Who is Responsible? / A Nice Letter / Shanti Mantra (VIDEO) 05 06

What is the responsibility of those who tolerate child abuse?

"There was a poetry by Rabindranath Tagore. The purport of the poetry, that one who is mischievous, he is culprit, but one who tolerates mischievous activity, he is also culprit. If you are mischievous, you are criminal. But if you tolerate mischievous activities that is also criminal."
Srila Prabhupada May 3rd, 1973.

https://vanisource.org/.../730503_-_Morning_Walk_-_Los...

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VKD: Here’s a beautiful email we received from one of our godbrother’s. 

Hare Krishna prabhus. 

Please accept my pranams, I was only 13 when I joined with my mother at New Govardhan farm in Australia in May 1977. Sometime in early October that year, as Prabhupada’s health worsened, our TP Sabhapati prabhu said we were to start kirtan around the clock (in shifts), in sinc with all the other ISKCON temples in Australia and around the world. We were engaged in 24 hour kirtan for weeks and in rotations, hoping the worldwide chanting would give Prabhupada the strength to get better. 

Then on November 14 Sabhapati prabhu came into the temple room with tears in his eyes, with the words, “Prabhupada has left his body!” WOW! I’ll never get to meet him! I still remember clearly within only hours after Srila Prabhupada’s departure, the worldwide directive filtered down from our temple president (and all temple presidents back then) to all devotees, was that now we were to take shelter of Prabhupada’s “Vani incarnation”. 

That was the directive then and there! 

Not that other gurus (Westerners or otherwise) would come up through the ranks and become elected to take over from Prabhupada. Not as gurus! What happened!? (now we all know what happened). And then, even before the end of the year, there were whispers of Prabhupada’s being poisoned. 

These days, with so much proof gathered over the years, it seems most certain it [poisoning] was a fact, 110%. The point I’d most humbly like to make (or suggest), with heavy heart and tears in my eyes and head at the feet of the vaisnavas, is that the external energy has presented so many side-tracks to me (to us) over the years. 

Maya has expertly designed various methods, both false and true to divert us from focusing on becoming Krishna Conscious. Maya is so expert and sneaky, she does it without us even realising. And our minds are so weak and fickle due to association with the material energy since time immemorial, we just accept, “O let me accept this new side track, O let me accept that new side track”. 

And in the meantime, our duration of human life is running out! Maya has won again. And again and again another birth. There are so many topics, whether about the bogus elected guru system (which, of course is true and should be brought out into the light for all to see), or the poisoning, or the moon landing hoax or “Killing For Krishna” or, or, or . . . . . It’s about emphasis. 

When it comes to sidetracks it doesn’t mean they’re lies -- but they have diverted us from our real business. Of course, when it comes to our beloved spiritual master, who is a direct representative of Lord Nityananda Himself, and even more so, the only one who is, out of his own causeless mercy, actually giving us the tools and means to cross this ocean of birth and death and placing our heads directly at the lotus feet of Radhe-Sham, any abuse or atrocities committed against him should never be tolerated. 

We will become ferocious. Naturally this needs to be acknowledged and the perpetrators dealt with, just as Lord Nrsimha eradicated the demon Hiranyakasipu, but then we must get on with the task of becoming Krishna Conscious ourselves and preaching straight up Krishna Consciousness. 

Not that we let these topics define us and become diversions or stumbling blocks on the path back to Krishna as Srila Prabhupada chiselled out for us. Srila Prabhupada wouldn’t have wanted that. We can easily let a separate focus place our spiritual lives on hold, “pause button” and our ability to carry out Srila Prabhupada’s mission. 

In every single case, we should always ask ourselves, “What would Srila Prabhupada do?” “What would Srila Prabhupada say?” “What would Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to me be?” What would Srila Prabhupada want our focus to be? Even though I joined young, went to gurukula in Vrindaban for some time, then did some pujari work in Mayapur and in Australia in the 80’s and ended up learning Bengali quite fluently, at some point, due to bad association, I became materially engrossed, performed all sorts of nonsense and ended up on “pause button” for a very, very long time. 

So I know what this “pause button” smells and tastes like. It made me realise that I’m truly no one very special at all. In fact, I’m someone quite unspecial! I was given so much mercy and had learned so much from so many. I even felt myself quite dedicated. But maya isn’t always gross and obvious and in your face. She is very subtle. She comes in disguise. 

Now I am in my 60th year (a baby in comparison to many of you exalted souls) but somehow, by the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada and some pretty amazing vaisnavas friends, I wake up early again (before my business goes crazy and takes over my day), I have increased my chanting and reading and feel I am slowly getting back on track (little steps). I eagerly tune in to the weekly Caitanya Caritamrita classes (work permitting) and play them back when possible if I miss them. 

I feel I derive much benefit from hearing Prabhupada’s lectures and the discussions and points made by the assembled vaisnavas. Please forgive me if I seemed partially (or fully) off track or my siddhanta not quite correct. Feel free to grant me a better perspective. With a blade of grass between my teeth and head at the feet of the true devotees, I pray for the mercy and blessings of the vaisnavas, for nothing else in this world has the power of deliverance. 

Thank you prabhus! 

KP: I was following Srila Prabhupada outside of ISKCON from 1974 to 1978. I read in the newspaper in 1977 that Srila Prabhupada had departed. I knew nothing about what was announced after his disappearance. Only after I got initiated later then I found out about the Guru hoax.

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PADA: This is a mantra I heard in a 1960s "Head Shop" -- and I was attracted to the sanskrit mantra idea -- before I heard about Hare Krishna. This is a very nice version. ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com