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EDITORIAL February 5, 2000 VNN5413 Comment on this story "Microcosmic" Alachua BY TARA DEVI DASI EDITORIAL, Feb 5 (VNN) — Dear Devotees, all glories to Srila Prabhupada! Sometime back I read something by Pranada Prabhu saying something like Alachua is a microcosm of ISKCON at large. Well, Krsna forbid! Why? Because we have plenty of problems here. Did you know that... One of our godsisters here recently became a lawyer and helps other Vaisnavis to divorce their husbands. She comes to guru-puja in her courtroom attire and afterwards discusses with her "clients." We all know how Srila Prabhupada became so disgusted at this divorce nonsense that he finally had to stop performing marriages. But we're taking it a step further here in Alachua. True to its reputation as the "divorce capital of ISKCON," we now have our own divorce lawyer in residence! Cool. Should all temples follow "suit" and also establish divorce courts with devotee lawyers?
Intoxication, illicit sex, and useless frolic is the scene at gurukuli alumni get-togethers--organized by Children of Krsna directors (I'll spare the names, but one made sure to bring back plenty of tequilla from his trip to Mexico to share at the least reunion. Tropical cooler!) They found a better way (have Krsna and sense gratification both!). Should all temple communities have youth programs like these? Preaching is the Essense Srila Prabhupada said that "temple means preaching." But what preaching? The temple collects hundreds of thousands of dollars for building buildings but if the Sunday feast isn't sponsored by an outside donor, then its kichari and breadsticks. There isn't even one temple vehicle for cordially transporting to occasional harinamas, but every temple resident owns his/her own car! There isn't one full-time or even part-time steady temple resident book distributor. There isn't even one decent set of Bhagavatams or CC in the temple! There's no temple-sponsored prasad distribution program. Lunch and breakfast prasadam cost dearly--$2.50 and $4. Srila Prabhupada also said "better an empty cowshed than a barn full of sick cows" (referring to temple residents, right?). Here, half of the temple residents wouldn't be caught dead or alive in the temple during the morning program. Others perform a few hours service and have the rest of the day free--to drive their private car off the temple property for whatever (movies, restaurants, sports, all the things that Prabhhupada said devotees DON'T do!) But did you know that Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter saying that temple residents should NOT own their own vehicles? (Someone can look that up in Folio). Or they work full-time because they get paid for their "devotional service." It reminds me of how Srila Prabhupada criticized Indira Ghandi and company of trying to create a "gorgeous arrangement for the benefit of a few." How does one qualify to reside on the Deities' land (maintained by the outside donors)? Those fortunate souls should be showing a life of austere living and devotion. Instead, they live a country club life--as one prabhu was saying--at the expense of the hard work of the outside householders.) I hope Pranada Prabhu wasn't thinking about these things when she made her comments! Back to the outside community. It's become a full-blown fad for godsisters to chop their hair into the "Dutch boy" and flaunt it fashionably at the temple. What got into them? (Are their husbands henpecked?) We all know the standard of BRAIDED and COVERED hair when Srila Prabhupada was present. Are we now "liberated" avadhutinis beyond the bodily concept of life who no longer need to keep proper standards of chaste feminine appearance? Should all of ISKCON follow this queer example? Heaven forbid. And some men, young and also middle-aged, apparently think it's cute to wear earrings, Brad Pitt hairstyles, and dhotis wrapped like sannyasis (dream on, guys!) Is that the standard set by Srila Prabhupada? Even though we know it wasn't, should ISKCON follow Alachua's example? Speaking of the men. I heard that one of my Indian godsisters says "The men of Alachua should wear saris." I know what she means. They sit in the passenger seat like proud peacocks while their wives drive further and further down the wrong road. Rather than protest, the men seem to enjoy watching the women (especially Laksmimonie's school of teen-age girls) lead and bounce around during kirtan, or sit up with their loose hair to give class, etc. (My husband hates it, but he's seen as a fanatic by the mood-setting Alachua clique, so I'm finally spouting off some of my own frustrations as a too long resident of this place.) And do you now about the annual Thanksgiving gathering? A potluck feast that MUST include: mock turkey, mock stuffing, mock gravy. Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wanted "to destroy Western civilization." But we'll forget that and instead make Thanksgiving a bona fide part of our "devotee" culture. And, of course, in the same all-American spirit the annual Thanksgiving gathering MUST include CO-ED football and other sports. Which reminds me again of the Sunday feast. Same stuff happens each Sunday. The unmarried youth socializing (and more), kids running around wild, all in the name of "Krsna consciousness." Some humble prabhu inside the temple tries to speak some philosophy to a MUCH smaller group (the rest are outside socializing) while rowdy kids run around the temple. I suppose the parents feel very satisfied to see their kids having fun at the temple! And the management. Srila Prabhhupada said that the temples should be managed by a temple president, treasurer, and secretary--right? At least the IRM knows that much! Especially the president and treasurer should be DIFFERENT persons. Here they cleverly found a better way by making a vice president instead (the unofficial treasurer), which means that the temple president is the ACTUAL treasurer. (You can't fool everyone, prabhus.) And the VP was formerly the temple commander. But there was no one to command, so they renamed him vice president. I mean, if you don't need a TC, then why would you need a VP? After 20+ years in the movement, he's not even initiated. (Bless his heart, he's a rare gurukuli not in big-time maya, but...) Is being initiated by a bona fide spiritual master not a requirement for managing an ISKCON center? I mean, heck, what are we trying to manage, anyway? Churchianity? Krsnianity? Anyway, there's no treasurer. Instead there's a president and VP combo spending the laxmi as they like. And the board of directors. It's elected. But the election was a farce, because so many devotees of the community never got a ballot. (The ballots are mailed out.) Even Laksmimonie Prabhu, who was ON THE BOARD didn't even receive a ballot?!! And COINCIDENTALLY, both the tp and the vp were elected to the board! So don't think that Alachua is a community "of the devotees, by the devotees, and for the devotees." Or that it's a microcosmic example to be replicated (unless you want democracy with ALL its faults). But if you do, then welcome to another third-world kind of democracy (Maybe that's why Hridayananda Maharaja calls this place the People's Independent Republic of Alachua!?) Well, I guess that's enough for now. But there's lots more I could tell you about. If I ever get in one of these rare moods again, maybe I'll write a Part Two. ? Please accept my obeisances. your humble servant, Tara devi dasi Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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