RE: Henry Doktorski's Writings (Chand Prasad)

Dear Puranjana das,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

I am sending you my review of Gold, Guns, and God Volume 1 because we are concerned about how Srila Prabhupada is portrayed. I apologize for the length of my review. I have already sent it to Henry Doktorski, and as per his suggestion, I submitted it to Amazon where it is being processed.

Hare Krishna.
Chand Prasad

Review of Gold, Guns, and God: Vol. 1—A Crazy Man

Srila Prabhupada did not timidly admit that ISKCON is a cult. He boldly and repeatedly declared it. How could anyone claim he did not know he joined a cult? ISKCON likely started as a beneficial cult, then degenerated into a malevolent cult to the detriment of its members, both old and new.

Volume 1 of Gold, Guns, and God covers the first 30 years of Kirtanananda’s life. Chapters 2 through 7 draw heavily on two autobiographical manuscripts written by Howard Wheeler in 1966. I was not aware of the existence of these manuscripts. Gold, Guns, and God altered my view of the Hare Krishna Explosion and confirmed the notion that homosexuals are even more promiscuous than heterosexuals. 

Note that homosexuals are not included in varnashrama dharma. The remaining description of Kirtanananda’s demoniac activities does not provide a great deal of new information. The roughly 40-page Addendum (Kindle version) likewise does not break a lot of new ground with its analysis of characteristics common to cults such as ISKCON.

Srila Prabhupada’s stated objective is to preach the cult of bhakti. The question that remains is Prabhupada’s role, if any, in imposing the undeniably harmful cult characteristics that are well documented in the literature on ISKCON. The addendum to Volume 1 of Gold, Guns, and God does not give a balanced, even-handed treatment of Prabhupada’s alleged complicity in the creation of a detrimental cult we know ISKCON to be.

Doktorski contends that Prabhupada fit the definition of a cult leader: 

“Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was by all accounts a strong and charismatic leader who controlled the power hierarchies and material resources of ISKCON.” 

[PADA: Srila Prabhupada had little real, factual "control" over the events of ISKCON -- or its GBC managers. The leaders often behaved like independent mavericks on many occasions, and he was in a sort of constant tug of war with the leaders over "who would be in control." He had to remove leaders, chastise leaders, suspend leaders, deal with deviating leaders, leaders who resigned and left in scandals etc. -- and this was ongoing the whole time. He tried to send Tamal to China, and there were many similar crisis situations brewing on a regular basis.  

There was no real singular power hierachy, rather there was a loose knit rough shod coalition of infighting leaders, who were often fighting over -- how did you guess -- who would be recognized as "the next rising moon." And while they were sometimes taken to task by Srila Prabhupada, he was very busy translating his books, so he could not spend all of his time sorting our various cat and dog fights among these leaders. 

In the end, Srila Prabhupada said he was being poisoned -- by some of these same exact leaders. That means the leaders were wrestling for power and control all along, even to the point of removing Srila Prabhupada by -- assassinating him. A person who is constantly fighting off power struggles by his ambitious leader is not "in control." 

Nor are elderly people who are being poisoned by their subordinates "in full control." This is quite a great myth, that an elderly man who has been fighting off motivated subordinates, who are perhaps poisoning the elderly man, means the man is "in charge of the situation." Not accurate.]  

[p. 282, Kindle page numbering] Actually Prabhupada did not put himself at the center. More than himself, Prabhupada stressed Krishna, the line of disciplic succession, and his obligation to follow the orders of his own guru. I doubt we will ever have full and honest accounts of ISKCON’s financial transactions, meaning the extent to which Prabhupada controlled the material resources of ISKCON is unknown and unknowable. Prabhupada’s disciples raised enormous sums of money, but it is not clear if all of those funds were disclosed or given to Prabhupada. 

Prabhupada was marginalized and possibly poisoned (murdered) by his own so-called disciples. ISKCON escalated its efforts to push Prabhupada aside after his physical departure.

