02/08/98 - 1587

Future ISKCON Guru Cooperates with Authorities

Alachua, USA (VNN) - (see also VNN story# 1560)

According to reports from Alachua (Florida) Murlivadaka das is said to be cooperating with temple and other authorities pending possible charges. Local TV and news media in northern Florida have interviewed devotees and are covering the story. ISKCON has stated that he is banned from all ISKCON property.

The recent admissions of child abuse by this headmaster of an ISKCON gurukula school raises new questions about ISKCON's current "guru approval system by vote" and its policy regarding some notorious offenders. If Murlivadaka is banned from ISKCON properties, how is it that Bhavananda is offered a room in the Sydney ISKCON temple? Is it because the children he molested were "just" some Indian village boys?

VNN has learned that Murlivadaka had filed his "guruship application" papers just recently after he had been recommended by a local GBC, Virabahu das and another GBC. He had also been approved by majority vote of 10 local board member. He would have been approved to initiate disciples in Mayapur this year.

The so-called "ISKCON law" regarding this states:

1.2. Qualifications of Gurus in ISKCON
1.2.1. Mandatory Qualifications
The following are the minimum qualifications necessary to be approved as a diksa or siksa guru in ISKCON.
1.2.1.1. Initiated for ten years
Must have been an initiated disciple for at least ten years.
1.2.1.2. Strict follower of vows
Must be strictly following the four regulative principles, regularly attending the morning program, and chanting sixteen rounds daily.
1.2.1.3. No history of fall-down
Must not have had a fall-down within five years.
1.2.1.4. No tendency toward moral turpitude
Must evince no tendency toward moral turpitude in his present or past activities.
1.2.1.5. Free from six undesirable qualities
Must be free from the following undesirable qualities:
a) attachment to kamini-kancana, "the devil" in the form of sex objects and wealth;
b) pratistha, false prestige and personal ambition;
c) nisiddhacara, behavior contrary to vaisnava principles;
d) kuti-nati, diplomatic or duplicitous behavior;
e) puja, the desire for personal worship;
f) labha, mundane profiteering.


Someone could make the case that if the above "minimum qualifications necessary to be approved as a diksa or siksa guru in ISKCON" were actually applied, the list of current gurus in ISKCON would shrink considerably.


Addendum/Update - 02/10/98

The article above states: "He had also been approved by majority vote of 10 local board member", which could be interpreted that the ISKCON board had voted on this issue. In fact, the Alachua Iskcon board did not vote on Murlivadaka's guru attempt. Rather Ramiya Prabhu, (not a board member) tried to collect 10 "No Objection" statements from various community members. At this point it is not entirly clear how many such "No Objection" votes had been collected. Sources had told VNN that sufficient "No Objection" statements had been collected. The Alachua temple president and other members of the community had sent letters objecting to Murlivadaka's guru attempt to the GBC long before the molestation allegations surfaced.