A Straight Answer, Please
BY: BHAKTA MATTY
Dec 03, 2011 — UK (SUN) — In response to Mahavidya das prabhu's latest article, Financial Transparency, I originally asked him the following question (see the previous article, "Stones and Glass Houses)", which he skirted around:
"Would you please care to disclose to all the sampradaya Sun readers and myself, just how much of a salary you received while you were employed as a handyman at Bhaktivedanta Manor and how long you received this salary? As I can only assume you are also familiar with the directions of the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON as regards to salaries."
Mahavidya das did not give a straight answer as to the exact amount about of salary that he was receiving at the time, whilst also saying that... "At this time, my wife also held a full time responsible position as an ashram teacher."
By the use of his own wording, "also" regarding his then wife's "full time responsible position" , we can only assume that he also held a full time responsible position. So I ask again. Would Mahavidya das please care to disclose to all the Sampradaya Sun readers, in pounds, shillings and pence, just how much of a salary he and his then wife received while being employed by Bhaktivedanta Manor? Can he also please clarify about his other point...
"Factually… I even complained to the then Temple President, Akhundadhi das, that money being spent on my rent was a waste of Srila Prabhupada's money.
Why not invest it in ISKCON property with a mortgage arrangement?
This did not sit well with Akhundadhi das, who was buying his own house with an ISKCON salary."
So he is telling us that Akhundadhi das was buying his own house with an ISKCON salary. So why did he not also complain to Akhundadhi das at the time, there and then about any devotee receiving an ISKCON salary, and the "parameters" laid down by Srila Prabhupada? I myself, (not being the newcomer) seem to recall that in 1989, Akhundadhi das was also a Grhastha, as was Mahavidya das.
Mahavidya das then points out...
"Finally…
after a series of back injuries on site at Bhaktivedanta Manor, I was obliged to take up a managerial role.
Then the other devotees in my dept were taken away to go on book distribution.
The arrangement was to be…
in return I would be managing paid workers."
Again it seems that Mahavidya was happy enough, whilst he was still an active part of the Bhaktivedanta community to be in a managerial role, and happy to be managing paid workers. So, being in a managerial role to paid workers, then we can obviously come to the only logical conclusion, that these paid workers were indeed themselves in receipt of a salary???
...If possible, a straight yes or no would suffice please at this point, Mahavidya das prabhuji.
So again, in his own words, as Mahavidya das is so keen and eager to point out to us all....
"First, let us refresh all our memories as to what the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada said… ( As if he thinks that he is the only sole reliable and authoritative representative of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada )......
"Any householder who is working full-time ( with his wife ) as a sankirtana book distributor, or temple managerial duties, artist, cook, etc. shall be provided food, shelter, and other bare minimum necessities by the temple itself. They should not cook their own meals separate from the temple meals. If they have children, then some minimal allowance may be given according to the number of children. If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside--the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities. And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody. Our philosophy is "simple living and high thinking"--not sense gratification. The temple presidents and leaders (elder students ) must show this by example. Temple or asrama means for renunciation and renounced persons. If one is engaged in self-realization process, then his material necessities become almost nil. Persons who do not like this can work outside."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter from Siksamrta)
Err...what is that sentence again, Mahavidya das, that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is pointing out? ...And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody.
So would Mahavidya das please care to enlighten us... Did the salary arrangements of all the devotees employed and mentioned above, at the aforementioned time around 1989 at Bhaktivedanta Manor, fall within the parameters as established by His Divine Grace? And if they did not, then why has it taken him all this time to raise the issue, only since his banning by the Manor?
And so, on a more sobering and brighter note, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has stated...
"All things considered, Kali-yuga is a very difficult time for spiritual life and there are many faults. If despite all the faults we chant the holy names of the Lord (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare) then everything will be perfect…"
hare nama hara nama hare namiava kevalam
kalau nasty eva nastya eva nastya eva gatir anyatha
"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."
It may take me sometime to reply to Mahavidyas article,, Financial Transparency, as at the moment I am very busy with a whole herd of Lord Krsna's cows to milk.
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krsna and gomata,
Bhakta Matty (not the newcomer)