[PADA: Correct.]

The addendum’s skewed portrayal of Prabhupada is evident in the way Doktorski deals with the issues surrounding the no gossip rule [p. 288]. Actually, Srila Prabhupada discouraged unnecessary talking “prajalpa”. Fortunately, calling a thief a thief is in the category of necessary speech, as indicated in Prabhupada’s purport quoted below:

"According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in such a straight and forward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth." [Bg10.4-5, purport]

Corrupt leaders twisted rules against unnecessary talking to censure truthful devotees. The fake gurus conveniently neglect to acknowledge that Srila Prabhupada recommends calling a thief a thief, or a deviant a deviant. For this, I cannot blame Prabhupada. In my humble opinion, Prabhupada gave us more than enough ammunition to challenge politically motivated ISKCON leaders who cloak themselves in robes of renunciation and spirituality.

Although Vaishnavism is a bona fide religion, any philosophy that posits the existence of a spiritual world is subject to critique by anti-cult groups, materialists, skeptics, etc. Atheists often argue religious experiences are in reality physiological, psychological, or social in nature.

Doktorski does not appear to consider chanting a transcendental process. Rather he suggests cults employ chanting to induce their members to hyperventilate. The predictable outcomes of hyperventilation—the giddiness, the out-of-control feeling, the possible loss of consciousness, the tingling, and the clenching of fingers and toes—are immediately reframed or re-labeled as a religious experience. 

Doktorski goes on to say, “Over-breathing can also be produced through intense heavy expelling of air in more private, quiet ritualized chants.” [p. 281] I find Doktorski’s arguments tenuous, at best. In my experience, chanting loudly or quietly does not cause hyperventilation syndrome.

[PADA: Many other people who saw so many deviations going on in the Krishna religion, or what was being advertised as the religion, evidently lost faith in the Krishna religion process as well. That would include many of my God brothers and sisters, most of the gurukula children, and so on. When religion is misrepresented, people tend to think the religion is false. 

That is a common and natural result, which is described by Srila Prabhupada. When religion is misused, it creates atheism. I have read a series of articles about how the "Christian conservatives" are turning their own children away from the Church with their hypocrisy and so on.] 

Doktorski claims Prabhupada encouraged his disciples to see the world in terms of “Us versus Them” by teaching there are 2 classes of men in the world: the devotees and the demons. [p. 284] Even if we accept Doktorski’s grossly oversimplified view of Prabhupada’s philosophy, it does not logically follow that a binary demon-devotee perspective creates an “Us versus Them” attitude. 

[PADA: Every religion teaches that their followers are the "saved persons," who alone are REALLY connected to God. And non-followers are the not saved, heathens, sinners, influenced by Satan, going to burn in hell, and so on and so forth. 

I heard that in Church myself growing up. There is nothing new or uncommon about that process, it happens everywhere. Krishna teaches that there are the sura class and the asura class, the Christians teach that there are the Jesus followers and the Satan followers, and so on and so forth. 

In sum! "We" are saved "they" are not. Of course, that has to be done because otherwise how would we distinguish one sect of people as different from all the other sects in the world, unless their worship was distinguished from others? So all sects basically claim to be the righteous and correct view, i.e. "us" and "them" are the non-believers and non-followers. Very common everywhere.]

Did Prabhupada have a policy of barring demons from chanting Hare Krishna or rendering service to the Lord? A devotee may have been a demon in a past life. Prabhupada teaches that the cult of bhakti has the potency to purify demons, and he welcomes everyone to take up Krishna Consciousness. 

[Lecture, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.41, Māyāpura, October 21, 1974]. Is Prabhupada really the source of the “Us versus Them” mentality? Once again, the Addendum does not present differing views on Prabhupada. Rather, the Addendum distorts Prabhupada’s teachings to force him to fit Margaret Thaler Sanger’s definition of a harmful cult.

