Another one bites the dust

Hare Krsna Prominent link members,

Recently in Vrndavan Umapati prabhu (Swami?) was again confronted about his homosexual activities with his "disciples". He of course denied it like he has in the past. However this time a prominent devotee who has been preaching in China for years came forward and gave lots of evidence so Umapati submitted to the accusations.

Similar to when Bhavananda in 1985 at New Vrndavan denied his nefarious activities and lied in front of Prabhupada, the GBC and godbrothers until Krsna Chandar dasa signed an affidavit saying that Bhav had indeed had a relationship with him.

Now, Umapati still wants to remain a swami-guru-hypocrite so the GBC are conferring with each other so we may have another Satsvarupa title "retired swami-guru' being put on someone. I guess they are figuring out how much damage control they can get away with.

Anyway the sickness is spreading and they will still lie, cheat, swear and do anything to keep people from surrendering to Srila Prabhupada as long as their deck of cards are standing.

Mahasrnga dasa

I sent this composed this letter to Kirtanananda Swami on Tuesday 10th of 2005 after attending his class in the Sanctuary in New York city. I wrote as well to his good friend Umapati Swami - who first wrote to me - after hearing that I indeed had concluded that Srila Prabhupada had initiated a simple system of ritivik initiations for his mission. I will forward you the letter to Umapati as well.

Praghosa

Dear Kirtananda Swami:

Please accept my obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I wanted to take the time to write you one more letter. Please understand that I do so in a sincere attempt to assist you in your efforts to serve Their Lordships Sri Radha/Govinda and Their most recent appearance Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - through His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Last week you had expressed a desire to have a chat with me. I assume that it would deal with my first letter but I thought that you may have also wished to discuss other matters and after considering this as a possbility, I wanted to put some of my thoughts down on paper for you so that you would be very clear as to my position on some important issues. I hate being misunderstood or misquoted later so in that spirit I thought it best to take the time and express myself to you in this manner. I hope you will appreciate this effort.

You were asked last week a question in class by one devotee - why it was that you personally chose to read from the Bible each day as opposed to Srila Prabhupada's purports on Srimad Bhagavatam? Your answer was "I will answer that privately" later. What ensued was different points of discussion with you finally asking me "Any comments Praghosa?" If you recall, I said that " I did indeed have something I could say but did not wish to speak publically".

In both cases - your unwillingness and my own - to speak openly - we find the nature of the dilemma that now prevails throughout Srila Prabhupada's mission. There is a lack of open and frank discussion on matters of importance. That is symptomatic of a lack of real brahminical dealings; which is symptomatic of our not being fully established in Truth. There is some discrepancy somewhere and thus there is a marked inability to speak openly and honestly.

So in the interest of rising to that platform of honest and fair speech I see it as my duty to speak very honestly with you.

Rest assured that I do so with no malice towards you whatsover. Nor do I see your position as being too different from anyone else who has assumed they were or ARE authorized to present themselves as THE SPIRITUAL MASTER to any newcomers in this mission of Krsna Consciousness. All of you are mistakenly applying the instructions of Srila Prabhuapada and thus leaving yourselves open to the kind of doubtful questioning you received that day. Your position will always be called into question as long as you cannot proffer the actual authorization to present yourself as the spiritual master, as opposed to the "authorized ritvik representative of the Acharya". There is no getting around this and unless and until you do - you will not be capable of correctly acting as Srila Prabhupada's representative.

I am writing to you in this forthright fashion - not as your opponent or enemy - but as your respectful Godbrother. To respect you as "Godbrother" means that I must acknowledge first our mutual relationship with Srila Prabhupada and it is encumbent upon us both to recognize his authority in this matter.

I have carefully studied your application of certain principles here in the temple and have concluded that while you have rigidly held on to certain formalities in regards to the dealings of the disciples and the spiritual master that have long since been abandoned by the rest of ISKCON, and this and other reasons keeps you from being able to freely associate with the mainstream in ISKCON - it is not the real impediment. Indeed, philosophically speaking, you are more correct in your present insistence that "The Guru is to be seen as worshipable - in as much as he is the representative of the Lord and being so dear to the Lord - merits our submission, surrender, worship and service" The scripture fully supports this.

