*HH Kadamba Kanana Swami Departs* (dandavats.com)
Do not allow people to touch your feet.
You will take karma and get sick, fall down, or both.
Or die.
PADA: Memorial statements about Kadamba kanana are starting to flood in. He was the greatest nice guy in ISKCON! He is a diksha guru who took the sins of 1,000 people. Or was he a big compromiser, and he was a nice guy to both the Satanic cabal people as well as the commoners.
And he was taking the sins of 1,000 people, but did that not lead to him getting cancer and dying. I see Kadamba kanana as a sort of unwitting cog in the the gears of the GBC cabal. He was misinformed. And I believe he knew a lot of crimes were going on, but he kept his head low to stay in the good graces of the cabal.
Now his foolish followers think he took their sins, but he could not. He thought he was another Jesus who could absorb the sins of others, and that turned out to be a fatal mistake. Now he has taken those sins with him into the next life, which he has unfortunately discovered now. And his followers will find that out later.
Of course I do not wish him unwell either. I hope he gets to realize that us conditioned souls cannot juxtapose ourselves with Jesus without dire consequences. And what we really need to do is to worship a person with brahmana tejyas, who can burn off our sins. Now that he is gone, no grudges from my part, God speed spirit soul. Good luck. After absorbing karma from 1,000 people, you are going to need it.
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PADA: My Mormon nurse friend says -- the reason so many "Krishna devotees" are getting fatal ailments -- like cancer -- many times at or before they even reach 65 -- is -- they have some major psychological emotional baggage -- of mainly repression of negative emotions -- and it is turning their bodies toxic. She has studied "end of life" situations for the past 40 years, so she knows a lot about this issue. In sum, artificially repressing anger and other "negative emotions" -- does not mean the effect goes away. Nor does it mean the problem goes away, be it child abuse or any other.
And the people my Mormon nurse friend deals with are regular mundane people, who eat ten times worse things, but they live longer on average. Of course, offering food to sinful people makes the food contaminated, at least the Christians say grace to Jesus when offering their dinner.
But you are right, everything is connected, and devotees are not realizing the harmful effects of a lot of things. Srila Prabhupada said stress can cause disease, and my Nurse friend thinks that is their main problem, it is psychological repression of emotions, which then finds another outlet, i.e. disease. I also know some ex-kulis who are suffering various chronic illness, and they are not that old.
RC: Indeed nucebo, the opposite of placebo has an effect as does stress for sure but such stressors existed before and cancer wasnt an issue. There must be added toxins in the food chain! This is evident if you study the food sources and why Prabhupada wanted internal food sources free from toxins.
OM: I completely agree prabhu. So many SP disciples with cancer, Parkinson, Alzheimer..... And we know that strong emotions are powerful to create disease, mainly if repressed.
DD: I was speaking with a devotee the other day whose kuli partner has had a cancer scare. She was making the same observation - that we will likely see a lot kuli veterans leaving early due to the somatisation of their trauma manifesting as disease.
GG: Madi Brinkman, and a number of other kulis have actually got cancer, and other fatal ailments. For example, I know a kuli lady who had breast cancer at only age 38. There are many other examples.
S Dasi: Yes when we repress our voices and emotions the traumas are not released from the cellular memory and then physical disease occurs. This is basic trauma science! Learning to release the traumas is the basics of trauma healing.
Actually the reason why chanting (especially maha mantra) is so helpful for us is because it purifies the energetic body which helps clear the cellular memory and it also activate the vagus nerve ... but if we don't feel free to express then the traumas of this world are turned inward and stored and not released as they should be whilst chanting etc. I am studying this a lot at the moment for my healing as well as in the the support I have been offering other women.
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Born on April 12, 1953 in the town of Heemstede, near Amsterdam,[2] Kadamba Kanana Swami ventured to India on a quest to seek out a greater meaning to life. He joined ISKCON's Vrindavan temple, Krishna Balaram Mandir, in 1978, serving in various managerial roles, and went on to become temple president from 1990 to 1995.
