Troubles in the B.V. Narayana Swami Sanga
BY: SUN STAFF
Jan 23, 2013 — CANADA (SUN) —
A few months ago, we re-posted a Facebook letter from Suddhadvaiti Swami, explaining to the Narayana Maharaja sanga about the falldown of one of their most senior and prominent sannyasis, B.V. Tirtha Maharaja. The swami was accused of, and admitted to having engaged in gross deviant behaviour with two young girls.
The following recent Facebook postings indicate that the problem lingers on in the B.V. Narayana sanga, as the reprimanded swami is apparently insisting that he now be returned to good standing.
We publish this material not because we wish to cause further discomfort to the devotees in that camp, many of whom have already suffered greatly. (Although one wonders why the members choose to publish this sort of conversation in as public a venue as Facebook.)
Our point in calling it to the reader's attention is that over the years, one of the common complaints leveled at B.V. Narayana Maharaja by the disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada is that on many occasions, B.V. Narayana made very critical -- sometimes blasphemously critical -- remarks against Srila Prabhupada, his ISKCON society, and his disciples and followers. These criticisms often had to do with the fact that ISKCON gurus and sannyasis were falling down, the institution was not capable of spiritually remediating them, etc., etc.
Now, with the benefit of time, we see that the big men in B.V. Narayana's sanga are no different: although wearing saffron for many years, they sometimes become corrupted, fall down into gross sexual behaviour, and will not take the humble position of a fallen devotee who is remediating, with straw in teeth. Unfortunately, you will find that the comments below by Suddhadvaiti Swami have a very familiar ring.
Suddhadvaiti Swami offers surprisingly mundane advice to the fallen B.V. Tirtha Maharaja: "He needs serious psychological help to mature in this regard." Not that he needs to chant the Holy Name, or do service washing pots, or read sastra… but that he needs assistance from a mundane field of science... psychology. This is the 'spiritual advice' coming from a leader of B.V. Narayana's sanga.
Suddhadvaiti Swami
Following are several of the recently posted comments on the Facebook page of Sri Suddhadvaita Maharaja, a French devotee who was initiated as Jayantakrit das by Srila Prabhupada.
Suddhadvaiti Swami:
"I will not attend the Gour Purnima festival this year. The recommendation of the sannyasi board was met by TM [Tirtha Maharaja] with scorn. He answered to it by an obnoxious letter, where he is trying to "turn the tables around" against us. If a "big big sannyasi-preacher-acarya" can get away with year after year groping at women' breasts, buttocks or/and genitals and still remain a sannyasi, a guru, and lead the parikramas, I don't want no part in this mascarade. Since we don't have any executive power to enforce anything, I have resigned from the sannyasi board. Sorry."
Suddhadvaiti Swami:
"Dear devotees, the topic of TM, my not attending the Navadvipa parikrama and my resignation from the sannyasi council has been on for a few days now. There have been many wonderful comments contributed. However, I don't wish to keep this thread open as I saw with regret offenses being written. My purpose was only to inform. I also respect the opinion of those concerned with airing such volatile issues in public. Thank you for your contribution and support, as well as for your understanding. Ys."
Suddhadvaiti Swami:
"I am now in Australia and it's 6.30 pm. I will delete the thread tomorrow morning, Australian time. I have deleted a lot of older comments as well as those too passionate, radical or outright offensive in my opinion. Please bear with me."
Suddhadvaiti Swami:
"As far as Tm is concerned, well you are looking at a 52 year old man who has the emotional intelligence of a 10-12 year old. He doesn't seem to have the emotional ability to digest the event on an adult level. Like any child he seems to think, " OK, I made a mistake, I stand in the corner, and after an hour then I can go out and play." He seems incapable of realizing what he has done. He needs serious psychological help to mature in this regard. As a result, he is now acting like any young boy with a strong personality like he has would: "OK, so you are taking my things away? So I will bring all my friends and I will take them back." This is his solution and I think that it is seriously dangerous for any western devotee, especially women, to go to this parikrama.
I have seen Bengali mob in action. It maybe dangerous for westerners to attend this parikrama and be in the same place as thousands of Bengalis, many of whom are fanatical followers of TM. If the western devotees are there and they are turning their backs on TM on the stage and refusing to attend the parikrama that he is leading, it will only be a matter of time before the crowd starts asking TM what is going on. TM seems emotionally incapable of giving anything but and inflammatory answer. Add Vishnu Daivata Maharaja and a few wild Bengali brahmacharis in to the mix and you have a recipe for mass hysteria. They may come after all the western devotees and start getting physical.
YOU CANNOT REASON WITH AN ANGRY CHILD AT THE HEAD OF AN ANGRY MOB. TM is feeling his strength right now with the support of his thousands of followers who have known him for years, and who trust him against all other westerners combined. There is no reasoning with him now..."
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