Official ISKCON Statement on Peacock TV Expose (Anuttama das)

 

October 12, 2023

Dear Devotees of ISKCON,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Many devotees have contacted the Communications Ministry in the last day or two with concerns regarding the Peacock Studio’s film that will be released on October 24, 2023. It is named “Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder.”

The film is a 3-hour, 3-part production that Peacock has been working on for well over a year. We were told that all three parts will be released at once, via a streaming service. Peacock likely spent millions of dollars making this film, so they will promote it widely.

We understand that the film started out as a balanced documentary on the history of the ISKCON, or the Hare Krishna movement. But, with the media climate being what it is today, and with viewers clamoring for controversy and a thirst for negativity–we perceive that much of the show, especially the second section, will focus on the demise and criminal acts of the former Kirtanandana Swami, aka Keith Ham, the deposed former leader of New Vrindaban.

PADA: Wrong. Kirtanananda has not been removed and / or "deposed." He is currently worshiped in a samadhi -- that was helped to be made by ISKCON's leaders -- in Vrdanavana -- and the TV people know that. In fact they have photographic evidence of that, as well as evidence that ISKCON buried a porno swami and other deviants in samadhi in the dham. 

They also know that most of Kirtanananda's main henchmen like Kuladri, Tapah Punja, Radhanath, Devamrita, Umapati, Chandra Mauli, Malati and many others are STILL the main leaders of ISKCON now. And they also know that Radhanath was glorifying the murderer Tirtha, that devotees were chanting outside the prison, that Tirtha was awarded sannyasa in the prison, and in fact Radhanath may have been involved in paying the hit man etc. 

They also know that New Vrndavana sent a hit squad out here to take me out, because they had that verified with law enforcement. Sorry, to get rid of Kirtanananda and have him buried in a samadhi and then make all of his hand maidens the current leaders -- is not "deposing" his regime, it is doubling down on keeping his criminal regime and his main hand maidens. 

For those who don’t know the history, the film’s negative portrayals could be especially disturbing. Those familiar with ISKCON history may find it less so, knowing that 1) these events happened more than 35 years ago; 2) the GBC was proactive in expelling Kirtanananda Swami / Keith Ham in the 1980s when it learned of his immoral and criminal acts; 3) ISKCON was instrumental in assisting the government in their prosecution, and eventual jailing of, Keith Ham.

PADA: Radhanath was made a guru -- under the condition he would not be prosecuted as an accessory to murder. That means the GBC knew Radhanath was involved in all the Kirtanananda schemes.

We hope the following facts will be clear in the film:

1. ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada brought the respected Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition from India and took it around the world. Prabhupada is lauded world over for his academic contributions, his personal character, and his founding of ISKCON, a society that has grown to over 800 temples.

2. ISKCON is a bona-fide religious community making positive contributions throughout the world, including our distribution of millions of Vaishnava literatures, our many temples, our free food distribution programs, our eco-farms, our cultural festivals, and more. ISKCON has drawn the praise of Prime Ministers, scholars, social leaders, and others worldwide.

3. After Srila Prabhupada’s passing from this world in 1977, his disciples—mostly young men and women in their twenties – struggled with the challenges of the departure of their guru and founder. The society has survived and even thrived despite these challenges. 

At the same time, ISKCON acknowledges that we have faced grave issues including widespread abuse of our children in our boarding schools, and the fall of some of our leaders from positions of respect and authority. These problems have sorely tested our communities and led to serious soul searching and reform.

PADA: They are not leaders who fell down, they are advertised as pure devotees who are absorbing sins like Jesus. ISKCON has been creating violent homosexual and pedophile worshiping cults etc. and it is not reformed by any measure when the main people promoting these deviations are still in charge. And leaders like Jayapataka have been running a violent pedophile cult in Mayapur, and he is still the "in charge" guy there as well, and so on. 

4. Keith Ham, or Kirtanananda Swami, was the leader of the New Vrindaban community when Prabhupada passed away. It was discovered by the GBC that Ham was involved in immoral and criminal activities, and he was expelled from ISKCON in March, 1987. ISKCON cooperated fully with the government in the US which eventually jailed him.

