PAMHO
AGTSP
I remember when former Umapati Swami came and chastised a God brother for having joined Narayana Maharaja, with me he was not chastising, but now in the wake of his relapse into homosexuality and having to step down from sannyasa, can anyone blame the resentments so many devotees have? These are natural concerns, and yes ISKCON is run in an iron fist fashion by mostly neophyte and extremely materially ambitious sakama bhaktas. Recently, Advadhut Maharaja (former Upananda Prabhu) showed his sadness
I had returned to ISKCON. But I had some confidential revelations by Srila Prabhupada in my dreams to do so. I can not neglect his order. I am still of the humble opinion that ISKCON will be less corrupt if there is the DOM instituted, because to many selfish individuals try to use ISKCON for their selfish purposes. I have not read Sampradaya sun in long time very much because I do not condone Rocana's offensive remarks about Narayana Maharaja. Yes the zonal acarya days are far from gone, this is simply a myth. Well this is the complaint of one devotee, in the UK. I wrote an article about resentment yesterday.
However if there is corruption and other things it is natural devotees will be resentful.Oh we deviate and mistreat you why are you so resentful we are great pure vaisnava leaders?...that is all nonsense
An Open Letter to Kesava Krsna dasa
BY: HARI DAS
Jul 16, 2011 — UK (SUN) — I appreciate what you are trying to convey in your articles, but you are missing one main point: The pain and concern that many feel makes it impossible to serve and trust in ISKCON.
The problem is in the leadership, and that cannot be changed by the likes of us. This is due to the leadership structure (GBC) being totalitarian, that is, what they say goes and we cannot affect their decisions. The decisions the GBC make are often times wrong, and they are the last to admit it. To complain or raise concern about their decisions is dangerous these days.
Being a part of the solution is a wise idea, but how? How can we impact a leadership that is for the most part exclusive and does not really reach out to it's 'flock', what to speak of accept and work on feedback?
You state that it doesn't help criticizing the leaders, but what else are we to do? Just ignore the problems? We surely cannot solve them, so the websites such as the Sun serve as a forum for devotees to at least get some things off their chests.
Note that the Sampradaya Sun also hosts articles or adverts at times from big ISKCONites that are towing the GBC party line. This is because the Dandavats editors will not publish them. The Dandavats site is directly sponsored by the GBC, as the Annual Minutes note in the included budget. Praghosa das, the site's editor, runs four restaurants in Dublin and is on the Manor payroll, and is definitely a man of questionable character. His fellow Irishmen have plenty of issues with him, you only have to ask...
I hate to say this about Praghosa, as he has helped me in the past, but recently my family moved back to England and we had some serious problems that were the side effect of abuse and bad management from temples in America and their leaders. It was so serious that I was at risk of leaving my body, and my family was very nearly homeless on the streets. I will elaborate on this in my forthcoming article. Thus we approached Praghosa for help. He did not see the situation as desperate. We got my mother-in-law and brother involved. They wrote Praghosa several times and received no response. This alarmed my relatives greatly, and it further convinced me that ISKCON leadership is sorely lacking in the compassion department. Emails from Praghosa have been saved for evidence and will be shared in my upcoming article.
So, the point I am making is about purity, and especially purity of intent. If an editor of ISKCON'S own website is of questionable character and motive, what on earth can be said of his editorial policy? Dandavats publishes articles that paint a picture of a positive and progressive ISKCON. It hardly ever shows what goes on behind the scenes or discusses the problems that ISKCON and its members now face, which are legion. So to criticize the authors who contribute to the Sun is actually counter-productive and neglecting an essential truth -- the truth.
Devotees want to believe that ISKCON is a safe place; it is not, unless you have status and are worthy of the blessings of the elite (be a yes man). This is the way it is, and below are some examples of what ISKCON does that it shouldn't, and all of these are tolerated and in some cases directly endorsed by the GBC.
