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EDITORIAL April 21, 2000 VNN5877 Comment on this story Whatever Happened To The Loving Exchanges BY MAHAVEGAVATI DASI EDITORIAL, Apr 21 (VNN) — Dear assembled Vaisnavas, Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. PAMFO Srila Prabhupada said that it is very difficult to find the association of a sadhu, and thus, "We have therefore started the Krishna consciousness movement to create an association of sadhus so that people may take advantage and become liberated. There is no other purpose for this society." (Teachings of Lord Kapila) Srila Prabhupada was speaking about ISKCON. He was trying to create "an association of sadhus so that people may take advantage and become liberated. There is no other purpose for this society."
Amazingly enough, despite the purpose Srila Prabhupada expressed concerning his objectives in creating ISKCON, in so many ways the present ISKCON society, is just not accomplishing its objective. Rather than fostering and encouraging such sadhus, and association of sadhus, current-day ISKCON seems to be getting rid of the real sadhus, instilling improper mentalities in so many of its devotees, (more materialistic in nature), and the GBC is just doing things in such a way as to cultivate something very different from that which Srila Prabhupada wanted. (Even worse, in many cases of devotees who did not possess the spiritual strength to go beyond the situation, their Krsna consciousness has even been forced to be put on hold.) Recently one of Srila Prabhupada's female disciples, (in her mid 50s), has come to stay with me until we can find her a place to live. She was living in New Vrndavan for sixteen years, after having lived in other ISKCON centers with her husband since the early 1970s. Although the details vary from story to story about the displacement of devotees, her story with its own particular details is in many ways quite similar to the stories of other devotees who have also become "displaced" from ISKCON. I would like to submit the story concerning the displacement of this particular Godsister, as I feel in many ways, (spiritually speaking), it is very criminal what has happened and I feel that devotees should be made aware of this situation as well. I suppose, (as we do with so many other stories), it can be "added on to the list" and chalked up to "just another one of those sad stories" concerning ISKCON "oldies" or "veterans" ("exploitees" "abusees"). (I am changing the name of the mataji involved to protect her identity. Sakhi dasi, a Prabhupada disciple since 1972, came to the movement with her husband, but was left widowed when he later took sannyas from Kirtanananda in 1986. (He has since gotten remarried to one woman, not a devotee, who has similar interests with him in art and music.) Sakhi continued to live in New Vrndavan for so many years after her husband took sannyas, at first in the temple itself, and then later in the apartments. Quite recently Sakhi was forced to leave New Vrndavan where she lived and rendered service for sixteen years due to her mental illness which is kept under control through medication. Diagnosed with mental illness in her twenties, Sakhi was put on medication which keeps the situation under control. When she is taking the proper medication, there is no problem. But if somehow the medication and/or dosage is not proper, then there can be some problem with her behavior. (Just to make it very clear, it is a very rare occurrence that her behavior would go off.) When I lived in New Vrndavan I would know when Sakhi's caretakers had changed her medication (when it was not the right prescription). As explained before, this was a very rare occurence, and could happen once over a period of years. If Sakhi's behavior was a little strange, I would just call her nurse, describe the behavior and symptoms that Sakhi was exhibiting, and the nurse would speak to Sakhi, make an appointment to see her, and would adjust the medication. The nurse ALWAYS followed up on my call and would make the appropriate adjustment. When the first episode of change of behavior happened, (while I was there my second stretch in New Vrndavan in the late 90s), I noticed it immediately. In concern I spoke to the New Vrndavan TP, (at that time, Jaya Sri), told her I noticed a change in Sakhi's behavior, and asked if she knew the telephone number of the mental health center that our Godsister was going to. Jaya Sri at that time, said that she did not notice anything unusual in Sakhi's behavior, and gave me no information, but within a few day's time Sakhi's behavior got worse. Jayasri then approached Sakhi and threatened her that she had better straighten up or she would have to go to the mental hospital. Not being able to obtain the information from Jaya Sri, I then asked Sakhi if she would give me the telephone number of the mental health center which she attended. Sakhi, although she had a lot of trust in me, (from our years going back in New Vrndavan), refused to give it to me expressing her fear that Jaya