In May 2021, the NAC and GBC EC instructed the International Child Protection Office (ICPO) to investigate Lokanath Swami’s case of child molestation that happened in 1990. This would be the first time since the victim and her family came forward in 1993 that this case would be investigated by the ICPO.
We appreciate the GBC finally doing the right thing and turning this case over to the ICPO.
We look forward to updated communications from the GBC in this matter.
If you would like to know more about this case, public documents are here:
https://satyavrata.wixsite.com/lokanathswami
Your servant,
Saraswati devi dasi
=========================
PADA: Oh oh! Here we go again! India's ISKCON ICC is attacking the molesting victims credibility, and attacking the messengers who represent the victims. Wow, that did not take long now did it? Defending the perps, while attacking the victims and the messengers of the victims. Told ya! And the GBC's great "India shastra scholars" evidently think acharyas are often illicit sex deviants, while us "mleccha fringies" know that acharyas are -- not ever -- debauchees?
And already some woman who read the GBC's leader's email (see below) complained "attacking victims, victim shaming, attacking the defenders of the victims of sexual abuse, including child sexual abuse, is what these ISKCON leaders have done all along since 1978. They need to go, or at least be exposed to stop further victims." Agreed.]
Camp: Frisco (Dallas) Texas, USA
Dear Readers,
Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
This letter is being sent out, addressed to "Sara Jones" aka Saraswati Devi Dasi, the daughter of godbrother / sister parents whom I knew during 1973 at ISKCON Chicago. They were residing at ISKCON Detroit at the time.
What you see below this is testimony about Lokanath Swami that contradicts the social media slander campaign that Saraswati has been conducting for the past two months or so (not sure exactly), along with others, against Lokanath Swami.
[PADA: Wrong. Lokanath's victim was 11 years old at the time, and she is the person who started the original complaint against Lokanath swami -- many years ago. She has had to make her own web site because of ISKCON GBC's cover up and inaction. She is trying to get a little justice from the "ISKCON Justice Committee" but then neither did Sulochana and hundreds of others get "justice" from these GBC's committees. So we all have to go independent, and we are.
Now, various ISKCON ladies -- and others -- are coming to the defense of Lokanath's victim, in part because there is a pattern of cover up for GBC gurus and other ISKCON sexual predators. This has not been "going on for only two months," more like decades, with no justice still in sight.
Now they are saying that getting justice for sexual abuse is "a slander campaign" which is exactly what they said about Sulochana. Did we forget to mention, that is how GBC folks get us dissenters killed? We are slandering "the guru," and so we become targets for banning, beating, suing, and assassinating. They don't have enough blood on their hands already, with their campaign to "silence victims and their advocates"?]
She is sadly ignorant of the facts of the case.
Now you all have her email address, as seen next to "To". Readers of the
following might like to write to her and advise her that:
1. Her campaign against Lokanath Swami is misguided and ill advised.
2. She ought not ignore the instructions of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad-gita
9.30, as well as Srila Prabhupada's comments to this Gita verse.
Now you all have her email address, as seen next to "To". Readers of the
following might like to write to her and advise her that:
1. Her campaign against Lokanath Swami is misguided and ill advised.
2. She ought not ignore the instructions of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad-gita
9.30, as well as Srila Prabhupada's comments to this Gita verse.
[PADA: Acharyas do not fall down, nor do they engage in abominable actions and then have to rectify themselves. Bhagavad Gita 9:30 is about having to be tolerant of the fall downs of neophytes, this does not mean acharyas are falling down left, right and center. Rather is is an offense to say acharyas are ordinary men who fall down.]
3. She should seriously consider what Gaura Das ACBSP, and the others who's
testimony appears below this, have written.
I hold no animonsity towards her. I feel affection for her and her parents - "long lost friends" of mine, who due to "daiva" (fate / the Paramatma), I haven't seen for the past 47 years!
From the testimony of Gaura Prabhu, she should consider that Srila Prabhupada's opinion that devotees should not be publicly embarrased ought to be accepted by those who claim to be his followers. But sure, it's up to her to consider and reflect on her actions. Are they in line with the teachings of vedic dharma? The decision is of course, her's.
Hope this meets you all well.
dasanudas,
Basu Ghosh Das
Facebook: Basu Ghosh Das
WhatsApp: +91-94260-54308
====================================
Something about Lokanath Swami.
by Maruti Dasa, aka Michael Wojcik, originally from Poland. He was Lokanath
Swami's personal servant for 5 years - from 1992 to 1996.
Seen in the attached picture to the left of Lokanath Swami.
The following was posted by him on the "Vedic Inquirer" Facebook page.
I’m not the most active person on social media but noticed major discussions regarding an incident about Lokanath Swami over the past few weeks. Firstly, I’m not affiliated with ISKCON anymore since I’ve disassociated myself from the movement approx 20 years ago due to disappointment in management and other personal reasons.
But, I am a former disciple of LS. Was his personal servant for a few years in the 90s, on and off since I was on Padayatra also and had lots of very close interaction with him. Initially I wasn’t sure what this was all about until I saw previous posts and comments of what incident is being referred to here.
I remember this incident clearly because I was still his personal servant in 93’. But what I can’t understand is how did LS come to be known as a molester?
The GBC knew very well then, that LS had unintentionally contravened the rules of a sanyasi by coming in physical contact with the young girl sitting next to him and also his hand touching the girls lap, whilst holding a book that she was reading. LS never denied that from the very beginning and was very embarrassed and remorseful because that shouldn’t have happened since he was a sanyasi.
