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VNN - EDITORIAL
March 15, 1999 VNN3332
Ritvik Nonsense By Vipramukhya Swami
BY ADRIDHARAN DAS
EDITORIAL, Mar 15 (VNN)
Perhaps we should not be surprised that in - 'Prabhupada's Standing
Order - Ritvik Nonsense' (posted on CHAKRA) H.H.Vipramukhya Swami speaks
out strongly against returning Srila Prabhupada back to his rightful position
as ISKCON's sole diksa guru. Maharaja is after all a diksa guru himself
and naturally needs to defend his position. Needless to say his effort is
nothing more than the usual collection of recycled 'straw man' arguments
and already defeated assertions that have become the standard stock in trade
of those who attempt to 'answer' the 'Final Order' paper. We put 'answer'
in speech marks, since such papers do not usually deal with what the FO
actually states. It has of course become tedious to point out for the umpteenth
time all these 'straw man' arguments and already answered assertions, but
maybe if we do it enough, even CHAKRA may finally understand that simply
spewing out what has already been defeated, and what we do not say, is not
only dishonest, but extremely easy to respond to.

Aniruddha dasa (left), temple president
of ISKCON Melbourne, with Vipramukhya (right). |
So here we go again.
Maharaja will be referred to from now on as the author.
"Prabhupada's Standing Order - Ritvik Nonsense By Vipramukhya Swami"
Had Maharaja placed a full stop after the word ritvik above, he would
have...
a) properly defined Srila Prabhupada's instructions on initiation, and
b) warned the reader of what was to follow.
Perhaps we can be of assistance and give his essay its more accurate title:
'Nonsense By Vipramukhya Swami'
"Ritvik theorists are cheating through word jugglery, and innocent
devotees are being convinced by false logic."
As usual a statement is made without any supporting evidence, in the lame
hope that simply stating something will make it factual. This problem
is endemic with ISKCON guru authors. Now whatever they say must be the
truth, no matter how illogical or ludicrously self-contradictory. Nowhere
in the rest of his article does the author present one single quote from
us, what to speak of any specific examples of our alleged 'word-jugglery'
or 'false logic'. An ounce of example is worth a ton of unsupported generalisation.
"On face value, the "Final Order" looks good from several
points of view. It seems to present a catchall solution to ISKCON's problems.
It is a somewhat unsuccessful and intellectually dissatisfying attempt
to "prove" that Srila Prabhupada established a system, before
his departure, where all future initiated disciples would be his disciples
and proposes that the reason ISKCON has had so much difficulty is because
of not following this so-called "Final Order.""
1. We do not need to prove Srila Prabhupada set up such a system since
that is exactly what the July 9th letter states - that from July 9th onwards
those initiated would be disciples of Srila Prabhupada. It is accepted
even by the GBC that this letter was to apply for the future - at least
beyond July 9th. That much is indisputable. Maybe the author needs to
read the letter again more carefully. The difficulty comes where the GBC
claim the letter was only meant to remain applicable for four months,
or during Srila Prabhupada's physical presence only. Thus the issue is
why was the system stopped? That is what WE seek the PROOF for. It is
evidence supporting the termination of a system everyone agrees Srila
Prabhupada set in place that 'The Final Order' asks for. Indeed we have
been asking for this evidence for some years now.
2. We do not say anywhere in 'The Final Order' that ISKCON has had difficulty
because this system was not followed. This may or may not be the case,
but we do not but we do not even ADDRESS this issue in the FO.
"Srila Prabhupada consistently gave this Standing Order: His disciples
may initiate disciples, but only after Srila Prabhupada's physical departure
from the world. The etiquette, he said, was that a disciple should not
initiate disciples in the presence of the spiritual master but only after
his physical departure. This was part of the Standing Order."
As proof for this 'consistent' 'standing order', the author quotes the
following:
1. A private letter to Tusta Krishna in 1975. 2. A conversation with a
one-off visitor that was only discovered just over a year ago. 3. A letter
to John Milner telling him that he cannot get initiated by Brahmananda.
