Sunday, April 15, 2012

Rishi Taavi Kassila Replies

“Rishi Taavi Kassila" has responded to serious allegations made about  his sexual misconduct on the internet (mostly in Finnish)  and repeated on our blog Amma Amritanandamayi Taavi Kassila Sex Scandal Cover-up, but Kassila is not admitting anything.

Rishi Tavi Kassila's comment comes at the end of our blog post  Amma Monk Threatens Woman He Infected With Herpes.

 Although the poster's name is listed on blogger.com as 'Unknown' we believe that Taavi Kassila is the source because the writer:
  1. states that his name is "Rishi" and "Taavi Kassila" 
  2.  uses the Amma form of address "Dear One!"
  3. expresses a concern about Amma's public reputation
  4. repeats several spurious distancing claims found in the Ammma Finland, Amma Amritapuri, Kerala, India emergency public statement about Taavi Kassila
  5. Taavi Kassila needs to respond this critics
  6. Taavi Kassila also contacted the author of "The Story of Love's Apostle (Tarina rakkauden apostolista)" about the same time that “Rishi Kassila” wrote on our Amma Amritanandamayi Taavi Kassila Sex Scandal Cover-up
  Amma Amritanandamayi Taavi Kassila Sex Scandal Cover-up readers would like a full explanation from Taavi Kassila in response to the very public accusations against him. If Taavi Kassila really wants to protect Amma's reputation then he should take full responsibility for his actions, confess and make amends to his victims. Taavi Kassila could also explain why he preaches celibacy and uses his Amma role to trap naive women.

We do not accept that Taavi Kassila is a nobody in the Amma Amritanandamayi organization. Taavi Kassila is an instructor, organizer, promoter, honorary chairman and PR manager in the Amma organization. If this has changed then Taavi Kassila and the Amma group should make a clear statement about when this happened and why they quietly deleted all evidence of Taavi Kassila from their Amma site

We request the supposed humanitarian Amma to show if she does protect her "children" against Taavi Kassila and similar predators. If Amma is not concerned then this blog will focus on her behavior and problems in the heart of her Amritpuri ashram.

The “Rishi Taavi Kassila” inadequate comment is reprinted here:
29 March 2012
Dear One! I have been made aware of the blog that has been started at http://amma-taavi-kassila-sex-cover-up.blogspot.in/  
I am deeply pained that the name of Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, and her ashram, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, have been dragged into this situation, which they are not at all responsible.
I would like to make certain things clear:
1. It should be clearly understood that I am not a monk at Amma’s ashram, initiated or otherwise. Out of an interest in trying to lead a spiritual life, I have chosen to live there just like thousands of other people around the world.
2. It is true that Amma has given me the name “Rishi”, but this is only because I asked her for a “spiritual name”. Amma has given such names to thousands upon thousands of people throughout the world. All you have to do is ask. The names are given as a reminder of a goal to be lived up to by the named, not as an indicator of some spiritual achievement.
It is true that I have spoken about the benefits of celibacy in the media, but at the same time I said that a relationship was possible for me, since I have never taken any vow of celibacy, formal or otherwise.
If I have hurt anyone, I apologize. It is unfair to blame Amma or her ashram, which is doing so much for the poor and suffering throughout the world, for my personal life. To do so is like blaming the doctor for the patient’s disease.
If someone is of the opinion that I have done something wrong, please, blame me, not Amma. I take full responsibility for my action, but not for actions I did not do. Kindly remove the blog or modify it so that Amma’s name is not mentioned at all.
Sincerely,
Taavi Kassila

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for exposing the Amma Amritanandamayi Taavi Kassila sex scandal coverup.

Anonymous said...

Amma's well oiled PR machine is hiding many serious problems and corruption behind a thinly veiled glossy shine. The corruption comes from the heart of Amritpuri. My advice is never go to Amma's ashram because you will be exposed to sicknesses, mental and physical. Amma's hospital is a sham. You could pay dearly with your wallet and your life for bad medical advice.

Anonymous said...

Herpes is a medical condition, not a 'sex scandal.' This sort of talk propagates discrimination against people with STIs or with medical conditions inferred to be sexually transmitted. This is nasty- this man is not a swami or a priest or a brahmachari- leave him alone.

Amma Ashram Kerala said...

Is Taavi Kassila admitting to sex at Amma's Amritpuri ashram?

Anonymous said...

I think he was admitting to being human.

It is clear from the moment that you step into Amma's Ashram that you can not go there to hide from the world. Amma's Ashram is a washing machine filled with the stones of all of our cultures, habits and personalities, chipping away to find the diamonds inside us all. It's not a place to hide. Most that visit with a pure heart will confront their weaknesses... only God knows how or why. It's not an easy place to be- there is refuge, but no excuses or facades. It's not an easy place for a Westerner to be.

I'm Catholic and I found God there more than any where else I've searched, including mass, the Vatican, camps for disabled children, working in third world countries & poor communities, seeing crying statues and working in charity drives.

I understand that not everyone feels the way I do, but please respect our path to feeling peace and love, even if it's not what you think is God... It helps us and gives us respite from the suffering of the world. I would love for you to find the peace and love we get from our Holy Mother, but failing that, I hope that you find contentment in accepting that others choose a path different to yours and that it helps them.

What is truth and what is our objectivity? Peace and happiness are in our minds and hearts, so if it harms no one, then why not let it be?

As Anonymous said, please leave this man alone. There are far greater harms in the world than trying your best to serve God, humankind and the world, but failing and trying to stand up again after stumbling.

In my faith, Jesus talks about how we should look at the log of wood in our own eyes before trying to pick out the splinter in the eyes of others.

I pray that we have the compassion to apply this message to our lives, because it is such a very hard thing to do. I'm forever guilty of judging others harshly, but ultimately this ends up hurting me much more than being able to forgive. I'm sure that you can relate to this feeling too and I hope that you can find the strength of heart to stop attacking others and start helping others; to do your best to make a positive contribution to the world rather than criticising those that may try and not succeed as you would like them to have succeeded.

You must have a good heart to address this topic in the first place- I think that you care greatly about the world and humanity. Well done for asking the tricky questions. But dear Blogger, please have patience with our various answers and tolerance for our differences. We may be worlds apart that does not make either of us bad persons.

Love and respect,

J. - an employed health professional from a place far away from Finland, America and India who has found God through Amma.