Decisión oficial (Official Decision) de la ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection sobre el caso de Dhanurdhara Maharaja, 28 de octubre de 1999

ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection (ICOCP)
                                   PO. Box 1438, Alachua, Florida, usa 32616-1438
            Tel. (904) 418-0882          °    Fax: (904) 418-0982          °    E-mail: dgovinda@aol.com

             Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja
                                                      October 28, 1999

I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY OF THIS CASE                                after this, however, Dhanurdhara Maharaja was told by a
                                                                  member of the committee who represented the GBC at the
   In 1986, largely as a result of complaints about child
                                                                  July 3rd meeting that he (Dhanurdhara Maharaja) should
abuse in the Vrndavana gurukula, Dhanurdhara Maharaja
                                                                  remain in the United States and preach.
resigned his position as principal of the school, a post that
                                                                      In mid-1997 the Chairman of the North American GBC
he held since 1979. In 1989, on the request of the GBC,
                                                                  told Dhanurdhara Maharaja that he should not reside in
Dhanurdhara Maharaja reassumed his role as principal of
                                                                  ISKCON centers, he should cease preaching in ISKCON,
the school. In the early 1990s Dhanurdhara Maharaja wrote
                                                                  and he should submit to a forensic psychological evaluation.
a letter of apology to former students of the Vrndavana
                                                                  Dhanurdhara Maharaja cooperated with these demands.
gurukula, acknowledging some of the mistakes he made
                                                                      In April, 1998, the GBC established the ISKCON
during his first tenure as principal.
                                                                  Central Office of Child Protection (ICOCP), One of
   In November, 1995, Dhanurdhara Maharaja met with
                                                                  the main functions of the ICOCP is to investigate and
several Vrndavana gurukula alumni in Los Angeles, and they
                                                                  adjudicate cases of alleged child abuse connected with
discussed incidents of child abuse and mistreatment that
                                                                  ISKCON. For the purposes of resolving the case of alleged
occurred in the Vrndavana gurukula under the supervision
                                                                  child abuse against Dhanurdhara Maharaja, a panel of six
of Dhanurdhara Maharaja.
                                                                  members was formed. Dhanurdhara Maharaja has been
   In December, 1995, Dhanurdhara Maharaja submitted
                                                                  cooperative with this panel and with the procedures of the
his letter of resignation from the gurukula to the Chairman
                                                                  ICOCP concerning the processing of this case. This panel
of the GBC. Also at this time Dhanurdhara Maharaja wrote
                                                                  would like to acknowledge that during the past several years
several individual letters of apology to former students
                                                                  there have been inconsistent and ineffective attempts to
who expressed grievances about him. Due to concerns
                                                                  address this case and its ramifications. These failed attempts
about possible ramifications of these letters, the GBC held
                                                                  have been the source of pain and frustration for many,
these letters in abeyance, without consulting Dhanurdhara
                                                                  including the former students of the Vendavana gurukula
Maharaja.
                                                                  and Dhanurdhara Maharaja.
   At the 1996 GBC meeting in Mayapur, with Dhanur-
dhara Maharaja present, the GBC members viewed an
                                                                  II. JuRISDICTION AND AUTHORITY OF THE PANEL
edited video of the talks between the former students and
Dhanurdhara Swami in Los Angeles. Viewing the video                   This panel is authorized by ISKCON, by dint of the
heightened. the awareness of events which were alleged to         GBC’s ratification of the ISKCON Child Protection
have occurred at the Vrndavana gurukula, and this also            ‘Task Force Report, to finally resolve all issues concerning
tended to politicize the issues.                                  Dhanurdhara Maharaja and his conduct as a gurukula
   On July 3, 1996, a committee of the GBC that met               principal and teacher. The ISKCON Child Protection Task
with Dhanurdhara Maharaja decided that he could not               Force Report provides the authority to investigate, by means
initiate new disciples, including those who were aspiring         determined in the report, allegations, rumors, complaints,
to be his disciples at that time, and Dhanurdhara Maharaja        and other statements surrounding the treatment of children
complied with this directive. During this meeting the GBC         in ISKCON gurukulas, temples, farms, and other projects.
committee also agreed that the GBC will take a stand                  This determination, issued on October 28, 1999, was
against any demands for further sanctions made against            rendered in accordance with the guidelines for adjudicating
Dhanurdhara Maharaja.                                             cases of alleged child abuse established by the ISKCON
   Despite this agreement, a few weeks after the July 3rd         Child Protection Task Force Report and ratified by the
meeting Dhanurdhara Maharaja received a letter from               ISKCON Governing Body Commission. This judgment is
the GBC Chairman stating that he must relocate himself            the official decision of the ICOCP on allegations of child
“out of the USA entirely for the next five years....” Shortly     abuse against Dhanurdhara Maharaja.

          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection   ¢   1

III. HistortcaL PERSPECTIVES ON THE EVIDENCE                     protect Srila Prabhupada’s standards for gurukula from the
                                                                 influence of others. However, it is also apparent that he not
   The ICOCP has received many testimonies from former
                                                                 only applied these instructions in many instances without
gurukula students describing mistreatment they suffered
                                                                 realization, which he readily acknowledges was the source of
when they were children under the care of ISKCON in
                                                                 much of the maltreatment, but also that his choice of which
the Vrndavana gurukula while Dhanurdhara Maharaja
                                                                 instructions to try to apply was selective.
served as principal of the school. From their descriptions,
                                                                     For instance, Dhanurdhara Maharaja, in his admin-
this maltreatment was inflicted directly by Dhanurdhara
                                                                 istration and personal conduct, did not emphasize instruc-
Maharaja, or by others who were working under the
                                                                 tions from Srila Prabhupada such as “Encourage them to
supervision of Dhanurdhara Maharaja. These statements
                                                                 chant as much japa as possible, but there is no question of
by the former gurukula students refer to the period before
                                                                 force or punishment. If there is need you may shake your
1986, when Dhanurdhara Maharaja served his first tenure as
                                                                 finger at them but never physical punishment is allowed”
the principal of the Vrndavana gurukula.
                                                                 or “Now the thing is, children should not be beaten at all,
   ‘This panel herein acknowledges the many years of service
                                                                 that I have told. They should simply be shown the stick
that Dhanurdhara Maharaja devoted to gurukula educa-
                                                                 strongly. So if one cannot manage in that way then he is
tion and to Srila Prabhupada’s movement. Dhanurdhara
                                                                 not fit as teacher. If a child is trained properly in Krishna
Maharaja served in gurukula education at a time when
                                                                 Consciousness, he will never go away. That means he must
there were many and extreme environmental hardships
                                                                 have two things, love and education. So if there is beating of
that caused immense pressure        on all staff members,
                                                                 child, that will be difficult for him to accept in loving spirit,
especially the principal of the school. For example, the
                                                                 and when he is old enough he may want to go away--that
Vrndavana gurukula was underfunded and the teachers
                                                                 is the danger. So why these things are going on... marching
were inadequately trained. In addition, in the late ’7os and
                                                                 and chanting japa, insufficient milk, too strict enforcement
eatly 80s members of ISKCON and society in general were
                                                                 of time schedules, hitting the small children? Why these
much less aware of child abuse, its effects, and the predatory
                                                                 things are being imposed? Why they are inventing these
nature of child abusers. Much of the abuse in the Vrndavana
                                                                 such new things like marching...”
gurukula was a result of this naiveté.
                                                                     While Dhanurdhara Maharaja endeavored to strictly
                                                                 adhere to some of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on
IV. Evipence PrReseNntrep
                                                                 gurukula, in many ways he independently did as he desired,
A. Dhanurdhara Maharaja’s Personal                               without reference to the founder/acarya of ISKCON. For
   Responsibility as Principal of the Gurukula                   instance, the censoring of mail, the excessive corporal

