Vrindavan Dasa – USA: I believe that you mean well, Kripamoya prabhu, and your letter is a step in the right direction, but you are still seeing this from an ‘authoritive self righteous’ perspective and not a realistic one. We the members of this Great international community do have a need for compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. But it is devotees such as you, who have taken on the mantle of responsibility, that need to have this for us.

It is not that we do not display compassion, forgiveness or can reconcile with each other — we can and do all the time in our daily lives. It is the ISKCON leadership that needs to show that they have compassion for us by acting with integrity and truthfulness to us.

Why do you think that you wrote that letter and what do you think made you treat this situation with such little thought for our sensitivities? You have become self-righteous.

Like all ISKCON leaders, you fail to take ‘full’ responsibility for not only what you have done, but what you fail to do. Why do you think we are suffering? If you remember back to mere months ago, when you were a Joe Blow like us, you will remember that it was only the lack of character, integrity, honesty and truthfulness of our leadership that made us suffer.

Now you find yourself choosing your words thoughtfully, for you are leery of consequences from the GBC and your authorities if you do not tow the party line and have very little consideration for us, apart from not making the situation more inflammatory than it is already. Now you want that it is us that make the steps towards reconciliation and forgiveness, yet the sins of the authorities and GBC remain unchallenged. You will side with them now and protect the institution.

The CPT is the brain child of Braja Bihari and the other ex-principals of the old abusive Gurukul system, and it still remains under their control. The GBC only makes sure that there is seemingly a power-play between the CPT and them. In the end, the GBC will water down the penalties and the CPT will accept.

Also, your attempt to make devotees think that the Manor Authorities appointed a devotee in the most senior Temple President position in ISKCON and did not conduct background checks on him is also another misconception and is foolhardy. Of course they knew. Please credit us with more intelligence than this! Do you think we are fools? We know what is happening here, prabhu. You want us to forgive and forget and be nice and supportive to the corrupt ISKCON leadership and leave them alone. If what you say is true, that you want to become part of the process of healing, then you have to be truthful. This is supposed to be a movement for Brahmana’s. The sudra who usurps the position of a brahmana cannot speak the realized intelligent truth.

So speak honestly and truthfully, or don’t speak at all. This is why we never hear from the GBC or Authorities. They cannot speak a word of the truth for their mouths are so full of lies and deceit. But be warned that if you do speak the truth, you will find yourself out on the streets with no home to speak of. There will be no pension or benefits for you. You are only a junior, a novice in this cadre of rogues and criminals. You have a lot more sinning to do, prabhu, to be protected like Gauri is.

All glories to the shouted truth, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Vrindavan Das