November  1998

November 15, 1998  - FROM EXPRESS RELIGION

Harikesh Swami was drugged, led astray by a German woman, say some disciples, his voice was against the system.

ISKCON grapples with its soul after its chief falls for a woman

EXPRESS RELIGION - ASHIS CHAKRABARTI  - MAYAPUR (WEST BENGAL), NOVEMBER 12

A religious cult guru, a woman, a tantrik, "slow poisoning" drugs and a network of conspirators spread across the globe - at least, that's how ISKCON's chief Harikesh Swami's affair with a woman in Germany, his subsequent fall and the current turmoil in the cult are being presented by his disciples at its spiritual headquarters here.

Not that visitors to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) ashram here can feel this turmoil. It remains serene as ever, the grand temple ringed by manicured lawns, rows of beautiful buildings overlooking the Ganges, saffron clad sannyasis and white clothed brahmacharis quietly filling past streams of devotees chanting their prayers.

Yet, all's not well ever since members and devotees were jolted by the news that the Chairman of the ISKCON's governing body commission (GBC), Harikesha Swami, who is of German origin, had fallen "for a woman" in the temple at Arbentur, a small town near Cologne in Germany, and left the order.

This wasn't just another setback. For not only was Harikesh Swami the elected chief of the rich and powerful global cult-founded by Srila Prabhupada, a Bengali from Calcutta, in 1965-he had also become something of an icon. There are stories of his risking his life spreading "Krishna consciousness" in the former Soviet Union and the Communist Bloc countries in East Europe for the past 30 years. The founder himself called him ""my greatest grandson."

So this was no ordinary fall. The chief guru was "involved with a woman" in a place where sannyasis aren't allowed to sit with women in private. And what shocked the entire order was that Harikesh Swami, when he left, criticized, disowned ISKCON --and its founder, Prabhupad.

"All this shook us," says Jananivas Das, a British sannyasi who became the founder's disciple in 1971 and is now the head pujari (priest) of the Chandrodaya Temple here. He's quick to add : "Individuals may fall but the organization remains."

Says Hari Sauri Das, another British sannyasi who was the founder's "personal servant" and GBC member : "Prabhupad created ISKCON in such a way that no one person can run it, ruin it or run away with it."

Still, when the GBC suspended Harikesh Swami in July, many of his disciples, particularly in Russia and East Europe, revolted. The temple in St. Petersburg broke away from ISKCON. "But we stuck to our decision. Which shows we deal firmly with deviants, no matter how important they may be," says Dayaram Das, chief executive officer at the ashram here.

But how did this all happen? The answer, according to some like Advaita Das and Jagatartiha Das, two of Harikesh Swami's disciples, lies in a "murky conspiracy" that involved not only the woman but a tantrik from Orissa who administered some drugs to the Swami for many years. Also part of this "ring" were "some people within ISKCON who were jealous of him. And "maybe even the KGB wanted to kill him for his role in spreading ISKCON in Communist countries."

The conspiracy theory says that the drugs affected Swami. "It was like slow poison," says Advaita Das. Dayaram Das claims that the drug's dangerous effect had been "proved" in a German laboratory. The Swami's two disciples also suspect that the women, who was supposed to be a New Age faith healer, was sent to their guru in a "pre-planned manner to lead him astray."

The problem is that news of the Harikesh Swami affair has come along with other disturbing reports like the allegations of sexual harassment of a disciple's daughter by a sannyasi of the ISKCON's New Delhi temple and of child abuse by cult members in the US.

Following (such) reports, our members were attacked in places like Howrah, Durgapur, Bankura and even in Assam," complains Dayaram Das. "The media has presented things with a slant as if we were a bunch of homosexuals or sex maniacs. Even some of our devotees have started wondering if it's safe to send their daughters to our ashram."

But there is a growing voice of dissent within ISKCON which dismisses the conspiracy theory. The "deviations" of Harikesh Swami, according to the dissenters who have formed the ISKCON Reform Group, are a direct fallout of "guruvad" or the guru system. The founder, they say, is the "only guru" and he never wanted "gurus" in succession after his death, only ritwiks (priests) to initiate disciples. Guruvad, in their opinion, is at the root of the cult's evils.

"Rubbish from some over-intelligent people," reacts Hari Sauri Das. "The guru-disciple tradition is as old as Vaishnavism. Besides, I can vouch that Prabhupad left no scope for ambiguity on the question."

Both sides swear by letters and taped conversations of the founder shortly before his death in 1977. But then each camp is accusing the other of "tampering" with evidence. It's a cloak and dagger debate, quite like the mystery over Harikesh Swami'' fall from grace.

November 16, 1998 - BY JAYAPATAKA SWAMI

1. INITIAL CONTACT AT HOUSE:

We reached Harikesa Maharaja's house at 11:30am on October 3rd, 1998. It was Madhavi dd's birthday at Arbenteur ISKCON so I brought some birthday cake. I also brought about 8 letters for Harikesa Maharaja from disciples in the temples I had passed through including a collection of photos from the Deities in Korsnas Gard, Sweden from Kailasavasini dd. Harikesa Maharaja asked me to sit down and he sat at his desk and I was across. I gave him the various letters and presents. He laid out the photos on the table of Korsnas Gard ISKCON Gandharvika

Giridhari Deities exclaiming "Wonderful!", "Wonderful", "Beautiful", etc. as he looked at each photo. He spread them out over the desk so he could see all the photos. I mentioned how beautiful these Deities were and he also said they were special for him. Then I gave a photo of Radha Madan Mohan Deity of Arbenteuer ISKCON, Germany from Bhavisya dd. When Harikesa Maharaja saw that picture he stopped and stared at the photo very intently. He became motionless and his eyes eventually produced some tears which he wiped off. Nanda Kumar das, my travelling secretary, took three digital photos at that time until he protested about it. Nanda Kumar das explained how he was Bhakti Caru Swami's initiated disciple, but was serving as my travelling secretary. Harikesa Maharaja commented what a wonderful devotee Bhakti Caru Swami was.

