Kurma Rupa / Are Criminals "Doing Service to God"?

 
Criticism of Leadership

BY: KURMA RUPA Dasa

"Those who have been following the 'Preserve the Farm in Costa Rica' Campaign may be interested to note the contrast in how ISKCON leaders and the Yadu dynasty differ in the matter of facing criticism.

Once in Dvaraka, a brahmana's son died immediately after being born and the distressed father took it that if a child died before his parents, it indicated that the king was failing to perform his duties properly. The brahmana went before King Ugrasena and called him brahma-dvisah (one who is envious of the Vedas and brahmanas); Satha-dhi, (falsely intelligent); lubdha (greedy); visayatmanah (self-interested); and ksatra-bandhu (unqualified ksatriya).

The brahmana further declared, "No one should offer respects or worship to a king whose only business is envy... If such a king is worshiped or honored by the citizens, the citizens will never be happy. They will always remain poor, full of anxieties and aggrievement, and always unhappy." 

(Krsna Book, Chapter Eighty-nine, The Superexcellent Power of Krsna.)

This is what a Dvaraka brahmana publicly declared about the King of the Yadu dynasty. What was King Ugrasena's reaction? He tolerated the harsh speech not once, but NINE TIMES and contemplated how to relieve the brahmana of his distress. Interestingly he did not in any way retaliate against the brahmana or attempt to discredit him in any way. 

In due course Arjuna rose to action to support King Ugrasena, not by calling the brahmana's character into question, but by taking a vow to return the brahmana's son or die! The principle to be noted is that the real ksatriyas (managers) take the responsibility of satisfying their subjects as their life and soul. When a discrepancy in their kingdom or zone is pointed out, they contemplate carefully how to relieve the situation and take corrective action. 

And their supporters like Arjuna, do not attack the truth-sayer or dismiss his complaint because of the tone of his speech, rather they vow to appease him even if it means sacrificing their very life.

I notice quite a different standard in ISKCON today. There are unspoken rules and assumptions in place to insulate the leaders from all criticism. One such assumption is that those with titles and tenure are the most sincere and dedicated followers of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna and if there appears to be a discrepancy in their behavior, it is owing to the envious nature of the complainer. No exceptions.

One such unspoken rule is that if a discrepancy is discovered in a leader, it is the duty of the accuser to present it on his knees with folded hands with the voice of an angel behind closed doors so that the reputation of the wayward leader can be preserved. If this etiquette is not strictly observed, the accused leader is in no way obliged to respond and his silence is justified.

The cardinal sin is not to fail one's subordinates (guror na sya syat) but to publicly discredit the leader in question with truths. It is a misdemeanor for a leader to fail in his duty; yet it is a felony to make his failure publicly known. And the more thoroughly, convincingly and loudly solid evidence is presented to expose the deviant leader, the more severe the crime is considered. And those who dare to speak out are labeled envious faultfinders, uncivilized, unreasonable and it is every good devotee's duty to avoid them at all costs.

Quite a contrast, isn't it?

Please note that though King Ugrasena failed the brahmana indirectly, he was accosted with very strong words. In contrast, when ISKCON leaders fail their subjects directly by removing the Deities from Their temple in the middle of the night and a brahmana refers to them in mild terms like "fallible man" or compares their behavior to that of a scorpion, the accuser - not the leaders - is charged with outrageous behavior!

Mahatma Vidura is another Vedic hero who boldly compared his deviant king to a dog and the Bhagavatam hails is him as a sadhu. In contrast, members of ISKCON who support and defend questionable leaders are hailed as sadhus!
Does Srila Prabhupada want us to follow the behavioral standards exhibited by the exalted devotees of the Bhagavatam, or the unspoken standards of ISKCON today?"

[PADA: Right! First of all these "leaders" are also wearing the hats of "self realized acharyas" -- which helps them create dangerous and fanatical cults. Mother M Dasi was discussing this with PADA -- that we can see how all this violent cultism is rationalized when GBC apologists such as Bhakti Vikas swami -- and other GBC ilk -- essentially try to say people like Harikesh, Satsvarupa, Ramesvara, Bhagavan, Bhavananda etc. "went mad from doing too much service." 

That means: the more one serves Krishna, the more one can expect to become a criminal engaged in illicit sex and all sorts of other deviations, and in the end -- one becomes a mad fool. This is the result of "too much serving Krishna"?

What kind of advertising is that for worship of Krishna? 

The more we serve Krishna, the more we tend to become mad fools, chasing disciples for sex and engaging in abominable behaviors? No, these leaders are not serving Krishna, they are serving themselves. And that is why they collapse under the weight of their offenses. 

M Dasi is very alarmed, if the SAME people who are causing all sorts of banning, beating, molesting, lawsuits and murders -- towards God's devotees -- are "doing a lot of service to God" -- then heaven help the devotees of God, and the rest of human society. It is justifying all their crimes as some sort of spiritual activity.

She asks, why would Bhakti Vikas swami try to justify all their banning, beating, molesting, suing and killing of the Vaishnavas as -- doing a lot of service to God? And we already know the answer, as Kurma Rupa explains above, they more or less support criminals and criminal behaviors, and attack the people trying to rectify the situation. 

M Dasi thinks this is a very dangerous precedent idea, the people who oppress Vaishnavas "are doing a lot of service to God." They become mad criminals from doing that "service." No, they become mad fools because they are criminals and offenders, not servants of God. Never mind all the bad press media public exposes of the Krishna religion as -- worshipers of mad criminal fools. How is that helping? 

This all validates the corruption as something bona fide, and in fact, as service to God. Bhakti Vikas is trying to make mad criminals into people who are not only servants of God, they are doing "too much" service, so they fail. Yep sounds about right to me! The more one serves God, the more one becomes a mad criminal. And that is why Bhakti Vikas Swami is the darling of many GBC people, he is their best enabler and apologist. ys pd]