;)
Shame-adhi To Bhaktitirtha
Posted by Editor in Devotional Community, Gurus
Rādhā Govinda Swami – USA: Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my fallen obeisances.
Many years before leaving India to transport Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy throughout the world, Srila Prabhupada envisioned and wrote His indepth treatise called Gita Nagari, of an ideal Vedic community which He wanted implemented within ISKCON, two copies given to ISKCON’s Gita Nagari farm community in the 1970s.
After residing for many years in a bus, bestowing Their mercy on we jiva baddhas in whichever North American city They traveled to, giving Their darshan, Hari Nam Sankirtan and remnants of foodstuffs to everyone who would come, Sri Sri Radha-Damodar situated Themselves as the presiding Deities in Gita Nagari.
Started in 1974, Gita Nagari was the ISKCON NYC temple’s farm, His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada’s making a visit there in July 1976, where under the presidency of Paramananda prabhu, the oxen were tilling the land, vegetables were being grown, wheat was being milled, and there was an abundance of milk. (The NYC, West 55th St. temple received all of its milk from the cows at Gita Nagari.)
While Srila Prabhupada was present on the planet, whenever the name of any ISKCON temple or farm community was mentioned, devotees would immediately think of the presiding Deities there (and Their names): Gita Nagari, Sri Sri Radha-Damodar; Vrndavan, Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundara and Sri Sri Krsna-Balaram; NYC, Sri Sri Radha-Govinda; Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava; Dallas, Sri Sri Radha-Kalacandji; LA, Sri Sri Rukmini-Dvarakadish; Delhi, Sri Sri Radha-Parthasarathi, etc.
Starting with the zonal “acarya” system, things in present-day ITSGON have become so convoluted that when one mentions the name of a temple or ISKCON community, most devotees do not first think of the presiding Radha-Krsna Deities there (or Their names), but rather, the name of the presiding GBC and/or guru (as if it’s “their” domain), including in some cases, when a particular GBC and/or guru has left the planet; e.g. – Dallas, Tamal Krsna; N. Vrndavan, Malati (and Radhanath, even though he supposedly isn’t there, but in actuality is still “all-pervading” in NV); NYC, Romapada; Gita Nagari, Bhaktitirtha; Mayapur, Jayapataka; Delhi, Gopal Krsna; etc. In fact it’s quite rare that when a particular temple’s name is said, devotees think of the presiding Deities there, but rather the presiding GBC or guru.
Under illusion, many of us consider certain jivas baddhas to be pure devotees despite their having broken regulative principles, and for some, doing worse things; putting in an order for devotees to be beaten and/or murdered, abusing, even molesting children. When an ISKCON sannyasi leaves his body, even if/when he has deviated from the regulative principles, or the worse above mentioned, if he’s still recognized as an ISKCON sannyasi, a samadhi is built to him in ISKCON Mayapur (and sometimes elsewhere).
On Gita Nagari property, a samadhi was built to Bhaktitirtha Swami, (though no samadhi was given to Srila Prabhupada there. And down the road, is BT’s house, originally bought from Samik Rsi prabhu, used by BT when he would stay at Gita Nagari, now turned into a BT memorabilia museum).
For right now, let’s put to the side (the proper reasons) why it is a samadhi is offered to a particular personality, and address the following based on nitti and a few other factors:
Despite the GBC’s knowing there was no samadhi given to ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya, His Divine Grace, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada, in Gita Nagari, under Whom the Gita Nagari farm community and temple was founded during His manifested presence, and despite the GBC body’s knowing that Bhaktitirtha Swami had been deviating from his sannyas vows regarding illicit sex and drug taking, and preaching some “off stuff,” and some murders arranged by BT, of which the GBC was informed), it was still allowed that a samadhi be built to Bhaktitirtha in Gita Nagari.
BT did not start the Gita Nagari project, nor did he render any noteworthy service in Gita Nagari, (and in fact, things in Gita Nagari deteriorated while he was GBC there), nor was BT following his sannyas vows during those years. So why was a samadhi built to him in Gita Nagari, especially when there was NO samadhi offered to ISKCON’s and Gita Nagari’s Founder-Acarya, His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada? (Even if nothing else other than nitti was to be taken into consideration, there should never have been any samadhi made to BT in Gita Nagari. By dint of heart, what bona fide disciple, (disciple meaning one who is following the discipline given by bona fide Guru) would ever want a samadhi built to himself in a temple or community his Guru Maharaj had founded, especially when there was no samadhi given to his Guru Maharaj? What (real) disciple would ever want a samadhi to be built/offered to himself in any of Srila Prabhupada’s temples/communities without at least there being a samadhi for Srila Prabhupada?)
Now let’s get to what is a samadhi, (the structure):
The structure samadhi is offered/given – i.e. “He was given samadhi” – to a person who during their lifetime was in a state of samadhi by dint of their consciousness. When such a person departs from the realm of our vision, their material body is placed into final samadhi (a structure built to that consciousness possessed by such a self-realized person) it’s being understood that the person left the body in their final exhibition of (the consciousness in) samadhi.
Samadhi is the (spiritually realized) state, when one’s consciousness is fully immersed in love of Krsna as explained by Srila Prabhupada (BG 4.24 purport): ”When the mind is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, it is said to be in samadhi, or trance.”
Even amongst those who are not Krsna Bhaktas, samadhi denotes a state of complete spiritually realized consciousness in which one’s senses/mind are fully focused (again, in realized, total absorption, focused in genuine spiritual trance) on the Supreme. (Krsna explains that He is the Supreme; the goal of all the Vedas (BG 15.15), the source of all spiritual and material worlds from Whom everything emanates, (BG 10.8)*** and Brahma agrees Krsna is sarva karana karanam, the cause of all causes, and (Govindam) adi purusam, the original Person. Lord Siva, (vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh, SB 12.13.16), glorifies Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (e.g. Gita Mahatmya 7, eko devo devaki putra eva, “There is one God, the Son of Devaki”).