2. OFFERING ASSISTANCE FROM DISCIPLES TO HKM:

I mentioned to Harikesa Maharaja how much his disciples missed him and wanted him to be with them. That it was natural they liked ISKCON for its devotees, Deities, activities, teachings, etc. He mentioned how there was nobody to talk to. He had no one to talk to. No one was helping him. I showed the rear of Bhavisya dd's photo to him where she wrote if she could help with anything. She could cook or clean his flat. He then went into a description of how devotees had mistreated him and were unreliable.

3. HKM GRIEVANCES AGAINST DEVOTEES:

Then Harikesa Maharaja went on to describe other grievances. He said that Ganga dd had put "vibhuti" into some pancakes and he ate 15 of them which knocked him out for 6 hours. Some other devotees had taken 3 pancakes and were knocked out for 3 hours. He said caranamrita had been spiked with "Vibhuti" drugs.

4. ANGRY AT CITTESWARA:

He was very angry at Citteswara das for giving him the psychotropic drug spiked vibhuti. So the conclusion seemed to be that although he was complaining that he had no help he didn't trust anyone to help him anymore. I didn't understand then why he was always complaining that no one was helping when he also wouldn't accept any help.

5. SANNYASA DAS BRINGS LADY:

I told him I had heard that Sannyas das had brought emotinally imbalanced lady to him, Nirvindhya dd. Harikesa Maharaja said they had told him her Deities were talking to her and had told her something. So he was convinced to go and see her Deities at her hotel room. When he went to the hotel room with Sannyas das she showed a photo of some Deities and said these talked to her. She said some funny things and Harikesa Maharaja gave her some advice and left. Later Sannyas das brought her to Harikesa Maharaja's room when he was out. She waited on Harikesa Maharaja's bed and when he came she told him how it was revealed to her that she was his eternal consort and servitor. She tried to engage him in sex, but Harikesa Maharaja said he threw her out. Harikesa Maharaja called Sannyas das and others involved in this fools. He repeatedly said about Sannyas das "they don't really understand me either." I told him my understanding was he was in love and wanted love not some cheap sex. He agreed with that and repeatedly said that they don't understand what it is to love someone. That you can't love someone and just switch to someone else.

6. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE:

Harikesa Maharaja discussed his feelings of love for Monika. I don't know how much it is appropriate to report. Although Harikesa Maharaja said I could repeat anything he said it seems some discretion is appropriate otherwise he may take it otherwise and not allow me to dkiscuss with him again in the future. He spoke for a long time on his sentiment of love for Monika. I asked if they had broken up, but he said no, but there was some misunderstanding which they were working out. He said whatever she did he stilled loved her. I mentioned how this wasn't an eternal relationship. That it was also part of the material world. He didn't verbally respond to that.

7. ABOUT DISCIPLES:

I mentioned how Annapurna dd from Sweden had asked me whether Harikesa Maharaja still really cares about them since they had offered him so much devotional service in love and felt there was a relationship, but now they didn't know whether it means anything to him.

Harikesa Maharaja said that off course he cares about them. I mentioned how his disciples would like him to come back and be with them in ISKCON. He said he wouldn't be a member of an organization anymore. He didn't want to be controlled by an organization. He didn't want to be controlled. When I mentioned how his disciples have been serving him and loved him. He said he didn't want to be controlled by love either. He didn't want to be controlled any more. Therefore he was out of the institution. He would try to help individuals but he didn't want to be part of any institution. I mentioned how his disciples loved him and cared about him. He said that they had drained him and depleted his ethereal body and that it was too much for him to sustain.

8. CARING ABOUT DEVOTEES:

Harikesa Maharaja preached on how he wants to see the devotees in ISKCON happy and cared for. How he wants to see things improve in "our society". That there needs to be a lot more of caring and loving amongst devotees. I mentioned that I had been preaching this for a couple of years and he admitted that he appreciated that. That was one reason why he was talking to me. I also explained to him how we could use his help for expanding the congregational preaching and he could come back and help with that. He liked congregational preaching and thought it was a brilliant idea.

9. LETTERS TO HKM:

Harikesa Maharaja had read some of the letters I gave him while I was in the bathroom. When I came back I asked him about disciples writing to him. He said they could send their letters to Guru Sakti das in Dole and he would get them from him. Harikesa Maharaja commented that many letters were useless since they simply said they hoped he would get well soon. Obviously Harikesa Maharaja now feels he is fully healthy and therefore writing to him to get better domesn't please him. He wasn't so impressed by many letters. Some of the letters were opened on his desk so it was obvious that he looked at them. One would need to carefully write a letter if they want him to read it. In any case it is a disciples duty to try to bring back the spiritual master to the right path so writing him is one way of doing that. Some letter might actually reach his heart. A disciple had asked how to send him some gift. He said he wasn't asking anyone to do so, but if they wanted to then also c/o Guru Sakti das.

10. ABOUT ST. PETERSBURG:

I asked about St. Petersburg Temple and Kamalamala das and the devotees there. He said he also wouldn't lead them. He didn't want anything to do with any organization. So he was not there leader and whatever they were doing it was their own thing and he wasn't responsible. I asked why not tell them to not do harm to ISKCON. He said he told them not to do violence to themselves, or to others. I explained how there was a lot of disturbance in Russia over this thing and wouldn't it be better to avoid fighting with each other. He agreed that he didn't want fighting between devotees. But he said it was out of his hands and if I wanted to do anything about it I should talk with Sannyas das and Kamalamala das and others. Harikesa Maharaja said they were all very reasonable people and could be discussed with.