Import Indian devotees for paid pujari services
Collect money through fraudulent means and request donations for something other than what they were intended for in the first place
Install devotees as managers who have no experience of what it is to manage in a healthy and proactive way
Hold seminars on chanting and charge big money for it
Establish yoga systems that are clearly bogus, such as Atma yoga, and present this to the public as a genuine yoga system
Start big temple projects and neglect the needs of the devotees in order to establish a huge temple to attract Indian donors
Reduce Harinama and book distribution in favor of interfaith preaching, Indian Preaching, etc.
Establish Hindu societies in universities such as Oxford, etc., obtain huge financial support for it, and use that as one's wages
Allow renunciates to take degrees
Establish guru committees that 'train' gurus to be gurus -- how can one take a course to be a guru? Oh maybe it is a profession after all.
Allow renunciates to own expensive properties and have big bank accounts
Present ISKCON as a Hindu organization
Allow the publishing of vast amounts of literature by devotees and thus sell such in larger numbers than Srila Prabhupada's books
Collect money through fraudulent means and request donations for something other than what they were intended for in the first place
Install devotees as managers who have no experience of what it is to manage in a healthy and proactive way
Hold seminars on chanting and charge big money for it
Establish yoga systems that are clearly bogus, such as Atma yoga, and present this to the public as a genuine yoga system
Start big temple projects and neglect the needs of the devotees in order to establish a huge temple to attract Indian donors
Reduce Harinama and book distribution in favor of interfaith preaching, Indian Preaching, etc.
Establish Hindu societies in universities such as Oxford, etc., obtain huge financial support for it, and use that as one's wages
Allow renunciates to take degrees
Establish guru committees that 'train' gurus to be gurus -- how can one take a course to be a guru? Oh maybe it is a profession after all.
Allow renunciates to own expensive properties and have big bank accounts
Present ISKCON as a Hindu organization
Allow the publishing of vast amounts of literature by devotees and thus sell such in larger numbers than Srila Prabhupada's books
This list can go on ad infinitum, but the above are of specific concern to myself and serve as decent examples.
So, Kesava Krsna prabhu, I am writing this to you directly and factually and request you to take this point by point, including the deviation list above and please comment. I look forward to it.
I conclude by saying that to be part of the solution is to actually demand a whole fengshui of ISKCON and it's leadership. Being a positive example is nice, but will it really fight corruption? Right now, myself and many others cannot say with certainty that it is wise for newcomers to join ISKCON. Can you honestly say that it is safe to bring new members in?
I would appreciate it if you can give just reason of why the above-mentioned sanctioned activities should be allowed to continue. Evidence from sastra or Srila Prabhupada quotes can be used.
Sincerely,
Hari das
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-11/editorials7496.htm
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-11/editorials7498.htm
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-11/editorials7497.htm
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-11/editorials7499.htm
Resentment? You bet, lets hold hands with a gay Guru and go drill some gas in New Vrindavana, lets not chant our minimum 16 rounds, and have some grain feasts on Janmastami, and take some salary and stay in the temple
eat sleep and pass gas?
ISKCON resolve has dissolved long ago and was really a damage control, but a real ISKCON resolve is needed, it comes in my humble opinion when the zonal acarya system finally get a kick. We have an ISKCON Guru with over thousand disciples that does not chant 16 rounds daily and he is considered a pure vaisnava and so many of his disciples also do not chant their rounds because one cheater attracts other cheaters.
Soon there will be some kind of credit card machine where you pay for darshan of the Deities and the curtains close when your time is up only to open with another purchase of your credit card.
Actually I should not mention this because it will be considered a bonafide idea to make money in the temple one day. At least in USA/
There is GBC rules you can not do things that brakes the 4 regs, but ISKCON Brooklyn has a bingo hall,this is simply rascaldom and all that do not speak out about this are also watered down,and fearful for their socalled positions in ISKCON...
ys
Payonidhi das
PS and yes I am still of the opinion if more chant 64 rounds daily and do their best to avoid nama aparadha all this rascaldom will go away, but if you kick a dead horse it simply smells, in one ear out the other
http://nimaipandit.ning.com/profiles/blogs/here-is-more-nectar-what-is
http://nimaipandit.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gbc-proposal-to-chant-64
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