Radhanatha's Magical Mystery Tour
BY: ROCANA DASA
Oct 26, CANADA (SUN) — For the last several weeks, we have been preparing to launch a series of articles on the subject of Radhanath Swami's new book: The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami. Today we begin the series with an overview of the book and comments on some of the philosophical issues raised by the Swami's publication of his autobiography. We are now facing what will become one of the biggest challenges to manifest in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON movement. The phenomenon might well be called 'creeping gradualism' – it is yet another form of asiddhantic deviation that is slowly but surely infecting our society.
Over the last few years, we've been focusing on Satsvarupa's Lilamrta, and I've written many articles which demonstrate how we're approaching that issue. Today, in the form of Radhanath Swami's new book, we can see the trends that were unfolding in the Lilamrta now vividly and dramatically manifest in The Journey Home.
In the case of Satsvarupa's Lilamrta, he was writing under the authorization of the GBC, supposedly producing an "authorized biography" of Srila Prabhupada and a glorification of our Founder-Acarya. Unfortunately, because the Lilamrta was not written in a proper manner and did not follow our tradition of Vaisnava literature, the book opened the door to a plethora of other literatures written by devotees, which ostensibly glorify Srila Prabhupada. I won't list them all here, but you will find these books at Ratha Yatras and in temple bookshops, and often showcased over and above Srila Prabhupada's own books in the BBT catalog website at Krishna.com.
In most of the memoirs, travelogues and diary style books written by the devotees, they are glorifying Srila Prabhupada by telling their own story, seen through the lens of ISKCON's history. While a closer examination of these books may be done at some point in the future, there are two particular books in the genre that represent a significant decline away from the standards of Vaisnava literature: The Black Lotus by Bhakti Tirtha Swami, and the just released autobiography by Radhanath Swami, The Journey Home.
Neither the Lilamrta, The Black Lotus or The Journey Home are like any other books found in our Sampradaya's history. We don't find such biographies written even by the Six Goswamis or Narottama das Thakur. The biographical narratives that are written, such as the Caitanya-caritamrta and Caitanya Bhagavat, are written to describe Sri Krsna's pastimes and thus, they are in an entirely different category. Now the reader may think that point is obvious, and it's therefore unimportant to draw such a distinction. But unfortunately, we find that there are subtle, and even pointed comparisons made along these lines by authors like Satyaraja dasa (Steven J. Rose) and Radhanath Swami, who would have the reader believe that their books are written in the mood of Vaisnava literature.
For example, we find that Satyaraja dasa, author of The Black Lotus, offers two references by way of a rationale for the non-traditional phenomenon of a contemporary Vaisnava swami arranging for the writing of his own biography. His rationale is contained in his Introduction to The Black Lotus. To justify the book, he cites a passage from "Brihat Bhagawatamrta", Part II, Sri Goloka Mahatmya - The Glory of Gokula, by none other than Srila Sanatana Goswami. Satyaraja dasa writes:
"One last point: Some readers might question the propriety, or even the need, of telling Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s life story, and they may wonder why he would encourage such an enterprise, as he does in the Foreword. After all, a Vaishnava is characterized by his humility, and a humble person would naturally be disinclined to have others focus on the details of his or her life. And this is certainly true. Indeed, there is a saying that, “for the Vaishnava, self praise is as good as death.” Still, there is a caveat, an exception, when the writing of one’s own biography—or the willingness to allow another to do so—would not only be approved but enthusiastically endorsed. This exception manifests when the story has a purpose larger than itself, when one’s life might convey the truths of Krishna Consciousness. The medieval Vaishnava text Brihat Bhagavatamrita (2.1.107-109), written by the sage Sanatana Goswami, makes this clear when it describes the value of autobiographical narrative, saying that, at times, there is no literary device as effective in explaining spiritual reality."
Following are the actual verses from Brihat Bhagavatamrita that Satyaraja dasa refers to, which he feels somehow provide an authorization from the highest source – the Six Goswamis – for the writing of such self-motivated biographies:
106 "There is no goal other than pure love, which mocks the four goals of life and conquers the Lord's lotus feet.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami explains that the four goals of life are material piety, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation.
107 Therefore to enlighten him and remove his doubts I will tell all of my own story.
108 Although the great souls think a person would not speak his own glories, there is not another story that will be good for him.
109 Thinking in this way, the very experienced cowherd boy turned to the brahmana and, as a sage speaking the Puranas to a company of sages, began to tell of his own experience."