11. ABOUT SRILA PRABHUPADA:

Then Harikesa Maharaja said how he felt Srila Prabhupada had made many mistakes in ISKCON. That these mistakes have to be corrected. That Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee, but he isn't God. That in ISKCON we are putting Srila Prabhupada in too big a position. When he was getting a bit too heavy and graphic for me then I covered my ears and said "Visnu, Visnu, Visnu". I had prayed to Srila Prabhupada what could I do for Harikesa Maharaja which would please Srila Prabhupada. It seemed that Srila Prabhupada wanted me to get him to admit that Srila Prabhupada had no ill intention and everything he did was for Harikesa Maharaja best interests. So I asked Harikesa Maharaja what he though Srila Prabhupada's intentions were. Harikesa Maharaja said that Srila Prabhupada was a pure devotee and his intentions were the best: "To spread love of Godhead all over the world." I thought it was nice that he at least admitted that.

12. HURT ABOUT SRILA PRABHUPADA:

However, it gave me distress that Harikesa Maharaja so freely liked to say that Srila Prabhupada made mistakes. I said that Srila Prabhupada himself said he wasn't God. That in preaching there might be strategies which one employs and if it doesn't work one might change it, so Srila Prabhupada did that sometimes. That shouldn't be considered a mistake as such. That Srila Prabhupada didn't make any mistakes on Krishna consciousness principles. Harikesa Maharaja asked "principles?" "which, what?" I explained that Srila Prabhupada always stuck carefully to the principles of sadhu, sastra and Guru and that on these principles Srila Prabhupada couldn't be said to be mistaken. Harikesa Maharaja didn't seem to agree, but then didn't want to disturb me by going further in discussing about Srila Prabhupada.

13. ABOUT SANNYASA:

Harikesa Maharaja explained how he never wanted to take Sannyas. He gave a history which I don't know if it is true, but it is what he says. That Srila Prabhupada preached for him subtly for a week about Sannyas. Then Harikesa dasa asked Srila Prabhupada for sannyas thinking it is what Srila Prabhupada wanted. Harikesa Maharaja told me that Srila Prabhupada asked him why he wanted to take sannyas. Harikesa Maharaja feels it was some kind of reverse psychology being used. But then Harikesa Maharaja finally said he didn't want to take sannyas at the end of the discussion. Then at 2AM Tamal Krishna Goswami woke him up and told him Srila Prabhupada wanted to speak to him. Harikesa dasa went to see Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada told him he would give him sannyas.

14. TRIED HIS BEST AT BEING A SANNYASI:

Harikesa Maharaja said that although he didn't really want to take sannyas. That he didn't feel it was according to his nature he accepted it and did a good job at it. He revealed that around 1980-81 he was having trouble with his mind and wanted some advice how to deal with it. Harikesa Maharaja told me he talked with three people: Hari Sauri Prabhu (then a sannyasi), Bhagavan das (then a sannyasi) and me (Jayapataka Swami). He said when he told me I didn't say anything to him. v I felt bad when he told me that now and I apologized for not responding. I told him I didn't remember anything about it. He said I was very stiff and cold in those days, but he didn't hold it against me as he saw I have changed and he has developed an appreciation for me gradually over the years. Harikesa Maharaja said Bhagavan dasa spread the news around to try to destroy him and he was upset with him. Harikesa Maharaja said Hari Sauri dasa had preached to him appropriately and for that he was eternally indebted to him. Harikesa Maharaja said he then got himself together after that and somehow kept things under control.

15. FINDING SANNYAS IN FLAT:

Harikesa Maharaja went to the bathroom and I went into Radhanath das's room to say hello to Harikesa Maharaja's servant. We had a nice relationship so I wanted to encourage him. To my surprise I found Sannyasa dasa was also sitting there. Then I knew that he had been listening to all that we had discussed. Harikesa Maharaja explained that he called Sannyas das to help him with managing something he was doing. That he needed his help. He again mentioned that he felt alone though that no one understood him even Sannyas das was a fool since he brought that lady. This proved that he also didn't understand him. I was hoping this would mean that Sannyas das would fall out of favor of Harikesa Maharaja, but my hopes were not founded. Sannyas das may have fallen a few notches in Harikesa Maharaja's favor, but still he was his close assistant it seemed. Although Harikesa Maharaja thought him a foolish assistant in understanding his inner feelings or intentions. Sannyas das was worried that Harikesa Maharaja would come back to ISKCON, but it seems that fear is also unfounded since Harikesa Maharaja has no declared intention to return to ISKCON.

16. REGARDING RETURNING TO ISKCON:

Last time when I met with Harikesa Maharaja he had told me three times that he might come back to ISKCON if things were better. I asked about that and why the changes after our meeting. He said that he liked me and that is why he was giving me an interview. That he didn't give interviews to others since they didn't deal with him nicely. That he was totally convinced that he could never have anything to do with ISKCON after the way that Naresvara das dealt with him. He said that Naresvara das and Abhirama Das came to see him after I left and told him that he was not getting the money he asked for. He said initially he was very angry, but then after 20 minutes he became detached and didn't care any more. That actually his threats were just a bluff and he told that to Lochan das or someone (can't remember for sure who he told). That he couldn't do anything against ISKCON. He told me the German detectives wanted him to make a complaint against ISKCON, but he realized they were demons and he didn't do it. He said he couldn't do anything that would harm ISKCON. I said that in Russia so much harm had been done to ISKCON. He said he couldn't do anything about that. That people left ISKCON because they didn't like it.

17. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATONS:

Harikesa Maharaja said all he really wanted was a leased house in Arbentheuer to be fixed up so that he could live in peace. He didn't want any strings so that he would be kicked out if he said something that people didn't like, but he was happy to live near the temple and for that purpose he wanted 500,000 DM. That also at first wasn't being given to him, but finally he got the money and he had no other claims now. But he didn't want to be under an institution or controlled any more. He kept repeating this point and I was thinking it unusual since he was so much controlled in his relationship with Monika and for that he didn't mind because of "love". So why he can't also be controlled by the love of devotees and spiritual master? I didn't go into that since it seemed too sensitive an issue at this time.

18. REVEALING WHAT HE SAID:

I asked him what I could say of what he told me this time. Then he said "what is the use of keeping a secret? It gets out anyway. Better people know. You can repeat anything I have said today." Still I feel that everything he said isn't appropriate to be repeated.

19. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:

I showed Harikesa Maharaja the Moscow Times September 23rd article "SEX QUESTION SPLITS HARE KRISHNAS". He read the whole article with interest from beginning to end. In the beginning he commented about the title. That the issue wasn't about sex but about human relationships and love. I told him the article seemed to be promoted by Kamalamala das. He said where does it say that. I said there were karmi names and he could say whose names they were. He admitted it was Kamalamala das who was doing a lot of the talking. Harikesa Maharaja said he heard that devotees were happy there. He repeated that he wasn't their leader. He would be available for advice, but he would not lead them. That he told them devotees should be self-sufficient. That they should get married and have community. That he heard theyare trying to do that, but although it was complicated to achieve they were making some progress.

20. LEAVING GERMANY:

He told me he was leaving Germany. Eventually he was still planning to have a Healing Centre. That he wanted to train devotees to do healing. That devotees had less false ego so they were natural healers. That before someone could come up to Krishna consciousness they first needed to reach the mode of goodness. That all the GBC Rules were of no use. That Laws like not to steal and lie were needed to guide people in mode of goodness. Once they reached goodness then they could only go higher. That devotees were not even on the platform of goodness so how they could go higher. He wanted to provide free or as inexpensive as possible training for devotees to do healing. He would have professionals also to do psychiatric checks. He said he was able to do healing now but that Monika was more powerful than he was.

21. BACKGROUND HISTORY OF MONIKA RELATIONSHIP:

He explained how a couple of years before he felt there was someone on the earth who was meant for him. It suddenly struck him that there was a life partner on earth. But then he put it out of his consciousness since he was a sannyasi and it didn't make any sense. Then one day he gave a class at Arbentheuer and Monika was sitting in the back of the class. He gave a strong class, but once his eyes made contact with her. He immediately felt something change in his heart, but then he avoided looking at her again. He put it out of his mind. Then he had his collapse and was in the hospital. He said his ethereal body was destroyed or damaged so he wasn't healing properly. Then Monika came one day. As soon as he saw her he told me he knew that this was going to be "trouble". At first he didn't accept it but due to some instructions he got from Narasimhadeva he later realized and accepted that it was actually her. She was the one. Harikesa Maharaja praised Monika's healing capabilities and how she rebuilt his ethereal body or pranic body. How she had saved his life. That she put back his emotions and feelings which had been lost. That he wanted to marry her, but she wasn't agreeable at present. He hoped they could work together.

22. ADDITIONAL POINTS:

Harikesa Maharaj didn't want to take the cake since he thought it might have some drugs in it, but when Nanda Kumar das, my travelling secretary, told him how good it was he ended up eating one and a half pieces of cake with relish. I sprinkled some Deity wWe talked for many hours, maybe four hours in total. So many things were said. I can't write down everything. I wrote some of the highlights. He said he prayed to Radha Madhava when he was collapsing. He said he wouldn't go back to Mayapur until it was cleaned of all child abuse. He said he wanted to maintain personal relations with devotees, but not to be part of the institution. At the end of the day he seemed happier than when I came. Although I didn't have any breakthroughs or big changes to report. Many things were confirming the continuing problem and route that he has been on. Still I felt somewhat happier that I had spent the day with him. It seemed good that he could talk with someone openly in confidence. He said I was welcome to come again after he gets settled down wherever he moves to.

He didn't want to say where that was at since he wanted some time in peace before he reveals where he is newly situated.
Yours in service,
Jayapataka Swami

November 17, 1998 - BY YOUR FORMER "DISCIPLES"

Dear Harikesa "Prabhu", please accept our respect. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are confused - please help us resolve these questions? You say you didn't want to be a Spiritual Master anymore, that you just wanted to be a "guide". Can you please guide us through this time of confusion? Can you guide us through the following questions?

You say that Srila Prabhupada tricked you into taking sannyasa. Why did you then write for Satsvarupa's Lilamrta that you asked Srila Prabhupada to give you sannyasa and he refused. And only after you begged and convinced Srila Prabhupada that your godbrothers would not let you give class in the temples, he agreed to give you sannyasa?

You say that "you were not into the guru trip". If that is true, why did you order your godbrothers to fan you on the Vyasasana the day you came back from India with your guru title?

You say that in 1977 the GBC members went to Sridhar Maharaja and came back with his advise as you put it:

"Oh when you are a guru it's like being married, right? You have your wife and wife means home or children, family. You have to have your own home, your own place, right? And guru, you know, you should have Vyasasana which is just a little bit below Srila Prabhupada's Vyasasana", and so many things. And he destroyed everything by saying that."

