BY: ROCANA DASA
May 22, CANADA (SUN) — A weekly response to Dandavats editorials.
Continuing on with the theme of our last Obeisances segment, this week I'd like to focus on Section 306 of the GBC Resolutions for 2008, entitled "Balabhadra dasa [Action Order]". The first paragraph informs us that there has been an "extensive report" on Balabhadra dasa given by the Executive Committee. Not surprisingly, we aren't given access to that report. We're simply told that it exists, and that a sub-committee has made certain recommendations. Of course, if this particular incident warranted that a special Action Order be appended to the Annual Meeting minutes, then we can only assume there was a great deal of discussion about the matter. In fact, this is now quite an old issue. Most of the damage Balabhadra dasa perpetrated on the Scotland yatra happened quite some time ago.
In September 2007, the GBC Executive Committee released a Statement and Report" on Balabhadra dasa, which I commented upon in a previous edition of Obeisances. Now, the GBC is finally making an effort to bring the matter to a close in the eyes of the public.
In reality, the agreement the GBC made with Balabhadra dasa has absolutely no meaning, because he's been out of ISKCON for a long time now. They're saying that he has voluntarily agreed to move to Mayapur, but why would want to encourage a character like this to take up residence in Mayapur, where so many devotees will be put at risk? Maybe they hoped to have him become the assistant of Bhavananda. Of course, Balabhadra dasa didn't take the GBC up on their offer of a move to Mayapur. Instead, he has apparently gone over to the Gaudiya Matha. As we recently reported, he is said to have now taken sannyasa (again) from a Gaudiya Matha devotee in India, and is re-establishing himself there.
Quite predictably, the real story behind this Balabhadra dasa issue is completely glossed over, if not buried, in this GBC Action Order. We note that the last item in the report pertains to Sivarama Swami, who is described thus:
"feeling responsible that Balabhadra Das's deviations took place for the most part under his jurisdiction as GBC, has thus tendered his resignation as a GBC member. The GBC Body, however, does not accept the resignation."
Obviously, Sivarama Swami's offer to resign was just for show. The fact of the matter is something quite different took place behind the scenes, and the real story is common knowledge amongst the devotees in England. Prior to this pandering to public sentiment wherein Sivarama Swami tendered his mock offering of resignation, and the GBC refusing it, Sivarama Swami had actually accepted over a million pounds from Balabhadra dasa. As a result of receiving this money, Sivarama Swami went against the recommendations of many senior Srila Prabhupada disciples, including Kripamoya and Shyamasundar prabhus, and offered Balabhadra dasa the position of Swami. Sivarama disregarded all the glaring signs that Balabhadra was in no way qualified to be a Swami: he had a collection of over 70 guitars, lived a lavish lifestyle, was way overweight due to gross sense gratification, etc. At one point, Balabhadra went to a health facility in India that cost him $500 a day in order to lose weight. He took his daughter along with him, even though he was about to become a sannyasi, along with another sannyasi friend.
Basically, Balabhadra dasa simply bought his way into Swami status in ISKCON, like any good politician would do. He bought his way into an eastern European Yatra, and he also went to South African and donated money there to get some facility. All in all, he bought his way out of his troubles, and he did so with Sivarama Swami's approval and collaboration, which slid him into his Swami position. In exchange, Balabhadra made a 'substantial donation' to Sivarama Swami.
The real result, of course, is that ISKCON's reputation becomes further tarnished. Not only does Srila Prabhupada's movement have to suffer the stigma of all the disgusting and nefarious activities Balabhadra was up to in Scotland, which have now become known to the public, but we now have to watch as this money exchange scandal unfolds. Because the GBC gave him guru status, Balabhadra's so-called disciples have also paid a dear price.
So in a nutshell, this is really what happened in Scotland under Sivarama Swami's watch. Frankly, I doubt that Sivarama Swami could care less about maintaining his GBC status. He's got his comfy situation together in Hungary, where he's surrounded by his own disciples - in other words, he's the Zonal Acarya there. He has a comfy villa and writes his ridiculous books. His resignation from the GBC has little or no meaning. In fact, from his point of view he'd now be better off not being a GBC. He would still have his disciples, would still be in charge of Hungary, and wouldn't have to deal with the extra complications in his life.
It's also interesting to note that Sivarama Swami is no longer encouraged to come preaching at Bhaktivedanta Manor. We're told that the Manor now discourages both Sivarama and Indrayumna from putting on big preaching events there because they don't want money leaving the Manor community and streaming into Poland or Hungary. They prefer to rely on Radhanatha Swami as their main traveling Swami attraction, because he doesn't need their money and therefore isn't a threat. And of course, the Indian community in England loves Radhanath.
It's also interesting to note that Mahadyuti das, a friend of Sivarama Swami's and a UK resident, is also up for sannyasa. He was reportedly kicked out of the London temple because he punched out a devotee, and has a history of similar instances of violence. Nevertheless, we find his name on this year's waiting list for sannyasa.
So why is it that the GBC, both collectively and individually, is now making all these arrangements with a character like Balabhadra dasa? They don't offer such deals to anyone else except ex-swamis and ex-gurus… especially those who are millionaires. The regular devotees, they don't accommodate or consider in the least. They only cater to people like Balabhadra, Bhavananda, and Satsvarupa, who get all sorts of special arrangements with the GBC even though they've caused tremendous damage to Srila Prabhupada's movement, on a scale that cannot be imagined by most people. It is far beyond my ability to comprehend the GBC's reasoning behind the actions it takes. We can only assume that the GBC extends such facility to rogues and rascals like Balabhadra and Satsvarupa because they have friends in high places - either that, or because they have something over on some of the existing authorities, who they're essentially blackmailing into giving them special facility and support.
In their Action Order, the GBC mention that Balabhadra dasa disciiples have given important services to ISKCON in Scotland and Hungary. Balabhadra himself has given a lot of money to Sivarama Swami that went into Hungary, but we'll never know the details of how it was spent. We just have to read between the lines. For those who do know some of the details, having been 'in the Zone' when all these things took place, the situation furthers their disillusionment with ISKCON and the GBC.
While the Annual Resolutions are crafted to make it look like the GBC are so responsible, and their representatives like Sivarama Swami are so righteous in the way they handle things, in reality it's exactly the opposite.
Obeisances to Dandavats and to the GBC Executive Committee.
