How Would She Know?
BY: HH B. RADHA-GOVINDA SWAMI
Oct 29, USA (SUN) — A response to HG Malati devi dasi's 'Factual Timeline'.
Dear Readers, Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. PAMFO. Although this may not be one of those "palatable" ones, nonetheless it is in truth - for the sake of truth - this is being written. Satyam evam jayate, "The truth shall be victorious; we will be victorious in the truth". I would have replied sooner, but I have not been able to get to a computer until yesterday, my submitting an article concerning Giriraj Govardhan. Now to address this, (and I have to add that I will be leaving for Africa, so if there is any "rebuttal," I doubt that I will be able to reply):
In SB 8.20.4 Bali Maharaj quoted Mother Earth:
na hy asatyat paro 'dharma iti hovaca bhur iyam
sarvam sodhum alam manye rte 'lika param naram
"There is nothing more sinful than untruthfulness. Because of this, Mother Earth once said, 'I can bear any heavy thing except a person who is a liar'."
Malati prabhu wrote an article, "A Factual Timeline of Events". Malati was NOT living in New Vrndavan at this time, (nor did she have ANY involvement with ISKCON in ANY capacity at this particular point in time); thus, her information presented is coming from someone else; most probably Radhanath Swami (possibly Tapah Punja as well, and possibly others).
My question is, how would Malati "know" what happened (and when - a timeline) unless she was told by someone else, since she was NOT present for ANY of these events? Next question that could follow would be this: If Malati was not present and did NOT know, then from whom has she received this information (to write and submit it to Sampradaya Sun)? Has she been asked by Radhanath Swami to write in this regard, and if so, why does Radhanath Swami have Malati write something on his behalf? Why can't he just write something himself, in his own defense?
Malati writes that what she is saying is based on "court testimony": "He [Janmastami] avoids the testimonies of Radhanath Swami and Cindy (Rukmini) Shafer, which were accepted in two court hearings as well as the Grand Jury." (It should be noted that Janmastami prabhu posted up for us to see Dharamatma prabhu's testimony, whereas Malati has not posted anything other than what she has written herself (with "input" from whoever...).
We also understand from the articles Hrishikesh prabhu wrote concerning Sulochan prabhu's murder - what Hrishikesh prabhu says was his understanding of what it was devotees who had some involvement regarding this murder were telling either to him or giving testimony in court - devotees generally gave testimony in such a way to keep themselves looking "as clean as possible" of any "dirt" regarding this murder.
Malati writes, "Please consider the following regarding the erroneous allegations coming from Mr. Sinkowski: During this period in time, Radhanath Swami was a traveling preacher who spent little time in NV and was not involved with the management and knew very little of any going's on, internal or otherwise."
How would/does Malati KNOW this? (Based on what Radhanath told her? Again, Malati was NOT living in New Vrndavan at this time, and was NOT involved in ISKCON in any capacity. She was living in NYC, and living what would be considered to be a non-devotee (sinful) life.) Although Radhanath Maharaj was sometimes traveling, he DID know what was going on in New Vrndavan regarding management situations, and DID KNOW of "going's on internal or otherwise".
Getting back to the first question:
Under instruction from my GBC, Bhaktitirtha Swami - my serving under his direct instructions - being sent by him in-between two particular stays in Middle East and Africa, I was serving IN New Vrndavan during the time Sulochan prabhu was murdered. Malati was NOT living in New Vrndavan. (She was living in NYC with Prthuputra prabhu and co-wife - Prthuputra prabhu's having previously been a sannyasi in France, he and Malati leaving the movement together after Srila Prabhupada had left the planet, and at this point in time, they were NOT living a devotee life.
How do I know when I was in New Vrndavan? Because I later began a program where I met Malati prabhu - more information given below - saw directly certain things, AND, MALATI PRABHU HERSELF TOLD ME THINGS LATER! when I was living in both New Vrndavan and Columbus from mid-1997 through May 1999. Thus, Malati was NOT present for ANY of these events, and thus ANY "information" she has written, is coming from another source.
It should be noted again that Hrishikesh prabhu, in his submissions concerning Sulochan prabhu's murder and devotees' testimonies in this regard, explained his observation that devotees, in giving their testimonies (including in court), tried to keep themselves appearing to be "'as clean' of the event as possible." This is a very important point and has to be considered concerning testimonies given in court - someone's trying to keep themselves looking "innocent" of "dirt" even if/when their hands could have gotten dirty. (I am NOT accusing anyone. I'm simply writing fact; that people giving testimony in court, do not always tell the truth...)
Malati writes the following concerning Janmastami prabhu:
"It can be noted that Mr. Sinkowski’s (Janmastami) own character is less then sterling. He has been observed in intoxicated states due to influence of marijuana and/or alcohol. At one point, Mr. Sinkowski (Janmastami) was apprehended and charged with possession of Marijuana with intent to sell. He was convicted and served a fairly light sentence."
I'm NOT going to "hit below the belt," regarding giving too many details, (since I DO KNOW certain things) concerning Malati prabhu and her - in her own words - "less than sterling" character (activities) of the past, and one has to take into consideration the fact that by Srila Prabhupada's and Krsna's grace, Malati prabhu is now directly rendering service to Them in her own capacity and vision - although some devotees are seeing what Malati is doing as a disservice. At the same time, although Malati is making criticism of Janmastami prabhu's ""less than sterling" character, one must also consider that Janmastami prabhu is also rendering service to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna. His "record" of service to Krsna through ISKCON also goes back for MANY years. I do not believe that Janmastami prabhu left New Vrndavan out of choice, but due to "administrational changes." (This he can explain if he so desires.) My only point in writing this was that when Malati left ISKCON, left the service of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna, she left out of HER OWN CHOICE. This was NOT the case with Janmastami prabhu's "exit."
