Srila Prabhupada, His Movement & You

Angry Means Defeated

From Bhakta dasa, Bangkok, Thailand
9 March 1994

Dear Das Dasanudas Prabhu:

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!

Yesterday I received five copies of the Every Town & Village. It is so nicely done in all respects. The glorification of Srila Prabhupada is sincere and direct. It carries real potency. Yesterday I also received a copy of the ISKCON Journal from Badrinarayana Prabhu. It is the GBC publication to justify the right of neophyte devotees to accept the position of acharya/spiritual master. Although they quote all Prabhupada’s words, they use those words to promote themselves instead of Srila Prabhupada. Their publication left me feeling numb and disturbed, whereas the “ET&V” left me feeling inspired and full of hope. Really a world of difference.

Hansadutta Prabhu has made so many very excellent arguments. I especially appreciated the comparison with counterfeit money as being very appropriate. While counterfeit money looks quite genuine to the innocent, it is in fact poison, because it carries none of the support of the government. Self-made gurus are just the same.

Prabhupada repeatedly says, “UPON MY ORDER BECOME GURU,” but he never gave the order. He said “Initiate for me.” That simple order was never followed for one minute by anyone, and therefore they are in so many ways disconnected from the pure flow of mercy.

All those who love Prabhupada or at least who recognize that Prabhupada is a direct expansion of either Lord Nityananda or Srimati Radharani see clearly. Others seem to think Prabhupada was just some lucky Indian just like them. Because he plays the role of a humble, fallen soul should not bewilder anyone. We must look at what he did, then his supreme high position is understood.

I have been so busy lately, and my computer has crashed too. So I have not yet begun writing. I think about it all the time, and will get to the task soon, by the Lord’s grace.

Have you heard any news from Bhima? I would love to know what has happened in Mayapur. Hope this finds you in blissful spirits. I remain,

Your servant,
Bhakta dasa

From Das Dasanudas devi dasi,
Singapore
9 March 1994

Dear Hansadutta Maharaja:

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

I have just received a phone call from Bhima. Seems that ISKCON is up in arms against your publications. He had left a stack of magazines with Rasabihari in Loi Bazaar to sell to devotees, but GBC passed out the order to the Krishna Balarama’s temple president to warn Rasabihari that they would be black-listed if they would have anything to do with the sale or distribution of these magazines. So they have withdrawn the magazines from their shelf. At the same time, Rasabihari has been selling and continues to sell other books, such as Sridhar’s group and Krishna Balarama Swami’s nonsense books. But your magazines are too threatening. Lokasaranga Swami also does not dare to distribute. He has been told, since having been seen hanging out with you and the Nam Hatta devotees in Vrindaban last November, that he will be kicked out of India, should it be discovered that he is collaborating. And the Greek-German boy and Sudarshan das (Shyamapriya) refuse to distribute also (they asked Bhima for a donation of 2 lakhs).

Bhima said it looks like he will have to stay on a week longer in order to distribute the magazines. But I suggested to him to let Vrindaranya join him. He agreed, and I have spoken with Vrindaranya about it. He will book his flight for the 17th of March and prepare his visa first. Bhima leaves Vrindaban for Mayapur on the 19th, arriving in Mayapur on the 20th, then returning to Vrindaban on the 25th (arriving 26th).

Note: To become angry means defeat. On July 9, 1975, in Chicago, Srila Prabhupada said, “To become angry means defeat. If two persons are in argument, the man, the one party, he becomes angry, that means he is defeated. Why one should become angry? It is the argument, logic. They should continue. And to become angry and to go away, that means defeat.” Here follows an account of what recently happened to some devotees while distributing Srila Prabhupada, His Movement and You while in India during the Mayapur Festival.

The following is from a devotee in Mayapur who wishes to remain anonymous. It is his reaction to the incident described in the following pages.

Anonymous
28 March 1994, Sri Mayapur

Dear Hansadutta Prabhu:

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

The beating of the Singapore devotees is most deplorable, and I heard from three different sources how disgusting the devotees were when they witnessed the beating that took place. Even the mother of one 16 year old boy told me that her son saw everything, and he approached Mukunda Maharaja, asking him to stop the nonsense, but he didn’t say anything. Of course, the boy lost the little respect and consideration he had for Mukunda. Actually, it is a fact that by their own actions they are killing themselves.

