Bhavananda and Early ISKCON History

BY: SUN STAFF

May 12, INDIA (SUN) — From a book posted on the Internet, author unknown.

It is only honest here to point out that Srila Sridhar Maharaj from the Gaudiya Math, not only supported the 11 Zonal Acaryas in ISKCON late in 1977, but also encouraged them all to be initiating Spiritual Masters in the mood of Srila Prabhupada. I witnessed this at his Gaudiya math Temple in 1978 when he glorified the new Zonal gurus in ISKCON.

Also Narayana Maharaj originally supported and encouraged the 11 gurus, regardless of what he says today. So as far as I am concerned, Narayana Maharaj is just as naive and Spiritually immature as us Godbrothers were who also pushed the 11 guru worship that is really just an imitation of Srila Prabhupada, just like a child imitates their hero.

In all fairness though, at least two of them have proven themselves as bonafide Spiritual Masters, Srila Jayapataka Swami and Srila Hridayananda Swami. They both have past the test of time.

Also I remember way back in 1981 Ramai Swami (who was just elected the head of the GBC in 2008), got up and praised his sannyas guru Bhavananda at his Vysa Puj by saying he had specially come from Vaikuntha to save the fallen souls, Ramai had tears in his eyes as he spoke fondly of Bhavananda and was clearly very moved, he had really saw Bhavananda as specially coming down from Vaikuntha to carry on Prabhupada's work of saving the fallen, this mood he instilled to others who eventually became Bhavananda's disciples, this was video taped and I still have it in storage.

Clearly Ramai Swami had seen Bhavananda in the same light as Prabhupada, a pure devotee put in that position by Krsna.

In this way Ramai Swami, Chittahari, Balarama, Yasomatinandana, Pratapana, Hari Sauri, Subabhati, all of us Prabhupada disciples would strongly set the mood, `scene and example of worship to Bhavananda, for his new disciples to follow, especially Ramai Swami, who was also kind of a disciple of Bhavananda as well, due to taking sannyas off him.

Anyway the extravagant worship us Godbrothers created for Bhavananda would last until 1986, when unfortunately the whole `guru' thing came crashing down on our heads, resulting in utter confusion where at least one devotee I know of committed suicide.

Personally I never ever went that far to see Bhavananda specially sent from Vaikuntha because to me he was a Godbrother who represented Prabhupada that I blindly followed because I new he was a dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada, my Spiritual Master. I thought at the time however, how Ramai's `over the top' glorification of his Sannyas guru was eerie but I never said anything.

Bhavananda never ever saw himself as a great devotee, he always new he was playing a role, believing that imitating Prabhupada was his service, he believed that in time he would become purified and gradually become stronger and stronger in his sadhana, so that he could truly act as a Guru. He told me this when he sent me to see an old friend of his and present a garland to him (The famous singer Peter Allen).

Later he told me what Ramai had said is simply not true, "I am no pure devotee" telling me the story of how he suffered as a young boy.

Yet unfortunately, as years progressed, Bhavananda became more and more intoxicated by the lavish, luxurious, magnificent wealthy worship his Godbrothers set up and supported. Strongly encouraging any new devotee to follow. So gradually he became more and more inebriated proud and arrogant than he already was.

I already new in India back in 1978 of Bhavananda's problems with homosexuality, his incident in Mayapur a few years previous was well known in India, but Prabhupada forgave him for his fall down and he worked very hard, doing amazing service in Mayapur, to again get Prabhupada's favour.

Could it happen again? One could ask. Those questions were not ever asked back then by anyone like it is today. I did not know in 1978 if he would again have problems in that area when I was Temple commander of Vrndavan, but as early as 1982 I did know, I just new he was again having problems, I think a few of us did, I know Chittahari prabhu did, Bhavananda confided in him. Anyway who was I to judge others? I was struggling myself and ironically everyone new about that to.

No one back then new what to do with anyone who was having a sexual problem, it was mostly ignored and never talked about. Of course that all changed in the mid 1990's.

Anyway in Vrndavana and Mayapur Bhavananda would get me to convince any new devotee that he should be chosen as guru.

This was happening all over the world with all the appointed gurus

It seemed back in those early immature years, to have a `hero', then worship him as a pure devotee, even if he is not qualified, was more important at the time than having no hero at all.

