False allegations against ISKCON New Delhi and Mahamantra Prabhu

[Guest guest]

In text PAMHO:8721344 Braja Sevaki (dd) TKG (Mayapur - IN) wrote:

 

>Are you completely unaware that everyone in India knows of the politics of

>Delhi temple? I've heard nothing good about this person who appointed you,

>so I wouldn't get too carried away with that 'recommendation'.

 

You seriously need to question the motives of your sources if this is all

you have to say. That you have heard nothing good about Mahamantra Prabhu is

sad. Don't you question people who have no basic level of appreciation for

even their enemies? I recall Mahamantra Prabhu regularly pointing out the

good points of even those who were clearly envious of him. Doesn't

appreciation distinguish material association from spiritual?

 

>Is this the same person who had 3 karmi, female, meat eating fashion >

>designers on the altar in Delhi last year just so he could get his face in

>the paper?

 

Again your facts are terribly twisted. The three top 10 fashion designers of

India are all vegetarians, Hindus, and one is married to a Brajabasi and

worships Krishna at home. The other two practice yoga and meditation and

felt so honored to be asked to make dresses for all 6 sets of Deities at

their own expense.

 

They implemented strict cleanliness standards in their studios while making

the dresses under the guidance and direction a one designer's Brajabasi

mother-in-law, and required everyone to chant and be pure vegetarian while

working on the project. Who gave you this misleading information?

 

These fashion designers got the higher taste of rendering service and

offered to make more dresses for the Deities. Unfortunately the politics

against Mahamantra Prabhu disturbed their service this year and if they are

not welcome in ISKCON then there are 5000 other temples in Vrindavan that

will be willing to engage these sincere souls. I only pray to Radharani that

they never read this destructive poison-post of yours.

 

They were never allowed on the altar. Where do you get this? Do you

seriously expect the devotee community to believe that any ISKCON head

pujari would allow uninitiated persons on the altar (except for essential

specialists for construction worker, etc)? You and your sources have lost

all credibility with this one.

 

My assistant promotions director personally escorted them the entire time

they were in the temple. They were allowed to see sample Deity dresses in an

area where devotee matajis are also allowed so that they could get an idea

of what Sri-Sri Radha-Parthasarathi Ji's style is and of course to make the

essential pattern for their dresses.

 

Mahamantra Prabhu had no desire to get his face in the paper, nor did he

make any endeavor for that. I called the national press conference and they

took photos of the temple president with the designers. Do you honestly have

a problem with that?

 

>Who was the genius behind that self promotional nightmare?

 

The entire blame can fall on me since I took the initiative, as Lord

Krishna's promo agent, to generate some media celebrity hype for Him. At

least our TP, GBC, and temple devotees expressed his gratitude and

appreciation for our dept's efforts.

 

One of our promotions team members knew these designers and I requested them

to approach the designers and they agreed. The major credit goes to their

good relationship with these designers and the designers favorable

pre-disposition to Lord Krishna.

 

I would characterize it rather as a "Super-Soul promotional windfall".

 

The results speak for themselves:

 

1) over 30 newspaper articles showing pictures of the Deities and inviting

people to the temple.

 

2) Major prime time coverage on EVERY major news channel in India and all

local channels before and during the event.

 

3) International feature story on CNN.

 

4) Featured in-flight news coverage (CNN clip) on every British Airways

flight WORLDWIDE for the entire month of September showing Sri-Sri

Radha-Parthasarathi Ji.

 

5) We negotiated free television commercial ad space of five minutes of spot

ads daily for one year on several television channels for the rights to

broadcast the "Deity's designer dress". Star TV requested exclusive

international broadcasting rights as well.

 

6) Live National coverage on Ajjtak all day long on Janmastami day showing

the crowds, chanting, etc of ISKCON New Delhi (beating out ISKCON Bombay for

the first time

 

7) According to temple authorities the Janmastami attendance that year was

DOUBLE that of the previous year, which is an unheard of phenominal

increase.

 

8) Free pre-Janmastami advertising of the event on most local cable

channels.

 

9) The media really got excited with the idea that you could do this! I

wanted to promote the idea that you don't have to live in the temple to

serve Lord Krishna directly by your occupation.

