Romapada Swami and New England
BY: BHAKTA FRED
Mar 01, 2011 — HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, USA (SUN) — I am always interested to read or hear about various issues regarding the wonderful spiritual movement Srila Prabhupada initially brought to America. But I am dismayed when I hear that some of the ISKCON leaders, and in this example a GBC leader, go unchecked in activities that would not be condoned by Prabhupada as bona fide.
I never had the good fortune to meet some of the early sannyasis of North America such as Visnujana Swami, but I would hardly believe that this renounced person would be going around to members and temples of ISKCON trying to make loans and gain profit or interest on those loans for himself.
Visnujana was well known for being just the opposite - rich in love of Krishna and materially impoverished. So when I read the articles, "Go Put On White" and "Romapada Swami more Interested in "Milking The Indians" In Chicago", I feel like this is not only out of place and deceptive, but highly nontraditional of the sacred renounced order of sannyasa.
And, from what little I do know about religious non-profits, I agree with the author, that to lend the money of the non-profit, given to it in charity by the public, or in this case for a leader of the religious non-profit to take donations given to him (must be a lot of donations) and then conduct the business of a private lender, presumably would be illegal and against the law.
I was reminded of my discovering many years back a similar instance here in Hartford Connecticut where Romapada Swami, who has been the GBC for a long while, was said to have lent the temple $20,000 to $40,000 with a repayment plan that included a payback in interest. While the temple in need, and the most wonderful devotee who has been our temple president forever, was most probably relieved to get some financial assistance in the form of a loan, for a sannyasi to be doing this kind of business seems very unusual, irregular, and unethical. At least that is what I understand about sannyasa -- that a sannyasi just gives spiritual advice. He doesn't have any personal money or personal bank accounts, what to speak of money in his hands to lend for his own profit.
This appears to be something important to be looked into by the proper authorities -- both spiritual and material authorities.
