The
truth about the Kirtanananda era of New Vrindavan
May 20, 1999 VNN3909 BY MAHANANDA DAS (PART TWO)
Next, Srila Prabhupada writes to
Gargamuni congradulating him in dealing well with Kirtanananda's trying to influence
Brahmananda, saving him from the calamity of impersonalism. "I congratulate you
for your successful dealing with your good brother, Sriman Brahmananda, against His
falling back a prey to Kirtanananda's recent propaganda. To save a man from impersonal
calamity is the greatest service to humanity. I also thank Rupanuga & Rayarama for
helping you in your very laudable action. Brahmananda is very pure at heart."
"He might have been misled by Kirtanananda for the time being but Krishna did not
allow him to fall back. According to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord is full in six
opulences & the rascal impersonalists says that the Lord has no form & the most
dangerous accusation for the Lord that He assumes a material form when he descends. The
Impersonalist is of the opinion that the absolute has no form & He appears in a
particular type of form according to the whim of nonsense; The impersonalist presents any
form nonsensical by his imagination & worships it as God. This accusation of the Lord
is the greatest offense of the nonsense impersonalist."
"Such offender can never realise the transcendental form of the Lord & the Lord
puts such nonsense into more & more darkness so that the dangerous impersonalist can
never know the Supreme personality of Godhead. I do not believe that Kirtanananda has gone
to such an extent of ailing situation but if he does not rectify himself immediately his
future is very dark. If he is sincere in his concept of impersonal Absolute he should
enter into correspondence with me & I shall refute all his arguments; but I understand
that he could not answer you even when you hit him with some questions. I shall request
that you save this poor creature from impersonal calamity."
Then he writes again to Brahmananda "I may disclose herewith that I never took
Kirtanananda into complete confidence but I was trying to improve his position because he
has also rendered much personal service to me. I am very much obliged to him for the
service as I am to my other disciples & I am very sorry that Maya has taken advantage
of his disobedience & he has fallen to Maya's illusion--but he should not continue for
a very long time as I will always pray to Krishna for his recovery. For the time being he
should simply chant Hare Krishna without any attempt at lecturing. The impersonalist
cannot render any service to Krishna because he is a great offender. Under the
circumstances, Krishna will not accept food prepared by Kirtanananda in his present
diseased condition. If he at all wants to render service to Krishna he may be engaged
at washing dishes & this will improve his condition."
Now Srila Prabhupada advises Brahmananda to move on and not waste any more time talking
about Kirtanananda. On the 22nd he writes and instucts him "So far as
Kirtanananda's chapter is concerned, forget all this, Maya's play. We shall be sorry for
Kirtanananda's plight under Maya and may not waste our valuable time talking about him.
The best thing that you have done is that he should no longer speak in our temples. We
shall all pray to Krishna for his recovery & only by His grace can he come back to his
real identity."
Then to Jadurani he writes on the 26th. "Regarding Kirtanananda, there is nothing
to be said about but one should be very careful not to fall sick like him. In the material
world there is constant fight between maya & the living entity. Maya is very strong
& we can fall a victim at her hand at any moment. The only means of protecting us from
the attack of maya is to be fully Krishna Conscious. The proportion in which we fall back
in Krishna Consciousness is filled up by the influence of maya. It is exactly like the
proportion of negligence of our health is subsequently resulted in our falling ill. The
person who is very careful about his health does not generally fall ill. Similarly a
person who is always fixed up in Krishna Consciousness cannot be defeated by maya.
Sometimes in spite of our full Krishna Consciousness we fall a victim to maya but that is
temporary just as seasonal changes such calamities do come & pass away & we have
to endure them. If Kirtanananda has ever sincerely served Krishna, & his spiritual
master, he will not fall down. The temporary systems will fall down without delay. We
should all pray to Krishna for his steady recovery. My grief for Kirtanananda isn't
anything personal but I am sorry that he has become like a mayavadi in spite of my best
efforts to help him. Hope you are well."