"When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshipped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru." (C.c. Madhya, 24.330, purport)

I can only conclude that you contend that as a group, ISKCON misrepresents the teachings of Srila Prabhupada in this matter and thus you cannot support their "adjustments" to this all-important principle of "GURU PUJA" and have elected to remain aloof. You of course have stated a desire to associate with them - but in fact you know that in the above mentioned matter - you hold a differet view on the application of this principle and cannot bend your consideration in merely to "get along" with ISKCON.

You require that the devotees recite your so-called pranams in the temple as being the only proper way to acknowledge and respect you. As per the example set by HDG.

You also require that they keep your picture on the alter as the "CURRENT LINK" to the parampara.

You require that they include the recitation of your name in the Prema Dwani prayers at the conclusion of arotik and kirtan.

You require that they hold simultaneous guru puja for you and His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada each morning as part of their daily sadhana.

Then adding to this regime, you require that they sit and attentively listen to your interpretations on the Old and I would presume eventually also the New Testement of what is referred to as "The Bible".

These activities set you apart from the balance of ISKCON and serve as a front for your isolation. It is not the real reason. The real reason is the above mentioned ways in which you apply the principle of GURU PUJA serves to facilitate an "exclusive" relationship between yourself and the few who agree to relate with you in this fashion. It is not capable of meeting the needs of anything other than an exclusive group and this lies outside the mandate of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON mission. Logic and simplicity tell us that Srila Prabhupada did not work so arduously for 12 years to create a worldwide mission, meant to attract both the bright and the not so - only to see it dismantaled by TRIBALISM and FACTIONS. Family life is for men and women who seek to have their own children - but Srila Prabhupada did not facilitate each of his "duly appointed" representatives to generate an exclusive "family environment" wherein all the those who found their committment to Srila Prabhupada's instructions - 16 rounds and the 4 regulative principles - encumbered with the whims or even worse - the needs - of any of those apppointees.

Now ISKCON has done a good deal to dismantle that aberration. Of course they will swear up and down that they do not accept the appointment of what they disparagingly refer to as "mere" ritviks by Srila Prabhupada. They will all testify that in their opinion Srila Prabhupada meant this - when he said that! Or he meant that - when he said this!! But the truth is ISKCON has accepted in reality they they are not authorized to present themselves as THE SPIRITUAL MASTER. They all realize that in fact - it is Srila Prabhupada giving the actual DIKSA - "the knowledge by which all sinful activities are VANQUISHED."

"Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa." (C.c. Madhya, 15.108, purport)

Now I want to point out that if you were in fact "authorized" by Srila Prabhupada to act as the spiritual master - then I would not object to this.

But that authorization was not given by His Divine Grace. There is no record of this anywhere. The mere instruction by Mahaprabhu that we must all become guru cannot be invoked to support our assuming the "authority" of The Spiritual Master. That is a general instruction that we are all requested by the Lord to preach the message of Bhagavad Gita to "whomever we meet" and in THIS way become guru and save the land.

But when His Divine Grace left this world he was specifically asked about "initiations in the future and particularly at that time when YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US". Srila Prabhupada gave us very specific authority in this regard.

In one conversation he stated the following and it highlights the importance of understanding this authority.

INDIAN MAN: When did you become spiritual the leader of Krsna Consciousness?

PRABHUPADA: What is that?

BRAHMANANDA: He is asking when did you become the spiritual leader of Krsna Consciousness?

PRABHUPADA: When my Guru Maharaja ordered me. This is the guru parampara. INDIAN MAN: Did it...

PRABHUPADA: Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru. (SP Bg. Lecture, 28/10/75)

And the following two quotes are also very relevant to this matter.

