The Plight of Berkeley Temple
BY: SUN STAFF
Sep 18, USA (SUN) — Following are a number of responses to the recent article by Jagannatha Swami dasa entitled "Please Save the Berkeley Temple". Some of these responses were received by the author, while others were submitted directly to the Sun.
From Rajahamsa das, Temple President of ISKCON Berkeley:
"Why is this article being allowed to be posted on your website?. Do you want us (the present management) to post a reply to this along with the history of how this author was personally responsible for dragging the temple down for so many years, including many green card scams, neglected Deity worship and so on..? I saw on your website, that inappropriate postings will be deleted from your website. I would like to know whether you consider the following to be inappropriate. If you continue having this post, I would send an appropriate reply to this asap. ~ Ys, Rajahamsa das, TP, ISKCON Berkeley."
[Editor's Note: We replied to Rajahamsa dasa, encouraging him to present his position on the matter, but no further response has yet been received.]
In Defence of the BI in Berkley Temple, by Payonidhi dasa:
"Unfortunately the Berkley temple has a long dark history since the time of Hansadutta and, later under Harivilasa's management. I have witnessed the many strange things going on there at Berkley temple. And one thing is for sure -- neither Jagannatha Swami das, who was Temple President when I was at this temple in 1994, nor Harivilasa dasa did much for this temple.
I don't recall ever having seen Jagannatha Swami Prabhu for mangal artik except maybe once or twice when I was there. Mostly he would just come once a week, have his office open for half an hour to deal with money matters, and be out of there. During the short time I was there, there was a fight between the wife of the co-TP and Jagannatha Swami das, who had to run into the men’s room to get away from this angry mataji. There was illicit sex going on in the temple. One person that Harivilasa dasa kicked out of the temple hung himself in front of a kindergarten. The list is long…
I made a list of complaints and suggestions to the GBC in 1995, and a co-GBC was sent to the Bay area. I surely know Jagannatha Swami das is organizing the yearly Ratha Yatra in San Francisco, and that is wonderful service. But him as Temple President and Harivilasa dasa as GBC seems to be a fool’s paradise.
I am sure things are not nearly as bad as Jagannatha Swami suggests, like the idea of Rasaraja Prabhu and Rajahamsa Prabhu as Ritvik demons that defend child molesters. I only know them as very sincere and wonderful devotees, and they where often, if not every day, at mangal artik when I was there, although they had to drive a distance to be at the temple.
I will inquire from authorities in ISKCON Juhu and other leaders in ISKCON in India about these rumors of Jagannatha Swami, and post their replies here as well. We need to know if there is any credibility to this story
As for Harivilasa dasa, it is surprising that he is GBC in many Muslim countries. He obviously has no concern for people there, and only seems to want to be the Lord of all he surveys there, and be the controller and manipulator.
I have some similar experience with him as Rocana Prabhu. I was always warned about his "Zone". When I joined Padayatra in California they had just left the San Francisco/Berkeley area, where they had so many problems with Harivilasa dasa. Later in 1994 in Mayapur, Harivilasa asked if I would come and distribute books in his zone, and naively I went there. First night in the Berkley Temple, one bhakta was sneaking into an elderly mataji for illicit sex at midnight. One drama after the other.
The devotee who hung himself in daylight in front of a kindergarten during recess had been thrown out of the temple by Harivilasa, and lived as a bum in the street. He would come and sweep the temple only outside and get some prasadam; he was not allowed inside. In short the nickname the Berkley temple got was “Berserkely”. And there was a hundred other maniac things going on there, I am just giving the reader some idea.
Finally I went to Harivilasa’s temple in Seattle, where it was muchi and the deity standard was far from acceptable. Plates where washed in the same sink as the deity plate, etc., etc. One visiting sannyasi did a scam on Laxmi puja day, telling the pastimes about how Laxmi cursed the Bramanas because Brghu Muni, in testing who is the supreme among Lord Brahma, Siva and Visnu, stepped on Lord Visnu's chest. His conclusion was amazing - therefore all brahmanas like myself are poor and I need you to give me generous donations. He was pressuring the congregation to give him more and more money. "Is that all you can give??" It was not even funny, but pressuring and being aggressive. I told the Maharaja afterwards that I doubted Srila Prabhupada would have ever done something like he had just done. He got outraged (as he was a fool) and Harivilasa asked me to leave. One shipment of books was arriving the next day and I was supposed to distribute them. He insisted I pay for that, which meant I would hardly have a penny to leave the temple. I later complained to the GBC and they put in some co-GBC's there. I have never seen any such madness in an ISKCON temple, or worse standard.
