NEWSLETTER No.5

Message from Adridharana Dasa, Temple President ISKCON Calcutta:

ISKCON Continues To Promote Child Abusers

Welcome to our 5th newsletter. In this issue, we are forced to highlight ISKCON's continued attitude of tolerance towards and fostering of child abusers. Unfortunately despite the enthusiastic lip-service which has been paid by ISKCON's leadership towards those who have suffered at the hands of child abusers, we are seeing more and more that this is purely a public relations excerise to stave of more law-suits.

Contents


1. ISKCON Continues To Promote Child Abusers.
2. Common Challenges
3. Readers' Comments.

1. ISKCON Continues To Promote Child Abusers  

We have already exposed how the GBC through the agency of HH Jayapataka Swami hired the notorious pedophile Satyadhanya Das, a.k.a. Stanley Federowski, to defend them in the Calcutta High Court. Then there was the revelation of $1 million pledged to the victims of child abuse that never materialised. Now to rub further salt in the wounds of the victims of child abuse, HH Jayapataka Swami has again entrusted Satyadhanya with the very important and responsible service of being his representative in dealing with the Calcutta Muncipal Authorities. The following letter written on ISKCON letterhead, appoints Satyadhanya as an authorised ISKCON representative:

To: The Commissioner
Calcutta Municipal Corporation
(Through the Chief MPL. Engineer (B))

Sub: ISKCON property at premises no. 22
Gurusaday Road, Calcutta - 700019

Dear Sir,
In regards to the meeting to be held with the Chief MPL. Engineer (B), on 25-9-99,Our representatives, Dayaram Das, Bhadra Caru Das and Satadhanya Dasa jointly or severally, are authorised to attend the said meeting and deal, on our behalf, for all the matters in connection with the same.

Yours faithfully,
For ISKCON,

JAYAPATAKA SWAMI
ISKCON Zonal Secretary for Calcutta
Vice Chairman, ISKCON Bureau (India)
Property Trustee, Calcutta.

Whilst other child abusers are subjected to being banned from giving class and other supposedly punitive injunctions, Satyadhanya meanwhile is appointed to represent ISKCON in important meetings with senior government officials! We fail to understand HH Jayapataka Swami's sympathy and obsession with keeping this convicted pedophile as his right hand man, when even other leaders in ISKCON are beginning to show sympathy towards the VICTIMS of abuse, not the abusers. In the eyes of HH Jayapataka Swami, there appears to be no end to the talents of Satyadhanya, especially after his sterling performance in the Calcutta High Court. Is the standard of devotees in ISKCON so low, that HH Jayapataka Swami can find no one else to represent him other than this child rapist?

2. Common Challenges  

In addition to letters of praise, our readers also often send in questions and philosophical challenges. We thought that the readers would appreciate us sharing some of these questions and the answers we have given. Following are some excerpts:

Q. "Who do you think you are? Do you honestly believe that you understand Srila Prabhupada's desire and wish more than disciples like Bhakti Caru Swami, Satswarup Maharaj, etc etc etc. who served so closely, who spoke to him on these issues? Hmm? And most importantly, what makes you so arrogant that you think you know more than Srila Prabhupada's closest and most loyal devotees?"

A.
i) Why are you personalising your attack in this manner? Why not just stick to philosophy?

ii) We already know that these closest devotees did *not* have the slightest clue what Srila Prabhupada's desires were, since they perpretated a massive hoax called the zonal acharya system for 10 years, straight after they had 'served so closely' and supposedly received these 'intimate instructions' from Srila Prabhupada.

iii) If their understanding is so impressive then I wonder why they constantly contradict themselves and each other? Have you read their papers? If so you will see that everytime they put out a paper it contradicts the one they wrote previously. If you do not believe me I can send you many examples. How can they be taken seriously if they keep contradicting themselves and each other?

Q. "Isn't the Ritvik system a deviation because it is a system never mentioned anywhere in sastra. (unless guru is present on the planet)?"

