Fw: Should ISKCON accept gay marriages?

[Guest guest]

The essence of celibacy is retention of semen for men and chastity for women.

Even in marriage, semen is only to be lost in the cause of procreating children

according to the authorized Sanscaras used for attracting appropriate souls to

the womb of one's wife via retained semen.Even the Judeo Christian texts forbid

"casting semen onto the ground" what to speak of homosexual acts. The Jewish

scriptures prescribe three punishments for homosexuality:Strangulation, Stoning

to death, and Casting from a cliff.We are not followers of such Sub-Vedic texts,

but this only underlines the fact that OUR STANDARDS ARE EVEN HIGHER! There is

not even one example in the Vedic Literatures accepted by our Sampradaya in

which homosexuality is accepted or even tolerated.According to the laws of

Manu, a brahmachari who masturbates must drape himself in the newly skinned

hide of an ass and walk slowly through the courtyard of the king announcing

what he has done and expressing his penance for the act. (Manusamhita)Even the

Kama Sutra, (the pillow book of dubious repute) condemns the practice of

accepting fellatio from one's barber (who apparently used to do such things on

request) as below the minimum standard of the author of the Kama Sutra.I was

informed that Hridayananda Swami (?) told Hari Villas, GBC of Seattle that

Prithu prabhu should not have stepped down from the role of guru due to

masturbation, as masturbation does not break the regulative principles due to

the fact that no woman is involved.If this is the current standard of the

apparently "blooped" Hridayananda Swami, then of what value are his other views

concerning loss of semen in the mouth or rectum of another man?I was a recent

guest at one of Hridayananda Swami's prominent disciple's house and Maharaja

was there for Prasadam and Kirtan. He not only refused to discuss any

Transcendental subject matter (while expressing a preferance for trivia) but HE

REFUSED TO CHANT THE HARE KRISHNA MANTRA and instead spent his time during the

kirtan giggling weirdly and kicking a child's inflatable ball against the wall

in various creative ways. Since I brought Hridayananda Swami into the movement

in Berkeley 1969, where he used to join us enthusiastically during our Public

Kirtans, I was not at all pleased to see that he had apparently lost his taste

for the Holy Name of Krishna and took more pleasure in kicking a two year old's

inflated plastic ball!An early brahminically initiated disciple of Srila

Prabhupada who was an expert kirtan leader came back to New York ini 1968

December, and then brought her lesbian "girlfriend" to the temple at 61 Second

Avenue. She boldly asked Srila Prabhupada if she could live with this

girlfriend as her "householder wife" while still attending the temple and

leading kirtans etc.Srila Prabhupada stated clearly and without equivocation

that if she wanted to continue her lesbian practices that she should stay

outside the temple and not visit the temple until she was ready to follow the

four regulative practices. The lady devotee in questions objected loudly, but

Srila Prabhupada did not budge on that issue. I was present at that occasion.In

April of 1969, Srila Prabhupada was visiting New Vrindaban for the first time,

and I was also personally present. Srila Prabhupada spent weeks preparing us

for the fact that Rayarama das who had been the editor of Back to Godhead

Magazine for several years as well as the editor of the first "Purple" Gita

published by Mc Millan Co was leaving the movement due to his homosexual

involvement with one of the brahmacharis who had been assigned to his care for

editing work on Back To Godhead. There was no instance of Srila Prabhupada

excusing his homosexuality.When Kirtanananda swami and Hayagriva das joined the

Iskcon movement in the earliest days, they had been homosexual lovers for over

eight years in their homosexual commune on Mott Street in the East Village.

When they joined the movement, they gave up (for a time) their homosexual

activities, and later Hayagriva was married to Shyama Dasi, and later to

Purnamasmi dasi. There was never any allowance by Srila Prabhupada for

Kirtanananand Swami and Hayagriva das to be married homosexuals, although their

relationship was as committed a homosexual relationship as you would ever hope

to see.I was present in 1969 late April in Columbus Ohio, when Allen Ginsberg

(possibly the world's most famous homosexual) was present and entertaining the

idea of joining the Movement. Srila Prabhupada did not suggest that he remain

in a homosexual relationship with his lover Orlavski, but stated that if

Ginsberg wanted to marry, "we would supply the girl".Assuming that the

intention of the Krishna Conscious Movement is to follow the clear teachings of

the Founder Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this

current "hoo hah" about homosexual membership in Iskcon is absurd and patently

offensive.The real issue is Chastity and Celibacy. We are all Prakriti, and the

Lord is the singular Purusha. Any homosexual or lesbian who practices celibacy

is as good as any other celibate person. A problem arises only when celibacy is

not longer the objective and one begins to haggle over

whatsortofsexualpracticesareallowed.Frankly,ifone is addicted to sex, there is

no need to become a devotee of Lord Krishna. There is no sexual practice that

will lead us to the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Sex is the expressions of the three

Gunas, and Krishna is described as "Nirguna" or beyond these three Gunas. Iskcon

is meant to deliver the human society from repeated birth and death via Pure

Devotional Service to the Lord. Recommending or allowing homosexuality will

only gurarantee that such homosexuals will actually lose their human birth in

the next lifetime while dreaming in the illusion that they are making spiritual

progress.Such fallen souls as Hridayananda Swami fancy Iskcon as a merely social

orgainization with no consequences for activities performed. They have no

competence to understand ISKCON'S purely transcendental mission or that this

mission is under the direct supervision of Srila Rupa Goswami who encourages

Pure Devotional Practices, not various sexual practices.This point should not

be obscured.your eternal servant,Nara Naranarayan Vishwakarma das