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.

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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?