Vaisnava Amrta chapter 15 : Cheating and Fraud in ISKCON and Gaudiya math (from my upcoming book)

[Paramananda das]

Cheating and Fraud in ISKCON and Gaudiya math

The question is how can there be cheating and fraud in ISKCON very simple when people are not honest and one act like a pseudo devotee . ,
I recall in 1979 when I joined ISKCON , Harikesa the GBC for Scandinavia and Germany etc he was making his first album Rasa, called Oasis .
So he did not have a full band yet so he promised some musicians he would pay them ,They spend a week helping him but they did not get paid a penny. So I met two of them one day while distributing books in Stockholm and they said your socalled Guru is not honest he promised to pay us we spend a a week or more and he never paid us a penny.I said well if he had promised to pay you he should keep his word.I knew they where not lying because they needed to make a living with their music.

 

This is the first time I noticed there are some genuine fake thing going on at times in ISKCON.I never liked selling those records of Harikesa ,I was forced to listen to his music , but I had just given up 3000 LP albums of Music and given them to my brother.SO hearing Jazz Rock Hare Krsna socalled did not please me later I found out Srila Prabhupada forbad selling records.When I joined devotees in different countries also where often selling mundane records ,so at least Harikesas music was better.In Germany the police has stopped the selling of records and ISKCON Germany was in trouble for collecting money in name of feeding people in Bangladesh .Devotees where sincere but misunderstood and Srila Prabhupada forbad the selling of records

“See what is the actual situation there in London. Study it very carefully and let me know how things are going. Hansadutta was giving stress to selling records using all tricks, BY ANY MEANS. The incident in Germany has caused havoc all over the world. It is hampering our reputation everywhere. I do not want this record distribution to continue. It must be stopped immediately. I have already informed Hansadutta. Distributing books is our real business, not these records. Has anyone ever become convinced in Krishna Consciousness by listening to this record? No. He will simply think it is nice magical sounds, that’s all. But, if he reads one book, he will be convinced about spiritual life. That is our success. So, stop this record distribution immediately everywhere. And stress book distribution more and more.“
(Letter to Brahmananda — Bombay 7 January, 1970)
Srila Prabhupada also chastised Hansadutta for having devotees worship him :
74-10-01. Letter: Hamsaduta:
Srila Prabhupada: “From Madhavananda I have heard that there is some worship of yourself by the other devotees. Of course it is proper to offer obeisances to a Vaisnava, but not in the presence of the spiritual master. After the departure of the spiritual master, it will come to that stage, but now wait. Otherwise it will create factions.”

Later Srila Prabhupada wrote :
“I made the GBC to give me relief, but if you do like this, then where is the relief. It is anxiety for me. This is the difficulty, that as soon as one gets power, he becomes whimsical and spoils everything.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 12th, 1974)

in 1981 I warned Harikesa and Devamrta that if we distributed records in Denmark we will be arrested and they will confiscate the LP's they did not listen and send us out selling records.We got arrested after 3 days and spend the day in jail the 4 of us and they confiscated the records and we got of with a warning.
Srila Prabhupada had send a letter to his disciple Ajit Prabhu also in Sweden not to sell records
Book Distribution – Our Real Business | Spiritual quotes, Picture quotes, Quotes
Later in Germany in 1983 I sold Hong Kong paintings for a whole year except the Prabhupada marathon in December ,and I realied not only is it illegal but against Srila Prabhupadas wish.However that year many Russian pocket Bhagavad Gitas was printed from the money we devotees collected by sellings paintings and over a million copies where given for free all over the world and smuggled into Russia.
I had a major clash with Harikesa in 1984 and Devamrta then had become a Swami .I was not willing to keep selling paintings I did not join ISKCON to be a paintings sales man
SO these where deviationes.Harikesa and Devamrta Swami had all devotees go on wellfare and hand the money over to them ,which was of course illegal .So this is here presented in this book for the education of what went wrong.Harikesa had devotees collect weapons in Austria and these weapons where confiscated by the goverment there.Hansadutta who later became GBC for Nother California was arrested when he got drunk and was firing a maschine gun .That was in 1980 and it took 3 years for the GBC to finally suspend him.

Photo left: Berkeley police officer Joe Sanchez Inspects the weapons police discovered in 1980, when they searched an unregistered Mercedes parked at the home of Hansadutta, then the Berkeley temple's guru.
POLICE RAIDED THE KRISHNA FARM IN LAKE COUNTY in March 1980, finding among other weapons a grenade launcher, four short-barrel shotguns, and thou­sands of rounds of ammunition. Later that same month, police raided a Krishna-owned warehouse in El Cerrito that held enough cas­ings, slugs and gun powder to make 50,000 rounds of ammunition.
Acting on a warrant two months later, the Berkeley police searched a car and found an Ingram submachine gun, two military assault rifles, three loaded pistols, a Walther P-38, a 9mm Browning, a Colt ,45 and a commando-style 9mm automatic weapon, The car, an unregistered Mercedes, was parked in the driveway of Hansadutta's Berkeley home, The ,45 was registered in his name. The guru was arrested and charged with, among other things, possession of an automatic weapon, a federal offense. He beat the charges when a devotee claimed ownership of the weapons.

