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EDITORIAL March 11, 2000 VNN5661 Related VNN Stories Yours In The Service Of Iskcon's Abused And Mistreated Devotees BY MAHAVEGAVATI DASI EDITORIAL, Mar 11 (VNN) — Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my fallen obeisances. All glories to those devotees who in their magnanimity and compassion speak out loudly deriding ISKCON's abusers, who cry big tears with appealing words and say that they want to help the abused and mistreated devotees, (generally the women and children of ISKCON).
I am sure that many of these devotees who are speaking up, are very genuinely empathetic towards those devotees who have been abused, and I am sure that they want to see proper address and rectification. I am sure that many of these devotees speaking out, are possessed of good conscience and that they do truly feel deeply disturbed with all of the abuse that has gone on and are sincere with their sentiments being expressed and their desires for correction. But then there are others whose motives I have to question: Madhusudani Radha signed her post "Reply to Mahananda Prabhu" on March 4th, "Yours in the service of ISKCON's abused and mistreated devotees, Madhusudani Radha devi dasi," and she is one of the biggest mouthed speaking people in this area of addressing and rectifying the abuses, but I have to question her sincerity with regard to her position. Is she REALLY genuine in this regard, her appearing to care about those devotees who have been abused? I for one, (and I know that there are other devotees also), question what are her underlying motives for her speaking out. Is it because she really cares about the abused women and children, or is she speaking out simply for the sake of her own name and fame? (After all, so many politicians give so many nice speeches and appear to speak out strongly about so many philanthropic and various other topics that appeal to the sentiments of the people. And for many of these politicians their only reason for speaking such talks is simply to make people think that they are loving and caring human beings, but they simply want to promote their own name and fame and get themselves a postion and friends.) (Maybe while we're on the question, I should put this question to Malati, Sudharma, Pranada and Radha dasis as well since I know of instances where they have not given a damn to give assistance to women who asked their assistance.) These women are some of the most hard-hearted "ladies" I have met in the movement. Just to give one example: While in Mother Malati's ashram, the whole ashram went to attend the 1998 Women's Conference. One Guyanese mataji who resided in Alachua got up to speak to the ladies, and while speaking, she cried out her story. She explained that her husband had left her, and revealed, "While I was going through such difficult times, none of you would come to see me, to speak to me, to help me..." BOTH Sudharma and Pranada Matajis LIVE in Alachua, yet NEITHER of them could go to give some personal comforting to this mataji who lived RIGHT NEAR to them. So if these ladies would or could NOT do this, HOW can they possibly "save the world" of ISKCON Matas and children? I myself experienced the "cold shoulder" of Malati, Sudharma, Pranada, and Radha Dasis; Malati was not only cold, but downright out and out ABUSIVE. Due to the issue with Bhaktitirtha Swami, Malati would on various occaions call me into her office and she would stick her index finger in my face and scream at me, NEVER bothering to make ANY proper effort to find out what was the truth of the situation. When there was a meeting between Bhaktitirtha Swami and me, which Malati conducted, although Sesa sent a written criteria of how the meeting was to be conducted, Malati would simply chastize me whenever I would bring up a point. This behavior on her part, (which was clearly due to her own prejudice), went against the paper Sesa gave which set the criteria for how the meeting was to be conducted. These other ladies mentioned were just cold. Madhusudani Radha who had NEVER met, (and still has not met me), nor had seen any psychological reports on me, sent numerious LIES to devotees in emails about me telling them that I "had numerous health problems" and was "probably one mentally ill individual." When I approached Sudharma about the abuses I sustained under Bhaktitirtha Swami, (and continued to sustain due to the nature of the situation), she just told me that it did NOT fit into HER agenda to do anything about it giving the reason that Bhaktitirtha Swami "was one of her biggest supporters". Even when I asked her if I could say something to him since he was going to lecture at the Women's Conference, Sudharma Mataji told me not to say anything. And THESE are the BIG women who are "supposed to be" advocating on behalf of the other female devotees. They have started the Women's Ministry to address such issues, but when some mataji comes to them, who has been truly abused, these ladies in charge of the Women's Ministry, (at best), either turn a deaf ear and give a cold shoulder and say that they can not and will not address the issue, or WORSE, (like Malati), ADD to the abuse even to the point of UNfair chastisement and adding extra lies to the person's name and character thus making the victim suffer further, because it FITS into these ladies own material ambitions. We already have the GBC, (Greedy Boys Club, Great Big Cheaters as well as some other choice names), and now we have the BGC, (Big Girls Club, and other names as well), to compete. As far as I am concerned, these ladies are almost as bad as their male collegues. I feel that they would be just as bad, if not worse, if they had the position and power. Sometime back, Madhusudani Radha, without EVER having met me or having seen any psychological reports on me, was sending emails to many devotees trying to indicate to them that I was "mentally imbalanced" and "had 'numerous health problems'". (The funny thing is