BY RAMACANDRA DAS
This is a story which had its beginnings many many years
ago. It was told to me by Sudama prabhu who left the planet in 1995. His
leaving was most auspicious with devotees having 24 hour kirtan.
Garlands and Tulasi were placed upon his body and he left to the
chanting of the Holy Name. Immediately upon his departure, an unknown
Indian brahmin
came into the room, looked around, and then left. (It is said that if
someone leaves their body and an unknown brahmin comes to the room, then
that person has gone back home to Godhead.)
I
was Sudama Maharaja's personal servant off-and-on in NYC for five
months in 1975, and I later served him in Badger, CA for two months
before he left his body. During that time, Sudama prabhu revealed to me
something very intensely shocking and distressful.
We
were talking about ISKCON in general, and after some time I then told
Sudama prabhu about a conversation that I had with Satsvarupa Maharaj. I
explained that I told Satsvarupa Maharaj at one point that I felt Srila
Prabupada was my spiritual master. (I joined the movement in 1975, got
the opportunity to see Srila Prabhupada, and I felt a very strong
spiritual
connection with Srila Prabhupada. I was amongst the second group of
disciples to take initiation from Satsvarupa Maharaj in 1978.) Sudama
asked me why it was I didn't get initiated by Srila Prabhupada even
though I was supposed to. After giving Sudama prabhu my explanation, he
angrily answered, (referring to Satsvarupa Maharaj), "He's no guru
anyway." Then he went into the explanation of why he did not feel that
Satsvarupa is a guru.
Sudama
prabhu revealed to me that the day before Srila Prabhupada departed
from us, all of the ISKCON leaders, including Satsvarupa Maharaj, the
other original ISKCON gurus and other leaders met together to discuss
how to divide up the world. Sudama prabhu told me that Tamal Krsna
Maharaj and another sanyasi - whose name I cannot remember - approached
him and said, "There is going to be a meeting in which we are going to
divide up the world. Don't
go anywhere, you should be there." (This was the exact statement used.)
Sudama
prabhu attended the meeting horrified at what he was hearing. Tamal
Krsna started off asking who wants to be guru. Sudama explained that
there was some hesitation and then Romesvara answered, "I do, I do."
Others raised their hands also. Sudama was shocked. Sudama was then
told, "We'll give you Japan and make you a guru later." Sudama prabhu
completely horrified asked, "Srila Prabhupada hasn't even left the
planet yet. How can you be even thinking like this?" Sudama prabhu went
on to say, (speaking to his Godbrothers), "I would rather bloop and
falldown then to commit the sins that you are about to commit." (These
were Sudama prabhu's EXACT words to them as he himself told me.)
After
the meeting, when it was concluded who
was to be guru, Sudama prabhu, (who explained that he was present
throughout the whole meeting), said that Satsvarupa Maharaj then
addressed the assembly: "Before we go back, we had better conclude on
one story to tell all of the devotees. The devotees are very smart, and
if we have different stories, they will know something is wrong."
Satsvarupa
Maharaj along with Tamal Krsna then put together the story that these
leaders would tell the devotees. Satsvarupa Maharaj wrote it all down
and he and Tamal conferred back and forth with the other leaders in
terms of answering all questions to make sure that there were no
"loopholes" - the EXACT word used by Sudama prabhu - in the story, and
that nothing could go wrong.
Sudama
prabhu stayed on to the next day when Srila Prabhupada actually left.
(This
was the day immediately after the meeting in which our GBC leaders
divided up the world.) After Srila Prabhupad left the planet, Sudama
prabhu immediately left the movement, knowing what had transpired in
that meeting, and the material ambition and viciousness of these men.
He could foresee the destruction of the movement.
The
assembled Vaisnavas may be wondering why it is that I never came forth
with this information at an earlier date and am now speaking this out.
The reason why I did not speak up earlier was because of how our guru
and GBC leaders have so much indoctrinated the devotees that I did not
think that anyone would accept this truth. I also have never used a
computer before, and had no opportunity to be able to get this
information out. I am also seeing that the situation in ISKCON has
become so bad that I am feeling COMPELLED to speak out with this truth. I
feel
it is my duty to bring out this truth which was given to me by Sudama
prabhu, for the devotees to hear it, whether they choose to believe it
or not.
Your servant,
Ramacandra Das
this is the same story as my dear late friend Sukama tells plus how he was intimidated and even pushed down the stairs when he supported Prbhupads letter saying he had crooks taking over the movement just prior to his departure. Sukama had to retreat to the backwaters of blooped devotee scene here in south west UK where he died still holding his pain of separation from the temples and the upholding of Prabhupads principles and tattva. Pints of blood for the service of the truth and even whole bodies go in the ruthless sacrifice still going on due to the abhorrence rife in the movement still.
ReplyDeleteSome years after this article came out on VNN, when I met up with Ramacandra, he told me that the other sannyasi was Bhavananda, so it was Tamal and Bhavananda who went together to Sudama. So Bhavananda is the sannyasi being referred to here: "Sudama prabhu told me that Tamal Krsna Maharaj and another sanyasi - whose name I cannot remember..."
ReplyDeleteIf you want to get it confirmed that the other sannyasi was Bhavananda, the story is from Ramacandra who's originally from NYC, was part of Vakreshvara Pandit's NY temple's W55th St enforcer crew, is married to Mahalaksmi Dasi and they're in LA now.