Srila Santana Goswami was instructed by Lord Caitanya to write this Brihat Bhagawatamrta, which sets down all the tenets of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, in story form. The first part narrates the adventures of Narada, and the second part narrates the adventures of Gopa-kumara. In the passage above, the cowherd boy Gopa-Kumara is preparing to share his mind on "very confidential topics".
It's also interesting to note that in this regard, Sanatana Goswami quotes Devala Muni's definition of a sage:
"A sage is one who is celibate, very austere, who eats little, controls his senses, speaks the truth, and has the power both to curse and to forgive."
If we consider the exalted spiritual qualifications of Gopa-kumara and try to apply these credentials to the author of The Black Lotus, or to Radhanath Swami as the author of his own biography -- or to any others who claim to be sages amongst the ISKCON leaders, for that matter – we find there's very little resemblance.
So Gopa-kumara is not setting out to tell the mundane details of his own life story. He's really talking about Krsna, telling His boyhood pastimes as they should be told.
110 "The cowherd boy Gopa-kumara said: For this there are many histories in the scriptures. Still, as I remember, I will tell the story of my own life and what I experienced in ecstatic trance.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami explains that the word "moha" means "what I experienced in the trance of love for the Lord" and "adi" means "and other very confidential topics".
1112 O best of brahmanas, I, the young son of a vaisya cowherd of Govardhana Hill, accompanied by young friends, tend my cows on Govardhana, the Yamuna's shore, here in Vrndavana forest, and in the circle of Mathura…"
So we can see that this reference to Srila Sanatana's Brihat Bhagawatamrta, and Gopa-kumara's telling of his transcendental pastimes with Sri Krsna have nothing at all to do with either Bhakti Tirtha Swami's arrangements to hire an author to produce his own biography, or with Radhanath Swami's writing his autobiography.
Satyaraja dasa offers a second reference as support for the notion that The Black Lotus is somehow an authorized piece of Vaisnava literature. He states that Tamal Krishna Goswami was told by Srila Prabhupada that it would be beneficial for them to write the Lilamrta, and that he wanted Satsvarupa to write it. Again, from his Introduction to The Black Lotus, Satyaraja writes:
"This was also seen in the final pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s own spiritual master. When, in 1977, Srila Prabhupada was preparing to leave his mortal frame, his then secretary, Tamal Krishna Goswami, expressed his belief that the world could be further enlightened by Prabhupada’s life story. His divine master agreed, explicitly stating who his biographer should be (Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami) and enumerating various childhood stories that might be included in the text. So Prabhupada’s own example shows that a Vaishnava could endorse his own biography, at least if the story might serve the greater good of humankind.
Bhakti Tirtha Swami, similarly, saw his life in terms of what it could do for his fellow human beings, how it could be used to enlighten and instruct. In this spirit, he came to the conclusion that his story should be told, and that I should be the one who tells it."
Now in all my years in the movement, this is the first time I've ever heard this. Presumably this statement is made in something that Tamal Krishna wrote, perhaps in his own book. But those who have historical memory and personal experience from that era will tend to doubt this statement. It was not common knowledge at the time, and it is not what was preached at the time, even at the launch of the Lilamrta. Now suddenly, many decades later, this surfaces as a definitive authorization. Of course, Tamal Krishna Goswami's statement can't be vetted because he has left his body. If Satyaraja dasa would be so kind as to provide the audio tape of Srila Prabhupada making this statement, I will stand corrected.
So these are the merits of the two forms of so-called 'authorization' that Satyaraja dasa puts forth to justify the phenomenon of writing a book such as The Black Lotus. Now the reader may ask, what does this have to do with the writing of Radhanath Swami's book? What connection is there between these two books?
In answer, let us explain the circumstances under which we happened to come by a copy of Radhanath Swami's "The Journey Home. Just this summer, my wife attended the Vancouver Ratha Yatra. There, she saw my godbrother Apurva dasa with a book table, selling Radhanath Swami's book. Wishing to buy a copy she stepped up, to hear Apurva's very enthusiastic pitch for the book. Said he:
"You're going to LOVE this book! It's just super-excellent. Devotees around the world are just raving about it. You'd just better make sure that when you pick this book up to read it, you're well rested, because you're not going to be able to put it down! It's so good, you won't be able to sleep until you've finished it!!"
