Foreword to Gold, Guns, and God: Vol. 3—Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold

The leader-follower dynamic is intrinsic to human nature. Charismatic individuals will, for the foreseeable future, continue to shape reality, as they have throughout history. In that sense, Gold, Guns and God, Vol 3. (GGG3), written by Henry Doktorski, has broad and enduring relevance. Doktorski reveals how one man, Kirtanananda, created a cult following over which he wielded almost absolute power, a theme that has repeated itself with disturbing frequency throughout human history.

And yet, GGG3 is also unique. If you detest everything that Kirtanananda represents, it is even more imperative to seek an understanding of his many conflicting characteristics. No other published works capture the complexity of Kirtanananda’s personality to the degree of Doktorski’s third volume of Gold, Guns and God.

Dictators typically find it useful to falsify events, rewrite history, and craft mythologies. Doktorski’s third volume of Gold, Guns and God methodically deconstructs New Vrindaban’s fabricated history with a thoroughness that cannot be found elsewhere in the literature.

It is entirely possible Kirtanananda felt a sort of love for his guru, Srila Prabhupada. But at the same time, Kirtanananda’s long-term strategic goal can be summarized as follows: “You sit opposite a guru, learn from him everything, then you kill him, move his dead body aside, and sit in his place, and then you become the guru.” Kirtanananda knew he had no legitimacy unless he could convince devotees that Srila Prabhupada supported him. He created an image of absolute dedication to Srila Prabhupada, while also deceiving and disobeying Prabhupada. Doktorski delivers an unparalleled understanding of the deceptive and brutal tactics Kirtanananda employed in his efforts to move Srila Prabhupada aside.

Initially, Kirtanananda’s stated goals may have been limited to building a temple for Govindaji, agrarian self-sufficiency, simple living, and high thinking. But self-sufficiency farming garners little prestige. On the other hand, building a magnificent palace supposedly dedicated to Srila Prabhupada would bolster Kirtanananda’s reputation within ISKCON as the most surrendered and preeminent devotee.

Kirtanananda created a false narrative of the June 1973 attack on New Vrindaban and framed this shooting incident as the persecution of devotees by demons. The rank and file devotees became more psychologically dependent on their savior (Kirtanananda). Some members of the community began to place their devotion to Kirtanananda above Srila Prabhupada, as a consequence of Kirtanananda’s continued psychological manipulation.

Kirtanananda treated the members (inmates) of the New Vrindaban community as his “white slaves.” If Kirtanananda felt that a devotee did not work hard enough, he inflicted painful electric shocks on these “lazy” inmates using an electric cattle prod. A cattle prod produces high voltage electric shocks that cause pain to a 1,500-pound dairy cow—one can only imagine the pain it causes a 150-200 pound human. Apparently, the New Vrindaban inmates did not complain to Srila Prabhupada about Kirtanananda’s sadistic and psychotic motivational tools. Rather, devotees seemed proud to accept Kirtanananda’s assaults as mercy. Doktorski suggests the relationship between Kirtanananda and his followers had sadomasochistic elements. I do not dismiss Doktorski’s diagnosis. Various sexual impulses drive the material world, which is in fact a perverted reflection of the spiritual world.

Building on Doktorski’s diagnosis, I must add dictators such as Hitler understood that segments of the population sometimes preferred self-sacrifice over comfort. In his 1940 review of Mein Kampf, George Orwell writes, “Hitler . . . has grasped the falsity of the hedonistic attitude to life. Nearly all western thought since the last war, certainly all ‘progressive’ thought, has assumed tacitly that human beings desire nothing beyond ease, security and avoidance of pain. . . . [Hitler] knows that human beings don’t only want comfort, safety, short working-hours, hygiene, birth-control and, in general, common sense; they also, at least intermittently, want struggle and self-sacrifice. . . . Whereas Socialism, and even capitalism in a more grudging way, have said to people ‘I offer you a good time,’ Hitler has said to them ‘I offer you struggle, danger, and death,’ and as a result a whole nation flings itself at his feet.—we ought not to underrate its emotional appeal.”

Kirtanananda deliberately cultivated his own brand of charisma, and through his personal magnetism, he attracted the manpower and material resources to build a formidable base of power. As Kirtanananda became a force to be reckoned with, he could also get away with disobeying his guru. “...he [Kirtanananda] wasn’t a penniless nobody; he had considerable resources. He was the sole leader of a thriving and expanding rural farm community, his fundraisers and incense salesmen on the road were making good money, and he commanded the respect and admiration of dozens and dozens of followers who regarded him as on the same spiritual level as Prabhupada himself. He would never have to apologize or grovel at the feet of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ever again.” (p. 124). Kindle Edition.