Samadhi is the final stage in the Astanga Yoga system, whose steps are listed by Srila Prabhupada in His BG 5.27 purport: “…known as astanga-yoga which is divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.”
Krsna explains the highest process of yoga is Bhakti Yoga (BG 6.47), where Srila Prabhupada writes in His purport,
The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti in bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga; all other yogas are progressions toward the destination of bhakti-yoga,” so in regards to the Krsna Bhakta, samadhi comes back again, to total absorption of the senses in Krsna. Srila Prabhupada writes in His SB 1.13.54 purport: “The preliminary activities of the way of yoga are asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana, etc. …This process of turning the senses from material attachment to the loving transcendental service of the Lord is called pratyahara, and the very process is called pranayama, ultimately ending in samadhi or absorption in pleasing the Supreme Lord Hari by all means,”
SB 3.21.12 purport, Srila Prabhupada writes, ”After practicing the sitting postures and other regulative principles of the system, one finally reaches the stage of samadhi - absorption in the Supreme. In the samadhi stage one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His partial form as Paramatma, or as He is.”
So (the building) samadhi, is offered/given to one who is understood to have attained this topmost level of realized Krsna consciousness (being in samadhi – mind fully absorbed in Krsna), who has left their body in the (final exhibition of the) consciousness of samadhi; the samadhi structure built to the last samadhi (consciousness) exhibited by that individual who, possessed of such Krsna consciousness during their lifetime, was possessed of such Krsna consciousness in giving up the body. It’s understood that they have left this material realm in such (realized) Krsna consciousness, and generally return to their nitya-lila, unless Krsna has some specific service for Them in this material realm, at times the individual serving in both spiritual and material world simultaneously.
Thus, taking all of the above into factor, the question comes regarding the legitimacy of memorials (what to speak of samadhis) built to sannyasis in ISKCON temples or communities especially those started by Srila Prabhupada, where such a sannyasi has not done or contributed anything of great magnitude, where things may have even (in the case of Gita Nagari, when BT was GBC there) deteriorated under that sannyasi’s management, and what to speak of the added factor that the particular sannyasi (in this case, BT) was not adhering to all of the regulative principles, and doing worse things.
Some devotees may say “She’s writing this because she doesn’t like BT”: No, this is not the reason. (I see BT as my Godbrother who rendered the services he did, but due to getting caught up through his own weaknesses and narcissism, ended up making the horrific blunders he did, and with such a deviant GBC body, there was no one to properly (lovingly, compassionately) address, and help him regarding his errors, which then led to his committing increasing atrocities.) My questioning the samadhi made for Bhaktitirtha Swami in Gita Nagari is based on taking all factors on all levels into consideration, especially in consideration of what the samadhi structure itself means.
A samadhi is one thing; a memorial to someone, another, and even in regards to a memorial being built to an ISKCON devotee in one of the properties founded by Srila Prabhupada, it would only be logical that a proper consideration be given regarding criteria involved. (Do we build a memorial to someone if they’ve been deviating from the philosophy?; deviating from following all of the regulative principles?; have not done something of major importance in the place where the memorial is to be built?; a combination of all of the above?, and especially at a place where there has been no samadhi or memorial offered to that Personality, Srila Prabhupada, Who was ISKCON’s (and that particular temple or farm community’s) Founder-Acarya, Who we know for sure was indeed!!! in!!! samadhi!!!! (by dint of consciousness).
There are proper (philosophical, Sastrically (Krsna) based) reasons why things are or are not done; not that we do something based on sentimentality: As Srila Prabhupada wrote in His BG 3.3 purport, “Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation.” I might state here that present-day ISKCON has become a society of collective personality cults based on sentiment for this or that personality, in which people (who are not qualified, by dint of explanation in Sastra) are being worshipped as pure devotees when they are not, even being “given samadhi” when they have never attained samadhi (consciousness).
As no samadhi was given to Srila Prabhupada in Gita Nagari despite Srila Prabhupada’s truly being in samadhi (by dint of consciousness), as well as Srila Prabhupada’s being ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya and founding Gita Nagari while present on the planet, Gita Nagari’s flourishing at that time, while under BT’s years as GBC of Gita Nagari, his doing nothing special for Gita Nagari, and, in fact, Gita Nagari’s deteriorating under BT’s GBC jurisdiction, it’s only legitimate for anyone to question why it is a samadhi was built to BT in Gita Nagari.
I would question the placing of a samadhi in any of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON properties for any ISKCON sannyasi taking all of these above factors into account, especially when no samadhi has been offered to Srila Prabhupada -Who we know was truly in samadhi, being always immersed in Krsna consciousness - at a community or temple which was founded by Srila Prabhupada while He was present.
Even in regards to some form of external memorial (plaque or whatever) being made, unless the sannyasi has started or done something outstanding regarding that temple or community, gave upliftment to it, etc., what would be a legitimate reason for constructing a memorial for a (bona fide) sannyasi in one of the ISKCON temples founded by Srila Prabhupada? And why would consideration ever be given in regards to placing into samadhi the body of a sannyasi when it is known by the GBC that he
- was not in samadhi by dint of (lacking of such) consciousness
- was breaking one or more of the regulative principles
- has done worse things than breaking the principles), and
- has not made any notable contribution (as a GBC or in any other capacity) for the development of that temple or community (and in fact, have added to its deterioration)?
