10/06/1998 - 2323 (See Related VNN Stories)

Scandal Rocks Russian Hare Krishnas Moscow

Europe (VNN) - from the The San Diego Union-Tribune

Copyright 1998 The San Diego Union-Tribune
 October 02, 1998, Friday
 SECTION: LIFESTYLE Pg. E-5
 LENGTH: 232 words
 HEADLINE: Scandal rocks Russian Hare Krishnas MOSCOW

 SOURCE: Religion News Service

  MOSCOW -- While the world follows the twists and turns of theBill and Monica story, the Hare Krishna community has a high-level sex scandal of its own --complete with a woman namedMonica.

  Harikesa Swami Sri Vishnupad -- former chairman of the HareKrishna movement's international governing body -- prompted thescandal by announcing plans to marry the woman who nursed himthrough what has been alternately described as a coma and abreakdown.

  As a priest who took vows of celibacy, his recent announcementchallenged fundamental Hare Krishna principles and prompted atleast 200 of his followers to break with the main 100,000-memberRussian Hare Krishna community.

  Vishnupad, 49, an American living in Germany whose secularname is Robert Compagnola, was suspended from his post aschairman of the Governing Body Commission (GBC) -- the 35-memberpanel that governs the International Society for KrishnaConsciousness (ISKCON), the formal name of the Hare Krishna movement, a Hindu offshoot. The GBC also revoked his authorityto initiate new disciples.

  In response, Vishnupad quit ISKCON and denounced it as acorrupt "communist" organization interested only in "money,power, buildings and fruitless institutionalization."

  At least 200 of his devotees in Russia, concentrated around atemple in St. Petersburg, have joined him in splitting with themovement.

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