   While taking into account the above, we must also             punishment, and the atmosphere of manipulation and

consider that Dhanurdhara Maharaja is responsible for his        intimidation, at the expense of genuine love and kindness

actions and decisions. That is, while environmental stressors    towards the children, are contrary to the letter and spirit of

should be considered a mitigating factor in assessing this       Srila Prabhupada’s desires. Therefore Dhanurdhara Maha-

case, they do not negate the personal responsibility of          raja is responsible for the choices he made, and for the

Dhanurdhara Maharaja for his behavior. To illustrate             consequences of those choices.

this principle, there were other gurukula teachers and           B. Creating an Atmosphere ofIntimidation
administrators subjected to similar circumstances at the             in the Gurukula
same time in ISKCON’s history who did not make the                   From the testimonies of the former gurukula students,
same sorts of decisions that resulted in child mistreatment      it is clear that the atmosphere in the Vrndavana gurukula
as Dhanurdhara Maharaja. As headmaster of the Vrndavana          was permeated by intimidation and fear.              This mood
gurukula, Dhanurdhara Maharaja's responsibility included         facilitated the mistreatment and abuse of children, and
rooting out any child neglect and abuse, including physical,     made it prohibitive for children to speak about the abuse.
sexual, and emotional abuse, that occurred under his             Further, the atmosphere of intimidation militated against
supervision. Otherwise there is no meaning to the authority      rational   and productive    discussion for the prevention
he assumed as principal of the gurukula.                         and eradication of child abuse. Dhanurdhara Maharaja,
   We     acknowledge      that   Dhanurdhara       Maharaja     directly and in his managerial capacity, contributed to and
attempted to manage the Vrndavana gurukula according             was largely responsible for this context of fearfulness that
to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions as he understood them,        resulted in the emotional and medical neglect and physical,
and he repeatedly has emphasized that he felt he had to          psychological and sexual abuse of many children.

         Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection    ©    2

   Dhanurdhara Maharaja has expressed realization of                only smack once or twice. You never knew how much it
and remorse for the terrorizing atmosphere of the school,           would be. It seemed to me, that the more and longer he
as well as the role he played in creating it. For example,          could talk about it, the more he would smack while talking.
one former student made the following statement: “In                During the whole scene, everybody had to stare straight
the Vrndavana gurukula we were forbidden to read Amar               ahead and see what was happening to this boy. And the boy
Chitra Katha (Indian comic books). I used to love to read           had to just stand there with his hands folded, just like all the
them. So I would buy them in Lohi Bazaar and kept them              others. And if he dared to put his hands up to the side of
in a footlocker under my clothes. Other boys would borrow           his head to protect himself, DDS would scream “put your
them and we would exchange them. One day, my “crime”                hands down!” And smack him even more... Needless to say,
was discovered. Dhanurdhara Swami immediately assumed               the kid would be crying, and after some smacking would
that I had stolen them, despite the thing that my parents           be shuffled towards the other kids and told “go stand back
sent me small sums of money on a regular basis. He beat me          in line!”...
and then ordered me to walk around the gurukula for the                    “The only feelings I can remember from such times
rest of the day, sweeping and yelling so everyone could hear.       is extreme fear, and my heart was pounding. I remember
“Tama thief, hari bolo!”                                            feeling pressure and heat rise to my head where I would feel
   Dhanurdhara Swami’s written reply included the follow-           like my eyes would pop out. Sweat would sometimes break
ing excerpt. “I don’t remember punishing [ ] for reading            out. I would fight back tears. There was an extreme feeling
Amar Chitra comic books, but it certainly could’ve hap-             of vulnerability... Nowhere to turn for help, no way to
pened. We were fanatics. Even watching Mahabharata on               defend yourself, Being all alone in this environment with no
television became a controversy in the school. I just wish I        end in sight. I would push back memories of these events as
had deeper realizations about the education of children and         soon as the assembly was over. It was the only thing I could
wasnt such an impractical purist and fundamentalist.”               do. Anything to take my mind off it... I had my favorite
   From the testimonies of former students it is clear that the     spot towards the middle of the line which was along the
mood in the school did not facilitate trusting relationships.       right wall, close to where the gong was suspended. I didn’t
In this regard Dhanurdhara Maharaja stated “...by stressing         want to be up front, because that would make you the first
a system of education which overly stressed obedience by            target in case someone like [ ] got out of control. I can still
the students at the expense of developing relationships             feel what it was like to have or to witness this...”
and communicating with them, I inadvertently created an                    In response, Dhanurdhara Maharaja stated “I basically
atmosphere where the children could not open themselves             imitated Dr. Sharma and kept up the assemblies without
to their teachers, and were therefore prey to exploitation by       thinking much about the purpose behind it. In my eyes
pedophiles. [ ] Prabhu especially took advantage of this, as        it was a part of an accepted tradition, and it was my duty
he knew that the children wouldn't easily reveal their minds        to follow it. I therefore also used the assemblies, like Dr.
to their teachers.”                                                 Sharma, to intimidate misbehaved children. There was a
   Concerning         intimidation,   Dhanurdhara     Maharaja      difference, however, between my use of punishment and
stated, “In terms of intimidating the students, I thought           his.
that discipline and obedience were essential for gurukula                  “Dr. Sharma’s punishment was deep with affection for
training, and that those students who did not want to               the children, while my punishment was mixed with a darker
surrender their authority to the school to train them, should       side of myself, my ego and my desire for control. It therefore
be afraid to rebel and act independently...I regret that in         also had a different effect for many of the children, and
doing that I lost sight of the objectives of the institution, and   these children resented my punishment... When I met the
that I tried to get the authority exclusively by discipline. I      alumni in LA, I was very embarrassed by the descriptions
regret that I neglected to spend sufficient time commanding         of the assemblies. I thought I was a respected authority, but
that authority by the power of our character and example.”          many of the children apparently saw the impurity within
   The morning assemblies in the Vrndavana gurukula                 me that I had mixed with my service. When I heard in LA
were problematic. One former student describes them as              what many of them were thinking at the time, I felt like I
follows. “Dhanurdhara would call them up in front of the            was the emperor who wore no clothes...”
kids during the assembly... Position the kid in front of him               A former Vendavana gurukula student stated “The worst
so that they would both be facing the other children. Pull          thing DDS did to me was in assembly. He would twist my
him by the ears, twist the ears and then smack him with             ear and then he'd slap both my ears. My ears would ring for
both open hands on the ears and cheeks... And he wouldn't           a week.”