That Harivilasa is not fit as a GBC is clear to me. A blind uncle is better than no uncle, but Uncle Harry, as is the affectionate name Harivilasa Prabhu goes under, is not a good leader. The GBC should kindly remove him. He is not fit, there is no doubt."
Your servant,
Payonidhi das
From Jaganmohini devi dasi, September 14th, 2006, Mumbai:
"Very sad to know about the plight of Berkeley Temple.
We are sure this is not what Srila Prabhupada wanted.
We hope respected superiors of our society wake up and work out ways thru' which Rasaraj das can undergo reformation and atonement for all the offenses committed by him at different levels.
During recent years, especially recent months, my spiritual master (H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami) underwent disturbances due to Rasaraj das, who tried cheating my spiritual master (BI forgery is one of them) to different degrees. Worst was instead of rectifying him, the senior leaders had endorsed his activities and based on his false allegation against my spiritual master, they even accused Maharaj. This had given lot of pain to my spiritual master in the past.
Everybody knew Rasaraj had rejected his guru, in spite he was endorsed as a good devotee. So how could our superiors do this? What yardsticks they use to measure a devotee, we fail to understand! He had blasphemed my spiritual master sometimes openly and sometimes on the back, still our society superiors never felt the need to rectify him.
Rasaraj das had given in writing that his authority is the GBC. The state of Berkeley Temple indicates he had accepted authority at superficial level.
As per sastric injunction (S.B. 3.16.5), it mentions:
"A wrong act committed by a servant leads people in general to blame his master, just as a spot of white leprosy on any part of the body pollutes all of the skin."
Now the question is, whether the GBC is ready to take the responsibility of Berkeley temple's debacle on their head?
We had wondered several times, while offering regular prayers, how it was possible that Rasaraj das's activities are appreciated by superiors on one side, and on other side he was increasing his Vaishnava apradha (accusing my spiritual master) more and more like Sishupala did to Sri Krishna, and nobody is there to check him?.
There are few sadhus in our movement who are willing to serve Srila Prabhupada, even without position, proper infrastructure or followers. One such sadhu is my spiritual master. Standing on this platform, my spiritual master repeatedly gave valuable advice (on Rasaraj das 's rehabilitation) to GBC and RGB members out of concern for his (Rasaraj das's) spiritual life. My spiritual master also said that within our society no one had known Rasaraj das to the extent he (Maharaj) had known him, and accordingly his concern for Rasaraj prabhu's spiritual life was greater than others. But unfortunately several leaders continued to pamper Rasaraj Prabhu and did not heed the Maharaj's advice.
But my spiritual master was confident and as usual depended on the arrangement of the Lord. In the first fortnight of June, while conversing with me regarding BI fiasco, he told me, "Jaganmohini, very soon the GBCs and even Rasaraj will realize what I am speaking ...in one year…or maximum in next six months time, this will happen…..I am sure, I am sure..".
At that time, I couldn't imagine what circumstances could arise in next few months which might force everyone to realize the truth. But based on past incidents and scriptural injunctions, our belief was, an offender cannot wear a false Vaishnava mask for a very long time, nor true Vaishnavas can pamper such offenders for long time once the truth is out.
A very bad example our senior members will set for the future generation of our society if Rasaraj prabhu's spiritual life is not rectified. We also felt may be this could have been avoided if SAC's (Sastric Advisory council) advice (if they are active) could have been obtained in judging/monitoring Rasaraj prabhu's actions based on sastric instructions inline with guru-parampara, immediately after he rejected his guru, post-2000.
Such episodes are only teaching us various lessons.
We cannot be falsely carried away by the "Tag" which designates a member in our society for the responsibilities given to them. We are convinced that false/superficial show of serving one's spiritual master by a disciple or false show of serving the society to become popular or falsely seeking popular leader's association thru' lobbying or offending a true Vaishnav, nothing of this has any place in the spiritual realm.
The modes of nature will continue to attack every responsible leader (those situated on the conditioned platform) of our society if they don't conduct properly in day-to-day spiritual practices.
In regard to Rasaraj prabhu, my spiritual master told me, "Rasaraj was good devotee in the past, but due to wrong association he has become bad..."
It is definite to us now that we can remain successful while in the conditioned state only by following strictly the ashram life as given by Srila Prabhupada, plus taking association of pure devotees thru' vapu (if he is physically present) and vani, otherwise. Beyond this nothing will protect us.
I am really sorry to see this state of Rasaraj prabhu, who was one of my mentors for a few years, before he rejected his guru.