Cults do in fact promote black-and-white thinking, an all-or-nothing point of view, as Doktorski writes (p. 268). Prabhupada differs from the cult stereotype — he does not preach a no-middle-position philosophy in which only 2 extreme destinations are available, e.g. heaven or hell. Proponents of reincarnation do not have an all-or-nothing perspective. 

[PADA: Actually Prabhupada's reincarnation view is much more mature and merciful than religions that teach sinful people will go to hell forever. In any case, Srila Prabhupada allowed the sinful into his program, he was not discriminating that the sinful are not allowed.]   

Prabhupada assures us that “One percent done in Krishna consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent; whereas, in material activity, without a hundred percent success, there is no profit.” [Bg. 2.40, purport]

Prabhupada rejects the all-or-nothing point of view. “Those who are righteous in performing devotional service but who are not pure can attain the planetary system of the polestar, or Dhruvaloka” [Bg. 18.71, purport] I hear Dhruvaloka is a nice place.

Rather than procrastinating, it appears Prabhupada wanted people to immediately commit to a program of spiritual advancement. Although the Lord gives us many lifetimes to attain purity, His patient mercy does not in any way lessen the urgency of Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada’s apparent dislike of procrastination may be misinterpreted or confused as an all-or-nothing attitude.

When disciples defected and left ISKCON, the managers and the remaining faithful devotees labeled the departing disciples as traitors, according to Doktorski [p. 283]. Of this, I have no doubt. 

In contrast, I strongly doubt that Prabhupada ridiculed and berated the memory of former disciples. Prabhupada’s edition of Bhagavad-gita clearly explains that even if a transcendentalist desists due to worldly-mindedness, he is permitted by the grace of the Lord, to make full utilization of his material propensities. And after that, he is given opportunities to live prosperous lives in righteous or aristocratic families. Those who are born in such families may take advantage of the facilities and try to elevate themselves to full Krishna consciousness. Please see Bg 6.37 - 6.45 for the full explanation.

Anyone who ridicules or berates the service of former disciples actually violates Prabhupada’s teachings. Did Prabhupada ever refer to Kirtanananda as a traitor? Personally, I wish Prabhupada had never shed a single tear for Kirtanananda, but obviously, I do not have Prabhupada’s Vaishnava compassion.

Citing Singer, the Addendum describes one way in which the cult attracts recruits: “Cults offer instant, simplistic, and focused solutions to life’s problems.” Would Singer’s statement also apply to the Christian teaching that salvation is a free gift? 

To be sure, Srila Prabhupada did, in some respects, frame problems in parsimonious terms and offer simple, powerful solutions. For example, Srila Prabhupada explained that though the earth produces enough grain, it is not evenly distributed, leading to profuse supplies in some regions and scarcity in other areas. The problem is not insufficient production, but rather poor distribution. [SB 4.17.25, purport]

Now fast forward to the year 1998. Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for insights that are quite similar to Prabhupada’s. Amartya Sen found that famines and chronic hunger are caused more by inequitable distribution than insufficient quantities of food production. Sen’s analysis demonstrated that in many cases of famine, food supplies were not significantly reduced. Nobel-prize winning ideas can be quite simple. Never underestimate the power of parsimony and simplicity.

After the devotee accepts Prabhupada’s “simple” solutions and simple lifestyle, complex challenges arise. Prabhupada gave us a rich, nuanced philosophy. It is not easy for devotees to present the philosophy, and respond to questions and verbal challenges, including those articulated by Doktorski in his insightful books! 

Also, devotees found themselves doing and accomplishing projects they never dreamed possible. There were a lot of screw-ups, but that also indicates that these “simple” Vaishnava solutions opened the door to embracing complex challenges involved in building a preaching movement.

It is disturbing to hear stories of Hare Krishnas who become disconnected from family and good-hearted friends. Devotees with an orderly life and a compassionate attitude can influence their family and friends. I felt happy when my mother started chanting Hare Krishna about 4 years ago.