In the 1980s, Kadamba Kanana Swami began visiting Australia and Belgium, developing a long-standing relationship with the local communities.
[PADA: Australia in the 1980s is when Bhavananda's "Gay-vinda's" restaurant and many other deviations were running rampant. Later -- a group of ex-Prabhavishnu folks wrote me some years ago -- that their people were crying and some wanted to take their lives from all the distress he caused. All that, after all the distress caused by Bhavananda, Prabhupada Kripa Hari Sauri Maharaja, other Australia leaders etc. How did Kadamba not know about any of this? And what did he do to address this?]
He has overseen the construction of ISKCON founder-acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's pushpa samadhi mandir (memorial shrine) in Mayapur, [3] India, and was a member of the Mayapur Administrative Council, the committee that oversees the daily management of the project from 1985 to 1990.
Later he continued with more service in Mayapur from 2012 to 2016 by being part of the Executive Committee coordinating the development of the master plan.
[PADA: So he was in Mayapur, the capital city of the GBC's child molesting, child beating and overall molester messiah's project, and as a manager with at least some form of administrator powers from the 1980s, all the way up to recently. And what was he doing about all these problems going on there?]
Kadamba Kanana Swami took sannyasa initiation [4] from his guru, Jayadvaita Swami, [5] in 1997 and now travels extensively around the world spreading the message of Lord Caitanya’s movement.
[PADA: 1997 is when we were putting together the $400,000,000 child molesting lawsuit against Kadamba's guru's operation.]
[6] As a sannyasi he has been active in a great variety of projects. First of all he became deeply involved in South Africa and spend substantial time there from 1995 to the present.
[PADA: The Prabhupadanuga devotees were banned from the South Africa temple, so that Kadamba could establish the worship of his pedophile pals.]
In a country with so much history of Apartheid he tried to build bridges between communities and in reaching out to- and in offering support the local African community in Krsna consciousness. He brought the Festival of Chariots to Soweto, Johannesburg, when he saw local African people dancing in ecstasy in front of a tv playing Ratha Yatra Kirtans from the Durban festival, it touched his heart and since then he wanted Soweto to have their own Ratha Yatra festival.
The first place he was invited after Sannyasa was the Czech Republic, he spent substantial time and has quite a number of followers there. Radhadesh, in Belgium was started mostly by devotees from the Netherlands, so he had a natural connection there, he has been lecturing at the Bhaktivedanta College and leads the annual King's Day festival harinam, where hundreds of devotees take to the bustling streets of Amsterdam for a day of singing and dancing.
[7] From 2000 to 2008 he has been leading the New Vrajamandala Farm, to save the farm from being sold.
[PADA: Why does the GBC have $100,000,000 on hand for lawsuits, but they are losing temples and properties?]
In recent years from 2017 to 2022 he has been involved in NYC the city from where Srila Prabhupada began a Worldwide mission to help the revival of the local temple.
[PADA: Why do these temples always need a revival. Who made the down grading mess that requires the place being revived and up graded? And why was Romapada being criticized for taking over the NYC property, at the same time, he was going to various temples to initiate people as his disciples?]
In 2001, Kadamba Kanana Swami began his service as an initiating spiritual master and has since then initiated about a thousand disciple across the globe.
[PADA: But who authorized him to absorb the sins of thousands of people?
Kadamba Kanana Swami is the author of several books, such as Nothing but the Holy Name and Words of a Public Hermit, “ Devotional Service”, “ Wonderful Krishna”, “ Kirtaniya Sada Harih”, “Golokera Prema Dhana”, and “Under the Desire Trees”, available from kksblog. Being widely recognized for his melodic voice and up tempo rhythm, Kadamba Kanana Swami is frequently invited to perform at various singing festivals (kirtan melas) around the world. He has also recorded over ten albums to fund the various projects that he supports.