          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja     *      ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection   *   3

   One former Vendavana gurukula student stated “It was           said that even to stay in Vrndavana a fortnight guarantees
the awards assembly, awards were given out once a yeat, it        liberation.
was tape over the new name for that year. I was standing              “As crazy and myopic as it may seem this is exactly how
near the front...I was 7 or 8...] was curious. I tried to move    I was thinking at the time...I realize now that the students
the tape to see the first letter of the name, or something like   who wanted to express their dissatisfaction to their parents
that, and Dhanurdhara Swami, who was speaking at that             felt absolutely trapped in a hostile environment, like a
time, noticed that I was moving the tape. Dhanurdhara             prison, with teachers who didn’t trust them and whom
Swami slapped me up the side of my head. Hard enough              they didn’t trust or reveal their mind to. They couldn't turn
to knock me off my feet to the floor. This was like a             to their teachers who saw their complaints as their lack of
normal occurrence for me.” This same student described            surrender to Srila Prabhupada and who were too busy just
the atmosphere in the school as “One of constant fear of          trying to control and discipline them to understand their
being hit...standing with hands folded together like prayer,      feelings. I feel horrible for subjecting them to such pain and
verbally chewed out, slap or two, yelling...”                     helplessness. No one should be subjected to such isolation.
   Dhanurdhara Maharaja replied “I wouldn't remember              I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time.”
the incident of slapping [ ], but I could imagine slapping a
                                                                  D. Personal Misbehavior
boy if I was giving an awards assembly and he peeled off the
tape on the certificate to peek at the name of the winner. I          Occasionally Dhanurdhara Maharaja lost his temper
                                                                  and was physically abusive to children. Such incidents were
feel ashamed that I would overreact in this way to such a
minor infraction. [ ] was a very gentle boy and I am sorry he     not frequent, and Dhanurdhara Maharaja has expressed

had to experience this environment of fear.”                      remorse for them. A former Vrndavana gurukula student

   Not all former students experienced the assemblies in          states “One time, I took a pack of crackers from one of

the same way. One Vrndavana gurukula veteran stated “The          the vendors out front. When Dhanurdhara found out,

assemblies were not all that bad; sometimes kids were made        he dragged me up and down while the boys were taking

an example of.”                                                   prasadam yelling “I found the thief. We found the monkey
                                                                  from the jungles of Africa!” several times. When my mother
C. Censoring of the Mail                                          had trouble paying my tuition, Dhanurdhara asked me
   Dhanurdhara Maharaja perpetuated the policy of mail            what was going on and threatened to send me to Mayapur
censoring in the school, which exacerbated the feelings           to work in the fields if my mom didn’t pay... Overall, I really
of isolation and entrapment in the children. One former           felt that gurukula took away self-esteem and confidence.
student wrote “We were told what to write. Suggestions            We didn’t count... Dhanurdhara beat me going up and
were written on the board. I was given letters and told to        down the aisle. It was humiliating. He was calling me that
rewrite them.”                                                    I was out of the jungles of Africa. Continuously hitting me
     Regarding mail-censoring,      Dhanurdhara Maharaja          with his hand, lifting me up. I had to be the ape from the
stated “The [mail censoring] policy was already there when        jungles of Africa...” This student also said that he routinely
I took over the school. The system was that the children          saw Dhanurdhara smack the gurukulis and that bruises and
wrote letters only in their English class once a month...1        marks were not an uncommon sight. “You'd be smacked or
thought that everything in the school was fine and that           pulled on your ear...if you didn’t dance in kirtan ...Caring
the children who wanted to get out were not sincere and           and love doesn’t take resources.”
would just write anything to freak out the parents. Often             Dhanurdhara     Maharaja    replied   “I    have       a   vague
when we would stop the letters it seemed like the letters         remembrance of the incident where [ ] was punished by me
had no specific complaints but were basically emotional...        for stealing from a shop across the street. Even if I had no
I thought it was unfair to the parents to get letters like this   remembrance of the incident, I remember [ ] as an honest
that would disturb them when there were no means of               boy, and I accept that he is telling the truth...1 am not the
communication for them to immediately allay their fears           type of person to use racial slurs. If I lost my temper and
and they were all busy in some way or otherwise vigorously        said something that sounded racial, I feel very ashamed for
spreading Krsna consciousness. I was feeling dutiful and          it... My ego was invested in the school. I would certainly
somewhat compassionate for the parents, and at the same           become angry if a student embarrassed us by stealing from
time thought that the children were getting so much benefit       the outside...”
from staying in Vendavana that it would be a shame if they            Another student, who had exploded firecrackers outside
were whimsically taken out. After all Srila Prabhupada            the door of a school building and thereby endangered the


         Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja    *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection     «    4

safety of school personnel and visitors to the school, related:   around like a suitcase. The cloth would dig into your sides
“So in the morning I was rudely awakened by Dhanurdhara           until you could barely breathe.”
kicking me, asking if I had done the bomb [a bomb that                   In reply to the above statement, the defense response
exploded outside of Dhanurdhara Maharaja's office], if I had      of Dhanurdhara Maharaja states “...Dhanurdhara Swami,
actually set it there. And he began kicking me on the floor.      however, accepts here that [ ] is telling the truth, at least to
‘Then he stood me up and he began to punch me, so I was           the extent that he improperly punished [ ], and caused him
fearful. The beating went on for five or ten minutes, I really    deep suffering...
don’t remember. But from then I was stuck in his office
for the day. I think it was Prabhupada’s disappearance day,       V. EVALUATING THE EVIDENCE