“All Vedic knowledge is infallible, and Hindus accept Vedic knowledge to be complete and infallible.” [Bg. Introduction] The purpose of the Vedas is to understand Krishna. [Bg 15.15, purport] Why then should my Hindu brethren not chant the holy name of Krishna?

Unfortunately, before joining the cult, many devotees had conflicts with their family and were drug users, as were their previous friends. In this case, it is best for the devotee to cut off contact with these “friends” with their bad habits. Vaishnavism is not the only religion that explains the importance of maintaining good association.

In isolation from Prabhupada’s philosophy, Doktorski points out that Prabhupada compared the intelligence levels of different groups and classes. In effect, Doktorski attacks Prabhupada’s character, when in reality Prabhupada gave us the true basis for equality. On the material level, equality does not exist, nor shall it ever be possible. Every living entity, including the various classes of humans, is a transcendental soul, part and parcel of the one Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only on the spiritual plane is there equality.

Moreover, Prabhupada is very clear that “One does not need highly developed intelligence.” [Bg., Introduction] “If one is serious to understand the Vedic knowledge then Krishna gives the required intelligence.” [Bg 15.15, purport] “To those who are constantly, devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” [Bg. 10.10] Since, as Doktorski claims, Prabhupada offered simple attractive solutions, it logically follows that the relative intelligence levels of various groups are irrelevant. Unfortunately, Doktorski failed to make this logical connection or at least he neglected to mention it.

Conditioned souls can become twisted and perverted, regardless of whether they occupy male or female bodies. Male serial killers do exist, and women write love letters to these mass murders while they are in prison. Clearly, I am critiquing the disease (maya), not female-bodied souls or male-bodies souls. Lack of Krishna consciousness is a disease. Was Ayn Rand inspired by a serial killer?

Doktorski would have us believe Srila Prabhupada’s ultimate goals are political and totalitarian in nature: “In the introduction of his edition of Bhagavad-gita, Prabhupada described his ultimate political goal: the establishment of a worldwide totalitarian theocracy based on the Bhagavad-gita:” [p. 283] The Addendum creates a distorted depiction of Prabhupada. Doktorski was more thoughtful and magnanimous when he wrote about B.R. Sridhara in the Eleven Naked Emperors.

[PADA: Right, BR Sridhara is the founder father of a bi-sexual guru deviation in 1936 where dissenters were banned, beaten and killed. And then he went to bat to defend the 11 bogus GBC gurus. He really never understood that we cannot promote conditioned souls as messiahs and gurus.]

Doktorksi attempts to support his opinion by citing the Introduction where Prabhupada writes: “In this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. Therefore let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world—Bhagavad-gita. Let there be one God for the whole world—Shri Krishna. And one hymn, one mantra, one prayer—the chanting of his name: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only—the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

[PADA: Every major religion teaches that they are the right religion for the entire world, this is very common everywhere.]

None of the above indicates Prabhupada harbored ultimate goals that are either political or totalitarian. Of course, Prabhupada desired everyone in the world to chant Hare Krishna, follow Bhagavad-gita, and serve Krishna. Some Christians assert that every word in the Bible is the word of God and that everyone in the world must accept Christ, otherwise, they burn in hell. Everyone has the right to preach his particular message. Prabhupada is not even remotely totalitarian because he respects that everyone has free will because that is the will of God.

