Hansadutta On Settlement With ISKCON/BBTI

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

Dear Prabhu, please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

There is no cause to be disappointed. Everything has been orchestrated by Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. The settlement has given us all that we wanted, which was:

 

First of all, to revalidate the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust created by Srila Prabhupada as the copyright owner; Secondly, to preserve the integrity of the Siddhanta by reverting to the original, unrevised editions (pre-1978) of Srila Prabhupada's books; Thirdly, to ensure our right to publish Srila Prabhupada's works all over the world, free and unencumbered from the whimsies and control of ISKCON GBC and BBT-I trustees.

 

We, Hansa & Co (as the "North American Leaders" have referred to us), have done what we saw necessary to fulfill the aims of Srila Prabhupada's BBT, for the satisfaction of Srila Prabhupada and for the satisfaction of the devotees and ultimately for the benefit of the people in general all over the world. One of the reasons we opted for this was because to continue litigation would have gone on forever, and there is no use in that. We could have taken the issue to court and most definitely won the case, but then ISKCON would have filed for appeal (very expensive) and it would have taken another 3 years before a final judgment would be handed down. The karmi courts are unpredictable, and we saw the opportunity to get the best of both worlds by settling for an unfettered license, plus our lawyer's fees reimbursed. In fact, we do have the best of both worlds: we have the facility of the BBT without the bureaucratic encumbrances that stifle the official trustees. Even the BBT trustees cannot do what we can do. Each one of them is locked into some geographic zone, constantly subjected to financial and creative restraints. Plus, we can create new works. We have access to all BBT material, such as the art works, manuscripts and can reformat the books as we see fit, giving us tremendous innovative possibilities which no BBT trustee can have. Having taken this license, an alternative has been created where everyone who is one way or another dissatisfied with ISKCON's stifling environment can engage in positive devotional preaching work by selling Prabhupada's books. In this way, it will really put ISKCON on notice that there is another big dog on the block.

 

There is another tiger an the hill. The old days are over, a new day is upon us. It is not a sell out as you seem to suggest, it is a clear landslide victory. Naturally ISKCON wants to play down their defeat, we (Hansa & Co) brought them to their knees, we (Hansa & Co) beat one of the top 40 law firms in the world (Coudert Brothers), we (Hansa & Co) beat a world-wide institution (ISKCON), with unlimited funds and time on their hands. Anyone who knows litigation practice, knows, that if you get full payment for your attorney's fees, you have won the case. The fact that we gave up the BBT and accepted a license instead, does in no way mean we have compromised. We have forced them to validate the BBT, and now they are responsible to do the right thing. If they do something unauthorized, anyone can file a complaint against the trustees and have them corrected or removed. It is no small thing. They know this and will now have to honor Srila Prabhupada's BBT Trust conditions to the letter. On the other hand, having obtained an unfettered license, we have become their wardens and chaperons, to keep vigilance over their activities. Srila Prabhupada has superseded their position as trustees by making us their watch dog, and the alternative for everyone who seriously wants to serve Srila Prabhupada without having to grovel before unnecessarily puffed up ISKCON leaders.

 

It is something like Arjuna's predicament, when Krishna insisted he should kill Asvatthama (who had killed the five sleeping sons of Draupadi). Arjuna had sworn to kill him, but was then asked by Draupadi not to do so, when Asvatthama was brought before her. At that time, in order to fulfill his duty to Krishna, and to keep his own vow, and also to please his wife, and honor the fact that Asvatthama was the son of a Brahmin, his own teacher (and therefore not to be killed), Arjuna intelligently cut off the top knot and jewel of Asvatthama's hair. In this way, Asvatthama was killed by destroying his prestige as a Brahmin, and he was simultaneously not killed by allowing him to live. This story is in the first canto Bhagavatam (see excerpt below.) I think of this situation like this. We have broken their pride, and simultaneously, we have honored them by giving them the BBT, but we have taken the essence of the BBT so we can serve Srila Prabhupada. This arrangement is obliging ISKCON to do what they tried to avoid, namely follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada to operate the BBT as he ordered it to be done. We on the other hand have all the facility of the BBT, and more, without having to bear any of the restrictions that an official BBT trustee must work under. I personally prayed for this arrangement sometime back in July, all the facility of being a BBT trustee, without any of the restrictions. It is really quite transcendental. Of course like yourself, due to ISKCON insinuations on the VNN and Chakra, devotees will think we sold out. But in time everyone will understand the actual situation.

 

We are satisfied that ISKCON and BBT International, Inc. have agreed to acknowledge the transcendental and legal arrangement of Srila Prabhupada (his BBT). We have stepped down from our position as trustee of that trust, but in exchange we have obtained practically an unfettered license to publish Srila Prabhupada's works in any part of the world, for all time, enabling us to fulfill our duties to Srila Prabhupada. ISKCON will carry on, BBT-I will carry on; they will run their course. And while we are not a part of that machinery, we have no wish to continue fighting with them. We desire only to go wherever Srila Prabhupada takes us. ISKCON have got what they wanted, the BBT and the copyrights, without Hansadutta; simultaneously we have got what we wanted (unfettered license, all facility, and reimbursed for our fees) more than we could have by actually remaining as a BBT trustee, we have achieved our objectives, and all in all, the settlement has brought the parties together for purification and advancement of Srila Prabhupada's mission.