"On the whole, you may know that he is not a liberated person, and therefore, he cannot initiate any person to Krsna Consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities." (SP Letter to Janardana, 26/4/68)

"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorised by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa-vidhana." (S.B. 4.8.54, purport)

Now please do not consider that I am singling you out as being "unauthorized" to present yourself as THE SPIRITUAL MASTER. Or that you are particularly "unqualified" by dint of some particular deficiency. In fact you claim all deficiency but yet claim that you are "authorized" by dint of your having heard and accepted - AND the "appoinment" of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and that is all you require to assert your authority and the need to be seen and treated as one who is so authorized. If mere "repetition of the message" were the only qualification required then Srila Prabhupad would have stated as much and never bothered to name anyone to take the responsibility of formalizing initiations. He did in fact say that all of us could lead and be guru - by dint of our "strictly following" and only repeating what we heard from him. However while he did encourage us all to preach and "strictly follow" he did not "appoint" or "authorize" all of us to act as "Ritvik representatives of the Acharya"! He did the opposite. In fact when Brahmananda's name was proffered as one of the "appointees" Srila Prabhupada said simply "NO!" and left it at that.

You asked me the other day "Praghosa...any thoughts?" I felt duty bound to actually give you my considerations in this regard.

Keep in mind that despite my holding a very different postion on this matter than you - or any of my Godbrothers who now present themselves incorrectly to the newcomers - I have up till now said nothing to you about it and indeed I have no problem going along with your program. This is because in the end - I know that the Bhagavad Gita clearly states "That which is true or real endures and that which is untrue cannot endure". I do not have to do anything to bring about the conclusion of what I view as an erroneous presentation of the instructions of His Divine Grace. It will come to a close without my going on a campaign of any kind. Acting as if you ARE authorized literally makes it IMPOSSIBLE for you to preach with full vigor the basic principle of ONLY REPEATING the instructions of our Spiritual Master. If you, or anyone fails to understand this - the time factor will eventually guide you.

What he did do - and you know this to be true as he sent you a letter in the last few months establishing this very clearly, was establish a very simple and cogent system of initiation that was not hampered by the fact that in his departure he was leaving his fledgeling mission in the hands of neophyte devotees who, what to speak of NOT being full fledged liberated souls - were all of them still very prone to err in the most egregious ways. Indeed, over time, we all proved to be very easily captivated in countless ways by the various impediments to pure devotional service and knowing this to be a near certainty, Srila Prabupada left us with the perfect arrangement to help us all - the veterans and newcomers alike.

Here is the letter he sent you DIRECTLY on the 11th of July in 1977:

July 11th 1977

My dear Kirtanananda Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has just received the latest issue of Brijabasi Spirit, Vol.IV,No.4, which brought Him great joy. As He looked at the cover showing Kaladri performing a fire ceremony, He said, "Just see his face how devotee he is, so expert in everything". When Srila Prabhupada opened the first page, His eyes fixed on the picture of Radha- Vrindavana Chandra, and He said, "Vrindavana Bihari - so beautiful. There is no danger wherever Vrindavana Chandra is." After enjoying the whole magazine throughly Srila Prabhupada said, "It is printed on their own press. It is very good progress." His Divine Grace very much appreciated the article "How I Was Deprogrammed" by the young devotee boy. Prabhupada was feeling great sympathy when he heard his story and said, "If one man is turned like this boy then this movement is successful. There is good prospect, good hope. You all combine together and push this movement on and on. Now I am assured that it will go on." While going through the magazine, Srila Prabhupada also saw your good photo on the page "Istagosthi" and Srila Prabhupada bestowed a long loving look upon your good self expressing his deep appreciation for how you have understood this Krishna Consciousness.

A letter has been sent to all the Temple Presidents and GBC which you should be receiving soon describing the process for initiation to be followed in the future. Srila Prabhupada has appointed thus far eleven representitives who will initiate new devotees on His behalf. You can wait for this letter to arrive (the original has been sent to Ramesvara Maharaja for duplicating) and then all of the persons whom you recommened in your previous letters can be initiated.

His Divine Grace has been maintaining His health on an even course and most amazingly has doubled His translation work keeping pace with the doubling of book distribution. Hoping this meets you well.