5. New Vrindaban was later expelled from ISKCON, but the community fully disconnected itself from its former leader soon afterwards, and was reconnected with ISKCON. Since 1996, New Vrindaban has been fully integrated back into ISKCON. Today, it is a thriving and spiritually strong community, hosting 40,000 pilgrims and visitors per year.

In addition, devotees and friends should know some additional context.

So far, we have only seen the trailer for the film. Trailers are always dramatic and seek to draw viewers by graphic portrayals of controversy and violence. This trailer has certainly done its best to attract viewers in that way.

ISKCON Communications, ITV, and New Vrindaban cooperated with Peacock in the hope they would portray the full story of ISKCON – not just the challenges and crises the movement has faced, but our successes and positive contributions as well. Whether Peacock has done that or not, we won’t know until we view the entire film. Based on that, ISKCON Communications may choose to make a more formal and public statement.

In America, there is no scope for directly controlling, or vetoing any of the content of a film like this. It is our experience that to be open, to provide spokespersons, and to provide access to our communities and other background information, can help provide balance to any negative stereotypes that may be portrayed. (ISKCON Communications and New Vrindaban officially provided some spokespersons. Most interviews were arranged independently by Peacock.)

PADA: I told them you ISKCON leaders are officially promoting worshiping illicit sex with men, women and children, and drunks, pedophiles, gamblers, beer drinkers, minor dating lusty dogs etc. as "God's successors." And this is even admitted by Jayadvaita swami (Jay Israel) -- ISKCON's gurus [God's successors] have been falling into illicit sex with men, women and possibly children, and therefore you guys are juxtaposing persons equal to Jesus with pedophiles and drunks. 

And that policy has never changed. In fact you are promoting a known pedophile named Lokanath as the messiah of the Jagat as we speak. And they are fully aware of the Lokanath case etc. Lokanath people wrote very nasty stuff to me, they think he is a pure devotee and not: a struggling neophyte.

What we know for certain is that ISKCON is founded on, and aspires for, the highest principles of Vaishnava ethics and values. We also know that we are a society, like every society and religious community, made of human beings with flaws and the human tendency to be covered by material consciousness.

From the story of Kirtanananda Swami, and other early struggles ISKCON has faced, we know that we must always be on our guard against the great pitfalls of the material world–lust, anger, and greed.

PADA: Oh great, now you are saying the "equal to Jesus" successors to God are falling into lust, anger and greed. Told ya!

As individuals, as communities, and as leaders, we must always be wary of these allurements, and the pride that leads us to thinking we are beyond maya’s grasp, or beyond reproach. If we do so, Krishna will protect us and guide us in the progressive path to awakening our love for Him, and in developing and expanding the ISKCON society in a way that pleases Him, and our previous acaryas.

Anuttama dasa
ISKCON Minister of Communications
Tag: "new vrindaban , documentary , film , iskcon , Peacock

PADA: Well yep, let us see what happens. But even I was amazed at how thorough their questions were, they did a lot of homework. And a part of their homework came from -- researching our PADA sites. Bottom line: Pedophile messiah's programs are destined to fall, one way or other. 

And yeah, they know all about your pedophile samadhi process. In any case, programs that worship illicit sex with men, women and children messiahs will fail. God does not approve, and He will start to undo that program in the course of time, and He will use various devices to make that happen. Perhaps this show is one of His devices. 

In sum, ISKCON has been promoting the worship of debauchees and pedophiles all along since 1978. Those who object have been banned, beaten, sued and some were killed. And ISKCON is still promoting debauchees and pedophiles as God's successors, and they are still banning, attacking, suing and threatening those who object. 

It seems nothing has changed one iota in terms of policy. I also told them you guys have been spending millions suing Bangalore, so you can have the directors of a free food program put into jail, so you can starve millions of more children. After you were sued for starving your own society's children, you branched out to starve millions more children. That has been your main aim and object all along and it still is. What has changed?   

ys pd 

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