Why did you not follow his advise and got your own place? Why did you instead throw out most of your godbrothers to make room for you and your disciples to worship you? Is it possible that you didn't have the potency to start your own preaching, but instead had to steal the preaching success of your godbrothers, claim it to be yours, and then ban your godbrothers from the temples they had created? Didn't you destroy everything by not following that advise?

Why did you go to Sweden and throw Vegavan out of the temple, who had started the preaching in Sweden long before you even knew where Sweden was? Why did you use the very radio station that Vegavan had established to preach the glories of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya to smear him over the airwaves and call him a demon? Why did you publicly encourage your disciples to threaten Vegavan's live?

Why did you tell publicly that it was "a great thing" for your disciples to threaten your godbrothers, who disagreed with you?

You say: "It was really hard that you could not talk to anyone (about the guru issue)" Why is it then that you kicked everyone out of your zone who was trying to talk to you about this?

Why did you kick some of your godbrothers out of your zone just for attending a meeting of Srila Prabhupada disciples in Harivilasa's house in Paris in 1984, who met there to talk about this issue?

Why did you expel some of your godbrothers from your zone and then personally called other zones to prevent these godbrother from serving in ISKCON there?

Why did you declare in 1981 that if anyone wanted to initiate disciples in your zone it would be "over your dead body?"

Why did you tell your godbrothers in Europe that "they could consider themselves fortunate to take birth in their next life as an American."? Why did you ban all marriages for European devotees in your zone for many years while offering any American devotee, who would travel through your zone "any girl they would pick" for marriage? Were you a racists at that time?

You complain that ISKCON devotee are so cruel and impersonal!

Why did you then manage to sell the house belonging to one of your disciple's mother, while she was still living in it, with the help of your ISKCON lawyers and some legal trickery, to build your "rock-and-roll" studio in Sweden for $150,000 Dollars? Did you not feel any shame when doing this?

Why did you not stop making your "techno-music" even though the GBC had ordered you many times to stop making such music, which some of your godbrothers described as sounding like "an Elephant having a miscarriage"?

Why did you engage many of your disciples in selling millions of these "rock-and-roll" records when these had no preaching value?

Why did you decide in 1984 to make all your decisions as GBC for the Northern European countries by swinging a pendulum over a weejee-board? Why did you perform such ridiculous activities during leadership meetings in your zone.

Why did you tell your godbrothers in 1984 that you had the power to kill anyone on this planet by some new age "woodoo" practice?

Why did you tell your godbrothers in 1984 that you had invented the "perpetual motion machine". Why did you engage your disciples in such work to build such a contraption almost killing one of your disciples, when such contraption exploded, ripping half of this disciple's hand off.

Why did you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to build a flying saucer? Why did you tell your godbrothers that you were planning to build a flying saucer landing platform on your Mayapur building, to be used for landing your "UFO"?

Why did you try to have your godbrother Bhakti Dayal Swami assassinated after he could no longer accept you as a GBC due to all this. Where in Srila Prabhupada's books or any other vedic literature is it mentioned that Vaishnava should consult a Pendulum or a Weejee-board to make decisions?

Why did you tell your disciples in Hungary that they would not get any karma if they murdered Bhakti Dayal Swami? Why did you order Devamrita Swami and Gurugauranga to record a tape to be distributed to all your disciples in Hungary, giving them the order to murder Bhakti Dayal Swami and there would not be any reaction for this?

Why did you send your men to break into Bhakti Dayal Swami's temples in Vienna and Hungary, to interrogate his followers and steal the multiple false passports he was using to preach in the communist countries. Why did you turn these false passports over to the Russian KGB? What did you want the KGB to do with Bhakti Dayal Swami for you?

Did you or the KGB have anything to do with the "car accident" in which Bhakti Dayal Swami died shortly after that?

Why did you state, from the Vyasasana, that you never made any predictions about a 3rd world war coming, even though all your disciples had heard these things from you for years with their own ears? Did you know that some of your disciples quit their jobs and sold all their belongings to camp out in their basements in 1982 in anticipation of a 3rd world war that you had predicted?

Why did you rewrite all of Srila Prabhupada's purports of the 5th Canto Srimad Bhagavatam to be published by your BBT, to replace Srila Prabhupada's edition of the 5th Canto? Why did you never publish it?

Why were you the only one to vote against allowing more than 11 "acaryas" to initiate disciples in New Vrindavan in 1985?

Why did you vote to reinstate Bhavananda, even though you knew he was having sexual relations with other men and his own disciples? Did you think at that time this was the behavior of a "Vaishnava"?

Why, as his secretary, did you tell Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan "to clean up his own mess"? Why did Srila Prabhupada fire you after that?

Why did Srila Prabhupada reject food cooked by you in 1977 in Paris by saying: "This food was cooked by a demon."?

Why did you take mind-altering drugs for a decade even though you knew that it was against one of the Vaishnava principles to get intoxicated?

You complain that the dealings amongst ISKCON devotees were so heartless. If so, why did you make a rule in Argentina that devotees could not touch, embrace or pay obeisances to each other?

Why did you throw out one of your senior godbrothers because he said that you were "not a loving spiritual master for your disciples."?

You complain that there was no loving, trusting relationship between husbands and wifes in ISKCON. Then why did you arrange marriages for some of your disciples, and then instruct the wife to spy on her husband and report to you?

Why did you say from the Vyasasana before the deities: "If I see a devotee girl looking for a husband, I offer her my foot."

Is it possible that the devotees had more loving and caring relationships before you introduced your "fascist" sannyasa management style in Europe, after pushing out Hansadutta from Europe by complaining to Srila Prabhupada that "everything was so mismanaged there?"

