ISKCON NEPAL IMBROGLIO /Acharya Hoax / Religion And Politics 05 15 26

WE WON'T FIND REAL LOVE WITHOUT KRISHNA

AND ENDLESS DIFFICULTIES WILL RESULT. 

DID I FORGET TO MENTION -- ENDLESS?

 

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NEPAL IMBROGLIO 

PADA: OK pilgrims it looks like the new wave of victims in the second and third world are discovering what we knew in the 1980s, the GBC guru program is a scam. And the rank and file devotees are being exploited while a small crew of elites live like Kim Jong Un, and the peons are living on left over table scraps. And we can get severely mistreated for asking questions and sent to the North Korean gulags -- ok get kicked out of ISKCON. 

Very sad that while we kept trying to warn people here in the West -- then the GBC just shifted out of the West -- and went where people do not know or understand these issues like India, Poland, Ukraine etc. Now some of the new wave of second and third world victims are angry, confused, baffled, feel cheated etc. just as we were in the West ages ago. 

One of the upset ladies in Nepal is demanding Jayapataka physically come meet them there, ok she is very angry with him and wants to confront him in person. That means she knows he is one of the -- behind the scenes -- orchestrating architects of all this mess. Confronting him however produces no result, as we discovered when he kicked me out in 1979 and was yelling at me later in LA.

And the reason this cheating and exploiting goes on is: many people are not aware of it. So we are having to educate people slowly. It is slowly turning in our favor, but a lot of people have had to suffer before they make the turnaround, very sadly. But we all know what happens to whistle blowers and even victims, they get suppressed sometimes violently and sometimes fatally. There has been a big effort to save the core cadre of cheaters and exploiters, often in the name of "saving ISKCON." That is not the way to save ISKCON. 

We get lots of flack from GBC people, say for example Hansadutta-ites, when we made friends with the Berkeley police. "Why are you working with the karmis"? Well for starters, it can be dangerous to life and limb to expose problems if not crimes in your society. So we sorta have to go outside the so-called devotee circles and channels out of necessity for our survival. And without the help of the karmi police and FEDS, we would be assassinated already long ago.

This is the same complaint we get from the Sanat / Mukunda / Prahlad / Dayalu Nitai's HKC Jaipur / Mathura pati -- Mathias Sabji people. Why is PADA working with the karmi courts, police and medias? We need to make a petition to have PADA removed from the internet, to save our favorite pedophile messiah's project from PADA's expose technique, and they did try to do that. Exposing child molesting must be halted!

HKC Jaipur's senior man Prahlad das and his Germany pal Mathura Pati were even crying like lost puppies that we were taking funds from their poofter guru's Cadillac allotments. How will our favorite poofter guru maharajas ride in style to their feet washing ceremony? We see this a lot. When children are victims of their poofter guru program, they are not crying for the victims, just crying that the false gurus program will suffer our expose. 

Will they make a petition to remove the pedophile messiahs program from the internet? Nope, never. But they actually answered their own question. When we try to forward issues with "the devotees" (like them) we are banned, beaten, sued, killed, and petitions are made to remove us from the internet. That means, we have to work with the outside people. There is no other option. 

And that is my advice to these Nepal people, you guys need to publicly expose them -- and use the media, police and courts, same way we have done. And when they suppress you, that is a sign you are on the right track. All the usual suspects are involved with Nepal: Jayapataka, Radhanath, Maha Vishnu swami UK etc. 

We know from their track record elsewhere what happens to victims and whistle blowers. Anyway, there is growing resistance there, and all we can do is encourage everyone there and try to enlighten them on the history of all this. And if children are being victimized, as is being alleged, there is no time to waste. It is another five alarm emergency "fire in the house," but this same fire has been ongoing since 1978. 

ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com   

ISKCON NEPAL IMBROGLIO

Krishna Chandra Yadav is with Iskcon Mirchaiya and others:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮?
𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻

Religion is not merely about rituals, speeches, or outward appearances. Religion is meant to guide people toward truth, compassion, morality, tolerance, and humanity. A temple should be a place of peace, service, equality, and spiritual shelter — where people feel respected, safe, and spiritually uplifted.

However, in recent years, various incidents, allegations, and controversies connected to ISKCON Nepal Budhanilkantha have raised serious public concerns.
If accusations of fear, pressure, injustice, division, mental harassment, or suppression of voices are emerging in the name of religion, then asking questions becomes necessary.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀, 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗖𝗢𝗡?

Why have there been repeated complaints over the past 10–15 years that many individuals were forced to leave ISKCON Nepal on contrived complaints? If the institution truly represents spirituality and family values, then:

Why did so many people leave ISKCON feeling isolated, abused, hurt, humiliated, victimized or mentally exhausted? Why are there so many allegations of elitism, favoritism, groupism, and a culture of “our own people” inside the temple? Why are the people who question, speak openly, or express disagreement allegedly being pressured or sidelined, or removed entirely?

The biggest question remains:

𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀?

Or is it a shared spiritual institution belonging to devotees, donors, and the Nepali public?

#Nepotism #ISKCONNEPAL #Nepali

𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Religion is supposed to guide people toward self-improvement. It is meant to teach compassion, dialogue, and forgiveness. Yet serious questions are being raised: Were mistakes corrected through guidance and understanding, or through making false police cases against critics, including contrived court cases, false accusations, fear, intimidation, and mental pressure (you are crazy to complain)?

Why has there been a situation where donations are collected from the public, but ordinary people themselves allegedly face harassment and legal pressure? Today, many citizens are asking:

How is the public donation money being used?

Why do some elite officials appear to enjoy luxurious lifestyles, frequent foreign travel and numerous other opulent perks and benefits?

And why are ordinary devotees and citizens left to suffer police cases, court cases, mental stress, and social humiliation when they cast doubts on the elites?

If serious allegations such as sexual abuse, child abuse, or gender-based violence have been raised, then why has there not been transparent and impartial accountability? Or worse, harassing, banning and forcing out the critics? 

Why are there accusations that efforts were made to suppress the truth instead of listening to victims?

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀?

If it is true that a senior citizen was forced out of the temple late at night, then that is deeply painful and inhumane.

PADA: Yeah there is an ongoing court case in Canada where the GBC removed a fellow out of the temple into the freezing Canada winter at night, and he was found frozen to death the next morning sitting in front of the temple. Of course thousands and thousands of other people were booted out in all sorts of ways, these are simply examples.

A temple should be a place that gives shelter, not a place that humiliates and expels people. Similarly, why were brahmacharis, students, and spiritual practitioners — people who dedicated their lives to religious service —
arrested, handcuffed, and kept in police custody for extended periods on contrived charges?

If they were guilty, where is the transparent evidence? If they were innocent, who takes responsibility for their mental suffering, damaged reputation, and lost future?

𝟰. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Religion is meant to unite society. But if religion is instead being used for:
politics, factionalism, nepotism, temple control, promoting only close associates,
and retaliation against dissenting voices, then this becomes a matter of serious concern. If anyone attempts to suppress voices through:

fear, threats, intimidation, or false accusations, then it only raises even bigger questions about the truth. Fear, humiliation, mental abuse, or covering up gender-based violence can never be acceptable.

𝟱. 𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹

Hello ISKCON Nepal, How long will: students, ordinary citizens, and brahmacharis who dedicated their lives to the teachings of Srila Prabhupada be controlled through fear, pressure, and false allegations? How long will: truth be hidden?
Victims’ voices be ignored?

And people who raise questions be treated like enemies? Truth is the foundation of religion. If there is nothing to hide, then why fear transparency, impartial investigation, and open dialogue?

𝟲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 “𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹” 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻? What does “Strong Hold” truly mean? Control over devotees? Suppressing public voices? Silencing internal criticism? Or building a strong foundation of truth, compassion, service, and spirituality?

