Radhanath-ized ISKCON / 06 22 23

PADA: Anyone who knows some inside information on the activities of J. Shetty (also a Radhanath follower?) "not being what he advertises" should send details to PADA for an upcoming news article. 

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PADA: Good analysis below. Then again, wasn't Radhanath a big part of the corrupt New Vrndanvan regime? Aren't there people who think he was part of the scheme to silence Sulochana? As one devotee said recently, do not expect the ISKCON GBC to fix the Radanatha problem, the GBC is the Radhanath problem. 

ys pd

angel108b@yahoo.com   

RADHANATH SWAMI

THE REMARKABLE RADHANATHA SWAMI SENSATION

In the 1990’s, ISKCON’s unofficial hero was Harikesha Swami. He was at his peak, with his European zone distributing more of Srila Prabhupada’s books than anywhere else, and with his benevolent financial support of many ISKCON programs. After 20 years of horrendous ISKCON history full of fiascos, including the fall from good standing of many ISKCON gurus, Harikesha had become the new hope and inspiration. 

PADA: Except Harikesha was well known to be exceptionally brutal by kicking out God brothers, and telling people they had to accept GBC's authority, i.e. worship their Andy Warhol / Timothy Leary / Mott Street gay party sampradaya and etc. In other words, people like me never felt Harikesha was going to solve anything.

Then in 1998 he had an apparent erratic nervous breakdown, married his massage therapist, and retired to Alachua, Florida devotee community. 

PADA: Yep, a person who is not qualified to take one drop of karma, and he takes on an ocean of karma, will start to drown in the ocean of sins he has accumulated around himself. We should expect nothing less than that. In other words the karma started to catch up to him, and now he has to take that ocean of karma that surrounds him into the next life -- and there is no generally recommended process to burn it off. 

Thereafter, Radhanath Swami (RS) rose in prominence as the shining beacon of light of ISKCON; he was soft-spoken, good mannered, gentle, sensitive, and danced beautifully in kirtans. He became one of ISKCON’s most popular gurus and he has attracted droves of disciples worldwide. 

He has wealthy disciples, and his Chowpatty temple and others bustle with energy. RS arranges meetings and engagements with prominent persons such as the US president, Dalai Lama, celebrities, and other “spiritualists.” However, although he has tremendous opportunities to preach straight Krishna consciousness like Srila Prabhupada did, instead he gives “feel-good” "new age" "psycho-babble" talks and essentially promotes himself. 

His book "The Journey Home" tells how he searched India for the truth and a teacher, meeting almost all the well-known yogis, tantrics, gurus, mendicants, and ascetics- from the Himalayas to Vrindaban. Later he published a second book (The Journey Within) which details his progress of spiritual realizations. He does book signing events and gives public lectures, sharing watered-down spiritual inspiration and wisdom about compassion, love, forgiveness, sharing.

As soon as Bhakti Vikas swami and others complained about his writings as being influenced by mayavada and new age-ism, they were forced to recant and apologize for "offending a great soul." So there are people in the GBC system who are well aware his preaching is not in line with Srila Prabhupada's, but he is bringing in the cash and followers, so let us keep him as the central focus.

RS has also espoused a Vegan position regarding boycotting milk due to animal cruelty, something Srila Prabhupada never advocated, contradicting SBhagwatam’s verdict that milk is the one completely nutrious food upon which one can live. This is another of his calculated compromises of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings simply to attract more followers from amongst Vegans and new age people. 

Srila Prabhupada, however, knew well of the modern treatment of the cows of whose milk he would purchase, and never adopted Veganism. RS is promoting mundane social welfare work as well, and he does not discriminate nor avoid mayavadi or sahajiya so-called spiritualists. This is all integral to the RS star guru sensation. 

Many other ISKCON leaders and gurus now started to follow his example, misleading followers and admirers by greatly deviating the Hare Krishna movement from the transcendental course charted by Srila Prabhupada, bringing these deviations to a new level of sophistication and mass implementation. Which is why Bhakti Vikas swami call this generic "wishy washy ISKCON" -- because he can no longer identify or name which persons are behind it.

Radhanath Swami’s autobiographical books are entirely about himself, and many devotees find them abhorrent. They highlight many bogus spiritualists to appeal to pseudo-spiritualists and sentimentalists. At his public book events, attending devotees are required not to wear Vaishnava dress, tilak, sikhas, neck beads, and bead bags. 

