Lord Krishna in the 21st Century
Chapter 19 - ISKCON's Public Image
Some years ago I sat in a morning Bhagavatam class where we were told about the newest public relations firm that ISKCON had just hired. It was mentioned that the previous PR firm had been recently fired. I might be wrong but I got the impression that there had been several PR firms hired by ISKCON over the years.
As I have gained in experience in life I have learned the hard way that "wrong actions produce wrong results" and that "right actions produce right results."
This axiom is the key to public relations and I'm sorry, hiring a PR firm seems to be an enormous waste of money.
I just said that right actions produce right results. I've seen this principle proved to be true, time and time again. For instance, when the new St. Louis temple was built there were very few guests, but after opening Govinda's Restaurant, 6 months later the temple was overflowing with visitors.
This was proven true again at the Dallas temple. I remember talking with Sunanda Prabhu one morning about the noticeable lack of visitors. I could only conclude that something was not being done right, again resulting in the very low number of visitors. I explained how to fix this and he encouraged me to take my ideas about a temple restaurant to Tamal Krsna Goswami.
Although at this time in my life (the early 80s) I wasn't so aware of the concept about right and wrong actions, still I instinctively knew about it and I think you would have to agree with me that Kalachandji's Restaurant is an excellent example of "right actions producing right results."
As for the restaurant, itself, it has now been open for over 40 years and is very popular years. While this is wonderful, when I look back at its inception, explaining this course of action was not received well and I was told, "no." About 6 months later again I told Tamal Krsna Goswami that to fix the very low number of visitors to the Dallas temple, that opening a restaurant would turn that all around, but again I was told no and something about a museum he wanted built where the restaurant is today.
In the same way that Krishna Disaster Relief was blocked, so it was with Kalachandji's Restaurant, in the beginning. Now looking back over 40 years later and how my idea was finally approved, obviously building Kalachandji's was the right action. Until Krishna Disaster Relief also receives the green light, I can only lament at the tremendous loss that this has been to Shrila Prabhupada's dream, and yet, so few even realize this.
The opposite to this axiom is rather self evident, but sometimes I wonder: "wrong actions produce wrong results." Obviously, if you don't like the results (or your image) then you simply need to look at your actions. In other words, if ISKCON doesn't like its public image, instead of spending money on a PR firm to create a smoke screen, what needs to be done is an honest inventory of what actions, or lack of actions are taking place that are creating the wrong results in the first place; in this case, a bad image. Perhaps here is where Krishna Disaster Relief could get some of the funding needed, by dismissing any public relations firms now being paid and instead using the savings to produce the actions laid out in this blueprint. (Note: Wow, I was still reaching for the stars when I first wrote this.)
This book is taking a look into the next century (Note: Shows you how long ago I wrote this. Even though I published it in 2005, I had finished the first draft in the late 90s). In my book (Lord Krishna in the 21st Century) I am proposing a certain set of actions that I feel should be embraced with the greatest enthusiasm. I feel that disaster relief is the right action to "run with" in the 21st century. Devotees the world over are some of the brightest and most talented people on the face of the Earth. Let them put this plan into motion and I know that this kind of activity will produce a wonderful appreciation within the minds and hearts of the people of this world.
But please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that Krishna Disaster Relief is the only right action. This would be ridiculous. But it is true that "right actions produce right results" and this is the magnifying glass that Krishna Disaster Relief should always use to examine itself with, especially if there is some dissatisfaction with the way we are judged by the public.
I ended the last chapter talking about the "How To Help" donation boxes. Presenting Lord Krshna as "the Greatest Hero" will automatically produce the most wonderful results, but be careful. If we say that we are responding to a particular disaster, then let's be 100% positive that we are in fact doing so. The president of Krishna Disaster Relief has to make this his/her top priority: to insure (and document) our truthfulness in this matter.