Before organizing seminars and public programs across the country, shouldn’t the institution first answer the serious questions being raised within itself?

𝟳. “𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 — 𝗪𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲”

Nepal is a nation built on diversity, tolerance, and unity. But if “Divide and Rule,” nepotism, and factional politics dominate inside a religious institution, then it creates mundane and materialstic divisions — not spirituality. So once again, the question remains:

𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗦𝗞𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆?

Or is it a shared spiritual institution for all devotees and the Nepali people?
#Nepotism #ISKCONNEPAL #Nepali

𝟴. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Does anyone have the right to harm innocent people in the name of religion?
Are spiritual institutions above the law? Why are responsible authorities still silent? And most importantly:

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Religion is protected not by fear, but by truth. Religion is protected not by suppression, but by justice. And religion is protected not by silence, but by the courage to speak the truth. Jaya Sri Rāma 

Stand on the Path of Dharma! #Note: No More tolerance and Never by any Nepalese now. Time limit Ends. Move in the path Of Dharma and create peaceful environment everybody will accept. No Ego only Humbleness to Respected hands .

Expose wrongdoing. Protect the movement. Preserve Srila Prabhupāda’s legacy.
Truth must prevail. #harekrishna #srilaprabhupada #harekrishnamahamantra #harekrishnamovement #worldwide #bhagavadgita #sanatandharma #sanatani #sanatanihindu #sitaram #jayshreeram #JayNepal #nepali #hindu #hinduism
#highlightsシ゚ #highlightseveryonefollowers #highlightseveryone #viralpost #viralpost2026 

PADA: Well I am told the leaders of Nepal are disciples of Jayapataka and Radhanath and other similar guys like Mahavishnu swami (UK). So none of this surprises us. It looks like people there are starting to figure out what we figured out some decades ago -- these emperors have no clothes. 

And they are more trouble than help. And they can take you down rather than up. These gurus just moved their dog and pony clown show to another location after burning out the West. It is very sad that victims are being made still after all this time. Especially if children are involved.  

ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com

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ISKCON'S ACHARYA HOAX 

@WilliamMorehouse-d2d

The "three types of acarya" Myths Winter 2004/5 Until the mid-1980s, it was always taught within ISKCON that the original eleven ritviks were carefully selected by Srila Prabhupada to act as initiating acaryas (spiritual masters or Gurus) due to the fact that they were uttama adhikaris, or devotees who had attained the topmost platform of devotional service (Guru Hoax, part 1). 

Once these "acaryas" started "having sex with men, women and possibly children" (to use the published words of GBC-elected Guru Jayadvaita Swami), a new philosophy for a "relativised acarya" had to be hastily crafted which would simultaneously account for the behaviour of these current "acaryas" as well as allow for many more devotees to also become diksa Gurus, with the diksa Guru now no longer needing to be a liberated soul. 

It was at this point that a letter, written many years before by a scholarly devotee called Pradyumna Das, was suddenly touted as the answer to ISKCON's Guru woes. Ravindra Svarupa Das (former GBC chairman and voted-in Guru) used this letter's redefinition of the term "acarya" as the basis of a paper that was instrumental in crafting the Guru Hoax, part 2, and thereby giving us the Guru system we have in ISKCON today. This paper was called Under My Order, and was issued in 1985 on behalf of the US Temple Presidents who were rebelling against the Guru system in place at the time, wanting instead Guru-ship to be opened up to all of Srila Prabhupada's disciples. 

In the said paper, Ravindra Svarupa states: "I have taken this definition of acarya from the letter of August 7th 1978, from Pradyumna to Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. The reader should now turn to this letter (which I have appended) for careful study." (Under My Order, Ravindra Svarupa Das, August 1985) Since these ideas regarding "acaryas" taken from Pradyumna's letter form part of the basis of ISKCON's current Guru system, below we will answer the myths that arose directly from Pradyumna's letter. 

1) MYTH: "There is a fundamental difference between the terms 'spiritual master' or 'Guru' and the term 'acarya'." BUSTED: According to Srila Prabhupada, the terms "Guru", "acarya" and "spiritual master" are all interchangeable: "...a teacher or spiritual master is liable to be rejected if he proves himself unworthy of the position of a guru or spiritual master. A guru is called also an acarya..." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.43, purport) 

2) MYTH: "There are three types of acaryas: one who teaches by example, one who initiates disciples (but who may not be fully liberated), and one who not only initiates but also heads up an institution and is worshipable by all as a fully liberated spiritual master." 

BUSTED: According to Srila Prabhupada, there are just two categories of acarya or spiritual master, one who instructs (siksa) and one who initiates (diksa): "The first manifestation described is the spiritual master, who appears in two plenary parts called the initiating spiritual master and instructing spiritual master." 

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1, 'The Spiritual Masters') 

The acarya who initiates disciples is defined as follows: "In the Vayu Purana an acarya is defined as one who knows the import of all Vedic literature, explains the purpose of the Vedas, abides by their rules and regulations, and teaches his disciples to act in the same way." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 1.46, purport) Srila Prabhupada never taught that there were two types of initiating acarya, one who could head up an institution and one who, through some unspecified disablement, could not. 

He only defined "acarya" as above. 

3) MYTH: "Anyone who grants initiation or is a guru may be called as "acaryadeva" etc by his disciples only. Whoever has accepted him as guru must give all respects to him in every way, but this does not apply to those who are not his disciples." (Pradyumna Das, 7/8/78) 

BUSTED: This definition of the word "acaryadeva" is completely at odds with the one given by Srila Prabhupada: "...when we speak of the fundamental principle of Gurudeva, or Acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application (...) he is the Jagad-Guru, or the Guru of all of us..." (Srila Prabhupada's homage to his spiritual master, February 1936, emphasis added). 

Thus Pradyumna's letter completely relativised the absolute position of the true initiating acarya, implying as it does the unauthorised philosophy that initiation (diksa) could be given by people who had not reached the topmost platform of devotional service, and were therefore only to be respected by those few unfortunates he was somehow able to dupe. 

4) MYTH: "But the GBC would never have adopted Pradyumna's ideas if they had not originated from Srila Prabhupada." BUSTED: Pradyumna himself admits in his own letter: "Much of the knowledge written here is not found in sastra." (Pradyumna Das, 7/8/78). 

He also gave a clear indication of the source of his ideas: "Indeed in the different Gaudiya Mathas, even if one Godbrother is in the position of acarya ..." Certainly his relativised, minimised initiating acarya theory is nowhere to be found within Srila Prabhupada's teachings. As we continue to document in BTP, these bogus ideas have proven disastrous for ISKCON.

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RELIGION AND POLITICS

https://blog.shabda.co/2026/05/14/vedic-lessons-in-politics/?

Attitudes of Religion Toward Politics

At present, there are two dominant attitudes about religion and politics: (a) religion and politics are identical, such that salvation itself depends on politics, and (b) religion and politics are totally separate, such that religion has nothing to say on political matters. The Vedic tradition is neither opposite. The Vedic position is that truth can be taught without politics—i.e., coercion. This is the preferred method of learning and teaching the truth, practiced by the Brāhmanas. However, if someone doesn’t want the truth, he is left alone to live the way he wants, provided he does not stop others from pursuing the truth. In today’s terminology, we would call this nonchalant attitude toward other religions secularism.

Good examples of secularism in India are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Their followers lived under rulers of each other’s religions without persecution. The ruler may follow one religion, and the subjects may follow another religion, but they don’t interfere in each other’s religions and don’t try to force their ideology on others. There were debates between religions, but they did not turn violent because it was known that choice is an inalienable feature of the soul, and everyone gets the results of their choices. India maintained secularism because all Indian religions accepted karma and rebirth.