[PADA: First of all, Jayadvaita swami says that the ISKCON GBC's guru parampara contains -- illicit sex with men, women and possibly children. Isn't that kind of a red flag right out of the gate? We are promoting the worship of illicit sex deviants as God's / Krishna's successors, and then we wonder why there is a problem with illicit sex, porno swamis, and -- child molesting?
Kadamba kanana swami has expertly studied Srila Prabhupada's books, where it says -- ISKCON should promote the worship of illicit sex with men, women and children as its messiahs and acharyas. Where is that stated?
All that being said. I consider him as a type of victim. He came into current ISKCON and was mis-informed about the whole process. Now ISKCON has lost one of their star second tier up and coming acharyas, just like they lost Bhakti caru and others recently. They are running out of these guys rapidly. Their current mess is not sustainable.
pada angel108b@yahoo.com]
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The GBC Commissions an Inquiry into the Vrindavana and Mayapur Gurukulas
“Keep them in the dark and feed them manure”. Bhagavan das (ACBSP)
An English Prabhupada disciple told me that on one occasion Bhagavan explained to him what he called the 'mushroom management philosophy'. How do you grow mushrooms? Keep them in the dark and feed them manure!
This sentence encapsulates all the contempt and disrespect that ISKCON leaders have repeatedly demonstrated for us 'peasant, commoner devotees'.
There is something particularly demonic about child abuse, it is a violent rakshasa practice that forcefully robs defenseless children of their innocence. When the abuse takes place in a religious / spiritual setting, then it also destroys the child's faith in God and humanity and too often turns the child itself into a perpetrator.
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The GBC Commissions an Inquiry into the Vrindavana and Mayapur Gurukulas
“Keep them in the dark and feed them manure”. Bhagavan das (ACBSP)
An English Prabhupada disciple told me that on one occasion Bhagavan explained to him what he called the 'mushroom management philosophy'. How do you grow mushrooms? Keep them in the dark and feed them manure!
This sentence encapsulates all the contempt and disrespect that ISKCON leaders have repeatedly demonstrated for us 'peasant, commoner devotees'.
There is something particularly demonic about child abuse, it is a violent rakshasa practice that forcefully robs defenseless children of their innocence. When the abuse takes place in a religious / spiritual setting, then it also destroys the child's faith in God and humanity and too often turns the child itself into a perpetrator.
When the abuse is facilitated or enabled by the actions or inaction of people who occupy positions of spiritual authority, then such acts will destroy the faith of the congregation. Child abuse is the perfect vehicle to advance the agenda of Kali yuga!
Twisting and misusing the scriptures to try and present such activities or people as being even remotely saintly is the work of the devil, and demonstrates the extent of the bewilderment of the leadership, and many in the compliant congregation!
In the recent Istagosthi in Mayapur, HH Jayapataka Swami (JPS) announced the introduction of a zero tolerance policy for child abuse in Mayapur Dham!
We have just learned from Dhiragovinda Prabhu that he personally informed JPS about the severe abuse suffered by the children in Mayapur in the 90s, we also know that JPS was well aware of the 1991 investigation report.
The best time to implement this policy would have been 50 years ago, the next best time is today, so in that sense this is good news.
The problem of course is that we've just seen documents from 1991, that describe how already back then the GBCs and Temple Presidents had agreed to implement a zero tolerance policy for child abuse in ISKCON.
Promises are only good if followed by decisive action, otherwise they are simply a cosmetic fix that may achieve some damage control and crowd pleasing, but won't actually address the root of the problem!
Twisting and misusing the scriptures to try and present such activities or people as being even remotely saintly is the work of the devil, and demonstrates the extent of the bewilderment of the leadership, and many in the compliant congregation!
In the recent Istagosthi in Mayapur, HH Jayapataka Swami (JPS) announced the introduction of a zero tolerance policy for child abuse in Mayapur Dham!
