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Monday, 14 February 1977 - Mayapur

The anti-cult controversy raged on, especially in Europe and in North America. Devotees continued to keep Prabhupada abreast of the latest developments. Further to Prabhupada's recent comments on brainwashing, Satsvarupa Goswami read Prabhupada an interesting letter from the Indian Brain Research Association, Department of Biochemistry, at the University of Calcutta.

Gentlemen:

Hare Krishna Kirtana Mantra used in meditation, or chanting of Radha-Krishna, has been practised not only by Vaisnavas of India, but by most of the Hindus as a regular religious and social practice in Hindu families. Millions of Hindus practise with sublime devotion the Hare Krishna Mantra. We are not aware of any case where such practice has resulted in any detrimental effect to the health or mind of anyone. We can submit that the worshipping of Radha-Krishna as being practised in West Bengal, India, does not differ from that of the Hare Krishna Mantra chanting of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. And as such, either of them cannot do any harm to the devotee or to the observer. Further, we can add that the rhythmic dance and musical svara in Hare Krishna Kirtana Mantra may have profound beneficial effect on a distorted human mind. These practices do not have any relation with brainwashing, although the word seems to carry no scientific meaning at all.

Statement by Professor Ajit K. Mytee.

Yours faithfully,

J.J. Ghosh,

President on behalf of the Indian Brain Research Association.

While in Mayapur, Prabhupada continued to coach his senior men on how to defeat the arguments of the "anti-cult" movement. Adi Kesava, one of the devotees charged in the recent court case in New York had come to Mayapur, and Prabhupada was preparing him for the gruelling case ahead. Prabhupada spoke as if challenging the movement's adversaries.

"This movement is not brainwashing," he said. "We are brain-giving. Where is your brain? First of all you must have a brain, then it is a question of washing. But you have no brain; you do not know what is this life. You cannot explain what is the difference between a dead man and a living man."

"Anyone who has got a brain, he will understand the simple logic of how the body is changing. There is something; therefore body's changing from childhood to boyhood, and as soon as that important thing is missing -- no more change of body. It is a dead matter. So where is your brain to understand this simple truth? Hmmm?"

Prabhupada advised that the devotees should consult amongst themselves, write an essay and send it to the court. Taking the role of the antagonists, Adi Kesava spoke as if to challenge Prabhupada's logic. "Well, I have a brain, and it is functioning. Otherwise how could I be speaking to you now? How could I even answer you?"

Prabhupada's answer was bold. "But that speaking and the dog's barking are the same thing. The dog is barking. What is the difference? He is speaking in a different language, that's all. The dog is barking, and you are speaking. What is the difference?"

Adi Kesava tried to keep up the defence. "But they say, 'We have art, we have science'."

"Whatever you may have," Prabhupada replied, "you cannot answer the ultimate question."

Arguments flew back and forth for a considerable time, and devotees challenged Prabhupada's logic. But Prabhupada stuck to his main point: If a man does not know the difference between a dead man and a living man, then he has no brain. Prabhupada, eager to drill his men on how to defend by aggressive argument, encouraged the devotees present to field the accusations commonly presented by the opposition. "Ask a question, I shall give the answer."

Brahmananda told Prabhupada that a common argument was that once devotees joined the movement, they had no personal choice. Prabhupada answered immediately. "So we are all fools, we have joined?"

"They say that we are young boys, we are taken advantage of," explained Satsvarupa. Brahmananda added that the deprogrammers had formed a group called Return to Personal Choice. Adi Kesava showed Prabhupada a deprogramming manual, displaying photos of a young man being kidnapped in the presence of his mother and father.

"This is 'personal choice'?" Prabhupada asked sarcastically.

"They're saying," explained Adi Kesava, "that: 'You do not know what is your personal choice. You have forgotten. Now it is brainwashed away. Otherwise you would remember. So we are doing this for your own good.' They call it 'rescuing'. They say that: 'We are rescuing him from this Hare Krishna'." The devotees described in detail to Prabhupada the violent and forceful techniques used by the deprogrammers to return those who had been "brainwashed" to so-called "normal life", and how they justified their use of force in court.

"This clouds the issue in the courtroom," added Tamal Krsna Goswami. "Because everyone naturally feels very sympathetic towards the fathers and mothers."

"Why don't you quote from our sastra?" advised Srila Prabhupada, "that he is not father -- pita na sa syat." Vedic literature pointed out, Prabhupada said, that one who could not deliver his dependants from the path of birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, husband, mother or worshipable demigod.

Prabhupada's point was clear. "You will argue your point, but we shall argue from our point of view. Unless the father releases the son from the cycle of birth and death, he is not the father."

In conclusion, Prabhupada reminded his disciples that it would certainly be a difficult task advising nondevotees, who would most likely become angry. Ultimately, he explained, it was the devotees' duty to preach Krsna consciousness, whether people accepted it or not. Difficulties met in presenting Krsna consciousness, he said, would attract the attention of Krsna.

"Therefore," Prabhupada concluded, "if you want to please Krsna very quickly, struggle for preaching. Ya idam paramam guhyam mad bhaktesv abhidhasyati. So we have got our business, to please Krsna. That is our mission. So despite so many inconveniences, we have to do this business. Mudho 'yam nabhijanati loko mam ajam avyayam. They are all mudhas. So we have been engaged to teach them some good lesson."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu