Srila Prabhupada And the Treatment Of Children in Gurukul

I recently came across something which may help illuminates a dark issue that has been widely discussed and still receives coverage in the media. It is the issue of child abuse within Iskcon. It’s a very disturbing subject. Even more disturbing, some have insinuated that Srila Prabhupada himself was indifferent to the suffering of the Gurukuli children. It is to this charge that I ask you to look at the following. “Spirit” is a magazine produced by Manu dasa ...Read More

Srila Prabhupada on Gurukul

The children should be trained in early rising, attending mangal arati, some elementary education: arithmetic, alphabet, some of our books, like that. They should go to bed by 8 p.m. and rise by 4 a.m. for mangal arati, getting 8 hours sleep. If they take 8 hours sleep, they will not fall asleep during arati. Due the the current interest in the ISKCON Gurukul [boarding school] system we have presented an unbiased collection of Srila Prabhupada’s quotes on the Gurukul System. ...Read More

Message from Windle Turley

Several members of the Iskcon group, Temples, Publishing, etc, have ask the Bankruptcy court to reorganize them ,contending they can not pay the judgments about 90 Iskcon students have taken against some of them. From: “Windle Turley” Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 1:17 AM Subject: Re: Hare Krishna Abuse Chapter 11 Several members of the Iskcon group, Temples, Publishing, etc, have ask the Bankruptcy court to “reorganize “them ,contending they can not pay the judgments about 90 Iskcon students have taken ...Read More

Growing Up in the Hare Krishnas

Though they have mixed views about their upbringing in the sect, one ISKCON couple keeps their faith. Subal Smith was only 6 months old when his parents left New York and joined the great hippie migration, heading “straight to the Haight.” It was the early 1970s, and the peaceful glow had already faded from San Francisco’s counterculture scene, replaced by hard drugs and harder hearts. Smith’s parents headed south to Santa Cruz, in search of mellower climes. There, they ...Read More

Gurukuli Youth Abuse Claims Very Important Notice About JUNE 30, 2003, DEADLINE for filing claims re the Iskcon Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

An offer of compensation via chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings to ISKCON Gurukulis who agree NOT to sue ISKCON. RE:    TURLEY SUIT / GURUKULI & OTHER YOUTH ABUSE CLAIMS URGENT  - VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE RE JUNE 30, 2003, DEADLINE FOR FILING CLAIMS  IN BANKRUPTCY COURT Dear Prabhus:             There is new and very important information regarding the Turley Suit / Gurukuli abuse claims.    The bankruptcy court has established JUNE 30, 2003, as the last day that those who believe they have claim must file their ...Read More

ISKCON–Shattered by Abuse of Children in Gurukuls [Boarding Schools]

In October 2001, 91 plaintiffs in their late 20s and early 30s filed a four hundred million dollar lawsuit in a Texas district court against more than a dozen Hare Krishna temples and organizations and many former leaders of the movement. The suit alleges that horrendous sexual and physical abuse occurred in at least eight of 11 Hare Krishna boarding schools in the 1970s and ’80s. The appalled movement elders, who had learned of the abuse five years earlier, did not ...Read More

No More Kirtan

My name is Krishna-das. I went to several gurukulas, South Africa, Mayapura and Mauritius to name a few. I went through the same torture, neglect and abuse as the gurukulis who’ve taken suit against ISKCON. I often question myself as to why I still think myself to be an ISKCON devotee. After everything that this movement has put me through, (after it has raped my parents of their youth, stolen the How could I join a law suit against ISKCON, a ...Read More

Asharm for Girls in the Bay Area started by Second Generation Gurukuli’s

We are pleased to inform you that by the mercy of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga a new Devotional Performing Arts Ashram has just been opened in the Bay Area by second generation gurukuli girls. We have secured a two-bedroom house… April, 2002 Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatah! Respected Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis, All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept our dandavat pranams. We are pleased to inform you that by the mercy of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga a new Devotional ...Read More

ISKCON Destroys a Whole Generation of Devotee’s Lives… [UPDATED]

I have so much pain in my heart…. So much pain and tears… If you could just see what you have done to me..to us…. All in the name of worshiping Krsna…. Well now krnsna can kiss my suicidle ass! Cause that’s all I think about is just ENDING my misarable life…. Everyday I have to find a reason why I should stay. I have nothing but you and all your Gurukul Vetren’s article continues below this note: Readers should be ...Read More

ISKCON Temples File For BANKRUPTCY

Rather than wasting millions of dollars to fight this suit, Chapter 11 reorganization will help ISKCON communities to establish a substantial, yet reasonable, fund to help any young person who may have been abused, said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Director of Communications. We want first and foremost to heal our communities and our young people, Dasa said. Date: February 6, 2002 Contact: Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Communications International, (301) 299-9707 David Liberman, Attorney, (310) 277-9288 Sandy Frey, Bankruptcy Counsel, (310) 277-7400 Washington, ...Read More

I’ve never been brainwashed or anything! [Letter from Gurukul Student]

Hare Krisna. I’m a gurukuli raised in Krishna consciousness in France, and am thankfull enough to Srila Prabhupada for having giving me the chance through his preacher to become a devotee myself. This movement IS to be shared. My mother became a devotee when I was one year old. Without those missionaries I would be someone else. Raised by some drinking parents, whitout any hope for anything. I really want to tell whoever is going to read that article that they ...Read More

Corruption At The Highest Levels Of ISKCON

The lack of character and moral responsibility in our top leaders created an atmosphere in which child abuse flourished and was allowed to continue unabated. Child abuse is the tip of an iceberg of improper behavior that has led to massive lack of confidence in ISKCON and its leaders, and mass desertions. The status of the GBC in the eyes of the general devotees is rock bottom and could hardly go lower. A far cry from the Prabhupada days, when GBC ...Read More

Gurukul Court Case: A Direct Attack on Srila Prabhupada and Indian Culture

The plaintiffs’ lawyers have placed Srila Prabhupada at the organizational center of a vast, decades-long criminal conspiracy to shamelessly, purposefully and knowingly abuse hundreds of innocent devotee children. Note that at this point in the legal proceedings, IT IS TAKEN AS TRUE that Our Beloved Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada, was the pivotal, evil ‘conspirator’ in the abuses allegedly committed against the children. This outrageous claim justifiably incites anyone who has ever had Presently, the parties in the case are litigating a “motion ...Read More

Gurukul Case: Blame Indian Culture and Prabhupada?

1,800 or more gurukulis (out of 2,000) know that Prabhupada is not guilty for these abuses. More surprisingly, they still honor the merits of Vedic Culture in spite of the difficult times at school. These convictions about Prabhupada are supported by thousands of witnesses like our parents and tens of thousands of Prabhupada letters, conversations, quotes and books. Dear Mr. Turley, Thank you for your letter. Yours was a lesson in brevity. You have been so ‘demonized’ that something as simple as your ...Read More