Reply To Recent Allegations
BY: TEJAPRAKASH DASA
Jun 07, 2011 — USA (SUN) — I recently became aware of the posting on Sampradaya Sun of serious allegations concerning misappropriation of funds in Hawaii while I was managing there. These are serious allegations and it's very disturbing how things can be published based on hearsay, without any facts or proof. The allegations are not new to me. I have tolerated these allegations for many years now. On the advice of some well-wishing Godbrothers I am finally replying to these allegations.
I managed the Hawaii temple from around the end of 2003 until the Autumn of 2008. Anyone that is familiar with the Hawaii temple knows that it has a history of being plagued with politics. Now, the same individuals who caused problems for my wife and I are doing the same thing to Vatsala and his good wife. They are very sincere, sober minded devotees with so much to offer the temple. It's a real shame that these politics are allowed to continue. The politics always seem to originate and spread from the same small group of two or three devotees.
As for the financial allegations, Sura dasa, the BBT accountant for many years, came to Hawaii on two occasions to audit our books. He scrutinized ISKCON Hawaii's accounts for 4 days on each visit and concluded that everything was in order. He wrote a letter with his findings of each visit to the then GBC of Hawaii HG Ravindra Svarupa dasa with his conclusion. His letters are posted at the end of this article.
In the same post I was also accused of banning devotees, specifically Govinda dasi, Daiva, Sundarananada, Adi dev and Haricakra. My aim of this letter is not to fault find and create Vaisnava aparadha. For the sake of not offending devotees I will not get into any details here. I pray the need will not arise but if it does, I will post another letter with more specifics and clarification. I pray this explanation will suffice. I have affection for all these devotees and am sorry for whatever transpired then. Please note that all decisions regarding all of these devotees were made by a group of dedicated (some very senior) devotees. Some decisions I may not have even agreed with but went with what the group decided as a whole.
Govinda dasi is a very special devotee. We were on very friendly terms but it changed immediately after I became the President. To this day I do not know why she started to target me. It got to the point where we decided as a group that it would be best to temporarily restrict her from coming to the temple. Again, without getting into details it was unanimously agreed upon. A letter was drafted and signed by five or six devotees asking her not to come to the temple for a short amount of time. I think it was for only three months or so. That was the only restriction we as a group asked her to comply with. After the initial period she was welcome to come to the temple anytime she desired.
It was a similar situation with Daiva dasa. He was causing dissension and politics and restricting him was also short term and decided by our council of devotees. It turned into a longer period because his situation intensified greatly.
Haricakra dasa and Adi dev dasa were living in the temple when I assumed management. They were collecting money in Waikiki and living at the temple. When I took over they agreed to give a certain quota every month and also agreed to give books out. Over the course of my managing there I was advised emphatically on a number of occasions by my GBC HG Ravindra Svarupa prabhu, HG Vaiseseka prabhu, HG Vijaya prabhu and also HG Suresvara prabhu that their collecting activities should stop. There were other significant problems that became manifest while they were living in the temple. Both Vaiseseka and Vijaya prabhus tried to train them to distribute books in an ethical way, but they refused. Their collection tactics burn the tourists out. Often times the tourist go and complain to the police. When they were asked to stop collecting they started a campaign to have me removed as President. Again, on account of their dissension and politics a group of around ten devotees decided that they would have to completely stop their collecting and be restricted from visiting the temple for 3-6 months. Sudarananda dasa was also restricted at this same meeting for some of the above reasons. I hope this brings some clarification.
Sura dasa's Conclusions:
7/8/07
Dear Rabindra Svarupa Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As per your request I came to ISKCON Hawaii for 4 days to check over the bookkeeping and accounts. Upon arriving on the 4th I looked over all the boxes with accounts from 2000 to 2003 and found some receipts of expenditures, cancelled checks, check ledgers, bank deposits, bank statements, and cash receipts. It appears that for those years there were no reports of Income/Expenditure, Assets/Liabilities, and Trial Balance, only the daily ledgers. There was no way to check those years of accounting without reports. I would have had to enter all the checking and receipts from scratch. Therefore there is no way to understand what happened during those years. Upon checking over the accounts from 2004-2007 we found receipt of expenditures, cancelled checks, check ledger, bank deposits, bank statements, cash receipts along with Income/Expenditure reports, Balance Sheet (Assets/Liabilities), and Trial Balance, all entered on the Quicken and Quick Books Programs. I was able to go through 2006 and 2007 with a fine toothcomb and actually reconstructed the last quarter of 2006 in order to get a detailed understanding of the systems used by the Temple. I found that the expenditures matched with receipts and checks and the income receipts also matched identical to the deposits. We reconciled the checking accounts (6 accounts total) for October, November and December of 2006 and found them to match the bank correctly. The 2006 yearly report and 5 months of 2007 matched the bank statements and ledgers properly and we found no evidence of any funds misappropriated or leaking out somewhere. Everything was accounted for during this 1½-year period and is very satisfactory and professional. Because I only had time for a 4-day stay, we were not able to go over 2004 and 2005 very rigorously and have made an appointment with Teja Prabhu to come back in 4-8 weeks for another 4 days to complete the work. At BBT we have been through 3 routine State Audits and 5 routine (yet very rigorous) internal audits, over the 20 years that I did the bookkeeping at BBT. I have so far found 2006 and 2007 to be on the honest and professional level that we at BBT have kept up over the years.
On a personal note I was quite pleasantly surprised to see the ISKCON Hawaii property in such good shape (after not being here in 15 years), and the Deities being worshipped so nicely. I was especially enlivened by the huge UH campus prasadam distribution and new restaurant downtown that are going on in a very regular fashion. Other temples around America should learn the art of mass prasadam distribution from Teja. If you need to talk with me you can reach me at or call .
I hope you are well, your servant,
Sura dasa
10/9/2007
Dear Rabindra Svarup Prabhu,
PAMHO, AGTSP!
Recently I have come back from the 2nd visit to Honolulu ISKCON and worked with Teja Prakash Prabhu and Maitreya Prabhu on the bookkeeping for the temple for 2004, 2005, and 2006. We went over all the supporting documentation for those years, including income receipts and invoices/bills/payments. Everything seems to be in order at this time. The Profit/Loss Statements, Balance Sheets, and Trial Balance, were printed for every year and matched to the bank statements several boxes full of supporting documentation, which is now organized. In my humble opinion, their books are in order and should be able to stand up to any type of scrutiny. If all the temples in North American ISKCON had their documentation organized and supported like Honolulu, I think we would be in good shape. Teja Prabhu has asked me to come back in January to help with 2007, which Maitreya Prabhu seems to be doing a very good job on.
Let me know if I may render any other service,
ys, Suradasa