4. A letter to Hamsadutta telling him that maybe by 1975 all his disciples
can initiate. 5. Many 'amara ajnaya - become guru' quotes from Lord Caitanya.
Now we have responded to these quotes again and again, and as usual the
author offers no challenge to our replies. He just hopes that by continually
re-presenting the same evidence to CHAKRA readers who he hopes have not
seen our responses, they will continue to be convinced. The author presents
the above pieces of evidence to support the idea that one should not initiate
disciples in Srila Prabhupada's presence, but after Srila Prabhupada's
departure one can initiate unlimitedly- this is the so-called 'standing
order'. Thus he obviously feels that all the above pieces of evidence
are speaking of diksa guru. But on closer inspection we see the author
actually presents evidence that speaks of the opposite happening - No
4. Above (Srila Prabhupada was still physically present in 1975). He also
then presents 'amara-ajnaya' quotes that make no time restriction on 'becoming
guru', but actually encourage everyone to do it immediately, and that
'it is best not to accept any disciples' - No. 5 above.
So even before we begin our response we see the author himself has presented
evidence that not only does not support what he is saying, but by his
own reasoning actually contradicts his assertion. This is a good example
of the author's nonsense as promised in our modified title to his paper.
Thus we are now down to 3 pieces of evidence for this 'Consistent' teaching
of a 'standing order'. We do not need to repeat our answers to these quotes
- they are given many times and in-depth on our website: www.irg.zetnet.co.uk.
There we demonstrate that the quotes do not constitute the 'standing order'
that the author claims. Instead we will just highlight some more of the
author's ineptitude and foolishness here.
1. If these are 'standing orders', to whom are they applicable? They were
only ever spoken to two uninitiated persons, and a deviant disciple. How
come these 'standing orders' are never spoken to those who might theoretically
be able to act on them - i.e. his disciples who were strictly following?
2. Why did Srila Prabhupada make no attempt to have these 'standing orders'
heard by the rest of his movement - we are dealing with 2 unpublished
letters (only subsequently published against the GBC's wishes), and a
room conversation that we only knew about recently.
3. In light of the above two points, what relationship do the author's
evidential items 1, 2 and 3 above have in relation to following/terminating
a directive sent to the whole movement?
4. If the author seriously believes that the words spoken in these 3 quotes
are orders for everyone to become a diksa guru in Srila Prabhupada's absence,
maybe he can answer the following:
a) In the room conversation with Mohsin Hassan, Srila Prabhupada states
that anyone simply by being initiated, everyone is 'competent' to be a
diska guru even then in 1971:
'NOW they're competent'.
Srila Prabhupada has never taught that simply by getting initiated one
is automatically qualified to be a diksa guru. In fact he has stated that
one must undergo much more purification - be able to control all the 6
urges, remove all anarthas etc. etc. Thus is the author saying that this
conversation with student Mr. Hassan overturns all of Srila Prabhupada's
subsequent and previous teachings on the qualification of guru?
Just before the extract quoted above by the author, the author has omitted
to mention the following sentence also spoken by Srila Prabhupada:
"Just like I have got many Godbrothers, they are all acting."
Yet in 1973 Srila Prabhupada states that all his godbrother's are 'dead
men', and in 1974 that none of them are 'qualified to be acharya', and
later on that they had disobeyed the order of the guru etc. etc. Yet here,
if we are to believe the author's interpretation, they are held up as
perfect examples of how one should behave as diksa guru? Again does this
statement to student Mr. Hassan overturn everything else Srila Prabhupada
subsequently preached about his godbrothers?
b) In the letter to Tusta, Srila Prabhupada advises that he should:
"Keep trained up very rigidly and then you are bona fide Guru, and
you can accept disciples on the same principle."
Not, 'become trained up', but 'keep'. Thus by the author's reckoning,
that would mean that even in 1975, Tusta was qualified to be a diksa guru.
