© 1999 VNN
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AMERICAS April 2, 1999 VNN3489 Hridayananda Maharaja AMERICAS, Apr 2 (VNN) — Some VNN readers have requested that VNN publish the reply by Brahmatirtha das, as published on CHAKRA, to a recent story on VNN. Please find both articles below: Hridayananda Maharaja By Brahmatirtha das I read with utter disgust and amazement the article on VNN about Hridayananada Maharaja, which was full of lies and half-truths. What has the society of Vaisnavas come to that such garbage is posted publicly without any etiquette or consideration of fact? Some examples: - Hridayananda Maharaja's car is a four-year old $20,000 Ford. Not one penny of Bharata Hills money was used to buy it. - The Institute for Vaisnava Studies was never kicked out of the GTU - in fact the university just gave IVS a major grant. - Hridayananda Maharaja was invited to Bangalore and postponed his trip at Madhu Pandits convenience. - Hridayananda Maharaja certainly has a full Ph.D from Harvard - I attended the graduation ceremony! I could go on and on and on pointing out the gross defects in this article, which also failed to mention Maharaja's many achievements of preaching etc. While he, like all of us, regrets many things he may have done, this cruel and untrue garbage is completely uncalled for and is exactly what Srila Prabhupada said to avoid (first offense in chanting). My question is - does the person who wrote this have the honor to tell us who he is and retract the many untruths? I do not know who "afn6551" is, only that it is a non-working e-mail address. So please reveal yourself and discuss this matter like a gentleman or lady. I am curious if I get a response. Your servant, Brahmatirtha das Following is the original article published on VNN by an apparent IRG member. The IRG later distanced itself from the article and the article was retracted on request by the IRG: South America Update Dear Prabhus, accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. I just called the Miami ISKCON temple and I was informed that Kesava Swami and Hridayananda Swami are going to Bangalore to fight the Ritviks. The Miami temple doesn't have enough money to pay the bills and yet this is the 3rd time in 3 months that Kesava Swami has been to India! Hridayananda Swami has lost 100 disciples in Mexico to Govinda Maharaja, 6 temples in Brazil have closed. It seems also that Hridayananda Swami is bluffing regards having a Ph.D.. It appears that he only has a diploma from a side course at the university. He is also reported to have said that Hindi is a low class language. He is also very famous for insulting every country he goes to. He has said that South America mean Sudra America and the Mexicans are low class. In Brazil he had built a home with a big swimming pool for $100,000 then he did not like the design so he gave it up and he has done the same in Alachua and California. In Miami he has had hours & hours of conversations with Devamrita dd. He left for some time and returned to a big party at Devamrita's place here in Alachua. Another of Hridayananda Swami's pastimes was in Mayapura. Srila Prabhupada was walking down the stairs (at that time their were no women in the building) and this woman was walking up the stairs. So Prabhupada asked where she was going. So she said to Hridayananda Swami's room. Srila Prabhupada called for Hridayananda Swami and asked for an explanation. Hridayananda Swami said to Prabhupada that he didn't understand, Prabhupada replied that he may not understand, but it was still wrong and he should not do it! Due to his mismanagement the Gaudiya Matha has taken over in South America (5 temples were lost in Colombia.) He lives like a playboy in Beverly Hills with a car which costs $100,000. The Bharata Hill Skp (15 devotees & 4 vans) which traveled all over USA for 2 years (independently of the GBC) doing really well was closed down and all the top sankirtan devotees were sent to college! They were collecting for Hridayananda Swami's program at the GTU [Theological dep. at Berkley Univ.] which was a total failure since they were kicked out from there and told not to come back. He has destroyed many disciples' lives. Comment on this Story | Contact VNN regarding this Story
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