We have just learned from Dhiragovinda Prabhu that he personally informed JPS about the severe abuse suffered by the children in Mayapur in the 90s, we also know that JPS was well aware of the 1991 investigation report.
The best time to implement this policy would have been 50 years ago, the next best time is today, so in that sense this is good news.
The problem of course is that we've just seen documents from 1991, that describe how already back then the GBCs and Temple Presidents had agreed to implement a zero tolerance policy for child abuse in ISKCON.
Promises are only good if followed by decisive action, otherwise they are simply a cosmetic fix that may achieve some damage control and crowd pleasing, but won't actually address the root of the problem!
Cosmetic fixes are deeply problematic because they enable the perpetuation of the problem. They offer a deceptive assurance that something meaningful has been done, without actually addressing the root of the issue.
Naturally you cannot have zero tolerance with exceptions and preferential treatments for high profile offenders...
I do not believe I will ever understand the rationale that goes into offering a greater degree of protection to the perpetrators of child abuse than to their victims...But this has often been the norm we have witnessed with so many high profile offenders.
The list of ISKCON leaders that have known about the abuse perpetrated by AV includes many / most? senior leaders of ISKCON...
The list of ISKCON leaders that have known about the abuse perpetrated by AV includes many / most? senior leaders of ISKCON...
The following is not a complete list:
Banu Swami, Prahladananda Swami, Bhakti vikash Swami, Jaya Pataka Swami, Badrinarayana Swami, Sivaram Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Bir Krishna Maharaj, BB Govinda Maharaj, Kavichandra Swami, Tamal Krishna Maharaj, Radhanath Swami, Nareshvara, Dayaram, Bhakti Purushottam Swami, Sesa, Dhanurdara, Bhurijan, Braja Bihari (Vraja Vihari), Romapad Swami and many others. Bear in mind that the 1991 report on the Mayapur Gurukula was sent to the entire GBC body.
During the recent Istagosthi in Mayapur the names of Bhavananda and Satadhanya were brought up. In spite their track record of child abuse in Mayapur Dham itself, they still occupy positions of honor and respect.
JPS replied that they are working in the TOVP and that has nothing to do with Mayapur management. He invited concerned devotees to take the matter up with Ambarish. I understand that this is a VERY delicate topic, but the reply given by Maharaj was unsatisfactory at best. Essentially he avoided addressing the elephant in the room!
This attempt to separate the TOVP from ISKCON Mayapur Dham is disingenuous at best. Though they may be managerially separate, it is obvious to anyone that the TOVP is an integral part of ISKCON Mayapur.
The point is not to start a lynch mob that will go and drag Bhavananda and Satadhanya out into the streets with tar and feathers.
During the recent Istagosthi in Mayapur the names of Bhavananda and Satadhanya were brought up. In spite their track record of child abuse in Mayapur Dham itself, they still occupy positions of honor and respect.
JPS replied that they are working in the TOVP and that has nothing to do with Mayapur management. He invited concerned devotees to take the matter up with Ambarish. I understand that this is a VERY delicate topic, but the reply given by Maharaj was unsatisfactory at best. Essentially he avoided addressing the elephant in the room!
This attempt to separate the TOVP from ISKCON Mayapur Dham is disingenuous at best. Though they may be managerially separate, it is obvious to anyone that the TOVP is an integral part of ISKCON Mayapur.
The point is not to start a lynch mob that will go and drag Bhavananda and Satadhanya out into the streets with tar and feathers.
What is important is that the Mayapur community has an open and honest conversation to establish clearly, what, where and how much engagement, service and fanfare, they are comfortable and happy to offer to devotees with a history of child abuse. This includes Laxmimoni, Bhavananda, Satadhanya and any others.
Is it acceptable to the devotee community that they are treated as honored guests at ISKCON functions and events?
This needs to be well thought out and discussed.
