RE: Open letter to ISKCON leaders from gurukula alumnus

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

Ninety percent of your letter was beautiful and could soften the heart of

anyone. But you threw away its positive influence when you labeled ISKCON as

your enemy. I hear your frustration and anger at the words of Gopal Krishna

Maharaja. But now you have chosen a path which can benefit no one. Time and

money that could have been used in a positive manner will now be frittered

away legal efforts that can't possibly bring whatever results you think it

will.

 

Yes, I hear frustration and anger. But I also hear revenge. Now that you

are "prepared for battle," how could you possibly think Krishna is on your

side. Krishna is on everyone's side. You can do what you like, but Krishna

will resolve the matter in his way.

 

We have a multitude of examples how Krishna takes care of deviants,

self-proclaimed saviors of ISKCON, and zonal acharyas. Krishna makes

corrections in ways we can't ever dream to surpass or equal. Those who takes

sides will all be consumed in the fire of self-immolation.

 

Your servant,

Sri Rama das

 

[srirama (AT) bbt (DOT) se], or

[srirama (AT) reachme (DOT) net]

[http://www.web-construct.net/creditcard.html]

 

 

>

> [Text 2689356 from COM]

>

> Letter from Jaya Nrisimhadeva Prabhu (Ragunatha) on Chakra.

>

> --------

>

> Dear Leaders of ISKCON,

>

> Recently, because of all the talk of past abuse, several questions and

> doubts have been popping into my head. Since these doubts concern

> yourselves, I feel at least one, or some of you should be able to clear

> them up for me. If not, I see no choice but to consider the present state

> and collective consciousness of Iskcon to be far from the wishes and

> teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

>

> First, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raghunatha. I was

> born into ISKCON Germany in 1975. From 1980-1985, I was sent to the

> Vrindavana Gurukula between the ages of 5-10. You can basically say I am a

> model case for ALL the abuse that went on there. And I can assure

> you, that

> anything you may have heard or read on the VOICE web-site, is definately

> not an exaggeration.

>

> After I had not spoken a word for almost a year, the

> Gurukula finally sent me home. I can't begin to explain the psychological

> damage that this experience caused, but I can tell you where it took me.

> After that experience I had strong troubles with authoritative figures,

> especially in school, and therefore have never finished any schooling. My

> youth was spent on drugs and cutting my arms open with razor

> blades. In the

> end, I was living on the street, shooting drugs intravaneously, and eating

> food from dumpsters. I had absolutely no desire to live, and was

> waiting to

> overdose, get shot, or for something else exciting to happen. But, as I

> was living dangerously like that, I tangibly experienced how

> Krsna saved me

> from the brink of death on several occassions.

>

> Through that, I started gaining faith again, and I even started chanting.

> Soon, I started to read the books again. At one point, it finally dawned

> upon me that actually, the experience I went through, had nothing

> to do with

> Srila Prabhupada and the teachings of the movement.

>

> I could finally accept the fact, that what

> happenned was caused by individuals straying away from the teachings. This

> gave me enthusiasim, and in the summer of 95, I joined the temple in

> Germany. I figured that all this happened in the past, and it was

> forgotten

> history. And wasn't it Vaisnava behaviour to be very forgiving, especially

> to people who have offended one personally. So for the next 4 years I

> served on the German TSKP. But sadly it seemed always more and more, that

> the old mood of Iskcon was still lingering around. And after several

> experiences with the leadership of ISKCON, I feel compelled to speak up.

>

> My first concern is a certain Shatadhanya. This person used to be a

> Sannyassi, and was caught molesting children in Mayapura back around the

> same time as Bhavananda. Now my question is: Why is this same person

> living in Mayapura, and getting a paid salary from ISKCON ? Actually I was

> told why. Apparently he has such good connections with the local

> authourities, so he was seen as indispensible. In fact he seems to be so

> valuable to Iskcon, that he seems to be defending Iskcon in court on this

> Ritvik issue. Is this true? Infact, he seems to have such great sanctions

> from the temple, that he makes pizza for the devotees at the Mayapura

> festival.

>

> Maha Prasad Ki Jai ! So my real question is, how do you think

> this makes an abuse victim feel. Try to think back to December 12th 1998,

> when an ex-gurukuli hung himself from the Broadway Bridge in Portland

> Oregon. I was living there in the temple at the time. I didn't have a

> chance to talk to him. It is sad, considering that he was probably

> conceived with all proper samskaras, and had he not had to go through such

> a DRASTICALLY traumatic childhood, could have realized his birthright and

> become a great help to this world.

>

> Which brings me to my next question. How is it that the GBC did not make

> it a top priority to see that the children were being properly taken care

> of? Are not the children the flowers of a society? And like all flowers,

> they need proper care, and delicate handling. Especially when

> they are just

> baby saplings. One has to make all kinds of arrangements like proper

> fertilizer, water, and lighting. Things like being raped, beaten, and

> starved just don't seem very healthy for a childs growth. I mean, a person

> who is supposed to be a transparent via-medium to the Lord automatically

> sees Krsna in everyones heart.

>

> So why so much unsensitivity to the children of Iskcon? I could

> understand

> if a group were to make some mistakes in raising children. That always

> happens. But to have a movement that proclaims to have the answer

> for all of

> humanities troubles, make such fundamental, and tragic mistakes in

> child-raising is beyond my comprehension. So maybe one of you can answer

> this for me. Especially when I hear from older Germans how the

> Hitler-youth

> camps were actually very fun, and most consider it to have been a

> wholesome

> growing experience in their youth. Which is the least I can say about my

> gurukula experience.

>

> There is just one last little thing I would like to trouble you with

> before I go. Maybe someone can speak up for Gopala-Krsna Maharaja, and

> explain why he took the liberty to lie to a Times of India reporter on

> Sri-Krsna Janmastami on September 2nd of this year. When the

> reporter asked

> him about child abuse in Iskcon, he said that there had been SOME problem

> in (an)? American Gurukula(s), but that it had been long corrected. It

> would interest me to know if he was sitting in the Bombay temple room in

> front Sri-Sri Radha-Rasabhihariji and Srila Prabhupada when he told this

> obvious lie. Whatever the case. This is the straw that broke the camel's

> back for me. You can count on my full cooperation and participation in the

> upcoming court-case.

>

> After 20 years of abuse of women and children by a society that

> claims to

> have the highest material and spiritual values, makes me think

> justice MUST

> come from the outside, to give a rude awakening to some obvious ignorant

> mentality present in the collective consciousness of Iskcon.

> Therefore first

> of all, let me offer my apologies to all sincere devotees of the

> Lord, but I

> cannot take it anymore. How many more of us do you expect to take

> our lives

> before we are heard ? And for those of you carrying a demoniac mentality

> while wearing the guise of Vaisnavas, PREPARE TO DO SERIOUS BATTLE.

> You can be sure Srila Prabhupada is standing behind us on this

> one. And if

> he is behind us, I wonder Who else could also be on our side.

>

> Hare Krishna, Raghunatha