Your servant,
Tamala Krsna Goswami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

This letter followed the letter that His Divine Grace had sent out on the 9th of July only 2 days earlier. That letter stated very clearly what "authority" you were given.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

July 9th, 1977

To All G.B.C., and Temple Presidents Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. Recently when all of the GBC members were with His Divine Grace in Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada indicated that soon He would appoint some of His senior disciples to act as "rittik"-representative of the acarya, for the purpose of performing initiations, both first initiation and second initiation. His Divine Grace has so far given a list of eleven disciples who will act in that capacity:

• His Holiness Kirtanananda Swami
• His Holiness Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami
• His Holiness Jayapataka Swami
• His Holiness Tamala Krsna Gosvami
• His Holiness Hrdayananda Gosvami
• His Holiness Bhavananda Gosvami
• His Holiness Hamsaduta Swami
• His Holiness Ramesvara Swami
• His Holiness Harikesa Swami
• His Grace Bhagavan dasa Adhikari
• His Grace Jayatirtha dasa Adhikari

In the past Temple Presidents have written to Srila Prabhupada recommending a particular devotee's initiation. Now that Srila Prabhupada has named these representatives, Temple Presidents may henceforward send recommendation for first and second initiation to whichever of these eleven representatives are nearest their temple. After considering the recommendation, these representatives may accept the devotee as an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada by giving a spiritual name, or in the case of second initiation, by chanting on the Gayatri thread, just as Srila Prabhupada has done. The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the above eleven senior devotees acting as His representative. After the Temple President receives a letter from these representatives giving the spiritual name or the thread, he can perform the fire yajna in the temple as was being done before. The name of a newly initiated disciple should be sent by the representative who has accepted him or her to Srila Prabhupada, to be included in His Divine Grace's "Initiated Disciples" book.

Hoping this finds you all well.

Your servant,
Tamala Krsna Gosvami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada
Approved: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Later in July two letters were sent out, one to the general devotees by Ramesvara Swami, the other a direct letter to Hansadutta Swami in Ceylon:

ALL GLORIES TO SRI GURU AND GOURANGA!
Dear GBC Godbrother Prabhus,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I have just received some letters from Tamal Krishna Maharaja, and am enclosing herein two documents: 1) Srila Prabhupada's final version of his last will, and 2) Srila Prabhupada's initial list of disciples appointed to perform initiations for His Divine Grace. This initial list is also being sent to all centers.

From Tamal's letter it seems that Srila Prabhupada is enthusiastic despite poor health, and is translating full force. He especially becomes enthused when reports arrive from different GBC men and temples with preaching results, general good news, etc. and Tamal Krishna Maharaja has stressed that we should all be sending such reports, as His Divine Grace often asks, "What is the news?" An outstanding example of Srila Prabhupada's mood was shown after receiving an encouraging preaching report from Hansadutta Swami in Ceylon. Srila Prabhupada said, "I want to go to Ceylon. I can go. I can go anywhere by chair. It is difficult only in the imagination. The swelling is touching the skin, not my soul."

More than anything else, Tamal has stressed the genuine need for a visiting GBC member to come every month for personal service. Since Srila Prabhupada has recently said that now this regular visiting is very important, all GBC members should be anxious to do this, as it not only involves important work which will help relieve Prabhupada from management, but also involves attending Srila Prabhupada personally, giving him massages and many other nectarian services, and in general affords an unusual amount of personal association, even more than in the past. Out of over 23 GBC members there should never be one month not filled up.

One final news report is that Srila Prabupada has appointed a new GBC member for North India (including Delhi but not Vrndavana) - His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami. Tamal Krsna Maharaja said that His Divine Grace appointed him to encourage him for the outstanding preaching work he is doing in Punjab.

Jai, I hope this finds you all well, and fully absorbed in preaching and thus satisfying Srila Prabhupada fully.

Your most unworthy servant,
Ramesvara dasa Swami

July 31st 1977

My Dear Hansadutta Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet. I have been instructed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada to thank you for your letter dated July 25th 1977.

