Notice

[Guest guest]

SUN OR RAHU?

 

>From Danavir Goswami

 

Several devotees have asked for my opinion about a news site named

Sampradaya Sun (SS) which has recently begun to broadcast ISKCON-related

topics on the internet. The website is puzzling because, on one hand it

strives to appear "ISKCON-friendly" by displaying colorful photos of

Krishna, devotional announcements, preaching reports and editorials, etc.

while on the other hand it propounds ritvik theory, Vaisnava aparadha and

condemnation of ISKCON. I find it like using Krishna as bait for a wicked

hook.

On the whole, I think SS seriously breeches Vaisnava etiquette and

undermines the faith of ISKCON devotees in the process of bhakti as given by

Srila Prabhupada.

[Guest guest]

That seems a rather negative way of looking at it. As I see it, ISKCON

has disappointed a lot of devotees, myself included, and Sampradaya Sun

is providing a forum where I can try to understand why that happened,

keeping alive that little spark of hope that somehow I can find Krishna

again.

 

It was good to see Danavir Maharaj participate there, albeit briefly.

Perhaps if ISKCON leaders would take a more active role in these sorts

of forums, honestly discussing the issues that are raised there, those

of us who have become jaded or marginalized may feel inspired again. Of

course, there are many devotees who feel that more of a sacrifice is

required of the leaders, thinking that those who helped cause a problem

are not necessarily the best ones to fix it. Personally, I'm not sure

how I feel about that.

 

In my case, just by asking one question about a moral contradiction of a

big guru, I was threatened, condemned, and effectively driven out of my

local devotee community, where that guru had replaced Srila Prabhupada

as the primary guru of the temple. ISKCON has done nothing to help,

after ten years of receiving as much service as I was able to give. It

appears instead that the leaders, as exemplified by the message below,

find it easier to push those like me even further out by denouncing the

primary forum where we hope that our voices may be heard.

 

I came to ISKSCON ten years ago, eager to engage in devotional service

and with full faith that I would become Krishna conscious. Now I'm

trying to figure out what went wrong. Sampradaya Sun is giving me an

opportunity to do that. My first choice would have been for the GBC to

help, but they did not. Instead, those GBC who heard about it

apparently were disinterested, cowardly, or corrupt; and their pathetic

response has made me feel expendable. So now I'm finding a little

solace in association with other devotees who have also stopped

pretending that there are no problems in ISKCON, and here I find that

this is also condemned.

 

When ISKCON has so disappointed me, why should I continue to put my

faith in this institution? Can the ISKCON leadership find a way to heal

my wounded faith so that I can feel inspired again? How much do they

think the fate of a soul is worth, or am I already written off as lost?

 

Hare Krsna.

 

Sincerely,

Pandu das

 

 

 

 

Danavir Goswami (USA) [Danavir.Goswami (AT) pamho (DOT) net]

Saturday, October 29, 2005 5:27 AM

Modern Culture in Relation to Varnashrama

Notice

 

 

SUN OR RAHU?

 

>From Danavir Goswami

 

Several devotees have asked for my opinion about a news site named

Sampradaya Sun (SS) which has recently begun to broadcast ISKCON-related

topics on the internet. The website is puzzling because, on one hand it

strives to appear "ISKCON-friendly" by displaying colorful photos of

Krishna, devotional announcements, preaching reports and editorials,

etc. while on the other hand it propounds ritvik theory, Vaisnava

aparadha and condemnation of ISKCON. I find it like using Krishna as

bait for a wicked hook.

On the whole, I think SS seriously breeches Vaisnava etiquette

and undermines the faith of ISKCON devotees in the process of bhakti as

given by Srila Prabhupada.