Spineless Devotees

BY: GAURANGA DAS

Jun 30, 2016 — INDIA (SUN) —

This is a response to Anuttama dasa's latest 'damage control' letter on the Sampradaya Sun defending the Child Protection Office's 'endeavours' within ISKCON. Looks like Anuttama has taken lessons from the infamous Goebels at foisting off half-truths. On documents and protocols cited by him, the CPO has meted out in no uncertain terms the penalties for the offenders. Were they ever translated into action? Hardly a single offender was penalized for the period stipulated for them. Then why revert to chicanery and gloss over their culpability?

You justified Radhanath Swami's offering prostrations to a paedophile, Kirtanananda, convicted and incarcerated for other crimes. Does that mean you encourage the next generation of ISKCON to worship a criminal, pervert, child molester and murderer? Why shouldn't the disciples imitate or emulate their gurus? Are you paving the way for the emergence of a society of paedophiles and criminals?

You are defending that person who 'graciously offered' the Vyasa-asana to another paedophile, Bhavananda, only to have It desecrated. This was an act of impudence insulting the intelligence and sensibility of an audience of devotees. In both cases, to understand the gravity of offence committed one must refer to the 'Cleansing of Gundica Pastime' in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. It states there that the worship of an unqualified or sinful person which is the prerogative of saintly personalities, is a vaisnava-aparadha known as 'ati-stuti'.

In many instances of serious fall-down and deviations on the part of the leaders, their reinstatement was inexplicably quick and their 'punishment' incommensurate to the gravity of their turpitudes. Thus, the followers of such offensive gurus, even if they are given the benefit of doubt for being ill-informed about the philosophy, stand to sink with their guru. Another golden opportunity that the human life offers is wasted, because Vaisnava offenders like Radhanatha etc. cannot redeem their followers from the clutches of maya and illusion.

The actions and policies of the GBC seem to reflect a very disturbing trend: to take for granted that the new generation of devotees joining are easy prey to manipulations. You may think they are ready to swallow any lie if and once their confidence is won over. Those among them who sincerely seek proper spiritual guidance cannot be fooled for long. They will begin to question, and they should. Will the GBC then coerce them into leaving Srila Prabhupada's founded Society, like was done to their outspoken godbrothers in the past? Then this new deviant society will be left and populated with disgruntled devotees, mercenaries, new-age sentimentalists and felons.

Now, to the real issue -- my initial reason for writing this letter. This is a macabre segment of ISKCON history. Anuttama had with alacrity belched out a rebuttal to counter the letters of support for 'Cost of Silence'. My question to him and the GBC: why did the GBC not prevent implicating the entire mass of devotees in ISKCON in the insidious crime of offending Srila Prabhupada in the Turley Lawsuit? Not a single child abuser was put behind bars. The GBC ganged-up with the perpetrators, appointed Gupta, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, as their attorney and betrayed their Guru. Statements by Jagadisa, the ex-GBC and Gurukula Minister, put the blame squarely on Srila Prabhupada. He stated that Srila Prabhupada was informed of the rampant child abuse in the different Gurukulas, but desisted from taking necessary action. This was a travesty of the truth. Prabhupada in a plethora of statements chastised the teachers for reverting to corporeal punishment. Your conscience seems to allow you to sleep soundly, knowing that an innocent person was not even present to defend himself in court against false allegations leveled against him. Is this the GBC's way of showing gratitude to that One pure devotee for saving them from ruination and self-destruction? Where were the voices of disgust and protest from the many gurus, GBCs et. al who wrote, made movies, etc. describing with waxing eloquence about their relationship to Srila Prabhupada? Of what value are these memoirs of a pure devotee when they were penned by spineless devotees bankrupt of integrity and who betrayed their guru?

The remedial process to be adopted in counteracting vaisnava-aparadha is deep and earnest remorse and begging forgiveness from him. Srila Prabhupada is most compassionate because he was empowered by Sri Nityanada to propagate the mission of Sri Caitanya. He can exonerate one's offence committed against him. Srila Visvanatha though writes in Madhurya Kadambini that the dust particles of the lotus feet of pure vaisnavas, as he refers to the disciples, will find it difficult to forgive or forget the offences. This is because, first of all it is not their privilege to forgive and secondly they took the offence personally.

My only hope, and I sincerely pray to Krishna, is that the devotees should become knowledgeable of the conclusions of the scriptures and tear down the mask of hypocrisy their gurus are flaunting and hiding behind. Dear devotees, wake up! Your spiritual life is in grave jeopardy.

In conclusion, I wish Radhanatha Swami, the blue-eyed boy of the GBC, the gurus and the GBC a long life. Enjoy the fruits of Srila Prabhupada's untiring labour of love. Because what Yamaraja has in store for you after your death will send shudders down the spine. At least be honest to yourself and admit that not a single one of you could ever have had the success you relish now without having inherited it. None has the capability of preaching without the backing of ISKCON to inspire people to take up spiritual life. If any one of you even tried to independently establish yourself in the positions you enjoy today within ISKCON, you would have been gobbled up by failure, fading into oblivion; a persona non grata.


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