ISKCON GBC vs Lokanath Swami Molesting Investigation (Update)

Damodar Das:

[PADA: Not exactly sure what is going on with the Lokanath swami pedophilia case. 

(A) We are told the North American ISKCON GBC has authorized the Child Protection Office (CPO) to start to investigate the matter. 

(B) We are told the NA GBC has back pedaled, and told the CPO to stand down while they "sort out some details." Yep, we need to "sort out" if pedophiles are God's guru successors, or not? 

Meanwhile some of the Lokanath disciples are evidently arguing this is all about "a few of the white GBC guys from America" going after an "India National Guru." It is all about race! Ummm, nope, the (then) 11 years old girl victim of Lokanath swami's pedophile aggression is -- from an Indian family. This is really not a racial issue. 

Except maybe, it seems those of us on the forefront of going after the molesting acharya's issue are trending to be more from the "Western culture" -- while there seems to be a lot of blind following of the GBC's gurus in India. Case in point, vociferous defense of Lokanath by the India ICC folks. 

I think this has more to do with money than race, the GBC has a lot of wealth and India people tend to be poor and in need of a job, position and salary and so on, so they might latch onto ISKCON as an economic platform. Some people have actually told me that, give me the same salary I get from them, and I will join your team. 

Anyway, this is seeming to be the same problem they had all along -- that has no actual solution. The GBC misleads people into thinking such and such is a guru, and when they later try to pry that person out of his messiah position, ISKCON loses thousands of people, millions of dollars, and maybe a few buildings and programs. Or the Zone is turned into a ghost town and it goes bankrupt when the guru walks off with all of "his followers," and cleans out the temple safe of all the money in the Zone.

Anyway let us see what happens next. Even some of the GBC followers are telling PADA that this is the last straw for them. If the GBC does not fix this, they are quitting giving them any support. Of course the GBC are now in a position where they will lose support either way. If they keep Lokanath, they keep his followers, but lose all of his opponents, who are now considerable in number. And as a bonus for them, they (once again) look like compromisers with their pedophile gurus program.

But! If they get rid of Lokanath, then they lose him and maybe many thousands of his people. This was the same thing that happened in 1979 with Jayatirtha, keep him, or lose him, ISKCON loses either way. We cannot make conditioned souls into gurus without disastrous consequences, and they knew that all along since 1979. 

It is a problem that will go on forever, until they quit promoting conditioned souls as messiahs. Getting rid of Jayatirtha caused them to lose thousands of people, bankrupt the Zone, and lose the Croome Court building and so on and so forth. Then he got his head whacked off by a disgruntled disciple. 

It never ends well, and they knew that the whole while. Someone else said, this is all about these gurus and their multi-millionaire life styles, they are just too attached to all this now and so they have to continue their guru charade, to keep the loot coming into their coffers. Well there is another person who really is fried with them. That is the score. Every day we get another person like this one, they lose another person, we are gaining steam.  

ys pd]  

       

From the NA leadership:

Dear North American Devotee Community,

Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

There has been a great deal of recent discussion on the Internet and social media about Lokanath Swami, regarding an incident of sexual abuse of a minor that occurred in the Eastern United States in 1990. The North American GBC felt that the international GBC Body made a good faith effort at the time to investigate and respond to this case of child sexual abuse and placed some restrictions and mandates in place over his activities. 

Later, in 1998, when the Child Protection Office (CPO) office was established, the GBC Body felt that since Lokanath Swami had gone through a previous investigation, there was no need for the CPO to reexamine his case. In addition, due to the legal concept of double jeopardy, a person is not “adjudicated” repeatedly for the same offense.

However, in retrospect, the North American ISKCON Leadership Council (composed of NA GBC members and other leaders) now feel that the case needs re-examination because first, the full GBC was not aware of the extent and details of the actual sexual abuse of the eleven-year-old girl. Second, we feel that, regardless of double jeopardy, it was a serious procedural error to not have the CPO examine this case. 

In retrospect, we acknowledge that it would have been best for the case to have been dealt with by the Child Protection Office, which is independent from the GBC and other ISKCON management.

Therefore, the North American Leadership Council resolves the following:

The NAC requested that the Lokanath Swami case be turned over to the International Child Protection Office, which will work cooperatively with the North American Child Protection Office for a resolution that will be binding within ISKCON.

The GBC EC has agreed and the case has been turned over to the ICPO.

2. While the case undergoes further investigation and decision, Lokanath Swami is restricted from coming to North America nor initiating any aspiring disciples based in North America, including online initiations. Lokanatha Swami has agreed to comply with these conditions.

3. Further we recommend to the GBC Body and the Executive Committee, that Lokanath Swami be suspended from further initiations globally until his case is resolved by the CPO.

Finally, we apologize for any lack of vigilance or follow through with this case, which did occur in North America. There was undoubtedly great trauma, hurt, and confusion to the young girl and her family, that should never be caused by the actions of a trusted spiritual leader. Over the last 30 years, the ISKCON Society, the world in general, and we as individuals have developed a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the nature of the great harm caused by child abuse. The North American GBC and North American ISKCON Leadership Council members remain committed to the vital cause of child protection and considers child abuse to be Vaishnava aparadha. We will continue to strive to eradicate child abuse from our ISKCON Society.

Your servants,

ISKCON North American Leadership Council

=====================

Dhanesvara Das (ACBS)

Jvalamukhi DD has nailed it! So many devotees think its impossible that demons have infiltrated Iskcon to destroy it from within. That's the opinion of my now local GBC Bir Krishna Swami in response to my book (more about that later). So Jvala wrote a great essay titled "But You Have No Proof", a recap of Radhanath's reply to her when she went to him to reveal what was going on. 