Conversely, those who reject karma and rebirth believe there will be no consequences for their actions, and they become most sinful. They enrich themselves through theft, lie to deceive people, exploit the weak for profit, claim that war brings progress, and are addicted to sexual perversions. Such people cannot be educated; their reformation requires giving them the taste of their own medicine. The Kṣatriyas deal with such people violently, and political machinations, including deceit, are permitted to defeat them. The Vedic texts contain stories of Kṣatriyas and how they deal with the enemies of the truth. This article distills some of the stories and their lessons to show how political machinations are allowed, provided they are for the protection and preservation of the truth, and not just for power.
Always Remain Near Kṛṣṇa’s Feet

Before the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna and Duryodhana went to Dwarka to seek Kṛṣṇa’s help during the war. Kṛṣṇa was sleeping at this hour, so Arjuna and Duryodhana decided to wait for Him to wake up. Fueled by pride and thinking himself equal to Kṛṣṇa, Duryodhana sat near Kṛṣṇa’s head. But considering himself small before Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna sat near Kṛṣṇa’s feet. Upon waking, Kṛṣṇa saw Arjuna before Duryodhana. He inquired about their reason for the visit, and they asked for His support in the Kurukshetra war.

Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna and Duryodhana that He was not going to fight in the war, because both Pāndavas and Kauravas were His cousins. But He also said that His Nārāyaṇi army was not limited by that constraint, so he could lend His army to whomsoever wanted it. Since Kṛṣṇa saw Arjuna first, He gave Arjuna the first choice to choose between Himself and His army. Initially, Duryodhana was worried that Arjuna might choose Kṛṣṇa’s army. But Arjuna chose Kṛṣṇa, after which Duryodhana happily took the army. We know the result of that battle—Kṛṣṇa steered the Pāndavas to their victory and the Kauravas to their defeat.

The moral of the story is that the person is more important than their power. The person is called Puruṣa, and their power is called Śakti. Materialistic people want Śakti. They think that once they get Śakti, they will win the war on their own. But those who know that the Śakti always serves the Puruṣa, always want the Puruṣa. They seem to not have Śakti—the armies of warriors laced with weapons and chariots—but they win. Before the Mahābhārata war began, the Kauravas had bigger armies and nearly all the biggest warriors. Their two biggest supporters, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, were not fighting the war. And yet they won. Therefore, power is not as important as wisdom. The truth is more powerful than raw power itself.

Kṛṣṇa may not fight on our behalf; He may even lend military support to our enemies, but He will instruct us what to do, and that is more than enough to give us victory. There is greater power in truth than there is in militaries. Materialistic people think that the military is more powerful than the truth. Duryodhana is an example of such a materialistic man who was pleased to have gotten Kṛṣṇa’s army. But Kṛṣṇa’s devotees want Kṛṣṇa, rather than His military. They want Kṛṣṇa’s guidance and association, not His power. They win because Kṛṣṇa’s words are more powerful than His armies. Truth-power over weapon-power.

That doesn’t mean we don’t prepare militarily. But we prioritize the protection of truth and destruction of deceit over our victory or defeat. Ultimately, our victory and defeat are less important than the victory and defeat of truth. Hence, those who stop worrying about personal victory or defeat and focus on the victory of truth are victorious. They are fighting for truth, and not for themselves, so the truth guides them on how to fight. Their principled stance gives victory even if they face more powerful armies.
Make the Enemy Serve Your Interest

One time, seeing Indra’s arrogance, Sage Durvāsā cursed Indra to lose all his wealth and power. Indra and the other demigods were then defeated in a battle with the Asuras and had to go into hiding. Pained by their loss of status, they went to Brahmā for help, who took them to Lord Viṣṇu for guidance. Lord Viṣṇu then advised them to make friends with the Asuras and churn the Milk Ocean for nectar. He promised them that He would ensure that the Asuras would work for the nectar, but the Devas would eventually drink it. This is what the Devas did. They partnered with Asuras to churn the Milk Ocean, after which Lord Viṣṇu appeared as Mohini to delude the Asuras, giving all the nectar to the Devas. After the Devas had drunk the nectar, there was another battle between the Devas and the Asuras, in which the Asuras were defeated.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The Asuras can work hard, which is their strength, but they have a weakness for beautiful women. If Devas had fought against the Asura’s strength, they would have lost, so they coopted their strength to churn the Milk Ocean. But when nectar arrived, Mohini used their weakness—beautiful women—against them. We have to know the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses; we have to use their strengths to our advantage and their weaknesses against them. However, this principle is subordinate to the first principle of being on the side of truth, sitting at Kṛṣṇa’s feet.

If an Asura talks about democracy, follow democracy, and make the truth victorious democratically. As the Asura sees you winning democratically, he will become authoritarian, and now you can discredit his democracy. If an Asura talks about science, follow science, and use his evidence against his theory to establish the truth. As the Asura sees you winning scientifically, he will turn dogmatic, and now you can discredit his claim to science. 

If an Asura talks about the rule of law, use his rules to make the truth win, and as the Asura sees you winning, he will break his rules, and now you can discredit his rule of law. If an Asura talks about open markets, follow open markets and take his money to make the truth win. As the Asura sees you winning through open markets, he will become protectionist, and now you can discredit his open market. If an Asura talks of free speech, accept the free speech, and use it to criticize his ideology. As the Asura sees he is losing the argument, he will shut down free speech, and now you can discredit his claim to free speech. If the Asura talks about equality, then accept his equality and make the truth win without any discrimination. As the Asura sees you winning, he will become discriminatory, and you can discredit his equality.

These things are possible because the Asura’s claims of democracy, science, rule of law, open markets, free speech, and equality are all lies. The reality is hedonism, but it is given the cover of virtuosity. Thus, materialism hides in the garb of science, deceit in the garb of free speech, manipulation in the garb of democracy, theft in the garb of open markets, oppression in the garb of the rule of law, and injustice in the garb of equality. Why does the Asura need to hide hedonism behind the veil of virtue? The answer is that hedonism is weakness and virtue is strength. Once we know the weakness behind the strength, we can also embrace the veil of virtue—science, free speech, democracy, open markets, rule of law, and equality—but deny hedonism. Now, the Asura will forget his virtues, and do the exact opposite of what he was always preaching, and then we have fully cancelled his strength by using his weakness.

There is an even more important lesson—never be arrogant. For if you are arrogant, you will again be cursed, just like Sage Durvāsā cursed Indra to lose his rightfully earned place in the universe. The fact that we are moral and righteous is not enough. The fact that we are enjoying what we have earned is also not enough. We have to always be humble, which means honoring the sages and their advice. Those who disregard the sages, thinking they have done good deeds and earned power, wealth, and prestige righteously, morally, and justly, lose that status if they are arrogant. That loss is not permanent because they had earlier earned it, so they deserve to enjoy it. They will get it back when they become humble again. This temporary loss is a valuable lesson that when we regain power, we must be humble.

Hide Strengths and Surprise Enemies

Hanumān is Vāyu Putra (the son of the deity who controls the element called Vāyu, which moves things in this world), and thus extremely powerful. But he is also extremely humble. One time, Bhīma, also Vāyu Putra, met Hanumān in a forest. Hanumān was lying down, with his tail covering the track. Bhīma did not want to step over his tail, because it is an insult to step over another living entity. Therefore, Bhīma requested Hanumān to move his tail so he could pass. Then, Hanumān said to Bhīma: I have become very old, and I am not able to move. Why don’t you move my tail? Bhīma tried to move the tail, but he failed. Bhīma realized that this seemingly old monkey is not so weak, and then Hanumān revealed who he is.

When Hanumān went in search of Mother Sītā, he was challenged by Lankini to a fight. As Hanumān increased his size to fight, Lankini grew her size even more. Eventually, when Lankini had grown to an enormous size, Hanumān took a very small size, entered Lankini’s mouth, and came out, and asked for permission to leave. Then Hanumān took a tiny form to enter Lanka, to remain undetected. 

