“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.”
- Bhagavad-gita AII 2.62-63
Re-reading it in the present context:
Contemplating on lording over the innocent Iskcon devotees of New York – attachment developed towards honor and worship that is received as a guru – lust to enjoy more and more and more… – anger develops when Long Island Iskcon devotees turn to Ritvik system – Swami got deluded and has been fighting law suit to wrest control of Long Island Iskcon (from devotees who desire to implement July 9th letter seriously) – due to bewilderment of memory forgets all dharma and even the fact that Iskcon is Srila Prabhupada’s body and everything here belongs to Srila Prabhupada – and then the lost intelligence Swami sucks out Prabhupada’s money to blow it off in a lawsuit for small house based temple, totally unaware that there is nothing to gain from there and the same money could have gotten him a multiple times bigger temple… but alas! When the intelligence is lost then whom to blame? – fall down has already begun… only a big bang is awaited.
The guru and GBC of New York, Romapada Swami is yet another ‘glorious’ living example, corroborating this teaching of the Gita by his practical example. He has spent over $2 million from Srila Prabhupada’s personal Iskcon funds to fight a law suit against the Long Island Iskcon. Around half a decade back, when the devotees at the Long Island Iskcon switched over to Ritvik system, the Swami filed a lawsuit over the Long Island Iskcon Temple to take over its physical and political rulership. Since then he has poured in over $2 million on this suit. The temple lies in a small house and its material worth is not even half the amount he has already spent on this lawsuit. Some even say that the amount he has spent is in fact over $4 Million. Deluded is by his whimsical anti-Ritvik frenzy, the Swami has overrun a lots of questions.
“Where is your money coming from, Romapada Swami? What is your answer to your donors who have given you their hard earned money for engaging in the preaching mission of Lord Chaitanya? What is your answer to the innocent brahmacharis who toil hard on the streets to collect money and offer to you? Do you have the courage to stand before Srila Prabhupada and give an account of all your squandering? Who gave you the right to put your hands on Srila Prabhupada’s personal funds? Why are you after such a small temple? Will this act of yours please Srila Prabhupada? Couldn’t you have done a far better job by building a new temple altogether with the money squandered in this legal battle started by you? Even if not interested in temple and devotional service, couldn’t you have raised a palace for yourself and enjoyed materially? Are you aware that you have lost $4 million for nothing except filling the pockets of your karmi lawyers? Can the devotees of Long Island Iskcon or Iskcon at large see your expense accounts? Why there is no transparency of your accounts and ledgers? And the list continues…”
Whatever may be the excuses, the real reason behind the Swami’s aggression lies in his envy towards the Ritvik philosophy… which in deeper sense means envy towards Srila Prabhupada. What’s wrong if some people wish to follow this philosophy on their own… without disturbing the Swami? But no… because it curtails the Swami’s opportunities of expanding his insatiable lust of lording over unlimitedly, he can’t tolerate and this has caused the fit of anger and his loss of intelligence. Thus, he is hell bent upon crushing the devotees who have taken direct shelter of Srila Prabhupada.
Just by following his sannyasa dharma of preaching and investing all this money in expanding it, he could have gained a million times more than what he is hoping to gain by defeating Long Island Iskcon Temple and taking over its physical and managerial control. But as the Sanskrit parable goes… vinasha kale viparit buddhi… when destruction comes, the intelligence reverses.
