angel108b@yahoo.com
Some Context
My recent post about Lokanatha Maharaja and ISKCON was made as part of various efforts to induce the GBC to do the right thing and prevent him from speaking at the ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) in Mayapur.
I've been part of organizing that event for months and have been sensing for some time things would end in the tragic way they did yesterday - with LNS permitted to participate in whatever capacity he wants.
Two days ago I'd received a 58 page document from LNS supporters 'proving' how he never did what he confessed on multiple occasions he did as part of an appeal made to many officials to allow his participation.
The GBC and others may be distracted from doing what's right by the back and forth of a victim / perpetrator narrative that seems to be defeated by various philosophical ideas when taken in a vacuum - but our own sastra makes it clear with abundant examples what a well situated person would do and want to see done in this real world case.
As so-called stewards of this culture the GBC should understand facts don't matter (whatever their idea of them is) in consideration of social stability - and thus the obvious recourse now is that Maharaja step away voluntarily or be kept away by their administration.
When meaningful numbers of the decision makers involved are skeptical that LNS ever abused a child, pinning the strategy on that point alone may not be most effective in seeing the desired outcome.
Every GBC has varying concerns, but have as a group shown jurisprudence to be a low priority and competency in nearly every case. They are horrible at administering justice in cases of misconduct.
Compounding this, the real threat of ISKCON India splitting off terrifies many of them. Their sense of service legacy to Srila Prabhupada is rooted in offering an intact ISKCON on their own death bed (unlike what the Gaudiya Math apparently did to SBS) - even if it is an empty ISKCON everywhere outside of India and it's diaspora.
[PADA: Yes, interesting that GBC wanted to establish that Krishna's successor acharyas are often -- illicit sex with men, women and children sexual predators, drunks, drug addicts, machine gun swamis, Vodka drinkers, porno swamis, and orchestrators of muders etc. And that emptied out ISKCON, because almost cent percent of human beings want to worship pure devotees as their guru and not debauchees.
Then people like Bhakti Vikas swami say that worshiping pure devotees is like worshiping "a skeleton," because otherwise, how could he establish worship of his anal reconstructive surgery epidemic project's messiahs? BVKS has spent his whole life establishing the worship of pedophiles as acharyas, and now he is worried ISKCON might split and make women gurus, because women as a class are not big fans of BVKS's anal reconstructive surgery epidemic messiah's program?
Which is why, even the mundane media people ask me things like, "are most of the current ISKCON leaders homosexuals, and are some of them pedophiles? Because otherwise would they think homosexual pedophiles means samadhi?]
In light of these political realities, at the end of making my own principled understanding clear - I offered what I still feel is an elegant way forward practically. I accept if some feel that approach would be unacceptable as a policy, but I don't accept that dealing with political realities (especially as someone in something of a position to do so) is an act of betrayal to virtue.
Krishna's own Lila in the Mahabharata and His own attempts at diplomatic solutions to similar situations let's us know such attempts aren't unholy. If you wanted to say it all ended with a black and white war I wouldn't disagree we may be heading there also, but I want to stand on the battlefield in good faith that I tried my best to be patient as well as progressive.
I shared my own appreciation of a time with Maharaja in kirtan for two reasons.
First, for the sake of his disciples and supporters who I know are struggling to discern the good in their own life he was part of while admitting the bad effects of his behavior. I was heartened to receive several notes from such persons saying the whole message gave them clarity on the situation and how they could move forward honorably.
Second, I also did this in the mood that if you can't see the good in someone you can't see the bad in them either. Personally, I don't see Maharaja as an emblem of evil and I don't want others to assume I do, whether they would agree or disagree themselves with that idea.
The whole case has always depended on his confession, which at one time he offered. Others have and will again use their privilege to deny abuse absolutely, and Maharaja somehow came to a sober place at least for a time. That he now seems to find his own position and power too important to let go of isn't surprising, it's very typical behavior. How many times did Indra misbehave? And each time he felt he deserved restoration - and each time it was granted - often by God himself.
I personally worry more about anyone who thinks they'd be immune to the same unbecoming behavior if in a similar situation. The real failure I see is that of the GBC. There is too long list of persons in our society who on some level were repentant for misbehavior and were tricked into thinking their service was more important than their soul.
I believe Maharaja has fallen prey to similar. I don't see Maharaja as someone uniquely qualified, as I feel that would bear the behavior of Parikshit or Citraketu. But I don't see him as someone uniquely malicious either.