He is on a self-promotional campaign. He loves to tell stories about bogus yogis and wonderful people who open orphanages. He has embraces the principles

of humanitarian welfare work in his books, public image and lectures, and
also through his disciples who operate hospitals and medical clinics, and
he is described as “guide, community builder, activist, and acclaimed
author” (not as a Vaishnava or Hare Krishna). 

The “spiritual” instructions and “wisdom” in his books and public lectures are largely sub-religious, similar to Christianity, dripping with sentimentalism. His contrived realizations are time-travelled back into his stories about his pre-ISKCON spiritual search. He claims the Hare Krishna mantra was imparted to him by the River Ganges Herself, and saints or divine agents appear in his stories about his journey “home” as though they were a series of miracles by “God” anointing a favorite son on his divinely ordained mission to deliver the world. 

It is a sickening self- promotion as another narcissistic false prophet.

A few candid and critical reviews on his books: 

(1) “There’s a book [The Journey Home] [...] written by probably the most popular leader within ISKCON today – Srila Prabhupada would not have been pleased, because there are pictures of all these mayavadis and mundane people [....] and there is not a bad word about them. 

Same bogus people that Prabhupada, if he spoke about them at all, would criticize [....] At the end of the book he says that now having come to Prabhupada, now I’m engaged in helping with hospitals and feeding children and eye clinics [...] So as I see it there are serious problems with that [...] if anyone read that book thousands of times, they’d never even get the idea that you’re supposed to surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead 

And [...] some erotic or almost erotic scenes [....] it’s not the duty of a sannyasi to write about such things [...] I just can’t imagine what Prabhupada’s response would have been if he saw that book, but our movement has changed, it’s not for the better.” (Bhakti Vikas Swami, ISKCON guru: Aug. 24, 2011) 

(2) “I read The Journey Home and it left a bad taste. It’s about his travels to and in India before he became Srila Prabhupada’s disciple. He describes incidents which should not be told by a sannyasi nor by a preacher of Krishna consciousness. Many of his stories are not credible, obviously embellished, sentimentalized, and they glorify himself, not Srila Prabhupada. With the same effort used to sell his autobiography (is he competing with Yogananda?), even if he sold 1% as many of Srila Prabhupada’s Gita, he would realize 100 times greater benefits for himself and his readers. 

RADHNATH SWAMI’S BOOKS ARE JOURNEYS INTO MAYA

What is the credit in meeting so many unauthorised gurus and rascal mayavadis? Why is he proud of his associations with so many bogis, mayavadis, and cheaters, such as the rascal Neem Karoli Baba?” (Nityananda das, 2019) (3) From BTP #49, 2015: “RS glorifies a number of non-Krishna consciousness teachers: ‘Anandamayi Ma was like a mother to me. Neem Keroli Baba, his joyfulness, his enthusiasm to give God's love [...] 

Swami Rama, Swami Muktananda, J. Krishnamurti, Satyanarayan Goenka-ji of Vipassana meditation teaching [...] I met with Swami Satchidananda and BKS Iyengar [...] I met His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. [...] In his teachings I found a wisdom that included all that I had learned from these other teachers. I am still trying to share the precious gifts that he gave me and all of these other great saints, what they have given me.’ (RS interview 2010). 

RS calls these teachers "great saints," and their teachings "precious gifts" which he is trying to share along with Srila Prabhupada's teachings. However, these teachers have philosophies in contradiction to Srila Prabhupada's teachings, not accepting Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Or they are demigod pjua, mayavada, sunnyavada or worse.

One of them does not even accept the guru: 

SP: Nowadays, some of the rascals, they are preaching openly that you haven't got to go to a guru. Huh? Is it not? 

GUEST: Krishnamurti is... 

SP: Yes, this rascal was speaking like that. (SPConv Dec. 20, 1975) 

RS claims what he learned from them is "included" in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, which is ridiculously false. RS promotes a false equivalence between Srila Prabhupada and these teachers, whom he calls "great saints," as if they are on the same level: both are giving "precious gifts." 

(4) “The author of this book is a kanistha adhikari and the book is an offense against Srila Prabhupada because he has equated him with other nonsense non- parampara ganja-smoking so-called gurus. This book should be rejected and it shouldn’t be read by any devotee in ISKCON. It belittles and equates Srila Prabhupada to nonsense gurus. Avoid this book and author.” 

(Gargamuni das, 2016)

Why sell RS’s books and not Srila Prabhupada’s books? It appears that a curtain of maya has descended over the good sense of the ISKCON mission and followers of Srila Prabhupada. This is another way in which Srila Prabhupada’s mission has been deviated. One advertisement for RS’s book, The Journey Within, contains these vague descriptions: 

(1) Conveyed the Divine Light, 

(2) Moves closer to the truth within you. 