He simply had to maintain or 'keep' up the standard he had already attained
and everything would be fine. Virtually no one in ISKCON at the time thought
this was the case, and in fact most devotees would condemn Tusta for his
loyalty to Siddha Svarupa. Yet now we are expected to believe that even
in 1975 Tusta had already reached the level appropriate to diksa guruhood,
but he just had to wait and not slip up. Even in the face of all the other
letters Srila Prabhupada had written previously to Tusta trying to correct
his deviancy and keep him in line. Does the author seriously believe that
Tusta was qualified to be a diksa guru in 1975, and that the only bar
was that he had to wait until Srila Prabhupada left the planet?
c) Just 6 months before the letter to John Milner, which has enthusiastically
been presented as being evidence of Srila Prabhupada endorsing Bramhananda's
'sum total of all the demi-gods' status, Srila Prabhupada severely rebuked
Brahmananda for 'spreading contamination in our society', being a 'rascal',
doing 'nonsense' etc., since he was one of the '4 sannyasis' that was
spreading mayavadi philosophy throughout the society. Later on Srila Prabhupada
did not even consider him to be fit to be a ritvik, according to His Holiness
Tamala Krishna Maharaja's 'Pyramid House Talks'. So again does the author
believe that Brahmananda was qualified to be a diksa guru in 1971, with
only Srila Prabhupada's presence holding him back?
If the author answers yes to the above questions he will be stating the
following that:
* Every disciple of Srila Prabhupada in 1971 was qualified to be a diksa
guru. * That every disciple of Srila Prabhupada simply by dint of getting
initiated became immediately qualified to give diksa. * That all of Srila
Prabhupada's godbrothers were fully qualified to give diksa. * That Brahmananda
had reached such a level of advancement by 1971. * That Tusta Krishna
had also reached this level of advancement by 1975.
If the author answers 'NO', then he will simply be agreeing with us that
Srila Prabhupada is merely emphasising that his disciples should not initiate
when he is present. And that he was not giving them all specific standing
orders to initiate as soon as he departed.
"It is the theory of the ritvik proponents that Srila Prabhupada
overturned this "Standing Order" and established a "New
Order" on July 9, 1977. Amazingly, they call this theory the "No
Change in ISKCON Paradigm" (NCIP), even though it amounts to a fundamental
change in ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada's Standing Order. In other words,
by dubious word jugglery, ritvik proponents advocate that changing Srila
Prabhupada's Standing Order is really no change in ISKCON. Change means
no change, they argue.
More lies.
1. 'The Final Order' never states that any 'standing order' was overturned.
We state that such a generally applicable order for all his disciples
to become diksa gurus was never given to the society by Srila Prabhupada.
This is a fact otherwise why would the author only present such poor evidence.
Thus it was the July 9th directive that was 'overturned' by the GBC.
2. 'The Final Order' never states that the July 9th order was a 'new order'.
That phrase, put in speech marks incidentally, is the fabrication of the
author, and has never been used by us. We state the opposite - that it
was the formalisation of the only order ever known in ISKCON - bring everyone
to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada.
3. Thus nothing is changed by accepting Srila Prabhupada as the Diksa
Guru for ISKCON. It is the GBC who have changed both the July 9th directive,
and the tradition and only 'standing order' known in ISKCON - that when
anyone joins, get them initiated by Srila Prabhupada.
"It is sad that some devotees,disappointed by failing authorities
but yet experienced in philosophy, have not seen through this jungle of
words."
What is not sad is that even devotees with little experience in philosophy
can very easily see through the fabricated, contradictory nonsense presented
by the author. Even the GBC can in their heart of hearts. That is why
after 22 years, they still cannot all agree on exactly WHY, WHEN and HOW
they were authorised to take up the role of guru. The only thing they
can agree on is that they want to keep on doing it.
"In this letter, Tamal Krishna Goswami uses the word "henceforward."
