Do you have the Arjuna Syndrome? (Garuda Das)

Do you have the Arjuna Syndrome?

My Dear Vaishnava Sisters and Brothers,

I offer all of you my affectionate praṇāmas. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

All our relationships in this life, according to our Bhakti tradition, are meant to teach us how to love, how to love purely, and ultimately how to offer all our hearts to the divine, Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Krishna.

However, undoubtedly, an essential part of our life experiences in Krishna Bhakti are at times personal vexing challenges, losses, and sadness within our attempts to connect with one another in loving devotee exchanges. Exercising the heart, deepening the heart, and developing a more sensitive heart, indeed, can involve painful experiences. And all of this is natural, and, at times, can also feel naturally unbearable.

However, there are certain challenges in our Vaishnava relationships that can push us beyond the limits of what might be considered normal challenges, or challenges one can be naturally expected in the course of pursuing fairly common dealings. The challenges I'm speaking of here is when evil and even criminal actions appear in our lives.

Let me be even more specific:

When we find ourselves in a relationship with another Vaishnava [or Vaishnavas], whom we have appreciated, and even loved, finding their company to be nourishing in many ways, only to later discover that they have an evil side, or past—they have hurt people in ways we could have never imagined.

This type of vexing and painful situation in which we all too commonly find ourselves in ISKCON, happens to be represented beautifully in a sort of paradigmatic way by Arjuna's situation on the battlefield of Kurushetra: Arjuna loved, respected, and even revered many of those who appeared on the opposing side of the battlefield in the army of the Kurus—the enemies, the hurtful, destructive ones.

As such, Arjuna was faced with a painful conundrum, an irresolvable ethical dilemma: having to go to war—and even kill those who clearly represent evil—while internally battling with his love and affection for the very same people he aimed to destroy!

This extremely uncomfortable experience—with which the Bhagavad Gītā dramatically opens its narrative—is what I call the “Arjuna syndrome,” and possibly one of the most painful situations we as souls can find ourselves in: to see the evil before us, even when it has been carried out by a devotee. After all, the Gītā warns us that we not deceive ourselves and fall into denial, for “nothing comes from repression” (BG 3.33). Yet, when we accept that a person we love and admire has behaved in very harmful ways, it is painful.

I, personally, have been challenged by this Arjuna syndrome in my relationship with various different devotees over time. It hurts to discover that godbrothers of mine, for example, have used their position of authority to take advantage of devotees they were supposed to be guiding and inspiring.

It is true that we human beings have many sides to us. And it is true that we rarely know all sides of most of those with whom we interact. So, naturally, there is a certain amount of trust that we exercise with one another. We generally assume that most persons are good, that most devotees are upright even though we may struggle at times and that we may be involved in some hurtful dealings.

But when an unknown, dark side of a devotee emerges that is severely transgressive, and we become aware of behaviors of theirs that are tantamount to truly evil acts—even ones that are deemed criminal in most cultures, such as repeated child abuse—then these things can easily be seen as "unforgivable."

Such acts, ones that are so destructive, so deeply hurtful, that they are utterly irreversible, bring us to understand "the Arjuna syndrome." And, like Arjuna, when we are afflicted by the Arjuna syndrome, it hurls us into a most painful state of grief, śoka.

But just as Arjuna ultimately discovers, his "grief" turns into "grace." If we can sit with this grief, acknowledge this grief, feel the pain of this grief (as Arjuna did), then we will, like Arjuna, see deeper understandings, deeper connections with the divine within, and the divine without. Can we appreciate the divinity who is right in front of us (albeit, perhaps in disguised forms), during such intense grieving in our lives, just as Krishna was right in front of Arjuna during his time of deep grief and despondence? And what is this grace asking of us when we find ourselves in such circumstances? Do we just sit by and allow the evil to continue, or do we get up and “fight,” as Arjuna did?

If so, how can we do this? I believe that there is no specific formula, as divine grace comes to us in many forms in the devotional life, and the ways it calls out to each of us will be uniquely corresponding to the inner gifts we can each offer to one another, and the Movement. But we can expect to create a positive effect in the world, in response to the evils we see, only if we are willing to honestly recognize the Arjuna syndrome fully: to admit that even people we love can behave in reprehensible ways.

Krishna may not be immediately visible to us (as he was to Arjuna), even though he is present in so many ways before us. But if we're willing to do the kind of inner probing and introspection that Arjuna was willing to undergo through the guiding and loving hand of his "guru," then divine grace naturally manifests so sweetly in our lives—and clarity about how to act in response will arrive.

Perhaps, the key is to seek closer, more authentic relationships with other Vaishnavas: connections that are based in integrity, honesty, openness, straightforwardness, etc. Only when we are willing to share as deeply with each other as Arjuna did with Krishna on the battlefield, and reciprocate by providing that attentive, caring, loving receptivity that Krishna gave to Arjuna, will we begin to end the denial that prevents us from seeing the evil before us, especially, when it hides in those we look up to and admire, like our gurus, teachers, friends, relatives, etc.

I grieve—along those with many others in our movement—for those who have been hurt by devotees, and then had their hurt dismissed by leaders, or buried under political manipulations for decades in a desperate attempt to salvage crumbling reputations. Ironically, it is these very desperate, hurtful reactions to abuse by leaders that are ruining the reputation of the movement.