This is because the search for paragons is a natural phenomenon within human society, if we cannot find one a qualified Guru, then we unfortunately manufacture one, just like we did after Prabhupada left us, we actually carried on the Guru worship as if Prabhupada had never left.

The appointed gurus where not qualified on the level of Prabhupada, yet we would worship them anyway ON THAT LEVEL with the hope they would become qualified, that's how innocent we were but we genuinely believed that in time, due to the purification process of Bhakti-yoga, they would become pure devotees under the test of time.

We all quoted Prabhupada to support this by saying that Prabhupada gave Brahmin initiating to devotees saying,

"Now that I have given you Brahmin initiation, now become Brahmana"

All of us Godbrothers put a new twist on Prabhupada's comment -

"Now that I have given you the authority to become initiating Guru, now become Guru"

I was too uneducated in Spiritual life and very insecure at the time to say anything, so I just went along with the 'chosen guru' thing for the ride, most of us Prabhupada disciples did because we new nothing else, we knew no better, the oldest devotees in the movement back in 1978 were in their thirties, it was kind of an innocent way we did this, our intentions were good, there was no plan to cheat anyone, we all wanted to see ISKCON grow. It's a shame many tried to imitate Prabhupada back then rather than simply follow him. Back then we simply didn't know any better.

You know, the preaching on the streets back then was way way better and more effective than it is today, the devotees back then were very dedicated selling books, not that they are not today however back then EVERY TEMPLE DEVOTEE AND GUEST was into selling books.

The fact is if most of the gurus never fell down, it could have worked, IT WAS WORKING, AT LEAST IN AUSTRALIA. But that was destined to eventually not be, it was destined to fail because of the way they were glorified.

They were worshiped like Prabhupada, better than Prabhupada was. It therefore failed because clearly none of them were anything like Prabhupada.

As another old saying goes, "No lie can live forever?

Another point that should be made to shut up the critics is, even the paraphernalia selling by devotee back them, like oil paintings, were necessary as it assisted preaching. Those who criticize such selling are wrong because so many preaching programs where financed by such selling, like putting one and a half million copies of a Hare Krishna magazine in all Australian Newspapers plus supporting the campaign to free Soviet devotees from jails.

Tirtharaj Prabhu once went out selling paintings and collected $800 in one day and donated all the money to the Prahlad and the Krishna kids project, so they could help other devotees around the world in the campaign to free Soviet devotees locked up in Russia, in early 1986 before they got the EMI contract.

Also in 1987-8 we collected 140,000 signatures around Australia on our Bus, (also financed by selling oil paintings) and along with the Krsna kids campaign, it helped secure the religious freedom in the Soviet Union, granted by the Soviet Government in 1988.

Anyway, back then I gradually learned what was going on behind the scene, Bhavananda was struggling to handle the extremely high level of worship he received, he certainly wasn't the pure devotee we all made him out to be to his disciples, but I was just struggling along myself, who was I to point the finger?

So I just glorified him like Ramai and all of my Godbrothers did, we had no idea the chaos of imitating a pure devotee would cause back then.

Back then we all thought we new everything, well I certainly didn't, stronger minded Godbrothers arrogantly made sure of that. (Actually now when I think about it now, it was only Bhavananda who stood up for me when other Godbrothers wanted to put me down) I therefore just followed my Godbrothers like Ramai Swami, who was totally innocently convinced he new absolutely everything, only so I could do the media service I was good at.

It's funny you now because Ramai had no choice in the matter in 1980, he was told by Bhavananda to take me travelling with him. In all fairness though, Ramai Swami took me on board himself in mid 1987 so I could help the devotees in both the Soviet preaching and the Hall programs we were having in Towns and Villages all over Ausralia.

In reality back then, we had the 'frog in the well' mentality, puffed up with the little knowledge we had, especially Ramai Swami, he thought he new everything, but now we can see how blind we all were back then, Ramai Swami had no idea how to lead and protect the lives of others. He did not know how to deal with or handle so many basic issues he new about, he new me better than I new myself at the time but still had no idea how too deal with me or anyone else for that matter. I was too insecure to not go along with it all, after all, ISKCON was my only family.