So although Srila Prabhupada is ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya, and it was during Srila Prabhupada’s physically manifested presence Gita Nagari was first established and was very productively being run according to the instructions Srila Prabhupada gave, (under Paramananda prabhu’s presidency), Srila Prabhupada’s also going to Gita Nagari in 1976, no samadhi being offered to Srila Prabhupada in Gita Nagari, our knowing Srila Prabhupada was in samadhi consciousness, amazingly, (or rather not amazingly – who can be amazed anymore by what these people in charge of ISKCON do, directly or allow to be done by others?), a SHAM or SHAME-adhi was constructed in Gita Nagari for Bhaktitirtha Swami, though, there is no samadhifor His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya, and the founder of Gita Nagari, (nor even any memorial structure built to honor Srila Prabhupada there).
First and foremost it’s a sham or shame(adhi) for the fact that Bhaktitirtha Swami was not possessed of self realized or Krsna realized (samadhi) consciousness to be given final samadhi.
As far as a structure built in memorial to him there, what would be a legitimate reason?
BT did not start Gita Nagari: He had nothing to do with its founding. In becoming Gita Nagari’s GBC more than 20 years after its founding, and although GN’s GBC for ten years, BT did nothing for Gita Nagari’s upliftment. There was no upgrade for GN under BT’s GBC jurisdiction, and in fact, things deteriorated in Gita Nagari under his GBC authority. (Under the GBC of Satsvarupa Maharaj, things were going better at Gita Nagari.) Thus, there is no legitimate reason for even a memorial to be built there for him.
There are these other considerations (of which the GBC was fully aware, but took no action due to the political situation within their own GBC body).
- BT’s philosophical deviations
- BT’s breaking two of the four regulative principles
- BT’s arranged murders of devotees
Thus, (in review), Bhaktitirtha Swami did not start the Gita Nagari farm and temple, nor did he make any notable contribution to it. (It became further deteriorated under his GBC jurisdiction.) The general GBC body was fully aware that Bhaktitirtha Swami was faulty in deviating from his sannyas vows, breaking two of the regulative principles, (and worse…) and his philosophical deviations were also known by the GBC. Between this and other reasons, they wanted to kick him out of ISKCON, but due to political considerations, did not (could not) do so.
There is no samadhi in Gita Nagari for Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON and Gita Nagari’s Founder-Acarya, Who truly was in samadhi. (Again the question, What bona fide disciple of Srila Prabhupada would want to be given samadhi in a temple or community their Guru Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada, has founded, where there is no samadhi for Srila Prabhupada there?, especially when they know have done nothing tangible in regards to that particular temple/community? – what to speak of knowing they have not attained samadhi.)
Amazingly (or not), no one within ISKCON questions this; a samadhi given in Gita Nagari to Srila Prabhupada’s disciple (though he was not possessed of samadhi consciousness, and he’s done nothing special with regards to Gita Nagari – other than allowed for its further deterioration), yet there’s NO samadhi offered to the founder of Gita Nagari, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Who is also ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya.
Because I went to Gita Nagari, saw this directly, know the facts and the character of the person to whom this building was built, I’m writing this article. Rather than samadhi, it’s a sham or shame-adhi that is there in Gita Nagari due to the various reasons given above, and the craziest thing is the fact that no samadhi has been given in Gita Nagari to Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’s and Gita Nagari’s Founder-Acarya, Who we know was the topmost pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada’s having started Gita Nagari when He was personally present on the planet, Gita Nagari’s flourishing in these earlier days.
The building of such a sham and a shame-adhi gives proof to the lack of understanding we are possessed of and gives a perfect example of what is the off-kilter mentality of present-day ISKCON.
Srila Rupa Goswami (BRS 1.2.101) quoting from the Padma Purana states:
sruti smrti puranadi pancaratra vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate
“Devotional service that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures, like the Upanasads, Puranas and Pancaratras, causes unnecessary disturbance in society,”
And this is what has happened within present-day ITS GON: It has caused disturbance to many serious practicing devotees and other people who have had connection with ISKCON through its distortions of the Gaudiya philosophy, and its misrepresentation of Srila Prabhupada.
I’m choosing to add the following story which on first hearing I was totally floored, (but did accept the possibility that there could be truth to it). Over the years I was told the same story again by other devotees at different points in time. In my questioning, I found that these devotees had received the information from different GBC members. All of these devotees were initiated prior to 1975, are still connected with ISKCON, and have direct ties with devotees in GBC (and/or guru, and sannyasi) positions. The exact same story was told. It was also explained that the sannyasi who had told this to his sannyasi, guru and or GBC friends was not joking either. I’m including this story into this submission to show the extent to which our consciousness can be overcome by material ambition thrown at us through Maya Devi’s delusions, and reasoning behind certain devotees desires for these positions:
One (NA) sannyasi who hadn’t as yet “become guru” explained to some of his GBC friends that he was aspiring for such position. When asked “Why do you want to become a guru?,” his reason given was, “So after I leave my body, they will definitely make a samadhi for me.”
Although the ABCs of Krsna consciousness are that we are not these bodies, we can see how attached we are to the body itself, and to the glorification of the (concocted) name and fame that we think ”goes along” with that body, both in life, and for some, even in terms of thinking about after leaving the body; wanting the name of that body we’ve passed out of to be continued to be glorified through a samadhi, the continued words of others, or by other means. This shows the insanity through which we are overcome, (and sadly, such is possessed by so many of those in ISKCON leadership position.)
*** See BG verses 7.6,7; 9.23,24; 10.2,39; 14.4
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
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Nice one, i was also told that Vrindavan GBC Gopal Krsna privately purchased huge piece of land just behind the Temple, for his personal grave(samdadhi). The plans are being drawn as we speak, since it is a known fact that he is not having much time left.(weak heart)
He got inspired by (the latest incarnation of Mahaprabhu) Kripalu maharaja, who just finished building his personal Italian marble made tomb/grave.
Show must go on……..