It certainly appears as though impersonalism, sahajiyaism, and pseudo-spirituality complements mundane welfare activities and philanthropy in the new ISKCON. This is due to the guru business disease and the pushing of Srila Prabhupada and his teachings further into the background. The mission of Srila Prabhupada continues to be poisoned by ambitious pretenders who are aspiring to be served, worshipped, loved, famous, and successful, just as Srila Prabhupada was. 

This is envy of the true pure devotee. His books are reviewed: 

iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/btp49_radhanath_swami2.html 

& www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioSD7sUnJ2Y

“THE RADHANATH-IZATION OF ISKCON”

From an article by Vastavika das (Sept. 16, 2012), summarizing complaints and doubts about RS’s preaching style: “Hospitals, free school lunch programs, counseling systems, retreat centers, autobiographies, an emphasis on human compassion and love– the Ramakrishna mission should be concerned because ISKCON is competing in their backyard. Did it ever occur to RS why Srila Prabhupada condemned philanthropic activities, and emphasized the importance of telling everyone we meet about Krishna, not peace, love, compassion, etc? 

In the early days, while RS was under Kirtanananda Swami’s care in New Vrindaban, we were preaching in Srila Prabhupada's own uncompromising verbiage. We all knew philanthropy was a trick of maya. Compassion, as we understood it from Srila Prabhupada, was to practically force the Holy Names on the ‘innocent,’ and mercy was ‘prasadam distribution.’ 

We were trained in this un-sentimentality. With that mood, ISKCON expanded in the West rapidly. “KS was the first ISKCON leader to steer away from Srila Prabhupada's presentation. He introduced a Christian veneer to the Movement. The robes, the English hymns of Sanskrit prayers, etc. were instituted in the cloak of outreach, very Abrahamic style. KS associates such as RS, Devamrita Swami, Malati, et al embraced these changes and remained with KS six or more years after he had been excommunicated from ISKCON. 

They were inspired by KS’s vision, not by any loyalty to Prabhupada's ISKCON. [...] which, from RS's perspective, needed some changes. He had been mentored by KS as his intimate friend. Though he assumed KS's role and Chowpatty flock after KS was jailed, RS never forgot the philosophical (mis)understandings that forged his own vision of how Krishna consciousness must be practiced. RS took a page from KS’s playbook. RS's folksy style was ingratiating.

He has a flawless memory, engaging style, and he loves to talk. "Shall I go on?" he asks his fawning congregation after two hours of storytelling. RS is a style-setter when it comes to long discourses; many ISKCON gurus have adopted this marathon pontificating, though Srila Prabhupada rarely exceeded 40 minutes when lecturing. ISKCON has appeared to become a more ‘gentle and kinder’ society as it has expanded. 

Shades of gray have appeared where there used to be black and white. Now you don't even have to chant 16 rounds a day to be considered a "senior devotee.” This wider circle of inclusiveness is the background upon which RS has injected his vision of how people should dedicate themselves to a life of ‘service’ (not necessarily to Krishna). You hear repeatedly in his lectures about service, compassion, and love. Is he an evangelical preacher extolling the virtues of a true Christian? From his emphasis, Krishna consciousness seems to be a by-product of service to humanity. 

I thought service to Krishna was service to humanity. RS's influence is everywhere as he rises to position of most admired ISKCON guru. Whatever he does, ISKCON leadership follows. For example, writing autobiographies without much mention Srila Prabhupada.

“Prabhupada was a Vaikuntha man, transcendent to all that RS was searching for or had experienced, but this is not found from reading his autobiography, a watering down of the profound presentation of the philosophy which Srila Prabhupada delivered in a way that created a worldwide society of Krishna bhaktas without pandering to peace, compassion, and love, as it is currently understood by the non-devotees. ISKCON is moving steadily in the direction of a more ‘universal, inclusive society.’ I thought ISKCON's strength was in its ‘take no prisoners’ presentation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, that made it a very exclusive club indeed. 

All the non-Vaishnavas [in his book] can't help anybody. RS's latest adaptation of Krishna consciousness is to become a Vegan. He does not want to support the exploitation of the cow who is milked until dry and then slaughtered. But Srila Prabhupada never instructed us to exorcise dairy from our diets, though he certainly was aware of the travesties. Does that say RS knows better than his guru? 