Jahnava replied, "Well, it's a little unusual, isn't it, for a contemporary Swami to write his own biography, or self-glorification?"
Apurva prabhu quickly flipped open the book, and went straight to page 342. Pointing his finger directly at the paragraph, he said, "Well Radhanath has given the answer to that, right here!" (Apurva had obviously heard this question before.) In an Author's Note at the close of the book, Radhanath Swami explains how he attended Bhakti Tirtha Swami on his deathbed. He writes:
"Nobody knew me better than Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He knew the details of my quest and also my hesitation to write about them. One day he clasped my hand, gazed into my eyes and said, "This is not your story. It is a tale about how God led a young boy onto an amazing journey to seek the inner secrets that lie within all of us. Don’t' be miserly. Share what has been given to you." His voice choked up and a tear streaked down his ebony cheek. "Promise me", he said, "here on my deathbed, that you will write the story." A few days later, on June 27, 2005, he passed from this world. This book is my attempt to honor his wish."
According to Apurva dasa, Radhanath Swami did not write The Journey Home out of false ego or a desire to promote himself. Rather, he was ordered, or beseeched, by Bhakti Tirtha Swami to write the book… Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Radhanath's old friend from the days of their serving together under Kirtanananda Swami at New Vrindaban… Bhakti Tirtha Swami, who it just happens had paid Satyaraja dasa, just before his death, to have his own biography written along similar lines. And apparently, somehow or other in the minds of Apurva and many other followers, this is almost as good as Krsna coming down and appearing before you, giving you an instruction. What if Bhakti Tirtha Swami had made other less favorable requests of Radhanath? Would Radhanath have complied, simply because it was a 'deathbed wish'? Where would he draw line?
In fact, we have only Radhanatha Swami's word about the actual details of this fateful conversation with Bhakti Tirtha Swami. If it transpired as the author claims, was it Bhakti Tirtha's intention that this "journey" version of the story should focus solely and only on Radhanath’s pre-Prabhupada life? Most bona fide biographies on great saints contain only a brief mention of their lives prior to coming in contact with the teachings and practice of the Sampradaya they were initiated into. Even The Black Lotus, although unbonafide, isn’t based on the same premise as Radhanatha’s book: pre-initiation into our glorious Sampradaya.
Interestingly enough, both authors have the same 'black hole' in their personal history, namely Kirtanananda, aka Bhaktipada, the founder-acarya of New Vrindaban and the original pioneer of the Zonal Acarya system. Many of Radhanath and Bhakti Tirtha's unique preaching methods are reminiscent of Kirtanananda's far-out ideas for promoting 'ecumenical acceptance'.
We should also keep in mind Bhakti Tirtha Swami's legacy as an author. For a number of years his writings were the focus of a great deal of attention, and he was the recipient of much critical commentary, even from GBC members, for what can only be described as the very 'tinfoil' writings in his Spiritual Warrior book series. These were fictional "preaching" books in which the Swami wrote about UFOs, Atlantis, Mu, Alien overlords, and satanic rituals. The Swami claimed that he was writing such material to appeal to a certain segment of the population who believe in those things. His uninformed readers were left to assume, unfortunately, that ISKCON itself promotes such ideas and preaching strategies.
It is important for us to consider Bhakti Tirtha Swami's motivation for pressuring Radhanath Swami to write his own book – making him swear it, as a deathbed promise! Is it possible that Bhakti Tirtha Swami had some concerns that in the years following his departure, there might be further criticism of the fact that he had again broken with Vaisnava tradition by paying to have his own biography written, just as he was preparing to leave his body? We can imagine that he might have found it comforting to know that his good friend Radhanath Swami – currently ISKCON's most popular Swami -- was going to follow suit and write his own non-traditional book of self-glorification. Perhaps it would help take the heat off Bhakti Tirtha for being a pioneer in this regard. It's speculation, of course, but a very plausible scenario.
Given the great concern for the very untraditional writings of Bhakti Tirtha Swami, we should also consider the long-term value of such books. While they are still being promoted by his followers to some degree, we don’t see them so much on Ratha Yatra book tables anymore. The only other means of distributing them, as far as we can tell, is online, through websites maintained by the Swami's disciples. But what are the actual preaching results from these books – either the Spiritual Warrior series, or the biography? Is there any evidence that by reading his books, people have experienced a change in the direction of their lives, away from the mundane, and towards Krsna consciousness?