To me, his devotional journey only confirms the verdicts of sastra, and my faith in scriptures is thus once again solidified.
Srila Prabhupada's quotes in his purport of S.B. 2.7.9:
"Long life, obedience, good reputation, righteousness, prospects of being promoted to higher planets, and blessings of great personalities are all vanquished simply by disobedience to a great soul."
Your servant,
In the service of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga,
Jaganmohini Devi dasi
From Nityananda Rama Das:
"Even though I live 90 miles away I used to come to the Berkeley temple several Sundays a month and to most of the temple festivals. I stopped coming over two years ago after several conversations I had with Rasaraj, and some classes by Rajahamsa were so deviant from Srila Prabhupada's standards and teachings that I felt the temple has been lost to those whose mood I am not attracted to. Since then, on my way back from business trips to San Francisco I have stopped by the temple to visit the Deities during late afternoon visiting hours, only to find the doors of the temple locked."
Nityananda Rama Das
Roseville, CA
From Audarya-lila dasa:
"I am very sorry to hear about the unfortunate situation in the Berkeley temple. It is a real shame that the Berkeley temple is being run in such a fashion. Berkeley is a great town to preach in and the temple should be a lively place full of vigorous and enthusiastic service to Lord Jagannatha.
I pray that devotees who have some authority in Iskcon will hear you out and change the situation.
The only thing in your post on Rocana's web site that I feel is a little wrong on your part is the idea that books by other Gaudiya acharyas who are not formally associated wtih Iskcon being sold at Ratha yatra in S.F. is a
bad thing. My opinion is that the festival is being run by Iskcon and that
all others should honor all the devotees and the institution that is doing
so much good work, but I honestly don't feel that selling books by bona fide
acharyas is wrong. What I believe would be wrong is if some group or
members of some other Gaudiya group were to denigrate Iskcon and promote the
sanga of their own group and acharya as better. I don't think that I saw
any of that happen at the S.F. ratha yatra and I have attended for the past
four years.
I used to live in the Berkeley temple in the late seventies. I am now no longer 'officially' associated with Iskcon, though I have many friends in
Iskcon and I attend many gatherings held by Iskcon devotees. My Guru
Maharaja, Tripurari Swami has been going to the Ratha yatra in S.F. for the
past four years and I have accompanied him on all of those occasions.
Although no longer associated with Iskcon after having been asked to leave
in the mid eighties due to his affiliation and affection for Sridhara
Maharaja, Tripurari Maharaja remains a dedicated disciple of A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami and always goes to the Ratha yatra following the mood
and sentiment of Mahaprabhu and his followers. Maharaja has a genuine
feeling for Gaudiya vaishnavism and wants to share his experiences and
feelings with other devotees which is quite natural. He does not seek
followers in any way, but writes his books for the benefit of all devotees.
I have given many of his books to quite a few different senior vaishnavas in
Iskcon and they have all appreicated his writing and realizations very much.
I believe that this is the true spirit of vaishnavism - we are all one
family and we should embrace one another and help one another.
At any rate, being outside of Iskcon I feel that I have little to offer you
other than moral and spiritual support regarding the leadership vacuum in
New Jagannatha Puri at this time. If I can be of service or help to change
the situation in any way please let me know what I can do and I will gladly
do it."
Yours in service to Sri Guru and Gauranga,
Audarya-lila dasa
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Dear Audarya-lila Prabhu,
"All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my humble obesances.
I am very happy to see Triparari Maharaja at the San Francisco Ratha Yatra every year. He is a wonderful personality. He stayed at my house in Berkeley in the 70's. As you know, he is an extraordinary book distributor! Once he got out of my car at a red light, sold a Srimad Bhagavatam set, and got back in the car before the light was green.
I have to tell you that I maintain my stance on distributing only ISKCON's books at the San Francisco Ratha Yatra. I mean no offence to your guru, but the Ratha Yatra is meant for the glorification of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna, not anyone else. It over joys me to see Srila Prabhupada's books being given out! I have no problem with anyone distributing their guru's books, I just request that everyone not distribute them at the San Francisco Ratha Yatra.
Thank you so much for your letter. By Srila Prabhupada's mercy I think it is possible that we can all work together. The Berkeley temple is in shambles and we do need your help. I am requesting your permission to publish this letter you sent me on the Internet. I have another 4 letters and I am expecting some more. I think if we can all get together on this, we can make some change in the management."
Yours In The Service of Srila Prabhupada,
Jagannatha Swami Das
