Bhakti Tirtha Swami – Serpents with Silver Tongues

Bhakti Tirtha Swami, aka. John Favours, Ghanasyama, Swami Krsnapada

Serpents with Silver Tongues

BY: KUTAMUDGARA DAS

Mar 11, 2011 — AFRICA (SUN) — There is an old saying that when the self-motivated do something that is good, they are condemned for it. And when a good person does something that is condemnable, he is praised. Bali Maharaja offered everything to Lord Vishnu and yet became bound. Lord Shiva drank his fill of halahala poison and yet became honored as the saviour of the world.

These were the wry thoughts that came to mind when I read about the usurer Romapada Swami’s investigation of Bhakti Tirtha Swami (“Romapada Swami Tries to Discredit Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja“). Finally, I chuckled, a GBC member did something right — and yet for that he became condemned. Obviously, however, the Romapada investigation had not proceeded with any sort of fervor, or Bhakti Tirtha would have been unmasked and defrocked in short order. But the GBC was so typically limp and lifeless during “Shrila Krishnapada’s” tyrannical reign in Africa and America (where he introduced a fondness for third-genderism), that they were not even able stop him from using his very own Pad Squad name, a practice that they had disallowed years earlier. 

In her article, “The Pot Calling the Kettle Black“, B. Radha Govinda’s voice is like a helpless call from the wilderness. It is a lonely entreaty from a Vaishnavi who has been seriously wronged. For over a decade she has issued her fervent pleas about the late quasi-swami’s enormous amounts of self-adoration culminating in illicit sexual affairs. Bhakti Tirtha’s abuses of Krishna’s devotees were always wrapped in a shroud of mundane compassion and friendly charisma. We have no reason to disbelieve B Radha Govinda devi — for it is seldom the outspoken who speak falsely, but most often the silver-tongued, whose fangs are masked behind a beaming grin.

Quiet investigation which holds confidential information on “the competition” and threatens to expose them, paralleled by an eager acquisition of wealth, are the politician’s means of keeping the power in their hands. Entire governments are run that way, and there are those on the GBC who follow suit. Therefore we do not applaud Romapada’s investigation into Bhakti Tirtha anymore than we salute a usurer swami’s get-rich-quick schemes based around loan sharking.

Had sincere research against Shrila Krishnapad been carried out by the GBC in earnest, then some proper action would have been taken to curb the Black Lotus’s obvious deviations. Any casual observer could have seen that here was another narcissistic swami out of control, one whose pretended selflessness and world compassion was really nothing other than self-love. Had there been a proper inquiry into this supposed representative of ISKCON — a man who reveled in adorning himself like some Africa potentate — then perhaps the devotees of Liberia might be alive today.

This is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Tridandi sannyasi? How much investigation did the GBC need
to recognise narcissism based upon sex desire written all over one of their own good old boys

An investigation of Bhakti Tirtha should have begun by reading his multi-volume set of jumbled self-adoration and mental speculation, Spiritual Warrior. The title’s suggestion is that the book is a quasi-autobiography of someone who sees himself as a spiritual warrior. Mr. Truth campaigns to heal the world. Is not the very heading Spiritual Warrior a tip-off of the author’s personal ambition? And Bhakti Tirtha lays it on thick. On the cover is the picture of Arjuna with his bow, which is evidentially how Bhakti Tirtha saw himself. But it is a picture of Arjuna not in battle, but at the swayamvara of Draupadi. Why a sannyasi identifies with this pastime is better understood by reading B. Radha Govinda’s illuminating article — or listening to his rants.

Believe it or not, Bhakti Tirtha’s useless verbiage can still be heard on ISKCON websites. Listen to a reading of “Sex and the Leadership Crisis”, “Lust, Sex and Leadership”, “Misused Sexuality”, “Cause of Misdirected Sexual Energy”, “Other Esoteric Aspects of Sexuality”, “The Power of Sexual Energy”, “Sexual Energy and Peace”, “Subtle Sex” “Sex is Sacred”, “Sexuality in Marriage”. And all that is just from one volume. Obviously, this was a man obsessed, just as B. Radha-Govinda alleges from her own observations spanning several years.

