A History of Blaming Anyone But Me

[Guest guest]

Dear Janesvara prabhu,

 

Being a GBC in ISKCON these days is a pretty tough row to hoe, wouldn't you

say? Left, right and center, there are people who want to hang you for things

over which you have little or no control. Granted, the GBC have dropped the

ball in the past, and they should act like fire against child abusers, women

abusers, and cow abusers. How do you suggest they go about it? A few

constructive suggestions, besides the gigantic demand that varnashrama be

"implemented" (whatever that means), would contribute a whole lot more toward

solving problems then just railing against the leaders.

 

In more than one of the temple communities where I've lived, the GBC are often

treated like unwelcome guests. The temple managers don't want anything more

from the GBC than public pats on the back, regardless of the problems they're

facing. To consolidate power in their own petty baronies, some temple leaders

go to great lengths to paint the GBC as some sort of bogeymen. In the mean

time, if a GBC asks for something so ordinary as a real monthly financial

statement from the temple authorities, he is either turned away outright or

handed something that's a joke. If he inquires about some problem that this

devotee or that is having with the temple administration, he is himself

villified. And woe to anyone who would act as his local secretary!

 

Let me tell you something, prabhu. In almost every case of child abuse, you

had middle managers in ISKCON down where their noses could have sniffed it

out, middle managers like temple presidents, vice presidents, temple

commanders, treasurers, board members, etc., who had the pulse of the temple,

and who failed to act responsibly. You had devotees turning their backs,

parents ignoring the pleas of their children, temple presidents doing damage

control, husbands and wives abandoning their responsibilities to jump to

another sex partner, etc.

 

Why do we only point at the GBC, ignoring the perpetrators themselves and

their immediate superiors? I find your complaints a little disingenuous, and I

feel pretty sure that Krishna will fulfill your desire to stay away from the

Vaishnavas - except of course, to criticize them over the Internet.

Unfortunately, instead of rolling up your sleeves and throwing in your lot

with them to solve the problems, you'll sit outside, daydreaming about

varnashrama and complaining about the lack of it. It's getting old, Janesvara,

really old.

 

ISKCON isn't in trouble because of the GBC. It's having problems because its

members are giving up Krishna consciousness for sense gratification. While

doing so, they want someone else to put out the fires, because they're too

busy enjoying - and lighting more fires. You say that you care, and that's

good; but it doesn't mean anything until you roll up your sleeves and get to

work fixing things, and nothing you do will amount to a hill of beans unless

you work cooperatively, because that's what Srila Prabhupada wanted.

 

Your servant,

 

Pancha Tattva dasa

 

 

 

On 24 Feb 2000, Janesvara das wrote:

 

> Until there is a consensus of the GBCs and other leaders of ISKCON who >

will make a major act of contrition to all abused citizens and > apologize to

the world I will remain away and practice

> Krsna consciousness with my few devotee friends.

>