A fact that seems to be forgotten about Bhakti tirtha was when he left the movement completely at one point taking his disciples with him! Even when he came back he remained aloof, but because he gave some lip service at the end he was given a samadhi.
Personally I think his books were crap. I hated his lectures. And the marble his samadhi is made out of might make a good altar sometime!
Why all this anomosity against Bhaktitirtha? Maybe he was sincere at the end, I don't know. But I do know this. When he left to become an African tribal leader and to do all the various other things he said were going to spread Krishna Consciousness, and he said he was the only black guru in the world, etc., his followers wailed! "He is the only one who cares about us! Now what are we going to do?" And they also lamented they would miss the association of those who were deciding to stay in Iskcon.
If Bhaktitirtha really cared about his black bodied disciples he never would have left Iskcon and Srila Prabhupada. He's lucky he made it back before he died. Cancer may have been Krishna's mercy on him, he was given a warning death was coming and came back.
There are rumors he was having sex as a sannyasi but that is not what matters, he left! That is undisputed. But his blind followers still felt he was better shelter than Iskcon. That is the problem with Iskcon today. It has become a cult of various guru factions. The reason the samadhi of him was built at Gita Nagari is because after Satsvrarupa fell down Bhaktitirtha came with his disciples and took over the farm, staying there until he left his body. Then they too left. Now they still lament there is no one as advanced as Bhaktitirtha, he was and is the only black guru in the world, and so they continue to read his books as if they are sastra and give classes out of them to each other. Is his greatest contribution to the black bodied community of devotees that he left them all firmly asborbed in the bodily concept of life? That no white devotees really care for them? What were the secrets he spoke to them at his temple when it was completely outside of the domain of Iskcon?
Facts:
Offering a samadhi to someone is not a matter of animosity or no animosity: Either the person is/was or isn't in samadhi. If they are/were, then it's appropriate to offer a samadhi (structure). Though other things were mentioned (institutionally-wise and in regards to nitti), the fact is that a samadhi was given to someone who was not in samadhi consciousness during their lifetime, and was built in a place which was founded by Srila Prabhupada, where (for Srila Prabhupada who we know was in samadhi during His lifetime), there was no samadhi offered to Srila Prabhupada there. So this is not a question of "animosity," but rather calling out bogusness and minimization of the sacredness of what is a samadhi and when the offering of such is or isn't legitimate. Our predecessor Vaisnavas placed into samadhi, were known to be in samadhi by dint of (pure) consciousness.
BT's claim that he was the only black-bodied guru in the world, was a lie, and BT knew his claim was false, because he knew Swami Ghanananda Sarasvati, who started his own ashram and temple in 1975, was another black-bodied guru in Accra, Ghana. Swami Ghanananda, a Ghanian citizen who had traveled to India and stayed in an ashram in Hrsikesh, went back to Odokor (in Accra) Ghana, accepted sannyas from Krsnananda Sarasvati in 1975, and started the temple, "African Hindi Monestary" during that year. He is a guru within his lineage. (I met him while serving in Ghana, and BT definitely knew Swami Ghanananda, because when I told BT that I had gone to meet Ghanananda Swami, BT told me he "had met him," "didn't like him," and gave me the instruction to never go to see Swami Ghanananda ever again.)
BT was given what's called an honorable chieftancy. Though the person is given such under a particular king, they are not given amonany leadership responsiblities over any tribe.
How BT was offered the chieftancy: I met and gave Srila Prabhupada's books to the Oroje of Okbe (one of the traditional African kings in Warri, Nigeria) who was a man of very wonderful character, was very seriously interested in hearing the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Because he was so serious, whenever I went to Warri I would go to see him to discuss further with him about Krsna consciousness. After I gave him beads with a beadbag, and showed him how to chant, he began regularly chanting japa. (When not chanting, he kept his beadbag with japamala hanging on the wall just above his special sitting place used for meeting with certain guests.) The Orodje, who would honor Prasadam, welcomed Prasadam distribution programs at his palace, and promised to give us land for a temple, which he followed through on. At one point, the Orodje asked me to accept an honorable chieftancy from him, but I suggested he instead "give the chieftancy to my superior," (BT, who he had as yet never met), to which he agreed. (I had already accepted chieftaincy from other kings, and felt it would be good for BT's preaching if he had an honorable chieftaincy from a traditional African king.) When BT came to Warri, I took him to meet the Orodje…
BT was sexually involved with women. (The GBC body was aware of at least some.) As you said, "but that is not what matters," you're right: BT did some MUCH WORSE things, than simply breaking the no illicit sex principle.
BT took over as GBC of Gita Nagari in 1995, way before the Satsvarupa situation. For years Satsvarupa was no longer GBC of Gita Nagari. (Ravindra Svarupa was.)
There were some (very bogus) "secrets" he was "preaching" to certain of his disciples, even "inside" the ISKCON domain, what to speak of "outside."
You asked, "Why all this anomosity against Bhaktitirtha? Maybe he was sincere at the end, I don’t know."
It's very possible "at the end" he became sincere. I also don't know, but I did know him (served directly under him, and knew him for the time up till his leaving, though I wasn't present for his leaving), and I definitely knew (as did others) things about him which were down and out VERY EVIL!
He was just much better at hiding things behind his "jeweled" veil – like Radhanath.
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
I don't think these people will wake up & ruin their samadhis!
FISKCON rascals never bothered even when Srila Prabhupada was murdered by Tamal & Co. Jews & there were 100s of Audio proofs, 60 times more Arsenic in hair sample of Srila Prabhupada!
Srila Prabhupada himself requested, "Don't lock me up in room, dont torture me and put to death in final days."
NO ONE BOTHERED! INSTEAD EVERY ONE WATERED DOWN POISON CASE.
Women calling themselves 'Swami' is bogus. One of Kirtananda's.
Dear Cracker prabhu,
Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. PAMFO.