[PADA: This was not a one time event, the molesting was repeated over a period of time. Repeated aggression is not "unintended." Maruti das does not quote from the complaint site of the victim, or her advocate's sites.]
He did very sincerely apologize for that but never did LS commit a sexual crime as it is clearly being portrayed here. I saw a letter of admission which is highly unlikely to be written by LS since most of those things in that letter as per my perception never actually occurred and I cannot recall hearing or seeing a letter like that before.
[PADA: Oh no, so Lokanath swami allowed someone else to ghost write an alleged apology letter penned by him, and a number of people claimed it was from him. But it was not from him? Why is this only being made known now?
testimony appears below this, have written.
I hold no animonsity towards her. I feel affection for her and her parents - "long lost friends" of mine, who due to "daiva" (fate / the Paramatma), I haven't seen for the past 47 years!
From the testimony of Gaura Prabhu, she should consider that Srila Prabhupada's opinion that devotees should not be publicly embarrased ought to be accepted by those who claim to be his followers. But sure, it's up to her to consider and reflect on her actions. Are they in line with the teachings of vedic dharma? The decision is of course, her's.
Hope this meets you all well.
dasanudas,
Basu Ghosh Das
Facebook: Basu Ghosh Das
WhatsApp: +91-94260-54308
====================================
Something about Lokanath Swami.
by Maruti Dasa, aka Michael Wojcik, originally from Poland. He was Lokanath
Swami's personal servant for 5 years - from 1992 to 1996.
Seen in the attached picture to the left of Lokanath Swami.
The following was posted by him on the "Vedic Inquirer" Facebook page.
I’m not the most active person on social media but noticed major discussions regarding an incident about Lokanath Swami over the past few weeks. Firstly, I’m not affiliated with ISKCON anymore since I’ve disassociated myself from the movement approx 20 years ago due to disappointment in management and other personal reasons.
But, I am a former disciple of LS. Was his personal servant for a few years in the 90s, on and off since I was on Padayatra also and had lots of very close interaction with him. Initially I wasn’t sure what this was all about until I saw previous posts and comments of what incident is being referred to here.
I remember this incident clearly because I was still his personal servant in 93’. But what I can’t understand is how did LS come to be known as a molester?
The GBC knew very well then, that LS had unintentionally contravened the rules of a sanyasi by coming in physical contact with the young girl sitting next to him and also his hand touching the girls lap, whilst holding a book that she was reading. LS never denied that from the very beginning and was very embarrassed and remorseful because that shouldn’t have happened since he was a sanyasi.
[PADA: This was not a one time event, the molesting was repeated over a period of time. Repeated aggression is not "unintended." Maruti das does not quote from the complaint site of the victim, or her advocate's sites.]
He did very sincerely apologize for that but never did LS commit a sexual crime as it is clearly being portrayed here. I saw a letter of admission which is highly unlikely to be written by LS since most of those things in that letter as per my perception never actually occurred and I cannot recall hearing or seeing a letter like that before.
[PADA: Oh no, so Lokanath swami allowed someone else to ghost write an alleged apology letter penned by him, and a number of people claimed it was from him. But it was not from him? Why is this only being made known now?
That letter of apology was presented to the victim -- and her family -- by some of the GBC's folks, as proof he is repentant. Now they are evidently saying, he never apologized in writing -- and is therefore not factually repentant? Why is this only being revealed at this late stage? And if he is not repentant, at least in writing, and he is withdrawing his written apology, does that not prove that further action is required?]
The fact that it said Bhakti Charu Swami helped write it is highly questionable since Bhakti Charu Swami truly understood the context of this incident and always stood by LS side. And if one knows Bhakti Charu Swami well, they’ll know that he’s also someone who will never be scared to show his disapproval or speak up against something as serious as child abuse irrespective of who the person is.
The fact that it said Bhakti Charu Swami helped write it is highly questionable since Bhakti Charu Swami truly understood the context of this incident and always stood by LS side. And if one knows Bhakti Charu Swami well, they’ll know that he’s also someone who will never be scared to show his disapproval or speak up against something as serious as child abuse irrespective of who the person is.
[PADA: Bhakti caru swami is "2/3 show of hands voted in" to the illicit sex with men, women and children guru parampara, that bans, beats, molests, sues and kills Vaishnavas. Where does he speak out about his program's deviations? He was maybe "scared" of us whistleblowers, but not scared of his GBC's debauchee guru gangster's program. He defended them all along.]
Yes, I know that some people say it is from reliable sources, but these are the same reliable sources that they have shown they have major grievances against by historically pushing things under the rug, etc. This makes me wonder if any of these letters were ever endorsed by LS?
Disciplinary action was taken against LS which he humbly accepted for mistakenly contravening the appropriate behavior of a sannyasi. In 98’ I wasn’t personally serving LS then, but was in India when this same issue came up again and again there was some disciplinary action taken against LS, which he accepted.
I just recently found out from one of his disciples that in 2010 (I had left ISKCON by then) the GBC passed sanctions on him again on the same issue after someone brought it up again, apparently after LS toured the US.
[PADA: So this guy was so fed up with GBC mis-managing, he had to leave. Now he is defending them, after publicly disassociating from them? I have full faith in the GBC, which is why -- I am publicly disassociating with them? Seriously folks? So a person who is fed up with ISKCON's mis-leaders, is the person hand selected to defend -- the leaders? And now this guy defends a program that says the Lord's pure guru representatives are -- sanctioned, censured, suspended, monitored and corrected for deviation?]