We see no evidence that circumstances have improved in the temples in Bhakti Tirtha Swami's zones. Even today, we are seeing reports in the Sun about Gita Nagari, where local leaders are said to be threatening to remove the Deities from the altar, or let Tulasi Devi die because there is no money to support the temple's maintenance. So how many of Bhakti Tirtha's books are being sold to support the preaching zones he, and now his disciples, are responsible for?
These questions deserve an answer, because this was the justification for his writing these books in the first place -- "It's for the preaching, prabhu." These books were intended to inspire and enliven the devotees and newcomers. In other words, Srila Prabhupada's books are not good enough for neophytes to start reading. The Absolute philosophy presented by the undeniable Sampradaya Acaryas is not good enough. According to Bhakti Tirtha Swami, and now Radhanath Swami, neophytes need to begin their "journey" by being captivated and absorbed in autobiographical stories such as The Black Lotus and The Journey Home.
We know it's a sastric truism that less intelligent people are more attracted to historical stories than to straight, absolute philosophy. Lord Sri Krsna, through His absolute empowered writers, has woven His philosophy into various bona fide historical narratives, which feature none other than The Supreme Personality. Books such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana were designed by God to spiritually assist the sudras and the women, and other Kaliyuga victims to make advancement in Krsna Consciousness. Of course, our recent Sampradaya Acaryas focused primarily on Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta, and the Bhagavatam contains just the philosophical highlights of the many pastimes and stories that are featured.
So we have to question the value of modern biographical books such as those written by Radhanatha and Bhakti Tirtha Swamis. Are they more or less beneficial to the preaching than the books emphasized by the Acaryas of our Sampradaya?
In fact, these fanciful narrations are the whitewashed, sanitized, official versions coming from the Radhanatha and Bhakti Tirtha camps, filled with their true believers. The Black Lotus was penned by Satyaraja dasa, but we can be sure that he did not include anything too controversial that would upset Bhakti Tirtha's disciples, although there was certainly plenty of available material in that vein he could have used to round out the story. The living author and financially subsidized writer, Steven Rosen, wanted the readers to become fellow followers of the Swami's living supporters. To achieve that end, he carefully omitted aspects of the story that would cast the Swami in too negative a light. In New-age speak, both Bhakti Tirtha Swami and Radhanath Swami are depicted as the "hero" in their respective books – heroic personalities with special, extra-ordinary mystical personalities.
But in truth, both of the central characters were born into mellecha families, which meant they were fed meat throughout their childhood life, which was devoid of Krsna consciousness. They obtained their so-called education in karmi schools, and associated with karmis throughout their formative years. It was only due to the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, through his bona fide representative, Srila Prabhupada, that these "heroes" were benedicted with Lord Caitanya's mercy. The floodgates of love of God were opened wide by Mahaprabhu in the manner in which he brought Krsna consciousness to the western world. At the crucial moment of coming in contact with that causeless mercy, the true seeker's existence becomes auspicious, and remains so for as long as the adherent maintains that mentality. But what happened prior to that merciful event in the soul's destiny remains very inauspicious. It is not that once one is exposed to Krsna Consciousness and takes up Lord Caitanya's sankirtana banner, that retroactively, all one's past misdeeds transform into pious, auspicious actions. No, that is not our philosophy.
For all the devotees, the challenge is to humbly accept the inauspicious aspects of one’s previous life: our parents, impious birth, mleccha upbringing, nationality, and illusory educational and professional achievements. If the soul had not been blessed with Lord Caitanya's causeless mercy, which in our case meant contacting an absolutely pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada, we would have carried on in the life we'd been living. Certainly we would all have continued to be distracted into some variety of maya. But in Radhanath Swami's book, he is basically telling us that this philosophical principle simply doesn’t apply to him.
Both The Journey Home and The Black Lotus are crafted to make the reader assume that these personalities had been born into very pious families, and their auspicious birth somehow made them special and qualified. It was not due to Lord Caitanya's causeless mercy. In their case, they somehow possessed a high degree of the prerequisite "pious credits", compared to the many other participants in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON lila. As such, their stories deserve special attention, and biographical “transcendental” books about them should be published and widely distributed.
Clearly, Radhanath Swami thinks he is some kind of special. On page 319 (hardback edition), he is describing his thoughts as he considered taking initiation from Srila Prabhupada. He writes:
"Can I really remain faithful to my guru's teachings? There are endless temptations in the world. To disgrace him would be an unthinkable act of ingratitude. And, too, though I am coming to respect them, his Western disciples are so different from me. Can I live among them? I have great faith in him, but little in myself. Am I honestly qualified to be his disciple?"
