namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

[Please find a recent statement of the GBC re. this matter here]

By Ravindra Svarupa dasa

My dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I wish to offer a few remarks in regard to some emails concerning H.H. Radhanatha Swami, Tirtha Prabhu and others.

As some of you may recall, in 1987 the North American GBC decided that, for the protection of Srila Prabhupada’s movement, it should cooperate with the government in its case against Kirtanananda Swami and others. On three occasions, I myself testified in court as a prosecution witness. And I spent some time in consultation with the lead federal prosecutor, Michael Stein.

On several occasions, I was able to observe at first hand the thorough and systematic way the team of prosecution lawyers and FBI agents made their cases not only against Kirtanananda but against many of his lieutenants and foot-soldiers. Some of them, to protect themselves, eventually testified against Kirtanananda. So far as I could see, the government was thorough and relentless.

While it is nice to glorify devotees who are expending an effort trying to please Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, and whenever any discussion centers around who is advanced and who is not, we should bear in mind the following “One has to learn this science of activities in terms of the modes of material nature, otherwise one’s life will be misdirected”.