Sorry, but I'm not "one of Kirtanananda's" though he did want me to accept a formal sannyas from him. When K told me he wanted me to take formal sannyas from him, I REFUSED to do so from him, and in fact, he was VERY TICKED OFF that I didn't, and "punished" me for my refusal.
After I refused, I called my GBC, BT, who had just sent me from Kenya (beginning 1986) to NV, and told him what happened. BT then told me, "You don't take sannyas from anyone but me," and had me take sannyas from him. So prabhu, I didn't give myself the name.
I was already GONE from NV and the US (back in Africa), when K later began giving sannyas to other women. I assume the reason K told me in 1986 to take it from him, was because in his having known me for years as a strict follower, who had been shaved up and in white for years while Srila Prabhupada was present on the planet, knew I had been sent alone to the African continent to preach in the Middle East and African countries, he probably figured I would be able to maintain the standards of sannyas.
What's "funny" (not as in "ha ha") is that though I don't have a penis, to "qualify" for accepting sannyas, in this vagina-given body, I haven't fallen down as of yet, and have never "used" the sannyas for making, getting or soliciting money, living highly, accepting worship, etc. (In fact, no one gives me any donations, and when a devotee has come to stay at my apartment, on the rare occasion when someone has offered me laxmi for their stay, I've refused it, and I give donations including laxmi to both devotees and "non-devotees." May I also add that there have been quite a number of times, when due to the set of circumstances in my service I have (literally) spent nights under the open sky or under a tree, including in countries that were/are considered "very dangerous".)
I eat very simply – no opulent foods – unless (on the extremely rare occasion that) I happen to be at an ISKCON temple honoring the Prasadam that is being served out to all of those present. (And for those of you who know me bodily, my being possessed of a body which is fat, the fatness is not due to overeating, or eating opulent foodstuffs.)
Srila Prabhupada in His SB 3.24.40 purport explains why women don't accept sannyas; that they are to be protected. (Yet a single woman, crippled in body, was sent alone to the Middle East and the African continent by an ISKCON GBC to render service in these places – that so many (male) sannyasis would not have done – but no one seems to address that, yet they're upset that she accepted sannyas. Pretty amazing the "stuff" regarding ISKCON and the thinking (or lack of it) by it's devotees.) Maybe Srila Prabhupada didn't want women taking sannyas, because they might have put the men to shame? (I'm only joking here.) But on a more serious note, you've got (male) SINyasis stealing MILLIONS of dollars and living HIGH ON THE HOG, some going to prostitutes with the donations they receive, others going to super high-class hotels (for whatever their reasons), and many who will NOT stay in an ISKCON temple in a city where there is one, which will accommodate them, but INSTEAD CHOOSE to stay in a super-rich grhasta's house, or a five star (are there more stars?) hotel.
I can guarentee you that I do NOT get ANY kind of "advantages" from anyone in any way; donations from anyone for ANYTHING, including for the books, beads, etc., that I personally buy for giving out to people (for free) to introduce them to and/or bring them further along in Krsna consciousness. I've also had to deal with various devotees giving me all kinds of "flack" for my "doing the wrong thing," many of them telling me to "Go put on white. Women shouldn't be wearing saffron," and all the other things said, (which are a lot more heavy than "Go put…saffron").
And, if I was to "go put on white" (though no one seems to have any "problem" with Malati's in a female body, wearing saffron (as a GBC), then I would get accused of "falling down." (Hey, even strictly following, and not living in the ISKCON temples for so many years I've gotten accused from "being a lesbian – and 'having sex with women'" – to "falling down and 'getting married," one Godsister's even giving a name of someone I supposedly "had married," (a Godbrother who I thought was off the wall, after he kept yelling at me many times, "Bhaktipada is the next acarya," since he knew I wasn't a follower of Kirtanananda. (Maybe it got around that I had refused to accept sannyas from him? This Godbrother did, but got remarried to a different woman, and it wasN'T me.) Then I've gotten accused of "having orgies." (I wish I knew who started that one. I have to give them credit for making up such a whacked out thing, that they're giving my body credit for being able to do such (s)exercise.) Sad to say, I'm SO DULL!!!, that I haven't even watched TV or listened to a radio since 1967 – nor have I gone to see any movies.)
So despite my being possessed of the wrong genital, I've been following strictly, and have not made any kind of "material gain," in any way, shape or form, from "having the name 'Swami'." I live alone in the "non-devotee" society, where there is no temple, and where people (unless they've had some contact with me in terms of Krsna consciousness) have NO idea what having a shaved head with tilok and wearing saffron means, other than it's "very weird," "something to be made fun of," or even at times something "to attack," either verbally or (more rarely, but it does happen), physically.
Though others may not accept, I took my sannyas vows, and I'm going to keep them.
If you check out Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's Shri Chaitanya Siksamrta 2.4 statement, you may find that it's not as "bogus" as you think. (I rarely quote this, because I don't consider myself to be "extraordinary" and the other term He uses in these regards.)
strilokera grihastha ashrama o sthala visheshe vanaprastha vyatita anya kona ashrama svikarya naya kona asadharana-bhaktisampanna stri vidya, dharma o samarthya labha karatah yadi brahmacharya va sannyasa ashrama grahana kariya saphalya labha kariya thakena va labha karena, taha sadharanataha komala sraddha, komala sharira, komala buddhi stri jatira pakshe vidhi nahe
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
As you say Srila Prabhupada said women should not take sannyasa. Giving a vast quantity of false and vulgar argumentation does not change the acarya's stipulation.
May I ask what was false argumentation and what was vulgar?
Swami Radha Govinda,
in my reply to my own comment number 3 I was referring to why do I appear to have so much animosity towards the Swami, Bhaktitirtha, not you. I was not accusing you, just introducing my next statement explaining why I was finding fault. I don't know if he had illicit sex, I don't know if he had anything to do with the murder of his godsister and covered it up by saying you and she were lesbians, but I saw with my own eyes how he left the movement and saw his disciples cry.