Ritvik theorists claim that Prabhupada's approval signature at the bottom
of Tamal Krishna Goswami's letter means that Srila Prabhupada has overturned
his Standing Order for his disciples to accept disciples after his physical
departure, even though Srila Prabhupada never specifically mentions it."
Another lie. 'The Final Order' never states this. See point above.
"They claim that Prabhupada's approval to Tamal Krishna Goswami's
letter means Srila Prabhupada has set up a new system where only he will
be the guru from this point forward, forever."
1. For Srila Prabhupada to be the spiritual master for ISKCON is nothing
new. It is the system he instituted from day 1, and published in BTG:
"The founder and spiritual master of The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada."
(BTG NO. 40)
There is no mention of 'current' spiritual master, or until 'he departs'.
Only that he is the Guru for ISKCON. Period. This is all we say. There
is nothing new in this.
2. We never state 'forever', only for as long as ISKCON exists. How long
does the author think he will get away with his lies and fabrications?
"But was this Tamal Krishna Goswami's intention when using the word
"henceforward?"In the paper called "Prabhupada's Order"
we find the following interview with Tamal Krsna Goswami, who is the author
of the above July 9th letter. "Prabhupada's Order" states:"
We have already demonstrated in our reply to 'Prabhupada's Order' - 'GBC
Fails To Answer Final Order'- that H.H. Tamala Krishna Maharaja changed
his mind at least 10 times over what he thought Srila Prabhupada wanted
in regards to the guru succession. Thus it is less than convincing and
somewhat risky for the author to use H.H. Tamala Krishna Maharaja's current
opinion about the letter, since who knows when he may have changed his
story yet again.
"Ritvik theorists claim Prabhupada's intention, by approving Tamal
Krishna's letter, was to overturn his Standing Order, even though neither
Tamal Krishna Goswami nor Srila Prabhupada ever mentions anything about
it."
More lies. 'The Final Order' does not claim this. See above. It was the
July 9th directive that was overturned.
"Crucial here is to understand Srila Prabhupada's own use of the
word "henceforward." This can be understood from actual statements
made by him. [..'] It is clear that Srila Prabhupada's use of the word
"henceforward" does not indicate "from this point forward,
eternally," as ritvik theorists would have us believe."
More lies. This false assertion that 'The Final Order' claims that 'henceforward'
means 'from this point forward, eternally' has been answered at least
a half dozen times by us. The author knows this so he is deliberately
cheating his hapless CHAKRA readership. We have never claimed this. We
state 'henceforward' means exactly what Srila Prabhupada uses it to mean
- 'from this point onward'. If our detractors insist on lying and using
'straw man' arguments, at least they could come up with some new ones.
"Therefore we have proved: 1) Tamal Krishna Goswami wrote the letter.
He says the use of the word was meant to imply "in the foreseeable
future."
What H.H.Tamala Krishna Maharaja thinks is not relevant. The letter was
not Maharaja's idea. He was just the menial secretary doing whatever he
was told to do. Secretaries act on behalf of their masters. It is what
the master signed that counts. Srila Prabhupada signed a letter that sets
up a system of initiations for ISKCON. Let us see when the master overturned
this system? Not what some former secretary thinks or wishes the letter
meant, and whose account of things changes with every gust of political
wind.
"2) Accepting that Srila Prabhupada approved the letter, we have
proved Srila Prabhupada's use of the word "henceforward" means
something very different from the interpretation of ritviks theorists."
Another lie, since we do not interpret the word as he claims we do.
"3) There's nothing in the July 9th letter to indicate the Standing
Order is hereby nullified. Prabhupada would have been clear if this was
his intention."
Another irrelevant point. The author has not been able to produce anything
that was sent to the society in support of this supposed 'standing order'.
Nor has he been able to produce anything that the movement would even
have been aware of. All he can produce are private words of encouragement
given to a visitor, an uninitiated congregational member and a deviant
disciple. There is no 'standing order' that the July 9th directive would
have overturned. Rather it was the July 9th directive that was overturned
by the GBC.