You have written to Srila Prabhupada saying you do not know why Srila Prabhupada has chosen you to be a recipient of his mercy. His Divine Grace immediately replied, 'It is because you are my sincere servant. You have given up attachment for a beautiful and qualified wife and that is a great benidiction. You are a real preacher. Therefore I like you. (Then laughing) Sometimes you become obstinate, but that is true of any intelligent man. Now you have a very good field. Now organize it and it will be a great credit. No one will disturb you there. Make your own field and continue to become ritvik and act on my behalf.'

Srila Prabhupada listened with great enthusiasm as I read to him the newspaper article. His Divine Grace was very pleased: 'This article will increase your prestige. It is very nice article. Therfore the newspaper has spared so much space to print it. It is very nice. It must be published in Back to Godhead. Now there is a column in Back to Godhead called 'Prabhupada Speaks Out'. Your article may be entitled 'Prabhupada's Disciple Speaks Out'. Yes, we shall publish this article certainly. Let this rascal be fool before the public. I have enjoyed this article very much. I want my disciples to speak out...backed by complete reasoning. 'Brahma sutra sunisthita', this is preaching. Be blessed. All my disciples go forward. You have given the challenge. They cannot answer. This Dr. Kovoor should be invited...For Dr. Svarupa Damodara's convention on 'Life comes from Life'. He can learn something at this scientific convention."

Yes, you should certainly get some ISKCON Food Relief money. For your program American money collected and sent for food distribution. That is my proposal. Three hundred people coming is no joke. You mentioned so many nice preperations. I would like to eat but I cannot. At simply hearing these names (of preperations) it is satisfying. Just thinking this morning of you, and now you have written me.

Your Servant,
Tamala Krsna Goswami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

There is no doubt that even an 8th Grader could read these letters and have no problem understanding their direct intent. The problems come in when the "interpretations" begin. I am not going to eleborate all of them. You know them all as well as anyone. You are simply authorized to present yourself as "Ritivik Representative of the Acharya"—nothing more - AND NOTHING LESS!

I stress on this "NOTHING LESS" because therein lies the REAL AUTHORITY and properly understood and when necessarily INVOKED - will serve to make us far more capable of leading devotees than we ever could, while attempting to get them to overlook all our faults while enlisting their full submission to the instructions of The Spiritual Master.

I do not really expect you to change anything just because I am saying this. After all - Srila Prabhupada himself ordered you to present yourself in a particluar way - and you have never done so! Why would I expect you to do this because I am pointing it out? That would be unwise of me to expect such a move from you now at this point in time. However - you could indeed hear what I am saying and take the full measure of its significance and consider its implications and the strength that is to be derived in STERNLY AND RIGIDLY holding on to Srila Prabhupada's direct orders in this matter. I assert that those who understand and act upon everything I have said will attain unimaginable success in their efforts to spread Krsna Consciousness and those who do not will be mediocre at best. This is just my humble perception but I am quite certain of it.

I have written an essay in detail dealing with the nuts and bolts of this issue. As I said, I am not on a campaign to effect any change. As I said "Srila Prabhupada himself ordered this simple system and no one in ISKCON has yet demonstrated the courage to simply acknowledge this - WHY IN GOD'S NAME would they do so because Praghosa is saying it?

But I am as convinced of this fact as much as I am convinced that the law of gravity cannot be "naturally" circimvented. What goes up must indeed come down! Similarly how to act upon the "Law of Disciplic Succession" within Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON MISSION was very very specifically described, and there isn't a soul on this planet who could convince me that it is other than the simple system of "Ritvik Representatives of the Acharya" initiating disciples on behalf of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada - NOT because they are this, that, or the other "level" of devotee with all the overwhelming qualifications of the Uttama or Mahabhagavat - but because they were or are "AUTHORIZED" to do so by either His Divine Grace or his designated Governing Body. They are to accept the recommendations of the "LOCAL TEMPLE PRESIDENT", and based upon HIS confirmation that the newcomer has been acting in full faith in the instructions of Srila Prabhupada by chanting 16 rounds and strictly following the 4 regulative principles - HE deems him fit to formalize his commitment to the process of Krsna Consciousness and the service of our Acharya Srila Prabhupada and his mission.