Is he more ‘compassionate?’ Now there will be a marked increase in Vegans in ISKCON, as word spreads that RS eschews the ingestion of anything made with milk. That just is not Srila Prabhupada's program. Without milk preps, our preaching arsenal is depleted. There is a great similarity between Amaji (the hugging ‘Ma’) and RS. They both chant Hare Krishna bhajan. They both have opened hospitals and orphanages. They both preach the gospel of ‘love’ and ‘oneness.’ And both enjoy giving lots of hugs. 

In my opinion, RS presents Krishna consciousness through the lens of a devotee heavily tinged by sentimentality rooted in impersonalism. He is an immaculate Western sadhu. He has good sadhana, outstanding verbal skills, and empathic qualities. What's not to like? RS provides a model for how to act if you are looking to be inclusive. Gone is the day when exclusivity was a marketable commodity in the eyes of most ISKCON leaders. Nearly all have been jumping on the ‘integrate’ agenda. Recently, the Russian edition of Science of Self Realization purposely omitted the chapter where Srila Prabhupada discusses ISKCON as not being Hindu. ISKCON is becoming quite ecumenical, less confrontational – more lamb than lion. Who knows, the GBC might re-name it ‘The International Society for God Consciousness.’(ISGCON)" (END)

RADHANATH WITH RAMDEV & HINDU SPIRITUALISTS MAYAVADI ASSOCIATIONS

From the same article above: “In his book Srila Prabhupada appears in the end not as superior to the mayavadis featured throughout the odyssey, but just as one that appealed to Richard Slavin as he vetted what the 70's in Kali Yuga had to offer. I don't think that RS has ever resolved the mayavadi / personalist confusion. Srila Prabhupada has spoken and written so much more about the poison of impersonalism, yet RS continues to entertain intimate relationships with them. He is very fond of staying at residences of self-proclaimed impersonalists even while in cities that have ISKCON temples. 

He appears to have taken a self-edited understanding of Srila Prabhupada's moods and neglected the his guru’s denounciations of the mayavadis, such as: ‘Sunyavadi, they say, "There is no God, and there is nothing, fact. Everything is combination of some illusory things." This is sunyavadi. And the Mayavadi, they say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no form." 

Therefore we have to kill both of them. Nirvisesa- sunyavad-pascatya-desatarine. The whole Western world are filled up with these sunyavadi and impersonalists. India is also nowadays, but there are, still there are devotees in the acharya- sampradaya. They are fighting against sunyavada and nirvisesa. (SPConv Dec. 3, 1975)’ 

RS has cultivated a preaching style that accommodates the mayavadas quite comfortably. He doesn't speak with the passion of a personalist who is willing to be unpopular for his dogma. He has taken the path of least resistance. 

Unfortunately, that approach dilutes the message rather than making it stronger. Devotees find pleasure in freely associating with other mayavadas? He doesn't believe, as Srila Prabhupada warns, that this sanga will destroy his bhakti-lata-bija. 

Srila Prabhupada 21 Dec. 1967: 

‘...I was glad to hear from Gargamuni that you refused to set me in the N.Y. Times columns along with the other so called Swamis or yogis. We have a distinct position that we are neither cheated nor cheaters. We are the genuine representative of Krishna who is the friend of all living creatures. We must play our part independently ...We can not make any compromise with anyone for cheap popularity.’ 

Also from CC Adi-lila 17.53: ‘Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave protection to devotees and killed many demons in the course of His preaching work. He specifically mentioned that the Mayavadi philosophers are the greatest demons. Therefore he warned all others not to hear the Mayavada philosophy. mayavadibhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: simply by hearing the Mayavada interpretation of the shastras, one is doomed.’”

RS attended a ISKCON Seattle 2016 Kirtan Yoga program with guest singer Gina Sala. Website: www.ginasala.com: “Sacred names and syllables with devotion and groove: ‘Gatey gatey para gatey para sam gatey bodhi svaha’ Om shanti shanti shanti Om! Peace and blessings to all Beings! Jai Ma!”

HUMANITARIANISM, PHILANTHROPISM, MUNDANE WELFARE ACTIVITY

Many devotees have complained the GBC is asleep at the wheel as ISKCON gurus are drifting away from Srila Prabhupada’s preaching model and not representing Srila Prabhupada in their activities and outlook. They refer to the introduction, practice, and promotion of humanitarianism, philanthropism, impersonalism, mundane welfare work, mundane education systems, demigod worship, and other things not part of the Vaishnava paradigm. 

They have moved away to an extreme degree from Srila Prabhupada’s uncompromising stand on the accommodation of political correctness and mundane cultural standards of the demonic “civilization.” Srila Prabhupada pointedly said we should not conform to public opinion, but we should change public opinion to conform to shastra or the will of God. 

