The Infiltration of ISKCON
by Dhanesvara Das
Several years ago while in Prednistrovia, Moldova I met a person who is
highly placed in their KGB who had been coming to the temple and taking an
interest in Krishna consciousness. He invited me to speak at his school for
revolutionaries (Che Guevara is their icon) and I addressed their crowd on
how to have a spiritual revolution, which was broadcast on television.
Prednistrovia is a breakaway republic of Moldova. When the Soviet Union was
breaking up their people voted to stay closely aligned with Russia,
rejecting their affiliation with the mother-country Moldova. A local Russian
military general backed up their efforts resulting in a small war with several thousand deaths. In the
end they maintained their independence from Moldova, despite the fact that
they not officially recognized by other governments (Moldova has two such
republics). When you go there they do not stamp your passport!
The KGB had (has?) a branch called the Fifth Chief Directorate. The job of
these people is to "protect the ideological 'purity' of the Soviet Union".
Their MO is to infiltrate *everybody* (any and all groups) and divert them
from their intended objective in such a way that the people at the lower
ranks of the orgaization, who think they are supporting the original
objective, are actually supporting a hierarchy that has highjacked the group
and taking them *away* from their stated goals. This is confirmed from
several different sources.
Our Prednestrovia KGB friend was trained by the Soviets and knows all the
tricks of the spook trade. In further conversation, after I explained to him
my plans, he asked me how I was going to protect my efforts. He said that
the powers-that-be will not like what I am trying to do with establishing a
spiritual alternative culture. He said "first they will try to destroy you
from the inside by sending an agent within. If that is not successful they
will then make all kinds of bad propaganda against you so that you will lose
the support of all people, causing the effort to fail. And, failing with
that, they will then destroy you physically with the military." Hmm, the
Branch Davidians of Waco Texas came to mind with that statement.
As it turned out, my first endeavor in Ukraine was scuttled from the inside
by a former military man turned devotee. Is he a "former" government employee?
Or is he still with "them"? That is impossible to know. Maybe. Maybe not. Try,
try again, and perhaps we will have better results the next go. *And* we
will be much more careful to protect what we are doing.
There's more to the story.
While on my first trip to Russia I met one of the first Russian devotees,
Vrindavana Dasa, who endured several years in Soviet prison as a prisoner of
conscience. He told me that while in confinement he was told by the KGB that
our movement had been infiltrated by the KGB - from America (New York
specifically) - in the early seventies.
Tapanapunja Dasa also confirmed infiltration by the spooks, also learning while
he was in prison, that the American FBI or CIA, infiltrated our movement -
all the way up to the GBC no less. No, I don't know any names.
Interesting. Can we trust what these people say? After all, the
"intelligence" agents are professional liars. Well, this is confirmed by
even more people.
Niranjana Swami has two disciples in Ukraine who were sent to infiltrate our
movement. After coming in through the bhakta program and learning about
Krishna consciousness they blooped from the KGB, became serious devotees and
were initiated into the sampradaya. Or did they really bloop? Very difficult
to know. But likely they did, otherwise why would they 'out' themselves? It
is likely that these are not the only two sent within our ranks.
We would be totally naive to think that such elements have not infiltrated our
movement, and in many places. Are all of their efforts the same as the Fifth
Chief Directorate? Difficult to know.
On several occasions I have heard devotees here accusing other devotees of
being KGB agents. Especially if the accused have a leadership position and a
track record of doing things that seem to undermine the preaching effort.
The powers-that-be no longer openly oppose us as they did earlier. Doing
that actually makes the "enemy" determined to resist, actually making him
(us) stronger. It is much easier to go inside, and after gaining a position
of authority do things that derail our efforts. Doing something that will
result in a court case, such as engaging in legally unsound practices in
acquiring properties, for example, that are later lost after long and costly
lawsuits; selling properties or otherwise losing them and perhaps running
off with the proceeds; becoming a leader and then blooping discouraging many
followers who had faith in them; perpetrating abuse on younger devotees or
gurukulis, thus destroying their faith; doing other activities such as
hiding underage people from their parents, that lead to a bad reputation,
accusations of being a cult, more lawsuits; not doing things that could be,
should be done, or doing them untimely, etc., etc. We all know the list.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wrote a very penetrating piece on this subject
entitled "Putana" that was published in "The Harmonist" in 1932, part of
which says:
"King Kamsa is the typical aggressive empiricist, ever on the lookout for
the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has
time to develop. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the
transcendent. He is under the delusion that there is no real dividing line
between the material and the spiritual, and is strengthened in this delusion
by the interpretation of scriptures by all the lexicographic interpreters.