You complain that ISKCON had become a "dangerous cult"! What kept you from making ISKCON in your zone a better place? Certainly the GBC had no means of keeping you from doing that, you never followed any of the GBC's orders. Your godbrothers could not have kept you from doing it, since you forced all of them out, who disagreed with you in any way. So what kept you from making ISKCON the better place, since you knew all along how terrible it all was?

Why did you concoct your own version of the BBT and the refused to sell Srila Prabhupada's books to certain devotees? Why could you not work with the BBT that Srila Prabhupada created, according to his plans? Why did you try to steal the copyrights to Srila Prabhupada's books from the BBT and dismantle the BBT that Srila Prabhupada had created by orchestrating a monstrous law suit which has cost ISKCON over one Million dollars? Was it because you never could work with anyone that was not your slave?

Why did you encourage your disciples to gamble in the Russian Stock market where they lost 20 Million dollars of ISKCON and BBT money, even though Srila Prabhupada had clearly advised all his disciples that such investments should never be done with ISKCON or BBT money?

Why did you throw out hundreds of devotees in the street with not a penny in their pockets after they had served ISKCON sometimes for a decade, sometimes collected a fortune for ISKCON and ruined their health going on sankirtan for many years?

Why did you push your "sankirtan devotees" to the point of suicide, only to discard them later when they became "useless", and you would say: "He has never done anything for Srila Prabhupada."?

Why did you demand to be handed over Millions and accepting $500,000 dollars for your "services" after falling down with a "prostitute"? Why did you try to sell your gross fall down with one of your disciples and later with a "karmi" woman as some sort of transcendental affair? Do you not know any Vaishnava philosophy?

Adding up all the expenses related to your guruship and position, the $100,000 Mercedes cars, Million dollar motor home, expensive apartment flats all over Europe, air line tickets can easily add up to Millions of dollars that you have cost ISKCON. Do you think your services were that valuable?

Have you considered that receiving the $500,000 would nullify all your devotional service you have done all these years, converting it into "fruitive activity", like the "karmis" do when they work for money?

Will your disciples be cheated out of their devotional service, having served all these years a "karmi", who worked all these years for a salary?

Did you know that some of your "disciples" that have collected much of this money over the last decades are considering suing ISKCON for this money, feeling cheated out of their devotional service?

Don't you know that offering something to brahmanas for free and then later charge money for it a very sinful thing? Do you know that story of the King who became a lizard?

And last but not least, why are you now comparing Srila Prabhupada to Hitler? What does Srila Prabhupada have in common with Hitler for you to make such statements? Isn't it more correct that you are like Hitler, who is now complaining about the cruelty of the NAZI party?

One more question: What ashram are you currently in? You are currently not in the grihasta ashram, not in the varnaprasta ashram, certainly not in the Brahmacari or Sannyasa ashram... Could it be that you are back in the "Mleccha Ashram" that Srila Prabhupada had saved you from 20-some years ago?

Do you think that this is the behavior of a Vaishnava?

Are you still a devotee of Krishna? Were you ever a devotee of Lord Krishna and the Vaishnavas at any point in your life, or did you just stay in ISKCON for all these years for the opportunity and the luxury lifestyle?

Were you not in fact one of the chief engineers who turned Srila Prabhupada's wonderful dream into the nightmare it has become for many.

We appreciate your patience to listen to all our questions.

What is your response to these questions? You say you want to be a "guide". Then please guide us through these difficult questions. Guide us to the proper understanding of how you have been victimized by ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada, so we can properly feel sorry for you?

And one more question. You seem to be in search of "happiness" these days. Do you really think you can find happiness in this world or in the next without sincerely seeking forgiveness from all the devotees that you have severely offended over the last decades?

We anxiously await your answers to these questions.

Your former "disciples"

P.S. Srila Prabhupada said: "One blind man leads another blind man, they both fall into the ditch."

November 17, 1998   -  BY GAURIDASA PANDITA DASA   -  An Appeal To Jayapataka Swami

Dear Jaypataka Maharaja,
Nov.16, 1998
Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I was inspired to write you after reading your interesting report  this morning about your last meeting with Harikesa Prabhu. I want to thank you for trying to help in this regard. This is the mood that I saw in His Divine Grace. Whenever he heard that a devotee had left the movement he tried to get them to come back as far as possible. I am sure Srila Prabhupada is pleased with your efforts to help Harikesa Prabhu and I hope you maintain his trust and friendship.

I want to respond to a few of the things you wrote in your report on your last meeting with Harikesa Prabhu; specifically points 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 20, & 22. I hope this is acceptable to you.

[Jayapataka Swami Writes:] from [Text 1851416 COM] Harikesa Meeting Report:

Harikesa Prabhu doesn't want to belong to ISKCON as it is today. So many hundreds maybe thousands of devotees have similar experiences and feelings. That is why Jagadish Prabhu left also; to experience feelings, love and emotion etc..that was/is lacking in ISKCON today.

We need to go to the root of the problem. That is the guru issue. He should not have taken on the position of a diksa guru when he was instructed to be an officiating acharya or ritvik. If we follow the orders of Srila Prabhupada these problems could be avoided and spiritual life could become a joy again in the house where we are all supposed to be able to live. We need therapy. That starts with talking.

United we stand; divided we fall! I hope you live up to your name and help in bringing the victory flag to Srila Prabhupada's mission.

Harikesa Prabhu is revealing his heart. He admits that he cannot 'sustain' his initiates. That's because he was never meant to. Srila Prabhupada can and will take away that burden, if we let him. I hope all of the devotees take complete shelter of Srila Prabhupada by following his instructions in the books and from you and the other devotees.

