Thus Spake Hansadutta 09 28 24

"I WAS ONE OF THEM"

Thus spake Hansadutta.

Hansadutta never held back when we spoke because he considered me to be a "made man," a sold-out follower of Prabhupada. Yet, today, as he reminisced, he was filled with regret. He delicately expounded upon the modus operandi that he and his fellow self-proclaimed "divinities"--the Eleven Zonal Acharyas--had adopted as ploys to attract new followers--most of whom would eventually leave their new gurus high and dry, anyway. Or vice versa -- since it became a game of who would abandon who first.

PADA: Right, Ramesvara, Bhagavan, Bhavananda, Satsvarupa, Jayatirtha, Hansadutta, Harikesh, Giriraja, Hrdayananda, Jagadish, Kirtanananda and many other big shot ISKCON leaders -- basically made a giant mess of ISKCON, and then "blooped out." No accountability. "Took the money and ran" so to speak, sometimes grabbing a girlfriend on the way out the door. 

Great job, except when they meet Yamaraja. And Jayatirtha, Hansadutta, Tamal, Kirtanananda and others are no longer here. And some of the remainders are physical and mental basket cases. They did not "save ISKCON" rather they turned it into a giant mess, and they fell into all sorts of problems themselves by imitating the acharyas.  

Brimming with remorse, as he sat on the sofa, he confessed why his thousands of admirers -- his initiates -- could not make the dharma Prabhupada gave us into their life and soul. Reaching into the paper bag that always accompanied him, a confirmed alcoholic, he pulled up a bottle of Mickey's Malt Liquor. Slowly, he took a sip, sighed, and replaced it resolutely. He never hid his addiction for cheap beer from me.

PADA: Right, we all had to be banned, beaten, sued and maybe killed, so that the GBC could place a womanizing drunk on the Vyasa seat, to be worshiped as good as God. Some people had to be assassinated, gurukulis had to be abused and some were commiting suicides, so many different victims suffered, just so the small group of elite leaders could sit on a big chair for a few years and be worshiped artificially.

By that time, around year 2000 I had known Hansaduta for thirty years. He said that I was one of the people who he ran into all over the world, and I was too close a friend to hide his faults from. He needed someone with whom he could be honest, and tell his story as it is. That is what differentiated me from thousands of other teeny-boppers whom he had once trapped into a cult mentality. 

As a guru, his scene was more like a cultish spider's web than a path to back Godhead. Hansaduta called me "his advisor," yet -- truth be told -- Hansadutta was never one to take advice. Anyone who got too close to him would get their fingers burnt because he could turn on anyone who entered into his confidence. 

So I kept him at arm's length. But if he ever had the capacity to take advice, then he would have adhered to the instructions of his spiritual master -- our Guru Maharaja Shrila Prabhupada. In such a case, he would have endeavored to represent the Teacher rather than himself. He would not have become a shooting star that had fallen from the splendid Vyasa Asan he used to embellish. 

PADA: Good. Sometimes people ask me "well jeepers prabhu, why don't you fix these thing internally, and not make a big public spectacle expose." Because -- they won't listen to us? That leaves our only option -- to expose them. 

Instead, Hansadutta would have been leading crowds of singing, dancing, joyous devotees on street corners "in every town and village." Instead, today he was sitting dejectedly before me with two six-packs in the bag.

PADA: A once glorious movement of worshiping God and His pure devotee devolved into worshiping drunks and womanizers. And Hansadutta will be held accountable to creating that situation. 

He continued to confess, "Across the board, our methods were ultimately similar, though we mostly despised each other due to envy. The more we tried to show our differences, the more we became the same. Simply put, that is why we needed zones. We attracted a following of temporary believers by convincing tenderfoot zealots that each of us knew Prabhupada better than the other guy in the zone next door. 

It was that simple. And by doing that to these people, we became the opposite of the spiritual masters we were supposed to be. We became obstructions rather than the transparent via media to the previous acharya that Prabhupada wanted us to be."

PADA: Never mind all the banning, beating, molesting, lawsuits and murders became public media spectacles, and the entire movement was discredited. And then people no longer wanted to even visit the temples. They made Krishna unpopular, which is the aim and object of asuras and deviants, to turn people away from God. Very dangerous karma here.

He continued, "Prabhupada taught us that a spiritual master is meant to illuminate the path to the previous acharya in the sampradaya. And for us, this is really what we should have been doing, but none of us were humble enough. Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread. Basically, we were nothing but an assortment of mlecchas posing as paramhamsas. And everyone could see it -- except ourselves."

PADA: They knew they were phonies the whole time, that means they were intentionally and consciously ruining the lives of devotees, and ISKCON, and the name of ISKCON.

"Shrila Prabhupada has given us so many volumes of instructions, yet we ignored them and tried to compete with Krishna's empowered representative by declaring ourselves as the next empowered acharyas in the line. And that is how we became obstructions, rather than gurus, on their road back to Godhead for those whom we attracted. We enticed a bevy of cheap following, and we wound up with the expected consequences. 

Few newcomers could see through the mess, although thousands of our Godbrothers and - sisters knew what was happening. That is why they had to be eliminated. But our own followers never really understood Srila Prabhupada because we zonal acharyas emphasized our own imaginary qualifications, instead of giving them what was really important -- love of the genuine spiritual master. 

PADA: Yes, they diverted the followers away from worshiping a pure devotee, to worship themselves -- ok maybe debauchees, drunks, and fools. I can barely think of anything more sinful than to destroy the spiritual lives of thousands, or even millions of people, just to get some temporary and artificial mundane glorification, just to end up drinking beer and buying a slice of pizza from the pizza shop.