After he met Mother Sita, he destroyed Rāvana’s garden to invite the Asuras to fight and killed many of them. Eventually, Indrajit captured Hanumān with the Nāgapāṣa and brought him before Rāvana. Hanumān then asked Rāvana to return Mother Sītā, which angered Rāvana, and he asked Hanumān’s tail to be set on fire. As soon as the tail was lit, Hanumān took a tiny form, escaped the Nāgapāṣa that had bound him, and again assumed a gigantic form. He used his burning tail to burn down the whole of Lanka.

Hanumān possesses extraordinary power, but he doesn’t reveal it unless needed. He acts weak, old, and inept to make others think he is helpless. He becomes small to avoid unnecessary battles and focuses on the goal. He willingly accepts bondage if required to solve problems with dialogue. But if nothing works, he burns down a city. Strength and violence are not the only tools in Hanumān’s arsenal. There are also humility, diplomacy, and deception. Hanuman enters Lanka by becoming small, and he burns down Lanka after becoming big. Again, this is not just about strength. Hanuman serves the pleasure of Lord Rāmachandra, not his own pleasure. Strength and weakness are both used to serve the Lord.

Rāvana also appeared as a weak mendicant before Mother Sītā, and once She had stepped outside the boundary set by Lakṣmaṇa, Rāvana abducted Her. Mother Sītā is Śakti, so She could have killed Rāvana then and there. She had lifted Lord Śiva’s bow before Her marriage, and in some Rāmāyana narrations, Rāvana had tried but failed to lift the same bow. And yet, Mother Sītā acted as a damsel in distress to enter Lanka, after which Rāvana brought war to his doorstep, where all his demonic friends were killed. The Asura thinks that the opponent is weak and walks into the trap set for him, where he is killed.

The moral of the story is that the devotees of Lord Rāmachandra are not bound by some imaginary ideals of morality. Rather, they are as moral as the other party they are dealing with. They do not begin with arrogance either. They begin with humility, hide their strength, and make everyone think they are weak. They use words instead of weapons to solve problems. When all such attempts fail, they display a monstrous form beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, and resolve with violence what could not be earlier resolved with humility and words. Thus, acting weak, hiding strengths, and letting the enemy underestimate your strength is a common lesson of political intrigue in Vedic texts. It is also a moral path in which the enemy is shown the path of correction before full-scale violence is used on him.

Lose Some Battles to Win the War

After Kṛṣṇa killed Kaṃsa, Jarāsandha—who had his daughters married to Kaṃsa and was Kaṃsa’s father-in-law—attacked Mathura 17 times, and each time he was defeated. However, these repeated battles took a toll on the residents of Mathura. Kṛṣṇa did not want to put the residents of Mathura under distress because He knew that Jarāsandha’s enmity was with Him, not with the Mathura residents. Hence, on the 18th attack, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma ran away from the battlefield to make Jarāsandha think that he had won. They climbed a mountain, Jarāsandha set fire to the mountain, and while Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma jumped off the mountain, Jarāsandha thought that he had burned Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and he went home happily. Later, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma moved the residents of Mathura to the newly created city of Dwarka, which was an island surrounded by water, so it was inaccessible to invaders like Jarāsandha. Later, Kṛṣṇa went with Bhīma in disguise to Magadha, where Bhīma challenged Jarāsandha to a wrestling match, and after a 28-day battle, upon Kṛṣṇa’s advice, Bhīma killed Jarāsandha by tearing him into two pieces.

We see a cowardice-bravery duality in the Jarāsandha story. Kṛṣṇa runs away from Jarāsandha and then takes Bhīma in disguise to fight with Jarāsandha. Kṛṣṇa did not want Jarāsandha’s army to die in war; He did not want His army or that of the Pandavas to fight in a war; enough soldiers had already been killed in earlier wars. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to kill Jarāsandha. And thus, Bhīma and Kṛṣṇa did not go to Jarāsandha as Pāndavas or Yādavas. They went as individuals in disguise to kill Jarāsandha, without involving any of the armies under their control. Cowardice (running away from a battlefield) was used to protect the people of Mathura from violence. Likewise, bravery was used to enter Magadha alone without an army.

The moral of the story is that discretion is the better part of valor. Rulers are expected to prioritize the well-being of their people over their pride. When it means swallowing pride to protect people, they must do that too. There will be a time for revenge, after those deserving of protection are safe. When that time arrives, the revenge is so visceral as to terrorize the hearts of any other enemy.
Real Politics is Deception for Good

Most people have a negative idea of politics because it involves deception. Most politicians deceive people and other politicians for their own advantage, and against the greater good. But politics can also employ deception for the greatest good. This is the fundamental difference between Brāhmana and Kṣatriya—a Brāhmana always speaks the truth, while a Kṣatriya is also allowed to deceive. But truth and deception are equally utilized for serving the greatest good, the will of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rāmachandra. This is why the Kṣatriya is always subordinate to the Brāhmana—deception must eventually serve the truth.

The Asuras are experts in deception—they come as friends, and when they have established trust, they use the trust to undermine their so-called friend. When the Asura’s deceptions are exposed, he uses violence on the truth-tellers, which the Brāhmana cannot counter. Therefore, Kṣatriyas are essential for the protection of dharma and Brāhmana, and these Kṣatriyas are permitted to deceive their opponents as long as it is for the greatest good, not just their personal profit. In the Mahābhārata, Vidura advises—śaṭhe śāṭhyam samācharet—i.e., behave wickedly with the wicked. Nature works on the principle of tit-for-tat—be good with the good and be evil with the evil. Therefore, cheating is not forbidden if the cheater is being cheated, and the eventual outcome of that cheating is the reestablishment of truth.

Most people at present have taken the political tendency to deceive for granted—it is assumed that the politician will lie and cheat to gain an advantage. This assumption is the normalization of the Asura. When we assume that all politicians will deceive for personal gain, we have assumed that all politicians are Asura. Then how can we complain when the politician oppresses the people he rules over? If we normalize the Asura tendencies, then we must also accept that we will always be ruled by Asuras.

The answer is that a Kṣatriya is not an Asura, even as an Asura can seem to be a Kṣatriya. A Kṣatriya acts truthfully, honestly, and fairly while dealing with moral people, and he deceives, cheats, and manipulates when dealing with immoral people. Even this deception, cheating, and manipulation are allowed only if the greatest good and the instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rāmachandra are fulfilled. Even while seeming to act against the nature of a Brāhmana, a Kṣatriya is following dharma if he fulfills these criteria.

=======

BUILDING UP CHINA WAS A MISTAKE?


IRON MYTHOS

The 1972 handshake between Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong was perhaps the greatest cold-blooded calculation of the 20th century. At the height of the Cold War, America made a daring bet that by opening the door to China, they could split the Communist bloc and isolate the Soviet Union for good.

It was a masterpiece of "Realpolitik" that fundamentally shifted the global balance of power, trading ideological purity for a strategic manufacturing partner and a more stable world order.

For decades, that arrangement seemed to work beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. American corporations moved production East by the trillions, the U.S. consumer enjoyed a golden age of cheap goods, and China’s entry into the WTO in 2001 appeared to be the final step in anchoring their rise within an American-led system. The prevailing theory was "Convergence" , the idea that as China grew wealthier, it would naturally adopt Western political and economic norms.

But as we stand here on May 14, 2026, it is clear that the "Convergence" theory has officially collapsed.

Instead of becoming a junior partner in the existing order, China utilized fifty years of that integration to build a peer-competitor economy and a military capable of challenging the U.S. directly. The very architecture Nixon built to save the 20th century has become the primary challenge of the 21st, leading us to this exact moment of high-stakes friction.

