Bir Krishna Goswami Tells Disciple to Stay Silent about Lokanath, 2015-2021

In 2015, one of Bir Krishna Goswami’s female disciples read Satya’s 2010 public statements. This female disciple then asked Bir Krishna Goswami about the Lokanath child molestation case and his involvement in it, and he confirmed to his disciple that “yes, Satya’s account is what Lokanath confessed to [him] (and a team of others).” He asked her to remain silent for the sake of the society’s reputation, and if she could not remain silent, then she should avoid Lokanath.

This was not the first time that Bir Krishna Goswami knew about a case of child abuse and covered it up. In 2009, Bir Krishna Goswami concealed a child abuser in the Hillsborough, North Carolina community, an abuser who had previously sexually abused a child in another country.

Because Bir Krishna Goswami concealed a child abuser in his community, in 2011, the GBC issued a public censure to Bir Krishna Goswami in their 2011 Resolutions.

From the GBC Body’s letter to Bir Krishna Goswami:

“… you failed to properly report the incident to local authorities, or later to the CPO. Most significantly, the local community and householders were not notified or made or aware of this potential threat, contrary to ISKCON Law 3.5.5.1.3.9.

This put the community at risk and created serious potential exposure to repetition of these incidents.” https://gbc.iskcon.org/2011/

In 2021, when Lokanath’s child molestation case became more public, Bir Krishna Goswami contacted this disciple asking her to stop speaking publicly about the Lokanath case because her comments were “disturbing the disciples.” She pointed out that “Lokanath’s actions” and the actions of the GBC members who covered this up were the root of the problem and if Lokanath’s disciples were disturbed by him molesting a child, it was not because of her. She asked that this case be handled properly by finally going to the ISKCON Child Protection Office.

Note: Recently another ISKCON initiating guru asked his disciples to remain silent about a child abuser. When Dhanurdhara was trying to re-enter ISKCON as an initiating guru in 2020 (after he left on his own accord in 2006), Guru Prasad Swami told his disciples to remain silent, and not speak out about the abuses Dhanurdhara committed. Guru Prasad Swami went further to say that the victims were lying about their abuse. Guru Prasad Swami blamed the victims and their families, and portrayed Dhanurdhara as the victim. Guru Prasad Swami said that if his disciples commented on Dhanurdhara as a child abuser, they were committing offenses against a Vaishnava.

GURU PRASAD SWAMI – DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE

One month after Bir Krishna Goswami wrote to his female disciple asking her to again remain silent about Lokanath’s child molestation (first time was in 2015), Bir Krishna Goswami’s other male disciple wrote to her as well, asking her to remain silent, and threatening that she will get some kind of reaction if she does not remove her post, stating that by her asking for accountability for the abuse perpetrated by Lokanath, that he “knows for certain” she is “endangering” her relationship with Krishna, Guru, and the Vaishnavas and she is committing Vaishnava aparadha. The female disciple told the male disciple that if the GBC and Lokanath behaved properly, there would be no need for grassroots action.

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September 24-25, 2021

Communication between Bir Krishna Goswami and his female disciple.

BKG: My request is that you dont’ post anything further about Lokanatha Maharaj publicly. The matter is being dealt with and your statements are disturbing his disciples who are innocent persons caught in the middle of this.

Female Disciple: Excuse me, my actions are not disturbing his disciples and I will not take responsibility nor be blamed for their disturbance.

Lokanath’s actions are the root of this. The GBC including you are also the root of this. You yourself admitted to me that had you know the extent of abuse within our society you and your team never would’ve handled the situation as you did.

I am absolutely appalled that you would turn this around and attempt to make me the victimizer of his ‘innocence disciples’.

The thing I would have hoped most of this situation is you admitting you were wrong to ever ask me to hold his and your secret regarding the matter, prolonging the hurt and depth of hurt his disciples are feeling.

Your actions have created 5 years of me feeling dirty and have triggered post traumatic stress from events which occurred in my own childhood when not once but three separate times friends asked me to hold the secret of their sexual abuse and as a child I did, only to know as a grown up they were abused for years and had I told this would have changed.

Absolutely your request for me to not post anything further is legitimate, if this case actually is being passed on to the CPO.

However how you handled this case and me have absolutely damaged our relationship.

I am simply trying to please Srila Prabhupada, as are you I have so much respect and admiration for your example in so many areas. However this was a mistake and I along with so many others have become the victims. I make mistakes too and have to ask for forgiveness. I am ready to offer forgiveness but have to say your above request fallowed by directing blame at me, furthers my feelings of sadness and pain. How could my Guru do this? To implement me in this dirty secret and then tell me I’m disturbing others when I refuse to play along.

I’m so sad to have this scar in our relationship

BKG: I am not asking you to change your feelings. I am just saying that trial by Facebook is not appropriate and will not change anything.

Female Disciple: Thank you for acknowledging my feelings and my right to feel them and work through them.

Additionally I completely agree trial by social media is not appropriate, unfortunately the appropriate process was ignored by those who should have dealt with it.

