K Kirti: Ignoring ISKCON's Victims Equals Purity?

Krishna Kirti Dasa: With regard to Lokanātha Mahārāja and whether the CPO should be allowed to retry the case against him, there are some important aspects of this case which do not appear to have been considered — at least in the public discourse of the past thirty years — and which seem to be fundamental to any fair and just outcome.

[PADA: Fake news. The CPO never officially tried the case.] 

Perhaps the most important of these aspects is Mahārāja’s present status as a Vaisnava. Simply put, Maharaja is not at the same level of spiritual advancement that he was at thirty years ago. During an interview conducted by Namarasa Prabhu, Sanaka Sanatana Prabhu, one of Maharaja’s disciples, said this about his own guru’s spiritual advancement:

*Namarasa: * You being close to Maharaja what is Maharaja's attitude during these times?

*Sanaka Sanatana:* This time Maharaja is totally undisturbed. In 1998, Maharaja was very disturbed. When the issue came again in 2010 - 11, Mahārāja literally couldn't sleep for a very long period of time, he couldn't sleep anymore, he was sleepless, he was suffering very greatly. This time Maharaja is 72 years old, he's totally self-realized, he's a sadhu. He's given up caring about that. 

[PADA: OK so Lokanath is himself a molester, and has been a huge cheer leader / administrator of an illicit sex with men, women and children guru program -- which had to be sued for $400,000,000 for mass child abuse, but "he's given up caring about that." OK that is called narcissistic psychopath behavior. 

Our program molested thousands of children, that caused ISKCON to be bankrupted, devoid of children, and victims committing suicide. But I never think about that, my main worry is -- can I get a bigger samadhi stone than Kirtanananda?  

Lokanath's party created huge problems for others, and now they will "give up caring about" the suffering they caused others. And Sanaka Sanatana folks evidently think, when a criminal quits caring about his victims, that makes him a sadhu? No that makes him an un-repenting criminal, which makes his case get a worse sentence from the judge. 

Lokanath swami has given up caring about his victims, that is simply a sign he has no compassion, mercy, remorse, or feelings of guilt for the suffering his program has caused others, includes thousands of children. Giving up caring about one's victims is a sign of a criminal psychopath, not an advanced spiritual person. 

Nor has Lokanath and his compadres figured out any plan to compensate ISKCON for the millions and millions of dollars it has lost in their molester worship program's resultant lawsuits, loss of manpower, loss of the second generation etc. 

Lokanath has given up caring about the mess his program created for ISKCON, but Krishna has not forgot that his program made this mess and then they neglected to fix it. The GBC says Krishna successors are often debauchees, and "we don't care" that the parampara is being attacked and insulted since 1977? ISKCON has been turned into a bankrupted empty shell, and the people who orcehstrated all that destruction are now pure -- because they don't care they caused all this mayhem?] 

[1] This is an unusually candid, public statement from a disciple describing what he sees as his own guru’s spiritual progress. Disciples typically do not speak of their own guru as being less realized, because śāstric injunction forbids a disciple from criticizing even actual faults in the character of his own spiritual master.

[2] There is no guru-aparādha committed in this case, however, because the disciple here is speaking facts that he knows to be true so that the devotee public may benefit.

[3] If the testimony of this disciple accurately reflects the facts of this case, then it suggests that Mahārāja has indeed taken full shelter of the Lord, as that is the only prāyaścitta (atonement) prescribed for devotees. So, the expected result of taking complete shelter of the Lord is that one becomes spiritually advanced and self-realized, thus obviating the need for any other form of punishment.

Furthermore, and more importantly, the continued persecution of Mahārāja for an offense that he has atoned for will not only be counted as Vaiṣṇava aparādha, but continued offenses against him will be magnified manyfold by the fact that Mahārāja is now considerably more advanced in self-realization.

[PADA: OK first of all, Lokanath Maharaja has not attoned for his crimes of (a) molesting a child himself and (b) supporting the entire pedophile guru process of the GBC, wherein they admit -- their guru chain contains "illicit sex with men, women and children." Lokanath and GBC leaders promised the victim he would no long hold a post of authority, and simply stated, they lied. That hurts all the victims because it shows lack of concern or remorse towards any of the victims, this victim being merely one example out of thousands. 

And in sum, the lack of remorse or even stepping down from the post of guru victimizes all the thousands of ISKCON molesting victims because it shows, there is no factual remorse or rectification from these leaders. Lokanath has encouraged all sorts of people, actually millions of people, to worship his illicit sex with men, women and children guru process, and he still is doing that. Where is the remorse or rectification?

How is supporting the worship of deviants as acharyas "more advanced"? He and the GBC said he would no longer be a guru, they lied to the victim. That is not a sign of advancing.] 

For example, Dhruva Mahārāja’s step-mother, Suruci, had to perish in a forest fire due to the offense she committed against Dhruva, which she committed before it became self-evident that he was a pure Vaiṣṇava.

“An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava is the greatest offense in this world. Because of having insulted Dhruva Mahārāja, Suruci would become mad upon the death of her son and would enter a forest fire, and thus her life would be ended. This was specifically mentioned by the Lord to Dhruva because he was determined for revenge against her. 