Personally Bhavananda treated me fine, over all the years he was always kind and encouraging to me, he never ever demanded worship off me; in fact in all fairness to him, it was his Godbrothers, including myself, who saw him as a substitute 'Prabhupada' so to speak, and then treated him like Prabhupada, building him up to be a 'Prabhupada' we called 'Vishnupada'. His Godbrothers gave him that name; he certainly never gave it to himself.

People can say what ever they like about him, but as far as I am concerned, I saw his love for Prabhupada and his sincerity. We have to take some of the blame for it all, as the saying goes,

    'It's not just the bad people who cause problems in the world, but rather, it is all the good people who stand by and do nothing, letting bad things happen and just go on year after year'.

Devotees new what was going on in the 80s, but did nothing. It is certainly not `all' Bhavananda's fault either; his Godbrothers lavishly glorified him first before he had any disciples.

Also he never ever demanded respect and worship off me, although Ramai Swami always would DEMAND it with threats to kick you out of the Temple if you did not fall at his feet, he was very arrogant, demanding and secretive and no-one could ever get too close to him, he always treated me impersonally and always patronised me and others. On many occasions he would say "get down and bow when you see me coming", he would demand proudly. Sadly he was a clever bully to those who were not submissive to him.

Anyway I never experienced that impersonalism with Bhavananda. It's like Ramai had this invisible shield around him. I travelled with him for years like this and his 'coldness' was very frustrating. Even now he remains aloof from everyone even if his with them right in the middle of all the GBC men. Bhavananda was not like that. His Godbrothers, including myself, are to fault by taking his worship way over the top.

Once again, when Bhavananda was away from his disciples, he was a reasonable person; he never ever raised his voice in anger to me, even though he did to others.

Ananda Prabhu should have been warned

I remember one time I became disturbed by what he did when I was Temple Commander of Vrndavana Temple in 1978. We used to go around to all the rooms in the Temple and Gurukula to see if they were clean in the morning, on this occasion, Bhavananda came for the inspection, all the Gurukulis were suppose to be in the Temple room chanting however, there was one room where two Gurukulis were still sleeping, Bhavananda went into a rage when he went into their room, picked one of the boys, Ananda Prabhu, who was 10 or 11 years old at the time, and threw him into the wall, then picked him up and did it a second time. I stood by and watched in surprise as I did not know nor experience that side of Bhavananda, after all his role as Guru had only just begun .

What could I do, that's just how it was in those days because that how we were treated when we went to school in the 50s and 60s. (I was 17 when I first went to the Temple in 1971) Bhavananda then turned to me and said "these boys need discipline, this place is not a free motel, make sure no one is in any of these rooms during the morning program" .

In my mind I was thinking I should have warned the boys that Bhavananda was inspecting the gurukuli rooms with us as I new they were resting. Afterwards I went back to see if Ananda was alright, he had a hobby of reading books on airplanes and jets, which he was reading when I went into see him, he just carried on like nothing had happened'.

Ananda Prabhu had a gash to his head that I treated and bandaged and some bruises on his body, I told him what had happened to him shocked me because I did not know Bhavananda could get so violent, as I was talking to him, Danavir, his school teacher, came in and yelled at him more for not attending the morning program.

Later I took him down Loi Bazaar in Vrndavana and we had a kumba Lassi drink (the best place in the world to get this drink) and checked out all the shops, he new so much about Vrndavana, showing me the best places to buy dhotis, shirts and Deities, then we visited Prabhupada's room at the Radha Damodar Temple, Ananda Prabhu told me how early in the morning Srila Prabhupada would translate Srimad Bhagavatam and then chant his rounds. Afterwards walking around the samadhis of Jiva Goswami and Rupa Goswami chanting Hare Krishna. We then went to Davanala Kund and swam with others boys, on the banks of the Kund was a Shiva lingum and Ananda Prabhu and an older boy Dvarkadisha das ACBSP explained how the young girls from the village came to worship the lingum. I remember thinking what the early British Christian missionaries must of thought on seeing such worship. I remember someone took photos of us all swimming at Davanala Kund, love to see those photos now.

Anyway my memory of Ananda Prabhu is that he had so much knowledge about Vrndavana, he spoke Hindi fluently but also loved to read his books on planes. Other Gurukulis at the time would remember this, they where terrified of Bhavananda after this and so was I back then, why? Because I had nothing else and nowhere else to go. After all, I was only a lost and a pissed off teenager towards the world myself when I joined ISKCON. The movement became everything to me and today it still is".



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