His admission was a cry for help on some level, and his Sanga failed to provide him what he needed - choosing instead to continue to take what it wanted from him. He is no doubt complicit in the present maladies and I'm not excusing him, but also not isolating him as a sole agent of the fallout from his misdeeds as that would be to enable the toxicity to continue forward in it's more worrisome and pernicious forms.
We are rarely as good or as bad as we or others want to make us out to be. The myth of ISKCONs importance is at the heart of all of this, and it will claim many more victims until it's admitted and addressed by the leadership.
In light of these political realities, at the end of making my own principled understanding clear - I offered what I still feel is an elegant way forward practically. I accept if some feel that approach would be unacceptable as a policy, but I don't accept that dealing with political realities (especially as someone in something of a position to do so) is an act of betrayal to virtue.
Krishna's own Lila in the Mahabharata and His own attempts at diplomatic solutions to similar situations let's us know such attempts aren't unholy. If you wanted to say it all ended with a black and white war I wouldn't disagree we may be heading there also, but I want to stand on the battlefield in good faith that I tried my best to be patient as well as progressive.
I shared my own appreciation of a time with Maharaja in kirtan for two reasons.
First, for the sake of his disciples and supporters who I know are struggling to discern the good in their own life he was part of while admitting the bad effects of his behavior. I was heartened to receive several notes from such persons saying the whole message gave them clarity on the situation and how they could move forward honorably.
Second, I also did this in the mood that if you can't see the good in someone you can't see the bad in them either. Personally, I don't see Maharaja as an emblem of evil and I don't want others to assume I do, whether they would agree or disagree themselves with that idea.
The whole case has always depended on his confession, which at one time he offered. Others have and will again use their privilege to deny abuse absolutely, and Maharaja somehow came to a sober place at least for a time. That he now seems to find his own position and power too important to let go of isn't surprising, it's very typical behavior. How many times did Indra misbehave? And each time he felt he deserved restoration - and each time it was granted - often by God himself.
I personally worry more about anyone who thinks they'd be immune to the same unbecoming behavior if in a similar situation. The real failure I see is that of the GBC. There is too long list of persons in our society who on some level were repentant for misbehavior and were tricked into thinking their service was more important than their soul.
I believe Maharaja has fallen prey to similar. I don't see Maharaja as someone uniquely qualified, as I feel that would bear the behavior of Parikshit or Citraketu. But I don't see him as someone uniquely malicious either.
His admission was a cry for help on some level, and his Sanga failed to provide him what he needed - choosing instead to continue to take what it wanted from him. He is no doubt complicit in the present maladies and I'm not excusing him, but also not isolating him as a sole agent of the fallout from his misdeeds as that would be to enable the toxicity to continue forward in it's more worrisome and pernicious forms.
We are rarely as good or as bad as we or others want to make us out to be. The myth of ISKCONs importance is at the heart of all of this, and it will claim many more victims until it's admitted and addressed by the leadership.
[PADA: Lets face it, as long as ISKCON bans, beats, sues and maybe even kills people for not agreeing that sexual predators are God's successors, it will never have any widespread credibility. Even in so-called mleccha society, they all know that sexual predators are not, were not, could not have been Krishna's guru successors.]
As I committed to, in light of Maharaja being welcomed to speak at the ILS I will withdraw my own two presentations there as well as resign from my service with the GBC SPT as I don't see value in remaining involved at that level given the present dynamics.
======================
AC: This gives me some hope for iskcon, but not for the current leadership. We must stop devotees from supporting programs where child abusers are being honored. Boycott them.
DD: We shouldn't be surprised. After reaffirming his supposed fitness to serve as a guru - God's via medium, someone fully representing the parampara, etc - of course, they also think he's qualified to speak about leadership.
This means that they know nothing about leadership - and guru tattva - failing to understand that morality is a fundamental pre-requisite. Let's hope the attendees of ILS vote with their feet. Let's campaign on that front.
SR: It seems that the GBC is paying no attention to the victim’s statement? Instead making all their decision based on Lokanth’s ever evolving statements?
MB: Jayapataka Maharaja has thousands and thousands of disciples. He is a powerful and charismatic personality. He could change the whole atmosphere in Mayapur, but he is not doing. It is going on since decades.
GP: This indicates the GBC and others have totally lost the plot, totally lost it, pressure from grass roots is required to correct this serious problem.
DK: It's better to stay away like Vidura went to travel when it was time.
SR: DM wrote:
"The whole case has always depended on his confession, which at one time he offered."