that I showed reports to Malati, Radha Dasi, Bhaktitirtha Swami, Lila Suka and Jaya Sri, (who used to be TP from New Vrndavan), during one meeting in July 1998, which substantiated that although I had sustained injuries to the head resulting in brain damage, I was completely sane.) These lies about my so-called "insanity" have come from Bhaktitirtha Swami and Malati. Madhusudani even went so far as to send out emails to devotees telling them that I was offensive to my Deities in that I did not worship Them. (My Deities are S'alagrams and other S'ilas). HOW would she know? The girl has never met me, nor would she know or not know what I do and don't do with my Deities. (Hey, for the big scientist and psychologist Maria Ekstrand aka Madhusudani Radha promotes herself to be, (even to the point that she, with her Dr. Frog so-called knowledge of things will question the Srimad Bhagavatam, and will blaspheme such a Jagat Guru as Srila Prabhupada from whose disciple she has taken diksa, she is pretty stupid if you ask me.) And to fill you in Madhusudani, I DO worship my Deities and have done so since the 1970s DESPITE your MISinformation. Here is a sample of a few of the words Madhusudani sent out in some of these emails she has sent to devotees about me without having ever met me. "There is also some evidence that Mahavegavati has brain damage from being assaulted when she lived in Africa, has numerous mental health problems..." "Let's hear from other, verifiable individuals before hanging Malati based on the testimony of one probably mentally ill individual." (Where Mad R got her idea of "hanging" from, (since she used that word in her emails), I do not know, other than her own projected mentality, as whatever I had posted, I had posted with NO word of "hanging," nor any intention of that kind of thought. Devotees don't go "hanging" or trying to "hang" anyone, even if and when they speak harsh words. Their harsh words are with the hopes of correcting something that needs correcting, and the motive behind their harsh words is compassion. Now to return to the present post and the reason for it: Madhusudana Radha posted Kavicandra so-called Swami's false post to Chakra about me. Of course I do not blame her for posting something false. She would not know whether his words were true or not. But I sent in my post to Chakra, which was a CC of the personal letter I wrote to Kavicandra "Swami" and a letter to Chakra readers. I also sent a copy of this letter to VNN which VNN DID post. Madhusudani chose NOT to post my reply to Kavicandra so-called Maharaja's false statements although I sent it in to Chakra several times and she could see that I had sent the letter personally to Kavicandra's email address for him to read personally. Whenever a newspaper posts something which is slanderous and the victim writes in a reply, the newspaper always posts it up and gives an apology. VNN, although not making apologies, due to not knowing who is right or wrong, who is lying and who is telling the truth, ALWAYS, (as far as I have seen), posts up the reply, (or replies), from the person(s) who send in an answer to a post that was written about them. (Just to give some recent examples: Bhaktitirtha Swami's reply to my post about him, Madhusudani's reply to Mahananda prabhu's letter posted on VNN, and there was a series of letters posted in conversation between Ravindra and Praghosa prabhu. VNN even posted Malati's letter where she addressed the issue with her own opinion. Even though the GBC and various ITS GON devotees criticize VNN, at least we can say that the devotees who organize VNN DO GIVE such fair opportunity to all sides in such cases. This is NOT so of Madhusudani. I have also sent in CCs to Chakra of other replies I made to letters posted to Chakra about me which were false, (where I sent a personal reply to the devotee who wrote their article about me), and sent the CC of my letter to Chakra. Madhusudani NEVER posted any of my letters to these devotees in answer to the false statements made about me by these devotees. I attribute this either to her irresponsibility as editor of Chakra and/or her viciousness as the person that I have found her to be. (I attribute it mainly to her viciousness and personal ambitions.) I also call out Vipramukhya Swami in this regard, since he is also a Chakra editor, although I will not go as far as to call him vicious, since I have not personally experienced viciousness from him. I only met him one time in 1997 where he was made aware of what happened to me when I served under Bhaktitirtha Swami and the ongoing repercussions. I do call him irresponsible and materially motivated in terms of his lack in not seeing to it that my replies to these false statements made by others got posted. Getting back to Madhusudani Radha: You my dear are an opportunist and a politician. You call for justice and rectification of the abuses in ITS GON, yet you yourself are guilty of being directly or indirectly abusive by 1) NOT addressing the truth or 2) not even making any attempt to TRY to address it, and 3) adding on abuses yourself. Without addressing things properly, you rather "hang" - to use your OWN words - the victim(s) by adding your own insults to the injuries. You who are of dishonest character, I directly call you a fool in that you will blaspheme Srila Prabhupada and make irresponsible statements with relation to the Srimad Bhagavatam who all of the great Vaisnava Acaryas both past and present, (and in the future), glorify. Amala, (spotless), Purana, yet you DARE to find fault with the Srimad Bhagavatam AND Krsna's pure devotee. When the sages at Naimasaranya asked Suta Goswami, "Since Sri Krsna, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious principles have now gone for shelter," Suta Goswami answered, "This Bhagavat Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana." And it is explained in SB 1.1.2, that the SB kicks out all forms of kaitava, cheating; cheating religion. But due to your own desire for