Donald Trump’s current visit to Beijing represents the formal end of the Nixon era. We are no longer watching a standard diplomatic mission; we are witnessing a systematic attempt to "unplug" the two most powerful economies on earth.
From the aggressive tariffs and the battle for semiconductor supremacy to the current pressure regarding the Iran crisis and the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. is trying to renegotiate the terms of a fifty-year-old lease that it no longer finds profitable.

The era of engagement is over, and the era of decoupling has begun. The question now is whether these two giants can move into separate rooms without bringing the whole house down in the process. Is a total economic divorce even possible at this point, or are we too far gone for the U.S. to hit the "undo" button?

Aindra Was Right / CPO Bharat on Nepal / Natalie Raw RE: Meat 05 14 26

Mother Yasoda thinks Lord Vishṇu is protecting Krsna because she sees Krsna as her ordinary child, while all the supernatural events around Him seem to come from an external divine protector — not from Krsna Himself. This is called Vraja‑bhava: the Lord’s own devotees are covered by Yogamayā -- so they can love Him naturally even as their own child. Thus she witnesses miracles but never thinks Krsna is God. Yasoda sees asuras being eliminated one after another -- like Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Śakaṭāsura, and Tṛṇāvarta, yet she interprets these events as Vishnu's divine protection, not a Krsna’s own power. Srila Prabhupada explains that Yasoda is then constantly remembering these "asura eliminating pastimes" while churning butter, singing about these events as poetry. She sees these pastimes as proof that Lord Vishnu is protecting and guarding her son. 

=========

AINDRA WAS RIGHT! 

@abhishekmohanty2108

Aindra was against them heavily time after time. From an Authentic source and Aindra prabhu's associates- The purpose of all of our management, guru system, and big buildings in ISKCON are only meant for the chanting of the Holy Names of the Hare Krsna mantra & we shouldn't forget this. This is the conclusion of Aindra prabhu's book. 

It is not my intention to stir up controversy, but I am stating a fact. Aindra was threatened to be kicked out of the temple by local "authorities" if he published his ...book. After this, he lost the will to live or accepted that they would terminate him. 

According to a wise Godbrother that lived in Vrndavana, Aindra prabhu would still be with us if they had not treated him so harshly. ISKCON "authorities" harshly treated thousands of devotees who did not accept the bogus Zonal Acarya system which caused ISKCON to lose so many valuable dedicated disciples. Have they ever apologized? 

Do they have the humility to do so? A few have already left their bodies, so it is too late for them in this life time to apologize. Can we forgive them even if they don't think they did anything to be forgiven for? 

Two types of people don't understand Aindra prabhu's book: 

1. Those who read it and think they can use that language without having all the deep realization of Aindra prabhu 

2. Those who read it & get freaked by his language and shut the book

But the message is clear, the corporate GBC guru system is a failure. And Aindra may have paid the ultimate price for exposing them.

=====

CPO BHARAT and the NEPAL Imbroglio

Re: Your letter

Child Protection Office Bharat

Dear Hemanga Vishwambhar Das. 

Thank you for your concern but since you decided to send this mail to such a huge number of receivers, some who are no longer present on this planet and others who are new bhaktas, it does not seem that you are really concerned about the child abuse. It looks as if you are yourself making a political statement. 

Neither do you introduce yourself or inform in which way you are connected to this case. You do not give proper references or evidence to your claims. As you say the real discussion should be regarding the child abuse. "Do you accept that there may have been child abuse in your gurukula." That is the answer we are trying to understand. That is the question from CPOC and the GBC of Nepal. This is the question we have asked of the Temple President and the Nepal Management. But your concerns are noted. 

Your servants, in the service of the Children. CPO Bharat.

SRD

 

Wed, May 13 at 5:50 AM

Hare Krishna Pancaratna,

Only a few years ago, the worldwide ISKCON community witnessed the formation of CPO Bharat. 

It is worth noting that the first known mention of a separate CPO body for India emerged during the leaked ICC video meeting, shortly after the GBCs asked the International CPO to reassess the Lokanath case. The GBCs have since publicly confirmed their belief that Lokanath sexually abused an 11-year-old girl. 

The timing was not lost on many, and the formation of CPO Bharat has been viewed by much of the international devotee community as a politically motivated move designed to shield ISKCON India's leadership from accountability.

In our last open correspondence, you acknowledged that you had published a favorable assessment of the Vrindavana Gurukula without having carried out the in-depth review that a school with such a concerning track record clearly warrants. 

Since that exchange, you have not communicated to the devotee community that any such assessment has since been completed. As far as the international community is concerned, the question of whether the children of the Vrindavana Gurukula are truly safe remains unanswered.

I have recently received a deeply disturbing report that one of the school's teachers had a violent rage episode and physically attacked a student, leaving the child with serious injuries. Rather than taking the child to hospital, the school management has reportedly kept him confined to the school infirmary; a decision that strongly suggests an attempt to avoid legal scrutiny.

This incident, along with the case in Nepal, points to a fundamental structural problem with CPO Bharat. Your office does not currently enjoy the institutional credibility necessary to carry out its mandate effectively. 

This is not surprising, given that its very formation was clouded by political intrigue and that its conduct since has done little to earn the confidence of the broader devotee community.

It is my further understanding that in the investigation of the Nepal case, your office failed to follow the GBC's own requirement that such investigations be conducted by hired professionals. You sent a team of Indian lawyers to investigate allegations of child abuse in Nepal.

Could you articulate how this decision served the best interest of the child victims? Your office also failed to suspend the school principal who currently stands accused of child sexual abuse. Given the gravity of the allegations, such a suspension should have been the very first step to take!

The situation, as it stands, is untenable. You cannot operate a Child Protection office founded under such questionable circumstances, fail to secure the trust of the international devotee community, and still hope to be even remotely effective in the vital work of protecting children. 

You cannot prioritize political considerations and protect children simultaneously.

A choice must be made.

Praying for the protection of Srila Prabhupada's Vaikuntha children! 

SRD 

HEMRAJ GAIRAY

Hare Krishna, Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am writing this with a very disturbed mind after my recent interaction with the CPO investigation team. I was called for questioning, and I cooperated sincerely, expecting that the discussion would remain focused on child protection concerns. However, I was surprised and confused to find that many of the questions asked were not related to child-related matters at all.

Is this the duty of CPO? Why were the CPO investigation team focusing more on internal management of ISKCON Nepal? This is totally against the CPO guideline. It clearly shows that the current CPO investigation isn't meant for protecting child but is used only for political propaganda in Nepal.

Some of the questions felt irrelevant and personal, and I could not understand how they were connected to the purpose of the investigation. This left me uneasy and unsure about the intention behind such questioning. As a simple devotee, I came forward in good faith, but the experience has left me mentally disturbed.

At the same time, I am deeply shocked by how the entire situation is unfolding. What initially appeared to be a sensitive matter concerning child welfare now seems to be turning into something else entirely. The way events are progressing raises serious doubts in my mind.

It is painful for me to say this, but I am beginning to feel that there may be some kind of agenda at play against the ISKCON Nepal management. From my limited understanding and experience, it appears that the CPO process is being used in a way that goes beyond its intended purpose. It is starting to look like a tool for creating pressure and possibly even for political or personal motives.

This situation is causing confusion, fear, and mistrust among devotees. Many of us do not know what to believe anymore. Instead of bringing clarity and protection, the process is creating more disturbance within the community.

I humbly request that the authorities take these concerns seriously and ensure that the investigation remains fair, focused, and truly aligned with child protection principles. At the same time, I pray that no innocent person or institution is harmed due to misuse of the process.

I remain a servant of the mission and only wish for truth, fairness, and harmony to prevail.

