From Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
Hawaii
When Srila Prabhupada visited Hawaii, he had to deal with controversial persons who claimed to be his followers and yet who denounced the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada wanted to encourage everyone to go on chanting Hare Krsna, yet at the same time he wanted to clearly establish that his sincere follower works within ISKCON. The questions and answers after his lectures in Hawaii often dealt with these matters.
“What is ISKCON?” asked a long-haired beach boy wearing a japa bead bag.
“ISKCON?” Srila Prabhupada replied. “It is a simple thing. You do not know?” Then he described what each lettering the acronym ISKCON stood for. “We have a worldwide society, so we say international.”
“Well, are you ISKCON?” the boy asked. This was a loaded question. The devotees had been preaching that Srila Prabhupada was ISKCON, because one cannot refuse service to ISKCON and yet claim to serve Srila Prabhupada. But the anti-ISKCON party had argued that Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON were different. Prabhupada was pure and transcendental; ISKCON was corrupt, a mere organisation.
Srila Prabhupada started to laugh. “I am not ISKCON,” he said. “I am a member of ISKCON.” Then he looked at his disciple who was the G.B.C. secretary for Hawaii. Prabhupada pointed at him and said, “Ah he is a member of ISKCON.” Then he pointed to the ISKCON Hawaii temple president. “And he is a member of ISKCON. We are all members of ISKCON, the International Society for Krsna Consciousness.” Almost everyone present cried out, “Jaya!” Then Prabhupada looked back, smiling. There was no further challenge to his perfect humble reply.
– From the Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
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