Response to HH Hridayananda Maharaj

BY: BASU GHOSH DAS (ACBSP)

Apr 06, BARODA, INDIA (SUN) —

Dear Hridayananda Maharaj, Yatibhyonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Received your message:

> Dear Basu Ghosh Prabhu,
> Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for your letter.

Well, Maharaj, I'm humbled that you have been gracious to me by thanking me! It's a very kind gesture on your part, and it's gratefully acknowledged and highly appreciated!

> I have made serious hermeneutic points regarding the style and nature
> of Prabhupada's preaching and how this relates to Prabhupada's order that
> we base our conclusions on guru, sadhu and shastra.

Maharaj, may I ask you to elaborate on those points? (rhetorical question).

> I have repeatedly
> clarified that I am not in favor of gay marriage. We have heard from
> shastra, such as Manu-samhita, which Prabhupada insisted that we follow,
> regarding the sin of homosexuality. I plainly stated in my infamous essay
> that heterosexuality and homosexuality are NOT on the same level for
> society, and that society will naturally privilege heterosexuality.

Here is where I am confused.

You clearly state that you are opposed to gay marriage, and the sin of homosexuality.

And yet, here are the statements you've made that clearly suggest otherwise:

> http://chakra.org/discussions/GenDec19_04.html
>
> Gay monogamy preferred to promiscuity
>
> by Hridayananda das Goswami
>
> Posted December 19, 2004
>
> In a recent essay appearing on Chakra, "Vaisnava Dharma is very liberal",
> Amara prabhu raises the following question:
> Gay marriage is . . . taken to be outside of the rigid varnasrama system
> and the ordinary prescription for married life, but suppose it is found to
> be the best practical arrangement to sustain a person's bhakti, someone
> who is exclusively homosexual and unable to follow complete celibacy. Can
> an exception be made to the general rule in the spirit of encouraging
> bhakti, as cited above, or should we give more importance to the rigid
> codes of ordinary dharma?
>
> I agree with Amara that a truly spiritual society must constantly seek a
> balance between the strict codes of varnasrama, and the practical
> spiritual needs of sincere devotees. There can be no doubt that a
> significant number of souls, whose external sexual orientation is
> homosexual, sincerely strive to be Krishna conscious. It is entirely
> natural and predictable that a majority of these devotees, as with most
> hetereosexual devotees, will not be suited for lifelong celibacy.
>
> My view of this issue is as follows:
> 1. As a general rule, we should appreciate devotees in terms of
> the sincerity and diligence of their spiritual attempts, given the
> psycho-physical circumstances of their life. In other words, in any
> condition of life, if a devotee sincerely strives to please Krishna, that
> devotee is to be admired.
> 2. It is the duty of any society to recognize, and thus
> encourage, the admirable behavior of its members. Monogamy, among devotees
> of any orientation, is an admirable achievement in the context of today's
> promiscuous society, and should be thus appreciated and encouraged.
> 3. Given the need to balance strict varnasrama with liberal
> spirituality, I believe that ISKCON should recognize and encourage
> monogamy among all its members of whatever orientation, and that such
> recognition and encouragement should take appropriate forms that achieve
> both purposes: the maintenance of varnasrama and the encouraging of
> spiritual sincerity.
> 4. I am not convinced that marriage is the best means in all
> cases, but some serious, formal and public recognition and appreciation of
> gay monogamy is, in my view, in the best interest of ISKCON and its
> members.
>
> and,
>
> http://www.chakra.org/announcements/persFeb01_09.html
>
> Hridayananda Das Goswami Blesses Gay Male Couple
> by Stan Harris
> Posted February 1, 2009
>
> On November 8, 2008, Joshua Einhorn and Stanley Harris committed to a
> loving relationship at a Blessing Ceremony in the Chatsworth district of
> Los Angeles. One hundred family members, friends and ISKCON devotees
> celebrated.
> Santa Barbara ISKCON temple president Sarvatma das officiated. Govinda's
> of Los Angeles served prasad. H.H. Hridayananda das Goswami conferred this
> blessing, via e-mail:
>
> "Our love for each other is a reflection of God's love for us. Thus, the
> perfection of every relationship is to see God in each other.
>
> "May God bless Joshua Norman Einhorn and Stanley Earl Harris, both devoted
> souls, as they commit themselves to each other in the spirit of God's love
> for them. May Joshua and Stanley always please God through true love for
> each other.
>
> "By such true spiritual love, may they always be, each for the other, a
> source of spiritual inspiration and happiness. May their relationship lead
> them, patiently and steadily, back to our real home in the spiritual
> world, where all relationships become eternal and perfect."

