Another Vaishnava or Just a Lemon

[Guest guest]

This is a letter I wrote to Iskcon's Back to Godhead Magazine after

seeing their recent edition. In an article titled,"what to do when

life gives you lemons." they have a full page color pic of a new mom

holding her baby and big sister smiling at the baby. The love and

happiness is obvious in their eyes. Iskcon staff deleted the baby and

put a big fat yellow lemon in its place.

 

In America the phrase,"to get a lemon,' means you were cheated and

given some useless crap for yr time, money and effort. So Iskcon's

portrayal of a new baby as a lemon is a merciless non-vaishnava way

to make a point.

 

The fact its because of this attitude the women and children in

iskcon were severly abused and mistreated. I know Iskcon is a good

movement thats why it behooves them to behave properly. Because they

are authentic they can be compared to a clean white cloth. If there

is even one dark spot on a white cloth it is glaringly obvious.

 

In the same way Iskcon's strange ability to make the most

compassionate, merciful, non-sectarian and all-inclusive Chaitanya

culture into a hard edged, unfriendly, merciless, inhumane and

extremely sectarian group is wrong. As someone raised in Iskcon from

3 yrs old from 1971-1982, I have the legal and moral right, the

insight and duty to say it as I see it.

 

Its time to realize that more important than all this philosophy is

the emotional well being of the congregation. Iskcon has yet to

develop a humane approach that recognizes the reality of time and

circumstances above and beyond philosophy. This is my perspective and

based on my 1st hand experiance.

 

To put it simply if I show up to join Iskcon and I have a lot of

money, I would be more than welcome. If I show up as an old broke man

seeking shelter and service near the end of my life, I would not be

welcome. (saw this 1st hand. the gentleman left and died alone

instead of doing service and dying sorrounded by Vaishnavas.)If I

show up as a single mother I would not be welcome. If I show up as a

single able bodied guy, id be welcome. If I show up as a handicap

guy, Im not welcome. Now thats obviously not a society because all

the above are equal parts of a society. However the above formula

fits a group but not one that is all-inclusive. Anyway below is what

I wrote to Iskcon's Back to Godhead magazine.

 

Dear Editor,

As an Iskcon Gurukula Alumni I was disappointed but not surprised to

see your recent portrayal of a newly born baby as a lemon. Its

obvious that the same negative and hard heartedness of yesteryear is

still prevalent in Iskcon.

With Iskcon's unfortunate record in regards to Women, Children and

Family I had hoped a more mature mindset would have developed by now.

Instead we see the same mentality that led to the abuse and

dehumanizing treatment of hundreds of not just human beings but

Vaishnava human beings.

The correct Vaishnava attitude is to see everyone, including helpless

babies, as devotees of Lord Krishna. A Vaishnava mother and elder

sister would not see a lemon when they look at the new arrival. They

would see another devotee of lord Krishna. So as long as Iskcon

continues to promote such hard hearted attitudes, Iskcon will never

become a truly functioning society. Knowing nothing of Lord Krsna but

being a responsible parent is more Dharmic and evolved than knowing

about Krsna and being inhumane and hard hearted.

Thank you,

Vrndavan Parker