When there are clear boundaries, it is easier to understand when a line gets crossed. Recently allegations of sexual abuse of children and young men perpetrated by Bhakti Purushottam Swami (BPS) have re-surfaced, these allegations have been around for many years. He was also accused of participating in the theft of several million dollars from the ISKCON project in Habibpur.
With the Lokanath case the GBC established the precedent that they will compromise principles and purity when faced with sufficient pressure and threats...when they deem it politically expedient to do so!
Is there any hope that we will see JPS commission a transparent and thorough investigation of the allegations of financial and sexual abuse against BPS and in Mayapur in general? A transparent inquiry into the accounts of the TOVP?
Are we going to see another rigged ad-hock panel intended to absolve BPS a-priori as was the case with Lokanath?
The GBC made an exception for Lokanath, why not for BPS?
If a riot is what is needed for the GBCs to cower and bend the rules, I promise you that BPS and the local gangsters will deliver you the biggest riot ISKCON has ever seen!
The Vrindavana Gurukula has been directly under the supervision of Gopal Krishna Maharaj since 2008. There have been dozens and dozens of reports of severe child abuse that have come out of that school since he took over.
If a riot is what is needed for the GBCs to cower and bend the rules, I promise you that BPS and the local gangsters will deliver you the biggest riot ISKCON has ever seen!
The Vrindavana Gurukula has been directly under the supervision of Gopal Krishna Maharaj since 2008. There have been dozens and dozens of reports of severe child abuse that have come out of that school since he took over.
In 2017 presented with extensive evidence of the abuse, the entire GBC body voted to keep the school open, and with the same management!!! Very recently I was informed that the children in the school continue to get abused and that they have access to pornography.
When I released the Cost of Silence, I pointed out that unless ISKCON drastically improves the protection of children in ISKCON boarding schools, the only responsible thing to do is to shut them down.
When I released the Cost of Silence, I pointed out that unless ISKCON drastically improves the protection of children in ISKCON boarding schools, the only responsible thing to do is to shut them down.
It is time to find the honesty and courage to acknowledge that the benefits of having these boarding schools open does not justify the tremendous cost in the human lives of our children. At this point I really think that keeping them open is intentionally reckless! Who exactly benefits from these schools? Surely not the abused children! Certainly not ISKCON, so why and for whom exactly is ISKCON sacrificing all these children?
Devotees from around the world wrote public letters to express their concerns and disappointment that Lokanath, though found guilty of child abuse by the GBCs, was allowed to continue to serve as a Sannyasi and authority in ISKCON. Some of these devotees received threatening and intimidating calls to their family members by some of Lokanath's thug followers.
It is reasonable to assume that on account of the recent activism, the physical safety of some of us will be at risk, this is certainly true the next time we visit Vrindavana or Mayapur!
We have to ask ourselves if this is the society we want to live in...Because this culture of abuse and intimidation is very much a part of ISKCON today and if we do nothing we are directly enabling the perpetuation of this culture.
Just to add to the insanity, there is a flier going around that advertises a youth camp in Pune for the end of 2022 with Lokanath and Gopal Krishna Maharaj as guest speakers! How does any sane and informed person think that they are even remotely qualified to have anything to do with children???
In the last couple of weeks three women have publicly come forward to accuse Keshava Bharati Maharaj of sexually abusing them, one of them was 10 years old at the time! In the recent official statement on AV, the GBC Executive committee sent thoughts and prayers to the victims, but again they made no mention of any decisive actions they intend to take to overhaul child protection...
Abusers are not the problem, they are simply the tip of the iceberg that is the rot that has affected ISKCON's leadership at the very core. As much as getting rid of AV was of paramount importance, removing him is only the beginning of the cleansing that ISKCON desperately needs.
The greater problem is a society where its leaders and members look the other way when children are being abused! What will it take to create an environment where abusive practices cannot thrive? In recent times we have seen a surge in interest in child protection and an outrage at the revelations that followed AV's removal from Mayapur.