It's a great essay (but long) and I'll put the link in the comment section. What I want to draw your attention to is the PROOF according to our Vedic wisdom. She absolutely nails it here!

“How can I be certain that what you are telling me is true?’ Every thinking person asks, and is asked, this question. Vedic philosophy arrives at certitude through pramana, which refers to sources of knowledge that are held to be valid. In the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, the school of Vedic knowledge that ISKCON represents, there are three pramanas: pratyaksa (direct perception), anumana (logical argument) and sabda (authoritative testimony). Of these, sabda is imperative, while pratyaksa and anumana are supportive.”

I will list some thought provoking questions in these three categories for your consideration.

Sabda - Authoritative Testimony

1. Do you accept the scriptures Srimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Mahabharata, The Puranas, the Vedas, the Bible etc. as factual accounts or mythology?

2. According to the Vedas, what are some of the demonic races of humanoids described?

3. Do these humanoids possess shape shifting abilities according to ancient histories?

4. What do these demonic beings eat?

5. Historically, what is their method of gaining power for their personal enjoyment and world domination schemes?

6. If you accept Srila Prabhupada as your authority, do you know that he said that this world is run by a handful of powerful rakshasa families?

7. Is there any description in the Vedas of a mass extinction of the rakshasa or reptilian naga race?

Anumana - Logical Argument

1. If raksasas (man eating shapeshifters) exist today, what might their activities be?

2. If what Srila Prabhupada said is correct about the raksasa families running the world, would it be much of a stretch to see the current events as their world take over plan that has been in the works for a very long time? (Remember, raksasas and nagas/reptile people have a much longer lifespan than humans do. They have the luxury of waiting decades and centuries for their plans to bear fruit.)

3. Is truth or comfort more important to you personally? Are you honest or courageous enough to re-examine your perceptions to accommodate the reported phenomena of satanic ritual abuse, or do you need for it not to be real so you can feel safe? Be honest please.

4. If this time period we presently live in is called Kali Yuga, aka, Satan Time Period, wouldn’t it naturally follow that people worship Satan?

5. What is the method of their worship? A: Human sacrifice, black magic, spirit cooking, pedophilia, etc.

6. Would they do that out in the open or do everything in their considerable power to cover it up, including but not limited to denying its very existence, and trying to make you the “crazy one”?

7. What is the yuga dharma? A: This Krishna consciousness movement, the congregational chanting of the Lord’s Holy Names

8. What did Srila Prabhupada say was the only thing that could stop ISKCON? A: Betrayal/fall down from inside.

9. Are there more or fewer demons in Kali Yuga?

10. What is the main objective of demons? A: To stop yajna or worship of God, to attack the Godly etc.

11. Is the most dangerous enemy known or unknown?

12. What positions in society could they cause the most damage by occupying?

13. Are most people leaders or followers?

14. Which one are you?

15. Do you accept that the process of devotional service actually works? If so, do you accept that the deity is non-different from Krsna?

16. Do you accept what Srila Prabhupada said, that Krsna will talk to you?

17. If you accept Krishna will talk to you, go ask Him directly if what I’m saying is true. I did.

18. When He does talk to you, answers your prayers, is that real or imaginary? Again, who do you accept as authority, Krishna in your heart, or the demon run society that covers up its man eating leaders?

Pratyaksa - Direct Perception

1. How many second generation suicides does it take to “prove” that something really really bad happened?

2. How many coverup/downplay attempts will it take to lose faith in the organization?

3. I had/have severe complex PTSD symptoms. They had to come from somewhere. Where did they come from? I had no conscious recall of any serious trauma or abuse until I was 34 when it all came flooding back as a direct result of a “purify me” prayer I said to Krishna. Coincidence? Or Divine arrangement?

4. Others testify to having the same experiences with the same perpetrators. They also have life long complex PTSD issues to heal from. How did that happen?

5. Objectively, I’ve led a very clean and honest life. It would be hard for anyone to call me ill motivated or crazy. Just the opposite in fact, is the feedback I get. I know my motive for everything is aimed at truth. I am telling you this if you don’t know me. Ask anyone who is honest, and they will tell you who I am. Character is currency in my book. Not trying to toot my own horn, but just sayin...

6. After telling old friends about the flashbacks and body memories I was going through, and they in turn freaking out at the implications, I decided not to speak about SRA anymore to anyone. A stranger on the airplane persisted in engaging me in conversation. I said as little about myself as possible, and yet within about thirty minutes, she announced, “It seems like what you experienced was ritual abuse.” 

My mouth fell open. “How did you know?” I asked her. She replied, “I train social workers. This was a divine appointment. Have you met Jesus? No one else will be able to bear your story.”

7. What is my motive? Another acquaintance, a follower of RNS told me, “What you are speaking will only bring you problems, you have nothing to gain from it, so I figured you must be telling the truth.”

8. Many Srila Prabhupada disciples say that the current ISKCON is not the same movement that they joined. According to one of the first devotees, Govinda Dasi, 80-90% of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples left or were pushed out right after his departure, leaving only new converts, and of course the families and their little kids who couldn't leave, who were just that naive and innocent, or maybe complicit or stupid.

I strongly urge you to read the essay. It's bold and courageous. And totally supports the conclusion of my book "Divine Or Demoniac? Spiriitual Movements and the Enemies Within" that there are indeed enemies within - and they are endeavoring to destroy Srila Prabhuipada's mission and legacy. 

Don't be a blind follower. Wake up and stop that from happening! Learn to recognize and reject the kali-chelas within.