 

As far as selling books to temples, we don't see any problem with this, because we anyway want to enter into new markets. The future is in innovating new markets and new preaching techniques, We see that ISKCON has stagnated, preaching has dwindled, book sales have plummeted, and really the time has arrived for a revolution in preaching. We are not at liberty to publicize the terms of the settlement agreement , but the few restrictions which apply are not significant disadvantages. There is also provision for cooperation between BBT and ourselves, they may buy our books, we may buy theirs . The agreement does also stipulate that the negative publicity (Hansadutta bashing, ISKCON bashing) from both sides is to discontinue. It's not that the editions we publish will be considered "unauthorized," but restrictions have been put in place to avoid competing head-on with the temples.

 

Please don't feel bad, don't be angry. Whether we are given recognition by ISKCON or others is unimportant; we look to Srila Prabhupada for our authority and shelter, and what we do will demonstrate where we are at, more so than any official GBC statement. Now,, we have the opportunity once again to pick up our service to Srila Prabhupada, and I feel that I have done what I could to redeem myself in the effort to reestablish Srila Prabhupada as the Sampradaya Acharya and restore his BBT, freeing it from the stranglehold of the ISKCON GBC.

 

Now, where we go from here depends on how every one of us wants to participate. We have some ideas what we want to do next, but we are also interested to hear from other devotees who want to be a part of this. For more information, suggestions or book orders, we can be reached at:

 

Hansadutta, USA <hans@sonic.net> 707-894-5744

Gupta, Attorney <lawyer@oxfordlaw.com>

Bhagavan, West Coast USA <terathen@innreach.com>

Bhima, Far East <bhima@pc.jaring.my> 65-2853584

Urdhvaga, Germany-Europe <urdhvaga@aol.com> 49-6120-908976

Praghosa, Midwest USA 313-492-3623

Yasoda Nandana, West Coast <yasoda@artnet.net>

Madhudvisa, Australiasia <madhudvisa@hotmail.com>

Narasimha, East Coast USA <narasimha@mindspring.com>

Vineet Narain, India <vineetnarain@hotmail.com>

 

I hope this letter finds you well.

 

Your humble servant,

 

Hansadutt das

 

Excerpt from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Ch 7, Texts 51-56:

 

Text 51: Bhima, however, disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit who, in an angry mood, had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for neither his nor his master's interest.

 

Text 52: Caturbhuja [the four-armed one], or the Personality of Godhead, after hearing the words of Bhima, Draupadi and others, saw the face of His dear friend Arjuna, and He began to speak as if smiling.

 

Purport: Lord Sri Krishna had two arms, and why He is designated as four-armed is explained by Sridhara Swami. Both Bhima and Draupadi held opposite views about killing Asvatthama. Bhima wanted him to be immediately killed, whereas Draupadi wanted to save him. We can imagine Bhima ready to kill while Draupadi is obstructing him. And in order to prevent both of them, the Lord discovered another two arms. Originally, the primeval Lord Sri Krishna displays only two arms, but in His Narayana feature He exhibits four. In His Narayana feature He resides with His devotees in the Vaikuntha planets, while in His original Sri Krishna feature He resides in the Krishnaloka planet far, far above the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky. Therefore, If Sri Krsihna is called caturbhujah, there is no contradiction. If need be, He can display hundreds of arms, ad He exhibited in His vishva-rupa shown to Arjuna. Therefore, one who can display hundreds and thousands of arms can also manifest four whenever needed. When Arjuna was perplexed about what to do with Asvatatthama, Lord Sri Krishna, as the very dear friend of Arjuna, voluntarily took up the matter just to make a solution. And He was smiling also.

 

Text 53: The Personality ofGodhead Sri Krishna said: A friend of a brahmana is not to be killed, but if he is an aggressor, he must be killed. All these rulings are in the scriptures, and you shouldact accordingly. You have to fulfil your promise to your wife, and you must also act to the satisfaction of Bhimasena and Me.

 

Purport: Arjuna was perplexed because Asvatthama was to be killed as well as spared according to different scriptures cited by different persons. As a brahma-bandhu, or a worthless son of a brahmana, Asvatthama was not to be killed, but he was at the same time an aggressor also. And according to the rulings of Manu, an aggressor, even though he be a brahmana (and what to speak of an unworthy son of a brahmana), is to be killed. Dronacharya was certainly a brahmana in the true sense of the term, but because he stood in the battlefield he was killed. But although Asvatthama was an aggressor, he stood without any fighting weapons. The ruling is that an aggerssor, when he is without weapon or chariot, cannot be killed. All these were certainly perplexitities. Besides that, Arjuna had to keep the promise he had made before Draupadi just to pacify her. And he also had to satisfy both Bhima and Krishna, who advised killing him. This dilemma was present before Arjuna, and the solution was awarded by Krishna.

 

Text 54: Just then Arjuna could understand the motive ofthe Lord by His equivocal orders, and thus with his sword he severed both hair and jewel from the head of Asvatthama.

 

Purport: Contradictory orders of different persons are impossible to carry out. Therefore a compromise was selected by Arjuna by hissharp intelligence, and he separated the jewel from the head of Asvatthama. This was as good as cutting off his head, and yet his life was saved for all practical purposes. Here Asvatthama is indicated as twice-born. Certainly he was twice-born, but he fell down from his position, and therefore he was properly punished.

 

Text 55: He [Asvatthama] had already lost his bodily luster due to infanticide, and now, moreover, having lost the jewel from his head, he lost even more strength. Thushewas unboundand driven out of the camp.

 

Purport: Thus being insulted, the humiliated Asvatthama was simultaneously killed and not killed by the intelligence of Lord Krishna and Arjuna.

 

Text 56: Cutting the hair from his head, depriving him of his wealth and driving him from his residence are the prescribed punishments for the relative of a brahmana. There is no injunction for killing the body.