On one hand, Radhanath says that he is unqualified, unsurrendered, has little faith in himself. On the other hand, he refers to Srila Prabhupada's Western disciples as being "so different" from him, and he is only just "coming to respect them". Now if the Western disciples were different insofar as they were far more advanced, more qualified, more surrendered, then one would think Radhanath would naturally respect them. But he says he is only "coming to respect them", which is akin to saying they are progressively earning his respect. And if that's the case, what Radhanath is telling us here is that he is different – special – and a cut above the other disciples, who he has not yet developed real respect for, and isn't sure he can live with. Either this is a piece of poor writing (in which case it would seem that the paid editor was asleep at the wheel), or Radhanath is letting us know that he's special. Of course, the fact that he's even written this book says that, from cover to cover.
At a book signing that Steven Rosen did at East West Books in New York when the Black Lotus was first released, he made a rather shocking remark:
"The audience wanted to know about his [Bhakti Tirtha's] teacher. "Who gave him this profound wisdom and inspired in him such a passion for God?" This enabled me to explain Srila Prabhupada and his mission.
"There is a lesson here for ritviks," I thought to myself. Ritviks often criticize projects such as Black Lotus in the following way: "Why are you focusing on someone like Bhakti Tirtha Swami when you should be glorifying Srila Prabhupada?" What such people don't realize, however, is that by glorifying personalities like Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja, we ARE glorifying Srila Prabhupada. Part of Prabhupada's greatness is that he is able to create exalted devotees like Maharaja. Otherwise, Prabhupada would be impotent. Indeed, this is the unspoken implication of ritvik philosophy: If no one but Prabhupada is worthy of glorification, then Prabhupada himself didn't accomplish his end, which was to make others into great devotees. Thus, Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja's very existence is glorification of Srila Prabhupada!"
"Impotent". A very heavy word to use in this context – and this is a writer, a scholar, a devotee who's written dozens of books. He's chosen the word "impotent". He is suggesting that the only way we can prove that Srila Prabhupada isn't impotent is that he spawned these exceptional souls like Bhakti Tirtha Swami, and now Radhanath Swami.
In fact, Srila Prabhupada achieved all his wonderful results due to being the bonafide Sampradaya Acarya. His many books, and all his other accomplishments in themselves demonstrate that Srila Prabhupada is far from “impotent”. Srila Prabhupada was empowered to transform complete neophytes, with no spiritual qualifications, some of whom accomplished great things in his name. Whomever and whatever Lord Sri Krsna provided, Srila Prabhupada used in His service. Some of these helpers appeared on the surface to be relatively big, compared to other followers of Srila Prabhupada. But Srila Prabhupada and our Vaisnava philosophy clearly point out that the devotee sweeping the floor is on the same level as the one on the altar, directly caring for the Deities. In our society there are no designations of "big" devotees compared to "small" devotees. But these books project the impression that history has revealed a special class of disciples. The story is told by the humble super hero, with the help of their paid professional editors and ghost writers.
Radhanath Swami has now stepped onto the slippery slope that Bhakti Tirtha Swami slid down. Unlike Bhakti Tirtha, however, Radhanath Swami has authored his own "pre-samadhi" personal lila story. Unquestionably, the style mirrors his usual 'storytelling' preaching style. This method of entertaining/preaching has resulted in getting him name, fame, and followers. The problem, however, lies in the reality that this "mood" is absolutely the antithesis of how Srila Prabhupada preached, what to speak of the previous Sampradaya Acaryas.
Consider the intensity and seriousness of Srila Prabhupada's message, both before his arrival in America, and after. He was seriously preaching in India prior to his arrival. What appears superficially to be a lack of success, which resulted in his 'need' to journey on an old freighter arriving penniless and ill, is actually Sri Krsna's arrangements for his pure devotee. Unfortunately, books like the Lilamrta have entirely bewildered many devotees in this regard.