Sulocana Prabhu a disciple of Srila Prabhupada found out that Kirtananda was a pedophile and homosexual and wanted his wife and kids to leave New Vrindavana ,his ignorant wife was brainlessly faithful to Kirtananda and divorced Sulocana and kept his kids, he tried to remove them from New Vrindavana but was stopped at gun point by Kirtanandas disciples.Later Kirtananda and Radhanath Swami ordered Sulocana Prabhu should be killed and there are transcripts in court of this from the testimony of devotees like Dharmatma das.Sulocana was shot to death in 1986
May 22nd, 1986, 1:00 a.m., Los Angeles. Tirtha das a disciple of Kirtananda was arrested and send to prison for life.He was later given sannyasa by Umapati then Swami (and former lover of Kirtananda ) .It was testified in court also that Kirtananda had sex with minors a male disciple from Malaysia was also mentioned .Kirtananda served time in prison he a before that he was caught having sex with a male disciple.He was sentenced to 20 years ,but served 8 years ,I had warned Devamrta Swami he was serving a pedophile and murderer but as usual he never took good advice he even obstructed FBI investigation and told devotees in New Vrindavana to no cooporate with the police
.Another issue in ISKCON has been with money ISKCON Gurus and sannyasis misspending money sometimes TPs stealing money .Sannyasis flying on first class from their poor disciples collection .Srila Prabhupada forbad Prabhavisnu to purchase a house in a letter , and said sannyasis and brahmacaries should travel and preach .Of course when I met him in 1979 his party from England was selling records in Denmark ,which was illegal but the laxmi went for preaching there so they took it that it served their end purpose.However Srila Prabhupada clearly stated that records should not be sold only his books.See SB 7.9.44 purport .Srila Prabhupada wrote in his Vyasa puja offering in 1961 that some sannnyasis are approached by disciples for a bank loan that is because they have that much money.Srila Prabhupada was very much against it.I met a disciple of Romapada Swami and he said Guru Maharaja has lend us money to buy a house we pay him back with interest.Srimad Bhagavatam has stated in Kali yuga many sannyasis are interest in wealth .This is why sannyasa is forbidden in Kali yuga .

Harikesa stole milliones of dollars from ISKCON he placed in private account and some of his disciples also used ISKCON to enrich themselves.,There are so many instances in ISKCON like this .Sannyasis engaging in business and sometimes socalled disciples have lost money .Srila Prabhupada was opposed to salary system but many TPs are taking a fat salary and sometimes they even steal from ISKCON on top of this,I can easy prove it if the GBC would finally want to clean up.But many GBC's have engaged in illegal business such a painting business and never paid taxes and had other devotees colelct for them.So many different scams are there.This book is just touching the surface of corruption.I have not gone into child abuse and devotee abuse as the subject is very unpleasant for me.But if there are futher need to expose I can glad write more.This is to give some understanding of some of the problems ISKCON has faced .These problems where never due to Srila Prabhupada or Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada but due to bogus cheating leaders.While reading this anyone can understand how we need to keeep Srila Prabhupadas movement pure.There are still pedophiles in ISKCON that has not been removed that is another sad story .This is not Vaisnavha Amrta but in order to stop such sins I have included this here in chapter 15 .

SB 9.19.17: NO WOMAN SHOULD COME NEAR A SANNYASI


So far your suggestion that they sew clothes for the sannyasis Deities it is not possible. Sannyasis may have no connection with women. (Letter to: Jayatirtha, Calcutta, 13 January, 1976)

Sannyasis should never associate with women. (Bg 18.5 purport)

Bhagavad-gita 1.37-39, London, July 27, 1973: VERY CAUTIOUS BECAUSE HE HAS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

So this is the duty. They should be very cautious. A sannyasi, they should be very cautious. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, sannyasira alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. An ordinary grhastha, or... Grhastha only, If he talks with woman nobody will blame. He is grhastha. But if a sannyasi talks with woman very intimately, oh, immediately people will take note of it. Sannyasira alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. That is the practice. He should be very cautious. So a devotee, a sannyasi, they have got very, very great responsibility. People will very easily criticize them.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.7, Mayapura, June 22, 1973: WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LORD CAITANYA WHO ACCEPTED SANNYASA

But Caitanya Mahaprabhu inaugurated. He Himself became sannyasa. Therefore we are trying to follow His footsteps, to accept sannyasa. But we should not become a sannyasi like Ravana. No. We should try to follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was very strict. No woman could approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant place. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict about also...

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.2, Vrndavana, November 24, 1976: IF ONE IS ABLE TO STRICTLY FOLLOW THE SANNYASA RULES & REGULATIONS THEN ONLY HE SHOULD TAKE SANNYASA.