Thus the only thing that the author has succeeded in 'proving' with the
above recycled nonsense is:
1. He likes to make up things. 2. He likes to ignore the arguments that
have already defeated the points he puts forward. 3. He likes to contradict
himself.
"Sometimes Ritvik proponents try to confuse the issue by claiming
the tape of this May 28 conversation was forensically analyzed and has
start and stop signatures, indicating the tape was edited or altered.
Thus they try to cover their weak arguments by throwing doubt on the origin
of the tape. Although they quote the tape, because the tape makes it so
clear what Prabhupada's intention is, they have to throw doubt upon it.
Starting and stopping the tape was always going on in Prabhupada's presence.
In order to save precious tape, the servants of Prabhupada would stop
the tape recorder when nothing was being said and turn it back on when
the conversation would start up again. This was standard procedure. The
same start and stop signatures can be found on virtually 90% of Srila
Prabhupada's conversation and morning walk tapes. It should be noted,
however, that the forensic analysis of this May 28 tape admits that the
part of the tape where Srila Prabhupada discusses the subject of future
gurus has not been alt
More lies and nonsense.
1. If the above is actually the case, then why not simply get the forensic
analyst who did the original investigation to say so? If the author has
suddenly become such an expert in forensic science, why did the GBC not
save valuable laksmi and just commission him to do the investigation in
the first place? We have the ludicrous situation whereby a lay-person
is interpreting the work of an expert; the exact opposite of what is supposed
to happen in reality.
2. Anyone who has read the report will note that only half of the 'exhibits'
mention 'stop/start' signatures.
3. And with regards the point about the relevant parts of the tape being
'cleared', this is what the investigative expert himself had to say:
"IF the copy contains signs suggestive of falsification, that copy
could NOT be relied upon as a faithful and accurate rendition of the original."
"If the preliminary analysis discovers ANY area that is significantly
suggestive of falsification, then the ENTIRE recording is in question
and a Forensic Analysis should be done." (N. Perle, 13/10/97 &
14/10/97, in response to query asking if ANY part of a tape can be taken
as being 'intact', after a preliminary analysis had discovered irregularities)
4. We do not mind in the slightest if the tape is used. It completely
supports the July 9th letter
'Is that Ritvik? Ritvik, Yes' (...) 'So they may also be considered your
disciples?' 'Yes, they are disciples...'
If we were 'afraid' of the tape we would not have analysed it line by
line in 'The Final Order'. Indeed we have provided more analysis and words
on this tape than the GBC, who try their best to avoid explaining it any
detail since they know they will contradict what they have said previously,
having given us at least 5 different transcripts and 4 different interpretations
for this tape already. We are merely concerned at the preliminary findings
of the GBC's own forensic expert.
"The real issue is this: Srila Prabhupada's Standing Order was that
after his physical departure, his disciples could accept disciples "without
limitation." [...]Prabhupada's Standing Order was for his disciples
to accept disciples, but only after his physical departure, and that those
then initiated would be "Granddisciples" of Srila Prabhupada,
or "disciple of my disciple" (Prabhupada's own words)."
1. On the one hand the author claims that Srila Prabhupada 'consistently'
gave a 'standing order' that all his disciples could be diksa gurus and
accept disciples 'without limitation'.
2. Then the author claims that this same 'standing order' was put into
motion by Srila Prabhupada only specifically 'choosing' 11 'RITVIKS'.
After having told us that Srila Prabhupada gave us a 'standing order'
for everyone to be a diksa guru automatically on his departure, we are
then expected to believe that specifically selecting just 11 RITVIKS is
somehow an example of this 'Standing Order'. Thus as well having failed
to provide evidence for his hypothetical 'Standing Order', and explaining
why the July 9th directive was ever overturned, the author has also contradicted
himself yet again.
Conclusion
The above is a shameful and embarrassing catalogue of lies, straw-man
arguments, recycling of previously defeated arguments, and self-contradiction.