Then to Rayarama on the 27th " Regarding Kirtanananda's article, I do not know
what he has written but I can guess that it must be polluted with impersonal poison, so
for the time being you can keep this article aside. I was so glad to learn that you are
acting exactly like a lion cub & I know that in the future you shall conquer ever many
jackals. We have got experience in India that the jackals roar four times at night without
any influence but the one roar of a lion drives away many elephants. The pressure Maya is
elephant-like, big, but the roaring of Nrsimhadeva can drive away many elephants."
Maybe at this point, the readers of this editorial have pretty much understood the mood of
our beloved Srila Prabhupada concerning Kirtanananda and do not need to hear any more. I
do not want to become redundant in my reporting here. But just the same, for histories
sake, and for those who want to hear the rest of the letters about Kirtanananda, I shall
go on.
Srila Prabhupada was so magnanamous. Though we treat him badly due to our immaturity, he
has undying compassion for us. He knew that Kirtanananda was really ok because Srila
Prabhupada was his well wisher determined to save him from maya's clutches. To Rayarama he
writes on Nov 2nd "Regarding Kirtanananda, I cannot allow him to become Keith
again. He is my spiritual son and I shall never allow him to fall down. When I return I
shall drag him forcibly and make all right again. Anyone who has once come to me has
become my beloved son; temporarily one may display some Mayic affliction, but that can not
prolong. I thank Lord Krishna for Satyavrata (Moskowitz) and Woompati and I hope sincerely
that Kirtanananda will also come back again with renewed energy."
That same day, Srila Prabhupada writes to Haimavati "Don't be mortified with
Kirtanananda's behavior. The present feature of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva are temporary
manifestation of maya. They will be corrected as soon as I return. You have rightly said
that he and Hayagriva came like two children and took their things from the temple. Don't
you think that all this is childish activities? If Kirtanananda donated the candle holders
and clothes to the Temple of Krishna how could he take them back for his own purpose. If
they think impersonally that Krishna is present everywhere, how could they think of
Krishna not being present in the New York Temple. So all their activities are befitting
children; so as children commit mistakes and again reforms similarly they will be reformed
in due course. After their malady of impersonalism is over. You can go on with you regular
classes, chanting Hare Krishna sincerely, without taking seriously into account the
childish activities of Kirtanananda and his friend."
Srila Prabhupada makes these statements about Kirtanananda's taking sannyas in a letter to
Madhusudana the same day he wrote to Rayarama and Haimavati the letters above. "Kirtanananda
was awarded the position of a Sannyasi because he wanted it although I could understand it
that he wanted to be a spiritual master himself. Lord Caitanya wanted every one should be
a spiritual master provided he follows the order of Lord Caitanya. The Lord's mission was
to defeat the Mayavada philosophy and establish in the philosophy of Krishna consciousness
because Krishna is the Supreme Lord the Personality of Godhead. Anyone following the order
of Lord Caitanya under the guidance of His bonafide representative, can become a spiritual
master and I wish that in my absence all my disciples become the bonafide spiritual master
to spread Krishna Consciousness throughout the whole world. I want it but Kirtanananda was
too much puffed up and artificially he took up a certificate from me that he has been
awarded the order to a Sannyasi, In the spiritual field nobody can become a bonafide
spirtual master by dissatisfying his spiritual master. It is said that one can satisfy the
Supreme Lord simpy by satisfying the spiritual master and one who dissatisfies the
spiritual master has no place in the spiritual world. Kirtanananda wanted to become a
spiritual master by dissatisfying his spiritual master and as such he has fallen down. He
cannot say anything genuine any more till he has had revival of his pure consciousness in
the spiritual world as mentioned above."
Kirtanananda had become very unpopular around Iskcon centers because of the
dissatisfaction of Srila Prabhupada. Devotees were blocking him from entering various
centers and in one incident one devotee even spit on Kirtanananda, which upset Srila
Prabhupada. He writes on Nov 5th. "I've received one letter from Hayagriva
expressing his sorrow about Kirtanananda's plight in relation with his God-brothers. He
has complained that some of the boys had -spat upon Kirtanananda's body and it is a fact
it is the most regrettable incident. The fact is that once combined in Krishna
Consciousness, one cannot be separated at any time but the incident of separation from the
society of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva is accidental."