there was a big feast and I didn’t eat anything all day...I had          Excerpts of Section 1 of the ISKCON Child Protection
a bruised ear. My ear was strange, I think I had something            Task Force Report are included herein to provide guide-
on my arm, right or left arm, I don’t remember. Maybe             lines for evaluation of the evidence in this case. Section
something on my back. There were a couple of bruises,             1 states: “Cultural norms and/or poverty are to be taken
but they weren't, maybe I was just in shock cause I hadn't        into     consideration when        considering neglect,         corporal
eaten all day, I don’t know. I don’t remember feeling a lot of    punishment       and_   psychological     abuse.    Cultural     norms
bruises afterwards. There was one on my arm and one on            refer to different perspectives on child-raising, discipline,
my back.” In another part of the interview this Vrndavana         education, etc., according to local custom and practice...
gurukuli further stated “There was, actually I only got beat      ‘There will naturally be variances in facilities and outlooks
once. It was for lighting a firecracker..or more like a Ganga     on child care, but at the same time there are basic and
bomb, which they’re actually pretty powerful...J had one of       universal standards...Cultural norms,..are not a loophole
those lit by a time bomb, which was where the wick of the         but a factor for consideration. They are never an excuse
firecracker was wrapped around a stick of incense...I put one     for child abuse... ISKCON          is an international organization
next to the headmaster, Dhanurdhara’s door, underneath a          encompassing        many     countries     and      cultures.     While
bench that sat outside...”                                        recognizing these variations, there are universal and. basic
    In response, Dhanurdhara Maharaja replied “The bomb           standards of decency and morals...”
could’ve hurt [name of visitor to the school] seriously, and I           Section 1.1.B.1 defines child neglect as a type of child
was furious. I left my room and immediately went looking          maltreatment that is an act of omission where the caretaker
for the culprit... I went right to [ ] room, which was the        “fails to provide for the child’s basic needs and proper
room next to the bathroom in the southwest corner of              level of care. It is important to distinguish between willful
the gurukula, and beat him. I was screaming at him and            neglect and a parent’s or caretaker’s only being able to
did punch him several times, although I am positive that          provide a reduced standard of life due to poverty or cultural
this was more like sporting to scare him, and that 1 was          norms.” The report lists types of neglect as including failure
conscious not to hurt him. I was however venting my anger.        to provide an adequate diet, failure to provide clothing
I did drag him and push him down the veranda towards              adequate for the season, failure to provide a clean, hazard free
my room. I kept him in my office and sat him in a corner          place to live, refusal or delay in seeking necessary medical
and berated him. It was quite abusive. It was the morning         care, failure to keep the child clean and tidy, failure to watch
of Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance and I kept him there          the child appropriate to the child’s developmental abilities
until the afternoon. I think that he was not fed until after      to ensure his or her safety, failure to provide a climate that
the feast.”                                                       emotionally nourishes the child, and permitting chronic
   A former Vrndavana gurukula student states “You                truancy or neglect to provide a minimal education.
[Dhanurdhara Maharaja] were like, you better dance, or                   Section 1.1.B.2 defines child physical abuse as an “act of
youre going to get it. You chased me out of the temple room.      commission by the caretaker where the child is physically
You knew I could barely stand on my feet, you dragged             injured or marks such as bruises, welts, lacerations, or
me up the stairs and started beating on me. You dragged           burns are visible. Although the injury is not an accident,
me into the shower and turned it on, while everyone else          the parent may not have intended to hurt the child...”
was getting hot milk. You were beating on me, I was 9 or          Section 1.1.B.2.a states “Forms of physical abuse include:
10...Every day Dhanurdhara would bring one kid in front           punching, beating, shaking, whipping, caning, burning,
of the assembly before classes and smack him around. It           slapping,     biting,   kicking,    ear-twisting,    and   throwing.”
was the daily example...It was one of his trademark beating       Section 1.1.B.2.b states “Corporal punishment can also be
techniques, to lift the kid up by his kaupins and swing him       considered abusive if, although no single incident leaves a


          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *      ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection       ©   5

mark or results in an injury, the frequent and chronic use of     CHILD PHuysIcAL ABUSE
such has a deleterious cumulative effect...”
                                                                        With reference to the definitions of child physical abuse
   Section 1.1.B.5 defines child psychological abuse as “A
                                                                  in the Task Force Report, Dhanurdhara Maharaja did
repeated pattern of behavior that conveys to the child that
                                                                  physically abuse children on some occasions. Dhanurdhara
they are worthless, awed, unwanted, unloved, or only of
                                                                  Swami admits that he sometimes punished with hostility
value to meet another person's needs. ‘This verbal battering
                                                                  and sometimes with excess,                and he     accepts personal
seriously erodes and damages the child’s self-esteem and
                                                                  culpability for these mistakes.
sense of worth as a person.” The report lists forms of
psychological abuse as including spurning, terrorizing,           CHILD PsyCHOLOGICAL ABUSE
corrupting, and denying emotional responsiveness.
   After carefully reviewing documentation provided by                  There     is     convincing   evidence       that   Dhanurdhara

many parties, including testimonies, character references,        Maharaja engaged in psychological abuse as defined in

correspondences, and responses, this panel deliberated on         section 1.1.B.5 of the ISKCON Child Protection Task Force
                                                                  Report.
the evidence. A prime standard for accepting the veracity
of allegations was the admission of those accusations by the
defendant. An inconclusive denial by the defendant was                  This panel believes that Dhanurdhara Maharaja did
also taken as evidence for the validity of the allegations,       not intentionally try to harm children. Due to immaturity
though this evidence was of course not considered to              and investment of his ego in the image of the Vrndavana
be as strong as instances where Dhanurdhara Maharaja              gurukula, his attempts at discipline were excessive and
acknowledged the allegations, Corroboration of accusations        sometimes hostile and abusive, and his abilities to protect
were also considered important in determining authenticity        the children and respectfully relate to them as Vaisnavas
of allegations.   A majority of evidence, meaning that the        deserving of dignity and proper care were compromised.
evidence weighs on the side of guilt, was the standard used       ‘There is persuasive evidence that Dhanurdhara Swami
to evaluate accusations. ‘This standard should be understood      was physically and psychologically intimidating towards
in contradistinction to the standard of “beyond a reasonable      the        children.    Dhanurdhara        Maharaja       acknowledges
doubt”.                                                           his    unwarranted        use   of force     and    intimidation   and
   Based on the above definitions and guidelines, this panel      his insensitivity to the needs of the children under his
has determined the following:                                     authority.
                                                                        This     panel     respects   the    fact    that   Dhanurdhara
Curio NEGLecr
                                                                  Maharaja has progressed beyond the stage of immaturity
   Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Hygiene — While there was         that characterized his first tenure as Vendavana gurukula
neglect of children in all of these areas at the Vrndavana        principal. Still, many children suffered greatly and continue
gurukula under the supervision of Dhanurdhara Maharaja,           to experience anguish due to his neglect of supervision and
he did attempt to adequately meet the children’s needs, and       personal conduct. He must be held responsible for the
the shortfall in these areas was largely due to inadequate        consequences of his behavior, though this does not imply
resources, harsh environmental conditions, and managerial         that others, such as ISKCON leaders at that time, do not
inability and inexperience on the part of Dhanurdhara             also share in the responsibility for the childrens’ suffering.
Maharaja.                                                               In    addition     to the remorse he has            demonstrated,