Thus we feel it has earned the modified title we gave it. One day many
of CHAKRA's readers will read our responses, and see this for themselves.
Until then the author can rest safe in the knowledge that his nonsense
will get swallowed by many persons that the author knows will not get
to see the reply. And I suppose as long as such a state of affairs continues,
CHAKRA will continue to spew nonsense such as the above. However it is
only a matter of time, since the truth has a habit of coming out, and
more and more devotees are waking up. Witness the progress made by the
IRG since its formation in July 1998. It continues to go from strength
to strength.
Comment on this Story
This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9903/ET15-3332.html
Letter to Vipramukhya swami
Dear Vipramukhya swami,
Thanks very much for your long reply. Here are a few points for your
consideration:
1. If you are, as you admit, not sure about Bahudaka's child molest claims,
then why don't you talk to this party directly? That is YOUR duty as their
regional representative, to resolve, not to avoid, such contentions. If
you have a brother who is feeling victimized and is having trouble like
this, then why the reluctance to help him out and see what his experience
is?
2. Regarding your idea: that we should go off and talk about all of this
to Ravindra swarupa dasa, he has just told Praghosa dasa that he's "bulls----"
and then RS hung up the phone. And you are my really my friend here?
3. We disagree with those who do not share our "world view."
[??] What in fact is the world view? The "world in general"
agrees with PADA, i.e. that:
a) Homosexual pedophiles are not, were not, could not, have been "Vishnupadas"
EVER [despite what Amala Bhakta and similar GBC clone types tell us];
b) That those who *founded, *sustained and *re-instated such things are
not bona fide gurus NOW and;
c) That groups a. and b. have ...2/3 voted, certified, blessed, empowered,
given a show of hands, a no-objection [or whatever the current phrase
is] to make more "pure gurus" ...is not possible, and moreover
the idea that a homosexual pedophile guru fan club can empower anyone
to do anything spiritual is silly.
4. You have stated that when we make a point, and someone replies, we
then gloss over their reply. However, NO one from the GBC side has ...ever
replied to the above at all, for 20 years. If we first of all get some
reply, we shall inform you right away. [I'm not holding my breath here]
Moreover, no one else is getting any reply either, hence people are advising
to write more and more expose books, go for more media exposure, etc.
And besides, you have never even answered most of our questions, such
as, "when did Prabhupada tell you to tell us that we should follow
Sridhara Maharaja," as you stated that he had done, to me personally,
in 1978?
5. Because we are "not thinking straight," therefore "no
one replies"? No, we are getting many nice replies. Even Dr. J. Stillson
Judah admired our writing very much, and it was he who also told us to
that we HAVE TO write about all this, in the first place.
6. You state that we glossed over "my childhood" by diverting
the issue to molestations in ISKCON. No, we asked you what kind of childhood
our kids have had, since the GBC threatened to kill their father?
7. Ex-gurukuli children describe to me that they were forced to be washed,
while naked, by Bhavananda goswami with a corn husk scrubber, and so on.
They were also "inspected" regularly like persons going off
to concentration camps. This is like some lusty heterosex man washing
the bodies pubescent young girls. They say he was simply drooling over
their bodies and he was not interested in their so-called cleanliness.
They say that because of persons LIKE YOU, they felt they had no way of
even beginning to object to the situation, because you were thinking,
"this man is fully beyond reproach, he's God's unquestioned representative."
Therefore they could not trust you. They hated Bhav's and his crew's regular
"inspections," etc. In sum, you made for them what some of them
say was ...worse than Hitler.