Sri had threatened to put her in the mental hospital and that if she gave me the information, she "knew" I was going to call her nurse to have her committed. Not being able to convince Sakhi of my real intention - to call the nurse to explain that there was a need for them to readjust Sakhi's medication - I had to abandon the pursuit. After a few days, Jaya Sri went to Sakhi again and told her that they were going to put her into a mental institution, (which was completely OFF the wall - like cutting off an arm because there is a small boil on it which can be lanced - as as the only problem was one of Sakhi's medication needing adjusting). Sakhi was especially fearful of being told that she would be put into the mental hospital as some years back, while in New Vrndavan she had been commited and had been raped while in the hospital. Thus, completely freaked out about the situation, Sakhi came to me crying. When she came to me, I assured her that I would see to it that no one would commit her. Fully reassured of this, my explaining and her understanding the reason why I wanted to call her nurse, Sakhi gave me the name of her nurse, and I called and told her the problem. She spoke to Sakhi and arranged an appointment for her to come in. After that appointment everything was fine; the medication was readjusted, and Sakhi's behavior went back to normal. If there was ever any other kind of problem - Sakhi needing some paper to substantiate for SSI or whatever - I addressed it in the same way: I called her nurse. Before I left New Vrndavan, I made sure to speak to Jaya Sri to address this situation; that if Sakhi's behavior became strange, that all that was needed was a telephone call to the mental health center where Sakhi was being treated, that they speak to her nurse and describe what was going on, that most probably Sakhi's medication needed adjustment. Periodically I would telephone Sakhi to check on her and make sure that she was alright, since Sakhi mostly kept to herself, and (sadly) most devotees did not really make any effort to go to her to see her, give a little check on her, and make sure she was doing alright. Around a year after my leaving New Vrndavan, when I called, I found that Sakhi was no longer there. After trying her telephone number for many days and getting no answer - I would call at night, and I knew that Sakhi practically never left her apartment - in concern I telephoned two other devotees and found out that Sakhi had left and why. I finally located Sakhi and heard her explanation of what happened, (which was told to me earlier by the two other devotees, one who lived right next door to her, the second, the mataji who kept contact with Sakhi). Sakhi's behavior had gone off, and Jaya Sri - not even bothering to try to call Sakhi's nurse - had gone to Sakhi and told her that they were going to put her into the mental hospital. Sakhi, freaked out, had no one to turn to, and did not know what to do other than to "escape". (In her mind, it was an escape.) She called around to everyone that she could think of in New Vrndavan with a car, trying to get a ride to the Greyhound bus station in Wheeling so she could leave and not get put into the mental hospital. Finally making an arrangement with a few devotees - of course with payment - to get out, she was taken to the Greyhound bus in the middle of the night to get out of New Vrndavan so that she would not have to be put into the mental hospital. She then "escaped" to New York City, where she was told that she would not be allowed to stay in the temple. (I personally feel that Sakhi at this stage would not be able to live in a temple environment, but she can live in a community like New Vrndavan, where she can live by herself in her own apartment and can still be around devotees as she chooses.) Sakhi recently called me, explaining that she wanted to leave the place where she is presently living since it is going to be sold. She explained that she wanted to go back to live in New Vrndavan, that she was originally told by Jaya Sri that she could return, but that the authorities there have decided that they will not allow her to return. (Funny, they allow devotees to live there who they KNOW are not following the principles, and even some of the members of the board who voted against her being allowed to come back are also guilty of breaking the principles, and of other deviations, (and there are so many other things I could "spill the beans on" - but have chosen not to do so here), and yet these people in authority who are SUPPOSED to be engaging devotees and protecting their spiritual lives, have ousted this devotee on to the street in essence. (Because of the situation, I am now making an arrangement for Sakhi's living situation.) Seems appropriate that New Vrndavan went back to ITS GON as it's devotees there in position of authority seem to be very akin in their mentality as the other so-called "leaders" of ISKCON. They do NOT give a damn about devotees, and would prefer to get rid of those devotees who they feel are no longer "useful" to