Why Do We Criticize?
BY: DHARMARAJ DAS
May 1, NEW YORK (SUN) — It is a few months now that I have been reading articles on different devotee websites. One thing that strikes me is the bitterness and resentment that is apparent in some of the writers. There seem to be trends, in the past few months I have read articles criticizing very strongly Indradyumna Swami, Hrydayananda Maharaja, Satsvarupa Maharaj, Narayana Maharaj, Radhanatha Maharaj, Jayapataka Swami, Kavicandra Swami, Bhaktividyapurna Swami, Dhira Govinda Prabhu, Gauri Prabhu and more recently Braja Bihari Prabhu.
I am not suggesting that we should be naïve and blind to mistakes that have been committed; I am not trying to discount the gravity of mistakes that have been committed perhaps by misquoting yet again BG. 9.30. I believe that there is a desperate need for a more efficient way to deal with differences between devotees in ISKCON.
I simply do not believe this form of criticism to be beneficial for anybody involved nor for the Society at large. Such articles make it extremely difficult for the criticized devotees to trust in the Vaisnava community. I would not respond well to this kind of attack/destructive criticism.
If anyone of them was to be so unbelievably brave and virtuous to come forward to confess and own up to their mistakes in front of the Vaisnava community, my feeling is that there would be a riot: we would be onto this devotee with no more compassion than a pack of ravenous wolves.
I sense a tremendous lack of the mercy and compassion that should be quintessential to Vaisnavas. We have failed to create a safe space to support devotees who make mistakes and have falldowns. Especially our leaders.
In my humble opinion/judgment, I sense that many of the writers have not perfected the art of constructive criticism. Many of the articles seem to be written by people out on personal vendettas with the specific aim/hope to bring the devotee criticized down; preferably drag them in the mud while they are at it.
It is important that when I speak or write I take full responsibility for the consequences that may come from my actions. I am curious to know how many of the people that have written to criticize another devotee in the last year, did so with love, concern and the intent to facilitate the spiritual growth of the devotee that was being criticized. I am curious to know how many of the devotees recently criticized on the Internet have found it valuable and have benefited in any way from the criticism received.
If we want to concentrate on mistakes why don’t we start criticizing Bhismadeva? He is one of the Mahajans, one of the leaders of mankind. Yet he failed to protect Draupadi when she was helpless and being insulted by the kauravas. He fought to support irreligion and the immorality of Dhuryodan. Shall we start a forum dedicated to criticizing him? Then what are we going to do, start fault-finding Srila Prabhupada? Would that benefit our spiritual life?
At the moment we have Braja Bihari Prabhu on the line of fire, I like what Jesus says, “Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone”.