The interpretations are upheld by Kamsa as the real scientific explanation
of the scriptures, and is perfectly in keeping with his dread of and
aversion for the transcendental. These lexicographical interpreters are
employed by Kamsa in putting down the first suspected appearance of any
genuine faith in the transcendental. If the empiric domination is to be
preserved in tact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the
transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in
earnest. . . . The church that has the best chance of survival in this
damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism."
(this entire essay is posted on this website here)
This is nothing new. The Srimad Bhagavatam tells several stories of
such infiltration by agents in disguise: Kali in the dress of a king, Indra
disguised as a sannyasi to steal the sacrificial horse from Pritu's
sacrificial arena (Since that time, certain men with a poor fund of
knowledge have adopted the dress of a false sannyasi), and Taksaka disguised
as a brahmana to get close to Pariksit (the snakebird, who could assume any
form he wished, disguised himself as a brahmana, approached the King and bit
him).
Infiltration and misdirection of potent religious movements has happened in
more recent years. Indeed, more than a billion people now follow such a
misdirected effort. It's called Christianity--given that name, not by the
original followers, but by the plant of the Roman establishment who
infiltrated the movement of Jesus and created an impotent version -- the
so-called "saint" Paul. (We provide extensive detail regarding this and compare
the advent of the Eternal Religion in first-century Palestine with the advent
of the Eternal Religion in 20th Century America, the Hare Krishna Movement,
in our "Clash of Civilizations", our book-in-progress that is included on this
website here).
Has, or will, the same thing happen to us? We should use that adage that
Srila Prabhupada so often did--phalena paricyate--judge by the result. Our
movement has suffered so many setbacks from things done on the inside. Were
they all simply well-meaning incompetents? If somebody actually wanted to
destroy what Srila Prabhupada began they couldn't have been more successful
than some of our former leaders. Judging by the result and understanding how
this world really works, we must understand that the Kamsas and Putanas are
not sitting by idly while the Eternal Religion again manifests. They are making
every effort to make it an impotent, hollow shell that may appear to be religion
to the ignorant, but which has lost all of its potency. We must always vigilant to
protect our mission, from all enemies both foreign and "domestic".
(There's yet even more to the story, and that is coming to me soon. Stay tuned for more surprising information)
Several years ago while in Prednistrovia, Moldova I met a person who is
highly placed in their KGB who had been coming to the temple and taking an
interest in Krishna consciousness. He invited me to speak at his school for
revolutionaries (Che Guevara is their icon) and I addressed their crowd on
how to have a spiritual revolution, which was broadcast on television.
Prednistrovia is a breakaway republic of Moldova. When the Soviet Union was
breaking up their people voted to stay closely aligned with Russia,
rejecting their affiliation with the mother-country Moldova. A local Russian
military general backed up their efforts resulting in a small war with several thousand deaths. In the
end they maintained their independence from Moldova, despite the fact that
they not officially recognized by other governments (Moldova has two such
republics). When you go there they do not stamp your passport!
The KGB had (has?) a branch called the Fifth Chief Directorate. The job of
these people is to "protect the ideological 'purity' of the Soviet Union".
Their MO is to infiltrate *everybody* (any and all groups) and divert them
from their intended objective in such a way that the people at the lower
ranks of the orgaization, who think they are supporting the original
objective, are actually supporting a hierarchy that has highjacked the group
and taking them *away* from their stated goals. This is confirmed from
several different sources.
Our Prednestrovia KGB friend was trained by the Soviets and knows all the
tricks of the spook trade. In further conversation, after I explained to him
my plans, he asked me how I was going to protect my efforts. He said that
the powers-that-be will not like what I am trying to do with establishing a
spiritual alternative culture. He said "first they will try to destroy you
from the inside by sending an agent within. If that is not successful they
will then make all kinds of bad propaganda against you so that you will lose
the support of all people, causing the effort to fail. And, failing with
that, they will then destroy you physically with the military." Hmm, the
Branch Davidians of Waco Texas came to mind with that statement.
As it turned out, my first endeavor in Ukraine was scuttled from the inside
by a former military man turned devotee. Is he a "former" government employee?
Or is he still with "them"? That is impossible to know. Maybe. Maybe not. Try,
try again, and perhaps we will have better results the next go. *And* we
will be much more careful to protect what we are doing.
There's more to the story.
While on my first trip to Russia I met one of the first Russian devotees,
Vrindavana Dasa, who endured several years in Soviet prison as a prisoner of
conscience. He told me that while in confinement he was told by the KGB that
our movement had been infiltrated by the KGB - from America (New York
specifically) - in the early seventies.
Tapanapunja Dasa also confirmed infiltration by the spooks, also learning while
he was in prison, that the American FBI or CIA, infiltrated our movement -
all the way up to the GBC no less. No, I don't know any names.
Interesting. Can we trust what these people say? After all, the
"intelligence" agents are professional liars. Well, this is confirmed by
even more people.
Niranjana Swami has two disciples in Ukraine who were sent to infiltrate our
movement. After coming in through the bhakta program and learning about
Krishna consciousness they blooped from the KGB, became serious devotees and
were initiated into the sampradaya. Or did they really bloop? Very difficult
to know. But likely they did, otherwise why would they 'out' themselves? It
is likely that these are not the only two sent within our ranks.
We would be totally naive to think that such elements have not infiltrated our
movement, and in many places. Are all of their efforts the same as the Fifth
Chief Directorate? Difficult to know.
On several occasions I have heard devotees here accusing other devotees of
being KGB agents. Especially if the accused have a leadership position and a
track record of doing things that seem to undermine the preaching effort.
The powers-that-be no longer openly oppose us as they did earlier. Doing
that actually makes the "enemy" determined to resist, actually making him
(us) stronger. It is much easier to go inside, and after gaining a position
of authority do things that derail our efforts. Doing something that will
result in a court case, such as engaging in legally unsound practices in
acquiring properties, for example, that are later lost after long and costly
lawsuits; selling properties or otherwise losing them and perhaps running
off with the proceeds; becoming a leader and then blooping discouraging many
followers who had faith in them; perpetrating abuse on younger devotees or
gurukulis, thus destroying their faith; doing other activities such as
hiding underage people from their parents, that lead to a bad reputation,
accusations of being a cult, more lawsuits; not doing things that could be,
should be done, or doing them untimely, etc., etc. We all know the list.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wrote a very penetrating piece on this subject
entitled "Putana" that was published in "The Harmonist" in 1932, part of
which says:
"King Kamsa is the typical aggressive empiricist, ever on the lookout for
the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has
time to develop. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the
transcendent. He is under the delusion that there is no real dividing line
between the material and the spiritual, and is strengthened in this delusion
by the interpretation of scriptures by all the lexicographic interpreters.
The interpretations are upheld by Kamsa as the real scientific explanation
of the scriptures, and is perfectly in keeping with his dread of and
aversion for the transcendental. These lexicographical interpreters are
employed by Kamsa in putting down the first suspected appearance of any
genuine faith in the transcendental. If the empiric domination is to be
preserved in tact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the
transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in
earnest. . . . The church that has the best chance of survival in this
damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism."
(this entire essay is posted on this website here)
This is nothing new. The Srimad Bhagavatam tells several stories of
such infiltration by agents in disguise: Kali in the dress of a king, Indra
disguised as a sannyasi to steal the sacrificial horse from Pritu's
sacrificial arena (Since that time, certain men with a poor fund of
knowledge have adopted the dress of a false sannyasi), and Taksaka disguised
as a brahmana to get close to Pariksit (the snakebird, who could assume any
form he wished, disguised himself as a brahmana, approached the King and bit
him).
Infiltration and misdirection of potent religious movements has happened in
more recent years. Indeed, more than a billion people now follow such a
misdirected effort. It's called Christianity--given that name, not by the
original followers, but by the plant of the Roman establishment who
infiltrated the movement of Jesus and created an impotent version -- the
so-called "saint" Paul. (We provide extensive detail regarding this and compare
the advent of the Eternal Religion in first-century Palestine with the advent
of the Eternal Religion in 20th Century America, the Hare Krishna Movement,
in our "Clash of Civilizations", our book-in-progress that is included on this
website here).
Has, or will, the same thing happen to us? We should use that adage that
Srila Prabhupada so often did--phalena paricyate--judge by the result. Our
movement has suffered so many setbacks from things done on the inside. Were
they all simply well-meaning incompetents? If somebody actually wanted to
destroy what Srila Prabhupada began they couldn't have been more successful
than some of our former leaders. Judging by the result and understanding how
this world really works, we must understand that the Kamsas and Putanas are
not sitting by idly while the Eternal Religion again manifests. They are making
every effort to make it an impotent, hollow shell that may appear to be religion
to the ignorant, but which has lost all of its potency. We must always vigilant to
protect our mission, from all enemies both foreign and "domestic".
(There's yet even more to the story, and that is coming to me soon. Stay tuned for more surprising information)