Radhanath Swami is now preaching in Mumbai to the same class of people that Srila Prabhupada preached to in India, but unlike Srila Prabhupada, Radhanath appears to be having so much success in recruiting, training and engaging all the local inhabitants. Reportedly, his followers provide substantial financial resources, compared to Srila Prabhupada, who could not attract even enough money in India to buy a plane ticket to America. However, Srila Prabhupada was uncompromising in his pure preaching, being on the topmost level as a Sampradaya Acarya. His preaching style is, in itself, our philosophy. The straightforward, unadulterated Absolute Truth. Many today prefer to be entertained by Radhanath Swami's sweet stories, which are enjoyable, but don’t challenge the listeners like Srila Prabhupada's heavy preaching does. So the apparent results of the preaching must be understood in this way. There is a vast difference between those who support entertainment and pleasurable katha, and those who are pressed into Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's service, and into true surrender to Sri Krsna, by getting handed the straight, heavy Truth.
Unfortunately, Srila Prabhupada is now being eclipsed, to a degree, by Swamis like Radhanath and Bhakti Tirtha. With the arrival of their new books, Srila Prabhupada's own books have gotten less attention, not more. This is evidenced by taking a journey into cyberspace, to the Krishna.com website. This ISKCON site is supposedly representing Srila Prabhupada's BBT, but we find all sorts of books for sale there, many of which get more prominent billing than Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
Today when we click on the 'Books' link at Krishna.com, what do we find? Radhanath Swami's new book, top column center. Of the ten main listings below his book, we find none of Srila Prabhupada's original books. Instead we have various new compilations, Radhanath and friends in Bangladesh, Indradyumna Swami's travelogue, the Puranas, art, and other devotee works. Bhagavad-gita As It Is is relegated to being one of many links in a navigation sidebar. Elsewhere, we find Tamal Krishna Goswami's novel, Yoga for the New Millennium, which was published by Srila Prabhupada's BBT. The paperback edition is now selling for $2.95… or not. Meanwhile, we understand that Satyaraja dasa is busy working on a new devotee biography – for our recently departed godbrother, Sridhar Swami.
One might ask why the GBC and BBT leaders authorized the BBT to publish Tamal Krishna Goswami's book, what to speak of the authorized distribution within ISKCON temples of all the non-Srila Prabhupada books being sold on Krishna.com. It's interesting to note that Radhanath Swami did not get, and perhaps did not seek, permission to have the BBT publish his book. Instead, he cut a publishing deal with Mandala Press, owned by the notable Ram dasa (Rauol Goff). Mandala has become well known for producing fantastic, high end 'coffee table' books for the rich and famous, environmental group fund raisers and so on, along with a line of devotional books.
It would be interesting to know why Radhanath went to Mandala instead of the BBT, Gita Nagari Press, or the many other Indian presses that are considered "ISKCON friendly". Ram dasa is a Vaisnava devotee, make no mistake, but his Sampradaya roots are firmly planted in the Matha of his departed guru, HH Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja, whose mission is now being carried forward by HH Bodhaya Maharaja, his successor and the guru of Ram dasa's wife.
For many years now, the GBC and ISKCON leadership have frowned upon, and even written Bylaws forbidding their loyal members from cooperating, associating, and fraternizing with the Gaudiya Matha camp. At one point, Mandala offered to work with the BBT, wishing to print a high quality deluxe edition of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and distribute it widely. The BBT/GBC refused this offer, however, although it is seemingly impossible for them to accomplish the same task at this point themselves. So on one hand we have the BBT refusing to utilize Ram dasa's expertise and facility to propagate Srila Prabhupada's book, and instead that facility is being used in Radhanath's service.
The reality is that in many temples today, newcomers are just as likely to be presented with Hridayananda's Mahabharata as they are with Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Or perhaps they'll be encouraged to first buy the Lilamrta, or the new book of Radhanath Swami, glorifying himself.
Keep in mind that throughout the early phase of ISKCON, the devotees and disciples had only a few books written by Srila Prabhupada. In the early 70’s when we started traveling to India, Srila Prabhupada told us not to buy any other Vaisnava books, mainly provided by his godbrothers. His books were more than sufficient, was the crystal clear message.
Now it may be true that today, in order for Radhanath Swami to recruit the masses to participate in his version of a Krsna conscious religion, the "church" needs to proliferate story books such as The Journey Home. But we have to remember that most followers have a limited amount of free time in which to read books, and any free time that is diverted into reading the self-promotional spiritual primers written by the swamis and gurus is time not spent reading the Sampradaya Acarya's books. What to speak of the fact that uninformed readers are likely to perceive these biographic books as being like sastric literature.
