LOKANATH CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASE
By Saraswati Devi
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
A friend of mine wrote on FB about her recent experience in an ISKCON temple of bringing her 4 year old daughter to the temple and having to see a photo of a child molester prominently displayed on the altar. In the comments she mentioned “our society has lost hundreds of second generation devotees because of this” and that hit me.
I remember as teenagers standing outside of the Detroit temple with this same friend listening to our gurukuli brother confide the horrific abuse he suffered in gurukula, and I cried. I still cry thinking about it.
Around the same time, I remember a devotee visiting from Philadelphia and glorifying Dhanurdhara and my friend let him know real quick that Dhanurdhara caused a lot of suffering to his students and to please not glorify him around her. I was more sheltered, so it was eye opening for me.
A few months after that, I went to Vrindavan to study Bhakti Shastri and a boy about my age, 17, was at the place I was staying, and he was showing me and a friend photos of boys’ limbs and bodies being badly bruised & marked and he said “Dhanurdhara did this.” These and more stories have stayed with me.
I now have kids of my own who are in an ISKCON school. I serve on an ISKCON Child Protection Team. ISKCON has been my family for the last 40+ years and I want to see the children protected as they should have been for my peers, for my gurukuli brothers and sisters whose lives were forever harmed at the hands of so-called spiritual authorities.
This is a video of child molester Lokanath Swami initiating a child at the Alachua ISKCON temple (largest ISKCON community in North America) in 2019, while the community cheered him on. In the video, Lokanath says to the temple president Mukhya before she made a speech, “You demanded that I come.”
https://lokanath.net/lokanath-swami-initiates-child-in-iskcon-alachua-temple-room-august-2019/
In Mukhya’s speech, she praises the female initiate for being “chaste” while she is getting initiated by a self-admitted child molester.
Mukhya says to the child initiate (12:02), “You’ll be a good example for your brother, and for all your friends at school. This is something that everyone in our gurukula will see is happening and say, I want this for my life also.”
In 1993, CAP Behavior Associates evaluated Lokanath and “strongly suggested” that he never be alone with a woman or child – not because he was a sannyasi, these were professionals, unaffiliated with ISKCON – but because of what he might do to the woman or child. (Portion of that psychiatric report at the bottom:
https://lokanath.net/gbcs-untruthful-account-of-incident-february-1999 )
In 1990, the same year Lokanath sexually abused a child, the ISKCON GBC resolved:
“e) Any confirmed child abuser may never again serve in association with children in any ISKCON project. The Board will also make available to all ISKCON educational projects and temples the names of all accused, admitted, confirmed or convicted child abusers.”
Except… Lokanath’s name was never added to the list of abusers. Badrinarayan said in 1998, “I just cannot see listing his name along with all the other offenders.” https://lokanath.net/emails-showing-gbc-members-blocked-cpo-investigation-of-lokanath-in-1998
After the GBC was done investigating Lokanath in 1993, his name was never added to the list of abusers that the ISKCON Child Protection Office keeps, even though he was a confirmed child abuser. For the last 24 years, the GBC has been blocking their own ISKCON Child Protection Office from handling the Lokanath case.
Per the GBC Resolution above, Lokanath falls into the category of “confirmed child abuser serving in association with children.” Not just serving, but giving spiritual guidance to a child, formally accepting the child as his disciple. The GBC resolved that confirmed child abusers can not serve with children. So how is it that Lokanath is initiating a child? ISKCON leaders are endorsing behavior that goes exactly opposite of what they have written into their Resolutions. ISKCON leadership is endorsing a self-admitted child molester as an initiating guru.
From the same 1990 GBC Resolution, “The Board will also make available to all ISKCON educational projects and temples the names of all accused, admitted, confirmed or convicted child abusers.” Lokanath falls under the “admitted” category, as he has admitted to GBC members, other ISKCON leaders, the Child Protection Office, some of his disciples, and various other devotees that he sexually abused a child. This is Lokanath’s letter of admission from 2010:
https://lokanath.net/lokanath-swami-child-molestation-admission-letter-2010
In another GBC Resolution, from 2018 (the year before Lokanath initiated a child in Alachua):
“No person, who has been determined to have engaged in severe maltreatment of children, will be allowed to remain active in a position of authority or trust within ISKCON, this includes activities such as leading kirtan, giving class, speaking publicly at any ISKCON event or representing ISKCON in official capacities.”
https://lokanath.net/why-were-the-gbc-resolutions-not-followed-with-lokanath-swami
Lokanath sexually abused a child which is considered severe maltreatment of a child. According to this GBC Resolution, he should not have any authority or trust in ISKCON as a leader – no leading kirtan, no giving class, and no speaking publicly at any ISKCON event.
If the GBC had followed through with their promise to Lokanath’s victim in 1994 – that Lokanath would never have held a prominent position in ISKCON again – we would not be here right now.
In 2010, Lokanath’s victim wrote:
“I hated him when I had to see him in public. And to see that this was his punishment? Being given articles to write in BTG, being given accolades as a guru, getting all the priveleges of a sannyasi– this was what his punishment was??” https://lokanath.net/satyas-statements-july-2010
The GBC did not keep their promise and have lied to the victim, compounding the abuse for 30 years.
At the same time in 2019 that Lokanath was touring North America, New Jersey expanded its statute of limitations for civil sexual assault cases, making it possible for Lokanath to be sued for sexual assault against a child.
Lokanath initiated a child as his disciple, while open to being sued for sexual assault against a child. https://njcasa.org/find-help/civil-statue-of-limitations/
The original video was titled “Lokanath Swami’s Youngest Disciple Ever!” and had over 2,400 views before it was changed to Private on February 1, 2022.