How many devotees came to him on the bodily concept seeking shelter only to leave Krishna Consciousness altogether when he left the movement and did not admit he was falling down? If he wasn't fallen why did he leave? It is one thing to be offered an honorary chief's position but it is another thing altogether to say you are going to spend some time gathering up material credentials which will impress people. Things like a nice picture of himself dressed as a Zulu warrior, a picture of himself with Nelson Mandella, a picture of himself back in his black panther days with Malcolm X or whatever he had in hanging in his temple.
I did not want him to leave Iskcon for his own sake and take the risk of dying while he was out there gathering up all these impressive things in order to spread Krishna Consciousness but what really upset me was he had no regard for any of his disciples' spiritual lives while he was doing it!Usually when someone leaves they are in maya. But in Bhaktitirtha's case the GBC went along with it to see what would happen, and once he had his fun they allowed him to come back with all the amenities, no mention of anything ever having been wrong.
For ordinary devotees this may be the case, we can come and go, but the guru must be exemplary. So how some no one ever admitted he was in maya for leaving? Should we all go out for a few years and try to get pictures of ourselves with famous people in order to spread Krishna Consciousness and impress people we are the only "gurus" in our family so innocent people will become convinced we must be pure and surrender to us? Bogus!
They should surrender to Lord Krishna not to someone who has a picture of Nelson Mandella on the wall. You know how many people have a picture of themselves with Nelson Mandella? He has to be one of the most photographed people in the world! What good is getting your picture taken with him?
Hare Krsna Evildas prabhu,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please accept my fallen obeisances.
Maybe it's possible Krsna arranged for me to misunderstand what you had written, (at #3) "Why all this anomosity against Bhaktitirtha?" so that I could write something further to clarify, because when I submitted this article elsewhere (a famous website), the webmaster who is known for writing articles against the GBC's deviations, wrote back and stated (paraphrased), "What's wrong if BT's disciples wanted to make a samadhi for him in Gita Nagari?"
Sometimes duty dictates doing something we don't really even "like" doing, others not understanding our motives, but thinking they do. I think a good example would be Arjuna's shooting – having to – arrows at Bhismadeva and Dronacarya. For some of us, writing the truth (besides very time consuming), is (very) painful, but we feel we must do so; that it's part of our service to Srila Prabhupada and the devotees, (even when some of them think (and say) we're "envious" or "demons" or "envious demons" for writing and/or speaking up).
In regards to your explanation here, "in my reply to my own comment number 3 I was referring to why do I appear to have so much animosity towards the Swami, Bhaktitirtha," your feelings of animosity may have come from your probably picking up on, (US English expression, meaning, being able to feel) his "vibes," (his consciousness). Though very expert in hiding it, BT was a sociopath – had no sense of remorse or guilt for anything he did that was evil – and extremely narcissistic. His ONLY concern was for himself. He started off very much on the bodily platform, and (unless changed in his final days), he was still possessed of such consciousness so many years later. If someone has the memory videos – one Godsister playing the video for me to hear – they can hear what BT stated he said to Srila Prabhupada on (I believe) his first personal meeting with Srila Prabhupada, and what Srila Prabhupada replied.
BT, wanting to cover up what had gone on between him and our Godsister – when she got FED UP!!! with him, and wanted nothing to do with him any further – arranged for her murder, other (African) devotees also getting killed. (BT also tried to arrange for me to get killed, but wasn't successful. After doing so many more things "to get rid" of me, BT finally used tantrics in Bengal, and though it had effect on me for six months, the rest of it "bounced back" to him, and he got the cancer. (BT was very healthy throughout his lifetime, until the cancer, which was a type that is very unusual for black-bodied people to get. Though through my writings, devotees think "She's inimical to BT," I really wasn't. I hated the sin, not the sinner; especially his making the arrangements that got all of these devotees killed; many of whom I knew (and loved as they were my "children). And I might note here, that some time shortly after this happened, I tried addressing it to the GBC, my having NO idea at that time, how far off the GBC was, since I had been serving for so many years on the African continent, hearing nothing regarding ISKCON. I may also note here, that I later found out from a number of devotees, that while Sivaram was GBC chairman, BT asked that a resolution be made – I'm NOT!!! joking – that sannyasis be allowed to have sex once a month (which was the standard set for grhasthas). I ASKED Sivaram (in an email) if this was true – that BT had asked him to propose such a resolution to the GBC – and explained why I was asking. When Sivaram wrote back, he did not deny it, though he would not write an "open" yes. He simply wrote something to the effect, "He's no longer here, so there's no point in discussing this." When I wrote back, "I'm left to understand that the answer must be yes, because if the answer was no, you would have written this." I sent that email three times, but got no reply. I know factually that the first Godbrother who told this to me (Sivaram's having told him directly), was telling me the truth, between his being very good friends with Sivaram, along with the other factors in this specific regard. I was later told by a number of other devotees (who would know) the same thing.
There are so many (REALLY EVIL!!!l) things that BT did, but he was very "charming" and charismatic, and devotees fell for his pretense(s), including his (insane) narcissistic letter written where he tried to compare himself to Vasudev Datta. (I was amazed that so many people fell for that garbage.)
BT's having illicit sex was the least of his deviations, and (as far as my understanding, in relation to the devotees in Africa, because this is where I was serving), BT, according to things he would say to me in regards to these devotees, had NO concern about them, other than using them for his own self(ish) aggrandizement. In emailing, over the phone, and in person, there are devotees (who were disciples of BT), who have told me of their bad experiences, some of whom asked me to "write something about what I said," but I told them that it was not for me to write their experience, but for them to do so.