"I had advised that Kirtanananda should be asked to not speak but I never asked that
he should not enter the Temple. We invite outsiders to come and hear our kirtanas but I
think Kirtanananda might have been disturbing the peace of the Temple and therefore you
all asked him not to enter the Temple. I do not know what had actually transpired but the
incident is not very happy. If possible the boy who had spat upon Kirtanananda in the
presence of Hayagriva must be requested to send a letter of regret and apology for the
mistake he had done. I have already given you a list of good behavior for the devotees.
The person who is a devotee must develop those good qualities. Kirtanananda's attempt to
defy me might have provoked all these undesirable incidences, but in the future we shall
be very much careful to deal in such provocative situations; I can understand the
provocation in this situation was set in motion by Kirtanananda's uncalled for
behavior."
That last letter was to Rayarama, and Srila Prabhupada brings it up again in a letter
writen the same day to Brahmananda. " The boy who spat upon the person of
Kirtanananda must send a letter of regret and apology. That will be nice. You should
always try to pacify the living entities in their rebellious propensities. These
individual propensities are factual evidence for their becoming individual entities. If
everything would have been impersonal there would have been no scope for the individual
manifestations. It is understood that Hayagriva will purchase the property at Wilkes-Barr
with the help of Dr. Henderson's financial assistance. I do not mind that they will do
something separately, but I wish that there may not be any misbehavior between the
God-brothers. I think you can write Hayagriva a personal letter regretting the incident
which had unfortunately occurred, namely spitting over the person of Kirtanananda."
In another twist of events in our drama, Hyragriva was not going to return Srila
Prabhupada's manuscript of his Bhagavad-gita. There was much separation between the
godbrothers over the whole incident with Kirtanananda, and it was very upsetting to Srila
Prabhupada. More and more the two disciples were becoming seperate from the rest of
Iskcon, and Prabhupada felt that his smoothly running organization was greatly disrupted
by even one or two disciples working independently their guru's blessings. Hayagriva was
trying to get back at the other devotees be refusing to return the manuscript of Srila
Prabhupad's Gita he was working on.
All this Srila Prabhupada reveals to Rayarama on Nov 9th. "It certainly is very
good news that MacMillan Co. may now agree to publish Gita Upanisad in a soft cover
edition and is considering the hard cover very seriously. In one other letter Brahmananda
writes that there is not yet contract signed. So I do not know what exactly is the
position. But under any circumstances, the MSS [manuscript] must be made ready. I do not
follow you when you write to say that Hayagriva won't deliver the MSS. If he does not
return it then how are you going to publish it and how are you going to edit it. In two
previous letters you write that he has already returned it."
"In letter of Oct. 21, you write 'Hayagriva has left the manuscript of Gita with me
and I am going to have it typed and sent to you, a few chapters at a time.' In letter of
Oct. 25 you write 'I've been working on the manuscript which Hayagriva returned to me'. In
this letter you wrote to say that he is trying to obviously punish us by not returning
same. The quarrel amongst yourselves, the Godbrothers is not very much palatable. I am now
thinking about our society. We were very smoothly going on but this disruption created by
Kirtanananda has plagued and disturbed the situation. The best thing is to do our duty
nicely with faith in Krishna and everything will be adjusted. You are nicely doing
BTG."
"The separation of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva is not a very happy incident. I was
practically in tears for their attitude of separation on such flimsy grounds. In other
words it is my incapability that I could not save these two souls, but this a great
evidence that every soul is individual. The nonsense theory of oneness becomes null and
void by the evidence presented in this incident. But we should not be angry with these
poor souls. Try to convince them by argument and reason but do not become angry with
them."
"Lord Nityananda when he was dealing with Jagai and Madhai maintained the maximum
amount of tolerance and patience in spite of the greatest provocation. The two brothers,
Jagai and Madhai, committee. violence on Lord Nityananda. Even Lord Caitanya, the author
of Siksastak, became agitated. But Lord Nityananda Prabhu in the matter remained calm and
quiet and delivered the two rascals to the highest elevation. We should always try to
represent Lord Nityananda Prabhu in the matter of preaching work."
