We Must All Take up the Healing
Process
By Anuttama Dasa
By Anuttama Dasa
Dear Fellow Vaishnavas, Members of ISKCON, and Friends,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to share some thoughts regarding our community's response to
the Turley lawsuit. As a parent, a board member of Children of Krishna, a
supporter of the Child Protection Office, and the principle spokesperson
for ISKCON on this issue, I have been personally pulled from all sides by
this case, and I find it the most emotionally draining and spiritually
challenging issue I have faced in 25 years as a Krishna devotee.
Certainly the outcome of the case is in the hands of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Yet, as His devotees, it is our duty to try to
apply Krishna conscious principles to every event of our lives and to try
to act as responsible God conscious people. I am distraught by the past
suffering of our children and families. But, I am also distraught by much
of our individual and collective responses to the lawsuit, which I find
lacking in content and understanding.
None of us can predict what will be the outcome of the Turley case. But,
there is one thing we do know: Many of our children are in pain, our Hare
Krishna communities are suffering, and we are in need of healing. Whatever
happens our devotees are in crisis. First and foremost, we need to heal
our communities. Whatever happens with the court case, there will still be
devotees of Krishna. Many of those devotees are now in need of our support
and love.
The sastras tells us that service to the devotees is the most important
form of seva. As devotees we need each other, and we need our communities.
Without healthy communities, we cannot become Krishna conscious, nor can
we be happy, or attain the goal of life.
"THEY" WON'T DO IT, BUT "I"
CAN
I am saddened by the nature of most discussions I have overheard
regarding the Turley case. While few of us will have any impact whatsoever
on the outcome of the case, we all have a tremendous individual moral
responsibility for the well being of our devotees.
Too many of us, I fear, are absorbed in thoughts about what they
should do, what they should have done. I have heard youth point the
finger at adults, adults point the finger at local authorities, local
authorities point to the temple president, presidents point to gurus,
gurus pointing to GBC, GBC pointing to parents, etc, etc., etc.
But what about me? What can I do to help? What can I do to heal? What can
I do to reach out to our youth and help them? What can I do to help
families and communities that are in pain? These are the essential
questions, and I humbly beg every devotee to address this question first
and foremost. I believe that this is what Krishna wants to see. He is
watching to see how each and every one of us responds to the suffering of
the Vaishnavas. If we respond with personal sacrifice, compassion, and
integrity, He will protect and heal us all.
We can only control one person. And that one person, myself, can be a
source of great progress and healing, if I try. And we must try.
The need to heal our communities and reach out to our youth and families
needs to be the priority of every devotee. Not just the GBC, not just the
temple authorities, not just the "older devotees," but also each
of us. If we are a GBC, an "authority," or an "older
devotee" then we must certainly make this our priority. But, not
being those positions is no excuse for lethargy. Whatever our status, we
must stop thinking and complaining about what others should do and do
something ourselves-now.
Margaret Mead, the well-known anthropologist said, "Never think that
a small group of committed people can not change the world, indeed, it is
all that ever has."
WHAT CAN I DO?
You can do plenty. There are families touched by the pain of the case and
past abuse in perhaps almost every Krishna community. Many devotees were
abused before they became devotees and the attention of the case is
reopening their wounds, as well. Abuse is an epidemic in modern society
and we have been victimized by it. We must acknowledge that and respond.
Here's some ideas of what many devotees are doing in their local
communities.
1)
Reach out to a youth in
your community. If you don't know a gurukula alumni, you should. Let the
youth in your community know you appreciate them. We all need more love
and support.
2)
Organize a youth center.
Provide more facilities for kids and families to get together with Krishna
at the center. (In Alachua, with the help of Children of Krishna, this is
already happening. With a little effort you can do the same.)
3)
Help to organize special
istagostis in your temple to talk about what can be done locally to heal
your community and deal with the issues of past abuse. "Think
globally, act locally."
4)
Join your local Child
Protection Team. Help assure that no child ever again suffers in our Hare
Krishna society.
5)
Give a donation to Children
of Krishna (CKI) and/or the Office of Child Protection (OCP). Many youth
need help with counseling, education, and training. Many don't want to
join the suit but they still have important financial needs. Help fill
those needs. Make a difference.
6)
Don't just give a donation.
Give a BIG donation. Srila Prabhupada said grihastras should donate 50%.
If you can't give 50% you can give at least 10% of your income to CKI or
OCP. Do it now. Please, these projects are in great need of your support.
7)
Get involved in your local
day school. Volunteer your talent, offer to serve on the board of
directors, or help paint the school. Many gurukula alumni want to see
Vaishnava education manifested in a way they can be proud of for their own
children. Make it a reality in your community.
8)
If you are a counselor or
therapist, donate your time to meet with families and youth in need in
your area.
9)
If you're not a counselor,
or therapist, help to bring one into your community to offer their
services where there might be a need.
10)
Help to organize and facilitate a youth group in your temple. Kids
have important and diverse needs, help assure your community is
prioritizing them.
11)
Preach. Talk about the need to reach out and build strong families,
to protect our children, provide them excellent Krishna conscious
education, to help the youth who may have suffered in the past.
12)
Hire a gurukula alumni. Help a youth get a start in balancing their
secular and spiritual needs.
13)
Encourage your local community to make rebuilding of our community
relationships and the trust of our first generation of children the number
one priority.
14)
Organize a fund raising concert or program at you local temple and
donate the funds to your local youth group and/or Children of Krishna.
This is just a partial list. Make your own and do something. Don't wait
for others to act. Take the pro-active lead for Srila Prabhupada.
REACH OUT
Recently, I attended the Gurukula Reunion in New Vrindavana. I had the
opportunity to hear from many gurukula alumni as well as adults of my
generation. Several things struck me.
Many gurukula alumni can't comprehend or believe that members of my
generation were unaware of the suffering that many underwent while in
gurukula. Many feel we are not doing everything within our power to cure
the wounds of the past.
Many older devotees do not understand the depth of the pain of some of
our youth. Despite ISKCON's anti-abuse policies, despite official
presentations about abuse in North America and India, despite the 1998
Burke Rochford ISKCON Communications Journal article and the subsequent
international media attention, despite Children of Krishna, Child
Protection Office, and the Child Protection Teams, etc., many still seem
not cognizant of the importance of this social problem.
This huge gap in generational perceptions must be closed. We need to talk
more about what can be done within our families and within our
communities. Few of us will have any impact on the outcome of the lawsuit.
But, each one of us can have a significant impact on healing the wounds
and pains of our devotees.
Personally, I continue to lobby for more funding for the Child Protection
Office and for restructuring of the GBC to regain the faith of the devotee
community. As a member of the Washington, D.C. temple, I'm helping to
upgrade of our local Sunday school to benefit today's children. As a
volunteer, I'm offering my time to help Children of Krishna. And, as a
grihastra my family is trying to donate all that we possibly can to
support the Child Protection Office and Children of Krishna.
Please join in this effort to help our youth, to heal our families and
strengthen our communities. You can make a difference. Your personal
commitment, more than anything else, will demonstrate to our first
generation of children that we love them, and that Srila Prabhupada's
ISKCON is worthy of their participation.
Your servant,
Anuttama dasa
© CHAKRA 8-August-2000
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