From Das Dasanudas devi das,
Singapore
May, 1994

Dear Hansadutta Maharaja:

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

Here is an account of what happened in Mayapur (Mayapur Festival, 1994):

On the 19th of March (a Sunday) Krishna Lila flew into Calcutta from Singapore and stayed one or two nights at the home of his music teacher there, until Bhima came down from Vrindaban on the 20th to meet him. On Monday, the 21st, the two of them, accompanied by one Indian devotee named Lalu (a resident of Vrindaban and the nephew of a well-known Sanskrit acharya in Vrindaban), took the train down to Mayapur for the day.

This was Krishna Lila’s very first trip to India. It was also his first trial at book distribution.

They arrived at Krishna Nagar (30 km from Mayapur) sometime around 11:30 am. From the train station they took a three-wheeler to Mayapur. The three-wheeler stopped about 100 meters from the front gates of ISKCON, on the main road. Krishna Lila and Lalu got down and immediately entered the compound, slinging their heavy book bags over their shoulders. They went straight to the guest house, slipping magazines under every door and proceeded outside, giving out magazines to everyone they met. They were distributing only to foreigners, not to local devotees. Within ten minutes they had distributed 150 magazines and headed back to the three-wheeler for more. They entered through the gates again and began to give out the magazines.

But when Krishna Lila was passing out the magazines in the prasadam area, the temple commander, Jayaram, came up to him and said, “What are you doing here? You can’t do this. Who gave you permission?” Krishna Lila said, “No, someone at the gate said it’s all right,” and he continued to hand out magazines. Jayaram walked off towards the gate to check it out, but then returned and said they had to go outside. “No, no, you can’t distribute here. Give me, and I’ll distribute for you.” Innocent Krishna Lila gave him a stack of magazines. (Later Jayaram admitted that he had brought the magazines straight to the GBCs to read.) Jayaram told them to go outside to distribute. So Krishna Lila and Lalu went just outside the main gates.

When Krishna Lila had finished giving out all his magazines, he went back to the three-wheeler to get more, and after a few minutes, Bhima and he both walked to the gates, looking for Lalu, but Lalu had apparently gone back inside the compound. Krishna Lila then went down to the river and passed out the rest of the magazines. Bhima waited at the three-wheeler.

Krishna Lila again went to the gates, looking for Lalu, but there was no sign of him, so Krishna Lila entered the gates, went around the guest house and prasadam hall, looking for Lalu. When he came out, Lalu was near the gates, being beaten up by five or six Bengalis. They were slapping him on the face and hitting his chest and back, asking him, “Where is Bhima das? Where is Bhima das?” But Lalu replied, “He’s in Calcutta.” Then they saw Krishna Lila and grabbed him. They began punching on his head, especially on the ear and face, as well as his chest, a few guys going at him all at once. One of the guards brought a stick, and the guy who had been whacking Krishna Lila’s ear took hold of the stick and starting beating his thighs. Krishna Lila tried blocking with his hands, and the stick was beating his fingers. Afterwards, Krishna Lila said that all the while, he did not feel any pain, but saw Srila Prabhupada in his mind. He was chanting, “Krishna! Krishna!” The guy who was beating him with the stick shouted, “Stop! Stop calling Krishna! Stop calling Krishna!” (Later this was to stick out in Krishna Lila’s memory.) These men were all Bengali ISKCON boys. The same guy then asked, “Are you Bhima das?” Krishna Lila retorted, “What! You think Bhima das is so small??”

Meanwhile, the rickshaw drivers saw the commotion from outside the gates and ran towards Bhima, who was waiting by the three-wheeler, unaware of what was going on, but anxious why it was taking Krishna Lila and Lalu so long inside. He was outside the gates, about 100 meters away. The rickshaw drivers came running and shouted in Bengali, “Go to Jog Pith! Go quick! Your friends… beaten… pain… Go! Go! Quick!” But they did not linger, seeing the commotion was spilling out from the gates. Immediately his own driver demanded payment of the fare and left the spot.

Several men came running and grabbed hold of Bhima’s arms and neck and began beating him on the head and pulling him in three different directions—two men on each arm, two from behind. Bhima yanked his left arm free and so doing pulled off someone’s watch. Momentarily they became confused, looking for the watch on the ground.

That’s when the devotee who had been tormenting Krishna Lila came running, screaming from 30 metres away, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ve got a gun! I’ll throw your body in the Ganga, and nobody will know!!” He whipped out a gun from beneath his dhoti and brandished it in Bhima’s face. Everyone was more or less stunned.

