Суд над Бхагавад-гитой / Attempt to ban Bhagavad-gita

PART TWO

"NOBODY SHOULD GO THERE"

THE NEW VRNDAVANA PERSONALITY CULT: LATER LETTERS

"Please accept my blessings. I was so glad to receive your letter dated May 13, 1968, and my gladness knew no bounds, exactly like that when one gets back his lost child.

"You have written to say that you think of me often and now it is confirmed that you cannot do without thinking of me, because I was always thinking of you. Sometimes I silently cried and prayed to Krsna that how I have lost this child, Kirtanananda... Krsna has provided you with a nice plot of land, and it is due to His causeless unlimited mercy upon you. You were in Vrndavana but you did not like the atmosphere and you became disturbed, so immediately after your arrival in Vmdavana you felt uncomfortable, that I could understand, and therefore you came back to USA although it was settled before starting that you continue to live in Vrndavana...

"So I am pleased to learn that you are chanting and meditating on Krsna, and once only you are eating something to keep your body and soul together. But my request is that as you have accepted Sannyasa in this order of our disciplic succession, you must do some more service to Krsna than chanting and meditation, and the opportunity you have got. I understand that the land is very big area..." (Kirtanananda, 5/23/68)

Note: This is another one of those letters that everyone at New Vmdavana likes to quote often. They like to say that Prabhupada felt intense separation and cried when Kirtanananda blooped as though Prabhupada needed Kirtanananda. From reading this it certainly appears that Srila Prabhupada forgave and forgot the entire incident. But we will soon see that Srila Prabhupada never trusted Kirtanananda again, and similarly, Kirtanananda Swami never did any real service to Prabhupada.

"Kirtanananda is in West Virginia and he invites 100 brahmacaris there. I don't know, would you like this idea and where we have got 100 brahmacaris." (No name, 6/24/68)

Note: For those of you who don't know the situation, there were hardly 100 men in the entire movement at that time. So here is a unique example of Prabhupada's sense of humor. He was not a dry philosopher but he was a representative of the Supreme Humorist, Sri Krsna.

"I understand from Gargamuni that Hayagriva has sent you a letter inviting some of you to live with him in West Virginia where they are attempting to open a new center, but I am not very much hopeful about this center because there are many impediments. I have already written to Kirtanananda that in such suspicious and unfavorable conditions, no brahmacari will be interested to go there. If there is actually any invitation for going there I send herewith instructions to all of you that for the present, there is no necessity of going there. And in the future also nobody shall go there without getting my permission." (Upendra, 714168)

Note: Here is an example of the supreme perfection of diplomacy. Very politely here Prabhupada is saying, "Nobody should go there." Whether Prabhupada ever gave permission for devotees to go there is questionable.

"My dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. Krishna will save you, do not worry. Let us forget about our past incidences with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda. Treat Kirtanananda as bonafide and address him as Kirtanananda Maharaja. He should be first offered obeisances and he will return the respect to his Godbrother." (Brahmananda, 7/29/68)

Note: Here Prabhupada is telling Brahmananda to respect Kirtanananda Swami even though months earlier Kirtanananda was a demon. Naturally this was hard to swallow. But the devotees followed Prabhupada's instructions and offered their respects to Kirtanananda Swami. Shortly thereafter he again started thinking he was better than all the other devotees.

"I understand that you are proposing for delivering children. That is not a Sannyasin's business. You should not bother about it. A sannyasi should not much bother about family affairs. Best thing is that they shall go to a bona fide physician for delivering the children, otherwise there may be complications which only a physician may have experience in handling." (Kirtanananda, 3/24/69)

Note: This proposal of Kirtanananda's is so absurd that any ordinary devotee would have laughed heartily. Prabhupada, being so expert, handled it very subtly. Kirtanananda obviously had not even the slightest idea of a sannyasi's business. He may have thought he was on the level of Ramananda Raya since he has no sexual attraction toward women. Unfortunately that does not mean one is free from sexual contamination.