Again, he accepted the sanctions dished out by the GBC. This could only be LS because he was always a Prabhupada’s man not wanting to go against the GBC and tarnish the name of ISKCON. So, from what I know about it and from what most GBC members would have known, LS never committed any sexual misconduct.
[PADA: Except, the victim says there was sexual misconduct. And besides that, how would an 11 year old girl intimately know about sexual acts of any type? 11 years old children are not familiar with these types of activities, unless they are victims of a sexual predator / abuser. An expert on clinical child abuse psychotherapy told me that, the first thing they look for is -- when children know the details of sexual activity -- way before their age would normally allow for that knowledge. And! What is a censured and sanctioned acharya?]
His fault was that he accidentally contravened the codes of a sanyasi by coming in physical contact with a female, yes, he did touch a female but not that he touched someone inappropriately or abused or molested them. I know his mobility was very limited because his leg was in plaster and his personal assistant during that visit was with him.
[PADA: Oh no, it is the old Satsvarupa argument, "Prabhu, he is too ill to be chasing a woman." Hee hee, well he was chasing a woman, ill nor not.]
I personally spoke with this prabhu in 93’ and he was extremely shocked to hear that three years later there is some talk of inappropriate touching. It wasn’t a criminal sexual offense, but an indiscretion against the sannyasa ashram. There’s a major difference between the two.
[PADA: Except the parents wanted to go to the police and the GBC told them not to go, the GBC would handle it internally by blocking him from having further post of authority. That has not happened.]
I recall in 94’, during the Mayapur festival, that Tamal Krishna Maharaj and either Burijana Prabhu or Bhakti Charu Swami was in LS room when they spoke about this issue. Tamala Krishna Maharaj asked LS if he felt he had done something wrong or bad and LS said yes off course as a sannyasi I shouldn’t have had any physical contact with a female.
And LS went on to talk about different forms of sex such as in the mind, verbal, physical and so forth. Then TKG said yes I know that but Lokanath Maharaj, what I’m asking is, if you were not a sannyasi, a normal householder and you did the same thing, would you have thought it was wrong or a crime? Then LS said that for householders it is different because the nature of that ashram means you will be physically interacting with females at some stage but not for sannyasis. And then TKG said ok, that’s what I wanted to know.
[PADA: He is not a sannyasa, he is advertised as a parampara guru.]
From that I could again understand that LS did not commit a criminal sexual act but committed an indiscretion against the sannyasa ashram for which he apologized and was prepared to accept any disciplinary action. I remember
prior to these allegations, not hundred percent sure but could be in 92’, that the girl’s father, (Mr P) had called LS on one or two occasions whilst LS was in Delhi.
I remember because I answered at least one of those calls. I can assure you that there were absolutely no signs of any problems between LS and the family during that period.
[PADA: The family says there is a problem, and they initially wanted to go to the police, and they regret not having done that now.]
I may have issues with ISKCON leaders or managers, but LS being labelled as
a molester, in my very humble opinion is totally inaccurate.
I may have issues with ISKCON leaders or managers, but LS being labelled as
a molester, in my very humble opinion is totally inaccurate.
[PADA: You have "many issues" (doubts) with the GBC's messiahs, that means, they are not messiahs and it is a "big lie" to claim they are.]
I guess I feel for him because he has always been like a father, genuinely caring for all devotees. For all the years that I have interacted with him, I’ve never seen even a tinge of lust, agitation, greed or even anger in him.
[PADA: The whole GBC regime has been banning, beating, suing, molesting and assassinating Vaishnavas all along. That is combined lust, anger, and greed, and worse? And that is why there has been sexual predatory behaviors, illicit sex with men, women and children, if not attacking the victims and those who represent the victims.
And that is "caring for the devotees"? Devotees of what? Lokanath swami is a hand selected member of the illicit sex with men, women and children guru parampara. And that means, he is trying to corrupt the morals of children by being part of a process of instructing children that acharyas are often sexual predators, perverts, and / or pedophiles etc. His program is attacking children by telling them that acharyas are often sexual predators -- and even pedophiles. That is NOT caring for children, that is intentionally harming and corrupting them.]
I’m not saying he’s a pure devotee but he’s definitely not a child molester
or abuser and I can bet my life on that.
[PADA: So you had to "disassociate" from the GBC gurus, who are telling their people they are pure devotees, resulting in the beating and assassinating of dissenters, but at least they are not child molesters? Ummm, they are getting people banned, beaten, molested, sued and killed, but at least they are not child molesters? Wow! Sign me up!]
or abuser and I can bet my life on that.
[PADA: So you had to "disassociate" from the GBC gurus, who are telling their people they are pure devotees, resulting in the beating and assassinating of dissenters, but at least they are not child molesters? Ummm, they are getting people banned, beaten, molested, sued and killed, but at least they are not child molesters? Wow! Sign me up!]
It’s just unfortunate that people who haven’t associated with him, don’t know the actual facts about this incident, have seen some archived letters, misunderstanding the context about these admission letter and haven’t
communicated with the alleged victim has already passed judgement on him
because they think that LS is just like those that have disappointed them in
the past.
communicated with the alleged victim has already passed judgement on him
because they think that LS is just like those that have disappointed them in
the past.
[PADA: The victim has made a web site explaining the whole incident?]
He has too much culture and dignity in him and this is what will hurt him the most since his dignity as a human being has now been tremendously tarnished. His disciple mentioned that in 2010 when this thing came up again, LS suffered from insomnia for several months. I’m not surprised being the person he is.