Prabhupada persuasively argued food scarcity is tied to an inequitable distribution of grains across the planet, rather than inadequate global production. “If there were one government on the surface of the earth to handle the distribution of grain, there would be no question of scarcity, no necessity to open slaughterhouses, and no need to present false theories about overpopulation.” [SB 4.17.25, purport]

Far from being a political manifesto, Prabhupada’s point about one-world government is merely sound economics. Historically, economists have argued against barriers that impede international trade and the free flow of goods and services among countries of the world. Similarly, Prabhupada stated, “the distribution of this grain is restricted due to trade regulations and a desire for profit.” [SB 4.17.25, purport]

Doktorski lifts quotes from Prabhupada that apparently fit Margaret Thaler Singer’s contradictory opinions on cults. Prabhupada does indeed teach material life is suffering. However, this dour view of material life is not necessarily a characteristic of a cult, nor is it a way in which, “The group [cult] attacks your previous worldview, causing you distress and inner confusion”, as Singer contends and Doktorski avers [p. 287]. 

Before coming into contact with Prabhupada, an individual may already feel distressed, because of the death of a loved one, for instance. In Singer’s own words, “I have found that two conditions make an individual especially vulnerable to cult recruiting: being depressed and being in between important affiliations.” [p. 274]

[PADA: OK, but if we take the material world as a whole, everyone in it is part of some sort of cult "group think" or other. Even the atheistic or materialistic person who is fighting to get a big screen TV at Walmart, is part of the "cult of material acquisition" etc. Everyone is connected to some group, or group think process of one type or the other, and that is a sort of cult. 

That does not mean all "group think" is wrong, but it can be when mis-applied. Some of the kids around here have those little Japanese cars with big wheels and big exhaust pipes, they have a car cult. Again, we see various people forming groups all the time. A cult is simply another word for group, and that is what we see in many examples all the time. There are good groups, bad groups, bad people in good groups, good people in bad groups, and so on and so forth. It is not a one size fits all.]

An individual may feel confused as to why he feels distressed, especially if his middle-class material amenities are of no comfort to him. Prabhupada’s argument that material life is suffering could (1) confirm, rather than attack, an individual’s previous worldview (2) resolve, rather than create inner confusion. Interestingly enough, Jordan B. Peterson also informs us that life is suffering. He has not shown any signs of attempting to create a cult.

[PADA: The real problem for Henry, and probably most other inside or outside observers is, most of the "senior Prabhupada devotees" kept saying Srila Prabhupada wanted and ordered the 11 to be worshiped in his society as his and Krishna's guru successors. There are for example many 1980s newspapers saying the 11 are "Srila Prabhupada's appointed successors" and that is because most everyone was saying that at the time. 

So "what Srila Prabhupada wanted" was not what he wanted, but what the GBC and so many acquiescing God brothers wanted. And thus they misrepresented Srila Prabhupada as the founder of a cult that worships conditioned souls. Naturally, people began to blame the founder of the religion for what was really a break away bogus cult and not his religion, at all. 

Many / most of the abused gurukulis ALSO blame Krishna and Srila Prabhupada for their abuse, for the same reason, because they were told "this is what Krishna wanted." So then people started reading about bogus cults, and mixing that with Srila Prabhupada, because the GBC and so many God brothers had mixed Srila Prabhupada with their bogus cult. That is primarily the result of the GBC and God brothers bogus preaching, and not what Srila Prabhupada wanted or intended. 

And many of my God brothers are still saying the ritvik idea is bogus, because they wanted to make conditioned souls into gurus. And Henry, and thousands of others, are victims of this mis-information process.]

CONCLUSION

Although Doktorski presents arguments aimed at convicting Prabhupada of creating a harmful cult, Doktorski does not even allude to evidence that might exonerate Prabhupada. The absence of due process undermines the credibility of Volume 1 of Gold, Guns, and God. Indeed, the Addendum selectively quotes Srila Prabhupada to create a caricature. Volume 1 reads like an anti-Prabhupada polemic, rather than a balanced exposition.

After carefully considering Doktorski’s arguments in light of Prabhupada’s overall philosophy, I respectfully reject the notion that Prabhupada had any complicity in creating a malevolent cult. On the contrary, I would suggest that Prabhupada’s body of published works, his lectures, and his letters, give us tremendous firepower to challenge and defeat pretenders who prey upon the spiritual desires of sincere seekers.