them for their material purposes. They have the same exact impersonal exploitive mentality as the rest of so many of the ISKCON "leaders". New Vrndavan most definitely fits in and belongs with the rest of ITS GON. Nirvesesa sunyavadi. (Incidentally, the authorities in New Vrndavan have also "disposed" of another older mataji, a Prabhupada disciple who for years was THE seamstress for all of the Deities in New Vrndavan, (backdrops included - and any devotee who has seen the New Vrndavan Deities' clothes and backdrops knows the amazing work this mataji did). At least this particular mataji has a son who she can go to live with. This mataji was in her 60s or 70s. (These are just a few examples of so many, which shows the level of devotee love we have within our ISKCON environment.) Amazingly enough - or maybe with ISKCON being as it is presently, it is NOT "amazing" - devotees would rather take the "easy avenue" out, and commit another devotee to be placed into a mental institution, a devotee who does NOT need to be placed into such a hellish situation, as opposed to their taking a little time out to properly deal with the situation at hand. Both efforts require a phone call. But it seems that these devotees in authority in New Vrndavan feel that to make a phone call to commit a devotee to a mental institution is a lot easier, and takes a lot less effort than the other phone call for addressing the need for a readjustment in her medication, so that this devotee can continue to live in the association of other devotees and can continue to practice Krsna consciousness. (And incidentally, this mataji is still chanting her rounds, etc. which is more than some of the other devotees in position were doing.) I think it says a lot about the sad stage that ISKCON has come to, when a devotee can receive MORE shelter from a single crippled woman, than s/he can from the authorities who are in charge of ISKCON itself, and who are supposed to be protecting devotees. (And Sakhi is NOT the first devotee who has come to me seeking counsel or direct assistance in some other way.) I feel it is very sad, and even out and out disgusting and despicable, that we have become so IMpersonal and so UNcaring that we don't give proper consideration about our devotees. (Srila Prabhupada most definitely would NOT be pleased with this at all.) Due to our laziness, (in not wanting to take the time to make any proper effort, no matter how little, to care about someone), and IRresponsibility, we would rather see a devotee put into a mental institution, as opposed to our taking the time to make a simple call to a mental health person, to properly address the issue at hand. This DISease comes right from the top, the ISKCON so-called "leaders" - or as I call them, liars. Liars because of their NOT representing Srila Prabhupada and his intentions and desires. Liars in their practice of deceit and duplicity. Liars in their abuse and MISrepresentation of the philosophy. Liars in that they are cheaters and thieves. And liars in that so many of them just out and out lie. Devotees in ISKCON are very disturbed with my calling present-day ISKCON, ITS GON. Well, why shouldn't I call it that? After all, it - the real ISKCON - is gone. Anyone with ANY semblance of intelligence can see it. How more obvious can it get? ISKCON is not a stamped institution, a society or instititution with a name. ISKCON has a spirit that goes along with it, and that is inherent in the real ISKCON. It is that spirit that makes it ISKCON, and that spirit - the real spirit that constitutes ISKCON - has been DESTROYED by the ISKCON liars, (so-called "leaders"). Seems that our ISKCON leaders have taken on the mentality of the pig leaders in George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and see the devotees as being like "Boxers" - the horse, who was sold to the glue factory after his body died out in service. When we have come to this point, that we can not, or rather WILL NOT accommodate and even take care of those devotees who have given years of their lives in service to Srila Prabupada and Krsna, then this ISKCON has incarnated, (or reincarnated), into something very different from that which Srila Prabhupada started and intended. If you ask me, it is all so crazy and very sickening. I practically vomit when I hear the word ISKCON now, because it tears my heart apart to see the MISrepresentation which has been brought to that loving society which Srila Prabhupada tried and wanted so much to give to us. Srila Prabhupada created the GBC to PROTECT his ISKCON, but instead, as a body, they have destroyed it, and have caused havoc to so many sincere devotees' lives. I pray that somehow we can get our spiritual intelligence back, (for I think there was something there at some point), for it is that spiritual intelligence from which comes caring, compassion, humility and the rest. It is very sorely needed. I remain your servant, Mahavegavati Dasi Hare Krsna About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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