Guest guest Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Pandu Prabhu, I'd like to reply comprehensively (if I can find the time), but I'm concerned that we may be getting far away from the focus of this conference (which has 134 members who regularly download), as well as the topic of Danavir Maharaja's letter that started this thread. So I'm thinking perhaps you and I should continue our correspondence privately. What do you think? What do other members of the conference think? > Hare Krsna. > > Perhaps I should have said "imbalanced" or "biased" instead of > "negative," because actually I don't mind the negative as long as it's > truthful, and I hope to be exposed to both the positive and negative > because at least it gives a sense that I'm working with honest people. > > Of course ISKCON has inspired a lot of people. It's inspired me, and I > hope it will again. It's just that I became extremely confused when I > saw the local guru praise and honor an unrepentant child molester; and > when I asked about that ethical dilemma, I was threatened, conspired > against, and lied to by his disciples who are the big majority at the > local devotee community. They even undermined my relationship with my > guru by having secret conversations with him about me, framing the > issues against me and setting him up to also lie to me so to not break > their confidentiality. So today on Govardhana Puja I have no local > temple to visit, no devotee community to chant Hare Krishna with, and > I've lost trust in my guru, all because I dared to question someone whom > the locals believe is beyond question. I asked that question to do my > part for the ethical integrity of ISKCON, what I saw as a service to > Srila Prabhupada. I can only hope that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krishna > will protect me. > > I came to ISKCON expecting purity, integrity, and honesty from those who > are cultivating Krishna bhakti. I never expected to see a dishonest and > unrepentant child molester sitting with sannyasis, getting fanned along > with them, as shown in the top-left corner of the large picture on this > page: > http://www.btswami.com/images/BTG_4.jpg > > I was there, sitting near the feet of a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who > had repeatedly molested a girl, who was lying to everyone about it (and > had even told the CPO investigators that he would lie), who refused to > apologize to the girl, slandering her instead; he was sitting with > sannyasis receiving praise and honor with hundreds of devotees at his > feet, all while ISKCON is in bankruptcy over widespread, severe child > abuse. I'm sorry but that just seemed terribly wrong to me, like a > nuclear assault on my faith. Then having several brahmana Vaishnavas > lie to me was just too much for me to handle. > > So now, regrettably, I'm an outsider, trying to figure out what went > wrong. I commented on this thread because the Sampradaya Sun has > helping me to do that, and is giving me some connection with devotees. > Without that, I'm not sure what I would do. I'm sorry if my letter hurt > anyone, but if I didn't care so much about ISKCON, I wouldn't say > anything at all. > > Hare Krsna. > > Sincerely, > Pandu das > > > > > > > > Mahadyuti (das) ACBSP (TP Soho St. London - UK) > > [Mahadyuti.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net] > > Wednesday, November 02, 2005 3:41 PM > > Danavir Goswami (USA); Mahat-tattva (das); Pandu (das) BMS (Gita > > Nagari, PA - US) > > Notice > > > > > > > > That seems a rather negative way of looking at it. > > > > Your opening comment (above) is followed by your own letter full of > > negativity. Please clarify: do you disapprove of negativity in > general or > > only that of others? > > > > >ISKCON has disappointed a lot of devotees > > > > ISKCON also has inspired and continues to inspire "a lot of devotees". > I > > wonder if the maxim that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" could > be > > applied here. Or, "Is the cup half full or half empty?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hare Krsna. That sounds alright to me. It's just that the trauma to my faith came so quickly and intensely, and yet that I don't want to give up a faith that is so integral to my being, that I can't help but call out for attention. If you (or anyone) are inclined to write off-list, I would appreciate it. I do think, however, that there may be aspects that are relevant to the main subject of this list, but I personally don't feel ready to get into that yet. Again, I apologize to everyone here for my disturbance. Hare Krsna. Sincerely, Pandu das > > Mahadyuti (das) ACBSP (TP Soho St. London - UK) > [Mahadyuti.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net] > Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:13 AM > Danavir Goswami (USA); Pandu (das) BMS (Gita Nagari, PA - US); Modern > Culture in Relation to Varnashrama > Notice > > > Pandu Prabhu, I'd like to reply comprehensively (if I can find the time), > but I'm concerned that we may be getting far away from the focus of this > conference (which has 134 members who regularly download), as well as the > topic of Danavir Maharaja's letter that started this thread. > > So I'm thinking perhaps you and I should continue our correspondence > privately. What do you think? What do other members of the conference > think? > > > Hare Krsna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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