Sad though it is, there are many devotees with many "negative stories" about many of these people, but are AFRAID!!! to express themselves (even anonymously). The GBC has created a very effective web of fear, that even devotees who have been "out of the ISKCON circle" for YEARS, are STILL AFRAID to speak up/write. There are actually a LOT of devotees who ask me, "Will you write…" (about some atrocity that is going on of which they are personally aware, or something which happened to them, etc.), but I tell them that there is no way I can write it, because I don't know firsthand.
Even in regards to PV's falldown – and/or other activities mentioned – I don't know PV, nor the other things he's done, nor his heart, (whether he's really feeling or not feeling a genuine sense of shame/remorse for what he's done), so I can only comment on the general thing that's happened, and what I attribute as at least being part of its reason(s), (in relation to a GBC body that is SO PURPOSEFULLY OFF!!! and INeffective in assisting devotees, but rather HURTING and OFFENDING them; the "lay" ISKCON devotees. Part of their hurting devotees (though it's not an intentional hurt), includes the fact that due to their own DIShonesty, and wanting to keep things covered up, they do not properly address things like what had previously happened with PV prabhu. If they had properly addressed this, it's very possible he would have not had these subsequent "rondevous" – or however it's spelled). Due to the GBC and their DIShonesty, BT (and so many others) was able to be SO OFF!!! himself, and do and say the things he did. Wearing those African clothes (and even a "tarzan" outfit) was most definitely NOT "necessary" for preaching, and certainly NOT in Africa, because in the specific countries where one can openly preach, THE BEST!!! clothes for preaching is DEVOTEE!!! clothing. (So that whole "African 'thing'" was also due to a bodily DISorder (MISidentifying with the body) and part of a narcissistic personality DISorder. I say this in KNOWING BT, his admitting to me that I "knew him better than any devotee in this movement," after I stated that to him, my also stating, "including all of our GBC, sannyasi and guru Godbrothers." So NONE of that non-devotee dress was needed for his preaching. (Some devotees even have his picture in non-devotee dress on their altar as the picture they offer arotik to.)
Even the "famous" people (since you mentioned Nelson Mandela), that not only BT, but other ISKCON "bigshots" get "to be with," it's not the "bigshot" making the arrangements, but the "foot soldiers," who do all "the legwork," and the "bigshot" simply comes to the appointment arranged by the "little guy(s)".
As you wrote at the end of your submission in regards to Nelson Mandela "being one of the most photographed people in the world," when Nelson Mandela was living in Johannesburg, he would go to the supermarket (to do his grocery shopping as would others), and would speak with anyone who wanted to go up and speak to him. (I'm sure he would have also allowed a photograph as well.) Nelson Mandela was a VERY!!! HUMBLE!!! gentleman. (Too bad he wasn't able to teach some of our GBCs about leadership.)
You wrote, "For ordinary devotees this may be the case, we can come and go, but the guru must be exemplary. So how some no one ever admitted he was in maya for leaving?" Because if they said something, he would have said a lot of things (about their deviations) back. They all keep quiet and coverup for one another, because they know that the others have "stuff" on them. When something gets "too bad," that it can no longer be covered up by the others – as in the case of PV prabhu and what's happened; that a "lay" devotee speaks up "too loudly" (with evidence that can't be denied) – then that individual GBC (sannyasi or guru), knows that it can no longer be completely kept silent by the GBC, and there's nothing for him to "retaliate" for.
In the ultimate end of it all, what we really want to do, is that which will purchase Srila Prabhupada and Krsna's heart. Even there may be some honest mistake made in our service, and in our desire to please Them, They will certainly let us know when we've made such a mistake. So Krsna consciousness requires honest motives in whatever it is we are doing.
May we be safely situated under the shelter of Srila Prabhupada's Lotus Feet, Those of our Guru Varga, the Vaisnavas, and Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.
With love,
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
Here is the link to Bhaktitirtha's story when he seemingly identified with his body so much he went to Srila Prabhupada to complain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpfbb2EBL90
At least if it were anyone else but him one might think that. His believer might say he was just asking that question for the sake of the other conditioned souls so he could teach them what Prabhupada gave as a very nice instruction later.
I do understand their plight, just see the comments trying to degrade the black man when you go to see his video. I know Radha Govinda Swami had no such bodily concept when she went to Africa. Why else would she risk life and limb if she did? Still the mass of African Americans have experienced prejudice against them throughout their lives and some devotees really sought shelter from BTS.
I am not debating whether he deserves a samadhi or not. I don't like the fact that the person, if I remember right, who came at the end and confirmed BTS was Krishna Conscious still was Radhanath "Swami". He was also the one who confirmed Satsvarupa was still a guru if you want him to be and a great devotee after SDG had a naked massage with a godsister. And he also writes his books in such a way as to show he was always meant to be a guru, like when he was sitting on a rock in the middle of the Ganga, a feat only greatly evolved mystic yogis can perform!
I know you think BTS had sex. One time, a devotee moved to a new temple and was giving classes. A devotee came up to me and told me, "He is sitting on the Asana giving these big classes but he had sex with three women in the short time he's been here and one of them was me!". I was not shocked to hear he wanted to have sex with these three women, what surprised me was he was able to use his position to seduce three woman so quickly and how she admitted it when she had fallen down with him too. But I believed her story. It was just the way she said it, so indignantly about him. She did not like that he was receiving so much praise when he was falling down and keeping it a secret from all the devotees. She was so angry about it she came out and told on herself!
Swamiji I don't doubt your stories about BTS. I have been around too long and have seen too much. I was skeptical right from the beginning about the gurus in Iskcon, maybe that is why I remember so many shocking things from the viewpoint of a granddisciple of Srila Prabhupada, because I always tried to hear what the Prabhupada disciples were secretly amongst themselves saying about their own godbrothers and I was always trying to figure out why they seemed to be keeping some sort of secret from me?
