Bhavananda and Other Issues 
from Antardwip das

Dear Chakra,

I would like to say a word about Bhavananda, but first I would like to mention that for the years after Srila Prabhupada's departure while he was apparently doing well, I had no respect for him. Managers, leaders were all fawning on him, because he had a magnetic personality for some. However, he wasn't creating what I felt was the atmosphere for spiritual life, and I never had time for him. I was in Sree Mayapur at the time, and I felt he was taking simple people from Bengal and making them into something other than simple devotees, creating artificial divisions and party spirit especially between his disciples and Jayapataka Swami's disciples. It was nothing to do with his later problems, but his tampering with Srila Prabhupada's mood. Indeed I was warned to cool off in my attitude to him as I might upset his disciples beyond the point of reasonable behaviour.

However, I would like to say that I appreciate his efforts more since his public disgrace than I did when everyone was supporting him. He is the only one of our failed leaders who has been able to come back to the shelter of Srila Prabhupada. Not that he should or shouldn't be allowed in a temple, that he has or hasn't been punished enough or that he should apologise or not, these are different things. But that he has been so high, crashed so low, and as Lord Krishna says, "For one who has been honoured, dishonour is worse than death." That he is still involved in the first place is to his credit, it is unique.

Somehow, he has found, by Srila Prabhupada's grace, some shelter in ISKCON. Totally and absolutely undeserved. But that's the meaning of causeless mercy, unfortunately for those of us who may despise him.

On the other hand. I now have no time for those who are suddenly vocal about how bad he is, and post imaginary happening of what violence one would do to Bhavananda now it is too late. It doesn't take a Phd in caring to be aware now that he has done bad things.

What if, instead of being carried away by him at the time, devotees had reflected—wait, there are some things wrong here, the party spirit, the loads-a-money attitudes—instead of excusing his divisive behaviour in Mayapur as his transcendental pastime. Perhaps then something could have been done, if he had been humble enough. And saved so much pain for himself, so many disciples and the movement.

Perhaps someone might have approached Harikesh Maharaj early on, and said that Srila Prabhupada would not approve of his allowing a woman touching and associating so closely with him because it would lead to trouble ahead, if he had been humble enough to listen, and saved so much pain for himself, his disciples and admirers and the movement.
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CHAKRA 25-Sep-98

Should Bhavananda Live in a Temple?
a letter from Gaurasundara das
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Concerning Bhavananda: I don't refer to him as prabhu, and I do not respect him as a Srila Prabhupada Disciple because he most certainly does not act like one. Anyone who would ever dream of hitting Gurukula children, making them take their pants off, and beating them in the basement in Vrndavana is unfit to stay in Srila Prabhupada's Temples. If I had had a child in Gurukula at the time and I found out that he ever intimidated or touched the child, I would have personally flown out there and beat him to a pulp.
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CHAKRA 13-Jul-98

Bhavananda Addendum
A letter from Pancha Tattva dasa
Dear Editors,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I would like to offer the following comments as an addendum to my previous message. Perhaps, if you decided that you would print my previous message, entitled "Bhavananda," you would include in it the following:

I have offered the quotations from 6th Canto of Bhagavatam to elucidate the means by which Bhavananda, and all of us, can become purified. This I did this in response to the bitter and poorly reasoned statements of Gary Stevason.

This brings us to another issue: Bhavananda's commission of Vaishnava aparadhas. Again, I don't know the details of Bhavananda's crimes, although the ones that mother Madhusudani Radha has listed are serious enough. I'm under the impression that some of them are far worse than anything in her list.

I endorse Madhusudani Radha's call for Bhavananda to apologize to his victims and offer restitution. As she has said, it will be good for both Bhavananda and the people he has abused and offended. It will also be a necessary demonstration of repentance and sincerity before the Supreme Lord Krishna and His devotees.

If he does this, his hearing and chanting may become effective.

