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In Reply to: Re: Ever read the book, "Monkey on a Stick!"? posted by goth88 on October 29, 2002 at 12:59:42:
The lion god painting you saw is actually Krishna (in the past Krishna took on many, many forms including the form of a pig). That form of Krishna is called Nar-sing-har-dev. He was destroying a demon king who was persecuting one of His devotees. However, in Krishna thinking, even though the demon king was evil, he experienced instant salvation (he went 'back to godhead amd didn't have to come back again, but can remain in Krishna-Loka, or heaven, forever) because he had the priviledge of being touched and killed directly by the Lord.
No, there is no 'god in the flesh'present on earth right now in ISKCON thinking. The last incarnation of Krishna was 500 years ago in India, in his golden incarnation called Lord Chaytanya. At that time he incarnated as his own devotee, and instituted the congregational chanting of the holy named (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, etc. etc.) Apparantly, the man whom they were grovelling to in the temple you visited is either a guru or simply the temple priest. They don't consider it 'worship' to grovel, but it's a gesture of respect, and individual devotees will even do that to one another. However, by showing love and devotion to a devotee of Krishna is practically the same as doing it to Krishna himself (kind of like when Jesus said 'Whosoever gives one of these a drink of water or whatever does it to me). So, by showing obeisance to the guru or the priest, or a layman in the temple, you are doing it to Krishna.
That's also how they've justified the cheating and scamming and even outright murder---- if some one gives you something (if you are a devotee) it's the same as them giving it to God.
After the death of Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON) the movement was split up into different sections, and a guru was initiated for each geological area. This was when the real problems started, because the gurus (who were simply younger men from the West, and whose egos blossomed when they were turned into genuine gurus) started to war with each other, many claiming to be the only true spiritual head of ISKCON. That's how all the madness started in that book MONKEY ON A STICK. Swami Bhakti-pad claimed to be the true succesor of Swami Prabhupad, and the devotees under his jurisdiction had to do whatever he said, because in ISKCON you DO WHAT YOUR GURU SAYS-- PERIOD. If he tells you to rob a bank, you rob a bank---- after all, he's the guru, and he knows what is best.
Anyway, I'm rambling now.
It's been so long since I've thought about this stuff, it's just coming back to me now. I'm surprised I remember this stuff to tell you the truth.