Only websites like this one and Pada's etc. gave me the knowledge I was looking for, finally, after all these years.
If someone is truly a sannyasi don't they bury the body instead of burning it traditionally? I think they should have an Iskcon review board whenever a guru dies to see whether he was bogus the whole time he was guru and if he was he should be given a "no samadhi for you" vote, but with devotee friends like Radhanath running up to do damage control, namely keeping the guru's disciples loyal to Iskcon after he leaves, who is going to vote along with you? Seems like the ratio of gurus who are going to tell the truth about BTS in Iskcon equals the ratio of male to female gurus. You are the only one who wants to tell the truth, vs all the rest of the male gurus in the Good Old Boys Club!
At least BTS came back to Iskcon at the very end. What were the final things he did at the moment of death? Did anyone record his final breath? Because even if he fell down for a number of years he held a very important position and Lord Krishna might have used him at the end in a very special way and brought him back to Godhead. If not for his past activites, the bad ones, then just for the sake of his poor wailful followers, who have been mistreated and abused their entire lives.
Finally, you are braver than I, since I have learned to speak out only under the veil of anonimity. Many of the things I say are things I remember over the years that I heard from devotees, devotees who complained about their own mistreatment. I still remember Prabhupada disciples blooping because of what their godbrothers said, and I couldn't understand at the time how someone could leave because of one sentence spoken by a bogus guru, his godbrother. But I knew something must be going on. I felt the devotee must have been in maya and was just using that as an excuse to leave, but now that I understand the entire situation I see why he was so fed up, to the point of leaving. That one little statement had just ruined his last hope for seeing Iskcon return to the way it was. It was the straw that broke the Camel's back. It meant the bogus so called "gurus" were going to continue pretending to be uttama adhikaris and make the whold society go along with them and not let anyone else join the club. And he couldn't inform me of what was really happening on his way out, because he would have been physically threatened for telling me, and I would have been kicked out of the temple for even inquiring from him about what it was.
Welcome to the post Prabhupada Iskcon. We really do need to bring things back to Prabhupada's desire of how things should be run. We outnumber the bogus gurus by so much. If each "guru" has one thousand disciples then they are outnumbered one thousand to one! Unfortunately they kick us out one at a time after we find out what is going on at the temple. But we don't all forget. Hundreds and thousands of devotees have been kicked out, loyal Iskcon devotees and we are still thinking about Krishna and how we want to worship Him. We are on the internet. And we will never let you know who we are! I also appreciate some of the names of some of the devotees on this website, they are quite humorous at times. Devotees on both sides of issues are so afraid to speak almost everyone remains anonymous. Says something about Iskcon even to this day doesn't it??
Dear Evildas prabhu,
Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. PAMFO
Whatever anyone else does or doesn't do, if we love Srila Prabhupada, as individuals we want to be responsible for doing what we know Srila Prabhupada wanted of us.
Being possessed of our various karmic "mixes" and as individuals possessed of the inherent personalities we have, everyone will have a different "balance" of how they put into practice their Krsna consciousness. In essence, ISKCON was meant to be a (Krsna) spiritually-based society, where we were to give encouragement to one another so that all of us would become uplifted spiritually, making further and further progess towards the goal (and being happy while doing so); where leader meant servant, seeing to what Srila Prabhupada wanted accomplished, and seeing to the care of the devotees.
ISKCON was meant to be a society where when someone was feeling weakness, another devotee would be there to give encouragement and strength. It was not meant to be a society of condemntation where we "felt good" seeing someone else's weaknesses take them over.
But because ISKCON has "progressed" into becoming the materialistic society it has, taken there by the GBC body as a whole, and so many of the various individuals on it, in its deviations from the aims/desires of Srila Prabhupada, we are made to speak up (as if "against them") and point out the falldowns, as if in "condemnation" of someone's weakness(es), when in actuality, we do so to point out the fact that the leaders are not leading properly, and are not steering Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON society and the devotees in the right directions. Thus, part of the way to show this, is to point out all of the various kinds of deviations involved, from major atrocities – child molestation, murder, beating of devotees – to some "bigshot's" falling down and breaking the principles.
For me as an individual, if the only "slipup" BT had done, was having a few illicit sex encounters, I would simply have considered this as (being due to) "a weakness" on his part, and would never have stated anything to anybody, but there were a lot more major things, and thus my opening my mouth.
That devotees are getting exploited to the degree they are, abused, children molested, devotees beaten and/or murdered ONLY because of some ISKCON leaders' material ambitions (or out and out perversions), then these atrocities have to be addressed by someone. Sadly, in Kali Yuga, kalau sudra sambhavah. Most of us are not possessed of complete fearlessness (like ksatriyas): Even when we want to speak out, many of us keep silent. (I include myself in this statement. Although I've spoken up and/or have written about some things, there are many things that I haven't said/written because even though factual, and proof can be provided, I know people are not going to accept it, or will be so angry that "she blew the whistle," and I would have to deal with the repercussion of such people. The last leg of Dharma is truthfulness, and on all levels, there isn't very much of this leg of truthfulness left.
Srila Prabhupada Himself quoted sach bale tomare lutha jutha jagat mohaye: "When one tells lies, everyone is enchanted, but when one tells the truth, s/he is beaten with sticks.
Srila Prabhupada Himself was given poison by people who preferred to see their materialistic ambitions fulfilled rather than live for serving the Absolute Truth, and serving that Ambassador, Who was giving it.
With love,
Your servant,
B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
I see I made a mistake. I was told by a Bhaktitirtha disciple his followers have all mostly left Gita Nagari, but now I see a few years ago many were still around and trying to become in charge?
Doesn't affect me either way, I just wanted to be accurate in my story so I am mentioning it now.