Your servant,
Pancha Tattva dasa

Bhavananda: The Best Penance
A letter from Panca Tattva das
I don't think someone with his history of criminal behavior, engaged in while a devotee and ISKCON leader, should be allowed to live in the temple. There should be very careful restrictions upon what he can and cannot do as a representative of ISKCON. Accepting disciples is completely out of the question - for life. If his determination for Krishna consciousness is sincere, he will consider himself most unqualified and never even approach the subject....

Now let me say something about him that, I'm sure, will open me up for recriminations. I don't mind. Everyone should kick on my head anyway.... I suggest that the angry, sabre-rattling Gary Stevason read the first and second chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto. I have quoted just a few verses for the reader's benefit:

"The chanting of the holy name of Lord Vishnu is the best process of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brahmana, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior. It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Vishnu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, 'Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.' " SB 6.2.9-10
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The Past Is Not Done With
Madhusudani Radha answers Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa
After reading your letter about Bhavananda, I can only hope that you are completely ignorant of the severity of Bhavananda's past or of the psychology of trauma. You wrote "the past is done with," which shows that you know nothing about the long-term effects of abuse. I'm sure that the victims of Bhavananda's abuse pray that the past could be over for them. Unfortunately, it cannot, and they have to live with it every day and night, probably for the rest of their lives. Many still have nightmares from the beatings and other mistreatment they received from Bhavananda and others like him in ISKCON.

If Bhavananda has truly had a change of heart, then let him show this by apologizing to his many victims and offering them restitution. You are probably mean well, but you are not helping either Bhavananda or his victims by telling us to forgive and forget.
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Jail Would Be Compassion for Bhavananda
A response from Gary Stevason
(Originally published on VNN Forum)
I'm sure that CHAKRA will find an excuse not to publish this, so I will offer it here for my sanity.

The naive letter published by CHAKRA recently from Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa spoke of the Australian guy's service to Srila Prabhupada. Few people have done more disservice to Srila Prabhupada than this character, even in the presence of His Divine Grace.

He says to let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Then, please, Lord Krsna, force this man to confess each and every instance of sexual impropriety and child abuse he has been responsible for since his joining ISKCON to each and every person he meets for the rest of his life. Let's see him fake his way into guruship again with those words constantly on his tongue.

He can rattle his beads all he wants, and sit in front of the Bhagavatam all he wants, but if I meet him, I will spit in his face; and if I get direct proof of his alleged child molestations, I will beat him and drag him by the tuft of his hair to prison. No one offends Krsna like that and escapes my rage. No one. He can call himself God for all I care; trash is trash.

Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa says that was the past. Well, it has been the past over and over and over again. May Krsna protect the innocent from naive people like Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa. Can't they recognize the classic Messiah Complex, covering up one's perceived abominal self-impression with delusions of supernatural holiness.

Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa calls for compassion. Jail would be compassion. There his desires would be completely fulfilled.

I do not want to hear or see his name. The mere thought of such a great demon is absolute inauspiciousness. Do we really think that memorizing a few slokas makes us a holy man? Stop letting this man play you for fools.

gHari

I have been most apprehensive about becoming involved in what I saw to be an “endless debate” on the Internet over the poison issue, but then Hari Sauri prabhu made the point that many innocent devotees were becoming bewildered by all this. I therefore felt duty bound to make a statement - and one statement only - for the record. Srila Prabhupada departed by his own sweet will and by the desire of his beloved Lords, Krsna and Balarama.
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© CHAKRA 21-Oct-1999

CHAKRA (France) - August 21, 1999:

Of course it seems quite noble of some people to be concerned about Bhavananda's spiritual well-being, but I think that in fact the only one who can truly help him is only Bhavananda himself humbly facing his victims and begging for their forgiveness. Apologizing directly towards his victims, bowing in humility before them, would most certainly be very helpful in their healing process and for him the only appropriate thing to do in order to save his own spiritual skin. 

If Bhavananda and any one else who polluted the lives of these children, is not willing to do just that, begging forgiveness from his victims, it would in fact be better to lock him up, for he is then not behaving like a (fallen) devotee, as far as I understand and should be treated as any other criminal of his sort: having a trial and get convicted by the state of law.
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© CHAKRA 21-Aug-99