The same plea for personalism here. Why are so many of the leaders in ISKCON so impersonal? I had an exchange with Jayadvaita Maharaja the other day at the Temple. I was standing there with my children as Jayadvaita Maharaja was talking to Ram Parashar Prabhu. He was speaking loud enough for everyone in the area to hear him and when he mentioned Krsnakant and 'holes in the philosophy' and rascal a few times I felt I had to defend my Godbrother Krsnakant Prabhu, compiler of "The Final Order". I asked Jayadvaita Maharaja to kindly explain the 'holes' he was referring to. He responded in an angry tone saying that he would not talk to me because I was not humble enough. I said all devotees should be humble and treat all devotees respectfully; not just the Sanyasi's. I thought I was pretty humble.

One of the woman there said that the Brahmacharies were upset with the Maharaja because they had to do his laundry etc. on demand and even iron his underwear. Anyway, he continued to talk saying that in the beginning of the movement we all agreed on the philosophy.

I couldn't help asking him at that point, that if we all agreed on the philosophy and Prabhupada as our guru, as he said, then why does he need to make so many changes now? He became very upset and walked away and yelled, OK we'll just make the changes that Gauridasa says!". I responded by saying, not what I say, "what Srila Prabhupada says." A few other comments were yelled by Jayadvaita Swami as he walked away about going to Pitri loka. My daughter became nervous as the 'Swami' lost control and yelled at me. I had to comfort her. This is one reason why it is so hard to make progress on initiation reform. None of the leaders, especially the GBC; will discuss this issue openly and honestly.

Yes, I agree that was very nice and fortunate for him that he said this. I hope he continues in this mood.

Maybe you or someone can get Tamal KG to comment on this one?

I'm glad he does not want to harm ISKCON's public image. We should do everything possible to resolve our problems together so they don't fall into the public. Harikesa Prabhu says that he can't help the situation with the Russian public relations but I think he can. If he comes out as an officiating acharya, as Srila Prabhupada said and preaches properly about Srila Prabhupada's position things will work out well.

Harikesa Prahbu's idea to open a healing center is very good. If he comes to LA I can take him to a healing center in the mountains near here and would be glad to work with him or you if you become humble officiating priests for Prabhupada. You will become healthy and happy and have more cooperation from us your God-brothers and sisters. Together we can do so much more for Srila Prabhupada and Krsna! I am ready to cooperate with and serve even Tamal K.G. if he tells the truth about Srila Prabhupada's last instructions on the initiation issue for ISKCON again as he did in Topanga talks of 1980.

It's too bad devotees are concerned about being poisoned. To not be able to enjoy Prasadam because of a threat of poison is very unfortunate. I hope we can deal with these matters quickly to avoid future problems. Harikesa's concern for ending any child abuse in Mayapur or anywhere is commendable. I am on his side here! Our schools are lacking to say the least. What about high school and college level? Our future is with the kids so we need to improve our schools so even karmis will want to join.

This report is a 'breakthrough'. I hope you continue to engage in these activities. You said it seemed good that he could talk with someone openly in confidence. I would feel the same way. Although I am a 'little' devotee will you grant me a favor. I know you are influential at the highest level of our movement and I want you to sponsor or allow an open meeting on the initiation issue with the GBC as soon as possible. Maybe at the Mayapur 1999 Meeting? Please allow me this one benediction before I die.

I ask you to allow a GBC meeting on the guru issue in the same format as the one we attended in San Diego in Jan. 1990. Or any format of your choice would be better than nothing as has been the case since 1990. The unanimous decision of that North American GBC meeting was to have another meeting in Mayapur. That was canceled in 1990 and we really need to address this most important issue.

This 'Maha-istagosthi' on the ISKCON Guru, is the solution to any misunderstandings on the issue which is the source of ISKCON's disunity today. The meetings are happening more and more around the world and it's time to answer the questions of the devotees.

The GBC really need to act positively on this soon. Since Srila Prabhupada asked us from the transcendental core of his heart to cooperate, I ask you to cooperate to communicate nicely and please put a meeting on the 1999 Mayapur GBC Meeting Agenda. Let us cooperate! Devotees all over the world are all concerned and want us to meet and unify the mission for our ultimate good and the good of the fallen souls. This will please Sri Sri Guru and Gouranga and all of us. We will all advance if we can sacrifice our egos for Srila Prabhupada. Then we will be truly glorious and command the respect we now demand. Please forgive me if I've been too 'preachy'. It is not my position as your junior God-brother. I only take concern because it is my duty to our spiritual master and you can make a difference. I hope you get this message and kindly respond.

Hoping this meets you well,
Your servant,
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

 November 30, 1998 - BY GURU-SHAKTI DAS

A letter to Jayapataka Swami from Guru-shakti das:

Dear Jayapataka maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I tried to help Harikesa prabhu in many ways and for a long time until his behavior became intolerable for me to bear it any longer and I left him. I had a deep insight in his life and his person. I saw the way he was behaving and I heard many things he was saying.

I wanted to write a report to the GBC and his former disciples but then I thought that his reputation and image was already so damaged and that therefore there was no use of writing it.  But now after seeing how Monika is put in such a bad light and how she gets all the blame by Harikesa and yourself, I want to open my mouth for the sake of justice and to clear up this point.

Although you don't know Monika and what she had to go trough, you still believe what Harikesa is telling you about her and you took his side.  It's very regrettable to see how Harikesa is using people for his purpose. As long as they play the game for him everything is OK, but as soon as they don't play the way he wants, he throws them away and discredits them by accusing them in so many ways.

