3. Letter from long term disciples (devotee couple from Europe) to Paramadvaiti Maharaja

Summer 2019

Haribol dear Paramadvaiti

All glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai!

Thanks for the audio message we go via Pancatattwa a few weeks ago. We also received the audio messages from you to your German speaking disciples, as well as many other original messages from you to individual disciples who were forwarded to us. We are very concerned about this. With these messages you show much of your inner life.

Looking back at the 25 years (in which we were part of the Vrindafamily) we would like to express our deep gratitude to all our God brothers and sisters.

Special thanks also to you, for all insights on the search for the eternal bliss, which were given to us thereby.

We remember with pleasure the many beautiful encounters at our Easter festivals, the Melas in Hungary and Berlin. These were exciting times that we experienced with our two girls as part of the Vrindafamily.

The Vrindafamily became bigger and bigger and took on more and more institutional forms. Unfortunately, the findings from your book Search for Purity have obviously moved more and more into the background. Over the years you have slowly and continuously moved away from your original statements.

Unfortunately, similar and the same mistakes as in the institutional ISKCON (with which we could never identify) happened and appeared.

We tried to carry on the essential content for our spiritual development and our relations with the Vrindafamily, confronted with increasing obstacles, contradictions and resulting compromises and constraints.

We have addressed these issues several times, but unfortunately it did not reach you, was rejected by you, or did not interest you.

We also came more and more into conflict between the loyalty to you as your students and the mind of the heart given to us by Krishna.

Here is our brief opinion on last year's events and revelations.

Your misdemeanours and especially your contradictory way of dealing with them deeply struck us and shocked us. With this you have broken and shaken our deep trust in you. We also see it as an abuse of the Guru Sannyas system by placing interests and power positions above the ideal. Since criticism is not desired or allowed in this system, it cannot be dealt with constructively.

Thereby valuable growth potential is lost for you, the community and its individuals.

Everyone makes mistakes, and it is the greatness of a friendship to forgive mistakes. The qualities of friendship are loving affection, full trust and the whole truth when called for. If this is not the case, all the fine words or half-truths become a farce. Sooner or later the whole truth will come to light.

In the example of Hungary, we see the result of the concealment of the double life of Narayan Maharaj.

There is no clear statement on the massive accusations of sexual intercourse with students of yours.

The tragedy is that you originally wanted to protect them when they sought refuge with you.

To stand up for mistakes, to apologize for them and to draw appropriate consequences from them, would show an honest way of dealing with them.

Your multiple blanket apologies are not enough, because the facts and the necessary consequences are missing. Thus your credibility has been lost for us.

The consequences of this can already be seen in the insecurities, rumours and sometimes hateful behaviour of some of your students.

Where is dignity and respect, let alone humility?

For us this means that a wonderful mission built up over many years is called into question.

It is also alienating for us that a scapegoat has to serve as a distraction from deeper problems, in the same way the protection of perpetrators practiced by you has an effect on our right/injustice consciousness and is not compatible with our conscience.

We are deeply sad and regret the current development and under the given circumstances cannot continue to support your direction for Vrinda. Therefore for the time being we only have the necessary distance, which is also very painful for us.

We still carry the wonderful early times in our hearts and will continue to keep them there. We are very grateful to you for the instructive years.

We wish you all love and remain united in our hearts.

(Photo by James Wheeler from Pexels)