It is actually more than 10 times that over the years Lokanath made admissions of responsibility for sexually abusing an 11 year old child.
https://lokanath.net/lokanaths-admissions-of-molesting-a.../
Also this sentence could be misinterpreted to mean that the statements of the victim and her mother don't carry much weight in this conversation.
LOKANATH.NET
>>How many times did Indra misbehave? And each time he felt he deserved restoration - and each time it was granted - often by God himself. <<
GG: Except Indra is not a guru in the parampara. He is a conditioned soul who has problems with lust, anger and greed ... and therefore he is not ever advertised as Krishna's successor. Indra knows he has these problems, and so does everyone else, including Krishna. God forgives the failings of neophyte devotees in some cases, but that should not open the floodgates to make forgiving failing people a regular daily program. At the same time they never forgive us for complaining.
PADA to Narayan Maharaja groupie: OK so I am saying there is mass child molesting going on, while you and the other NM / Tamal folks are saying this is all insane rubbish. And that is why we had to have NM and Tamal's program sued for $400,000,000. And the courts agreed with me, and the thousands of victims.
======================
AC: This gives me some hope for iskcon, but not for the current leadership. We must stop devotees from supporting programs where child abusers are being honored. Boycott them.
DD: We shouldn't be surprised. After reaffirming his supposed fitness to serve as a guru - God's via medium, someone fully representing the parampara, etc - of course, they also think he's qualified to speak about leadership.
This means that they know nothing about leadership - and guru tattva - failing to understand that morality is a fundamental pre-requisite. Let's hope the attendees of ILS vote with their feet. Let's campaign on that front.
SR: It seems that the GBC is paying no attention to the victim’s statement? Instead making all their decision based on Lokanth’s ever evolving statements?
MB: Jayapataka Maharaja has thousands and thousands of disciples. He is a powerful and charismatic personality. He could change the whole atmosphere in Mayapur, but he is not doing. It is going on since decades.
GP: This indicates the GBC and others have totally lost the plot, totally lost it, pressure from grass roots is required to correct this serious problem.
DK: It's better to stay away like Vidura went to travel when it was time.
SR: DM wrote:
"The whole case has always depended on his confession, which at one time he offered."
It is actually more than 10 times that over the years Lokanath made admissions of responsibility for sexually abusing an 11 year old child.
https://lokanath.net/lokanaths-admissions-of-molesting-a.../
Also this sentence could be misinterpreted to mean that the statements of the victim and her mother don't carry much weight in this conversation.
LOKANATH.NET
>>How many times did Indra misbehave? And each time he felt he deserved restoration - and each time it was granted - often by God himself. <<
GG: Except Indra is not a guru in the parampara. He is a conditioned soul who has problems with lust, anger and greed ... and therefore he is not ever advertised as Krishna's successor. Indra knows he has these problems, and so does everyone else, including Krishna. God forgives the failings of neophyte devotees in some cases, but that should not open the floodgates to make forgiving failing people a regular daily program. At the same time they never forgive us for complaining.
PADA to Narayan Maharaja groupie: OK so I am saying there is mass child molesting going on, while you and the other NM / Tamal folks are saying this is all insane rubbish. And that is why we had to have NM and Tamal's program sued for $400,000,000. And the courts agreed with me, and the thousands of victims.
I am sorry but your saying that our protesting child molesting is insane rubbish -- is why we had to have the Tamal program -- supported by NM -- sued. Why is protesting mass child molesting "insane rubbish"?
Sorry, every sane and moral person has a duty to protest mass child molesting, and the people who say our protest is -- insane rubbish -- are the people who enabled and caused and created the molesting in the first place. The courts agreed with me, this is not insane rubbish, this is criminal child abuse.
Attacking the people who are exposing child abuse, causes child abuse. When NM was in Texas yelling at my associates not to attack Tamal, I was in Texas organizing having Tamal sued. The courts agreed with me, child molesting complaints are not insane rubbish, they are pointing to criminal action. What is insane rubbish is NM's defending Tamal and his molesting empire. ys pd"
===========================
From: Hari-kanta d.d. yandex.ru
===========================
From: Hari-kanta d.d. yandex.ru
Date: Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 2:40 AM
Subject: Re: {Mayapur Open Forum} Prabhupada’s Daughters Speak Out on VDG
To: Leadership Discussions <leadership....@pamho.net>
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
All glories to Śrila Prabhupāda!
Two statements about the appeal of Srila Prabhupada's Daughters...