From BTP #49, 2015:

“...RS also promotes a whole host of philanthropic projects, and in an interview he spoke about them as follows: ‘We have a hospital. We do a lot of charitable eye camps and other such medical work [...] And for this purpose we started Bhaktivedanta Hospital, named after our beloved guru ACBSP, who taught us to be instruments of compassion for the body, mind and soul.’ (RS interview 2010) 

RS claims such activities are based on Srila Prabhupada's teachings regarding "compassion for the body." But not so: "They are very much puffed up, that "We are doing this, opening hospital and school, and philanthropism, nationalism." Is there any such thing in the Bhagavad-gita? Is there any advice that "You open hospital, school and do this philanthropic work"? No." (SPLecture Mar. 8, 1973) 

Not only does RS deviate from Srila Prabhupada's teachings, but he cheats by claiming that this deviation is authorised by Srila Prabhupada. In Mumbai and Vrindaban, RS disciples and ISKCON congregational physicians have founded Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Bhaktivedanta Eye Clinic, and a series of medical facilities to serve the public with affordable or free health care, where devotees are also treated. Strictly speaking, these are quasi-ISKCON projects, although they are very closely associated, and ISKCON clearly reaps much public and social credit for these mundane welfare activities. 

Actually the GBC claims on its own website: ‘340,000: the number of patients treated by ISKCON hospitals such as Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, the Bhaktivedanta Hospice in Vrindavan, mobile clinics and eye camps.’ Why are ISKCON gurus encouraging their disciples in humanitarian mundane welfare activities which were expressly decried by Srila Prabhupada? Has something changed since Srila Prabhupada imparted his purports on the sampradaya siddhanta? They have deviated from those teachings only to garner mundane laudations and cheap fame.

“The name of ISKCON nor of Bhaktivedanta should be used, and these projects should be the private business of devotees (if at all), not of the society, otherwise the public will come to see ISKCON as a mundane welfare society like the Ramakrishna Mission. These medical projects should be for the livelihood of devotees or to serve the Vaishnavas, but not become advertised, as they are now, as ISKCON’s contribution to human welfare. Further, these projects solicit donations from the public and wealthy devotees like Alfred Ford (Ambarish das), but these donations would be much better utilized for pure Krishna consciousness preaching and opening of Hare Krishna temples.

Srila Prabhupada wanted to open Hare Krishna temples, which would be spiritual hospitals to cure the material disease of the soul, and he wanted his followers to be fully engaged in preaching pure Krishna consciousness, the science of the soul. There will always be plenty of hospitals, clinics, welfare programs, but who will teach real knowledge of the soul? 

Prasadam distribution was approved and encouraged by Srila Prabhupada, as was our own gurukulas to train children as devotees. But Srila Prabhupada did not approve of mundane welfare work at all. Sometimes it is explained that the hospital staff preach to patients. But Srila Prabhupada’s position on ISKCON or his followers being involved in these kinds of activities is clear. Obviously, preaching does not require a hospital, which takes a lot of money, time, and labor to carry on. Srila Prabhupada wanted direct engagement in preaching, not welfare activities for the poor, sick, unfortunate, and disabled with some preaching thrown in afterwards as a secondary priority. 

The primary focus of pure preaching by ISKCON devotees has been supplanted by these human welfare activities.

“ISKCON leaders should understand Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on this matter, and by resolution, philosophical essays, and position clear this misunderstanding society-wide, even if it were to reduce the donations and cheap public appreciations. Pure devotional service is light-years superior to mundane welfare work, which is not ISKCON’s concern. 

Srila Prabhupada taught us to distribute his books, chant Hare Krishna in public, give prasadam, operate temples (not hospitals, clinics, or yoga studios), worship the deities, have spiritual festivals. He did not ask us to feed the poor and give care to the needy (we give prasadam to everyone, not just the poor), have eye clinics, open hospitals, help the blind and widows, or open orphanages (unless they are completely converted into a Srila Prabhbupada-style gurukula.) It is not an ISKCON sannyasi or guru’s business to open a hospital. 

Nor do we simply do food distribution for public welfare; we must give spiritual education along with the prasadam. The notion arises that by doing human welfare activities the Hare Krishna movement gets a good public reputation which is positive for preaching. However: (1) our time meant for preaching the highest spiritual knowledge and welfare work is taken away for karmakandic activities, and (2) the public sees us as human welfare workers, not representing Krishna’s message of surrender with love to Him. In 1977 Gopal Krishna returned from a Moscow book fair and asked Srila Prabhupada: ‘...whether it was alright to allow the government to rewrite his books, portraying Krishna as a great hero rather than as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Gopal Krishna felt that we should grant permission because, at least, there would be something about Krishna. Prabhupada, however, said no.’”