"Kirtanananda is a crazy man. That is proved. He says that he has become equal to the
spiritual master but he is such a fool that he does not understand the principle of
disciple even in ordinary worldly affairs. Even if one becomes equal to the spiritual
master in education and knowledge, still one has to maintain the disciplinary principle of
obeying one chief man in any establishment. If such discipline is not maintained, no
establishment can make any progress. Hope you are well." Calcutta
11th November, 1967
My dear Brahmananda, "The quotation as you have given from my letter of Oct. 11, just stands. I do
not want crowd of Kirtananandas but I want a single soul like Brahmananda, Mukunda,
Rayarama, and Satsvarupa. The same example is always applicable that one moon is
sufficient for the night as not thousands of stars........I have read your statements
regarding opening centers. I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding
very thinly."
"In my opinion, a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know I started the
center at 26 2nd Ave. alone. I took the risk of 200.00 dollars per month for the rent. At
that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was at that time a friend but there was no
responsibility for him for maintaining the center. Gradually Kirtanananda and Hayagriva
joined but they did not take any responsibility. Still I was maintaining the establishment
simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything--men and money. Similarly,
if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the world Krishna will help
him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna
Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in these
matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always.......That is preaching,
cooking, writing, talking, chanting everything one man's show. I never thought about the
audience."
"I was prepared to chant if there were no man to hear me. The principle of chanting
is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will
ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Therefore, be advised that thousands of
centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each and every center. We do not
require more men to start. If there is one sincere soul that is sufficent to start a new
center."
"With this expectation I wanted to send Kirtanananda to London but he has proved
himself unworthy. When I arrive in your state, I may ask Rayarama to go to London and your
good self to Russia and Gargamuni to Holland. The incident created by Kirtanananda and
Hayagriva may not disappoint us in the least. Let us remain sincere to Krishna and His
bonafide representative and we are sure to carry out our mission successfully. Hope you
are well."
15th November, 1967
"My dear Rayarama, The incident of Kirtanananda and Hayagriva chapter may now be closed. We shall always
pray to Krishna for their recovery and we should not seriously take their counter
propaganda. I am sure they will flap for some time without any effect on our Krishna
Consciousness, service. Let us go ahead with our work and everything will be all right.
Most important thing at present is to deal with MacMillan Co. Regarding editing of my
books it was rightly entrusted to you from the very beginning but Kirtanananda wanted that
the editing should be done by Hayagriva. But I understand from your version that in some
places of Gita Upanisad he has followed Swami Nikilananda who is quite unaware of Krishna
Consciousness. By their present behavior it appears that Hayagriva belongs to the same
feather and Krishna has saved His Gita Upanisad by transferring the whole thing into your
hands."
Almost a week goes by before Srila Prabhupada mentions the incident with Kirtanananda and
Hyragriva. Then to Woomapati he writes about the relationship between the disciple and the
spiritual master. "I am so glad to learn that you are now getting the fruit of
chanting Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna is so nice that it clears the dirty things from the
mind of the devotee and the more one is used to chant the Holy Name offenselessly, the
more one develops love of God, forgetting the whole material nonsense. (It is my duty to
deliver you the right thing in right earnestness and it is the duty of the receiver to act
in the standard spiritual regulation. When you left us I simply prayed to Krishna for your
return to Krishna Consciousness because that was my duty. Any good soul who approaches me
once for spiritual enlightenment is supposed to be depending on my responsiblity to get
him back to Krishna, back to home."
"The disciple may misunderstand a bonafide spiritual master being obliged to do so
under pressure of Maya's influence. But a bonafide spiritual master never lets go a
devotee once accepted. When a disciple misunderstands a bonafide spiritual master, the
master regrets for his inability to protect the disciple and sometimes he cries with tears
in the eyes. We had an experience while my Guru Maharaja was alive. One of His disciples
who accepted sannyasa was one day forcibly dragged by his wife. My Guru Maharaja lamented
with tears in His eyes saying that He could not save the soul.)"
