ISKCON’s Decline after Srila Prabhupada’s Departure
The following conversation of Srila Prabhupada’s clearly explains the reasons for ISKCON’s decline after Prabhupada’s departure. Though Srila Prabhupada was speaking about the failure of the Gaudiya Matha, amazingly it perfectly matches ISKCON’s own post-samadhi history, line for line. Seven sentences have been numbered for direct comparison to ISKCON.
“1) Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. 2) He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that ‘This man should be the next acharya.’ But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be acharya. That is the failure. 3) They never thought, ‘Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be acharya?’ 4) They wanted to create artificially somebody acharya and everything failed. 5) They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acharya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. 6) They declared some unfit person to become acharya. Then another man came, then another, acharya, another acharya. 7) So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection.” – Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, 08-16-76, Bombay
The Hare Krishna Movement 