Devotees are shocked to discover that so many leaders quietly and knowingly enabled the abuse of so many children! Leaders are running for cover, with most preferring to remain silent, rather than risking to face the understandable bewilderment and wrath of their disciples, hoping and waiting for the storm to blow over.
Devotees from around the world wrote public letters to express their concerns and disappointment that Lokanath, though found guilty of child abuse by the GBCs, was allowed to continue to serve as a Sannyasi and authority in ISKCON. Some of these devotees received threatening and intimidating calls to their family members by some of Lokanath's thug followers.
It is reasonable to assume that on account of the recent activism, the physical safety of some of us will be at risk, this is certainly true the next time we visit Vrindavana or Mayapur!
We have to ask ourselves if this is the society we want to live in...Because this culture of abuse and intimidation is very much a part of ISKCON today and if we do nothing we are directly enabling the perpetuation of this culture.
Just to add to the insanity, there is a flier going around that advertises a youth camp in Pune for the end of 2022 with Lokanath and Gopal Krishna Maharaj as guest speakers! How does any sane and informed person think that they are even remotely qualified to have anything to do with children???
In the last couple of weeks three women have publicly come forward to accuse Keshava Bharati Maharaj of sexually abusing them, one of them was 10 years old at the time! In the recent official statement on AV, the GBC Executive committee sent thoughts and prayers to the victims, but again they made no mention of any decisive actions they intend to take to overhaul child protection...
Abusers are not the problem, they are simply the tip of the iceberg that is the rot that has affected ISKCON's leadership at the very core. As much as getting rid of AV was of paramount importance, removing him is only the beginning of the cleansing that ISKCON desperately needs.
The greater problem is a society where its leaders and members look the other way when children are being abused! What will it take to create an environment where abusive practices cannot thrive? In recent times we have seen a surge in interest in child protection and an outrage at the revelations that followed AV's removal from Mayapur.
Devotees are shocked to discover that so many leaders quietly and knowingly enabled the abuse of so many children! Leaders are running for cover, with most preferring to remain silent, rather than risking to face the understandable bewilderment and wrath of their disciples, hoping and waiting for the storm to blow over.
In this time of unprecedented crisis their silence is deafening and their lack of leadership is conspicuous by its absence and very telling of their own character!
If you wait long enough, every storm eventually subsides and things can then go back to 'normal'...
If you wait long enough, every storm eventually subsides and things can then go back to 'normal'...
Naturally more of the same 'normal' is not exactly something desirable and beneficial. ISKCON is facing a spiritual and moral crisis of biblical proportions, today more than ever, it is evident that the leadership has neither purity nor bearings.
ISKCON leaders have been busy pursuing and accumulating all the material things that Lord Chaitanya instructed us to avoid. Many have come to value prestige over humility, appearances over the essence, quantity over quality, power, control and money over purity, fancy mantras and straw huts over the precious lives of so many devotee children...
Can ISKCON continue to be relevant as an effective vehicle to transmit the living teachings of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when so many leaders are ostentatiously materialistic? The Mayapur residents are terrified of the local 'devotees' from the land department, some of these guys are real life gangsters! They have attacked and threaten those who have challenged their corruption and thievery.
A couple of years back (2020?) some photos were circulated on the internet of one of these guys murdered with a volley of bullets. It was something you'd expect to see in a wild west movie! Another young man died in Mayapur under suspicious circumstances around 2016, he was working for Sadbhuj with the TOVP petty cash department. He was found dead in his room on the roof of the Gadha building, he had a head injury and burns in the lower part of his body. The very next day, the police declared it a fire accident and cremated the body without an autopsy.
A few years back a young Russian Kuli died of a drug overdose near the Ganga.
The truth is that a comprehensive investigation of the child abuse and the crimes that have taken place in ISKCON in the last 20 years alone, would make the crimes of New Vrindavana look minor...