He has too much culture and dignity in him and this is what will hurt him the most since his dignity as a human being has now been tremendously tarnished. His disciple mentioned that in 2010 when this thing came up again, LS suffered from insomnia for several months. I’m not surprised being the person he is.
[PADA: The dissenters are being banned, beaten and killed. What about their insomnia problem? Children victims have taken to drugs, and even suicide. What about them? Etc.!]
I have read some comments that in 30 years, his character was spotless. Again, I’m absolutely not surprised. If LS is a predator that so many people who don’t know him are making him out to be, then there most definitely would have been other different incidents or some complaints.
[PADA: The GBC covers up complaints, who knows if other complaints were made and covered up?]
Even if there weren’t any incidents, devotees associating with him would have definitely seen some deviant tendencies in him in this respect. He was then and most probably still is, one of the most tolerant and humble leaders in ISKCON. I have always seen him as a true saintly person. Maybe that’s why he’s become an easy target who knows. I’ve heard unlike most other sanyasi’s in ISKCON, LS still doesn’t have a bank account, own a car, a house, property or any other major material possessions. He probably carries a laptop now.
I have read some comments that in 30 years, his character was spotless. Again, I’m absolutely not surprised. If LS is a predator that so many people who don’t know him are making him out to be, then there most definitely would have been other different incidents or some complaints.
[PADA: The GBC covers up complaints, who knows if other complaints were made and covered up?]
Even if there weren’t any incidents, devotees associating with him would have definitely seen some deviant tendencies in him in this respect. He was then and most probably still is, one of the most tolerant and humble leaders in ISKCON. I have always seen him as a true saintly person. Maybe that’s why he’s become an easy target who knows. I’ve heard unlike most other sanyasi’s in ISKCON, LS still doesn’t have a bank account, own a car, a house, property or any other major material possessions. He probably carries a laptop now.
If I have any criticism against LS, it will be that he is too naïve and tolerant always having too much faith in his God brothers and management not knowing when or how to defend himself.
[PADA: He is not naive. He carefully plotted to suppress the complaint of this victim, and other ISKCON victims, with all sorts of clever tricks. He knows the entire GBC guru parampara contains illicit sex with men, women and children, and buries pedophiles in samadhi and so on and so forth, and he defends that regime with all sorts of clever word juggling.
He knows these things more than we know, because he is born in Bharat Varsha. He thus knows that it is extremely sinful to say Krishna's guru parampara is populated by illicit sex with men, women and children deviants. He should be preaching that concept to us mlecchas, and we mlecchas should not have to be preaching that to him.
That means he is deviating, knowingly. Now they are trying to paint us mlecchas as "fringies," which is how Lokanath swami's program gets us banned, beaten and killed for disagreeing with his sex with taxi driver's guru parampara.]
I think what you are trying to do is highly commendable by getting ISKCON senior leaders to clear up its act and to promote child protection since it’s an integral part of dharma. I myself have a fifteen-year old daughter now and I am always in anxiety due to the high rise in sexual crimes.
You are fighting for the right cause and I genuinely don’t think any of you have anything personal against LS or hate him, but just think that perhaps you have the wrong individual here. Yes, we cannot deny that there is an history of some of ISKCON Leaders trying to cover things up, but by trying to expose them, I am convinced you have inadvertently tarnished the dignity of an innocent saintly person and it’s probably too late now.
You are fighting for the right cause and I genuinely don’t think any of you have anything personal against LS or hate him, but just think that perhaps you have the wrong individual here. Yes, we cannot deny that there is an history of some of ISKCON Leaders trying to cover things up, but by trying to expose them, I am convinced you have inadvertently tarnished the dignity of an innocent saintly person and it’s probably too late now.
[PADA: What? There is a history of GBC leaders covering things up, so we should trust them now in this incident, or any other incident?]
Apologies for such a long message. I respectfully send this message as a neutral person since I am not connected to ISKCON anymore but felt that since I knew something about this incident and interacted very closely with LS, it is the right thing to do. Please don’t think that I am minimizing child abuse since that is the most awful thing a child or any human being can go through. Real perpetrators should pay the consequences.
Honestly, if I felt that LS is a child abuser and still support his innocence, then I’m a downright idiot.
Haribol!
Honestly, if I felt that LS is a child abuser and still support his innocence, then I’m a downright idiot.
Haribol!
[PADA: Well you may or may not be an idiot, but you have not understood the situation. Apart from that, Lokanath has been teaching little children that God's messiahs / gurus / acharyas are often sexual predators, drunks, debauchees, pedophiles, degraded lusty fools who have "oral sex with taxi drivers in the dham," and so forth. How is that innocent? That is an attack on all of the children in the universe.]
================================
Home Base: ISKCON Baroda
Camp: Frisco (Dallas) Texas, USA
Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,
Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Isvara Prabhu, originally from Nigeria, who joined ISKCON during 1977, and later on took reinitiation from Gaur Govinda Maharaj, and nowadays runs "Touchstone Books", his private business, at Vrindavan, sent me the following letter, a few days back via WhatsApp.
[PADA: Gaura Govinda Maharaja told me personally, "Kali Yuga has entered the highest places of management in ISKCON, and therefore it is a fact they make homosexuals and pedophiles into their acharyas." This guy is GGM's disciple, so he must know that the GBC makes homosexuals and pedophiles into their acharyas, because they are Kali chelas.]