   Medical — The panel found that there was neglect by            Dhanurdhara Maharaja has performed restitution for his
                                                                  mistakes of the past in several ways, including apologizing,
Dhanurdhara Maharaja in this area, though in most cases
                                                                  verbally and in writing, to many of the former students, and
he tried his best, with the resources at his command, to
                                                                  paying some restitution for the children who suffered under
properly attend to the children’s medical needs.
                                                                  his care. Also, Dhanurdhara Maharaja has been punished in
   Supervision — In many instances Dhanurdhara Maha-
                                                                  ways such as being removed from his service of headmaster
taja did not appropriately ensure the safety of the children
                                                                  of the Vendavana gurukula, a service to which, despite his
under his care, and this constitutes neglect of supervision.
                                                                  deficiencies, he wholeheartedly dedicated himself, and also
   Emotional — In general, Dhanurdhara Maharaja did not           by being barred from ISKCON properties and ISKCON
provide a climate that emotionally nourished the children         functions for several years. Although Dhanurdhara Swami
under his care, and in many instances this failing was            made mistakes in gurukula, he has also sacrificed in good
sufficiently extreme to be classified as emotional neglect.       faith much of his life energy to help ensure the appropriate


          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *     ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection           ©   6

care and education for the children of Srila Prabhupada’s                 Personally, I found it edifying that complaints made
movement.                                                             during the meeting videotaped in Los Angeles during
   We would also like to state that from the testimonies              November 1995 were presented virtually unchanged in
in the case file it is clear that not all of the childrens’           the interviews conducted in 1999 — this despite the
experiences in the Vrndavana gurukula during the first                politicization      of the    case which occurred             during   the
tenure of Dhanurdhara Maharaja were unpleasant and                    intervening years. And, while the unfortunate ups and
harmful. We heard many reports from students, including               downs of the process have undoubtedly been difficult for
those who were neglected and abused, who had a positive               him, this process also allowed Dhanurdhara Swami the
overall experience in the Vrndavana gurukula, and some                opportunity to present evidence not previously available to
students expressed that Dhanurdhara Maharaja did his best             any ISKCON authorities investigating the case.
under the circumstances.                                                  As indicated in the section of this decision above
                                                                      entitled “Evidence Presented,” after carefully reviewing all
   Comments by Sesa dasa: As a panel member in this
                                                                      the evidence the panel felt the most probative evidence, the
case, I took it as my responsibility to personally evaluate
                                                                      evidence upon which our conclusions are based, primarily
the evidence presented, both in the investigative report of
                                                                      involve     those    incidents    personally     acknowledged          by
the Child Protection Office and in the response submitted
                                                                      Dhanurdhara Swami.
by Sadhusangananda Prabhu on behalf of Dhanurdhara
                                                                          ‘The significance of this approach is highlighted by a
Swami, for its reliability and probative value. In approaching
                                                                      glimpse at the manner in which law prioritizes evidence.
this task the guidelines provided by the ISKCON Task
                                                                      Generally speaking,          the law of evidence places more
Force on Child Abuse discussed above certainly provided
                                                                      importance on direct evidence, which in this case could
both useful definitions and a practical framework for
                                                                      be interpreted to mean direct testimony by Dhanurdhara
evaluating the actions of Dhanurdhara Swami during his
                                                                      Swami and the individuals involved in particular incidents.
tenure as principal of the Vrndavana gurukula. However,
                                                                      I   present the following sections from               the      California
determining what evidence to accept and which to reject
                                                                      Evidence Code not to introduce the Law of Evidence or
required additional guides.
                                                                      legal principles in general to this procedure, but to give
   Perhaps our most difficult task was determining the
                                                                      some indication of importance of direct evidence:
reliability of testimony of events which took place many years
ago. In this regard, I believe the process of independently                     410. As used in this chapter, “direct evidence” means
interviewing as many former students and other devotees as                evidence that directly proves a fact, without an inference
                                                                          or presumption, and which in itself, if true, conclusively
possible, cross-referencing their statements, independently
                                                                          establishes that fact.
interviewing Dhanurdhara Swami, and finally putting
                                                                                4u. Except where additional evidence is required. by
the student statements before Dhanurdhara Swami for
                                                                          statute, the direct evidence of one witness who is entitled
response, greatly helped in recreating a persuasive view of
                                                                          to full credit is sufficient for proof of any fact.
the school during the years in question, isolating particular
                                                                                412. If weaker and less satisfactory evidence is offered
incidents, and weeding out errors of memory.                              when it was within the power of the party to produce
   The emotionally charged nature of the subject matter                   stronger and more satisfactory evidence, the evidence
being investigated certainly added to the complexity of                   offered should be viewed with distrust.
this case. For instance, a student directly involved in an                      413. In determining what inferences to draw from the
incident often remembered the incident as less severe than                evidence or facts in the case against a party, the trier of
his classmate remembered the same incident. However,                      fact may consider, among other things, the party’s failure
this seeming contradiction is not as simple as one report                 to explain or to deny by his testimony such evidence or
                                                                          facts in the case against him, or his willful suppression of
canceling     out   the   other.   Both   students’   recollections
                                                                          evidence relating thereto, if such be the case.
provided useful information about the incident as well as
the atmosphere created in the gurukula. I believe the panel               After coming to our conclusions about the reliability of
members did have the necessary maturity and objectivity to            the evidence, such evidence had to then be evaluated in light
not be caught up in the emotions of the case.                         of standards or laws which clearly show what Dhanurdhara
   Additionally, the political atmosphere and resultant               Swami did wrong and how the conclusions of the panel may
pressures surrounding this case tended to accentuate certain          be justified. The only such standards or laws that existed
evidence and devalue other evidence. In this regard, I                at the time in question were Srila Prabhupada’s direct
believe the consistency of evidence presented over the many           instructions on gurukula and the operating procedures
years this case has been pending was extremely important.             derived from his instructions.

            Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja     *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection             ¢    7

   As the principal of the Vendavana gurukula Dhanurdhara             basic academic skills, and they should be in association
Swami made conscious decisions about the operation and                with fixed-up devotees.

atmosphere of the school. Decisions which, because they                    (b) Report cards containing grades for academic

are grossly neglectful of the Vaisnava duties of a leader in          achievement and comments on behavior should be sent
                                                                      to the parents at the end of each term.
ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on gurukula,
                                                                           (c) The children should write to their parents (if
I have a hard time accepting as simple mistakes or errors in
                                                                      they do not see one another regularly) once a month.
judgment.
                                                                      The teachers can also include a personal note to the
   In 1982 Jagadish Goswami published his book, Srila
                                                                      parents. It is also nice to enclose samples of the children’s
Prabhupada     on    Guru-Kula.    In   the   Acknowledgment          school work. The parents should naturally reciprocate any
at the front of the book he specifically thanks Sriman                letters they receive from their children or their children’s
Dhanurdhara das brahmacari and others who “helped me                  teachers.
organize ISKCON’s guru-kula programs and who have                         (d) The parents should be welcome to visit the guru-
given me insights into their development.” Dhanurdhara                kula. They should give advance notice of their visit and
Swami was a significant contributor to the gurukula scene             the duration should be limited to about three days (as far

