Forgiveness cannot be blind (ISKCON) ys pd

Forgiveness - According to the Science BY: RASANANDA DAS Jul 16, 2011

The defect in the thesis of 'healing and forgiveness' advocated by certain writers, besides indicating ignorance or denial of aspects of the situation historically and dynamically (claims for "vocal groupings" of marginalized members highlighting past "negative issues" while for the most part are mostly scattered and lacking in resources, manpower and facilities), is in the neglect of the principle illustrated in the incident in Srimad Bhagavatam involving Durvasa and the great devotee, Ambarish Maharaj.

[PADA: Right, you cannot "forgive" a person for punching you in the nose, when he is still punching you in the nose?]

In that incident, Durvasa, the powerful but proud sage offended Ambarish Maharaj and in consequence was pursued by the Lord's Sudarsana Chakra which threatened to burn him. He approached Lord Siva but he claimed helplessness. Being so powerful, he approached Visnu Himself, lying on His Sesa naga, but even He told him that He was unable to relieve him from the danger... that his only recourse was to directly approach Ambarish and beg his forgiveness.

And further to this principle is that, if the offended devotees are no longer present, the offenders must stop all material activities of body, mind and word and engage one hundred percent in dharma according to the yuga.

Another principle, or another aspect of the above principle apparently missed by the authors and institutional authorities, is that of the implicatedness in the grand crime of the takeover of the institution immediately after the departure of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada by the group of eleven by all besides those who recognized the crime and remaining fully and intensely engaged in the core activities of the yuga dharma. As known by Supersoul if not also by some few rare advanced devotees with the ability to see, all imperfectly engaged members became immediately implicated in the crime and they remain so implicated as long as they continue to fail to realize the actual position by hearing, reading and deliberating and fail to recognize the crime for what it is.

(As for my own position; when, after a few years the actual nature of the criminal takeover became understood by me, I continued in the institution under the shelter of full engagement in direct preaching activities like book distribution and festivals, but deliberately marginalised myself from it when advancing age as well as decline in those core activities by the institution made me prone to being overwhelmed by the contaminated consciousness.)

[PADA: Criminal Takeover, right on! ys pd]

It is the current fashion among many groups and writers to speak of "forgiveness", "overcoming negativity" and so on. Though devotees like Ambarish are forgiving by their nature, it is one of the laws in the perfectly scientific process of Krishna consciousness that forgiveness cannot act unless offenders seek it from those they have offended. The offences may be those of becoming ambitious to occupy the post of the acarya, or it they may be toward younger devotees free of material desires. (The acarya is not sentimental. He knows the law.) Devotees don't take offense, but still the lord is favourable to new people and offence to even young devotees free of material desire are noted by Him.

So long as there is ignorance of the laws of the science, to entertain different ideas of the nature of problems and their solutions, no matter how intelligent they may appear, they are mundane and ineffective.

As for the "innocent citizen", if they are ignorant of the nature and process of Krishna consciousness, there is no question of "faith" and they are effectively sudras. According to the acaryas, some neglect or offense toward a sudra is not very important. To maintain devotees that are already devotees is more important than making ones. This principle is compared to boiling milk. As soon as ambitious members try to take the place of the acarya and induct large numbers of new followers who offer allegiance to themselves, the milk boils over and everything is practically ruined.

The apprehension is apparently expressed of animosity towards the acarya and sincere devotees, and the institution seen as possibly developing among innocent readers due to repeatedly reading certain truths. Such animosity felt by ignorant people is also not very important. Sincere devotees are protected by their own purity and by the Lord and don't require diplomatic posturings or intellectual word jugglery to protect them.