It's a compelling letter and so I thought to share it with all of you. Thanks in advance for your consideration of his well written words. Hope this meets you all well.
dasanudas,
Basu Ghosh Das
Facebook: Basu Ghosh Das
WhatsApp: +91-94260-54308
========================
Home Base: ISKCON Baroda
Camp: Frisco (Dallas) Texas, USA
Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,
Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
Isvara Prabhu, originally from Nigeria, who joined ISKCON during 1977, and later on took reinitiation from Gaur Govinda Maharaj, and nowadays runs "Touchstone Books", his private business, at Vrindavan, sent me the following letter, a few days back via WhatsApp.
[PADA: Gaura Govinda Maharaja told me personally, "Kali Yuga has entered the highest places of management in ISKCON, and therefore it is a fact they make homosexuals and pedophiles into their acharyas." This guy is GGM's disciple, so he must know that the GBC makes homosexuals and pedophiles into their acharyas, because they are Kali chelas.]
It's a compelling letter and so I thought to share it with all of you. Thanks in advance for your consideration of his well written words. Hope this meets you all well.
dasanudas,
Basu Ghosh Das
Facebook: Basu Ghosh Das
WhatsApp: +91-94260-54308
========================
Dear Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I hope all is going well in South Africa.
I was taken aback a couple of weeks ago after reading the GBC supposed resolutions stopping HH Lokanatha Maharaja from further initiating new
disciples as well as stopping his ministerial assignments, all pending the CPO investigations into his alleged child molesting that happened more than 3 decades ago.
Many meaningful devotees who are aware of this episode of Maharaja in 1990
are all highly surprised that the GBC had to go back and reopen this incident, which was already dealt with at that time. There were GBC investigations, there were admissions on the part of Maharaja, then restrictions were placed on him for a few years, which Maharaja did comply with. I remembered Maharaja visiting us in our center in the Capitol Hill of Washington DC, around 1994, spending a week with us promoting Srila Prabhupada’s centennial.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I hope all is going well in South Africa.
I was taken aback a couple of weeks ago after reading the GBC supposed resolutions stopping HH Lokanatha Maharaja from further initiating new
disciples as well as stopping his ministerial assignments, all pending the CPO investigations into his alleged child molesting that happened more than 3 decades ago.
Many meaningful devotees who are aware of this episode of Maharaja in 1990
are all highly surprised that the GBC had to go back and reopen this incident, which was already dealt with at that time. There were GBC investigations, there were admissions on the part of Maharaja, then restrictions were placed on him for a few years, which Maharaja did comply with. I remembered Maharaja visiting us in our center in the Capitol Hill of Washington DC, around 1994, spending a week with us promoting Srila Prabhupada’s centennial.
His enthusiasm and dedication to the mission of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were totally beyond questions. It will be hard to find anyone who will not be inspired by the Krishna conscious dedication of HH Lokanatha Maharaja. I mean, he always fired up the environments wherever he is in, which is something he abides with up till today. I have never seen him in up or down situations ever since I have known him for the past 40 years. His kirtans are matchless and ever growing with varieties of melodies.
Over the years, he has written quite a number of books on the subject of pure bhakti. The yearly Vrindavan Vraja Mandal Parikram started by him and continues to depend on him only.
So, this event of 1990 was a one-time thing which sadhus oftentimes succumbed to. Such occurrences are reminders that no one is beyond mayadevi’s allurement. Many great sages such as Visvamitra, Saubhari Muni, and quite a bit of many, were all examples of this. Such occurrences usually solidify the faith of the devotees on how one has to be rigidly careful about material energy. However, all those sages quickly overcame such allurements and got back to the saintly path.
HH Lokanatha Maharaja is not a child abuser nor is he a predator. The event was a one-time thing. And that event was not overly gross molestation.
There were touching only on top of the cloth the girl was wearing. There wasn’t rape or even attempted rape. It was just touching that the girl said made her uncomfortable. In America, girls grow fast, and they start radiating their sexuality in their pre-puberty period. I knew many of our devotee pre-puberty girls in our American temples, who would literally just pull on brahmacaris dhotis as they were curious.
So, this event of 1990 was a one-time thing which sadhus oftentimes succumbed to. Such occurrences are reminders that no one is beyond mayadevi’s allurement. Many great sages such as Visvamitra, Saubhari Muni, and quite a bit of many, were all examples of this. Such occurrences usually solidify the faith of the devotees on how one has to be rigidly careful about material energy. However, all those sages quickly overcame such allurements and got back to the saintly path.
HH Lokanatha Maharaja is not a child abuser nor is he a predator. The event was a one-time thing. And that event was not overly gross molestation.
There were touching only on top of the cloth the girl was wearing. There wasn’t rape or even attempted rape. It was just touching that the girl said made her uncomfortable. In America, girls grow fast, and they start radiating their sexuality in their pre-puberty period. I knew many of our devotee pre-puberty girls in our American temples, who would literally just pull on brahmacaris dhotis as they were curious.
[PADA: Here we go, deja vu all over again, blaming the victims. Told ya!]
This was personal experience that they had to be fended off. Lokanatha Maharaja was confined to a situation in a householder's house for a week, then the host asked Maharaja to teach and discipline his preteen daughter, who was almost 12 at the time, and the girl was walking around the house in shorts, and sometimes
with just a towel on. So Maharaja, with little immobility he had, was subjected to viewing this, and thus he was overcome with the environment.
The senses got a little bit carried away that resulted in him touching the girl’s thigh. Definitely not a comfortable environment for a sannyasi. But somehow, the situation happened. Maharaja regretted his actions and he atoned for it.