Bhima asked, “But what have I done?” The Bengali boy accused, “You’re giving out these magazines!” Bhima said, “But I’m not giving any magazines out. I’ve just arrived here. You can see my bag. I’ve just arrived in the Holy Dham, looking for a place to stay.” The Bengali boy was uncertain, but he ordered Bhima to be brought to the office. So six or seven men all began to drag him, but he said, “Look, you don’t have to drag me like an animal. I’ll go with you.” The Bengali boy signaled to the others, who then let go. At that moment, a Gurukula boy ran up to them and was asking, “What happened? What happened?” They told him, “He’s (Bhima) against Prabhupada.” Bhima picked up his bag and walked with them to the office.

Krishna Lila and Lalu were already in the office, and the temple commander, Jayaram, was questioning them. Jayaram asked, “You people have no permission. Why you are coming and doing this?” Krishna Lila answered, “You gave us permission. You said we can distribute outside the premises. We were outside the gate.” Jayaram said, “No! You can’t do there! I said you can come after the festival.” When Jayaram saw Bhima, he asked, “Who are you? Are you Bhima das?” But Bhima avoided him, saying that he had just arrived in the Holy Dham and had not been distributing magazines. They looked inside his bag, but did not find any magazines. Back and forth, more questions.

Krishna Lila said, “Okay, we’re sorry all this happened. But why you people start beating devotees? You gave us permission, then you people come and beat devotees.” To his surprise, Jayaram then said, “No one beat you!” To the others Jayaram said, “Did anyone beat him?” They all said, “No, no. No one beat them.” That was too much for Krishna Lila. His face, hands, chest and thighs were red, swollen and bleeding. He showed his bleeding hands and thighs to Jayaram. Jayaram backed down a little, saying, “Oh, we’ll call a doctor for you. I’m sorry. There must have been some misunderstanding.” Then one of the Bengali boys present there said, “He (meaning Krishna Lila) beat up one of our devotees, so they beat him up.” Krishna Lila protested, “Who would come to your temple—only three of us—and start to beat up your devotees?” Again Jayaram said, “We’ll call you a doctor.” The Bengali devotee who had pulled out the gun earlier agreed. But Krishna Lila said, “No.” He put his palms together and said, “We’ll be only too glad if you will let us go now.”

Jayaram agreed to let Krishna Lila and Lalu leave. But Lalu could not find his shoes. In the delay, Bhima was held back. He was frightened that someone might recognize him. Just then, the temple president of Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindaban passed right by him, but somehow or other did not take notice of him. Bhima wanted to leave out the back entrance, in order to avoid being seen, but two Bengali boys were assigned to watch him and make sure he did not leave. Just then, Bala das from Mauritius, called out, “Hey Bhima!” However, the Bengali boys did not notice. Bhima spoke to Bala, “Please don’t give me away. There’s been some trouble here. Why don’t you walk with me outside and speak with me.” But Bala said, “Oh…no, no.” And he disappeared. Bhima again tried to walk off, but the Bengali boys became upset, shouting, “No! You can’t go!” So Bhima walked into the office and said to Jayaram, “Look, what’s going on here? Why am I being held?” Jayaram said, “You can go. The others have gone already.” So Bhima started to walk off, but the Bengali boys again stopped him. They were determined to hold him. So Bhima went back into the office and asked Jayaram to call them off. Finally he walked off, out the back entrance and met Krishna Lila and Lalu on the main road.

By that time, it was 1:30 pm. The same three-wheeler brought them back to the train station. All the way to the station, they kept looking back, worried that someone might be following and try to gun them down along the way.

They jumped onto the next train to Calcutta. They found a hotel, bought a new pair of shoes for Lalu, went looking for something to eat, and then Krishna Lila went back to the home of his music teacher, where he stayed another two nights, before flying back to Singapore. Bhima and Lalu stayed two nights in the hotel, then caught the train to Vrindaban.

For nearly two weeks after the incident, Krishna Lila heard continuous ringing in his ear, and his face and body were decorated with cuts and bruises. He told his wife that he had fallen from a train.

The devotees did not go to the police in Mayapur, because it is known that the police have been bought off by ISKCON. They were frightened to be detained for further questioning and then who knows what might have happened. There are stories of what happened to Killan in Vrindaban and others.

When Bhima had left Vrindaban to go to Calcutta, a devotee in Vrindaban had gone to Krishna Balarama Mandir and overheard the Bengali devotees there say, “Oh, so Bhima has gone to Mayapur? He must be dead by now.”

Krishna Lila and Lalu managed to distribute some 350 magazines. Another fifty had been taken by Jayaram, and later another fifty were confiscated. Later Bhima left magazines with several persons in Vrindaban to distribute slowly.