Your servant,

Hemanga Vishwambhar Das

====

NATALIE RAW on Eating Meat

Eating meat has become so normalized that people don’t even stop to question what they’re participating in anymore. They defend it emotionally, spiritually, psychologically… not because they deeply examined it, but because they were programmed into it since childhood. From cartoons, commercials, family traditions, restaurants, holidays, fitness culture, fast food addiction, social pressure — the system wrapped violence in comfort and called it “normal.”

And the moment you challenge it, people react like you attacked their identity itself. Why? Because deep down many already know something feels wrong. They just don’t want to face it. We live in a world where people cry over dogs while paying others to slaughter intelligent, emotional beings by the billions. 

A world where suffering is hidden behind plastic packaging, smiling logos, and clever marketing. Out of sight. Out of mind. A giant psychological disconnect.
This is what the matrix does. 

It conditions people to disconnect from empathy, intuition, and natural awareness while chasing endless stimulation, taste addiction, dopamine hits, convenience, and temporary pleasure. A hedonic treadmill where the body becomes overloaded, the mind becomes fogged, and the spirit becomes numb.

People talk about “energy” and “frequencies” all day long but never stop to ask what kind of energy enters the body through fear, terror, stress hormones, death, and suffering. They consume anxiety and call it nutrition. They consume lifeless processed corpses while wondering why depression, aggression, disease, inflammation, brain fog, and spiritual emptiness are exploding everywhere.

And no, this isn’t about being “better than anyone.” This is about waking up. Questioning everything we were taught. Reconnecting to compassion, clarity, health, and consciousness. The craziest part?

The moment many people switch to cleaner, living, plant-based foods, the fog starts lifting. Their emotions stabilize. Their body changes. Their intuition sharpens. Their connection to life deepens. It’s like stepping out of static noise for the first time and finally hearing yourself think clearly.

The system profits from sickness.

It profits from addiction.
It profits from emotional numbness.
It profits from people never slowing down long enough to ask:
“What am I actually consuming… physically, mentally, and spiritually?”

Most people are not evil.

They’re conditioned. Distracted. Indoctrinated since birth into cycles they never consciously chose. But at some point, every person has to decide:

Do I keep blindly following the crowd because it’s comfortable… or do I finally start listening to my own conscience?

==========

SOUTH ASIA NEWS

 

The main fertilizers exported from the Gulf:

Urea (nitrogen fertilizer) — The single biggest product. Iran is the 4th‑largest global exporter of urea, and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are also major producers. Urea is the most widely used nitrogen fertilizer worldwide.

Ammonia (nitrogen fertilizer feedstock) — A key precursor for all nitrogen fertilizers. About 23% of global ammonia trade normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

DAP & MAP (phosphate fertilizers) — These rely on phosphoric acid made from sulfuric acid. Around 18% of global MAP / DAP trade moves through the Strait.

Sulfur (fertilizer input) — Used to make sulfuric acid for phosphate fertilizers. The Middle East supplies 45% of global sulfur trade, much of it shipped through the Strait.

Natural gas (not a fertilizer, but essential for animal feedstock) — Critical for producing ammonia and urea. About 20% of global LNG passes through the StrAbout 20% of global LNG passes through the Strait, and disruptions directly affect fertilizer production costs.

These products form the backbone of global nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer supply, and the Persian Gulf is one of the world’s most important production and export hubs. Without sufficient ongoing supply of these products, world food production will soon be severely disrupted and even halted in a number of cases. Many farmers simply will not plant crops without these resources. 

And fuel used for tractors, irrigation pumps, transporting produce to market etc. will be out of reach for millions of farmers especially around Asia. In short, unless the gulf is open for moving these products soon, there will be a global food shortage affecting millions of people in the short term, and billions of people in the longer term if this is not settled soon.

Shyamsundar Speerstra / Kunti Prayer / PADA's "Grudge" / Harikesh 05 13 26

SHYAMSUNDAR SPEERSTRA

Vaishnavas Espana / with PADA edits.

About the pattern of "pioneer ISKCON disciples" -- who leave ISKCON and then return much later  -- only for collection of money, or to sell their "early years personal association" books and so on. They disappear off radar for 20 - 30 -- 40 -- even 50 years -- and then all of a sudden they re-emerge, but only when they need something. Like money. He also needed a liver transplant previously (from drinking alcohol?) and he was then all over the ISKCON map, until he got that settled. And ISKCON helped him find a donor. Then off radar again.

For the record: Almost no one discusses the historic service of Shyamasundar prabhu or the other early disciples who were with Srila Prabhupada in the 60s-70s. It is not that relevant to us or ISKCON now. It is like an old folks home where the old timers remember the good old days, but they cannot recognize what modern life is. 

Accompanying the Acārya in those years was an enormous leap of faith and left its mark on the history of the movement. That's a fact and is acknowledged with gratitude. But precisely for that recognition it is also appropriate to speak with honesty of a pattern that repeats itself -- and that is many devotees -- above all second generation (gurukulis, disciples of new gurus and others) - observe with increasing bewilderment:

Intense service while Srila Prabhupāda was present physically; only to later have complete withdrawal or silence afterwards. They vanished almost all wholesale, while ISKCON fell into all sorts of troubles and problems. That is including a huge $400,000,000 lawsuit for all the child abuse. It appears the dedication was shallow, short lived, and never actually realized. Superficial dedication at best. 

When the going gets tough, the tough start going, and the weak sneak off back to live with mommy. Worse, a number of these "seniors" also began smoking pot, even taking heroin -- like Swarup Hebel, Punyatama and others. Gurukripa and Bhakta das were famously drinking alcohol and "chasing Thai bar girls." 

Badger devotees were drinking beer and watching football. One of the original lady devotees died of smoke inhalation when her cigarette fell onto her mattress when she was in the nursing home. Another devotee man died of alcohol poison, some died of suicide, cancer etc. One of the former LA book distribution champion ladies died of heroin, and it turns out her whole devotee clique were taking hard drugs. 

One ex-gurukula lady died of an overdose in the Los Angeles temple alley. Amarendra's daughter died of apparent drug use. And so on. The collapse of devotional activity affected everyone on all levels. Meanwhile the "gurus" themselves were taking intoxicants, falling into illicit sex, and gurus like Gunagrahi were addicted to porn. So the external and internal citizens were collapsing simultaneous. 

Where was the dedication to serve Srila Prabhupada, to help his mission, or even -- to help stop all the rampant child abuse? And then a number of these pot head type devotees ran off to Sridhar and Narayan Maharaja for "rasika classes." We have a society full of rampant child abuse, so now is the time to discuss rasika? Even CBS news Jane Wallace said it was astonished that all the devotees were chanting glories of Kirtanananda -- when he was sitting on a big golden seat, covered with the hands of many boys, which she said is "pedophile heaven." The few devotees who tried to rectify this monstrosity of false religion and bogus worship, became targets for extermination. And some of them were. 

 

In short, many of these pioneering disciples after 1977 practically left active service to the mission. They didn't preach, didn't write, didn't train the next generation, didn't open temples, didn't defend the original books. Their "service" was frozen at a biographical stage. And many of them are still mentally living in pipe dreams of the 1970s, unable to cope with what has transpired since then, and their partial role in enabling what transpired by their acquiescing and enabling.

Worse, there has been silence in the face of the most serious deviations.

The crisis of the zonal-ācārya system, the abuses in the gurukulas, the Book Changes, the scandals of the fall of gurus, the reinterpretations of philosophy — and all these and other important issues went along unchecked. No one knew if the seniors agreed with or supported the deviations, their voices were not heard.

The voices of the early disciples has been, in general, non-existent or at best lukewarm. Those who did raise their voice are the exception that confirms the rule. The majority chose not to bother with the institution, not to write, not to sign documents, not to appear at all. They allowed ISKCON to deteriorate rapidly, and allow victimization of the vulnerable, without any form of known protest. Nor did parents of the alleged thousands of child victims ever report the abuse to the police, which has allowed the abuse process to continue on to the present day evidently.