The Panel appointed by the GBC to look at the Lokanath case is preparing to present its report and recommendations to the GBC Executive Committee. We hope, pray, and encourage ISKCON leaders to finally do what should have been done nearly a quarter century earlier: turn Lokanath’s child molestation case over to the ISKCON Child Protection Office.
Your servant,
Saraswati
Letter from Satya dasi
Satya: to all those who have reached out and encouraged me with your support
Lokanath – sum total of demigods with “minor mishap”
Open letter to Lokanath alias “Swami”
Open Letter to all so-called Disciples of Lokanath alias Swami!
https://docsbay.net/lokanath-swamis-case
http://www.iskcontruth.com/2012/10/lokanatha-swami-molested-me-says-satya.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiLYMxNu0nQ
Lokanath Swami Expose Site Returns: https://lokanath.net/
Hare Krishna,all the guru hoaxes get disgusted in different ways as a reaction of their betrayment to HDG acbsp, anyway it’s the same soup in the history by repeating the same action and reaction in ordinary people who need to renew their nasty karma,this mean to waste time I mean almost all of his life gone in the wrong direction and fools still follow him,he is still in time to given up his false position by surrendering everything to his guru , because one lose everything if one keep going in the wrong track,I wish him good luck ,feel sorry to see things going like this f-iskcon, agtacbsp ys haribol
Pamho agtacbsp, this scandal is not part of our sampradaya history and this is the proof that they are powerless by refusing the FINAL ORDER OF SRILA PRABHUPADA therefore they will be powerless until they accepted the final instruction of our guru maharaj, they can’t keep even their false position as guru safe, because it must be given by a acharya there is not room for self promote guru. And the reaction is full of shame because things go always wrong for such offenders of SSGG, anyway is just for fools to do that while in the fake position of guru to make the small donkey more aware that they are serving a ordinary person in the guise of sannyasi but not everyone understand that by accepting him still as a real guru. Anyway we are safe with SRILA PRABHUPADA ONLY we don’t want more crap since the world world is still mixed with crap hh lokanath swami is the clear example of someone who lost everything religion reputation respect etc..there is not nothing more disgusting than get this vikarma for a sannyasu guru…..agtacbsp ys haribol
The fact that this molester is mounting a lawsuit whilst already admitting guilt (in writing!) just goes to show how stupid this guy is! The ISKCON CPO still want to worship fake, unauthorized, ‘gender-inverted’ gooroos such as Sivarama and Bir Krishna (and expect children to worship the ground they walk on!), which is like the frog trusting that the ‘scorpion on it’s back’ will not sting sting it as it swims across the river!
These “gurukulas” are ‘nonsense indoctrination centers’ WHERE IS THE GURU? IF YOU SEND YOUR KID TO THESE ‘SLAUGHTER-HOUSES, YOU NEED A GOOD HORSE-WHIPPING! …… FURTHERMORE IF YOU WANT A “DONATION” FROM ME FOR YOUR ‘DEFENSE LEGAL TEAM’ YOU ARE REALLY IN ILLUSION! ………. I WOULD NOT SEND A PENNY PIECE! YOU DON’T NEED A LEGAL TEAM TO DEFEND AGAINST AN IDIOT WHO HAS ALREADY ADMITTED GUILT! GET REAL!
Pamho agtacbsp, actually we come in this world as robbers with the desire to enjoy what we are able to steal because nothing belong to us therefore we get robbed by the material nature at the end everything get lost ,this is the material world the greatest robbery to SRI KRSNA BUT SRI KRSNA ROBBED EVERYONE ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE DEVOTEES IN THE GUISE OF SANNYASI while addicted to enjoy young girls therefore as soon as one take birth in the material world as soon as one get robbed and the material wealth is cancala never stay in one place because of robbery if we don’t want to get rob we need to practice KRSNA SMARANA SERIOUSLY BY DESTROYING THE SIN FROM THE ROOT BY CHANTING HARE KRSNA WITH STRONG FAITH SRNVANTAM SVA KATHA KRSNA PUNYA SRAVANA KIRTANAH to avoid to do the same mistake of our previous lives.by don’t cheat by taking a fake position because maybe will make clear who you are ,they can’t escape to be punish by someone superior to them.agtacbsp ys haribol
Pamho agtacbsp, more we steal and more we get stolen by robbery, more we try to enjoy and more we suffer ,this is the material world full of duality and unless one is able to engage the senses in the service of the master of the senses properly one get more trapped in the nasty duality of this stink world,SRILA PRABHUPADA SAID: ONE CAN GET OUT OF THE THREE GUNAS OF MATERIAL WORLD BY UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY ARE WORKING AND EVERYTHING IS WORKING SCIENTIFICALLY UNDER THE SUPREME CONTROLLER SRI KRSNA BHAGAVAT,agtacbsp ys haribol
Pamho agtacbsp, so if one cheat will get cheated as happen to this so called guru sannyasi,after more then 40 years of so called spiritual life but if it was really spiritual life this scandal was not happen it happened because of nama aparadha while a real guru is situated in suddha nama beyond the stage of namabhasa, all this happened because they don’t follow SRILA PRABHUPADA PROPERLY,anyway they will get there after smashing their false ego repeatedly until they will understand that their misconceptions are wrongly in the opposite side of our guru maharaj .agtacbsp ys haribol
ISKCON Child Protection Office philosophy is:
“We agree to keep worshipping ‘gender-inverted’, lying, usurping, mendacious, ‘scorpions’, (and instructing children to do the same!) ….. JUST AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT MANIFEST THEIR ‘TRUE NATURE!’ CAUSE WHEN THEY DO, ‘WE OURSELVES ARE COMPLETELY BLAMELESS!’