 

10) Relations with the media became so positive after this. Indian's were

feeling good about Bhakti and Lord Krishna became more relevant, hip, and

attractive in the minds of most. It was the talk of the town for weeks if

not months.

 

11) The Deities got a set of really beautiful clothes. In detail it was more

like a night dress than a day dress due to the limited notice they had.

 

12) Two competing designer firms actually cooperated on this without any

rivalry. One did the dress for the female Deities and the small Deities, and

one for the male (humans and Vanara).

 

13) Just after the coverage Hindustan Times HT City editor listed Lord

Krishna in the top ten of "What's Cool" because of His new designer dress.

 

All told, several hundreds of thousands of (US$) dollars in free global

publicity for ISKCON New Delhi according to the opinion of one New Delhi

public relations firm.

 

It was all the mercy of Srimati Radharani who wanted to glorify Her Krishna.

 

>Devotee women >who are initiated brahmins cannot go on an altar in India,

>but for >Mahaman's profile and to promote himself, these 3 non devotee,

>meat eating >women could.

 

Okay sounds like you have some unresolved issues with not being invited on

the altars in India? My Guru Mata was on the altar requested by the leaders

of ISKCON Mayapur. When I was on the altar in Mayapur the head pujaris would

allow matajis to go on the altar as well. Go figure. Maybe there is hope? I

would like you to be able to go on the altar. Maybe someday,

 

Despite the clearly slanted version of events you are privy to, Mahamantra

showed extremely great restraint for not having exercised the powers,

influence and options at his disposal. If you knew the actual events and

circumstances, I am sure you would take an entirely different view of

Mahamantra Prabhu who has expressed so much appreciation for your guru

maharaja and who helped him in many ways.

 

Mahamantra Prabhu deserves better, and it appears that the GBC Executive

Committee agreed with me and over-ruled/modified the India RGB and/or ISKCON

Bureau decisions in regard to this matter to some degree as we requested in

our letter to the GBC Body.

 

Aside from the confirmed cover-up of the Mathura Jail incident, you have

made clear by your last post that my "speaking out" in support of Mahamantra

Prabhu (as Bhima also indicates in his post) is clearly one of the motives

behind these baseless and misleading attacks against me by you all.

 

I humbly submit that you all consider a new agenda other than the public

political character assassination of persons who, despite human defects and

mistakes, continue to endeavor to serve Lord Krishna.

 

sadhur eva sa mantavya. They are sadhus and you are committing sadhu-ninda

by speaking falsely and maliciously against these sadhus who are sincerely

trying to serve Lord Caitanya.

 

You have established that you are at least partially in the association of

persons who show no appreciation for their enemies (saying you never heard

anything good about Mahamantra, for example). I suggest that this is the

cause since Sadhu-ninda arises from asat-sanga.

 

A neophyte devotee becomes a madhyama devotee to the degree she is free from

asat sanga. Srila Prabhupada advises us that remaining on the neophyte

platform (ie. remaining in asat sanga) is a dangerous position for it leads

to these types of offenses where we feel malice towards other devotees.

 

Despite my disagreements with devotees involved in this Mathura Jail

incident, I do not feel any malice towards them, nor have I tried to dig up

dirt against them or you to distract people from the matters at hand.

Despite my awareness of literally "files" on these two people and others

that wrongfully disparage me, I have not stooped to their level. If I have

anything to say about them it will be done to competent authorities and

proper charges will be filed.

 

I can accept that I have associated myself with sincere devotees who are

also "political wannabes". There is nothing wrong in their desire to serve

in Parliament anymore than there is in your desire to serve in the goshalla.

Everyone has their different nature and desires that can all be dovetailed

in Lord Krishna's service.

 

Deity worship on the altar, sweeping the floor of the goshalla, going out on

Sankirtan, and passing legislation favorable for the the prime interest of

the state (spiritual development) are all equal services in the eyes of Lord

Krishna. Thinking one type of work is the all-in-all is of the nature of

tamas. You certainly know all this.

 

I wish you all success in your constructive efforts to serve Lord Krishna in

the goshalla. How many cows do you care for?