© 1999 VNN
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USA January 26, 1999 VNN2916 Vedic Men Needed In ISKCON St. Augustine BY PRTHA DEVI DASI ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, Jan 26 (VNN) — If a Vedic man is best, why has there has been so much abuse and neglect? Why is it that the women who really do fit the simplistic mentality are the very women who get abused the most? Of course, with education they will not fit, but some women are uneducated or incorrectly educated about their position and therefore act on it. Some want their wife to be a Gandhari while they remain lesser. This is a form of looking for their fantasy woman. Non-devotee men do it one way, devotee men do it another, desiring a saint for a wife. (Although with their interest in polygamy it is most likely they include their karmi fantasies as well.) However, where have the protective Vedic men been? I will add, where are they now? It is not that this is a problem of the past. It is going on currently. Their misunderstanding of "Vedic" is really all for them. How many have actively reached out a helping hand to some woman or child in a suffering condition without wanting something in return? It is true that remaining silent when something wrong is going on does not put a man in an innocent position. Here is a letter I received from a young devotee I preach to online. He is a new bhakta who is trying to help his abused godsister and her son. He is not necessarily a Vedic man, but he is a Krishna Conscious man and is doing more to help an abused woman and her child than any Vedic man has yet to do for her since she joined this movement. He asked me to post his letter to VNN: "Dear Mother Prtha, Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please reply ASAP. Please help me, I only have very limited library computer access, and cannot make the report myself now, though I can get more details to you tomorrow. Regarding the St. Augustine temple, the center supports drug abuse, television (Primestar!), alcoholism, egg eating, sticker selling, and women abuse. When Susan was being beaten, her screams were ignored. Temple president Kutichuck promised Susan, a new devotee, residence apart from Derek her violent ex-husband Derek. Instead Kutichuck put her in the same room with him, with intent. Susan is now pregnant again. Derek beat her after she was pregnant and was arrested, 5-6 year sentence. He is out on bail now. Susan had to pay rent, and do service for this "temple." Kutichuk wanted her to go in on a business with him, but she knew that she would see no returns. Eggs were in the kitchen, Alcohol in the rooms, and Marijuana was abundant. Kutichuk, months before in Atlanta, had been preaching Marijuana as a means to spiritual realization on the streets of Atlanta. Someone he spoke to came to me later, confused. I understand that sometimes devotees have a difficult time with principles, but this is nonsense. They deliberately destroyed this girls life. Kutichuk lured Susan down there with promises of a business, a safe place to live, and with hopes of getting her in school. She is coming out of it with no money (Derek took it), a new pregnancy, a fresh beating, and most likely no place to stay. Susan is not the most fixed up devotee, but she has a good heart and is trusting. Too trusting. She should be protected by ISKCON. Once Kutichuck asked Susan to hug him, which she thought was strange. ("temple president" and young bhaktin?). He also asked her to get stoned with him. She said she avoided him for the rest of the day. After a while he told her of his personal interests toward her. She of course refused, but this man has a daughter only a couple of years younger than Susan! He is of fathers age, approaching young girl?! Derek is already in trouble. But it was Kutichuk who arranged and manipulated for Derek to be in this position, and lied all the while. Even after the fact, the pregnancy, and the beatings, someone at this center told Derek where Susan was hiding. Kutichuk had the nerve to suggest that he believed Derek's "theory" that Susan had beat HERSELF up, and arranged for the neighbors to call the police on Derek. The bruise that I saw on Susan's arm, 2 weeks after the fact, even I could not self inflict such a wound on my arm, what to speak of a little girl like Susan. And Susan working together with the neighbors? I am honestly shocked that Derek would even suggest such nonsense, and I'm even more shocked that Kutichuk would believe it. Kutichuk and Vedanta are not without guilt. They arranged and allowed for everything. So, that's the story. My problem with the St. Augustine center is not simply that they are breaking principles of meat eating, intoxication, and illicit sex, but that there is malicious intent and consciousness behind it. They manipulated Susan to get her into this position. And now, she is carrying a child and mental wounds whereas Kutichuk is living easy. Something should be done. This center should be closed or taken over by qualified devotees who aren't afraid to make the needed changes. Who can I report it to? Your Servant, Bhakta Michael dasa" (end letter) Certainly one can say the difficulty is the St. Augustine temple, these particular devotees, etc., and to a degree that is true. However, that should not be used as an excuses to avoid helping. Someone should step in and end it all. What Vedic man will help Susan without any strings attached? Probably none. Although a Krishna Conscious man is more likely to do something about it. After all, he would not be looking for anything to gain from it. Just to serve Srila Prabhupada and Krishna by helping a devotee and a devotee child. Your Servant, Prtha devi dasi Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/usa/US9901/US26-2916.html
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