In modern ISKCON, glorification of Srila Prabhupada has practically been limited to him being introduced as the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. In most ISKCON establishments today, newcomers are primarily encouraged to put their focus on the local guru. Radhanatha Swami is the Zonal Acarya of Chowpatty/Mumbai. Many newcomers will now surely be encouraged to first read his pre-Prabhupada pastime novel before they ever pick-up one of Srila Prabhupada's books. Aside from the fact that this practice is against our tradition, it establishes in the mind of the reader an initial perception of Srila Prabhupada that is contaminated. And you don't have a second chance to make a first impression.
These so-called biographies have now set an extremely dangerous precedent. Anyone can now follow in the footprints of Bhakti Tirtha and Radhanath Swamis, and write their own 'spiritual biography'. All the early disciples who carry fantasy stories around in their minds from the period before they surrendered to join Srila Prabhupada now have an open invitation – authorized and condoned by the GBC – to find themselves a ghost writer or hire an editor, and commit to writing all their remembrances of the so-called mystical experiences that eventually led them to Krsna Consciousness. If you have the cash to pay for a professional editor, you could even hire Kria Ryan, the female editor that Radhanath Swami engaged. She’ll listen to your story, take your raw material, oral or written, pictures and mementoes, and help you produce a first-class saleable product. She will help you to produce a well polished version of your own personalized memoirs: "How I came to Krsna Consciousness."
Of course, in Radhanath's mental flashback depiction of his glorious past there is relatively little mention of Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON. The final full-size photo in his book of Srila Prabhupada, and his final story about how, when and where he came in contact with Srila Prabhupada, represents a very small percentage of the book. That's understandable, given that beginning at the point of Radhanath Swami's ISKCON career, there are many witnesses to the events that actually transpired during his long years under Kirtanananda at New Vrindaban. When it comes to the stories of historical events that took place in Radhanath's early life, on the other hand, it is unfortunately very difficult to get confirmation of what transpired.
What we do find in the book, however, is the truth of the matter -- that Radhanath had a difficult time surrendering to become Srila Prabhupada’s disciple. It seems that he suffered a degree of spiritual contamination on account of having previously surrendered to Mayavadis like Baba Ram dasa, Neem Karoli Baba, Swami Satchidananada, J Krsnamurti, and so on. While his association with these renowned impersonalist preachers may help him to sell books, it does little to allay our concerns about the asiddhantic philosophical foundation of Radhanath's early spiritual life.
Ultimately, the most amazing aspect of this book publishing event is that we're not hearing a peep from any of the members. No comments or criticism have been forthcoming from the elite, scholarly, brahminical members of ISKCON's GBC or BBT. Absolutely nothing is being heard but outward praise from ISKCON authorities and devotees alike. The obvious fact that ISKCON and the Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada are hardly even mentioned in the book doesn't seem to agitate their minds at all. Perhaps they assume that in a few years, Radhanath Swami will publish Volume II – The West Virginia Years. I would suggest, however, that we not hold our breath, waiting for that book to launch.
While all is quiet on the ISKCON front, we did find it very interesting to read the book review of The Journey Home written by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. (Society of Jesuits) of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He writes for America, the national Catholic weekly digest. Father Clooney received a copy of the book, with a request for him to review it. He kindly wrote an appraisal of the book, and some of his comments are extremely interesting.
By his remarks, it is apparent that Father Clooney is knowledgeable about the Hare Krsna Movement. One of the first things he noticed about The Journey Home was the absence of references to Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON society. Clooney wrote:
"Radhanath seems deliberately — in the preface, on the cover — to be quiet about the fact that he is a swami in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Hare Krishnas. Not that he hides the fact, since the climax of the book is after all his encounter with A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, charismatic founder of ISKCON."
This subtle criticism was softened by subsequent statements. When asked to review the book, Father Clooney said that he had declined to do an academic review because:
"…it would be difficult to describe and assess for an academic journal so vivid a first-person account".
He went on to say:
"…the book is documentary in a way, and one would also have to draw on the skills of an investigative reporter to report responsibly on what we read."
So here the reviewer is affirming what we have previously stated – that it would be very difficult to actually verify the details of the stories Radhanath puts forth in his book as being the truth. We are simply left to accept his word for it, which is unfortunate when someone is writing a self-glorification piece like this.