In response to Srila Prabhupada’s deteriorating health, leading disciples inquired from him about how to continue the disciplic succession in his absence, after his death. However, Prabhupada did not appoint a successor and ordered no one to become guru. Rather, he appointed 11 senior disciples (including Kirtanananda) to be rittvik acharyas to act as his representative—when a rittvik initiates a devotee, these newly initiated devotees are disciples of Srila Prabhupada. “The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the above eleven senior devotees acting as His representative.” (p. 204). Kindle Edition.

“It is important to note that in the July 9, 1977 appointment letter Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada only selected ritvik acharyas, not regular gurus. Prabhupada did not appoint any successors. Apparently he thought that none of his disciples were ready for this responsibility. Prabhupada admitted, ‘Krishna did not send me any first-class men. He sent me only second- and third-class men.’” (p. 204). Kindle Edition.

Srila Prabhupada left his body on November 14, 1977. Less than 2 months later on Christmas day of that year, Kirtanananda began to initiate his own disciples. In disobedience to his guru, Kirtanananda did not serve as a rittvik acharya. “Had Kirtanananda Swami, and his other GBC godbrothers, been appointed to the post of diksha guru by his spiritual master? Was he (and they) qualified to accept this position which Prabhupada had said should be reserved only for the most advanced devotees? These are very important questions which will be more thoroughly examined in a future volume, but suffice to say for now that history has proven that the answer to both questions is a resounding ‘No.’” (p. 217). Kindle Edition.

Dictators hold on to their positions for a variety of reasons. Charisma alone is not enough, nor is the use of fear tactics and paramilitary enforcers to violently repress dissenters. Kirtanananda controlled the flow of information within his community while manipulating his followers’ beliefs about the world outside of New Vrindaban. But we must also give the devil his due.

Kirtanananda produced tangible, observable results when he transformed a run-down farm into a renowned palace. According to Guriev and Treisman (2015), “Dictators survive not because of their use of force or ideology but because they convince the public—rightly or wrongly—that they are competent.” Although I do not completely agree with the above-referenced (unqualified) statement, we must admit Kirtanananda was no dummy. He was intelligent and competent in his own right. Kirtanananda also mesmerized experts and attracted a substantial influx of talented individuals, not the least of which is Henry Doktorski.

But Kirtanananda could also mesmerize people who possessed the underlying aptitude to BECOME experts, as devotees learned while doing. Many inmates likely felt Kirtanananda lifted them up and gave their lives meaning; more than one believed it is not possible to be a devotee unless you lived at New Vrindaban. One might even say Kirtanananda was a patron of the arts, including theater, architecture, music, painting, the culinary arts, sculpture, and dance. Kirtanananda could charm and influence a range of different people, perhaps because he was more than one person.

The opening of Prabhupada’s Palace in September 1979 ushered in a seven-year wave of good fortune for the New Vrindaban community. Thousands of visitors reportedly made New Vrindaban the second-most popular tourist attraction in West Virginia. Journalists, reporters, and esteemed individuals including legislators and dignitaries spoke favorably of the Palace and Kirtanananda’s new way of preaching. These accomplishments bolstered his fame and prestige throughout ISKCON—important ISKCON gurus held Kirtanananda in high regard. A large number of Prabhupada disciples accepted sannyasa initiation from Kirtanananda; hundreds of novices aspired to be initiated by him.

When at his peak in the early to mid-1980s, he was idolized for his achievements, despite the fact that he raised money through illegal activities to pay for a Palace built by sacrificing the health and lives of devotees. His highly visible accomplishments made it easier to believe he was a divine being. When an empire is in its golden age, it may seem invincible and indestructible. But it never is, especially in the case of Kirtanananda and New Vrindaban.

I recall a curious incident at the Columbus temple, sometime in the second half of 1993. A bunch of visiting devotees from New Vrindaban were sitting in front of the altar, badmouthing Bhaktipada Kirtanananda. This surprised me because I had seen those same devotees several days earlier, and they had been glorifying Bhaktipada and singing his praises. In fact, in previous conversations, those same devotees had told me I needed to surrender to a guru like Bhaktipada! But now these devotees seemed off-balance, uncertain, and betrayed. They made reference to Bhaktipada’s illicit activities and indicated Radhanath was “disgusted” with him. Again, this surprised me because in 1992, I heard Radhanath speak strongly in support of Bhaktipada during a class at the Columbus Temple.

Even intelligent individuals can fall victim to cult leaders. But a major problem is that Bhaktipada Kirtanananda’s followers convinced other people to join the cult. The victims have victimized other people. This type of religious proselytizing is analogous to spreading a sexually transmitted disease...worse actually. Krishna consciousness is not for everyone because different people are at different stages of evolution. But if an individual claims to be a devotee while rejecting or usurping Srila Prabhupada’s position as the Guru, then he is a danger to himself and a danger to others. Srila Prabhupada lives forever in his books. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krishna.

Suresh Persaud, Ph.D. (Chand Prasad)
December 18, 2021
Maryland, United States
BiodynamicTheology.com

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