"From this we should take the lesson that we should never try to insult a Vaiṣṇava. Not only should we not insult a Vaiṣṇava, but we should not insult anyone unnecessarily. When Suruci insulted Dhruva Mahārāja, he was just a child. She of course did not know that Dhruva was a great recognized Vaiṣṇava, and so her offense was committed unknowingly. When one serves a Vaiṣṇava unknowingly, one still gets the good result, and if one unknowingly insults a Vaiṣṇava, one suffers the bad result. A Vaiṣṇava is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 

[PADA: And Lokanath's victim is also a Vaishnava -- who has been offended, then lied to, then made to look like the source of the problem (victimizing the victim) by Lokanath's people demonizing her, and her advocates. Lokanath's program's folks are painting themselves as the victims, when their victim -- and the thousands and thousands of other children victims of their pedophile guru regime -- are still not satisfied by seeing these victimizers still being worshiped "as good as God." 

Nor has Lokanath explained why his program is burying pedophiles and porno swamis in samadhis, which has made some of PADA's Brijabasi associates mortified at that offense. How can a program that is burying homosexuals, pedophiles and / or porno swamis in samadhis be said to have attoned for anything? If nothing else, they are doubling down on these deviations.]

Pleasing him or displeasing him directly affects the pleasure and displeasure of the Supreme Lord.” (ŚB 4.9.23) 

So, the important question to ask here with Mahārāja is, “Are we are dealing with a pure Vaiṣṇava?” If so, then the consequences of an unjust verdict against him could very well destroy ISKCON itself. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement will undoubtedly continue, but depending on the decision the GBC and their associates conjointly reach, it may be with or without ISKCON. As indicated by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport above, one will not be excused even if the offense against a pure Vaiṣṇava is committed unknowingly.

And if Mahārāja’s present spiritual adhikāra is indeed that of someone who is a highly advanced, pure Vaiṣṇava, then he has also successfully atoned for his past offense. And that would make him innocent and therefore not subject to any further punishment or disciplinary action. 

The Viṣṇudūtas did not at all let the Yamadūtas take Ajāmila with them for any kind of punishment. “Innocent” means he was not even to be approached by the Yamadūtas. So, continuing to punish someone—especially someone who has reached the Vaiṣṇava stage of advancement—would be a grave offense, possibly one that could ruin ISKCON’s leaders en-masse and result in the destruction of ISKCON itself. 

There are other matters in relation to this case that need to be discussed, and which I will address shortly. But most important are (1) Mahārāja’s present spiritual adhikāra, and (2) whether he has fulfilled the prāyścitta prescribed for Vaiṣṇavas (taking complete shelter of the Lord in devotional service). If by taking full shelter of the Lord Mahārāja has come to the Vaiṣṇava stage, then any further punishment of Mahārāja would itself constitute a great offense with the potential to destroy ISKCON.

Your servant,

Kṛṣṇa-kīrti dāsa

Convenor

ISKCON India Scholars Board

https://iisb.co.in

p.s. The ISKCON India Scholars Board has prepared a paper titled “Vedic Jurisprudence and Atonement”, and which is available at this link:

https://iisb.co.in/2021/12/29/vedic-jurisprudence-and-atonement/

## End Notes ##

[1] Nāmarasa dāsa, “Lokanatha Swami’s Representation Speaks Out, feat. Sanak Sanatana”, /The Late Morning Program with Namarasa Podcast,/  Episode #87, Timing: 00:46:03 - 00:46:43, 16 Oct. 2021, accessed 5 Mar 2022

<https://www.youtube.com/embed/6SENEH3B2pc?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=2763&end=2803

<https://www.youtube.com/embed/6SENEH3B2pc?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=2763&end=2803>>

[2] Manu-samhitā 2.201: /parīvādāt kharo bhavati śvā vai bhavati nindakaḥ | paribhoktā kṛmirbhavati kīṭo bhavati matsarī ||,/ 

“Through censure [of one’s guru] one becomes an ass, and the defamer becomes a dog; he who lives on him [his own guru] becomes a worm, and he who is jealous becomes an insect” (trans. Gannganātha Jhā). 

[PADA: But the GBC program itself chastises, corrects, suspends, censures, removes and excommunicates their gurus? So according to Krishna Kirti, the GBC are going to take birth as dogs, worms, and insects. Really?]

The word parivāda is taken to mean censure, and it includes even censure of faults in the guru that actually exist, whereas nindā here refers to defamation, or finding faults that do not actually exist.

[3] Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his essay “Vaiṣṇava Nindā” identifies three proper motives for identifying fault in a Vaiṣṇava: (1) desiring the welfare of the person criticized, (2) desiring welfare of the world, and (3) desiring welfare for one’s own self. URL, accessed 5 Mar. 2022:

<https://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-discourses/57-discourses-2010/1110-vaisnava-ninda-criticizing-a-vaisnava>

[PADA: Oh great, we should quote from the site of Narayan Maharaja, the top cheer leader of the Tamal / molester regime. ys pd]