"You have suggested that people coming from various centers to New Vrndavana should have their expenses underwritten by the temples at the rate of $25 per person for one month. I think that will be a new introduction in our institution. In our so many centers the members go and come, but there was no such demand from any center, and if New Vrndavana demands like that, it will not sound very nice. But I can understand the financial position of New Vrndavana, so the best thing will be to stop any more influx in New Vrndavana until the place is self-dependent. The whole idea of New Vrndavana is that men who are living there should produce their own food, of which milk is the principal thing. Unless that position is achieved it will not be advisable to ask anybody to go there. Better to ask them to go there if they are willing to work and produce their own food. Otherwise, nobody should be advised to go there. Besides that I have receivedlettersfromthegirlstherethattheyarefeelinginconvenience. Therefore, without having adequate place to live there, nobody should be advised at the present time to go there... For the time being you may not admit many more men and ask them to pay you $25 dollars per month. That will not sound very nice." (Kirtanananda, 7/31/69)

Note: It is fascinating how in this one paragraph, Prabhupada advises five times, "Nobody should go there"!

"I do not know what you mean by cooperation with Kirtanananda Maharaja. In our society everyone, either a brahmachary or sannyasi or grhastha, who has dedicated his life and soul to this movement, they are all on the same level of sannyasi. For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor from his Godbrothers. Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position. I do not know why Kirtanananda says that his authority overrides yours. At the present moment everyone is working under my authority, Similarly, Kirtanananda also should work under my authority. So the condition imposed by Kirtanananda as stated by you does not look well. A sannyasi has got four stages of elevation: Kutichak, Bahudak, Parbribrajak and Paramahansa. The sannyasa in the Paramahansa stage is the Spiritual Master of everyone. I have asked Kirtanananda to work on the bahudak stage for the present. I discussed this point with him when I was in New Vrndavana. This stage means he should move amongst the people to draw their attention to the New Vrindaban scheme and try to attract their attention for its development. So he should immediately begin this bahudak program and collect money from outsiders, not from insiders. And as he is in charge of New Vrndavana, he may invest all such collection for the development of New Vrndavana, and before this Hayagriva must transfer the property to the society's name. So far as investment of the society's money for New Vrindaban is concerned, certainly it will be done in New Vrindaban and not only the money which Kirtanananda collects, but also, if need be, any center will invest money. But that investment should be in proportion to food and salt. To make it more tasteful, one adds salt to his food, and similarly, every center should be independently developed by supplying the food, and the society, if required, will supply the salt. For the present, all energy should be diverted to start a nice press for our publications work. So there is no extra money for the society to invest in New Vrndavana. Neither you can spare any money to anyone without my permission. Whatever you possess now in funds, that is not our personal money, so how can you execute the request of Kirtanananda's at the moment? I think you will understand me rightly and do the needful." (Brahmananda, 8/30/69)

Note: Expecting honor from his Godbrothers was always Kirtanananda's demand. For example, he always wanted the society to support him, yet he felt that he was more competent to spread Krsna consciousness on his own strength. This is proven by the many times he initiated actions and policies opposed to Srila Prabhupada's instructions. He still feels that way and, as such, misguides his collection parties. Although they have no right to go outside their own zones, they do it anyway."No project is as important as New Vrindavana," is their realization. And when he writes to a Godbrother he will address it, "Please accept my blessings," and he signs it, "Your ever well-wisher." Of course, he doesn't care a fig about the combined opinion of the GBC. For instance, take the affair connected to Prabhupada's crown. Everyone knows that the vast majority of Srila Prabhupada's disciples were repulsed by it. The GBC wanted it removed. He was told to remove it. But he bucked that order. After years of pressure, he finally removed it. And what do the "inmates" say about that? "Bhaktipada is so advanced. He has so much more realization than all the others combined. Just to show compassion on them, he took it off so their neophyte minds wouldn't be disturbed." In other words, they are brainwashed into believing that he couldn't possibly be wrong about anything. They think that he's a pure devotee and Prabhupada's oldest and most dear disciple. They actually think like that at New Vrndavana.