in 1982. He had been involved in gurukula since at least              as possible). During their visit they should be careful not
                                                                      to disturb the guru-kula program.
1975, was the principal in the flagship gurukula of the
                                                                          17.Commentator’s note:
movement, was awarded the sannyasa order in 1982 based
                                                                           Because they have a common interest for the child’s
primarily on his longtime service in the gurukula, and
                                                                      spiritual and material well-being, the teacher and parent
was acknowledged with only 10 others as one who helped
                                                                      should maintain good. and open communication, When
organize ISKCON gurukulas world-wide. However, an
                                                                      the teachers and parents work together to twain the child
examination of Jagadish Goswami’s book presents a much                and, encourage him in his Krsna consciousness, it has a
different picture of gurukula than we get from reading the            great positive effect on the child. When there is conflict
persuasive evidence and admissions of Dhanurdhara Swami               between the parents and the teacher, it can cause a very
presented in this case.                                               difficult situation for the child. He will be pulled in
   Chapter 7 of Srila Prabhupada on Guru-Kula is entitled             both directions and will tend to become disobedient and
                                                                      uncooperative.
“Discipline.” Here we find many longstanding instructions
of Srila Prabhupada which, if they had been followed, would               In communicating on the child’s progress, the teacher
                                                                      should be straightforward with the parents. He should.
have made all the difference in the Vendavana gurukula in
                                                                      not artificially paint a gloried picture of the child. On
terms of the atmosphere of intimidation and the frequent
                                                                      the other hand, the teacher should not cause alarm by
physical abuse of the students which took place during                unnecessarily painting a ghastly picture. The teacher's
Dhanurdhara Swami’s tenure. We cannot assume that he                  evaluation should be objective and considerate. The
did not know of these instructions. Indeed, Dhanurdhara               teachers and parents should relate with one another on
Swami has specifically stated that he and his staff felt that         the basis of directions given in the Nectar ofInstruction. If
they had to protect Srila Prabhupada’s gurukula from                  one is considered more advanced in Krsna consciousness,

the zonal acaryas of the day who wanted to make it their              the other should take the humble position. If they are on
                                                                      the same level of advancement in Krsna consciousness,
gurukula and not Srila Prabhupada’. Yet, Srila Prabhupada’s
                                                                      they should cultivate a friendly relationship, offering
instructions were grossly neglected.
                                                                      mutual respect.
   Chapter 10 of Srila Prabhupada on Guru-Kula is entitled
                                                                      These passages provide considerable detail about the
“Parents.” Entries number 7 and 17 read:
                                                                  communication and relationship of the teachers to the
       7. Every parent wants to see that his children are taken
                                                                  parents, detail which could have helped Dhanurdhara
   care of very nicely,
                                                                  Swami deal with the pressures of his service given the
       This is the first duty. (Letter from Srila Prabhupada to
                                                                  lack of support he received from ISKCON authorities.
   Srila Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, dated October 9, 1971)
                                                                  However, for all intents and purposes these instructions
        Comments:
                                                                  went unheeded, and in their place Dhanurdhara Swami
        (a) The administrators of the guru-kula should be
                                                                  perpetuated destructive policies such as censoring the mail.
   sensitive to the suggestions of the parents. The guru-kula
                                                                      We all are aware of the sometimes overbearing approach
   program given by Srila Prabhupada, however, should
                                                                  to leadership taken by ISKCON authorities. Such man-
   not be compromised or altered in any way. The spiritual
   and physical care of the children should be seen to very
                                                                  agement style was the norm in ISKCON during the years
   responsibly. Their diet should be good, clothing and           in question here. What to speak of an overbearing approach
   living conditions adequate, they should be learning the        to leadership, even a sensible approach to leadership results

          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection       ©    8

in responsibility for the spiritual engagement of those in        Dhanurdhara Maharaja must notify the Child Protection
one’s charge, their care, their evaluation, their discipline      Office which of the four areas he has chosen. Within the
and conduct, and their removal for misbehavior. Although          specified area Dhanurdhara Maharaja is encouraged to
not codified during the years in question, such duties of         spread Krsna consciousness by all means at his disposal.
an ISKCON leader have since been made ISKCON law                  He may give classes, lead kirtanas, establish temples, and
and are found in Section 5.6.2.5 of the ISKCON Law                develop preaching programs such as festivals, prasadam
Book. There is little doubt that, although unrecorded at the      distribution and book distribution. He may not engage in
time, such responsibilities of leadership are universal and       these preaching activities in any area until he chooses one
applicable to the facts of this case.                             of the four areas and communicates this choice to the Child
   ‘There is no evidence to suggest that in his leadership        Protection Office.
of the gurukula Dhanurdhara Swami acted in a manner                   During the five-year period of restriction, outside of
significantly different than the norm of the times. Indeed,       his specified geographical area Dhanurdhara Maharaja
to the contrary, there is testimony that he would not take        cannot give class or lead kirtana in ISKCON temples,
suggestions from others on the running of the school,             ISKCON projects, ISKCON-affiliated organizations, or
and consciously created the atmosphere he desired for the         at ISKCON functions, though he may reside in ISKCON
school. Thus, he must be held accountable for those in his        temples or on the property of ISKCON projects and
charge, both students and staff.                                  ISKCON-affiliated organizations, Also, he must not attend
    It is in light of these standards and laws that the actions   public functions, such as ratha yatras and major festivals,
and omissions of Dhanurdhara Swami have been evaluated.           outside his geographical area during the five year restricted
[End of comments by Sesa dasa]                                    period. An exception to this restriction is that during the
                                                                  s-year period of restriction Dhanurdhara Maharaja may
VI. ConcLusions aNnD RECOMMENDATIONS                              attend Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja festival outside of the
                                                                  specified geographical area. In exercising this exception,
    Unless otherwise noted, the following conclusions,
                                                                  Dhanurdhara Maharaja must be fully sensitive to gurukula
directives and recommendations have been unanimously
                                                                  veterans and their parents. If there is a gurukula veteran or
accepted by this panel. The conclusions of this panel are:
                                                                  a parent of a gurukula veteran present at the Vyasa-puja
A. Preaching Within ISKCON                                        festival of Srila Prabhupada, and if this gurukula veteran
   ‘The term “unrestricted”, as mentioned in the paragraph        or the parent of a gurukula veteran is in any way disturbed
below, is used to contrast the present restrictions under         by Dhanurdhara Maharaja’s presence at the festival, then
which    ISKCON         has   placed   Dhanurdhara   Maharaja.    Dhanurdhara Maharaja should not attend the festival.
The current restrictions on Dhanurdhara Maharaja must             During the five year period Dhanurdhara Maharaja may
be lifted, and they should be replaced by the following           attend regular temple functions, such as Mangala arati,
conditions. In the following paragraph “unrestricted” is          Sunday feasts, Srila Prabhupada’s guru-puja, and Srimad-
not meant in an unqualified sense, as the remainder of this       Bhagavatam class, outside the specified geographical area.
section will clarify.                                             In determining this five-year period of restriction, this panel
    Dhanurdhara Maharaja should be encouraged to preach           has considered and recognized that Dhanurdhara Maharaja
Krsna consciousness as a member of ISKCON within a                has already been restricted from preaching and serving in
defined geographical area for a specified time period. This       ISKCON in several ways, as described in the “Evaluating
geographical area should not have a substantial presence          the Evidence” section.
of gurukula veterans, though it should have an ISKCON                 ‘The principle behind these decisions is that Dhanur-
presence. Specifically, Dhanurdhara Maharaja can preach           dhara Maharaja’s former students should be able to attend
unrestrictedly in one of the four following geographical          ISKCON temples and ISKCON events such as _ratha-
areas for five years’ from the date of this Official Decision:    yatras without encountering Dhanurdhara Maharaja, and
1) Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt; 2) The Central      especially not in a leadership capacity. This will help to
Asian states of the former Soviet Union; 3) Indonesia; 4)         protect the gurukula veterans from undue            emotional
The West African countries.                                       disturbance, and will also protect Dhanurdhara Maharaja
    If Dhanurdhara Maharaja would like to develop a               from potential attacks from former students harboring ill
preaching field during the next five years, then he may select    feelings. Dhanurdhara Maharaja should show deference
one of the four above-mentioned geographical areas as his         to his former students. For instance, if he is visiting or
preaching territory. Before beginning to preach in that area      residing at a temple outside his specified geographical area