Having said all of the above, Doktorski writings should never be censored. Since everyone is entitled to preach his particular message, I will preach my point of view, which is directed mainly at the younger generation. If an individual is thinking about joining ISKCON, please do not do it. 

Instead, get a real job, young man. While you are pursuing your career within mainstream society, please manage your finances so that you can retire at an early age. That is exactly what I did. While working, I built the resource base to finance an early retirement. For me, early retirement was a byproduct of Prabhupada’s books.

During your working years, I strongly recommend you read Prabhupada’s books because you will need to counteract the corporate brainwashing with Prabhupada’s positive, life-enhancing, liberating brainwashing. Also, although I am not credentialed in hypnosis as Henri Jolicoeur may very well be, I do find self-hypnosis beneficial.

At your karmi job, your boss may be a megalomaniac. Some of your work colleagues will be sociopaths. You will encounter politics and envy at your job. Your colleagues will try to take credit for your ideas and innovations. You may have to attend lots of useless office meetings. 

Perhaps you heard the old cliche in which the boss yells, “We will keep on having meeting after meeting until I figure out why no work is getting done.” Office meetings are a type of ritual. Conditioned souls are pack animals. I encountered censorship at my job. We had an entire department that was dedicated to censorship (The Office of Communications).

In most organizations, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees. Before I retired, my boss liked to tell me, “If you want something done, ask someone who is already busy.” During an annual performance review, my boss advised me to learn how to bullshit. He went on to say, “Look at all of the managers in the Division. What do they all have in common? They know how to bullshit.” 

My boss was obviously signaling his desire to promote me. As an individual progresses in his career, he will discover that middle management is a giant pain in the ass. And you will start becoming more similar to your boss. I am so thankful I could retire early. In the spirit of offering simple, attractive solutions to achieve financial independence and early retirement, I refer the reader to an article titled Enlightened Investing, available here: 

http://www.biodynamictheology.com/2020_update_of_enlightened_investing

Finally, reading Volume 1 of Gold, Guns, and God was not a pleasant experience. It reminded me of some of the worst aspects of ISKCON and it also brought back bad memories of my karmi career. However, Volume 1 did provoke me to crystallize my thinking, and for that, I am thankful to Henry Doktorski.

Chand Prasad, Ph.D.

http://www.biodynamictheology.com

[PADA: Yep. Henry's books are valuable because they actually show in great detail, what happens when conditioned souls become worshiped as God's successors. And he also identifies many of the individuals who were orchestrating all this and so on, which most people did not know about. So he is writing from his perspective, so he was mis-informed, as were almost all other media writers from that era. 

Almost all the post-1978 writings about ISKCON in all forms of medias write the same thing, Srila Prabhupada wanted 11 conditioned souls to be God's successors. This is the main theme the GBC and my misguided God brothers promoted, and many / most people rolled with that version, thinking it is factual. 

The people promoting the big lie are much more guilty than the victims of the big lie. Anyway, I agree with Chand. Henry's writings are valuable from certain points of view, as have been many "other media exposes" of post 1978 ISKCON. They are not always accurate, but we cannot expect people who were mis-informed for decades to be fully accurate. That is simply unrealistic. 

Notice, the main people complaining about the supposedly ill written history, are not writing the correct history themselves. One woman PADA reader says, that is because anyone who writes the history has to include their own, and too many people's hands are dirty themselves. 

They cannot write the history without implicating themselves in that history, so they have to remain silent. I agree with her assessment. Now, we are where we are, and it is going to take a long time to unravel this mess. I am not as critical of the victims of the "big lie" as I am of the perps who have been presenting the "big lie," and those who still do. 

The cheating used car dealer is much more guilty than the person who bought a rotten used car from that dealer. Of course, this is just common sense which seems lacking in a lot of devotees. ys pd]