When will the leaders rise to the occasion with grace, as Arjuna did, and swing their swords toward the abusers, for once, instead of toward the victims.
At times like this I like to remind myself that, despite those who disappoint and harm us, there are also those in this world—dear devotees of the Lord—through whose hearts Krishna's loving words to all humans will resound ever so clearly: "You are so much loved by me" (iṣto 'si me dṛdham iti, BG 18.64). He loves us, in spite of ourselves! Such is the Lord’s affectionate compassion upon us.

Garuda Das, Ph.D. (acbsp)

[PADA: Very good analysis. I remember when I was telling Rupa Vilas that Satsvarupa Das Goswami is the main "brains" behind the bogus gurus, because he has been writing all their original 1980s papers, and Rupa Vilas sort of drifted off and said "I cannot believe Satsvarupa would act against Srila Prabhupada." 

Well sorry! 

SDG did! And SDG wrote the now infamous "The Mahajanas Have Difficulties" paper in 1980. Then Rupa Vilas sort of broke off communicating with me, he just could not resolve that his good old pals were deviating, and badly. And worse, he could not resolve that some of us were going to be exposing his good old former pals. OK he identified with the evil doers and not the whistleblowers like us.

Most devotees also could simply NOT agree with me that Jayatirtha has to go, despite it was well known to many of us "seniors" that JT has been posing as an acharya -- while taking intoxicants and engaging in illicit sex. "But he is such a nice guy." Hee hee, OK. And that is how you guys caused his head to get chopped off, you should have helped me nip this process earlier. 

Most devotees could not believe me when I started saying there is a child abuse problem -- around 1980. "But prabhu, the leaders would never allow anyone to do such bad things to children." Well they did, and in fact they had horrific and unspeakable crimes to children going on. Yup, you guys should have helped me nip this earlier too. "Oh no prabhu, it is impossible they would allow this." Sorry, allowed, orchestrated and facilitated. 

Most devotees were not even aware they were re-editing the books. "Well prabhu, that is not possible, they love Srila Prabhupada's books." Umm, nope, they don't. They set up a giant termite shop to eat away the original books. Yep, would not help me nip this either, and it is out of control at present.

Most devotees could not believe it when I said the ex-children victims are now committing suicide in the 1990s. "Oh yeah, but don't get yourself too involved in 'the controversies' because -- it is not too many suicides"! OK, and just how many dead bodies are "too many" or "not too many" for you guys? OK, mostly the same guys who gave me grief when I said there was a problem when these kids were little in the early 1980s, and we could have nipped the issue earlier.  

Sanat / Mukunda / Prahlad / HKC Jaipur guys are in this group. "Sure we have lots of children's suicide blood on our jack boots, but it is not enough yet, so do not fix the suicides process yet." OK great. And how much is "enough children's blood" for these guys to collect on their jack boots? They never say? Lets just stomp our giant jack boots on more kids -- there is evidently no limit set here.  

Wait! If there is JUST one dead child from --say for example -- an unsafe child car seat, the car seat company runs TV ads to recalls all the dangerous child seats and pays millions to the family of the dead child. In sum, one dead child is "one too many" for -- the karmis? But there does not seem to be any real limit of dead children for the "devotees of God who would not harm a fly." We cannot allow one dead fly, but we can allow -- "not too many" dead children? 

Yep, lots of devotees attacked me when we were helping contain the suicides, they evidently wanted an increased pile of more dead bodies. Why? They just did not believe there was really a problem? They were in denial / illusion? Or maybe more to the point -- they wanted to defend the evil regime. 

And really -- fer sure! Most devotees -- includes many so-called ritviks -- thought I had lost my last marble when I said -- Srila Prabhupada complains of poison. "Oh no, that never happened. They love, love, LOVE Srila Prabhupada." Ummm sorry! Nope, they do not.

So we either fight the evil doers, or as Garuda says, the whole ISKCON movement's reputation will go down the drain -- as if it has not done so -- already. Stand and fight, or be condemned by history as a compromiser with evil. And be known -- in infamy -- for the duration of time.

And -- for one who has been honored -- dishonor is worse than death. So all of ISKCON's former glory days will be lost in a cloud of dishonorable actions. And really, all of this is a test. Do we want to save the honor of Draupadi / ISKCON, or be condemned by history as part of the evil doers process? Did I forget to mention? Most of my senior God brothers are always blabbing to me about -- the good old glory days of 1975 -- but they draw a blank expression when we discuss -- here and now?

The good news is, more people want to fight the evil doers. That bad news is, the evil doers have taken the main assets of ISKCON. And they are not willing to give us the head of a pin's land to promote the right idea. 

However, time is on our side. 

The bogus pedophile's guru worship process is going to end one way or the other, either nicely or badly. If the GBC wanted to end it nicely, the time to do so is short. Otherwise, we just have to expose them, expose them, expose them, more and more, and take them down through a war of attrition over a longer period of time, which is a nastier process. But one way or other, pedophile guru programs are not going to stand the test of time. They never do, they never will. Therefore, for us Arjuna's -- victory is assured. And if the name of Krishna is ruined, they will be blamed, and they already are. 

Lokanath can hide for some limited time behind a wall of GBC's rules, laws and edicts, and his goonda squad, but Yamaraja cares nothing at all for these diversions. Yamaraja sees who is who and what is what, and Yamaraja has a zero tolerance policy for sexual predator acharyas. These offenders go down to Yamaraja's crap hole planets, and stay there for millions of years, because that is his policy. The only way these offenders could shorten their time there, is to fix this and now.

ys pd]