Self-adornment is the weakness of one who has fallen victim to sex desire, and that is why a true sannyasi finds decoration of a dead body as repugnant to all sensibilities. Yet while sermonizing about the divine nature of copulation, an activity that even cats and dogs enjoy, Bhakti Tirtha was always decked out to the hilt, replete with the de rigueur gold chain.

ISKCON authorities still revel in the hollow, valueless tomes of Bhakti Tirtha Swami as though they are some new age holy grail. To this day his books are still touted on ISKCON websites, though sales are few. In the days before the Internet he contributed to the ISKCON Newspaper, ISKCON World Review, and thereby dominated each flimsy issue with a puff piece article alongside each advertisement for each successive volume. But any sincere devotee who has not caved into the self-righteous popes of the GBC and who reads Spiritual Warrior sees what a mish-mash of hodge-podge they are. These books would have upset Srila Prabhupada immensely, and that is precisely why devotees of the ilk of Bhakti Tirtha waited for the departure of His Divine Grace to begin pulling the wool over the eyes of the rest of the society.

A warm hug, interfaith in action

Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s exercises in interfaith and pretended compassion, which stand written in oblique contradiction to the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, can be heard on www. ISKCONmedia.com.

As a footnote, we who speak truthfully are called envious when we speak out against the official injustices perpetrated by the GBC against the devotees who actually believe in the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. We are accused of a longing for their positions of imagined power, and are told that we ourselves were not given such posts because our commitment does not equal theirs. A candid man is roundly condemned by the insiders. And serpents with silver tongues are glorified when Krishna consciousness takes flight.

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Investigation Requested

BY: B. RADHA-GOVINDA

Mar 12, 2011 — USA (SUN) — Thank you Kutamudgara prabhu – whoever you are – for having the guts to write what you did in regards to Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s activities and character. (I wish other devotees who have come to me with their Bhakti Tirtha stories, would come forth and write their experiences, rather than telling me, since other than giving some counsel, I can’t write your stories.)

And thank you for submitting your pictures of “Srila Krsnapada’s” clothing. It never ceases to amaze me that devotees simply accept and even glorified Bhakti Tirtha’s wearing such clothing, which made very obvious where his consciousness was really at. It’s one thing to wear an appropriate type of non-devotee dress in a country where wearing devotional garb can bring danger to that devotee, but I’m sure Kutamudgara prabhu can assure readers, as I can, that there was no necessity whatsoever for “Srila Krsnapada” to wear this kind of clothing anywhere in Africa. Other than the heavy Islamic countries – where Bhakti Tirtha did not preach – there was no need to give up devotee garb, and in his particular case, the sannyasa dress.

By the way, does anyone have the picture of Bhakti Tirtha wearing the leopard – or was it cheetah? – outfit, in which he looked like “Tarzan”? One devotee years back showed me an issue of ISKCON World Review or Hare Krsna World, in which this picture appeared. I was told the picture was also used on a poster to advertise Bhakti Tirtha’s coming to Detroit to lecture.

Before getting on to the main part of this article, since Kutamudgara mentioned, “where he introduced a fondness for third-genderism,” I might add that for all the years I served in Africa under Kutamudgara, he was extremely homophobic. Why he presented himself differently was either that he really changed, or because he was the type of person who, in his own insecurity – thus, his subsequent narcissism and desire to control – “had” to get everyone to accept and/or follow him. In such desire, he would “play any (and practically every) side of the fence” that suited his purposes. Thus, when homosexuality became either more accepted or talked about within ISKCON, it became Bhakti Tirtha’s necessity of demand upon himself to take (or at least express) a much different stand than what had been his own thinking for years.

