Questionable Behavior
Debases the
Sannyasa Asrama

from Hare Krsna dasi

I do not agree with the sentiment that only devotees like Jivan Mukta and Jaya Tirtha Charan should be condemned because they are the ones using foul language. It is the hateful and faultfinding attitude of their superiors that encourages them in this activity.

Bhakti Vikasa Swami for example takes no blame in the fact that leading women in the Hare Krsna movement are called "whores" or "prostitutes:

November 24, 1998 VNN2550

Bhakti Vikasa Swami Answers Conspiracy Charge

By Bhakti Vikasa Swami

..As regards calling women "whores": "prostitute" was the word Srila Prabhupada regularly used to describe women who didn't stick to one husband. So if re-married women in our movement get themselves into the limelight, it's unfortunate but not surprising if such descriptions are remembered.

Does he mean that it is unfortunate that Bhakti Vikasa Swami remembered such descriptions in his eagerness to find a way to defame ISKCON's leading women devotees?:

Letter COM:1714977 (38 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 24-Sep-98 10:47

Comment: Text COM:1719236 by Basu Ghosh (das) ACBSP (Baroda - IN) Subject: Re: malati's response

...I'm not suggesting that our presentation should not be strong. But the sastric quotes are in themselves so heavy that we hardly need to add our own expletives. For instance, using Srila Prabhupada's definition of a prostitute, we can (in polite terms) question the status of re-married Iskcon women. This is certain to get the feminazis highly riled, as they are mostly re-married divorcees, but we can simply cooly again present the Prabhupada quote to them, and not allow them to obfuscate the point with their name-calling.

That letter is dated 24 September. So what kind of mentality does that kind of spiritual leadership breed? Does it breed love of Krsna and seeing everyone as spirit soul? Or, does it breed materialistic hatred? How can anyone blame Jivan Mukta for his text the following week when it is encouraged by the spiritual leadership exemplified in the preceding text?

Text 1748158 (22 lines)From: Internet: Jivan Mukta Dasa

Date: 06-Oct-98 08:21 -0400

Refernce: Text 1747980 by Internet: ameyatma (ACBSP)

To: GHQ [219],

ameyatma@iname.com

Subject: Re: 3 points

Don't the GBC members have anything but Bull Dung for brains?

You are being too kind.

So, possibly we might also want to see, if 100% dismantling the WM may prove too big a fight, what about pushing to have it redefined in accordance with SP teachings, and headed up by a very chaste Indian mataji, one whom anyone can relate to as mataji ? ?

That's a beginning. But regardless of who's involved, it should be under the protection and guidance of the grhastha Ministry. If woman has no independence, how can a group of women have independence?

A Prostitute Ministry would also be appropriate considering the current state of affairs. Actually, it could be called Whore Ministry so that the initials can remain the same. In this way those big gun gurus, sannyasis and GBCs who enjoy such association can do so without contaminating our daughters.

Ys. Jmd

Who can blame Jivan Mukta? The mentality has already been set by his seniors.

And it is a mentality that debases the sannyasa asrama in ISKCON.

When my 16 year old son saw the two excerpts from Bhakti Vikas Swami's letters above, he read them with interest, "'...So if re-married women in our movement get themselves into the limelight, it's unfortunate but not surprising if such descriptions are remembered.' – and he's the one who first called them prostitutes! A sannyasi hears about a woman on the GBC, and the first thing he thinks about is a prostitute!"

Is this how we want our children to view our sannyasis? When we condone the bad behavior of some of our sannyasis, it taints the reputation of all sannyasis. It debases the sannyasa asrama.

Think about the word "debase." It is originally used with coinage. The coin is supposed to be silver or gold, but the government cheats and starts putting a cheaper metal in the coin. That means that all the coins are worthless, not just the cheating coins.

Recent historical example: In 1965, the American silver dime was debased. In 1960 it was a silver coin, but by 1970 it was a copper coin with a silver coating. In actual fact, the 1960 coin is worth more, because it has more silver. But in practical application, that's not true. When you present a coin to the grocer or shopkeeper, he counts both 1960 and 1970 dimes as equal in value, even though one is more valuable than the other.

Because the dime has been debased, it brings down the value of all the dimes, not just the ones which have only silver coatings.

Similarly, when some sannyasis exhibit hateful and prejudicial behavior, it taints the reputation of sannyasis in general.

How can we hope to keep our next generation in ISKCON if this is what they see?

When he looks at Bhakti Vikas Swami, who is so eager to defame Vaisnava women, does he see what he should see in a sannyasi?

Instead of a humble sage, he sees an arrogant authority. Instead of someone who is compassionate toward everyone, he sees a faultfinder with a love of revenge. Instead of someone who sees everyone with equal vision, he sees someone who despises devotee women who take up leadership positions in ISKCON. Instead of someone who exhibits the quality of arjavam or straightforward honesty, he sees someone who is duplicitous and hypocritical.

How can we spread Krsna consciousness?

Your servant,

Hare Krsna dasi

© CHAKRA 28-Nov-98