Protest! a controversial statement....

[Guest guest]

>

> >just because I dare approach the issue

> > from a more philosophical angle and

> > suggest that we have to look at the whole situation in ISKCON and not

> > just stare ourselves blind at the child-abuse.

>

> I think this is important. Let's not become blinded to what ISKCON is (and

> can be) by the ghastly child-abuse. Let's put things in proportion.

 

The present demand is not on a "more philosophical" approaches.

It is time to be able to recognize this. The philosophy will not

help to ISCKON to keep the head up, since there has been the abuse

of philosophy going all along, or it has been applied one sided.

This very court case illustrates this. While the abuse of the

children is being viewed from the "higher philosophical angle"

(like: "our" unproper following instructions, or children's karma),

the court case that (some) abused children are conducting against

ISCKON, the institution where the abuse happened, is viewed on a

quite "down to earth" way: "They are our enemies that want to destroy

us. They want our our money". All so-called higher philosophy is gone

straight trough the window.

 

 

> One aspect of

> ISKCON activities has caused great suffering to a significant (I suppose -

> I don't have the statistics) proportion of children where it should have

> caused happiness - let's help them, punish the offenders, and make as sure

> as possible it doesn't happen again.

 

Yes, but this has not happened so far. The victims have not been

really helped, the abusers were not really punished. The justice

in ISCKON seems to began and end with empty phrases. All the years.

That is why some victims will go looking for the satisfaction

elsewhere. Is it their fault? Are they just working against the

ISCKON's wellfare? Well, there might be quite some higher philosophical

angles of viewing it. I could easily present them, but then I would be

pointed on as the one who is aliating with mad "PADA" and who is working

on destroying ISCKON.

 

 

>

> Thus my sympathy does not extend to condoning the court case, which

> attempts to destroy my activities in service to Srila Prabhupada and those

> of many thousands of others who never go near a gurukula (or those

> dedicated teachers and students in gurukulas around the world) but are

> active members of ISKCON in other areas. Two wrongs do not make a right.

 

Where is the philosophical approach? How a court case, where

the abused are suing the abusers, is attempting to destroy your

activities in service to Srila Prabhupada? After all, it's

going for money (or material properties, as equivalent) that

might be lost. The abused children might even become the owners

of some temple buildings. But why your *activities* in service to

Prabhupada and God will be destroyed by loss of some buildings?

Is it money that runs ICKON, and that loss of money means loss

of devotional activities and cessation of KC movement? The eventual

loss of money seams to be our biggest pain, a loss of our "lives".

 

Where is the philosophy, to explain how whatever happens to us

is simply the *reaction* on some previous activity of ours? That

if something "bad" happens to us is Krsna's special mercy. That

not even a blade of grass moves without Krsna's sanction. That

Krsna's devotees are under direct protection of Krsna. That nothing

happens without reason. That the immediate effect itself is not the

cause of distress, but our wrong past activities. That for whatever

"bad" happen to us, is -- our fault. We didn't follow properly

Prabhupada's instructions. That we have no faith.

 

We have spiritual/philosohical approach to view that what

we (ISCKON) do to others, and when the others react, we

apply materialistic view (like, "if they take our money, then

we are finished, and we are innocent anyaway")

 

 

 

 

It is a fact that the horrible abuse that happen in ISCKON, is

now affecting the whole society. As you said it above, as

well as below:

 

> The court case is only to financially penalise ISKCON and thus

> punish so many innocent ISKCON devotees unconnected with any gurukula

> activity, and those in gurukulas like Mother Rachitambara and many others

> who have never abused anyone and trained so many wonderful young devotees,

> and current

 

 

Yes. But that is the price to be "on board". If the ship goes through

the peaceful waters, everybody enjoys and benefits. If the ship goes

through the storm, everybody is affected. You simply can't avoid sharing

with the other passengers. You might think that the horrible abuse that

happened "on the board", as well as the way how "captain" dealt with it,

has just nothing to do with you, not your problem. But that appears not

to be so.

 

 

When ISCKON is benefiting financially, everybody is benefited.

Nobody is protesting. When the danger for a loss is there, due

to ISCKON wrongdoing, then "Why me, I am innocent?"

 

ISCKON has failed to give the protection. ISCKON has failed to

act properly afterwords. ISCKON is still failing in that regard.

ISCKON might be paying the prise for it. That simple.

 

 

Wether the court case is "good" or "bad" thing that is happening

to ISCKON -- I don't know. Time will show. What I am sure about,

though, yes, it is a reaction to something from the past. Good or

bad reaction? It is bad, yes. It is "the mare effect of our not

following properly..."

(if I am allowed here to also have the same philosophical view

as Jahnu and you)

 

 

My point is, if you choose to apply higher philosophical views,

then apply them all along. Otherwise we make a prostitute out

of that same philosophy -- we pay a visit to her only when in

a private urge.

 

 

 

- mnd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISCKON in the whole failed to act rigtly, and is still failing.

The abusers have been still unpunished. The society