          Official Decision on the Case of Dhanurdhara Maharaja   *   ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection   ©   9

during the five year period and a former student is there and           Dhanurdhara Maharaja may initiate            any currently
irritated by the presence of Dhanurdhara Maharaja, then              aspiring disciples whose name appears on the list that he
Dhanurdhara Maharaja should leave. This panel agrees to              will provide to the Child Protection Office. Any person
allow Dhanurdhara Maharaja to visit and reside in temples            whose name is not on this list, which the Child Protection
outside his specified geographical area during the restricted        Office must receive from Dhanurdhara Maharaja within
time period because we feel that Dhanurdhara Maharaja,               one month from the date of this decision, cannot receive
other than in extremely pressured circumstances such as he           initiation from Dhanurdhara Maharaja for two years” from
experienced as Vrndavana gurukula Headmaster, is not a               the date of this Official Decision. Initiations of persons whose
danger to children. However, as described above, we feel he          names appear on the list may take place within his specified
should be restricted from assuming any position implying             geographical area, or by mail. After two years from the date
leadership. It is expected that Dhanurdhara Maharaja will            of this Official Decision Dhanurdhara Maharaja may initiate
spend at least 75% of his time preaching in his specified            persons other than those who are currently aspiring to be
geographical area during the period of restriction.                  his disciples, although these initiation ceremonies must
                                                                     take place within his specified geographical area or by
B. Accepting Disciples                                               mail for the duration of the five year period of restriction.
   Dhanurdhara Maharaja must show this Official Decision             ‘That is, as of Oct. 28, 2001, Dhanurdhara Maharaja may
to all his disciples and aspiring disciples, and he must ensure      initiate disciples who are not on the list of currently aspiring
that they read the entirety of this document. ‘This isa   lifetime   disciples, although Dhanurdhara Maharaja may not perform
injunction. This directive is to ensure that his disciples and       initiation ceremonies outside his specified geographical area
aspiring disciples are informed, and also to protect them.           until Oct, 28, 2004.
That is, by being informed about the past their spiritual life          If Dhanurdhara Maharaja does not comply with all of
and faith will less likely be damaged in the future if they          the injunctions mentioned in this section of the Official
are to hear about prior activities of Dhanurdhara Maharaja           Decision (section VI B), concerning accepting disciples,
when he was principal of the Vrndavana gurukula.                     then this non-compliance may be grounds for suspension
   For the duration of the five-year period of restriction,          of his initiation privileges.
each disciple and aspiring disciple must send a signed                  With the above injunctions this panel is in no way
statement to the Child Protection Office stating that he or          commenting on Dhanurdhara Maharaja’s qualification to
she has read this Official Decision. Dhanurdhara Maharaja            serve as a diksa guru. If the ISKCON Governing Body
must send a list of all his disciples and aspiring disciples         Commission allows Dhanurdhara Maharaja to initiate
to the Child Protection Office by one month from the                 disciples, then his service in this capacity must be con-
date of this Official Decision. The Child Protection Office          strained according to the directives described above. This
must receive a signed statement from all of Dhanurdhara              panel respects the choice of devotees who wish to take
Maharaja's initiated disciples, indicating that they have            initiation from Dhanurdhara Maharaja, though we have also
read this document, within three months of this Official             concluded that some restrictions in this capacity are requisite
Decision. For the duration of the five-year period of                due to his past transgressions concerning mistreatment of
restriction the Child Protection Office must receive a               children, and we have also determined that it is important
signed statement from all aspiring disciples of Dhanurdhara          that his disciples and aspiring disciples be informed of his
Maharaja before they are initiated.                                  past to some extent. Further, this panel wishes to express
   Though it is a lifetime directive that Dhanurdhara Maha-          herein that the position of guru entails providing shelter,
raja must ensure that all his aspiring disciples read this entire    and Dhanurdhara Maharaja's past indiscretions regarding
Official Decision before taking initiation, the regulation that      children involved failure to adequately provide shelter, both
aspiring disciples must send a signed statement to the Child         material and spiritual, for dependents.
Protection Office indicating that they have read this Official
                                                                     C. Financial Recompense
Decision is extant only for the five year period. Strictures in
this regard during the five year period are described above.            After ensuring a minimum standard of living for a
If Dhanurdhara Maharaja would like to initiate disciples             renounced sannyasi, Dhanurdhara Maharaja must donate at
after the five year period, then before the end of the five year     least 50% of any donations that he receives, as guru daksina
period he must send the Child Protection Office a signed             or otherwise, during the five year period of restriction, to
statement declaring that he will not initiate any disciples          projects directly benefiting Vaisnava youth, such as the
before they have read this entire Official Decision.                 Vendavana gurukula or Children of Krishna. As part of


