How come many gbc have fall?

[Guest guest]

Why? And leave devotees with no guru! So why they say they are guru in first place?!?!

[cbrahma 0]

This is a very important question to which I doubt you will receive an answer from any of the authorities in the ISCKON hierarchy. I know one thing for sure. Prabhupada never agreed to have gurus appointed by a committee.

 

 

Why? And leave devotees with no guru! So why they say they are guru in first place?!?!

[Guest guest]

This is one of the most difficult lessons that Maha Vishwa Guru aka the Big Bad World aka The School of Hard Knocks teaches us, what you have described herein.

 

It is the same lesson that Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion learned from the Wizard of Oz. First of all, the Wizard of Oz was nothing but an old man behind a curtain. That's equivalent of any person we think is so almight and powerful and great just because they have a title like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

 

Secondly all that the Lion and Scarecrow and Tin Man and Dorothy needed was already inside of themselves. The Lion was actually brave. The Tin Man was actually smart. The Scarecrow actually had a heart. Dorothy was already in Kansas she was dreaming.

 

You learned a very good and powerful lesson, now move on after you grieve and rant as is appropriate and natural per the stages of the grief process.

[cbrahma 0]

Nori Muster

 

April 1999

The American Family Foundation (AFF) will host their 1999 Conference, "Cults, Psychological Manipulation & Society" in St. Paul, Minnesota. One of the featured panel discussions will address the question whether cults can change and will specifically focus on the case of ISKCON. The panel consists of Anuttama dasa, head of ISKCON Communications; Radha dasi, a dedicated follower; and two seemingly friendly observers--Michael Langone, director of AFF and Joseph Kelly a thought reform consultant closely tied to AFF.

It seems that the people on the panel will say ISKCON has changed for the better. I would like to offer a dissenting voice--since I was once a member of ISKCON, spent ten years in that organization and then devoted another decade studying and researching the group to produce books on the subject.

Originally there was a time when ISKCON was innocent. It truly represented a branch of Hinduism in a pure way. Many ISKCON members feel nostalgia for those days and their ideal is to make ISKCON just like it was when Srila Prabhupada their guru was alive and actively leading the group. If ISKCON were to change for the better, this would mean reviving that innocence.

However, in order to see what that would entail and whether ISKCON has successfully accomplished that ideal, it would be helpful to look at the years of lost innocence and see what went wrong.

Leadership Beginning in the early 1970s, certain greedy and cruel men came into power within ISKCON.

If the organization now really wants to change for the better, it should remove all illegitimate gurus, Governing Body Commission (GBC) board members, temple presidents, sannyasis (priests), and zone managers. There are at least 20-30 illegitimate leaders that still remain firmly in place within its hierarchy.

Fundraising Beginning in the early 1970s, ISKCON sent its members into airports, malls and other public venues to sell books. After a short time, the leaders told them to dress in Western clothing and obscure their identity, until after they receive the money. In many temples, members were asked to lie about their identity and deny being Hare Krishnas, in order to get donations.

ISKCON leaders accepted tainted money from drug dealers and other illegal sources.

If things are to change for the better, ISKCON needs to solicit donations in a legitimate way and refuse all tainted money.

Recruitment Throughout its history ISKCON has used irresponsible recruitment methods. The most "cult-like" aspect is that they encouraged interested people to move in and dedicate their whole lives to the organization, often giving up careers, and cutting ties with former friends and family. Legitimate religions promote living and working in the world, maintaining strong family ties and friendships. Many parents feel they lost their children to ISKCON.

In order for things to change for the better, ISKCON needs to stop exercising such extreme control over their members' lives.

Alienated Former Members Over the years ISKCON's board of directors has made many enemies, especially among former members. For example, they excommunicated a vocal critic named Puranjana (Tim Lee), after he accused one of the gurus of taking LSD--speaking about this violated their rules. Pranjana has now it seems become a lifelong enemy of ISKCON.

Another vocal critic named Sulochan (Steve Bryant) was excommunicated after he accused one of the gurus of selling drugs and running a prostitution ring. Sulochan was then murdered by a Krishna hitman shortly after his excommunication.

