Bhavananda Outrage
BY: TAMOHARADASA (ACBSP)
Aug 15, USA (SUN) — I find this whole topic outrageous! I myself have advocated that, when there is some problem, best to err on the side of mercy. However, when confronted with these descriptions of sexual predation, my inclination is to say “off with his head!” I myself was in Calcutta in 1974, accompanied by a Godbrother. Two so-called sannyasis insulted my brahmana Godbrother, suggesting that we two were gay, merely because we are close friends. This was the first I had ever heard such disgusting abuse within Iskcon. I should have understood that this was a symptom of a wider disease.
Offending brahmanas will certainly lead one down to hell, and when I heard these sannyasis nasty comments, I approached them and told them that they were offenders. They laughed it off. Perhaps those two recall that day, and perhaps they will now hang their heads in shame. Perhaps not, as they seemed to relish their relative immunity at the time.
Now we are talking about sexual crimes so horrendous as to make one sick to the stomach. The whole world can now read of these things going on in ISKCON. Such wonderful publicity! Whomever is involved, accepting them as regular ISKCON members is to say to the world that such behavior is acceptable. It absolutely is not acceptable! If anyone dares to put it to a popular petition, we will see that the members of ISKCON will have none of such offenders, given a choice.
The offenders should never be given any honor or position in our movement, what to speak of sannyasis, who are supposed to be exemplars. I am simply amazed that anyone would argue otherwise. Chota Haridasa just thought of a woman, and despite calls for mercy form all the devotees, Mahaprabhu preferred that he end his life immediately. Quoting sastra is a game that can be played by two. Any sane person deplores such abominable activities, and the usual punishment is incarceration or execution. We shall do neither, but instead we shall tolerate. Is this right? I think not, and I am sure that close to 100% of our ISKCON devotees will agree.
Tamoharadasa, MS, Aud ( C ), (ACBSP)
