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EDITORIAL  Comment on this story Money The Root Of All Evil? BY SUBALA SAKHA DASA EDITORIAL, Nov 10 (VNN) — I attended ISCKON's Belfast temple most Sundays for 3 years and at the end of 1992, I became aware of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja through ISKCON and their literature. I later contacted with some of his disciples in England. (There were about half a dozen in 1992.) Once I began expressing my interest in Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja, the temple authorities began a low-level form of propaganda against him. They told me that I couldn't possibly have a relationship Narayana Maharaja as he was so advanced. They continued saying there were many qualified gurus in ISKCON and I should choose one of them instead. I explained I had asked the deities Sri Sri Radha Madhava to show me where to find my guru and they had answered my prayers. I showed them Srila Narayana Maharaja's name in the books I had been reading. Temple leaders told me that I read too much! I explained that I accept the deities' instruction. Srila Narayana Maharaja would be my guru. The temple authorities began being extra pleasant to me. I was invited to serve in Sri Sri Radha Madhava in ways I had never served before. I was given extra helpings of prasada and all the devotees began to express interest in me. I thought that the devotees were being more intimate with me. I now realize that it was dishonest love bombing. I never considered myself a member of ISKCON although some people in ISKCON thought differently. I began to speak more and more about Srila Narayana Maharaja, out of enthusiasm, much to the annoyance of the temple authorities. I was then ordered not to speak to uniniatied devotees or guests. They explained that I could talk only to diksa devotees. I was friendly with most of the guests, but I didn't preach to them because I'm not the preaching type. I was watched everywhere I went and when I was found talking to other guests I was called away from them and asked to do some service elsewhere in the temple. The Irish Ratha-yatra was held in Dublin July 1993 and most of the devotees in Ireland attended. HH Sivarama Maharaja was also there and I was invited to speak to him. I had attended one or two of his classes, but had never spoken to him before, so I was curious about the invitation. He sat on a PVC chair and I sat on the floor. He smiled and asked if it were true that I was considering taking shelter of Srila Narayana Maharaja. I told him it was. He questioned me about my reasons and I explained that the deities had shown me my gurudeva. Like the temple leaders, he dismissed my explanation. He explained that ISKCON had many qualified gurus and that I should accept one of them. I politely told him I couldn't do that. I will only accept Srila Narayana Maharaja. HH Sivarama Maharaja then suggested that I take diksa from an ISKCON guru who would allow me to visit Srila Narayana Maharaja for instructions. I explained that I couldn't and wouldn't do that either. He began to lose his composure. He then suggested that I take initiation from one of the Indian ISKCON gurus. I explained that it wasn't because Srila Narayana Maharaja was Indian that I had chosen him as my gurudeva. HH Sivarama Maharaja then began to tell me lies. He told me that I wouldn't be able to maintain a relationship with Srila Narayana Maharaja because of the distances involved. He said that Srila Narayana Maharaja didn't accept western disciples. Fact: Srila Narayana Maharaja had disciples in England and America; they are able to maintain relationships regardless of the distance between England and India. He told me that Srila Narayana Maharaja didn't speak English. Fact: He does and HH Sivarama Maharaja, himself, went to visit Srila Narayana Maharaja for classes in English. I realized that I was dealing with a dishonest man and politely told that him Srila Narayan Maharaja would be my gurudeva, as no one else would do. He began to get agitated and ask if I was right that ISKCON invest time and money on people who go and join other organisations. I explained to him that I was following Srila Prabhupada instructions, I was willing to keep visiting the temple and serving Sri Sri Radha Madhava as before and only difference would be I would have a guru. I added, if the issue was about money I was willing to help the temple as best I could and if that wouldn't do then he should work out how much money ISKCON had invested in me and I would pay it all back. He got very angry and told me that I would never see Sri Sri Radha Madhava again. He got out of his seat and leaving me sitting on the floor refusing to capitulate to tears. I vowed not to return to the Belfast temple. This experience only doubled my determination to take shelter of Srila Narayana Maharaja's lotus feet. I went to Mathura, four months later, for Kartik. I met my gurudeva and one of the first things we spoke about was a letter that he had received from HH Sivarama Maharaja. HH Sivarama Maharaja had asked Gurudeva to send me back to ISKCON. I was too frightened, of being sent back to ISKCON, to be furious, but Srila Narayana Maharaja didn't send me back. He gave me harinama. I was disgusted at HH Sivarama Maharaja's notion that I belonged to ISKCON. I'm a person not an object. Upon my return to Ireland, I was banned from ISKCON and former devotee friends assassinated my character. It is cowardly and unjust to ruin someone's character after you ban him, because people don't get to hear both sides. A former devotee friend later threatened me. He had hatred in his eyes as he spoke to me. It was then that I realised that I was not dealing with rational people. Now when I seen ISKCON devotees distributing books on the street, I cross over to the other side so I don't have to interact with them. I have watched the politics develop over the years to a stage where many people including children are being abused and threatened. This causes me great sadness as I live in a country ravish by sectarianism. I have thought long and hard about HH Sivarama Maharaja's last question about money many times. I have several questions: 1. Is ISKCON's animosity to Srila Narayana Maharaja, and those connected with him, really about financial concerns rather than philosophical concerns? 2. Do the recent developments at Bhaktivedanta Manor show that ISKCON is frightened of losing the Padhava Sena and it's influence in the wider Hindu community and the Hindu community's huge financial contributions? 3. How much money does the Hindu community donate to the Manor? 4. Are ISKCON leaders using apparent siddhantic differences as a smoke screen to mislead and control innocent members as they failed to do with me? 5. Are people who attend ISKCON centres allowed the right to choose their own gurus free from institutional prejudice, censorship, and bullying? 6. How much does it cost for ISKCON to train people? I am confident if we ever get the answers to these questions; we will be able to see the cause of ISKCON's true anxiety about people using their free will to go to Srila Narayana Maharaja. Related VNN Stories Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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