I saw this type of behavior so many times:  Blaming ISKCON, blaming Srila Prabhupada, blaming other leaders of the movement, blaming his own disciples and even those who after Harikesa was rejected by ISKCON were still trying to faithfully help him in different ways. Like the poor Russian devotees who gave him so much assistance, love, care and allot of money. He was treating them so badly and speaking about them in such a negative way, making them look like big fools. Radhanatha was also a victim of such exploitive behavior.

I also made personal experience on how he was projecting his own frustration and defects on me. I also experienced how he was speaking very badly about Monika and she was also telling me how he was always criticizing me in her presence to make me look bad in her eyes.

He NEVER admits his own mistakes and faults and he is very expert in projecting them to others. He is so convinced about his greatness and who he is (the famous identity problem he has) and that whatever he does is great and right, that it becomes impossible for him admit anything.

You say that he improved but now I can see that he did NOT. He still goes on blaming the others and posing himself as the poor victim.  This kind of behavior is unacceptable and is for sure not a sign of improvement as it sounds in your report. As long he is not changing this rotten attitude and as long as he does not asks forgiveness from Srila Prabhupada, his disciples, ISKCON leaders and even Monika I cannot take him serious and don't want anything to do with him.

He has to admit that he is just a normal human being like everybody else, with desire like everybody else. He has to admit that his sexual desires are not something of the spiritual nature and stop trying to make a "divine lila" out of it.

Is Kamalasundari now the "new expansion of Srimati Radharani and Parvati"? He was speaking like that when there was a big conflict between him and Monika. He was saying that Monika is not the right partner for him and that the trees and "they" (the devas) told him that Srimati Radharani will send another expansion for him.  The reason that he is more calm and less aggressive is not due to the fact that he is free from the "negative" influence of Monika, but due to the fact that finally he could get what he really wanted: a normal conjugal relationship and sex life with his new partner. It's a very simple formula. Now that he has a normal sex life he suffers less under his passionate madness.

Monika made it very clear to him from the very beginning that she would not get into a conjugal relationship with him. She loved him as a friend.  He made so many attempts to push her in that direction and to have sex with her but she always refused, she never wanted to get into that dirty business. Who could withstand such powerful attempts from a personality as strong as Harikesa for such a long time? I must say my respect for such a lady.

She was the one who stopped him from aggressing Ambhoda. She never wanted him to give up his Sannyas, she never wanted that he gives up his disciples and that he leaves ISKCON. It was he who told Monika so many bad things about ISKCON. By the way Monika was visiting the Abentheuer temple on a regular basis before she got to know Harikesa.

He tried to buy her love in so many ways: by gifts, by money etc. He even wanted to put the Villa he bought in south of France on her name and she refused.  She could have exploited him in so many ways if she wanted to. But this was no her intention. She loved him and she wanted to help him and she succeeded also. It was her who gave him back his health. Since the time I was his disciple I have never seen Harikesa in such a healthy condition. This goes to her credit. She is a powerful healer and she did a wonderful job. She definitely is a good person and does not deserve at all such blame.

She neglected herself, her family, her baby and she had to sacrifice her own freedom for the sake of Harikesa. He just wanted to posses her by all means. He is such a possessive and controlling person. She had to always be on call.  Now she is the black sheep and the one who deserves all the blame and he is the poor victim. What a joke!

Where is the love he was speaking about one month ago? Is he still Lord Siva? She must be not anymore Parvati. Is Leon still his son who in reality is Prabhupada?

As long as he was a member of ISKCON, it was the most wonderful movement. Now that he is out of it, everything is bad about ISKCON. The same with Prabhupada. The same with so many wonderful devotees and ex- disciples. The same with his eternal lover Monika. He is using things, he is using (and was using) persons for his purpose, for his sake and for his thing. He is a very egocentric person.  All of this insights were very shocking to me. It is sad.

I made many realizations and it helped me to understand reality more deeply. Of course my understanding about the role of the guru has changed drastically since.  I could mention many more details, but at the moment there is no need to mention them. For sure Monika knows allot more.

Regarding the accusation that Monika wanted him to get the money, I most say that this is another lie of his. Monika was never into money. It was Harikesa who was constantly telling her how ISKCON has cheated him and how they wanted to get his three millions by unfair means etc. etc. She just reacted and gave advise on the information she was getting from Harikesa. He created such a paranoiac situation as if the whole of ISKCON was trying to cheat him. This was also the reason why he kicked out Visvadeva and other disciples whom he considered loyal to him. This happened during that critical time of conflict for the money. For sure it was not Monika.

Again he cannot admit that it was him. He has to project it on others. Such cowardliness!

All of you may ask yourself why I went so far? For different reasons:

1. I did not want to blindly follow a GBC resolution.
2. I saw it as my duty as a former disciple to try everything to help my Guru.
3. I wanted to know what was really going on within Harikesa.

For sure it was not an easy thing, but I learned allot and I made many valuable realizations. I don't regret it.

It was never my intention to go with him. Although he offered me a very high salary, he wanted me to be his manager for his healing center and although he tried in so many ways to get me under his control and to make it attractive for me, I never wanted to leave ISKCON and of course I never wanted to leave the divine shelter of Srila Prabhupada, my real spiritual father and master.

I had many arguments with him because I could not accept many of his philosophical conclusions. I once challenged him and Sannyas when they started to criticize ISKCON and partially Srila Prabhupada. Radhanatha can confirm that I did not agreed with them.

I still love him and pray for his sake and I hope that one day he will come back or at least become normal again. But as long as he does not change his attitude and stops blaming others instead of taking personal responsibility for what he has done in ISKCON as a leader and for what he has done after giving up the shelter of Srila Prabhupada, I don't see any chances for him.

Your Servant
Guru-shakti das  (Harikesa disciples since 1979)

The Harikesh Saga