In response to Payonidhi dasa
-- historical facts on New Vrindaban.
In his article "In Defense of Radhanath Swami", Payonidhi dasa wrote:
"It is a fact that this outcry is caused by Radhanath Maharaja visiting a convicted murderer of Sulocana, Tirtha das, that we in ISKCON have no sympathy for. It would be proper for the GBC body to ask him to please not visit this professional killer. The whole idea that a "so-called guru" (Kirtanananda) has another devotee killed is the ultimate abuse of power.
Radhanath visits Tirtha das, and Narayana Maharaja innocently embraced Kirtananada this summer.
Maybe these fallen souls are still getting some mercy from the Lord's devotees. But the rest of us, we have a hard time to forgive and forget, especially since Kirtanananda has not faced penalty for this crime in this world. But it is maybe one of those things it seems we simply have to leave up to Krishna?"
Payonidhi prabhu has taken the "innocent until proven guilty" approach to Radhanath Swami's behavior in his obvious devotional mood of not wanting to find fault with a devotee. We can much appreciate the magnanimous nature of a devotee and we see that here. Unfortunately, the faith they place in Radhanath's behavior is not warranted by the facts. Some tell-tale issues that are ashastric, adharmic, against the principles of religion, are involved here and KRSNA has so arranged things to reveal to the civilized, concerned individuals that a pretender, no matter how well financed or sophisticated, or even "spiritually advanced" he may be, he cannot cheat his way to The Absolute Truth. Then, neither can he take "his disciples" to such a destination.
Payonidhi concludes: "maybe it is one of those things it seems we simply have to leave up to KRSNA?". In this way, KRSNA responds to His sincere devotee's inquiry, and by "leaving it all up to KRSNA", KRSNA can present them with the requisite information for each individual to decide for themselves, the divine or demoniac nature of said individuals, BY THEIR ACTS, not by their heritage. If we can all agree on such a standard, the truth functional analysis becomes an exercise in logic and scripture, rather than emotion and sentiment, and it should separate the spiritual wheat from the chaff.
For those who have had personal experiences with His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the current cadre of "in good standing ISKCON gurus" (guru photos here) offers none who would compare at any level. Who would be so presumptuous as to claim that they do? And yet, in direct disobedience to the thrice stated proposition that "they are all entered into HDG's disciples book", these usurpers would promise an ultimate success if one only follows "their path". We cannot submit to a path we know to be as highly flawed, if not more so, than the one Kirtanananda Swami, and Radhanath in his absence, led us down before.
In January of 1986, on my return to New Vrindaban, I was ordered by Radhanath to neutralize Sulocana. Sulocana had contacted the New Vrindaban front office (known to about 10-12 people) and he spoke to his wife, Yamuna. Kuladri had the phone arranged so that incoming calls could be illegally taped, for security purposes. Cautious, but illegal. No one from New Vrindaban had any communication with Kirtanananda Swami unless it was written or word of mouth relayed to him by either Radhanath or Kuladri, from the time of his attack until into the next year.
Three of us were ordered by Radhanath, not by Kirtanananda Swami, to terminate Sulocana. This happened with Tapah Punja Swami (TPS) and Tirtha das in November and December of 1985. I was on SKP until Christmas and didn't get back to the farm until New Years. Immediately on our arrival at New Vrindaban, Radhanath sought me out and made arrangements for us to meet in his van, where he went through a prepared speech that he had delivered to Tirtha, Tapah Punja Swami and Kuladri many times before. Later talks with Tirtha confirmed this. Tapah Punja Swami, Mr. Scam, as he was called on the SKP circuit, had tried to sub-contract out "his service" and he contacted Yudhisthir (Jeff Cornia), a known gangster from the San Diego temple.
Tirtha contacted people from the LA temple and he made arrangements with Krsna Katha to kill Sulocana. They made "field trips" to as far away as Apple Valley for the purpose of finding a spot to dispose of Sulocana's body. These are established facts from Tirtha's murder for hire trial in LA. That the 187 (homicide) was a "murder for hire" brought Tirtha the death sentence he was first awarded. That may have been reduced when he later turned on Kirtanananda Swami and changed his version of the events. Some say Tirtha's turning on Kirtanananda Swami was his re-initiation guru dakshin to his new guru, Radhanath. Radhanath has promised accommodations for life and New Vrindaban takes care of all of Tirtha's expenses, even to this day.
If Kirtanananda Swami's "abuse of power" (having another devotee killed) was actually "Radhanath's abuse of power", would the same punishment fit the crime? Would Radhanath not actually be the one to be seen as "lower than Indra gopa germ"? Kirtanananda Swami had his myriad faults, child abuse being one of the more pronounced of them, but in this instance, he took the fall, 10 years in lockup, for Radhanath. Of course they talk, but not by phone or by mail. To be a dust particle in the room for one of those conversations...
In February 1986, when Sulocana was arrested on a weapons charge, New Vrindaban and the warden (who was under direct instruction from the FBI) conspired to study Sulocana's impounded personal papers and belongings, including his diary and from that diary a list of possible locations was made where Sulocana could be hunted down and killed. Copies of this list abound in the police evidence from Tirtha's LA trial. Kuladri and Gaura Shakti made this list and Radhanath distributed it to anyone they thought might, on their order, kill Sulocana. I was given a copy of that list.
