Free Speech and Loss of Faith
BY: KESAVA KRSNA DASA
Jul 11, 2011 — JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (SUN) — The Sampradaya Sun's recent negative coverage of HH Radhanatha Maharaja has prompted me to write. I know exactly what will traverse your mind and your readers. "Here he goes… This KKD is just another ISKCON lackey and fanatic…" My colours have been nailed to the mast. But not for the fabricated reasons espoused by the ritvik-friendly supporters of yours.
It appears that your ideas of free speech mean to help destroy the faith of disciples of ISKCON gurus. Since you are a Godbrother of those gurus, and therefore an uncle to their disciples, does it not cause you to wonder if your version of free speech might hurt them – emotionally and faith wise?
"No matter what…" you surmise, "The truth must get out." So what truth are we discussing? Is this forum of yours a devotee or public one? There is little doubt that members of the public do frequent this website. Imagine what they must be thinking about Srila Prabhupada's movement when they read opinions that leave them with negative views of ISKCON.
Limericks, meant-to-be funny poetry, and letters jibing at individuals in good standing have all been aired. Does it not occur to you that there are constraints in Vaisnava communication?
As with any democratic dispensation, there comes with it - responsibility. If your opinions or those of your sympathisers do hurt the disciples of your Godbrothers, and by extension, Srila Prabhupada himself, then how can the free speech you advocate be helpful? Shouldn't someone in an uncle position be trying to uplift them with encouragement and so on? Isn't the responsibility much greater, when dealing in Vaisnava matters?
What if HH Radhanatha Maharaja is pioneering some form of preaching that is a little different? Isn't he allowed to be innovative? He didn't intend writing an autobiography. He was encouraged to do so by HH Bhakti-tirtha Swami. This may seem somewhat unorthodox, but think of the many preaching openings created by this.
It is for this reason that he dedicated his meeting with President Barack Obama to Bhakti-tirtha Swami. Not the fabricated black-bodied connection fabricated by a Mukunda dasa who wrote earlier. Eventually, all those people he meets get to know we are Hare Krishnas. Why should it hurt you that he is meeting with success? Many sensitive members of the public do require some indirect approaches.
Now, Radhanatha Maharaja is an uncle of mine, like many other of your Godbrothers. This is our family setup. It hurts me to see opinions based on misinformed doctrines and envy. As a responsible editor, we expect you to check the veracity of submissions. I'm sure you may know that if someone complains with misinformation, and is biased in a negative way, then this is not a product of free speech. Rather it is conditioned speech.
When conditioned pieces are published, they do not uplift, educate or sanctify, but have the opposite effect. When this effect results in loss of faith and hurt, then the claim for free speech is lost. Real free speech is that Krishna katha which enables all to cease enmity, be free from fear, to be blissful and the rest. In the absence of these effects, I, like many others, remain very concerned about the motivated material you publish.
Ys Kesava Krsna dasa
