Selective Memory
BY: ROCANA DASA
Oct 16, 2011 — CANADA (SUN) — When submitting his article of today, Rocana's Take on Things", Pusta Krishna das admonished me: "Do not criticize in print, if you cannot receive criticism as well. This is a test for your character as well." As our regular readers know, the Sun does not shy away from printing articles critical of me personally, or the Sun's content in general. We usually give our critics a place of honor in the top left column, which Pusta Krishna prabhu occupies today. Following his, I would like to offer my own comments.
Pusta Krishna dasa, your article misses the main points I made in my article, Unrepentant Prodigals", which was not so much a condemnation of yourself personally as it was a commentary on the phenomenon of ISKCON leaders who create havoc, leave the movement and return many years later without a word of apology or any show of accountability. Instead, they take up an authoritative mood, preaching almost as if they'd never left. Your article today substantiates many of the points I made, it and illustrates the mood and approach that persons of your pedigree often employ.
Thank you for sharing your personal history with us. I can understand that you want to conceive of yourself as always being a devotee, always a Srila Prabhupada disciple and so on, but you have not been honest and humble enough to address the personal choices you made to leave the sannyasa order, to leave your Spiritual Master's preaching mission, abandoning the duties that Srila Prabhupada assigned you, even though nowadays you proudly want everyone to know you were given those exalted positions and Prabhupada's personal association.
The question in my mind is, why did you make the decisions that you did? The explanation you provided just doesn't wash – that you decided you wanted to serve Srila Prabhupada in a different way, but first of all you had to pursue your karmic path, as if it was some sort of purification you had to go through. And you give the impression that Srila Prabhupada actually approved of it. But we all know how unlikely that is.
None of us are perfect, myself included. I only brought these points up due to the fact that you have been writing articles here and at Dandavats in which you project this air of authority, based on the association and position you had during Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON lila. In fact, even in your article today you admit that you're writing because you see so many immature writings coming from the other devotees. But in large part, your realizations appear to be based on the period of your life when you yourself were immature, and this immaturity brought you to the point of rejecting all the above-mentioned positions and duties. One would assume this would put you in a somewhat embarrassing and humble position today, but as your article reads, this is obviously not the case. And in fact, that's the main gist of my earlier comments. You and your past associates who have taken a similar path have not matured enough to understand and appreciate the fact that you gave up an extremely valuable, rare opportunity to serve the Sampradaya Acarya.
As I said in my article, you and your friends like Ramesvar seem to have selective amnesia when it comes to the details of your early ISKCON pastimes. This is especially evident when you refer to all the history surrounding Saranagati. In fact, the Bridesville Farm that you closed down was not the Saranagati project at all. You had nothing to do with Saranagati, which was established many years after you left. And Bridesville wasn't running a hay selling operation, although they'd had a little success with growing alfalfa, and might have sold a little of it.
I met with Srila Prabhupada at Gita Nagari in July 1976 to discuss the problem at Bridesville with the cows. At the time you came up to deal with Bridesville (not Saranagati), it wasn't my recollection at all that you were the acting GBC for San Francisco. You came to Bridesville for a few days in September 1976, and the project was closed down immediately after your departure. According to the 1976 GBC Resolutions, you were not the acting GBC for San Francisco at that time. The temple at that time was in Berkeley. A Resolution was passed at the Mayapur meetings that year for the opening of a new center in San Francisco, and as part of the re-division of the U.S. zones, Gurukrpa Swami was given Berkeley and San Francisco. Srila Prabhupada appointed you the GBC of South Africa that year. That, and you were elected to be the permanent personal secretary of Srila Prabhupada. You have not explained why it is that you accepted that all-important permanent assignment just three months before leaving the movement.
You mention that you received a direct response from Srila Prabhupada in the form of a letter in regards to the Bridesville (not Saranagati) project, but we aren't finding it in the Folio. Perhaps you could let us know the date of the letter? I'd also be interested to know why you didn't share that letter with the local leaders at Bridesville, including myself and the resident devotees, which you certainly never did.
After you left Bridesville we never saw or heard from you again, because you blooped immediately after leaving British Columbia. When you dissolved the Bridesville rural project, you sent myself and some of the other devotees, along with the gurukula and the Sankirtan party, to Seattle. Some of the devotees went to the Vancouver temple, but if as you state, you were so concerned about the book distribution in Vancouver, then why didn't you send us all to Vancouver?