Srīla Prabhupāda was explicit: "My disciples should be like lions, not like jackals." 

"Comfortable silence in the face of deviation is not neutrality: it is passive complicity."

And now we have -- public reappearance only when there are personal needs and money collection programs. And this is where it hurts. For 40 years they have not been seen in a Bhāgavatam class. They have not defended ISKCON, Krishna or Srila Prabhupāda in public. They have not fought doctrinal deviations ... but when illness or old age arrives, their fund raising circular appears: "a pioneer who sacrificed so much, we should give back to him with love."

The legitimate question — not cynical, legitimate — is: return what exactly? The service from 55 years ago, or the one from 45 years later that didn't happen?

The double standard is blatant.

Second and third generation devotees who have been preaching, translating, maintaining temples, raising children in the consciousness of Krishna, then face old age and illness without any support network, without international collections, without emotional e-mails asking for help circulating. And many of them have important needs for their well being, including they also need rent, health care, children's education expenses, and eventually old age assistance. But there is nothing formally organized for them or their families.  

But there seems to be mainly help being met for the old timers. The new people have no collections for their needs because they don't have their old picture with Srila Prabhupada to credit them. The implicit criterion is: you were a pioneer -- you now have a lifetime right to community support, regardless of what you did — or stopped doing — in the next 45 years.

That's not vaisnavism. That is a subtle form of spiritual oligarchy and aristocracy based on biological antiquity, not on current service or doctrinal fidelity.

What I would ask from Vaishnavas CARE and the promoters of these collections:
That along with the heroic biography of the 1960s include transparency about the last 40 years: what active service has been done? Has she stood up for Prabhupada in public? Has any of you taken a stand against the deviations?

May the same affection and support network be extended to the non-famous devotees who have sustained the mission without historical photos. Let gratitude not be confused with automatic canonization of anyone who was close to Prabhupāda physically. Being near the acārya is a blessing; but what counts is what was being done with that blessing during a lifetime.

Srīla Prabhupāda himself wrote that "the test of any spiritual movement is whether it can produce a future." The pioneers who did not produce ISKCON's future, or a managerial succession, who did not defend the books, who did not fight deviations — they can receive our gratitude for what they did, but they cannot claim the moral status of defending and serving a living paramparā.

Helping a sick person is always a pious act and no one should go unattended. But let's put things in place: it's helped by human compassion, not by a debt of gratitude that the later trajectory itself has been cancelling.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

PADA: We have placed on the blog assorted funding requests from: old and young; inside ISKCON and out; Gaudiya Matha, Narayan Maharaja and others. We recognize that almost no real support system has evolved for devotees in any camp as a general principle. Nor does anything look like it is forthcoming anytime soon. 

And yes, more baffling is that some of the so-called younger people like Dayalu Nitai's HKC Jaipur / Prahlad das / Mathura Pati / Prabhupadanugas EU are still very angry because PADA is not helping them promote Kirtanananda's messiah successor Saint Radhanath -- and his cheer leaders like Bhakta das. They never understood that pedophile heaven is not the authorized path to Krishna. The good news is, more and more of the devotee community is starting to shift away from them, and head in our direction, only Srila Prabhupada is authorized to be worshiped.

ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com 

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QUEEN KUNTI PRAYERS

When do we remember God?

I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

When Dharmaraja went to visit Bhishma, who lay upon his bed of arrows, Bhishma said to him: "My son, your mother, Kunti Devi, is a woman of supreme virtue. After your father passed away due to a sage's curse, she came to Hastinapura, bringing her young children along with her. From that moment until now, her life has been nothing but a succession of hardships; she has not known a single moment of true happiness. Take care of her."

Such was Kunti Devi and while offering praises to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Soul who had saved Subhadra's unborn child, she expressed a remarkable and beautiful wish. "O Guru of the Universe! Let these calamities befall us again and again; for in this life bound as it is by the cycles of birth and death.

"It is a supreme blessing for us to encounter You, the One who dispels all sorrow." 

It is typically during times of hardship that one remembers God most vividly. For this very reason, Kunti prayed: "O Protector, continue to send us hardships forever“. Only those of steadfast wisdom the Sthitaprajnas are capable of making such a prayer.

Whenever the Pandavas faced hardships and suffering, Kunti Devi remained right by their side, offering them courage and solace. Yet, when the Pandavas were ruling their kingdoms, she chose to remain in Hastinapura, dedicating herself to the service of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra. What a magnificent personality! Truly, she was a woman of unwavering equanimity.

A person may be so big or wealthy or powerful, but when a severe problem comes, he needs a support. Devotees depend upon God for support. We remember God mainly during hardships.

"O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the manifested universes."

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Oh oh! PADA "Holds a Grudge" Against the Gaudiya Matha!

PADA: OK prabhu, but when I protested that there is a major child mistreatment program going on after 1978, the GBC was asking Sridhara Maharaja for advice. His advice was "none should protest." And the GBC slammed a copy of that transcript in my face showing that he was backing them and not me.

I fail to see where he has any authority to challenge what I am doing? Later on we had to have the GBC sued for mass child mistreatment, for $3M and later $400M. And they lost both cases. That was the result of taking down our protest, children were victims and ISKCON had to spend a fortune on the problems it created for itself and for its children.

And most of those children left the society and will never return in this lifetime, so ISKCON lost thousands of participants -- and the children of those children are also lost. It is my understanding that any child abuse must be protested, devotee kids, or non-devotee kids, we have a duty as adults to speak up for children.

That is my idea of the siddhanta. We never got any apology or explanation why I was not supposed to protest. I am not holding a grudge, but leaving this unanswered is not proper etiquette to me or the children victims.

When I was in Texas suing Tamal in Dallas, Narayan Maharaja was also in Dallas telling everyone how bad an aparadhi I am, he was backing them. He never explained any of this. NM invited me to his ashram, met me in person for two seconds, then hid in his room all day avoiding our scheduled meeting.

This is improper etiquette. If you invite someone to your residence, even an enemy, you do not leave them sitting all day and then sneaking off the property at 530 pm, leaving me not seeing him at all. None of this has ever been explained. It would be silly of me to hold a grudge, but they need to explain their history, and apologize to the people their support of evil doers has harmed, and they do not.

ys pd

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How Harikesh disconnected ISKCON from the parampara system and nobody noticed

THE UNNOTICED DEVIATION: From spiritual soldiers to domestic, secularized villa owner.

When Srila Prabhupada started the Hare Krishna movement in NY in 1966, he didn't just start the Sankirtan movement; he declared a war against maya.
He was the Commander-in-Chief. He told his disciples exactly what to do: “You cook. You go to Africa. You paint. You go to London.” Success wasn’t about "finding yourself"— it was about the empowerment that came through following the order of the Spiritual Master.

The "Do What You Think Is Good For You" Shift

After 1977, the original preaching spirit was watered down. A subtle but deadly philosophy crept in, championed by leaders like Harikesh: “Don’t do what others tell you to do — ask yourself: what do I really want to do?"

The "Do what you think is good for you" shift mirrors the broader Western cultural shift toward expressive individualism.

Harikesh even argued that doing something you don't want to do makes you "mentally sick." But wait—didn't Arjuna feel "mentally sick" on the battlefield? Krishna didn't tell him to go find a hobby; He told him to do his duty. Prabhupada famously warned about this in Fiji (1976):

Disconnected from the Parampara Powerhouse

"To live little peacefully in the temple and eat and sleep... that success they have got. But that is not Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Success is his who is pushing forward the preaching method."

We have become exactly what Srila Prabhupada's Guru Maharaja condemned: a 'temple business' where people eat, sleep, and count money while the war against Maya is abandoned. The TOVP isn't the victory of the GBC—it's the victory of institutional maya over the transcendental order.