         Official Decision on the Case ofDhanurdhara Maharaja           ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection    ©   10

this 50%, Dhanurdhara Maharaja should provide funding             G. Relationship with Former Students
for a child abuse victim from the Vrndavana gurukula to                Dhanurdhara Maharaja should continue his efforts to
spend a week in Vrndavana every year. Former students who         make amends with those who suffered under his care when
contributed statements to the case file of this case can select   they were children.
which former student will go to Vrndavana each year. The
former student who visits Vrndavana is invited to inspect         H.. Case Record

the current Vrndavana gurukula and give recommendations                Full documentation of this case is in the ICOCP. This
to the present administration of the school. This program         documentation is open to review at the discretion of the
must    be   coordinated   with    the   management    of the     ICOCP. This panel strongly recommends that if someone
Vendavana gurukula.                                               wants to read the case files, then all the case files should
                                                                  be read. Otherwise, there is a substantial possibility that
D. Managing Within ISKCON                                         an accurate and balanced understanding of this Official
     As a lifetime restriction, Dhanurdhara Maharaja must         Decision will not be attained.
not assume any management position in ISKCON. He
                                                                  L.   Failure to Comply with this Decision
is encouraged to inspire others to establish and manage
temples, print and distribute books, and develop other                 If Dhanurdhara Maharaja violates any of the points

preaching projects, but he himself should never hold any          of this decision, then his connection with ISKCON will

position of management. This injunction results from the          be suspended until his case is reviewed by this panel. As
fact that many of the difficulties in the Vrndavana gurukula      described above, Dhanurdhara Maharaja has been steadily
were due to his failings as a manager.                            cooperative with ISKCON’s attempts to resolve this case.
                                                                  This panel humbly requests him to continue in that mood
E. Vaisnava Association and Relationships                         by abiding by this Official Decision.
     From studying the case files this panel has determined
                                                                  J.   Appeal of this Decision
that one of the causes of the inhumanity that occurred
                                                                       According to the ISKCON Child Protection Task Force
in   the Vrndavana gurukula under the supervision            of
                                                                  Report, Section 5, Dhanurdhara Maharaja may appeal
Dhanurdhara Maharaja was the lack of healthy personal
                                                                  this Official Decision to the GBC Executive Committee
relationships amongst the staff, headed by Dhanurdhara
                                                                  within six months of the date of the Official Decision. The
Maharaja. Further, we have heard many testimonies from
                                                                  Official Decision described in this document is effective
which we conclude that Dhanurdhara Maharaja was large-
                                                                  immediately, and Dhanurdhara Maharaja must abide by its
ly impervious to constructive feedback regarding his man-
                                                                  guidelines during the appeal process, should he choose to
agement of the school and his interpersonal relationships.
                                                                  appeal this decision.
This panel recommends that Dhanurdhara Maharaja receive
some form of training in interpersonal relations.
                                                                  VIL. ISKCON’s REsrPonsIBILITY
     We realize that for a Vaisnava, and especially for a
sannyasi, there may be deleterious effects from intimately             Several gurukula veterans who contributed to the case
associating with a non-Vaisnava in a counseling relationship.     file of this case commented that, more than Dhanurdhara
Therefore, Dhanurdhara Maharaja may take shelter in               Maharaja, all of ISKCON leadership was responsible for
a Vaisnava in whom he has faith in a relationship of              the abuse and decadence of their gurukula experience, and
spiritual counseling. For at least the next year Dhanurdhara      this panel concurs with this perspective. Although there
Maharaja must receive counseling from someone approved            are of course varying opinions on shares of responsibility,
by the Child Protection Office, or he must take shelter of        one Vrndavana gurukuli, upon being asked “How much of
a Vaisnava in good-standing in ISKCON. The counselor or           what happened to you do you hold Dhanurdhara Maharaja
Vaisnava must submit a report on the status of Dhanurdhara        responsible for?” replied “not so much, the society put him
Maharaja to the Child Protection Office approximately one         there. The society has the responsibility because they should
year after the date of this Official Decision.                    monitor.” Upon being asked “How much do you hold
                                                                  ISKCON tesponsible for?” he replied “All one-hundred
E. Publications in ISKCON                                         percent. They brought my parents, you trust us. You put your
     For the duration of the five year period of restriction,     child in our hands. To say we will take care of your child.”
any books written by Dhanurdhara Maharaja must not be             In the course of reviewing the case file several allegations of
advertised in official ISKCON publications.                       child neglect and physical, emotional, and sexual child abuse



          Official Decision on the Case ofDhanurdhara Maharaja         ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection   ©   11

against many persons other than Dhanurdhara Maharaja                Bhusaya dasa, Kalakantha dasa, and Dhira Govinda dasa.
surfaced, as did accusations of cover-up and negligence             The Director of ICOCP at the time of this Official Decision
in addressing reports of child abuse. ‘The Child Protection         was Dhira Govinda dasa.
Office will investigate and process all of these cases. Further,
ISKCON leadership was responsible for gross neglect in the              Footnote 1: Kalakantha dasa, Laxmimoni dasi, and Sesa dasa
failure to provide minimally acceptable resources for the           favored a five year period of restriction. Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja
children of Srila Prabhupada’s movement. We apologize               agrees with the mood and content of this Official Decision, though
to the young Vaisnavas who suffered as children in the              he feels the period of restriction should be less than five years, due
                                                                    to the period of time for which Dhanurdhara Maharaja has already
ISKCON gurukula system, and especially the Vrndavana
                                                                    been restricted, as well as the number of times that Dhanurdhara
gurukula, and we beseech the ISKCON leadership to do
                                                                    Maharaja has already been tried for the transgressions described
all that is necessary to ensure that such child neglect and
                                                                    in this Official Decision. Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja suggested a
child abuse will never again happen in our Vaisnava society.        period of restriction of two or three years. Bhusaya dasa and
We pray that this Official Decision sends a strong statement,       Dhira Govinda dasa favored a period of restriction of eight years.
not only that teachers and administrators cannot mistreat           The final conclusion of the panel, therefore, is that the period of
children without incurring consequences in ISKCON, but              restriction is for five years.

also that the neglect and abuse of children in our society is
                                                                        Footnote 2: After the panel resolved a five-year period of
an intolerable injustice and must not continue.
                                                                    restriction for preaching within ISKCON for Dhanurdhara
   ISKCON leaders responsible for setting priorities in
                                                                    Maharaja, a proposal was presented by a panel member that
Srila Prabhupada’s movement grossly neglected the proper
                                                                    the period of restriction for accepting disciples should be two
care of ISKCON’s children. This neglect did much to bring           years instead. of five years. Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja, Sesa dasa,
about the sufferings reported in this case, and therefore all       Laxmimoni dasi, and Kalakantha dasa favored this proposal,
of ISKCON leadership must accept its share of the burden            and. Bhusaya dasa and Dhira Govinda dasa did not favor this
for what happened in the Vrndavana gurukula. Although               proposal. As a result of this 4 to 2 vote, the period of restriction
Dhanurdhara Maharaja is responsible for his misbehavior,            for accepting disciples is two years.

he was not singly responsible for the neglect and tyranny
in the school. ISKCON leaders demonstrated appalling                    [Signatures]
neglect of social concerns, and this was very apparent in the
dearth of resources provided to the Vrndavana gurukula.                 Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja              Kalakantha dasa
   Members of the adjudicative panel in this case were                  Sesa dasa                           Bhusaya dasa
Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja,       Laxmimoni      dasi,   Sesa   dasa,       Laxmimoni dasi                      Dhira Govinda dasa




         Official Decision on the Case ofDhanurdhara Maharaja          ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection        ©    12