“Yes. Temple construction is different from hospital construction. That is for Krishna.” (SPConv April 1, 1974)

SRILA PRABHUPADA QUOTES ON HUMAN WELFARE ACTIVITIES

(1) "Thus the so-called renouncer, unable to remain in meditation upon Brahman, returns to materialistic activities by opening hospitals and schools and so on." (SBhag 7.13.27) 

(2) "As long as a conditioned soul does not have this knowledge, he wants to be the enjoyer of everything; he wants to become a humanitarian or philanthropist and open hospitals and schools for his fellow human beings. This is all illusion, for one cannot benefit anyone by such material activities." (SBhag 3.27.25) 

(3) “Hospital-making business is there, going on by the government, by the state. You are not meant for making hospitals.” (SPLecture Aug. 21, 1966) 

(4) “So therefore the best advancement of civilization is not to open hospitals, but to give them a lesson that they may not fall sick and go to hospital.” (SPL) 

(5)  “Those who are not devotees, therefore, are interested in so-called humanitarian or philanthropic work, such as opening a hospital or charitable institution.” (SBhag 3.25.27) 

(6) “Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s welfare activities were concerned to take the people ‘Back to Godhead’ by the simple devotional activity of ‘Sankirtan.’ That is the picture of the welfare activities of Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. People misunderstand Him because He did not open any hospital, because He did not canvass for the undertakers or because he did not labour for any so-called social welfare work. But in fact what He did, that includes all varieties of social, political, humanitarian, altruistic, moral and spiritual work.” (TLC) 

(7) Hridayananda: You’re the only one, Prabhupada, who dares to criticize hospitals and schools. [laughter] SP: Yes. So many people came to request me... Even Dr. Ghosh. Eh? You know. Satsvarupa: He wanted you to open a medical dispensary. SP: “No, no, we are not going to waste our time in that way.” I frankly told him. We have no extra time to waste like that. What he thinks very big project, we say it is waste of time. [laughter] Hridayananda: Jaya. It is a completely revolutionary idea. 

SP: Yes. I cannot allow anyone to waste his valuable time of human life. (SPConv July 9, 1977) 

(8) “Nowadays, especially, it is very difficult to collect fund. If you say, ‘I am going to open a temple,’ nobody will give you. But if you say, ‘I am going to open a hospital,’ he’ll give you.” (SPLecture Oct. 22, 1974) 

(9) SP: Actually she has no... She is not a preacher. She is a sentimental so- called religionist among some women, and naturally their husbands... And she has no objection. Whatever you do, it doesn’t matter. Therefore she is getting some following. And posing herself as... She’s opening hospital. That means she has no asset. [...] We are going without opening hospital and school; rather challenging ...and diminishing everything, decrying. We do not agree with anyone, and still people like us. Is it not? (VedaBase) 

(10) “In Bhagavad-gita there is no such statement that you take care of the eyes of the people. There is no such statement. That is your manufactured idea.” (SPConv Jan. 8, 1977) 

(11) Bhagavat: That he has opened the clinic. SP: Daridra-narayana-seva. [laughs] We are not all these false things. Dr. Ghosh is also after daridra-narayana-seva. [break] We will collect medicine. Our... We shall pay for the expenditure. Our men will be engaged for bandaging. [laughs] Nonsense. Bhagavat: And the preaching stops. SP: Ah. They cannot understand what is the meaning of this Krishna consciousness. They are such dull-headed men. They have no brain to understand. (SPConv May 9, 1974) 

(12) “If government has got so many hospitals, what is the use of opening a teeny hospital by us? Vivekananda policy— to collect money by school and hospital.” (SPConv May 9, 1974) 

(13) Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said: “To transform the adverse desires of the jivas is the supreme duty of the most merciful. To rescue one person from the stronghold of Mahamaya is an act of superb benevolence, far superior to opening innumerable hospitals.”