Before any Deity, including Salagram-sila, I will say that Bhakti Tirtha had made very negative comments to me while I was serving under his GBC jurisdiction regarding homosexuality in general, certain individual gay ISKCON leaders, and in regards to various gay ISKCON leaders as a group, Bhakti Tirtha referred to them as being, “a bunch of f__king homosexuals.” (This included, along with other specific comments made about him, his sannyas guru and “pal”, Kirtanananda.)

Although given some “hint” by Ravindra Svarupa in the 1990s, I was not really aware in that decade that besides other things, the GBC did know of at least some of Bhakti Tirtha’s sexual and other improprieties. In fact, ask Sivarama Maharaj, who was the GBC Chairman at that particular time – Bhakti Tirtha had put forth a proposal that the GBC make a GBC resolution that ISKCON sannyasis (not grhasthas, but sannyasis), “be allowed to have sex once a month.” (I’m not!!! kidding. I found this out in 2005 from a Godbrother who as a very good personal friend of Sivarama Swami’s. Sivarama Maharaj had told this to him in conjunction with his trying to find out certain things regarding Bhakti Tirtha, including their speaking about Bhakti Tirtha ‘s level of sanity and/or lack of it. I will state this before any Deity and Srila Prabhupada, what this Godbrother told me regarding Bhakti Tirtha’s asking Sivarama Maharaj that such a resolution be made by the GBC. This was also told to me by some other devotees who I met up with in later years.

Beginning 1991, I sent written evidence to members of the then ISKCON Ministry of Justice, (Avirama, Ganapati Swami, and I can’t remember the name of the third person now), regarding Bhakti Tirtha’s direct responsibility in the murders of these devotees who were killed on September 13, 1990. NOTHING was addressed at that time, nor was it addressed at a later date, when after my being pressured for some months by Bhakti Vikasa Swami, I wrote to Bhakti Caitanya Swami (the then Chairman of the GBC), asking that an investigation be made in these regards.

From August (or September) 2003, Bhakti Vikasa Swami started emailing me, through to January 2004, putting pressure on me to bring it up again to the GBC, his specifically telling me to “request the GBC CEO to do an investigation into BT Swami regarding Hladini prabhu’s murder.” No one ever seemed to be too concerned, or concerned at all – maybe devotees didn’t know about the fact that other African devotees were also killed. All these devotees were sent to Liberia while a horrific coup was going on, and Bhakti Tirtha was in full knowledge of the coup, which started December 24, 1989, yet he purposefully arranged that these devotees go there. (There are more details, but I’m choosing to not go into them now.)

Bhakti Vikasa and I had various email exchanges in this regard, my explaining why I felt there was no point in my writing as he was pressuring me to do; why I felt it would be “wasted time and effort” on my part, that the GBC would do nothing, and that it would “only cause me extra trouble” – which it did. I also told Bhakti Vikasa that I knew Bhakti Caitanya Swami was himself dishonest, my giving Bhakti Vikasa the details of what I knew in this regard. I told Bhakti Vikasa Swami that I had tried to address the issue to the GBC at the time when it happened, explained that I had presented evidence and that despite this, the whole issue was totally ignored. Thus my feeling and explaining to Bhakti Vikasa Swami that I felt there would be no point in trying to ask for such an address now.

After Bhakti Vikasa Maharaj continued pressuring me, I finally agreed that I would email Bhakti Caitanya Swami (with blind CCs to both Bhakti Vikasa and Braja Bihari, Braja Bihari’s being involved at this time, his being ISKCON’s “ombudsman” – a useless person, simply placed by the GBC to make devotees think the GBC “would do something to address devotee issues,” when in actuality they would not, other than to ignore or obfuscate).