As the saying goes, "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," I ask why it is that Malati is bringing such things up in this regard? Although now Malati may be "clean" (of intoxication), at one point she was not. In fact, she was doing worse things (in terms of intoxication) than the things she listed regarding Janmastami. (She just didn't get caught.) Malati almost died of a Heroin overdose. Malati herself directly told me that. She also told me that she attributed the reason for her coming out of the coma (from the OD, while in the hospital) was due to devotees chanting to her in the hospital, saying that she was hearing the chanting at one point. The reason the devotees were there to chant was due to Malati's having been coming to the chanting and Prasadam program started in Thompkin's Square Park in the Spring of 1987.
FACT(S)
In Spring 1987, some time after Kirtanananda sent me to New York City to collect on the subways, I would go by myself to do Hari Nam Sankirtan with a pair of kartals in Thompkins Square Park 6:30 or 7:00 pm (usually sitting on a park bench). Later, by Advaita prabhu's desire and arrangements, Prasadam distribution was added to the chanting. I would stay there until 10:00 pm, sometimes later if I got into a conversation with someone which went past 10:00 pm.
One day while I was sitting (by myself) on a bench chanting with a pair of kartals, an "emaciated lady" wearing a very low-cut, "no sleeved" black dress came right up to me, bent down (her face practically in mine), and just stared at me. I had NO idea (at first) that the (totally stoned-out) "emaciated lady" now staring hard at me was my Godsister, Malati prabhu. (I could give a detailed description, but I will spare Malati prabhu the embarrassment, although since I mentioned about the OD above, I will say that Malati at that time had visible track marks down both arms.)
Because Malati was wearing a very low-cut, "no sleeved" black dress, and bending down staring at me, (her face practically in mine), I saw the (Sanskrit) tattoo around her neck/chest area, and then the (Sanskrit) tattoos at the tilak areas on her arms. I understood that the person before me must have been a devotee previously, so I asked the following questions:
"Were you ever a devotee?" "Were you ever initiated?" "What was your initiated name?" When Malati gave her initiated name, in TOTAL SHOCK!, I asked (twice), "Prabhupada's Malati? Prabhupada's Malati?" When she replied (with a stoned-out, slurred - as were the other) "yaah-aah"(s), I IMMEDIATELY went to get her some halava, which I put right into her mouth, made SURE she swallowed it, and kept giving her more and more, and was chanting (LOUDLY) DIRECTLY into her ears. From that day, Malati kept coming back, and so did Prthu Putra prabhu. (From that first day that I met Malati prabhu, I was praying and crying to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna to please bring her back to Them.)
Kirtanananda later instructed me to "stop the chanting, and stay out later (till 9:30 pm) to collect" so I "turned over" the program to Chakravarti prabhu (at that time Swami), since he had taken sannyasa, had had to give up his previous service of running the Gurukula ashrams with his wife, Dinasharana prabhu, and had no service. I told him about this chanting-Prasadam distribution program, and he took it over. I later - under Bhaktitirtha's instruction - ended up going back to the African continent. More devotees joined into the program, (from both ISKCON and New Vrndavan), and it was from this program that Malati came back, the devotees going to chant to her when she was put into the hospital in a coma from the OD.
I would NOT have written these "extra details," but in seeing Malati prabhu's (unnecessary, "extra" as well as partially WRONG) criticism of Janmastami prabhu regarding "intoxicated states due to influence of marijuana and/or alcohol...", when Malati was doing much worse (regarding intoxication, along with other things which Srila Prabhupada would NOT have been "very happy" about - my knowing what Malati was doing (her doing so by dint of her OWN choice in leaving ISKCON and getting into the "things" she was doing - not only intoxication), I felt that there should be some mention in this regard. Why criticise Janmastami prabhu regarding such things, when Malati was doing a LOT WORSE! in regards to intoxication and other "forbidden" things.
Malati may be known in various circles for the service she is rendering, but there are many "unsung" devotees who are rendering so many services for which Srila Prabhupada and Krsna are very pleased. This also includes the devotees who take risks to write or speak up regarding the truth when it is not so "palatable." Malati knows factually that Srila Prabhupada Himself was often enough criticised for speaking the "impalatable" truth.
Malati was NOT living in New Vrndavan during these times, NOR was she even living the life of a devotee. (In fact, Malati prabhu at that time was living what would be considered by both devotees and "non-devotees" a VERY DARK! and sinful life.) Thus, HOW can Malati POSSIBLY give ANY (as she calls it) "Factual Timeline of Events" concerning these events and time?
No need to say any more, but the question remains, why Malati is writing about something of which she knows NOTHING, as she was NOT living within ISKCON at this point in time, and came back some years later, and from whom has she gotten her "information"?
May we always remain under the shelter of the Lotus Feet of Hari, Guru, Vaisnava, be the recipient of Their Mercy and Blessings, and live a life of truth/truthfulness...!!!
Your servant,
Dasi, B. Radha-Govinda
Hare Krsna