(14) The opening of hospitals is not one of the 64 angas of bhakti listed in Nectar of Devotion nor is it mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. Opening hospitals is a karma-kanda activity. (unknown) 

(15) “Is there any such thing in the Bhagavad-gita? Is there any advice that ‘You open hospital, school and do this philanthropic work’? No.” (SPLecture Aug. 3, 1973) 

(16) “...to give help to the poor or to open a school, hospital. This is called karma-kanda.” (SPLecture May 18, 1972) 

(17) Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Tattva-viveka: “By building hospitals and schools, and by doing various philanthropic works, they try to do good to the world and thus please God. Worship of God by performing fuitive work (karma) and by engaging in philosophical speculation (jnana) is very important to them. They have no power to understand pure devotional service (suddha-bhakti), which is free of fruitive work and philosophical speculation.” 

(18) SP: “Now let us start this school, now let us start this hospital...” They’re coming to the mithya platform under some disguise of philanthropy activities. If it is mithya, why you are starting a school? Satish Kumar: Yes. Only way is to sannyasa. SP: Yes. It is not sannyasi business. For starting a school the government is there, public is there. Why you? (SPConv July 30, 1973) 

(19) “It is the acharya’s duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting and remembering. Unfortunately, when the acharya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on.” (SBhag 4.28.48) 

(20) “Just like take for example, hospital. There are hundreds and thousands of hospital, but where is the hospital for treating the spirit soul? [...] They have no knowledge even, what to speak of hospital. [...] This Krishna consciousness temple is the hospital for the diseased spirit soul. And everyone is diseased. Come to this hospital. We shall take care of you and cure your material disease.” (SPLecture Apr. 14, 1972) 

(21) “This Sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon.” (Sikshastakam 1) (22) Dr. Ramachandra: I only want that your movement should utilize my services because I believe service to mankind is service to God. 

SP: No, no, service to God is service to mankind. If you pour water in the root, then it is service to the tree. And if you pour water on the leaf, then nobody is served. Everything will be dry, that's all. That is imperfect service. If you have got realization of God, why should you give only human being service? Why not tiger? He is also... Krishna says, "They are also My sons." That means you discriminate... 

Father will be satisfied when all the sons are given, not partial... Suppose I have got five children. If you give service to one child, so I'll ask that "Why not other children?" Naturally. 

Dr. Ramachandra: Discrimination comes. 

SP: Discrimination comes. So if you have realized God, then you must be learned. (Dec. 16, 1976 Press conference)

COMMENT: Of course the devotee doctors must engage in their profession, and to organize amongst themselves as a hospital is very nice, but not represented as Bhaktivedanta’s hospital or closely associated with the divine mission of ISKCON. ISKCON itself is not concerned with welfare activities; it is a direct preaching organization just as Srila Prabhupada designed and organized it, and it is something we should maintain. Otherwise the transcendental message of the divine mission of the Founder-Acharya becomes watered down with humanitarian welfare work and the public misunderstands the preaching of the Acharya. Surely Radhanath Swami privately understands this?

WHICH RADHANATHA SWAMI’S PROJECTS AND TEMPLES ARE IN ISKCON’S NAME?

Kripa Sindhu Das May 5, 2021: “How many of RS’s projects and temples are in ISKCON’s name? This information is a well kept secret but indications are that none of his centers are run and operated under ISKCON’s name. Srila Prabhupada wanted all his temples, buildings and projects to be in the name of ISKCON. So why does the GBC allow RS to use ISKCON’s name to promote his independent guru business? If RS’s temples are not in ISKCON’s name are any of his disciples actual ISKCON members? 

Is RS cheating his disciples by making them believe they are members of ISKCON when his temples are private trusts? This is the same with all ISKCON appointed gurus. None of them are members of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. They are members of the independent Mathas that their ‘gurus’ have established, but they use ISKCON’s name and Srila Prabhupada’s name for their personal purposes and keep all the disciples and money separate. So where is ISKCON now? 

It seems to be a franchise and brand name only. The GBC should be transparent but they have lied and cheated us all for years now and there is no way that they will divulge to the public how many of their bogus gurus have private independent projects and have private tax free bank accounts in the name of a private trust or business. 

They don’t tell us because they all do the same as private gurus. What is stopping RS from splintering away from ISKCON and taking all his disciples and projects with him? RS must be very wealthy by now. We are a supposed to be a society of beggars and our senior most men who are supposed to be renounced are the wealthiest devotees. How many of RS’s disciples are presidents of other temples around ISKCON? How deep has RS infiltrated into ISKCON? 

How much have his ideas and programs influenced the way we do things in ISKCON? The pyramid counselling system that he has running in all his centers is not Srila Prabhupada’s system and yet many non RS temples and projects use it. How much of the way that RS conducts his private businesses/maths are in line with Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON? Not much! And he is allowed to use ISKCON’s name as part of his bona fide mission. 