Although I am of the opinion that the role of diksa gurus is not gender specific, one of their arguments struck me as being both cynical and hypocritical. They write:
"Currently, our ISKCON society is very concerned about the abuse of children
and women. Women, who are also mostly mothers, are the natural protectors
and guardians of children. But when their voices are ignored, silenced or
vilified, it opens the door for abuse of women." and children."
When in 2020 I approached several of Srila Prabhupada's women disciples
about cases of severe violence against women in Russian-speaking ISKCON,
they ignored me, although they read my letters. And later, when I posted a
video with evidences about it:
https://youtu.be/b6gt6caubII
https://youtu.be/D5zkaRQiZbk
These matajis accused me that they tried to talk to me, but I did not make contact and developed an offensive mood!! In fact, they took part in
denigrating the person who spoke about this violence, and did not help or
protect the victims. These are the same Malati dd and Mondakini dd who
signed this new appeal, where they press pity on cases of violence against
children and women!
How cynical and cruel one must be to behave so shamelessly!
And it is correct that they were not given authority. Although this comes
from the same hypocrites and defenders of pedophiles - GBC, but in this
case, some criminals outsmarted others.
Therefore, I can conclude that these women not only have not yet reached the
proper qualification of a guru, but they are fighting for a place under the
sun only for the sake of personal position and power. The unscrupulous and
deceitful cannot be gurus.
Hk d.d.
To: Leadership Discussions <leadership....@pamho.net>
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
All glories to Śrila Prabhupāda!
Two statements about the appeal of Srila Prabhupada's Daughters...
Although I am of the opinion that the role of diksa gurus is not gender specific, one of their arguments struck me as being both cynical and hypocritical. They write:
"Currently, our ISKCON society is very concerned about the abuse of children
and women. Women, who are also mostly mothers, are the natural protectors
and guardians of children. But when their voices are ignored, silenced or
vilified, it opens the door for abuse of women." and children."
When in 2020 I approached several of Srila Prabhupada's women disciples
about cases of severe violence against women in Russian-speaking ISKCON,
they ignored me, although they read my letters. And later, when I posted a
video with evidences about it:
https://youtu.be/b6gt6caubII
https://youtu.be/D5zkaRQiZbk
These matajis accused me that they tried to talk to me, but I did not make contact and developed an offensive mood!! In fact, they took part in
denigrating the person who spoke about this violence, and did not help or
protect the victims. These are the same Malati dd and Mondakini dd who
signed this new appeal, where they press pity on cases of violence against
children and women!
How cynical and cruel one must be to behave so shamelessly!
And it is correct that they were not given authority. Although this comes
from the same hypocrites and defenders of pedophiles - GBC, but in this
case, some criminals outsmarted others.
Therefore, I can conclude that these women not only have not yet reached the
proper qualification of a guru, but they are fighting for a place under the
sun only for the sake of personal position and power. The unscrupulous and
deceitful cannot be gurus.
Hk d.d.
THIS IS NOT PRABHUPADA'S MOVEMENT
On a recent thread, someone asked about the progress of Prabhupada's Movement in Bulgaria, to which I basically asked "Where?" because I haven't seen it.
Below is my comment to a question (to the effect of) whether or not the devotees in Bulgaria have even scratched the surface of Prabhupada's teachings:
Below is my comment to a question (to the effect of) whether or not the devotees in Bulgaria have even scratched the surface of Prabhupada's teachings:
MY ANSWER:
"Not really,, they have not yet become anywhere near the core teachings (of Shrila Prabhupada). Here (Hare Krishna in Bulgaria) is a kaleidoscope of mental speculation, and they all just agree with each other in a pact of mutual back scratching. There is a health yoga spa, a Gauranga Yoga and Rokovski center, plagiarized books by "bhaktivedantas", physical yoga based upon Rupa Goswami and Rumi at once, and a nut house. Marriage is becoming a farce. It is so deviated that it scares me. I just keep away, and they keep away from me also."
IMAGE: Hare Krishna Health Spa on the Black Sea run by disciples of Prahladananda Swami. When did Prabhupada want devotees to offer massage in their centers? Oh, but what does anyone care. It's all one here in Bulgaria.
IMAGE: Hare Krishna Health Spa on the Black Sea run by disciples of Prahladananda Swami. When did Prabhupada want devotees to offer massage in their centers? Oh, but what does anyone care. It's all one here in Bulgaria.
[PADA: OK it is a business.]
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