That is how we eleven all failed to a man. By posing as pure devotees, we failed ourselves, our disciples, our spiritual master, and ultimately Krishna. And I was one of them."

It was actually a big deal that he could confess the obvious. It is said that the last person to see his own flaws is the person himself. He was only explaining what thousands of Godbrothers and Godsisters had known for decades. We, their presumed "rank and file" had been tossed to the Kali Yuga wolves of a rabid world to make way for a flock of sheep that was supposed to be newer, better, heavier, more than the previous generation. But something had gone wrong because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

"I gotta go, Patit" he concluded suddenly. He was like that -- he could come clean with great repentance like someone on the verge of suicide, yet turn as though he had something really important that needed doing and make a swift exit.

"I'm off to get a pizza at Valencia Street, but I'll save you some slices on the way back," he said as he was out the door. He hopped into his little Honda, and sped down Columbus Avenue like nothing unusual had transpired, leaving me down at the tee shirt table hawking my wares to the San Francisco tourists. It was another day over at Fisherman's Wharf.

SOME THOUGHTS: The conclusion would have to be that those who came along after Prabhupada disappeared, yet were attracted to Prabhupada, succeeded. This is proof that His Divine Grace remains with his followers, all of whom are actually his disciples despite being from successive generations. Those who were attracted to cheap gurus, and a show of false divinity, fell away--by the thousands.

Patit Pavana dasa.

Hansadutta Letter to Kirtanananda

Singapore, 2. October 1993

Dear Kirtanananda Maharaj

Please accept my humble obeisances.

I thought now is the time to remind you of what you said to me upon meeting you at New Vrindaban after my fall from Guru and Sannyas. Seeing my condition, and anticipating the ensuing chaos and confusion amongst the new disciples, you said, "This is why I suggested so strongly that ISKCON should adopt the RITTVIK process of initiation for the new Gurus!!" It has been a long time since then, but after all is said and done, I have personally realized the truth of this statement. Rittvik representatives is all that PRABHUPADA ever sanctioned us to be -not ACHARYAS or GURUS.

After years of anguish and confusion over this issue, I have by the mercy of Prabhupada, come to take shelter in his instruction: "Act as Rittvik of the Acharya." I think it is time for me to repay the debt I owe you for giving me shelter when I was so broken and lost in my spiritual life.

I humbly suggest you consider the fact that Prabhupada never authorized us to be Gurus, but restrained our ambition by designating some men to act as his deputies, or Rittvik representatives. Better late than never. Give up the false posture of Guru Acharya and consider acting as the humble servant of the Acharya, as a Rittvik representative. That is the solution for you and all the ISKCON Gurus.

If you step back, resume your sadhana and service attitude towards Srila Prabhupada as his rittvik representative exactly as you used to do for him when he was still physically present, then most devotees will probably stand by you. Many will return to your guidance. You have nothing to lose by taking this humble position, except the false prestige of being a guru acharya, which is haunting you like a ghost.

New Vrindaban is a wonderful place, and it was built under your charge, but only because the devotees were empowered by Prabhupada, on account of their sincere desire to serve him (Srila Prabhupada). In other words, they enthusiastically accepted so much sacrifice, penance and austerity to help you build New Vrindaban, because they saw your sincere determination and desire to please Prabhupada.

Of all the godbrothers, you have accomplished the most monumental task by the building and development of New Vrindaban community. On the other hand, you now stand on the precipice of the total ruin of all you have accomplished, if you obstinately stick to your false posture as the acharya and guru. The godbrothers are waiting like vultures to devour you, New Vrindaban and all the devotees, because more or less all of them are haunted Prabhupada the same ghost of false prestige, thinking, "I am the guru, and all should serve my feet." has remarked the fast two pitfalls of maya are to think one's self as God and the other is to think one's self as guru. Hansadutta das 

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Hare Krishna everyone!

I want to clear up some misunderstandings. A few months before my 18th birthday, I decided to leave my family due to problems i faced with them . I was given a safe place to stay by Srutakirti Prabhu and his wife, Vishakha Sakhi Devi . I had only known Vishakha mataji from working with her in the Deity Care department, but she was very kind and helped me.

My parents later said I was kidnapped, but that’s not true. I was living peacefully with Vishakha’s mother and was going to the Krsna Balarama Mandir every day. My parents knew about it.

Because of these accusations, I had to choose between going back to my parents or staying in a girls’ shelter, which felt like being in jail but was my choice. When I turned 18, I was finally released, thanks to Guruprasad Maharaja and many other devotees who helped me.

It makes me sad and angry to see their support being attacked on social media. I just want to practice Krsna Consciousness as taught by Srila Prabhupada, and move forward in my life.

I also want to address the rumors about Harinama and her son Govinda Harris . They have been very supportive, and Govinda is a wonderful Vaisnava. Any rumors about our relationship are completely false. I’m upset by the gossip and the assumptions people have made.

Thank you for understanding and respecting my choices.

P Devi Dasi

PADA: Wow. To be a teen ager in the middle of all this mess must be quite a challenge. Lots of hoops and hurdles. We hope this young lady can get fixed on Srila Prabhupada and stay with his shelter, and move forward. This is what we said earlier, unless the original trauma problem is addressed, there will be trauma passing down on to the next generation, or generations. Hopefully, she will have a better foundation to pass on. ys pd