And for the record, what's happening in the Pacific Northwest since the time you were involved is not good news. You refer to how well the Vancouver temple has prospered over the years since the time of your service, but in fact, it has deteriorated to an unrecognizable level since those days. To claim that things have greatly improved is patently false. Things up here are pretty pathetic, both at ISKCON Vancouver and Seattle so-called ISKCON.
So all in all, I find your remembrances to be either unsubstantiated or simply off-base. Your most recent article demonstrates another one of my main points, which is that the impact on the lives of devotees and the damage to the movement that was inflicted by persons such as yourself, who were GBC's and sannyasis supposedly representing Srila Prabhupada and Krsna, appears not to have registered at all in your minds. At the time you were at Bridesville supposedly solving the yatra's problems, you were actually preparing to leave Srila Prabhupada's movement, and you were not focused on doing your duty properly as a result of being in maya. That was my main point regarding you personally, which you won't admit is true.
In your article, you complain about Hansadutta's nefarious activities when he took over the Berkeley temple. At the same time he took over the Seattle temple, which I was the Temple President of. This resulted in him and his Zonal Acarya friends expelling all the Srila Prabhupada disciples and the school from Seattle temple. But I never heard a word from you in protest. You didn't take up the banner and make your position known, or stand up to protect the devotees of the Seattle Yatra. Other than inviting people over to your house for prasadam, I don't see that your position was very heroic or significant.
It appears that you want to maintain this false ego conception of who you were, and how everything you did before and after your departure from Srila Prabhupada's movement is transcendental and justified. In fact, you infer that your actions would meet with Srila Prabhupada's approval, but I disagree. Let's be honest. I'm just asking you to humbly admit that you fell into maya, and you went back to pursue this karmic path which from a philosophical standpoint, was essentially a waste of time.
To this very day, you don't really address the important issues that are going wrong in ISKCON. As evidenced by your Dandavats articles, you obviously still want to ingratiate yourself with the ISKCON authorities. Although you've offered some critical commentary lately in the Sun, for the most part you won't name names. In other words, you don't tell the truth, not only about yourself, but about the persons who were causing serious chaos in Srila Prabhupada's movement. Even today you won't call a spade a spade in regards to your old friends from the bygone era, some of whom are leaders even today. Your sentimental ruminations about Ramesvar illustrate this point. It may be true that Srila Prabhupada was pleased with Ramesvar's service when he wasn't in maya, as all of us were. But he squandered all that by supporting and participating in the Zonal Acarya system. I'm told by devotees who have had recent contact with him that to this very day, like yourself, he is not honest and repentant about the mistakes he made, or about the selfish and offensive position he took that caused his falldown.
In your article, you do admit that since the time you joined ISKCON you were fighting your mind about leaving, and that the temptation of going back to medical school was there all along, until you finally succumbed to it. But rather than admit this as being the maya that it obviously was, you spin it as though it were some Krsna conscious pastime… that you always had faith in Krsna, he always protected you. In reality, what you're doing by making these statements is that you're setting an example – giving an excuse to other devotees who are now toying with the idea of giving up sannyasa because they want to pursue some other interest. You make it sound like sannyasa is a job you can just quit, like making a career change. It's as simple as that. Or that you can give up your personal service to your Spiritual Master and pursue a whole different path… it's all still Krsna conscious and Prabhupada would approve. But as far as I'm concerned, that's all nonsense. You're never going to learn your lessons by maintaining this type of attitude.
Reading your article of today, we are now aware of your justifications and rationalizations and false ego conceptions of your life. This will help the readers to make up their own minds when they consider your articles, and decide whether or not to take up the wisdom and authoritative advice your articles contain, or whether they should be more circumspect in considering your opinions. In other words, you are giving them an opportunity to see the underlying mood that forms the basis of your writings.
As a godbrother I wish you well, but it's also my duty to speak my mind. Again, my initial comments weren't directed solely at you, but as I've said, I find it irritating to see how past leaders such as yourself who accepted sannyasa and GBC, then walked away, return and carry right on, pontificating in the kind of mood that saturates your writings today.
For those who would like more information and a more accurate portrayal of the history of the Bridesville farm than that provided by Pusta Krishna das, you can refer to this "Obeisances to Dandavats" article from April 2008, and to this brief article by Padmapani das about his time at New Gokula Dhama, Bridesville, in 1974.