Lord Krishna said sadhu who may commit a sinful act, is still a sadhu, and as he will quickly come back to his saintly status. You all know this. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur wrote that a sadhu’s status is not judged by what he previously did but what he is doing currently. All the ISKCON leadership can attest to wonderful services Maharaja is doing. He has built 4 or 5 temples, initiated thousands of disciples all over the world, and continues to be an inspiration to many ISKCON devotees. On top of all that, he is 100% Srila Prabhupada’s man.
[PADA: Teaching children that acharyas are often engaged in illicit sex with men, women and children, is teaching what Srila Prabhupada is teaching? Sorry, Srila Prabhupada teaches that acharyas are pure and there are no examples of ANY of them engaging in illicit sex with men, women and children.
Lokanath's program supports that God's messiahs are often degraded, and sometimes even pedophiles and debauchees, which is fine for him because he is a willing adult so he can worship whatever he likes. But no, he wants to drag all of the children in the world to hell by teaching them that God's messiahs are generally debauchees, drunks, and pedophiles -- who orchestrate mass child molesting regimes.]
Are we to judge the moon by some black spots we are seeing, or judging the moon by what it is to the world? Isn’t the duties of the GBC to represents the interest of the ISKCON devotees who are strictly following and carrying on the mission of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, or is the GBC simply want to represent the interests of the fringe devotees who were ex-gurukulis, but no longer interested in pursuing Krishna consciousness, not even practicing,
and are mainly interested in doing damage to the ISKCON mission?
and are mainly interested in doing damage to the ISKCON mission?
It's obvious all right-thinking persons are mortified by what happened to them,
and the rightful punishments should be doled out to the perpetrators. But why go after a soft target like Lokanatha Maharaja? It's not even the alleged girl, Satya, or her family, that is making the complaints now, but these fringe so-called ex-gurukuli devotees, who just want to take down a prominent ISKCON leader.
and the rightful punishments should be doled out to the perpetrators. But why go after a soft target like Lokanatha Maharaja? It's not even the alleged girl, Satya, or her family, that is making the complaints now, but these fringe so-called ex-gurukuli devotees, who just want to take down a prominent ISKCON leader.
[PADA: What a pack of lies! No, Satya and her family are still complaining, this was never resolved. Now this person is complaining, only the fringies know that God's messiahs and acharyas are not illicit sex with men, women and children deviants?]
GBC deciding to take up this case is mind-boggling. I am not sure if you are
aware of tsunami of discussions going on Facebook; the Indian devotees see this as a racial discrimination that the white-bodied ISKCON GBC targeting an Indian bodied sadhu.
aware of tsunami of discussions going on Facebook; the Indian devotees see this as a racial discrimination that the white-bodied ISKCON GBC targeting an Indian bodied sadhu.
[PADA: The victim is an Indian girl? Why does any India person agree with a "guru parampara from Krishna" that contains illicit sex with men, women and children? Why do we mlecchas know that debauchees are not, were not, could not have been Krishna's guru successors? Why is India allowing pedophiles and porno swamis to be buried in samadhi in their holy dham, when a India born person from Vrndavana writes to me -- that I have more concern for the dham -- than the people living there -- who are acquiescing with the pedophile and porno swami samadhi process? Where are the great defenders of the culture of Bharat, when they join a group that says Bharat acharyas are often debauchees?]
This is their conversation, and I don’t blame them.
Many Western devotees are also supporting them as they don’t see any reason
why the GBC should take up this path of seeking to remove Lokanatha Maharaja
from his position of initiating disciples and all ministerial appointments
why the GBC should take up this path of seeking to remove Lokanatha Maharaja
from his position of initiating disciples and all ministerial appointments
in the GBC. If the CPO reports come against Maharaja due to manipulations, will the GBC now tell the world that Lokanatha Maharaja has been removed from everything, and that he should go home etc? Virtually many ISKCON leaders, including the GBCs have got some skeletons in their closet, are we now ready to start going after everyone?
[PADA: The leaders have skeletons in their closet? Right, the messiahs of God from heaven have skeletons in their closet. What more can we add to that? Hee hee! This is great! They are acharyas. They are residents of Krishna loka. They are pure devotees of God. They only speak as God dictates. Therefore!, -- they have a closet full of sins, if not the skeletons of people who were banned, beaten, molested and killed.
And in sum, God's messiahs have a closet full of cover up of for all sorts of crimes, including orchestrating a child molesting regime? What kind of God has such messiahs as His pure representation?]
This of course is not healthy for spiritual life. It is a faith killer. Krishna conscious process works. This act of the GBC is killing the faith, not solidifying it. I just heard that the GBC is bending now in pursuing this allegation against HH Lokanatha Maharaja. My plea is that GBC stops this, wind up all undue investigations which will result in simply heartbreaks for all, as we are
not dealing with a perpetrator, but some acts of revenge just to show an
example. But wrong-placed example. The GBC duty is to increase the faith in
the process that ours is a path of mercy, not path of retributions.
I know you and many members of the GBC are trying your best for the mission
of Srila Prabhupada, but this action is not pleasing to huge numbers of
ISKCON devotees, especially in India and should be reversed.
Your servant,
Isvara dasa
===========================
From a Facebook comment by Gaura Das (ACBSP - Canada):
If we have an issue with someone we should take it up to them personally instead of humiliating them. This is how Srila Prabhupada did things.
not dealing with a perpetrator, but some acts of revenge just to show an
example. But wrong-placed example. The GBC duty is to increase the faith in
the process that ours is a path of mercy, not path of retributions.
