Sacred Society or Wacky Cult?
BY: MAHAVIDYA DAS (ACBSP)
Jan 31, USA (SUN) —
That is the question… is ISKCON genuinely taking souls out of the material atmosphere?
I cannot vouch for the entire world, but I can comment on what I perceive in my little corner of this planet, Bhaktivedanta Manor.
Perhaps somewhere else in ISKCON the modes of ignorance and passion no longer have their influence…
I would be happy to hear about that most fortunate place.
I and others like myself are not the same naïve, sentimental neophytes who joined Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON in our idealistic youth.
We have had to grow up the hard way, with bitter personal experience.
Foolishly... I thought everyone in ISKCON had the highest and purest of motivations for becoming a Hare Krishna devotee, a Vaisnava.
My own foolishness was not to read the books of Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada himself gave us warnings.
He speaks about casual devotees, pseudo devotees, even Kali chelas, all within ISKCON.
The word Srila Prabhupada uses in this connection is upeksa, or neglect.
Kali chelas should be neglected.
Srimad Bhagavatam also talks about devotees in the mode of ignorance and why they have to be avoided.
One has to discriminate.
But... that takes time, trouble and effort.
And I am guilty of being lazy.
Also... as a neophyte myself, who was I to judge others... many whom I blindly considered my superiors?
As the saying goes, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".
Or "Judge not lest ye be judged."
And who is going to say, "I am without sin"?
After all... what am I doing here in this world if I am sinless?
Still... for the sake of preaching one has to take that risk, otherwise we should all just pack up and go home.
So yes... we understand that anyone here in the material world (with several exceptions) are criminals.
But... for our progressive journey back to Godhead, one has start somewhere.
May I suggest by cultivating honesty as a principle.
The general public have untold bad experiences of "holy men" who are more degraded, more hypocritical, than any of the congregation.
Is Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON to fit into this category?
Those familiar with the dark side of ISKCON history can have empathy with members of the public who view ISKCON with suspicion.
As a wacky cult.
Some of our neighbours next to Bhaktivedanta Manor most certainly share this view.
They have good reason to be nervous.
Anyone remember Jayatirtha?
How about Parikit Pete? Our very own night stalker.
Running down young ladies in the lanes around Bhaktivedanta Manor with the temple van and then sexually molesting them.
Or... the devotee who was caught playing " mousey mousey" with some young kids in the cornfield... with no pants on.
And so it goes on, and on and on.
When the community leaders in the temple next door re-employ a known violent child abuser secretly,
do you think this behaviour goes unnoticed?
So yes …
ISKCON does have the highest philosophy, but as for our application,
we have a long, long way to go.