Tirtha found Sulocana at the third location mentioned on that list and he executed him. Mission accomplished. Tirtha flew back to Ohio from LA and Tapah Punja Swami picked him up at the airport and took him to Radhanath's preaching center, his "loft", in Kent, Ohio. After two days of muddled attempts, through Hayagriva, to get Dharmatma to turn over some cash it became necessary to inform Kirtanananda Swami that they needed getaway money. The rift between Dharmatma and Kuladri was so great that not even Radhanath could bridge it in Kirtanananda Swami's absence. It became necessary to inform Kirtanananda Swami of the situation and the escape money needed.
Kirtanananda Swami became aware, authorized the expenditure, and called Dharmatma to arrange for "a package" that Radhanath would pick up. Radhanath delivered it to Kirtanananda Swami, who counted it, putting his fingerprints all over it, which later proved to be his downfall. Then Radhanath transported the money to the Kent temple, and then the FBI sprung their trap. Several months in the planning, the FBI solved two problems with one master stroke. The FBI re-wrote Kirtanananda Swami's involvement to convict him instead of Radhanath.
When we went before the grand jury, Radhanath got a "high-five", shockingly, from prosecuting attorney Stein before we went in to testify. The three others of us called in to testify were on our own for legal help and we were not nearly as "warmly greeted" as Radhanath was. There is only one rational explanation as to how Radhanath could be so 'close to events', so 'busted' and still walk away without any charges. The same would apply to Yudhisthir from San Diego. I know. I was not indicted because my only link to the Sulocana murder was through Radhanath. I swear that before KRSNA's Lotus Feet. will Radhanath swear to Saligram that it is not true? We think not. He knows better than to do that.
Other postings on this matter rhetorically questioned the reasons for the attempts to visit Tirtha, but, giving the benefit of the doubt, they refuse to accept that Radhanath's motivation is anything other than his concern for Tirtha's spiritual life. They ask: what are Radhanath and Chandramauli doing meeting with a murderer who murdered at least two ISKCON devotees? The answer to that question must be "conspiring", since they can't do it by phone or mail and they can't have someone else do it. Two of Kirtanananda Swami's most stalwart sanyassis, they were a part of Kirtanananda's inner circle when the FBI banned Kirtanananda from any ISKCON functions or management. They, along with Kuladri, Tapah Punja, and Devamrta Swami inherited the NVC (New Vrindaban Community) when Kirtanananda Swami was officially prohibited from any more management duties.
In my opinion, Radhanath did more than just "deliver the hit money" for the Sulocana whacking, he directly ordered it.
Even back when Kirtanananda Swami had first been attacked, Radhanath and Kuladri ordered the murder of Sulocana, long before Kirtanananda Swami was ever to talk to anyone about it. The first attempts took place before Kirtanananda Swami was even released from the hospital, and they were known to many of ISKCON's leaders.
Only after the murder had been committed did any of ISKCON's leaders challenge the philosophy that prevailed at New Vrindaban at that time. By then (Christmas 1985), Kuladri had already called Temple Presidents on the left coast to boast that "I have hit men in California already!" When Sulocana was released from prison for the weapons charges, it was Kuladri who was called by the warden of the prison to come and examine Sulocana's diary for a list of the places Sulocana could be known to frequent on his return to California. It was this list that Kuladri made and Radhanath distributed that was found on Tirtha when he was arrested after the Sulocana killing.
Chandramauli has long been a Radhanath apologist and it earned him the Chicago temple as a base of operations and a GBC chair for turning on Kirtanananda Swami when the wheels started falling off of Kirtanananda's attempt at independence from ISKCON.
"Tirtha das took the complete fall for the murder, refusing to testify against Kirtanananda or any of the other leaders under him." This is not a completely true statement. Others did time for their involvement in the murder conspiracy and they include Kuladri (currently holding dual management positions at New Vrindaba and in ISKCON, North America) and Tapah Punja Swami (currently holding title to nearly 100 prime acres of New Vrindaban property as a result of his loyalty to Radhanath). Tirtha was given sanyassa initiation by Umapati Swami, as a Ritvik for Kirtanananda Swami, for his having followed Radhanath's orders to kill Sulocana. Such were the kinds of "gifts" for protecting Radhanath from arrest for his involvement. Similarly, the opposite was offered to those who posed a threat to revealing the facts of the case. That more persons were not implicated in the conspiracy was only a result of the fact that they were connected through Radhanath, and his arrest was prevented by the intervention on Radhanath's behalf by the FBI and Slavin senior's (Radhanath's father) legal defense team.
Another point is that Tirtha did ultimately change his story and tried to implicate Kirtanananda Swami, but that was the fourth or fifth different version of events that Tirtha gave the police and they all contradicted his earlier testimonies. His unflinching loyalty to Radhanath has earned him a lifetime supply of cash for use at the prison commissary, a computer, and anything else he needs to make his stay in prison as comfortable as possible, because Tirtha's only in prison for having followed Radhanath's orders to kill Sulocana.
No one has the authority to demand that Radhanath answer such questions, although many already know of Radhanath's involvement and have chosen to "look the other way". Many of his Indian disciples have chosen not to question the acts of the "guru", so Radhanath can pretty much do as he likes with immunity from even having to answer questions about his motivation for staying loyal to Kirtanananda Swami for so long.
In the interests of Truth, we welcome the inquiry, at long last, into the murderous past of these so-called saints, prior to their being canonized by the half-truths of the current history re-writers.
OM TAT SAT
John Sinkowski
AKA Janmastami das
liberated_yogi@yahoo.com
http://liberatedyogi.blogspot.com
http://liberatedyogi.tripod.com
http://liberated-yogi.tripod.com
please
also see:
The Battlefield of New
Vrindavan in 18 Chapters
