ISKCON Phoenix: Love of Power
BY: ALPESH MAHANT
Nov 22, 2013 — PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA (SUN) — Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Chandler, Arizona was established by disciples of Srila Prabhupada in 1996. Also known as ISKCON of Phoenix, the institution has created a fear and turmoil among the devotees, especially members of the congregation over the past few years. First, the Temple President went to the court on March 8th to ban a 75-year old man from India on charges of harassment, which were thrown out by the Superior Court of Arizona on October 29th. Next, the management's reaction resulted in imposing a "ban" on five more Life Members on the pretext of "Private Property", through a letter warning them not to come to the Temple any longer or they would face removal or be arrested on criminal charges of trespassing.
"Love of power" on the part of management has caused senior worshipers and devotees a pain that nobody can imagine -- because their life has been centered around this temple in Chandler, where hundreds of employees from Intel and other major corporations have been devoting time and money as investment in their families' future - to raise Krishna (God) conscious kids who will be the responsible citizens of tomorrow's America, in view of practicing Hare Krishna Regulative Principles such as drug free, non-violent - no meat, away from vices of drinking and gambling together with no illicit sex, and chanting the Holy Names of the Lord.
Building and running a temple with public money and designating it as a "private property" violates the first amendment rights of freedom of worship. The Founder-Acarya of the Hare Krishna movement, Swami Prabhupada came from India to New York with little money, about eight dollars in all - and a trunk full of books, and established ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in 1966. Over the next twelve years he established more than 100 temples around the globe and had a following of more than 5,000 devotees. Purity is the force -- such is the power of love.
Current management's "love of power" reminds us of a proverb: either you are with us or against us.
Sincerely,
Alpesh Mahant