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The Killer of the Soul -The Book''The Journey Home' by Radhanath Swami----

The Journey Home: "Whoever Describes Vedic Knowledge as Impersonal is a Demon" BY: KALIYA MARDANA DASA BRAHMACHARY 

It's All One! 

In The Journey Home, Radhanatha Swami's joyous sojourn into the oneness of compromise takes him to dozens of celebrity Mayavadi so-called "gurus"." Though a few are somewhat pious, others are crooked, corrupt and despicable. Nonetheless, they all get painted with the same brush strokes because, after all, "it's all one," isn't it? 

Therefore it is no coincidence that each of these Mayavadis has "realized" that everything in the Universe is one. No, there is no difference whatsoever. What you see outside your window is a big illusion—and come nightfall when everything is submerged into the oneness of darkness, you'll see the truth (at least till the sun rises tomorrow). For a seeker, therefore, what is the need for continued guru-hopping? Since all is one, it would be just as logical to approach for initiation Mukesh the panwalla or Ahmed the dhobi, and consider either one to be a representative of the one immortal and dazzling ball of light from which everything has mysteriously appeared—and then just leave it at that. 

Strangely enough, even though each of these gurus have realized that "it is all one" they are still very possessive of their own ashrams, their supposedly worshipful positions and their disciples—not to mention their bank accounts. It's all one, isn't it? Some of the Mayavadi "gurus" who Radhanatha met and who he is full of praise for in his The Journey Home. (Lower) Ahmed the dhobi and Mukesh the pan walla. 

In his Bhaktivedanta Purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrita of Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami (Madhya-lila 17.104), His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains: "Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī used to explain impersonalism, the Absolute Truth, as being without hands, legs, mouths or eyes. In this way he used to cheat the people by denying the personal form of the Lord. Such a foolish person was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, whose only business was to sever the limbs of the Lord by proving the Lord impersonal. 

Although the Lord has form, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was attempting to cut off the hands and legs of the Lord. This is the business of demons. The Vedas state that people who do not accept the Lord's form are rascals. The form of the Lord is factual, for Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. When Kṛṣṇa says aham, He says 'I am,' which means 'I, the person. 

He adds the word eva, which is used for conclusive verification. It is by Vedānta philosophy that one has to know the Supreme Person. Whoever describes Vedic knowledge as impersonal is a demon. One becomes successful in life by worshiping the form of the Lord. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs deny the form of the Lord, which delivers all fallen souls. Indeed, this form is cut to pieces by Māyāvādī demons. 

"The Personality of Godhead is worshiped by exalted demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. The original Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Śaṅkarācārya, also accepted the fact that the Lord's form is transcendental. Nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt: 'Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the avyakta, the unmanifested material energy.' Avyaktād aṇḍa-sambhavaḥ: 'This material world is a creation of that unmanifested material energy.' However, Nārāyaṇa has His own eternal form, which is not created by material energy. Simply by worshiping the form of the Lord, one is purified. 

However, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are impersonalist philosophers, and they describe the form of the Lord as māyā, or false. How can one be purified by worshiping something false? Māyāvādī philosophers have no sufficient reason for being impersonalists. They blindly follow a principle that cannot be supported by reason or argument. This was the situation with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, the chief Māyāvādī sannyāsī of Benares. He was supposed to teach Vedānta philosophy, but he would not accept the form of the Lord; therefore he was attacked with leprosy. Nonetheless, he continued to commit sins by describing the Absolute Truth as impersonal. 

The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always displays pastimes and activities, but Māyāvādī sannyāsīs claim that these activities are false." From this description we can understand that whoever promotes The Journey Home along with foolish Mayavadi cheats who try to "sever the limbs of the Lord by proving the Lord impersonal" are also complicit. Those who participate in the crime of denying form to Shri Krishna, the all-beautiful and all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be exempt from their crime despite their infectious toothy grins and interfaith dialogue. 

Criminals promote other criminals, and sometimes such Mayavadis even become leaders within so-called Vaishnava sangas due to flattery or bribery, or merely due to a lack of courage on the part of other supposed leaders when they simply play along by "going with the flow." Time is quickly running out for such impersonalistic players, however, and Lord Shri Krishna is carefully watching the skullduggery of those who pretend to serve Him for their own sense gratification. There is no escape other than confessing one's sins and completely reforming your crooked mentality. Still Krishna is so kind that He allows sinful demons—even those who are dressed as Vaishnavas—to confess their sins and renounce their affiliations with Mayavada literature like The Journey Home. But the clock is ticking and this change of heart must come before the killer of the soul draws his final breath.