8. Now you say that this is not-too-surprising among maha-bhagavata acharyas
[?], or "persons in a continuation of the parampara," because,
in our parampara, "bad things happen" with our acharyas, [?]
or you say that acharyas "are now gone" [?] [off fishing, drug-dealing,
smoking, and chasing the skirts of women who eat steaks] and moreover
our Vaishnava acharyas "make [such] mistakes," and so on and
so forth? So, the first question is, what kind of parampara is this, where
your acharya is lusting after small boys? And the assistant "acharyas"
say that they are not to blame for helping these deviants because all
acharyas "make these kind of mistakes," but in 1986 you made
no mistake, you knew? Worse, you are ascribing the defects of conditioned
souls upon persons whom--you claim--are in the parampara, the acharyas,
such as: mistakes, illusion, cheating and imperfect senses. Gurusuh narah
matih ...naraka sah!
9. You begin a whole analysis of my karmi childhood forgetting that my
real father is my spiritual father, and he simply waved away our karmi
past as a temporary and unfortunate conditioned state, which he has forgot
and forgiven me for. Why can't you? He did not emphasize our conditioned
state as something to dwell upon. You are side-tracking our point. It
was HIS children that were the gurukulis that you were supposed to be
looking after. BUT you told those boys [who all looked up to YOU as a
sort of FATHER-FIGURE, that their real father was now dead and gone, and
that they had to NOW worship your latest brain storm, "Mr. Bubbles,"
a man you dressed not in a clown suit [to fool just the boys] but in an
acharyas' suit [to try and fool the adults too] your new found acharya
from a xxx-grade Andy Warhol movie, "Chelsea girls" and you
forced those boys to worship your newfound "Chelsea girl" ...a
man (Bhavananda) you simultaneously said was Vishnupada? And then
you made sure you also got a Mr. Bubble certficate yourself, right alongside
your bogus transvestite pure devotee, in 1986! To sum, instead of giving
our children our real father, you forced them to worship a molester. Thus
they had no childhood. You ruined their childhood. Now that we are telling
you, your own, history "like it is," you say that this is because
my [karmi?] childhood was bad. This is totally irrelevant. My childhood
was no doubt bad, but it was probably heaven compared to the worship of
a molester "spiritual" father, who was washing his children,
and much more, and behaving deviantly with children, right in front of
your noses.
10. In the 1990 meeting at Gita Nagari with Satsvarupa, Ravindra, Danurdar
and 35 others, it was noted that a molester had been driven out of one
place and moved to another, and then another, and finally another ...in
ISKCON. When some devotees wanted to get this molester criminally charged,
they were given icy glares, looked at with disdain, and considered to
be insane fanatics. This is explained in the Bhagavad Gita, a person becomes
what he worships. If he worships dog, then he becomes a dog, and if he
worships a molest sampradaya, he will love molesters. None of this is
new. Anyway, these are a few ideas we'd like you to finally begin to address.
Puranjana dasa (1 Jul. 1998)
HH Vipramukya swami speaks
"I don't attend Hare Krishna temples. I might visit ocassionally
if there was one around here, but the nearest temple is hundreds of miles
from here. So I'm not a practicing Hare Krishna monk anymore. I'm just
a correctional officer working for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice."
Comment: What is amazing though how it is presented as the most
normal thing. Today officiating as sannyasi and diksa-guru on the vyasasana
of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Sampradaya and tomorrow, hi folks, I'm doing
fine, got a job in Texas, don't feel offended, I love my girl-friend.
And this is basically the mood of present Vaishnavism what we have to
get accustomed to. Something what reminds and explains why Srila Prabhupada
as a young man hesitated at first to go and meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Maharaja.
What Prabhupada had seen throughout his youth and childhood was mainly
99% saints hooked to kali-yuga. Same what we obviously have today.
Just like the other day an ex-disciple told me, "well, I went to
the marriage ceremony of my fallen guru who left the Vaishnava institution
and the order of sannyasa, it was so nice and I saw him for the first
time really happy. I wish him all well, actually I still feel like being
his disciple."
You cannot say anything except, yes, nice wedding, wise decision to leave
institutionalized Vaishnavism, in order to not being labeled as embittered.
Basically this is where we're presently living in, people are emotionally
caught to get cheated but demand from you to cooperate, tolerate and work
with this kind of spirituality.
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