It is meant to be THAT simple. BAS!

The newcomer is not meant to demonstrate faith in you or me, or Humpty Dumpty or the Man in the Moon! His faith is in the power of the Great Mantra - Hare Krsna Hare Krsna and all the instructions in Srila Prabhupada's books. This is where his faith must lie if he is to progress correctly.

What does the "faith in Kirtananda or Praghosa" mean?

If that is the case - how in God's name could you ask anyone to have faith in you separate from anything stated by Srila Prabhupada? Once you demonstrate that you CAN deviate from those instructions - you have proven yourself to be an ordinary man - WHICH THE DISCIPLE is instructed to NEVER ASSUME in regards to the spiritual master.

Let us be honest, Maharaja - you simply cannot ask anyone to invest that kind of faith in you. Neither can I. Neither should anyone. Your track record is proof positive that you are indeed a mere mortal and I don't care how much you claim that, despite that fact - if you just repeat the philosophy as we heard it from Srila Prabhupada - then all your transgressions - large and small - should be disregarded and you should be seen "As GOOD AS KRSNA" - at least by those who were instructed to write you a letter along with their temple president's letter of recommendation. That is not the system Srila Prabhupada left the world. Not by a long shot!!

Now as I said, I bear you no malice whatsoever. I also will tell you that I have not stated these things to many of my Godbrothers. They have all invested nearly 30 years of something other than the simple instructions of Srila Prabhupada in this matter and they are now convinced of their postion. But lemmings are also convinced that the "group" is headed in the right direction - right up to the point that they topple over the cliff.

My advice?

Think over what I am saying. Deeply. All that you have endured over the last 10 years should have shown you the error of your ways and moved you to correct it.

Some simple tips?

1. Remove your picture from the Altar.
2. Renounce the name "Bhaktipada" and take once again ENORMOUS pride in the beautiful name given you by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.....His Holiness Kirtananda Swami!
3. Lose the personal Pranam mantra. You are a ritvik and this is reserved fro His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
4. Naturally - Renounce the Simultaneous Guru Puja. Instead of that - lead the devotees in worshiping Srila Prabhupada each morning.
5. Most importantly - reserve the morning class for the UNSURPASSED PURPORTS - the self described "devotional ecstacies" of Srila Prabhupada, each word being "document' as he said found in the Srimad Bhagavatam Class.

In Mayapur in 1976 one morning Pradyumna initiated the recitation of the sanskrit verse for the Bhagavatam class. There was no verse on the board and Srila Prabhupad commented "you are all such big big leaders....yet you cannot arrange one verse?" Immediately someone ran and found the chalk and put the entire assembly waited while they put the verse up. Then Srila Prabhupada proceeded to lead the chanting himself instead of Pradyumna!! After many many devotees recited the verse with his urging - he said "It is NOT ordinary sound vibration. It is spiritual sound vibration. Even if you do not understand its meaning - still the effect will be there!"

So if you are insistent on offering the world some thoughts on the mleccha scriptures - the Bible and perhaps later the Koran - that is OK. However that can be done at some other hour of the day. But Srimad Bhagavatama Class should be reserved for the words of Vyasadeva and his most competant scribe, Srila Prabhupada. If you do not do this - in time no one will pay you any heed whatsoever considering you either covered, attached at best and envious of Srila Prabhupada at worst. Now I have spoken very frankly with you. I consider you as a good and competent man and I feel that you can value someone who is not willing to simply tell you what you might like to hear.

The matter is simple. Act as you are authorized and all will naturally correct itself. Otherwise - you will never achieve what you are really capable of. I say this without malice or reservation. I have NOT said this to most of the men in ISKCON who act as gurus simply because most of them have not exhibited to me that they are yet exhausted enough or honest enough. You have on the other hand - been to hell and back for a host of transgressions that should I think have alerted you to your real problem.

If after you receive this letter - you dismiss it all - then I will know that I have done my duty - both to you - and more importantly to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and all those who follow you.

I hope you find this in good health and Krsna consciousness.

Your friend and godbrother always,
Praghosa Das