The Bridesville Farm, circa 1974
Following are two more interesting historical footprints on the Bridesville project. The first is a letter from Srila Prabhupada to Bahudak das in December 1974, just after the project was begun. The second is an article from the Back to Godhead Magazine, Volume 10, Number 11, 1975.
Bombay
15 December, 1974
Bridesville, Canada
My dear Bahudak,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 21, 1974 and have noted the contents.
I am very glad to hear about your new farm-asrama existing there. We want to develop many such farms all over the world. Your are enthusiastic and intelligent and it appears that you are managing in nicely. Why not call it New Gokula instead of New Mayapur. I think that is better. It is alright that you have purchased machinery and are using on the farm but if you can do without as much as possible that is better. It sounds as if the living conditions there may be a little extreme. But if the devotees can learn to tolerate as you say they are determined, and can stay and work there that is very good. And I give all encouragement to them.
Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, Ch. 2, text 14; matra-sparsas tu kaunteya, sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah, agamapayino 'nityas, tams titiksasva bharata [Bg. 2.14] O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. So remember Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita and continue to work with all enthusiasm and encourage the others also to do the same.
As far as you opening a local Gurukula program there, I have no objection if it can be done nicely. So consult with Satsvarupa Maharaja for further instructions.
To develop a farm community such as the one you are doing, it requires much hard work and endurance. But if you work sincerely then Krishna will give you all facilities and men. Therefore continue working and follow the good example that the devotees in New Vrndavana have set and everything will go very nicely. If you have any specific questions you can refer to New Vrndavana and they may be able to help you.
Upon your recommendation I have accepted the following as my disciples, and their names are as follows; Doug -- Daksina das, Robert -- Ranjita das, Margie -- Madhumati devi dasi; Danny -- Dharmarupa das, Sharon -- Subhavrata devi dasi. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Swami or Tamala Krsna Goswami.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
BACK TO GODHEAD MAGAZINE:
British Columbia Farm Flourishing
NEW GOKULA (Bridesville, British Columbia) In the crisp Canadian morning air, the sound of a drum echoes off the surrounding hills, hand cymbals ring, and voices rise in song as the devotees of Krsna begin another day of devotional service. This is New Gokula, the 320-acre ISKCON farm-asrama in the interior of Canada's westernmost province, British Columbia. Just five miles from Bridesville in the district of Rock Creek, it lies on the rolling land that ends at the United States border.
One of our main projects this summer was transforming the seventy-year-old farmhouse originally on the property into a shining new temple for Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madana-mohana (the presiding Deities of the community). We doubled the area of the old house by adding a kitchen, a serving room, a guest area, workrooms, and offices. Since Canadian winters are long and snowy, we insulated the entire house and built a special sun-room with double insulating glass for Srimati Tulasidevi (a sacred plant dear to Krsna). The neighbors are amazed at the transformation of the house and farm. All of them are helpful and encouraging: they teach us things like how to get a tractor out of the mud, and we teach them about Krsna.
Rabbits, deer, and squirrels are a few of the many kinds of creatures who share the land with us, but the main animals are the cows. We have nineteen of them (eight of which are milk cows), six calves, a collection of heifers, and four oxen. During the day, they can all be seen grazing on the hills. For several weeks this summer we fenced off one rather wild pasture area, only to find that the cows were too spoiled to eat such rough grasses. They are accustomed to highly cultivated fields. In the spring they loved to get into the budding crop of winter wheat and nibble on the tasty grains. Now, however, they are settling down in a rich pasture of oats.
The cows are giving over three hundred pounds of milk a day, keeping the devotees well nourished. We especially delight in offering Lord Krsna fancy preparations made with yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), cream and curd. All the devotees here at New Gokula are realizing the vital importance of the cow to human life.
New Gokula is especially suited for growing alfalfa. This crop is quite wonderful: not only is it very high protein and the best of all feeds (the cows love it), but it also enriches the soil with nitrogen. It has long roots that absorb minerals and water, and after it's planted, it grows for more than ten years without reseeding.
Weatherwise, it's been a strange year: very cool and dry in the spring, and then cool and wet in summer. Because of this the vegetables did poorly this year, but the grains are doing great. We expect to harvest them soon and fill our granaries to the brim with almost 150 tons of Krsna's mercy.
All in all, though we've had some difficulties, we here in New Gokula are very happy and content. We're confident that if we just follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions and worship Krsna wholeheartedly, He will provide us with everything we need—both materially and spiritually.
—Bahudaka dasa
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