Mayapur alone has all the elements of a lawless criminal environment! Child abuse, lots of money and power, an authoritarian regime and violent suppression of those who speak out! Tackling the heart of the problem, this pervasive corruption, is daunting, it appears impossible, at the same time, however difficult it may be, NOT tackling it will likely result in an increasingly higher degree of degradation and suffering for everyone involved.
As it stands there is a lot of rot in the foundations! There is a need for the leadership to find the courage to come clean and let the chips fall where they will.
ISKCON devotees deserve and need an honest and true account of what has happened. From the ashes it may be possible to build something authentic, on solid foundations. However painful and devastating it will be, it is still better than continuing to live a lie!
It is both poetic and significant that Mahaprabhu has chosen to start by shining the light on the horrendous abuse of the Vaishnava children in Sri Mayapur Dham, His sacred birthplace, at the very heart of ISKCON's headquarters.
As it stands there is a lot of rot in the foundations! There is a need for the leadership to find the courage to come clean and let the chips fall where they will.
ISKCON devotees deserve and need an honest and true account of what has happened. From the ashes it may be possible to build something authentic, on solid foundations. However painful and devastating it will be, it is still better than continuing to live a lie!
It is both poetic and significant that Mahaprabhu has chosen to start by shining the light on the horrendous abuse of the Vaishnava children in Sri Mayapur Dham, His sacred birthplace, at the very heart of ISKCON's headquarters.
His will is unstoppable, the only choice we have is to decide whether we want to grab this opportunity to cleanse our heart of all the dishonesty and anarthas or if we want to continue deceiving ourselves. Each one of us has the responsibility to shape the society we live in.
The GBC just announced that they have commissioned an Inquiry into the Mayapur and Vrindavana Gurukula, headed by Navin Krishna prabhu from London. It appears that they are intending to carry out a 'confidential Inquiry'. Meaning that they are hoping to keep the devotees in the dark of whatever details they do not wish to disclose.
There are a number of problems. Navin Krishna is a nice and capable devotee, he has done an amazing job with the Krishna Avanti schools, but he is very much a company man! He is not an investigator, what are his qualifications to carry out this Inquiry? He is certainly not a gun slinger, which is what will be required of whomever hopes to carry out an adequate investigation in Mayapur!
This suggested Inquiry lead by Navin Krishna looks too much like a band-aid to try and plug a dam, it looks an awful lot like the rigged ad-hock panel the GBC set up to make the 'Lokanath problem go away'.
The GBC just announced that they have commissioned an Inquiry into the Mayapur and Vrindavana Gurukula, headed by Navin Krishna prabhu from London. It appears that they are intending to carry out a 'confidential Inquiry'. Meaning that they are hoping to keep the devotees in the dark of whatever details they do not wish to disclose.
There are a number of problems. Navin Krishna is a nice and capable devotee, he has done an amazing job with the Krishna Avanti schools, but he is very much a company man! He is not an investigator, what are his qualifications to carry out this Inquiry? He is certainly not a gun slinger, which is what will be required of whomever hopes to carry out an adequate investigation in Mayapur!
This suggested Inquiry lead by Navin Krishna looks too much like a band-aid to try and plug a dam, it looks an awful lot like the rigged ad-hock panel the GBC set up to make the 'Lokanath problem go away'.
It's a cosmetic fix, more of the 'Keep them in the dark and feed them manure' philosophy! An Inquiry headed by someone like Navin Krishna simply does not offer the necessary assurance of transparency and independence that ISKCON needs right now! These two gurukulas, though very problematic, they are simply the tip of the iceberg of ISKCON's corruption and child abuse problems. In Mayapur alone there are all manners of problems that need to be addressed.
ISKCON does not even have an up to date number of all its affiliated schools and gurukulas worldwide, let alone know what is happening to all those children! In Russia, recently the police shut down a devotee school and arrested the principal for child sexual abuse. I just spoke to a friend in India who told me of recent allegations of child abuse in Bangladesh. These are by far the most horrific accounts of child abuse I have ever come across! The perpetrators are senior disciples of JPS and he is aware of the problem, but...He isn't fixing it!