Clooney writes:
"It is certainly an interesting story, the spiritual journey of one Richard Slavin who, born in 1950 in Chicago in a Jewish family, goes on a pilgrimage through India when he is about 19 — one among many seekers who went to India in the 1960s and 1970s. His trip was most eventful and he had numerous adventures that are strikingly and entertainingly recounted in the book: large animals, unfriendly policemen, dubious and saintly teachers, exotic spiritual sites, robberies, mishaps on the road, friendships made and lost."
Through it all Radhanath discovered the spiritual path he has followed since then:
"The photographs in the book make all this clear, reminding us of a series of gurus and swamis such as Swami Rama (founder of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga), J. Krishnamurti (wise man, teacher, writer), and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (who guided the Beatles, among others). He is also pictured with Mother Teresa in one photo, and with the Dalai Lama in another."
Of course, the reader has to wait until the very end of the book to discover that Radhanath finally became a guru, sannyasis and GBC in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON.
To our mind, and apparently from Clooney's perspective as well, a similar book could have been written by many young seekers about their search for God. Many devotees in the same age group have stories of being young, absorbed in the hippie lifestyle, and eager to experience the mystic (or something like it). Every spirit soul is a unique individual, and their childhood pastimes seem interesting to them, the individual who went through those experiences. And many people, devotees included, believe that their pastimes also deserve to be shared with the world.
As this Catholic seminarian points out, Radhanath was just one of thousands of Americans, Canadians, Europeans, whoever, who journeyed to India during the 70's, when the borders were still open, and they had whatever pastimes or experiences they had.
Radhanath ends his story by mercifully coming into contact with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is a nitya-siddha, liberated from birth, but in Radhanath's case, he inadvertently explains how it took him a long time to surrender, apparently because he'd become so contaminated by Mayavadi philosophers like Maharishi Mahesh Yoga, Swami Satchitananda, and Baba Rama Das. They're all impersonalists, and they obviously contaminated him.
The end result of his exotic travels was auspicious only because he came to Srila Prabhupada. It is not due to this sentimental nonsense conception that Radhanath is special, and the end result was his destiny from birth, regardless of the many inauspicious activities and circumstances that indicate otherwise: eating the flesh of mother cow, born into a non-devotee family, living in one of the most hellish places on the planet, the City of Chicago.
When I first became a devotee in the early 70's, before Radhanath joined, it was frowned upon for the devotees to engage in frivolous talk in the asrama on topics like our past activities before coming to ISKCON. Such talk was considered maya, and was emphatically discouraged. But now that the popular Swami Radhanath has published his autobiography, we can expect more books of this sort from big ISKCON leaders, who are undoubtedly anxious to inform the world about their glorious pre-Krsna Conscious pastimes. We can only wonder if Radhanath Swami will forbid his brahmacari disciples from sitting around the Chowpatty asrama, talking about their past material existence.
While Radhanath Swami likes to think he's just an ordinary, humble devotee trying to be a Vaisnava (as he so often states), his writing this book demonstrates just how much maya he is in. Genuinely advanced devotees do not perceive themselves as deserving nor worthy of a book of self-glorification. The lame excuse Satyaraja dasa came up with to justify Bhakti Tirtha Swami's biography is nothing but a misinterpretation of a very unambiguous passage from sastra. And in fact, there is no excuse for Radhanath Swami to have written this book.
When did we see Srila Prabhupada sitting around, telling the stories of his life? What do we know about his wife, other than she liked to drink tea? Or his children? We heard a little more about his father, only insofar as it helps us to understand Srila Prabhupada's own auspicious beginning. Yet Radhanath Swami has no qualms about spending his time, and Srila Prabhupada's money on a book of his own self-glorification… because 'Bhakti Tirtha Swami made me promise.'
And consider the effort it takes to write a book of this kind! All these anecdotal stories, the precise details of what he was thinking and how he felt while all these experiences unfolded. Either Radhanath had to concentrate on remembering this detailed history, or all the mundane details were right there, in the forefront of his mind, because he's been thinking of them all along. That, or he's been holding onto his travel diaries. Either way, to churn through all that material, even with the help of a paid editor, would be considered a very painful process by a truly advanced devotee. Having to remember all the mundane details would be a great imposition – so much so, that an advanced devotee would never write about such mundane topics, let alone in such a mood of self-glorification. To do so would simply take one away from the very pressing work of distributing Lord Caitanya's mercy to the fallen conditioned souls, which in Radhanath's case should mean distributing Srila Prabhupada's books.