I know you and many members of the GBC are trying your best for the mission
of Srila Prabhupada, but this action is not pleasing to huge numbers of
ISKCON devotees, especially in India and should be reversed.
Your servant,
Isvara dasa
===========================
From a Facebook comment by Gaura Das (ACBSP - Canada):
If we have an issue with someone we should take it up to them personally instead of humiliating them. This is how Srila Prabhupada did things.
[PADA: Sure, go and complain at the GBC's temple, and get banned, beaten, or assassinated. Sign me up!]
Srila Prabhupada accused one of his disciples of being a "Murderer" when he
found out how he had humiliated another godbrother in Public. Srila
Prabhupada wanted to help that devotee from his falldown, but the godbrother
that had humilated the fallen one embarrassed him so much that he wrecked
Prabhupada's plans to help him. Later when Madhuvisa prabhu came to visit
Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada asked him "Where is your wife"? He did not
humiliate him. he wanted to encourage him to continue doing devotional
service.
[PADA: Srila Prabhupada said at the time, no more sannyasa, that was not done. And apart from that, the GBC are not claiming to be minor league sannyasa, but full blown acharya residents of Vaikuntha. Acharyas are not engaged in illicit sex with men, women and children, touching little children inappropriately, being drunks, offering LSD to the shalagram, or anything of the sort. Why doesn't Lokanath / and his GBC pals / know that? I forgot! Only us mleccha fringies know that, not them? ys pd]
found out how he had humiliated another godbrother in Public. Srila
Prabhupada wanted to help that devotee from his falldown, but the godbrother
that had humilated the fallen one embarrassed him so much that he wrecked
Prabhupada's plans to help him. Later when Madhuvisa prabhu came to visit
Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada asked him "Where is your wife"? He did not
humiliate him. he wanted to encourage him to continue doing devotional
service.
[PADA: Srila Prabhupada said at the time, no more sannyasa, that was not done. And apart from that, the GBC are not claiming to be minor league sannyasa, but full blown acharya residents of Vaikuntha. Acharyas are not engaged in illicit sex with men, women and children, touching little children inappropriately, being drunks, offering LSD to the shalagram, or anything of the sort. Why doesn't Lokanath / and his GBC pals / know that? I forgot! Only us mleccha fringies know that, not them? ys pd]
LD: Now here is a switch ... even I did not expect. The "white caucasian people" ... are bogus ... because they do not want to have pedophiles worshiped as Krishna's guru successors ... in India. Because! They are racists! Of course!
ReplyDeleteIndia's ISKCON ICC wants pedophiles to be worshiped as Krishna's successors ... because we are the real all India scholars! Really? The India scholar fellows should be at the battlefront attacking the pedophile guru successors idea.
Instead ... the caucasian hamburger and Vodka society has to point out ... that pedophiles are ... NOT ... Krishna's guru successors? That really proves ... in Kali yuga ... irreligion becomes religion. There is no record (in India's Vedas) of people worshiping pedophiles as Krishna's guru successors. They just made this up ... so they can fleece people in India for donations. $$$ Then they can live like fat slobs that they are ... by promoting their pedophile guru operation.
Follow the money. They are promoting pedophiles as Krishna's successors ... simply in order to make money. There is no other purpose for their doing that ... in the final countdown. Many have become rich by saying pedophiles are Krishna's gurus ... and that is why they are so relucting to change.
It is sad that people in India would say pedophiles are Krishna's gurus and successors. M Dasi is right!!! Then they wonder why people are dying all over India ... and people are smelling death all the time. Any bogus society ... that says Krishna's successors are pedophiles ... will have to suffer. That is the right idea. Go ahead ... make pedophiles into Krishna's successors!
And then just see the result already ... suffer and die. That is the result ... and then they go to the planets of the pedophile gurus. These ICC India scholars are ... looking like ... the worst scholars on the planet. Pedophiles are gurus ... and they write papers for the GBC to help that along. I am glad people are standing up to them. Let us get this pile of rats cleaned up! Skeletons in the closet of the acharyas ... where do these people get these ideas from?
SGD: Whoaa! This "defender of Lokanath" person has disassociated with ISKCON ... seems like due to conflicts with the management (the gurus). This is a vote of no confidence in the managers (the gurus). But he is now going to "recall what happened" in this case. And the other one says these leaders have skeletons in their closets. And this is their defense team?
ReplyDeleteWait! He has no confidence in the management already? I have no confidence in these clowns ... and have disassociated from them ... therefore I am here to defend them. And what about all the other "personal servants" who heard no evil, saw no evil, did not speak up about the evil? These are the people we can trust the most ... the on site "silent observers" who did nothing much ... the whole time?
Did we forget something important? Now the India ICC management team defenders say ... it is the Western people who are attacking Lokanath ... because they are racist! Not only ... want us fallen Westerners to worship their pedophiles ... they want to make worship of pedophiles a race issue. Only our superior pious race worships pedophiles ... you fallen Western race people are not advanced enough to worship pedophiles. Am I losing my mind here ... or does this sound totally insane to others as well? How is worship of pedophiles the quality of the advanced race? I am stunned at the stupidity and arrogance here.
And really! What does it matter to Yamaraja ... if the person who worships pedophiles is one race or the other? Actually it does matter. If a person born in Krishna's land makes pedophiles into Krishna's successor gurus ... that person will be punished in hell far worse than us.
