people, but I don't think that was the intention of the founder. I've also heard that there is a conspiracy theory that he was poisoned (and subsequently killed) by his own senior followers, and that the organization was infiltrated by undercover government agents. Apparently all of his written works were changed and re-hashed by these undercover agents/devotees, and that his pre 1972 books are the original translations of Vedic scriptures. It's a fascinating story, and one that I've only scratched the surface of. I would like to ask the folks here if anyone has any experience of his works/teachings and if they are a legitimate source of Vedic translations. I'm especially interested in his Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, preferably his pre 1972 editions. Thanks My 2 cents worth...most iskcon folks i have encountered are fervent exclusivists. Not surprising because srila used many christian ideas to establish his system. As fra as bhakti is concerned, its good. Beyond tht, imho it is no good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lifeforce Posted January 2, 2012 Thanks dwai. I thought I would ask some more knowledgeable folks. I'm only going off what I've read, probably from biased sources. What would be a good translation of the Bhagavad Gita, especially for a new reader with no prior knowledge of Vedic scriptures ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seth Ananda Posted January 3, 2012 My 2 cents worth...most iskcon folks i have encountered are fervent exclusivists. Not surprising because srila used many christian ideas to establish his system. As fra as bhakti is concerned, its good. Beyond tht, imho it is no good. what he said I believe Prabhupada was very sincere but Iskon is still a dangerous cult, and Prabhupada was possibly one of the most close minded people on the planet. I had the fortune/misfortune of living with Iskon people for a few years and the Bhakti part was great, but having to hear old tapes each morning of his Vile and Bigoted rantings became very painful... If you Know any Iskon people and wonder why conversations with them seem really one sided, it is because prabhupad actually told them not to even listen to the words of 'unbelievers' in case they pollute their ears... They pretend to listen, but sit there mumbling their mantra, waiting for their turn to tell you about Krishna... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted January 3, 2012 Thanks dwai. I thought I would ask some more knowledgeable folks. I'm only going off what I've read, probably from biased sources. What would be a good translation of the Bhagavad Gita, especially for a new reader with no prior knowledge of Vedic scriptures ? http://www.dlshq.org/download/bgita.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lifeforce Posted January 3, 2012 what he said I believe Prabhupada was very sincere but Iskon is still a dangerous cult, and Prabhupada was possibly one of the most close minded people on the planet. I had the fortune/misfortune of living with Iskon people for a few years and the Bhakti part was great, but having to hear old tapes each morning of his Vile and Bigoted rantings became very painful... If you Know any Iskon people and wonder why conversations with them seem really one sided, it is because prabhupad actually told them not to even listen to the words of 'unbelievers' in case they pollute their ears... They pretend to listen, but sit there mumbling their mantra, waiting for their turn to tell you about Krishna... Thanks for the info Seth. It all seems a bit sinister and extremely dogmatic. I'll stick to the more traditional teachings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lifeforce Posted January 3, 2012 http://www.dlshq.org/download/bgita.pdf Excellent dwai, thank you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Protector Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) Oh, I remember him now Edited January 3, 2012 by Sinfest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3bob Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) I read somewhere about their rejection of a lot of Vedic based teachings, but don't have the materail on hand right now... Maybe proclaiming they are the only true knowers of the Vedic teachings would be another way to put it. What twisted sickness! http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4499 Edited January 4, 2012 by 3bob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lifeforce Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) ... Edited September 11, 2012 by lifeforce Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boy Posted September 10, 2012 (edited) ... Edited October 11, 2012 by Boy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