As uncomfortable as it is for those who ignored or purposefully failed to appropriately handle this case it is only because of the attention being raised on social media that anything is changing.

I hope someday our relationship can heal from this and look forward to seeing your empower position work first in righting the wrong that has happened in regards to the case and then hope we have time to heal what it has done to our relationship

BKG: My comments were not specifically about LS. This is not about how it is affecting him. It is about others on the periphery such as his disciples, who are aware of what transpired. However the continual reminders on the internet are like rubbing salt onto wounds for them.

The process dealing with LS is happening. Whatever will happen will happen. I am not privy to it nor am I part of its decision making process. My concern is simply for those on the periphery. Their needs are important too as are your.

Mine are insignificant

Female Disciple: I want you to know that every single time I post, comment or even ‘like’ on social media I try to first think will this help others think of Krsna. If the answer is no I don’t do it. Two years ago I removed every single person whose posts didn’t help me think of Krsna.

I am extremely cautious about how I interact with each person. And try to be very guarded in my use of Social Media.

That said the interactions I have had with each of Lokanaths disciples and periphery people have been full of respect, and compassion for the position they are in. And with that I have still taken the time to ensure the truth it s what is being spoken.

In addition to a handful of comments I have posted regarding the Lokanath case I have also spent hours in prayer for his disciples both as a group and for individuals who have posted terrible hate letters to others in defense of their guru. Krsna they know not what they are doing.

I appreciate your encouragement to protect the innocent, as after all that is what this is all about.

I recognize the need to be responsible on social media. I am willing to take a break from online comments regarding this case as you have ensured me that proper due process is occurring.

I realize this due process most likely will bring to light the mistakes you and your team made years ago and I am praying for you and the others who let this happen. Like the spider who built Sri Rama’s bridge I understand my position but still I will pray.

In closing I want to say that I am thankful to you for attempting to protect me from any Vaishnava aparadha my online comments might create. And yet I have to tell you this communication of yours is very painful to me. In our 20 year relationship you have never once initiated contact with me. When we spoke a few months ago I . . . and that I myself am in the most vulnerable position I have ever been in, in my life.

And rather than check in on me or reach out to encourage me regarding any of these things, you contacted me to request me to continue to help save face in a lie you absolutely are involved in. It feels terrible that this is what you reached out to me about. All I can do is teaming grateful for the people Krsna has placed into my life to support and encourage me despite the reversals I am experiencing.

And continue to pray that healing is possible between you and I.

(screenshot of her interactions with one of Lokanath’s disciples)

BKG: I did not reach out to to save face. That’s a terrible accusation. I reached out to you because some ls disciples asked me to. To help them in their pain. I don’t even know what you posted nor have I read any of it

Be careful before you accuse someone of something.

Someone asks me for help I respond

I don’t care what some writes about me at all

Female Disciple: In Aug of 2015 I read Satya’s description of Lokanaths behavior and your involvement in handling the case.

I came to you seeking a fuller understanding and you explain to me that yes, Satyas account is what Lokanath confessed to you (and a team of others). You then told me that had you and your team known the extent of abuse that was in our society you never would have handled the situation the way that you did. I asked you how I should handle situations where Lokanaths disciples or others present his lectures, kirtans or speak of him. You told me I should avoid these situations and if I can’t to stay silent. You told me that for the truth to come out would cause to much upset for the thousands of his disciples and ISKCON India.

What I understood was that in order to save the appearance of a healthy society (face) I was to stay silent, keep the secret.

When the GBC publicly acknowledged the accusations and made a resolution that the case would finally be handled by the CPO (and then weeks later secretly recanted this decision) it caused a ripple and from this ripple many people began to speak lies. In the wake of this I have done nothing but reinforce the truth and then attempt to offer love, support and damage control., (none of which ever should have been my job but there it was for someone to do).

Through this I also have begun the process of healing from the position you put me into when you asked me to hold the secret.

I have repeated told you when you did this to me it cause me pain. And not once have you responded to me acknowledging your actions. You did say if someone asked for help you will respond. So I am asking for help. Will you please help me heal from the situation you put me into, when you asked me to keep Lokanaths actions a secret? Will you please help me heal? Will you please pray for my continued advancement in Krishna consciousness? Will you please speak to me about anything other than this case because I am every day struggling to add Krsna to my life that is full of hardships, such as … And for the first time you are reaching out to me but only because some other person asked you for help, when they accused me of inappropriate posts. And you believed them when you self admitted you never even took the time to see what I was writing, and never asked me what I was writing.

This whole conversation between you and I is absolutely terrible. I love Srila Prabhupada and will do my best to chant attentively every day and read from his books and love each person recognizing them as precious to Krishna. I am not nor will I ever be one of your ‘golden’ disciples but I pray you at least will not discredit me to our beloved Srila Prabhupada. I am sure I have by now completely qualified myself as offensive and in closing know no other action than to ask for forgiveness for this.