Maharaj, just to be clear, here is the definition of "monogamy" in the Oxford American Dictionaries, supplied on Apple Macintosh computers:

> monogamy
> noun
> the practice or state of being married to one person at a time.
> • the practice or state of having a sexual relationship with only one
> partner. • Zoology the habit of having only one mate at a time.

------------------------------------------------------------------

So, it seems that there is a clear contradiction between what you've just written in response to me:

> > I have repeatedly clarified that I am not in favor of gay marriage.

And, point number 4 in your December 19, 2004 posting on Chakra.org, which appears in it's entirety, above:

> > 4. I am not convinced that marriage is the best means in all
> > cases, but some serious, formal and public recognition and appreciation
> > of gay monogamy is, in my view, in the best interest of ISKCON and its
> > members.

And, your statement in the "blessing" of the "gay marriage":

> > "May God bless Joshua Norman Einhorn and Stanley Earl Harris, both
> > devoted souls, as they commit themselves to each other in the spirit of
> > God's love for them. May Joshua and Stanley always please God through
> > true love for each other.

These apparent contradictory statements create a clear dichotomy, as I wrote earlier. Maharaj, honestly, I'd like to accept what you have written to me, in your very last post.

But in order to do so, myself, and a host of other godbrothers and sisters, who have no desire to offend you -- who actually have a ton of respect and regard for the massive services you've rendered to Prabhupada's movement over these past 40 years -- need to hear you clearly repudiate these comments of your's that obvious condone "gay monogamy".

> I offered to discuss these points and I respect those who disagree
> with me. But I find that my points are ignored, rather than addressed, and
> that I am again accused of all the same offenses, as if I had said nothing
> at all. Thus I have given up hope of engaging in a fair philosophical
> discussion with some of my Godbrothers.

Maharaj, it seems to me that the conundrum we're facing here is clear.

It seems -- and I've had a lot of encouragement for my views from godbrothers and sisters on this point via e-mails since I wrote the letter you've so kindly responded to -- that this is "black and white".

Your statements, cited above, clearly condone gay marriage, and hence, condone being gay.

You say that's not the case. If so, can you withdraw those statements from the public domain?

If you can, then I'm sure we can all go on encouraging gay devotees to "give up being gay", as Prabhupada clearly instructed the late Lalitananda Das, in his letter to him, written all those years ago, which is copied, below!

> At the present time, my inspiration is to preach the glories of
> Krishna and to focus my personal attention on the chanting of His Holy
> Name. I am not engaged in any campaign or crusade to push any agenda,
> other than the pure chanting of Krishna's names.
> With best wishes,
> Your servant,
> Hridayananda das Goswami

A repudiation of what many, many devotees -- and I'm certainly not alone here -- view as condoning something that Prabhupada would not have done -- would help us all accept this last para that you've so nicely written.

Hope this meets you well.

das,

Basu Ghosh Das

> 75-05-26
>
> My Dear Lalitananda dasa,
>
> Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated
> May 13rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very sorry that you
> have taken to homosex. It will not help you advance in your attempt
> for spiritual life. In fact, it will only hamper your advancement. I
> do not know why you have taken to such abominable activities. What can
> I say? Anyway, try to render whatever service you can to Krishna. Even
> though you are in a very degraded condition Krishna, being pleased
> with your service attitude, can pick you up from your fallen state.
> You should stop this homosex immediately. It is illicit sex,
> otherwise, your chances of advancing in spiritual life are nil. Show
> Krishna you are serious, if you are.
>
> I hope this meets you in good health.
> Your ever well-wisher,
> A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

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