They are expected to know better. You are the superior race. You are born with Krishna on your doorstep. If you are the ones making pedophiles into Krishna's successors ... then you have to go to worse hell than us ... because you are supposed to lead us. You have a far greater load of responsibility ... than us. Leading the fallen Western people to your pedophile guru worship ... makes you FAR more condemned than anything we could do ... because at least we can plead ignorance to Yamaraja. You have no excuse. You should already know it is sinful to make pedophiles into Krishna's gurus. And if you defy these important standards ... you will be judged far worse than us.
Race does matter. Bharat people have a bigger duty than us. Failing to do your duty ... takes you down lower than us ... because with a gift of Krishna on your doorstep at birth ... you have a greater responsibility to serve Him properly. Making pedophiles into His successors will take you down ... and you will be judged worse. We are therefore very lucky not to be born in Bharat ... because we will not be lumped into your pedophile guru system. We were saved by being separated from you fools at birth. To be born in a place where pedophiles are being worshiped as Krishna's guru successors is a giant horrible curse. Thank God I was saved from that curse. You people are not saved ... and you will never be saved until you fix this.
SRD: Michael Wojcik you write that you 'doubt the authenticity of the admission letter' that is attributed to Lokanath Maharaj. Cool! Given that this letter has been around (publicly available) for about 10 years, and given that in all this time neither Lokanath Maharaj nor his disciples have ever brought forth any credible challenge to its authenticity, I'd say that it's pretty credible!
ReplyDeleteIf your version of events was even remotely accurate, the GBC world have never seen the necessity to impose any kind of restrictions on Lokanath Maharaj and neither world he have accepted.
You're suggesting that Maharaj was suspended from initiating because he accidentally brushed up against a young girl. If that was the standard in ISKCON, we would have seen many more suspensions...
Have you asked yourself why if your version of events is indeed accurate over the years Lokanath Maharaj hasn't challenged these allegations?
I'll tell you what Maharaj has never done, he's never come out and said:
"I never wrote that letter and I've never molested that child".
I'll tell you what he has done though. He has written several letters, some of which have been widely circulated wherein he admits to having committed different degrees of abuse to the child in question.
He wrote:
1. An aplogy letter to Satya and her family in 1993,
2. A letter to be presented to his disciples in 1998,
3. The acknowledgement letter in 2010,
4. One to existing disciples in 2012,
5. Another letter for prospective disciples in 2012.
As you can imagine it's a little difficult to come out and proclaim your innocence when for years you've been admitting your guilt to your God brothers, disciples and the world...
My problem with your idea is that on one hand we have several letters of admission by Lokanath Maharaj and a number of GBC correspondence that describe several transgressions over several days. We also have GBC restrictions and sanctions; and on the other we have your vague memories of a conversation, your feelings and beliefs, coming from a brand new Facebook profile that looks very very fake....
GBC tend to be exceptionally lenient with each other's transgressions, as has been the case with Lokanath Maharaj, for the GBC to impose so many sanctions, it is evident, at least to me, that they had reason to belive that the nature of the transgressions committed by Lokanath Maharaj were very serious.
How many other innocent Sannyasis do you know who wrote so many letters wherein they admit to molesting a child???
GKD: Dear PADA Gaura das (ACBSP) is quoted as an authority by Basughosh? Nandalal dd who was found dead in her house three weeks after she wrote this, see below. She used to be a co-admin of Gaura's "Prabhupada disciples reunion forum". The next day after her dead body was brought to the local mortuary by the Rome municipality, Floyd County, Georgia her laptop was stolen by some folks in Alachua who posted it on facebook.
ReplyDelete"Haribol Prabhu, I am not a member of this group altho at one time I was one of the Admins. When Gaura exposed his genitals to me twice on Skype I left and took him up before ISKCON Resolve at the suggestion of Brahmatirtha Prabhu. He did admit that he had exposed himself, but argued that it was all a big mistake. However, the psychologist who was chosen especially due to the issues involved said to him "Yes, but then you did it again after Nandalal dasi confronted you. That cannot be a mistake!" Ever since then their policy has been to attack me rather than stop the behavior. Since then I know of at least 2 other people he exposed himself to: one another of our godsisters and one was not on Skype but was one of our godbrothers. Ramesvara knows about this and so does Sevananda and Ekanatha. Interesting and sad to see how men in our movement cover up (no pun intended) for one another. I also told Bhumi about this and she called me a liar. At the time she had not been chanting her rounds for about 2 months. Anyway, The Legacy Project has nothing to do with the object of Gaura's group. If you choose not to share your email that is your choice. SP's disciples deserve to have the Memoirs and their Memorials along with their photos collected in an organized manner as they are a part of the history of ISKCON and the legacy we should be leaving behind in an organized manner for all those that are coming up after us. Best wishes to you.
PS, I have chosen not to publicly fight with Gaura or his groupies for the moment. I am, however actively looking for others that he has exposed himself to as I feel this is an issue that should be dealt with by a psychiatrist. I very much dislike the idea that he has such disrespect for the ladies that Srila Prabhupada accepted as his disciples. I should add, however, that they have publicly attacked me several times. Sevananda just recently publicly attacked me on the post where I announced we are working on a website, by calling me a 'loose cannon'. It is unfortunate that these types of attacks further divide our Movement. I also feel sad that they are fond of calling themselves 'senior disciples'. When Gaura exposed himself, he was also not chanting his rounds and I had been told by Ekanatha that he had not consistently been chanting them for years.