My side of the story

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas,Prabhus,Matajis,etc

 

Please accept my humble obeisences.All glories to

Srila Prabhupada.

 

We have come to know about the letter that Sankarsan

Nitai das have issued on the e-mail forum.We shall

give a brief description of the events that lead to

this incident.

First of all I,Gaura shakti das,desciple of HH Bhakti

Caru Swami,came to Mayapur Dam with my gurumaharaj’s

permission.He advised me to stay and serve in Mayapur

for a year or so and addressed a letter of

recommendation to Bhakti Purusottam Swami.Purusottam

Swami then sent me to the general manager,Sankarsan

Nitai das.This was during the Gaura Purnima festival

2003.When I approached Sankarsan Nitai das he seemed

quite helpful then, and told me to choose what service

I would like to do.My reply was that since my bulk

luggage was in Vrndavan I would go there to retrieve

it and return to Mayapur after the festivals in

Vrndavan.I beseeched him not to make me return to

Mayapur for nothing.He said:”No.No.Your gurumaharaj

insisted so we must give you service.Don’t worry.”So I

left Mayapur quite confident that I shall have some

engagement when I return there since I simply desired

to serve in the the Dam for a year or so.

 

However when I returned to Sankarshan Nitai das’s

office after the Vrndavan festival with a jovial “Hare

Krsna prabhu”,his reaction was:”Yes!What do you

want!?”in a very unwelcoming way.I was quite taken

aback by his behaviour.When I reminded him of the

letter and his promise,he nastingly said:”Go to Nitai

Prasad.He deals with the foreihgners!”When I

approached Nitai Prasad das and told him that I am a

disciple of Bhakti Caru Swami,his and his assistant’s

lips both curled with enmity.I have heard from several

devotees who stay or stayed in Mayapur of how

Jayapataka Swami disciples,[not that maharaj has

anything to do with this]who run everything there,like

to keep everything under their control and is not very

keen on giving service, what to speak of positions to

disciples of other gurus.When I first heard these

things I thought they where exaggerations ,but during

my stay there I repeatedly observed and experienced

this mentality of theirs.Nitai Prasad also was not

very helpful although I requested any simple service.

 

Anyway I stayed on hoping that perhaps after some time

I might get some engagement.At some point I ran out of

money and sent an e-mail to a friend requesting

financial assistance.It took about six weeks before I

received anything.During the time while I was waiting

for the laxmi to come ,I approached Sankarsan das for

some Prasad.He said:”Do some service!”I replied:”Give

me some service.”Then again he sent me to someone

else.When I approached Nitai Prasad das,he was rather

indifferent and said:”What can I do.”in a nonchelaunt

way while yawning and reading his newspaper.They

actually refused to give me Prasad even for a few days

even though there is always ample excess prasad left

over from all the kitchens.At the bramacharya kitchen

I was given difficulty as well as at the food for life

booth[believe it or not].By this time I became

somewhat agitated and decided to sneak into the

prasadam hall somehow or the other knowing it not an

offense to steal Prasad.This was not always so easy

and so I somehow got hold of one coupon book from the

gada bhavan –got myself a stamp and entered for lunch

daily-since they are so system conscious.I also

sneaked into the restaurant and took little packets of

maha Prasad along with +_Rs1 500 only which I found in

the drawer.These activities can be compared to that of

a child who sometimes do naughty things when he feels

neglected by his parents or superiors.I felt very

insecure at this time and it appeared as if these

devotees enjoyed seeing me in this precarious

condition.There were days when I was practically

starving.In my country[south Africa]one can go to any

muslim person’s house and ask for food and they will

unhesitatingly give.This actually revealed to me their

miserly mentality.Mayapur is supposed to be

magnanimous but they failed to engage one jiva in some

simple service for a short time.On the otherhand they

hire so many labourers to serve prasad and sell books

in Prabhupada’s samadhi.

 

I don’t think that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took this

“offence” of mine very seriously because 2 days before

they confronted me,one of my friends mysteriously fell

seriously ill,and gave me his train ticket to

Mathura.I did not go because I felt sorry for him and

I wanted to meet with my gurumaharaj who was expected

to arrive shortly,but to no avail.

 

During my meeting with Sankarshan das and the security

I apolagised for my behaviour.After searching my

luggage they told me they won’t take any of my

personal belongings.However ,after they made me

confess to everything in writing they took whatever

cash I had [Rs 5 000 wich I received from my friend

through Western union]as well as a multiple tool worth

Rs2 000.Then they told me to leave India within 2

weeks.

Sankarsan das said:”I can ruin you !You know that?!”He

seemed very eager to do that.If that is his mentality

then he will simply ruin himself with his ruining

mentality.If he actually understands the abc of this

philosophy he should know that it is not possible

since we are not these bodies.

 

One senior devotee told me that if a local did

something like this[which is not uncommon and happens

oftenly]they would not make such a big issue about

it.It is a well known fact that foreigners are not

well received there in Mayapur.

 

I do not hold any grudges against Iskcon as a whole

and hope not that anyone begrudges me.It is far worse

to offend or mistreat devotees then to commit some

petty crime due to lifetreatening circumstances.For

those who think that this is merely our “deserved

karma”,we advise you to reflect on the story of

Maharaj Pariksit who was in the prime of his youth,the

emperor of the world and who was cursed to die because

of such a petty thing as garlanding a rishi with a

dead snake.We do not think ourself a great devotee

like Maharaj Pariksit but the point is that these

things can happen to anyone.

 

What I did was circumstantial and a thing of the

past.You can think of me whatever you like but I know

that I am Krsnera nitya das.We are very fond of the

chanting of the Holy Name and are being inspired by

the Name to give the Name to others.And still we are

eager to serve Srila Prabhupada.

 

Dandabats.

 

Das anudas anudas anudas

Gaura shakti das

 

Text PAMHO:7400778 (18 lines)

Sankarshan Nitai (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN)

{7185}

27-Oct-03 07:52 +0100 (01:52 -0500)

Free Forum (Announcements) {1307} [6809]

Devotee Information

---------------------------

Dear Maharajas and prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to

Srila Prabhupada.

One

devotee named Gaura Shakti Das ( Leagal Name: Glen

Bushby, Nationality:

South African, Passport No. 415384364) stayed some

days in Mayapur. On

25.10.2003 he was caught for stealing money, some food

staff and 600

coupons

from Govinda's Restaurant & 2,000 coupons of Gada

Prasadam Hall. He

gave

back everything to Mayapur management and admitted the

whole fact in

writing. He is being told to leave the country(India)

within 15 days.

If he

goes to any Indian Temple, don't engage him.

Other temples outside India should take note of this

information before

engaging him in the service.

 

Thanking you.

 

Your servant,

Sankarshan Nitai Das

General Manager, Iskcon Mayapur.

(Text PAMHO:7400778)

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