Needless to say, nothing was done, other than my finding out that Bhakti Caitanya Swami was sending my emails to “Srila Krsnapada.” I did not know at the time Bhakti Vikasa was writing to me, but found out later that he had his own personal “vendetta”/enmity with Bhakti Tirtha, and due to this, was using me. (Funny B. Vikasa Maharaj, how you pretended in the presence of other devotees that you “didn’t know” me when you came to Alachua, our having met in 1999 in Columbus Ohio, and later, the “series” of emails exchanged, which you initiated…)

Continuing with Kutamudgara’s words, “An investigation of Bhakti Tirtha should have begun…”

Actually, an investigation of Bhakti Tirtha should have begun in 1991, when the evidence regarding what happened in Liberia was presented…

But going back to your words regarding the picture Bhakti Tirtha chose for his book:

“The title’s suggestion is that the book is a quasi-autobiography of someone who sees himself as a spiritual warrior. Mr. Truth campaigns to heal the world. Is not the very heading Spiritual Warrior a tip-off of the author’s personal ambition? And Bhakti Tirtha lays it on thick. On the cover is the picture of Arjuna with his bow, which is evidentially how Bhakti Tirtha saw himself. But it is a picture of Arjuna not in battle, but at the swayamvara of Draupadi. Why a sannyasi identifies with this pastime is better understood by reading B. Radha Govinda’s illuminating article — or listening to his rants.”

Let me explain:

Bhakti Tirtha (using your word) “identifies” himself with this pastime as opposed to the warrior pastimes of Arjuna, because in actuality, Bhakti Tirtha, in so many ways, was a coward! Besides other examples I can give, on one occasion Bhakti Tirtha called me (in Nairobi) to come to his office to physically “deal with” an Indian gentleman named Shanti, who had come to see Bhakti Tirtha. Shanti (no intention of an oxymoron) in his upset with Bhakti Tirtha, said some words BT “was not appreciative of,” so Bhakti Tirtha called for me…

In Nigeria, Bhakti Tirtha would call for me to take out of his room this or that insect, especially the “flying dates” (big cockroaches, the size of dates), because of his being so afraid of such “creepy crawlers.” He was totally paranoid of mice and rats as well. Bhakti Tirtha insisted that I put them in my hand (ugh!!!) to take them out, as opposed to my “escorting” them out by foot, because he wanted to make 100% sure that I definitely had them (in hand) and was taking them out!

A spiritual warrior will make all efforts in trying to conquer over their material desires. This includes material lust, envy, anger, greed, pride, desire to control others, desire for name, fame, profit, adoration, distinction and gain. A spiritual warrior understands that s/he is not the body.

You mention:

“Obviously, this was a man obsessed, just as B. Radha-Govinda alleges from her own observations spanning several years.”

Yes, Bhakti Tirtha was very obsessed with himself, and did not appreciate if someone else wasn’t obsessed with him. Your assessment of his psychological frame of mind, regarding his wearing the particular style of clothing he did, is also correct, and as you said, “These books would have upset Srila Prabhupada immensely.” So would Bhakti Tirtha’s clothing, and his “off” mentality that made him wear those clothes, this mentality extending itself in other directions or forms of expression.

You wrote:

“There is an old saying that when the self-motivated do something that is good, they are condemned for it. And when a good person does something that is condemnable, he is praised.” Let me end here with something Srila Prabhupada quoted: sach bale tomare lutha jutha jagat mohaye: “When one tells lies, everyone is enchanted, but when one tells the truth, s/he is beaten with sticks.” As truthfulness is the last leg of Dharma, being broken more and more as Kali goes on, we can see that in speaking the truth, we are often condemned and sometime even killed for doing so. May I also point readers to Srila Prabhupada’s words in His BG 10.4 purport regarding “Asammoha, Ksama, and Satyam.”

I have only this one disagreement with your words written in your article, “the late quasi-swami’s enormous amounts of self-adoration culminating in illicit sexual affairs.” I would have written, “…culminating in murder.”

Your servant,

B. Radha- Govinda
Hare Krsna

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http://www.harekrsna.org/gbc/black/bhaktitirtha.htm