We should not be sentimentally very much anxious--"Please give me sannyasa, give me sannyasa"--and then fall down and go to hell. That is not good. That is not good. If one is able to strictly follow the sannyasa rules and regulation, he should take.
A sannyasi that uses his superior asrama to seduce a woman is considered a Ravana sannyasa according to Srila Prabhupada:
In a lecture in Mayapure june 22,1973 Srila Prabhupada said one should
not become a sannysi like Ravana (who disguised himself as one to steal
Sitadevi) but instead one should follow the foodsteps of Lord Caitanya.
Also in a lecture in Vrindavan SB 5.6.2 Nov 24 1976 ,Srila Prabhupada
mentions that a sannyasi does not take remuneration for his service to Krsna.
In his Vyasa puja offering to his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada
mentions that some sannysis have bankaccounts with crores of rupies and
condems that 
Other important lectures about this subject is SB 2.1.1. Paris june 9 1974, SB
2.1.5 LA August 13 1972.
In the brahmacari asrama there is no illicit sex or any kind, in grhastha life only for precreation of KC children etc, Lord Ramachandra showed all a very high moral standard for all humans to follow.
So in all asramas we are praying to Lord Ramachandra to properly excecute our varnasrama dharma duties in relationship to Him and we seek His
Divine protection

By By HDG ACBS Srila Prabhupada

Sannyasis should not be given any money. They should manage themselves and maintain themselves by taking small alms from different persons-not a lump sum from one person.

Letter to Atreya Rsi — London 13 August, 1971:

My Dear Atreya Rsi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. So far your service is concerned, you should understand that Krishna’s service is absolute. Anything you do for Krishna in the standard of Krishna’s service is Krishna also. So cleansing Krishna’s temple and working on the altar of Krishna, etc. there is no difference. So don’t consider in Krishna’s service that something is higher and something is lower. Neither Krishna’s servants are materially superior or inferior. So you should stick to your present service. That will be very nice.

Now immediately we have got a very big project to construct a temple at Mayapur, the birth site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So you can contribute the sums for our Mayapur construction scheme. Sannyasis should not be given any money. They should manage themselves and maintain themselves by taking small alms from different persons-not a lump sum from one person.

It is very much pleasing to me that you are so much sacrificing everything for Krishna. Krishna will surely bless you. You can open better a Mayapur construction scheme fund and deposit as much money as possible there and in due course we shall withdraw it. The estimate for the project is Rupees 40 lakhs (Rs. 4,000,000) which in ordinary exchange comes to $500,000. So you can deposit in this fund as much as possible. That will be very nice.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

Srila Prabhupada did not allow salary in ISKCON

Morning Walk “Varnasrama College”- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana

“Brahmana cannot accept any salary. Just like you have accepted me as your acarya, but you do not pay me any salary. This is forbidden. The teacher will not accept salary. Then he comes down to the sudra platform. The sudra accepts salary. I serve you, you pay me. And the brahmana will distribute knowledge freely, and the ksatriya will give protection to the brahmana. This is the Vedic system. Even in fifty years ago, education in India, there was no charges. A learned brahmana will sit down in corner of a neighborhood and all the children will come there. They will learn primary education. And the parents of the children will send, somebody will send rice, somebody will send dal… Just like we are maintaining, by collecting. Not here, but in Bombay, our centre is collecting and distributing.

“The whole system was that. Love exchange. I give you some service; you give me something, out of your love. Dadati pratigrhnati. Love means six . I give you something, you give me something. I give you something for eating, you also give me something for eating. Dadatipratigrhnati bhunkte bhojayate, guhyam akhyati prcchati. If I am in trouble, I express my mind, I open my mind before you, and you also try to help me. These are the six signs of love. That is Vedic civilization.Everything exchange of love. No business, mercantile. All right, let us have kirtana. Hare Krsna.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24-Los Angeles, June 22, 1972

BBT -BIG BUCKS TYRANTS? OR BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST?

The BBT claimed Srila Prabhupada took a salary so they could change his books and Srila Prabhupadas copyrights to his books it was actually envy of Srila Prabhupada. In BBT there is hardly anyone not taking salary and yet they dare declare Srila Prabhupada was paid like them :Srila Prabhupada did not allow salary in ISKCON

Morning Walk “Varnasrama College”- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana

“Brahmana cannot accept any salary. Just like you have accepted me as your acarya, but you do not pay me any salary. This is forbidden. The teacher will not accept salary. Then he comes down to the sudra platform. The sudra accepts salary. I serve you, you pay me. And the brahmana will distribute knowledge freely, and the ksatriya will give protection to the brahmana. This is the Vedic system. Even in fifty years ago, education in India, there was no charges. A learned brahmana will sit down in corner of a neighborhood and all the children will come there. They will learn primary education. And the parents of the children will send, somebody will send rice, somebody will send dal… Just like we are maintaining, by collecting. Not here, but in Bombay, our centre is collecting and distributing.

“The whole system was that. Love exchange. I give you some service; you give me something, out of your love. Dadati pratigrhnati. Love means six . I give you something, you give me something. I give you something for eating, you also give me something for eating. Dadatipratigrhnati bhunkte bhojayate, guhyam akhyati prcchati. If I am in trouble, I express my mind, I open my mind before you, and you also try to help me. These are the six signs of love. That is Vedic civilization.Everything exchange of love. No business, mercantile. All right, let us have kirtana. Hare Krsna.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24-Los Angeles, June 22, 1972