It is incredibly naive or dishonest to think that the same system/method that has failed and enabled abuse for the last 50 years can now magically fix itself!
A bit of money, another committee or a new resolution are just not going to cut it!
What is required is a Public Inquiry into the child abuse, crimes and corruption that have taken place in ISKCON worldwide. Governments commission Public Inquiries when there is a catastrophic system failure. As the name suggests, such inquiries are public, devotees would be able to participate and submit evidence, but also the findings are made public.
It is incredibly naive or dishonest to think that the same system/method that has failed and enabled abuse for the last 50 years can now magically fix itself!
A bit of money, another committee or a new resolution are just not going to cut it!
What is required is a Public Inquiry into the child abuse, crimes and corruption that have taken place in ISKCON worldwide. Governments commission Public Inquiries when there is a catastrophic system failure. As the name suggests, such inquiries are public, devotees would be able to participate and submit evidence, but also the findings are made public.
Understanding and acknowledging the extent of the problem is the first necessary step to finding solutions. If we have learned anything from the last 50 years, it is that minimizing and covering up problems does not solve them, but rather enables their perpetuation.
Some of the objectives of this Public inquiry would be to establish: -What is the extent of the child abuse, corruption and criminality problem in ISKCON worldwide.
-What went wrong.
-Who is responsible.
-What measures need to be put in place to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated.
After this ISKCON will probably need something similar to a large scale Truth and Reconciliation operation. Such Inquiry would only be possible and effective if it was completely and visibly independent of the GBC. It would require a very large budged and both devotee and non devotee professionals, who are suitably qualified for the job and whose reputation is unquestioned and impeccable!
If such Public Inquiry will require 1 million dollars, it would be money very well spent, if it helps stamp out the rot and corruption that has been eating at the core of ISKCON's leadership.
This is a decisive moment, if the GBCs do not take substantive and direct action to address this cancer that has been eating away at the purity of Srila Prabhupada's institution, there will be nothing left to save, ISKCON will become just another one of those dead religious organization that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur warned us against!
Unless these recent events somehow motivate a fundamental change both individually and socially, a shift in consciousness if you will, to create an environment that is not abuse friendly, then all of this uproar will eventually fizzle out and nothing will actually change.
-Who is responsible.
-What measures need to be put in place to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated.
After this ISKCON will probably need something similar to a large scale Truth and Reconciliation operation. Such Inquiry would only be possible and effective if it was completely and visibly independent of the GBC. It would require a very large budged and both devotee and non devotee professionals, who are suitably qualified for the job and whose reputation is unquestioned and impeccable!
If such Public Inquiry will require 1 million dollars, it would be money very well spent, if it helps stamp out the rot and corruption that has been eating at the core of ISKCON's leadership.
This is a decisive moment, if the GBCs do not take substantive and direct action to address this cancer that has been eating away at the purity of Srila Prabhupada's institution, there will be nothing left to save, ISKCON will become just another one of those dead religious organization that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur warned us against!
Unless these recent events somehow motivate a fundamental change both individually and socially, a shift in consciousness if you will, to create an environment that is not abuse friendly, then all of this uproar will eventually fizzle out and nothing will actually change.
==============================
LD: Yes, we do not originate in brahman ...
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA ON OUR FALLING DOWN INTO THE MATERIAL WORLD
When a living entity falls down to the material world from his original position, he becomes cyuta, which means that he forgets his relationship with Acyuta. Actually every living entity is a part and parcel, or a son, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When influenced by the modes of material nature, a living entity forgets this relationship and thinks in terms of different species of life; but when he again comes to his original consciousness, he does not observe such bodily designations. This is indicated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.18) by the words paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. (Bhag. 4.21.12 purport)
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