If a leader like Harikesh was influenced by this specific Swedish school of thought, he would naturally begin to view Srila Prabhupada's "War against Maya" as a "toxic, high-pressure environment" rather than a spiritual opportunity.

Once a devotee's primary goal becomes "mental health" (as defined by modern psychology) rather than "pleasure for Krishna," the movement becomes spiritually disconnected. It becomes a social club for self-actualization rather than a mission for rescuing suffering humanity. Whether it was a conscious "assignment" to render ISKCON spiritually useless or a personal "fall-down" fueled by modern psychological influence, the result was the same: the transcendental order was replaced by individual preference. This effectively transformed the "Sankirtan Movement" into a "Therapeutic Community," providing a justification for devotees to leave the mission and enter the material labor market under the guise of "maintaining mental health."

Silence is Complicity / Shyamsundar Speerstra / Earning Credibility 05 12 26

Where did all My lost sheep go?

Association Vaishnavas de Espana

Silence in the face of abuse: what the Gita says about complicity.

Child abuse is one of the most painful issues within any spiritual community. When it happens systematically within an institution claiming to represent God, silence becomes complicity. The Bhagavad-gita, central text of ISKCON, contains clear condemnation against those who harm innocents.

Krishna describes divine qualities such as ahimsa (non violence), compassion, and equanimity. A child should grow up in such an environment, but the abuse in Gurukulas between 1970 and 1990 totally contradicts these principles. What divine qualities can a child subjected to violence, sexual abuse and neglect develop?

In contrast, Krishna defines demonic qualities such as arrogance, anger, harshness, and ignorance (BG 16.4). Those who abused or tolerated abuse acted under these qualities, not the divine. Saying to follow the scriptures while violating the protection of the innocent shows a real lack of faith in them.

Krishna states that demonic people do not distinguish between right and wrong (BG 16.9). Child abuse, clearly prohibited, was documented in reports like 1998 on ISKCON. Perpetrators and cover-up alike fall into this category.

The Gita regulates even sensory enjoyment (BG 2.59), so sexual abuse of minors is absolutely unjustifiable. Even more serious is the cover-up: those who protected the aggressors actively participated in sin. Krishna warns that such people face severe consequences (BG 16.19-20), falling into degraded states. Lust, anger and greed — “doors of hell” (BG 16.21) — are present in these acts.

The Gita does not allow for passivity. Krishna scolds Arjuna for avoiding his duty to protect (BG 2.34). Not acting in the face of abuse is a grave offense. Protecting an abuser for their position reflects a demonic mentality, not spiritual.

Institutional position does not grant karmic immunity. Documented cases show how the culture of silence allowed abuse for decades. Keeping in touch with abusers is not loyalty, it's complicity. The Bhagavad-gita, read unfiltered, strongly condemns child abuse. This is not an attack on philosophy, but a call for the institution to live by the principles of compassion, truth, and protection it proclaims.

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SHYAMSUNDAR SPEERSTRA

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shyamasundar-prabhus-audiobook-service?

PADA: Shyamsundar prabhu is now 84 and is struggling to meet his rent and etc. He did a lot of service in the early days but gradually he deteriorated and started to argue with Srila Prabhupada over the temple finances. And he borrowed 5,000 pounds from Srila Prabhupada and evidently did not ever pay it back. 

Srila Prabhupada told him, you can avoid paying everyone else, but you have to pay me back. So Syamsundar started giving Srila Prabhupada bouncing checks. I think that was the beginning of his end.

I forgot to mention, he tried to pawn off one of his bouncing checks on me, but it had a car's tire track clearly on it, obviously he found it on the road somewhere. Another devotee with half good and half bad character, typical of a lot of them from the 1970s. 

Anyway, he seems to be suffering currently and we wish him well. 

I really thought his little daughter Sarawswati was adorable in India, but I am told she is now calling herself "Sara" and is alienated from the religion and is living like a modern American housewife. Another Krishna kid who is not participating in ISKCON, I think for obvious reasons. 

I wish her well too, but she clearly did not get a proper support system to bring her into devotional life. But she did have some association with Srila Prabhupada and that will stay with her. Unfortunately, this seems to show she has little to no part in caring for Shyamsundar. And we do not blame her for that either. She had to take care of herself by herself. And she carved out her own life out of necessity, that is what it looks like to me. 

ys pd angel108b@yahoo.com   

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CREDIBILITY MUST BE EARNED

Dear Vaishnavas,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

These letters about the Nepal CPO mess bring me great sadness, not only because of what they reveal, but because what they reveal is so utterly unnecessary and preventable.

"These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused." (Letter to Arundhati dasa, July 30, 1972)

"These children are the future hope of our Society, so it is a very important matter how we are training them in Krishna consciousness from the very childhood." (Letter to Satsvarupa Maharaja, April 11, 1973)

While I am not familiar with the broader case, the contents of this letter alone are sufficient to draw the conclusion that this situation is a direct consequence of ISKCON's leadership disregarding the clear and simple instructions of Srila Prabhupada reported above.

Sadly the incidents described in this letter are not isolated and out of character, rather they constitute a continuum of a well established pattern of how the institution of ISKCON has handled child protection matters for the last 50 years.

Mark my words: the cumulative effect of the grievous Vaishnava aparadha committed and enabled by ISKCON's leadership through their continued and intentional disregard for Srila Prabhupada's instructions to protect and cherish devotee children, spanning generations, over the last fifty years, will cause incalculable damage to his legacy.

For as long as I can remember, the GBC's stance has been one in which the protection and best interests of children are treated as separate from, and less important than, the political interests of the institution. This vision lacks basic human decency, but it is also callous and shortsighted.

Setting aside spiritual considerations entirely for a moment, even if ISKCON's leadership had no interest whatsoever in spiritual life. Even if it were made up of hardened materialists whose sole interests were money, power, prestige, and followers; it would still make sound practical sense to ensure that the care and protection of children was a foremost priority.

If for no other reason, simply because neglecting their protection has the potential to destroy the entire institution. And yet, somehow, ISKCON's leaders have demonstrated that they lack even the foresight and basic prudence I would expect from such a heartless materialist.

Is it any wonder that ISKCON is struggling all over the world? And behind every institutional failure stands a child whose trust was broken, whose voice went unheard, and whose wound may last a lifetime.

What this letter makes painfully clear is twofold: first, that political motives have come to override the stated purpose of CPO Bharat and CPOC, making the protection of our Vaishnava children anything but their priority; and second, that neither body followed their own guidelines, which require them to employ qualified child protection professionals to carry out investigations. This oversight further damages their already compromised standing.

In this letter Kanai Sundar prabhu makes a very serious and concerning allegation; that CPO Bharat has used child protection to serve a political agenda. Not only are the investigators unqualified, but they brought a predetermined agenda and bias that can only cause further harm to the children.

There is something especially diabolical about the weaponization of child protection! To corrupt the one sanctuary that exists for the most vulnerable among us, to turn it into a political weapon, is a betrayal of the most sacred order. It is a desecration of the very principle of protection itself.

In short, this letter further confirms what has been evident to many for some time. Neither CPO Bharat nor CPOC possesses the professionalism or credibility required to adequately carry out the vital service of protecting children.

Credibility is a priceless currency, it cannot be demanded; it is earned through the integrity of one's conduct.

To date, neither body has demonstrated the necessary standard.

It is naive and reckless to hope or expect that a service as delicate as the protection of children can be carried out without the necessary credibility and good will of the Vaishnava community.

While a part of me feels a deep sense of hopelessness, I continue to believe that accountability must go hand in hand with a cry for Grace!

I pray that Krsna and Srila Prabhupada inspire the leadership of ISKCON to change their view of child protection, before another generation of Vaikuntha children pays the price of their indifference.

Aspiring to serve the Vaishnavas,

SR das