A. Can you please give me the exact sastric reference where it is directly stated that ritviks can give diksa initiation on behalf of a diksa guru whom the disciples may never meet physically (many of Srila Prabhupada's disciples never met him once), only whilst the Guru is on the planet ? Then can you give me the direct quote where it is stated that such representation by ritviks must cease once a guru physically departs? Can you give me one quote from Srila Prabhupada's books that indicates that diksa is in any way dependent on physical presence of the guru? If you cannot find such prohibitive injunctions then it would appear you have no valid objection to the ritvik system's re-instatement.

Q. "Srila Prabhupada only used the ritvik system whilst he was on the planet. Therefore to continue it after Srila Prabhupada departs would be to introduce something new, never done before in the past"

A. You miss the point here. Even whilst Srila Prabhupada was still present the ritvik system was 'new' (unless you can give an example of an identical system running at some point in the past). Therefore 'newness' in and of itself is no basis by which to judge whether something is bona fide:

i) Srila Prabhupada did many things that were never done before, such as give brahmin initiation to women, giving gayatri by magnetic tape etc. Are you saying these things were all bogus just because they were new?
ii) You must compare like with like before you can say something is unprecedented. You must look back to a large sample of previous world acaryas who established world-wide movements just after the appearance of the Golden Avatar. Only then can you say whether or not the ritvik system is unprecedented. Have you done this research? I think not.
iii) Even if such a system were never practised before so what? Acaryas invariably set new precedents, albeit in line with sastra.
iv) By your own logic, since in the past all previous gurus were Indian bodied, you must believe that all western gurus are bogus.
v) Nowhere does Srila Prabhupada ever teach that the physical presence of the guru has anything to do with the transmission of diksa.
vi) Over and over Srila Prabhupada taught that physical presence has nothing to do with the physical proximity of the guru. Yet you seem to believe that once the guru leaves the planet he can no longer give diksa. Where did Srila Prabhupada teach this?

 

3. Readers' Comments  

"I am a disciple of Srila Prabhupada since 1972. Thanks for sending me Your encouraging newsletter. I think we, the Prabhupadanugas are now in a strong position to save the "falling apart Iskcon" and show to everybody that there is an "unchangeable Iskcon" which is Srila Prabhupada. Like fake Sita and real Sita devi. Unfortunately here in Vienna I am in a pretty lonely position and the only Iskcon Temple was changed to a Gaudiya-matha temple three months ago. If I can be of any service please notify me at once."

(Ram Mohan dasa, Austria)

"Thank you for your enlivening newsletter. Srila Prabhupada is blessing you with all intelligence and energy to reestablish his rightful position as the actual diksa-guru of ISKCON. Keep up the good work."

(Yasodanandana Dasa, USA)

"All glories to your service prabhu, -Good work- I will always be indebted to you. If I can help you in any way please let me know. The time of Iskon's bogus gurus is over now. We all have to fight them together. I myself have already published a few letters on the internet, to expose them. You can count on me and use my name if needed. You know me very well, I am your god brother and in the past I have helped you many times in the Calcutta Temple and also with your different pandal programs. I am your friend and I am always on your side, please smash these false guru rascals and don't let them push you around."

(Urdhvaga Das, Germany)

"Your ending news letter with the spirit of 1966 with Srila Prabhupada in New York is very touching to the heart. Jai Srila Prabhupada !!! Hari bol to Jayananda prabhu & those assisting with the bold preaching at New York iskcon sunday feast. We will again capitalize iskcon when Srila Prabhupada is reinstated as sole diksa guru. All glories to your service."

(Satyahit Das, Canada)

"I just read your last Newsletters about the court case and meetings and I am very impressed and inspired. I had lost hope in the past on reforming the GBC but with your courageous service and the others a miracle is about to happen. Keep up the great work!"

(Gauridas Pandit Das, USA)

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please keep your letters, and e-mail addresses of other devotees who should be added to our list, flowing in. A hard copy of our main position paper 'The Final Order' is available on request. All other IRG papers

can be accessed through the EDITORIAL SECTION of the IRG website at http://www.irg.zetnet.co.uk  

Your comments, questions and feedback is appreciated. Please write to me at adri@cwcom.net

Your Servant,

Adridharan Dasa

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada