Umapati Swami's Request: "Get the Hell Out of My Life"

My dear Navadvipchandra das,

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I normally do not answer crank letters, but I will make an exception in your case.

You ought to get your facts straight. After I left New Vrindaban, I openly repudiated Kirtanananda on more than one occasion. I even wrote an eight-page letter that was circulated all over the movement. Unfortunately, I no longer have a copy of it.

I never accepted Kirtanananda as God. I defy you to show me any statement I ever made accepting him as such. When he started deviating philosophically, I opposed him in front of everyone there. The reason I wore the monk's robes, though only for a short period, was that someone I trusted told me there was an old letter from Srila Prabhupada saying that if it would help the preaching, the devotees could wear robes like Vivekananda.

"All glories to you Bhaktipada" was simply a translation of the normal pranam prayer so his disciples could recite it in English. And the prayer says that he is the servant of Lord Krishna, not Krishna himself. The pranam to Srila Prabhupada was also translated into English.

it was Kirtanananda who awarded sannyasa to Tirtha, although I performed the ceremony. The stories of Kirtanananda's sexual misconduct came out long after I left New Vrindaban. When that happened, Tirtha rejected him and testified against him in court. Tirtha also wrote a letter to the GBC renouncing all claims to the title of sannyasi.

I did not see any evidence of sexual misconduct on the part of Kirtanananda while I lived at New Vrindaban.

After I left New Vrindaban, I cooperated with the Los Angeles police in the investigation into the murder of Sulocan, and I was a witness for the prosecution in Tirtha's trial and in Kirtanananda's trial, although I had no firsthand knowledge of the crime.

As far as my being a jet-setter with a credit card, well what is wrong with that? A sannyasi is supposed to travel, isn't he? Do you expect me to walk across the Pacific? Srila Prabhupada also flew, and although he did not have a credit card, someone still had to pay for the tickets.

Concerning the article about JonBenet, Srila Prabhupada wanted devotees to write Krishna-conscious comments on the news, and I intend to write more. If you don't like what I write, don't bother reading my blog. No one else has complained about this article.

I have never in my life been part of any homosexual-freedom movement. I don't know where you got that one from.

I do find it disgusting, though, that people like you delight in harping on Kirtanananda's problems while conveniently ignoring all the help he gave to many devotees. There are many devotees active in our movement today that were helped by Kirtanananda when they had nowhere else to go and were ready to leave.

Oh well, I guess I should expect it. Srila Prabhupada says that bees go for honey, but flies go for open sores.

I hope this answers your questions. Now please get the hell out of my life and stay out.

Umapati Swami

(Keywords: ISKCON, Hare Krishna)