Some of these former members have dedicated their lives to toppling the current ISKCON leadership through lawsuits or public opinion. ISKCON leaders keep them away by claiming that these onetime Krishna devotees have certain ideological differences that are dangerous. In reality, their differences are very minor, but these disagreements have resulted in beatings, death threats, and even murder.

If things are to change for the better, ISKCON needs to acknowledge these former members and make peace with them. This would be an obvious sign that things have actually changed for the better.

Child Abuse I am currently writing a book about the rampant abuse of the first generation of Krishna kids, born in the late 1960s to early 1970s. These people deserve justice. It has been almost ten years since this abuse became known. But it took until 1996 for the GBC to acknowledge the problem. In 1998 the organization made this abuse known publicly in press releases to The New York Times and other news agencies. However, in all those years, they have only raised about $30,000 to compensate the victims and ISKCON has substantial resources. They could locate almost all of the child abuse victims by using class photos, but that will probably never happen.

The attitude of ISKCON's leadership so far seems to be keeping the victims quiet by offering them checks for $500. They appear to be trying to find out who the abusers are, but do little other than giving the men a slap on the wrist. This is humiliation upon humiliation for the victims. This serious issue may ultimately have to be sorted out in a courtroom. ISKCON has done a lot of talking, but has actually taken little action--with the exception of Anuttama and his wife Rukmini, who donated significant amounts of their own money to the cause.

Author's Note: I wrote this article a year before attorneys filed Children of ISKCON v ISKCON in a federal court in Texas. The problem is now in the hands of attorneys. For feedback and media coverage on the lawsuit, link to: http://surrealist.org/gurukula/lawsuit.html.

Spousal Abuse For a long time, ISKCON has had leaders who beat their wives and advocate wife beating among the other married men. Also, ISKCON arranged marriages between minor-aged girls and often abusive men. The girls' complaints were generally ignored.

In order for ISKCON to really change for the better, they must come out in the open about their spousal abuse problem, remove abusers from official positions, and compensate the victims.

Other Abuse

In order for ISKCON to really change, all these attitudes must change and then it could really become a be a better organization.

 

http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/muster_nori_cancultschangecaseofiskcon.htm

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

You are right!

It is very pity that we find arrogance, cunningness, power hunger and dirty politics among devotees in Iskcon pretending to be a Bhakt. Where as we should be humble, peaceful, submissive and of open nature.

I have seen and experienced my self. It is shameful and disgusting that the devotees hungry for power are stopping devotees to to do harinam and even barring them from enetring into the temple and the GBC is supporting them because they are rich.

I believe Iskcon is no longer for Devotees but more for Mayavadis.

I pray that GBC realises as early as possible before it becomes too late.

Hari Bol!

[Guest guest]

hare krishna prabhus/matajis,

 

pls stop dis, i know iskcon is gng sumwer else instead of godhead.

i would just request you not to look at the fallen soul but look at them who are striving to go back to godhead.

and pls think about prabhupada what all he did for all of us whom he doesnt know or have never met.

just think abt it and you will cry.

pls prabhus n matajis lets not get dirty politics in prabhupadas family.

im sure prabhupada will not be happy.lets all take prabhupada in consideration and then proceed.

sorry for saying all this.

but then wen i see all this my heart starts crying.

 

thank you very much

your servant

hari bol

[cbrahma 0]

 

hare krishna prabhus/matajis,

 

but then wen i see all this my heart starts crying.

 

thank you very much

your servant

hari bol

 

So does mine. But because it is such an offense to the Spiritual Master it must be spoken of. Hiding does not help. Something needs to be done.

[Guest guest]

hare krsna please chant holy name then you will get all your answer .please dont thing about who foldown .this is not your duty to no .either you just westing time and making ofence to krsna .

[cbrahma 0]

Corrupt gurus give offense. I chant anyways.

 

 

hare krsna please chant holy name then you will get all your answer .please dont thing about who foldown .this is not your duty to no .either you just westing time and making ofence to krsna .

[Guest guest]

So stop seeing all this and focus on purifying your heart. The essence lay in your signature ... "your servant". take that attitude to heart and you'll be fine.

 

 

hare krishna prabhus/matajis,

 

sorry for saying all this.

but then wen i see all this my heart starts crying.

 

thank you very much

your servant

hari bol