sense gratification both subtle and gross, you will dare to criticize Srila Prabhupada and the Bhagavatam itself. IF you really have proper questions, instead of your puffed up attitude in challenging, why don't you simply say, "I don't quite understand this statement in SB. Can you explain it to me...?" But no, you are prepared to accept the foolish scientists who rely on their material observations, (and have in the past proved themselves wrong on many occasions), and you will in your arrogance go so far as to risk committing offenses to Krsna's pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada, and to ALL of the previous Vaisnava Acaryas and to Krsna Himself by your criticism and your disrespect of the Srimad Bhagavatam and of the pure devotee. Don't you realize that you are offending Krsna HIMSELF by your DISrespect for the Bhagavatam, for Krsna's pure devotee Srila Prabhupada, and the previous Vaisnava Acaryas who have always accepted the Srimad Bhagavatam? I suppose if you have that much disrespect for Srila Prabhupada and Krsna, then HOW can I expect you to be honest in your character? (Honest meaning in all aspects of honesty). The initiation pastime between Srila Gaura Kishor das Babaji Maharaj and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur shows us that sincere devotional service rendered to Krsna extends to so much more greater realms than does one's material scholarship and ideas of worldly ethics. (Even I myself would question you with regard to your ethics as you speak one thing but show a very different side.) If you think you are going to go back to Godhead on your material scholarship, you are sadly mistaken. Even such a great personality with such extensive and erudite scholarship as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur surrendered himself to the lotus feet of a seemingly, (from the externals), "illiterate" devotee, Srila Gaura Kishor das Babaji Maharaj. This pastime was specifically enacted to show us that the REAL ingredient in Krsna consiousness that Krsna looks at is pure love and pure devotion that is possessed by the devotee: Premanjana cchurita bhakti vilocanena... Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur has explained that the worst enemy is the person who is a flatterer, and a true friend is one who will point out one's faults WITH THE INTENTION of helping them to address those faults and correct them. Despite my seemingly harsh words, I actually do feel a genuine concern for your spiritual pursuits. If someone else really cared for you, they would also try to direct your attention to certain matters, but instead, people like BT Swami and Beer Krsna are USING you for their own material objectives, and thus, they flatter you. Seeing the pain of so many other sincere devotees, I truly feel it is my duty to speak up and "fight" for my spiritual master's movement, and expose the truth. Otherwise those devotees who have not had too much experience will take the watered down version of Krsna consciousness that is being handed out by the GBC, and one can never go back to Godhead in this lifetime with something like that. I have seen its effects and I am personally very pained by it because I KNOW what Srila Prabhupada was trying to give to the world, and what CAN be given if the GBC would start acting as PROPER representatives of our Guru Maharaj. Maybe you don't like these words, but then, Jesus Christ cautioned his disciples not to cast pearls before swine as they will not appreciate good healthy sweetmeats. I personally do NOT like to fight or argue, but for the sake of Guru and Krsna sometimes one may have to change one's external countenance according to time, place and circumstance. Arjuna had NO desire to fight, but he realized that it was Krsna's desire that he do so, and that it was his duty as well, thus, he had to rise to the occasion. Similarly, at this point, due to what I feel is the necessity, I am also going outside of my nature to serve Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. Narada Muni himself gave the instruction that sometimes one has to show one's hoods, so this is what I am doing. Any devotee who has some understanding of the Krsna conscious philosophy, even if neophyte, who hears Srila Prabhupada being blasphemed, hears the Krsna conscious philosophy being twisted for materialistic purposes, sees devotees being abused by the leaders, or sees the leaders remaining silent while the abuse and the blasphemy is going on, that devotee will become like fire. It is their duty to do so. Non-reaction is either due to one's being on a highly elevated platform of Krsna conscious detachment, or due to one's being fearful to address such matters, or due to one's being totally deluded. I myself have become so sickened by the lying of leaders, the hypocrisy, duplicity, abuse and exploitation of sincere devotees, that I have begun to speak out as I do. I am sure that I make many mistakes in my way of speaking as I am so imperfect, but my intentions are proper, and I trust that Srila Prabhupada and Krsna who know my heart, will guide me properly in this regard, and will help me to rectify any mistakes that I may be making in my endeavors. (As Krsna Himself says in BG, every endeavor is covered by some fault.) Often our efforts may be misunderstood. This was so, even in the case of Srila Prabhupada, as so many of his Godbrothers could not understand his efforts. Nonetheless, one must do the necessary. As Krsna says in BG 2.48, one must do one's duty but not be attached to the results. So if I have offended you in speaking the truth, I am sorry for that, but I am not sorry for speaking it. May we all attain that Absolute Truth by the mercy of bonafide Guru and Krsna, and our surrender unto Their lotus feet. I remain your servant, Mahavegavati Dasi Hare Krsna About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorRelated VNN Stories Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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