Devotees need to get out of denial

[PADA: This is a good analysis of how so many of our ISKCON devotees recall the past in the abstract / third person -- "some people were doing this and that deviation," failing to mention "they" were one of those people! Without the support of many of our God brothers and Gaudiya Matha deviants, worship of these gurus never would have survived. So this is a nice analysis, why aren't you not just coming out and saying "you" were one of the big exponents of "His Divine Grace Srila Kirtanananda Bhaktipada" and his criminal and child molester regime? This is the same trouble we have had with the GBC gurus in general, Narayana Maharaja, Sridhara Maharaja, Gaura Govind maharaja et al. clans, ... these folks have been supporting the bogus GBC gurus -- thus causing these bogus gurus to thrive, now its all about re-writing history -- "bogus people were supporting the GBC gurus," no, you and your bogus leaders were supporting the GBC gurus. Its good that more people are finally rejecting these bogus gurus, but, for those who supported them, there has to be more honest accounting and less denial. ys pd]  

Hrisikesh dasa, You Forgot to Mention…

BY: SARTIAVATE DEVI DASI

Sep 28, 2011 — USA (SUN) — It has been awhile since your last visit (90's), when I purchased "A Classical Christmas" CD with you playing the accordion. I always thought of you as a brilliant musician. I can NOT imagine how you must feel? After serving for years, just to be disappointed. In my years in Krishna Consciousness, I must say, I have found devotes who (like yourself) have had a similar experience and somehow they find the way to forgive and move on by Krishna's grace. As you said, 'thankfully, you can distinguish between the message and the messenger', and now that you have become the messenger, "his spiritual master (ACBSP) speaking through me", you got my attention.

I notice you included yourself in the paragraph:

"he had an entire "harem" of gurukula boys living on the same floor right in his house just a few steps from his bedroom. The adult brahmacharis, myself included, lived in the basement"

(the basement door was unlocked at all times and everyone living in the ashram below had access to the upper floor were the second toilet was), but you forgot to include yourself in the following paragraphs:

"Prabhupada said that even if the spiritual master goes to a liquor shop, he is not a drunkard; rather, he must have some purpose in going there."

Here, you are speaking of your personal experience as you went every night to a Manhattan bar dressed in a suit and tie and collected one thousand dollars in a couple of hours. And:

"With the influx of millions of dollars from traveling fundraising parties illegally selling paraphernalia with unlicensed copyrighted logos and trademarks, New Vrindaban became the second-largest employer"

where you voluntarily participated as one of the top collectors.

"Devotees wore Franciscan-style robes instead of dhotis and saris; they chanted in English with western instruments such as the pipe organ and accordions instead of chanting in Sanskrit and Bengali with mrdanga drums and cymbals; male devotees grew hair and beards instead of shaving their heads and faces; female devotees were initiated into the renounced order and encouraged to preach independently; japa was practiced silently;"

Here you forgot to mention that you were instrumental in the purchasing of such a pipe organ and being a musician, had been able to play such an instrument costing thousands of dollars. As I remember, you were the one playing in the above way during my last Sunday Feast at New Vrindaban.

"With the help of his personal servant he used deceitful means to try to keep up the appearance of being in control."

You, Hrisikesh dasa, were his personal servant.

Come On Brother! Come chant Hare Krishna in association of devotes. Surely, we can use an accordion. We cannot promise you fame, wealth or power (Krishna more likely will remove all that), but you will become happy!

Sartiavate devi