11/08/97 - 1181

Pratyatosa Das Asked To Leave St. Louis Temple

USA (VNN) - Pratyatosa das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, says he was asked to leave the St. Louis ISKCON temple.

He writes: "Because of criticizing Rohini Suta das on COM for telling his disciple to get an abortion. Srila Prabhupada says that people who do these things are not even human beings".

"As a brahmacari, back in 1971, in New York. I was able to live in the temple, get a job, donate 50% to the temple, give $1100, as guru dakshin directly to Srila Prabhupada when I got initiated (Rupadanuga Prabhu, the GBC, said to me, "Boy, is Prabhupada happy!!!"), and start "Hare Krishna Studios", which I later called the "Bhaktivedanta Tape Ministry". It's ironic that as "Bhakta Howard", I was able to do this, but now, as a so-called "senior vaisnava", leading kirtans, and giving Bhagavatam class, liked and respected by all of the senior devotees in the temple, I'm not going to be allowed to."

"If Romapada Maharaj, who's going to be here on Nov. 11th and 12th, kicks me out onto the sidewalk, penniless, then I'm going to go to the media, and tell them that "This is how the Hare Krishna Movement treats old men with 27 1/2 years of dedicated service who've been the victims of crimes by the leaders."

"After months of not answering any of my messages, I complained to the GBC chairman, Bir Krishna Maharaj, that Prabhupada says "A gentleman always answers his mail". So, on Bir Krishna Maharaj's prodding, he (Romapada Swami) has sent me a couple of messages recently."

Some of Pratytosa's complaints are that his 8-11 year old son was raped in the Vrindaban gurukula. He claims that ISKCON authorities knew about and did nothing about it. Further he states that there was never an apology from ISKCON nor any money for counseling, no tuition refund, no compensatory damage award.

"What it boils down to is another case of attacking the victim, and letting the criminals go scott free, which is par for the course for ISKCON leaders.", he says.

He also complains that his email messages have been blocked on COM.

In one email Romapada Swami suggests: "I believe that you need to be in a situation where not only your authority for service is well defined, but your IMMEDIATE TEMPLE AUTHORITY (who may not be your service authority) is someone so clearly senior to you that you accept their word as final." and "Alachua or SOMEplace where there are peers and seniors of Bhima's stature seems to be the most likely scene that you require...for your being productive, peaceful, positive."