01/06/98 - 1469

Denver Gurukuli Update

USA (VNN) - (Update to VNN story #1437, #1451)

Letter from Madan Gopal:

Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I have read the ongoing opinions of your readers regarding the Denver controversy. Since I am quite involved in the whole mess it is quite sad to see how so many people mean well and give advice for the situation here, but we have come to no solution. Yes folks, we have definitely tried to work with Uddhava and Gandhari and we have no personal prejudice against gurukulis. I am married to one, am friends with many and there are others living in the temple here. The evidence that we have tried to work this out stands here... as Puru prabhu said in his letter, the original agreement for them to stay was three months. Hare Krsna! It is a year and a half later since they moved here! If we were really prejudiced we would have called the lawyer nine months ago! I have called Manu and Muralivadaka (more than once) asking their advice on how to deal with this, how to understand their psychology and how to communicate with them in a civil manner. I have tried so hard to get people to understand our situation and our disappointment in not being able to work this out. But to no avail...I feel strongly the issue is not that Uddhava and Gandhari need to live near his mother. We even offered that they could live not in his mothers basement, but in the same house with her if he really wants to be close to her! They could live there FREE!!!!! no service no sadhana - nothing! But they wouldnt accept that either! Finally I have called our lawyer. Despite all of this, devotees who don't live here and have very limited knowledge of this whole situation pass judgement on myself and the other managers here. How unfortunate this is! I came to ISKCON and got involved in preaching work. After some years I started to help with management, out of necessity. I hate it, but it is Krsna's service and someone's gotta do it! Being on opposite sides of devotees is the most miserable experience. I'm just trying to do my best for Krsna's pleasure and now my name and the name of strictly (not fanatic) following devotees who have given so much of their lives to this movement is slandered all over the internet. I can only hope that devotees who use their intelligence and discrimination will not pass judgement on the devotees who are involved in the management here. You're just not getting a clear picture prabhus!

In the good old days we used to be able to send one mad elephant into the sacred garden of our devotional creeper. Now with this powerful communication system we can send hundreds of mad elephants to completely annihilate that tender creeper with no chance of it ever sprouting again. I find no use in defending myself or my "side" of the story here, even though I have definitely been misrepresented many times. This discussion will go on forever and all the accusations that have been made of myself and the Denver management will take just too much valuable time to clear up. I just hoped that devotees would be able to see the difficult situation we are in and have a little understanding. The letters by Krsna Avatara and Caitanya dasi are full of harsh criticisms and rediculous accusations without any presentation of facts. Krsna Avatara prabhu, you definitely got some amazing revelations from Rtadhvaja Maharaj that I didn't. The problem in the meeting with Rtadhvaja Maharaj was that the volume and tone of voice the whole time was so heated that the managers of the temple could never explain a point clearly. You didn't hear the points I made 20 times, because we could never talk in a normal tone of voice. I try to respect devotees based on seniority. I do not respect a gurukuli more than a new bhakta just because he/she was born in the movement and has had a Krsna name for 20 years. I try to respect those devotees who have grasped the philosophy and are trying hard to execute it no matter what backround they have or how long they have been in the movement.

A note to our second generation - See the need, do the deed! If you are upset with the way ISKCON is managed, there are plenty of people doing management who would rather not be. Please come up to a basic standard of devotional service and become the future hope for our movement. Don't just criticize everyone in ISKCON if you are doing nothing. If you hate ISKCON, go do something else with your lives! I'm sorry for those of you who have had horrible childhood experiences. I also did, that's why I joined! So please take up Krsna Consciousness seriously and I pray you will find relief from the miseries of material existence. For those of you Guruklis who are following strictly, thank you! I pray that I can serve Srila Prabhupada in your association some day. Think about taking part in the management of ISKCON. If you show a genuine interest in the process and a cooperative mentality towards the authorities, you could take over! Nothing is stopping you.

Not interested in any more feedback. If you would like to come do my service, I welcome you.
your servant,
Madan Gopal dasa

Another Letter:

Dear Bhaktas

I joined ISKCON in 1972,took diksha from Srila Prabupada about a year latter,and was a hard core samkirtan devotee for years.I left ISKCON the end of 1978 after my Gurus mission was taken over.I have always stayed in contact with certain close friends whom I developed inside the movement ( most of them left as well). I started coming to the sunday feasts about a year ago here in Denver to of course take prasad & enjoy a little kirtan rasa.What I seem to notice in this temple (probably most other ones as well) is that most of the core group now are not Prabupadas disciples.

And because they are now on the inside & following regulative principles (who knows) we all know how that goes! There is this lack of respect towards Prabupadas disciples who don`t live in the temple anymore.It`s like us & them or us & the karmis.But boy oh boy if your Indian are you in luck,there all over you doing anything & everything to make your time at the temple a nice one.Question...How many of these pious Indians are following the regulative principles or does it matter & certainly not many are Prabupads disciples but somehow they get so much attention. But the western disciples who joined at very young ages & gave there lives & blood to help build & support ISKCON and then for one reason or another had problems following strictly & left are looked upon as offensive & fallen.I mean come on its like Andy Warhols statement (everybody will be famous in the future for 15 min.) You move in follow for a short time & boom your advanced & all those other guys who used to belong are weak! I was tired of it in 1978 & I`m tired of it again, we all should be.

As far as kicking out the gurukulis: WHY HAS NOT ONE PERSON ADDRESSED THE FACT THAT DANAVIR JUST SIGNED A 3 YEAR CONTRACT WITH ISKCON DENVER FOR HIS BHAKTA PROGRAM!!! This is the reason these nice people are being kicked out ,to make new Andy Warhols!! Give me a break these Kids should be given more attention as the New Bhaktas.But I guess it`s easier to train new people who are ignorant of ISKCON policy than to help the kids who have been hurt & abused within Iskcon.

DHP

See also ISKCON Youth Ministry Home Page at:

http://www.com.org/iym/iym.html

See also web page put together by some Gurukulis:

http://ccrgroup.com/voice/