BKG: Dear [Female Disciple],

Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thanks for sharing what you posted.

Actually you got what I said wrong. I said if I knew about the new allegations and the extent of them I would have acted differently. there are allegations that I wasnt aware of and have not been proven that were not known in the beginning about the same person, not our society. I perhaps did not express it clearly enough. I have not asked you to keep anyone’s actions a secret. All the allegations are completely public. I wanted our conversation to be confidential, which was not honored. I have no new allegations. I was aware of new allegation by reading the public internet. Anyway you can say anything you want about me publicly or otherwise. I just am concerned for the devotees who contacted me.

I hope this meets you in good health.

your ever well-wisher,

Bir Krishna das Goswami

Female Disciple: Thank you for this explanation. Based on what I understood I felt it was best to share. I am sorry that based on my understanding I broke your confidence.

I don’t know what you heard but want to express that I have never spoken anything disrespectful about you, and have even defended you and your dedication to Srila Prabhupada. In one comment I posted (which is in a screenshot I posted above,) I said “HH Bir Krishna Goswami is absolutely doing his best to serve Srila Prabhupada and is in good standing amongst ISKCON, despite his inaction in the dealing with of Lokanath…”

I know this situation is not easy for all of us who have become entangled into it. I will continue to pray for you and him and all of us. And hope you will pray for me that I might be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and succeed in remembering Krsna more and more every day. I am trying so hard!!!

BKG: I am pleased with you. We are all doing the best we can given a very difficult situation. dont worry

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October 24, 2021

Communication between Bir Krishna Goswami’s male disciple and Bir Krishna Goswami’s female disciple.

Male Disciple: whatever you’re hearing from the likes of the leaders of this witch-hunt against Maharaja is simply imagination, at best. Again, you are free to think and say whatever you like, but you’re never free from the reactions of those statements, especially when made publicly.

Additional to my own personal pain, and the potential pain that this may cause my wife, I’m deeply concerned with your own well-being. Even if there were Vaisnava aparadha committed by someone, responding with additional aparadha is no solution at all.

In conclusion, please continue to do as you think best regarding participation in whatever Krishna consciousness there may be, including TOVP events. But when you make public statements to this effect, KNOW FOR CERTAIN that you are endangering your relationship with Krishna, Guru, and all struggling Vaisnavas. Please take down that post.

Female Disciple: I can understand that it is especially hard because you were led to believe a certain set of circumstances existed and based on those circumstances, you were led to believe just actions had taken place and all of this was supposed to be in the past.

Unfortunately the circumstances that were presented to the GBC originally were not the full truth.

Here is a direct quote from BKG in a recent personal message to me. Regarding what was know at the time and what is now know.

“…if I knew about the new allegations and the extent of them I would have acted differently. there are allegations that I wasnt aware of … that were not known in the beginning about the same person (LS).”

I have not met Satya but I have read her statements. Upon doing so 5 years ago, I immediately contacted BKG because of his involvement and my desire to understand the truth. He let me know that the allegations against LS are 100% true and that the course of action the GBC took was not substantial enough in handling the case. He also let me know that even the recommended course of actions from the GBC from back in the 90’s in fact have not been followed.

He confided in me that it would be best if more could be done and then have in so many words told me at this point the greater priority is preserving disciples of LS rather than retrospective justice.

I asked how I should behave in the association of those who present LS’s Kirtans and lecture. BKG advised me to avoid LS and any situation involving him and if I cannot that I should basically pretend I don’t know.

For 5 years I have been made to feel dirty by having to hold this secret. It has been traumatic for me. As a child I attended three different schools and in each of them I had a different friend who was actively being sexually abused by her parent, each of them confided in me and asked me to keep it a secret so that her parent did not get in trouble. As an adult I now recognize that if I had spoken up I could have stopped 3 girls from receiving further abuse. As an adult I will not be closeted. By allowing LS and others with actions like his to go unchecked we have created a society that harvers abusers. It is rampant and it is beyond time for that to change.

I am sorry this necessary re-opening of the case, based on facts that those who were closer to the case than you were not aware of, is difficult to process, and is causing you and so many others pain.

I am even more sorry that those who should be acting (GBC who now has more knowledge) and should be minimizing the effect for deciples like your wife are not. It is there (the GBC’s) in-action which is requiring this grassroots action to take place.

They are then trying to gaslight us into believing that we are the ones damaging LS disciples rather than they themselves. I will not be subjected by this abuse.

My post is genuine and honest!!! Myself and many others had to miss out on something that should have been a grand celebration for all, because the GPC failed to follow their own guidelines! And we refuse to pretend that that is okay.

Enclosing I again reiterate that I am sorry for your pain but beg of you to identify the true source of your pain which is not this grassroots call for proper justice to be served but the actions which are being held accountable and have stemmed this whole crack in Srila Prabhupadas beautiful society.

I beg you to please write LS and ask him to step down as an ISKCON guru and continue his preaching from a platform that more represents who he truely is.