"We should always, therefore, be careful in the matter of being attacked by Maya's
influence and the only means of guarantee is to chant Hare Krishna offenselessly. The
greatest offense is to defy the spiritual master and to act sinfully, thinking in the
strength of chanting. If a man thinks that chanting will save him from all kinds of sinful
reaction deliberately committed by him, then he becomes the greatest offender."
"By chanting Hare Krishna certainly we become free from all sinful reactions, but
that does not mean that we shall deliberately commit sins and counteract it by chanting.
Your reference to Kirtanananda and Hayagriva is very nicely appreciated. We shall silently
pray for them to Krishna and shed tears for them for our inability to save them. Let us
honestly pray and go ahead with Krishna Consciousness. More when we meet."
As we continue reading all of Srila Prabhupada's letters written til the end of 1967,
one finds little mention of Kirtanananda or Hyragriva. Once on the 21th of December there
is this small referrence . "I am sorry for Hayagriva and Kirtanananda who have
left me when I need them very much. Krsna may give them good sense and let them come back
to work with me." Then to Brahmananda on the 29th. Srila Prabhupada writes
"Regarding Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, if they come again we should accommodate them
and should not continue the misunderstanding that has been engineered. I think Hayagriva
is anxious in having his name printed in the publication of Gitopanisad. I do not have any
objections that his name may be mentioned as one of the editors helping in the editing of
Gitopanisad, just to encourage him and keep him in our camp, in case that he may come back
and accept our philosophy and resume his editing talent. He has committee. a blunder, but
just so that he may be encouraged to come back you may mention his name also along with
Rayarama's. He is not so convinced of his impersonalist philosophy. It is only due to
Kirtanananda's influence that he[Hayagriva] has left us."
After so much disappointment from Kirtanananda Srila Prabhupada had felt saddened and he
had wondered how the movement would go on with his leading disciples acting against him.
But in his letter to Rayarama on New Years Eve, we see Srila Prabhupada encouraged again,
feeling that now his work will again go on! "My Dear Rayarama, Please accept my
blessings. My joy has no bounds when I received your calendar so nicely imagined. Now I
think Krishna has selected the right person for our propaganda department--Sriman Rayarama
Brahmacari! A sincere worker is always recognized by Krishna. I do not know how shall I
thank you, but I am confident of my future hopes in the sincere students like you,
Brahmananda and others; & now if I die I will die blissful, the work will go on."
Jaya Srila Prabhupada!!
This brings 1967 to a close, with the exception of one letter I failed to mention that was
sent to Madhusudana in December where Srila Prabhupada makes the following mention to his
renegade sannyasa. ".... duty is understood through the transparent medium via
media of the Spiritual Master. It is better service to Krishna and Spiritual Master in a
feeling of separation; sometimes there is risk in the matter of direct service. For
example, Kirtanananda was giving me direct service by massaging, cooking for me, and so
many other things; but later on by dictation of Maya, he became puffed up, so much so that
he thought his Spiritual Master a common man, and was existing only on account of his
service. This mentality at once pushed him down. Of course, those who are sincere devotee,
they take direct service as an opportunity, but the illusory energy is so strong that it
acts on this doctrine of familiarity breeds contempt. Kirtanananda was thinking I was
existing on his service, instead of realizing I was giving him opportunity to do me some
service."
In sharp contrast to the situation with Kirtanananda, Srila Prabhupada displayed much
satisfaction with his sincere disciples who were submissive to him. This is displayed
nicely in his encouraging letter to Rayarama on January 11, 1968."Please take it
for granted that I have sanctioned all your schemes. Because you are sincere worker
Krishna is dictating from within you as He has promised in the Bhagavad-gita, and things
are coming so nicely.
May Krishna grace you more and more and in your advanced service of Krishna Consciousness.
You have very nicely stated that I am your life. This means you are my body and so neither
life nor body can be separated because on the spiritual platform there is no such
distinction. On material platform sometimes life is separated from body, but in the
Absolute platform there is no such distinction. Dr. R__________ foolishly makes such
distinction on the Body of Krishna, and therefore when Krishna says that one should become
His devotee, he commends that it is not to the Person Krishna, but to the Light within
Krishna. He does not know that in the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction of
life and body."