"Now gradually I am trying to hand over the management to the reliable hands of my disciples, and you should all work by joint consultation, without any friction. Now, by the Grace of Krishna, we are expanding and we must work in such a way that our society may stand a solid institution. In this connection I shall request you not to circulate all my letters that I address to you. Letters are sometimes personal and confidential, and if all letters are circulated, it may react reversely. I have already got some hints like that with letters I sent to you regarding Kirtanananda and Hayagriva. So in the future please do not circulate my letters to you. All my letters to you should be considered as confidential and if you want at all to circulate, you just ask me before doing so." (Brahmananda, 9/28/69)

Note: Here we see some more of the way a pure devotee attempts to keep all parties pacified. He had to tell Brahmananda that Kirtanananda was not to be given any special respect and Brahmananda circulated the letter. Then when Kirtanananda heard that he was not the "dearmost," and that Prabhupada and Brahmananda were discussing about him in this way, no doubt Kirtanananda's envy flared up again. So Prabhupada had to warn Brahmananda to keep his letters confidential.

Some devotees criticize us for circulating all these letters citing the above instruction. We beg to remind the devotees that the times have drastically changed since then. In fact it is only because of ignorance of the real character of all these "gurus" that they have gotten away with their "guru business" as long as they have.

"Another thing is that just at the present moment I do not think the society can invest any money in New Vrindaban, for the reason that we are starting this press, and until this press is all established I do not wish to divert my attention to New Vrindaban. Another difficulty is that nobody is staying in New Vrindaban. Even the boy Hrisikesha has left, and recently I received one letter from Ranadir that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda are also not there. New Vrindaban is not in charge of Ranadir, so on the whole, people are not being attracted. In your next president's meeting you can consider these points." (Brahmananda, 10/3/69)

Note: In other words: "Nobody should go there." And don't send any money there either. The attrition rate there remains extremely high to this day-and for good reason.

"Regarding New Vrndavana, the society does not require to invest now. Kirtanananda is managing. That is all right. So far as Rayarama is concerned..." (Brahmananda, 10/27/69)

Note: Here Prabhupada is saying in more or less words, that New Vrndavana is Kirtanananda's project and so don't even think about it.

"The most encouraging news is that the school is being very nicely organized. Another encouraging thing is that Kirtanananda Maharaja has now taken up actually the work of a Sannyasi and is preaching outside our Krsna conscious cult with great enthusiasm." (Ranadir, 1/24/70)

Note: In Chapter Nine there is an elaborate description of why Srila Prabhupada gave men like Kirtanananda the sannyasa order of life. In summary, the idea was to get them out preaching and away from the temples where they simply caused problems for the others. This letter, and many more like it, supports this conclusion.

"You have made a proposal and plan that each center shall contribute $20 monthly for the improvement of our New Vrndavana community Project. I have no objection to this but it has been already the program that every center shall send me maintenance funds of $15 per month and since leaving Japan I have hardly received any. I do not know if they have sent or not sent, but I have not received. So if they cannot even send my maintenance charges, you cannot depend on their sending monthly $20 for the maintenance of New Vrndavana." (Rupanuga, 11/13/70)

Note: Prabhupada was constantly having to check Kirtanananda from draining the Society for men and money. Here he is implying that first the devotees should think of him, not Kirtanananda. It is also interesting to note that Rupanuga was influenced to support Kirtanananda. He must not have heard yet that New Vrindaban was not supported by the society. From the very beginning, Kirtanananda's psychic influence on his Godbrothers has been very powerful. Prabhupada was constantly having to circumvent or control him by letters and diplomacy.

"Yes you can send the building fund moneys to New Vrndavana for development of our community project there. This collection may be utilized in this way." (hand-written insert); "After consulting the GBC whether New Vrndavana has been transferred to the Society?" (Karandhar, 4/22/71)

Note: Prabhupada was not interested in spending a penny on New Vmdavana until it was transferred into the Society's name. Why? Perhaps he knew that, at any moment, Kirtanananda could turn on him again.

Once the project was in the Society's name however, it wouldn't matter as much. To this day, the transfer has not been made and so Kirtanananda can and does blow his nose on the GBC whenever they try to tell him something.

"Recently I have received one letter from Hayagriva in which he wanted to know in 24 hours whether I could pay $20,000, but I have already given $20,000 to Back to Godhead. Besides that, New Vrndavana has to be developed very nicely but whether Hayagriva has already transferred the property to the society's name? This is required now. We require seven temples in New Vrindaban and 50% of the membership collection may be invested for this purpose. But Hayagriva should transfer the property to the society's name." (Rupanuga, 4/24/71)