Prabhupada once said, “ISKCON is my body”. What exactly does it mean? To be able to understand it, first of all, we need to define what “body” means.
Often we take the word “body” in the sense of “self”. If we take into this meaning then when Prabhupada says that ISKCON is his body, we will get the idea that ISKCON is not different from Prabhupada. We will understand that ISKCON is Prabhupada. This will lead to the idea that is not possible to serve Prabhupada if one is not directly connected with the institution, or that to criticize any aspect of the institution means to directly offend Prabhupada, for example. It may also lead to the idea that the institution must be perfect, since Prabhupada is perfect, which in turn can lead one to lose his faith in Prabhupada and his teachings if is proved that the institution is not as perfect as he or she imagined.
However, this understanding may not be very correct. In the scriptures, we hear that the body is not our real self. Rather, the body is like a vehicle or instrument that we use to operate in this material world. Our real self is spiritual, and the body is a vehicle that we use to interact with this world. In this sense, the word “body” is not the same as “self”. Rather, “body” means “instrument” or “vehicle”. Body can also be understood as “energy”, in the sense of energy being a manifestation of one’s power and being used to achieve some goal.
What difference does it make? It can make a great difference.
When we understand this sentence in the sense of ISKCON being the instrument, or vehicle Srila Prabhupada uses to interact and change the world, we can have a much healthier relationship with it. A tool or vehicle does not need to be perfect. The perfection is in the one using it, not in the instrument itself. If we understand that ISKCON is an instrument, we understand that we are also part of it, and therefore we also have our share of responsibility in maintaining it.
As an instrument is not perfect, it can be improved, and we can be part of this improvement, and in this way do our part in assisting Srila Prabhupada in accomplishing his mission.
Being a material object, an instrument can also be misused, and it’s certainly our responsibility to prevent this from happening.
Another meaning is that although the body is also important, the most important component is the soul inside the body. This means that ISKCON as the body of Srila Prabhupada hides something much more valuable inside that are his teachings.
When we just interact with the body, our relationships remain quite shallow. When someone’s father dies, one cries that his father has gone, while the body with which he interacted his whole life is still there. Still, he notices something is missing and cries his father has gone. This means he never met his father. Similarly, we may interact with just the body of Prabhupada, and in this case, our relationship with him will remain shallow and superficial. He will always remain a complete stranger to us. On the other hand, one who associates with the soul in the form of his teachings will have a much deeper understanding of him.