Tulsi Gabbard for President?

Yesterday, I became aware of this video on Facebook in response to a supporter of Tulsi Gabbard’s post. The person who posted it said, “I really really like her …but the whole Hari Krishna connection she has not spoken about…. being Hindu is great lovely way of life…. Hari Krishna movement is a cult…” Of course, he was quickly told, “You’re WAY OFF with this cult BS! Tulsi Gabbard chants Hare Krsna as do millions of people around the world. Hinduism is one of the four major religions of the world by percentage of population. She is also a strict vegetarian who loves and respects people of all religions. . . .”

I am a resident of of Tulsi’s congressional district and a former ISKCON cult leader who can say unequivocally that it is a cult by definition. I left the cult forty-two years ago, work to undermine it, but also went on to do other significant things with my life. Therefore, I could not criticize her for being raised in a splinter cult of ISKCON, and continuing to be devoted as a non-sectarian Hindu, since I continue to be a non-sectarian Radha-Krishna devotee. However, I could never fully support her even though I also like what she says politically better than others, since I didn’t know how she believes now. This video and the next show that she is still a true believer and active with the cult.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZXe70ctGYk> Published on Nov 8, 2015: A message from U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in celebration of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s voyage to America. His Divine Grace is the Founder/Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON – The Hare Krishna Movement).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXmz3n-gVRU> Published on Sep 16, 2016: Many international religious and political leaders honored ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada’s achievements and contributions at a special ISKCON 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Washington D.C. on Tuesday September 13th, 2016. The keynote speaker was U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard.

She mentions her guru, Siddha Swarup Ananda, and if you want to know about him do a web search. She speaks against sectarian violence and lauds the great compassion that her “grandfather guru” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad had when he came to the West to save us fallen dogs. Yet, I was on a morning walk with him in Vrindaban, India, 1974, along with Siddha Swarup and other top ISKCON leaders. This is what Swamiji Prabhupad had to say, and it was recorded with a transcript on the web. This is an excerpt from my autobiography that I wrote partially to expose ISKCON for the cult it is no matter what they tell the public.

On a morning walk in Raman Reti with a group of disciples, Swamiji said, “Just like the Muslims converted people with a sword in one hand and the Koran in the other, we can approach people with the Bhagavad Gita in one hand and a gun in the other. ‘Do you accept Krishna?’ ‘No.’ Pow! Not now, but later when we are more powerful.

“Archye vishnau…when we will teach military art, with tilak, soldiers will chant, ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna…’ (laughter) We want that. Marching with military band, ‘Hare Krishna.’ You maintain this idea. Is it not good?”

Hridayananda, “Yes, Prabhupad.”

Swamiji, “When there will be military march of Krishna conscious soldiers. Anyone who does not believe in Krishna, ‘Blam!’ (laughter) Yes. The same process as the Mohammedans did, with sword and Koran, we’ll have to do that. ‘Do you believe in Krishna or not?’ ‘No, sir.’ Blam! Finished. (laughter,  Swamiji laughs) What do you think, Madhudvisa Maharaj? Is that all right?”

Madhudvisa, “Yes.”

Swamiji laughing, “What these communists can do? We can do better than them. We can kill many communists like that. (laughter) Then it will be counteraction of communist movement. And, you think like that. ‘Why you are sitting idly, no employment? Come on to the field! Take this plow! Take this bull. Go on working. Why you are sitting idly?’ This is Krishna consciousness movement. Nobody should be allowed to sit down and sleep. They must find out some employment, either work as brahmin or as a kshatriya or as a vaishya. Why there should be unemployment?

“The same example. Just like I am, this body is working. The leg is working, hand is working, brain is working, belly is working. Why there should be unemployment? You just stop this unemployment, you will see the whole world is peaceful. There is no complaint. And, they’ll very happily chant Hare Krishna. Hm? Nobody’s working in this field. They’re all drawn to the cities to work in the factory. Condemned civilization. That communist emblem, what is that?”

“Hammer and sickle.”

Swamiji, “Yes. That is good.”

Indian, “Yeah, good.”

Swamiji, “But no hammer. Only this… What is called?”

Devotees: “Sickle.”

Swamiji, “No hammer. That will be our emblem. Only sickle. Not hammer. The hammer has hammered the whole human civilization. So just make a counter-emblem. The communists will appreciate.”

Devotee: “Sickle and tilak.”

Swamiji, “Eh?”

Devotee: “A sickle, and then a tilak.”

Swamiji: “Yes, that is good idea.”

❡

I was there. It was no joke as some claimed! Of course he was smiling and using his cane as a gun, but it was just like he would talk about starting a new temple construction, how to sell more books, or anything else. He used his charm to get us to do things. What kind of teacher tells jokes like that, knowing his students cling to his every word, and that this was being recorded. Of course, most of his disciples were yes men who did not think.

As for me, I was shocked by this. I felt he really crossed the line this time. Yet what could I say? ISKCON had become a militant fundamentalist cult, and I was not alone in my suspicions: hundreds, even thousands of persons went through a similar experience with ISKCON after me. I started looking for a way out. (145-48) An Authentic Life: A Spiritual Autobiography <https://www.radha-krishnaism.org/2012/06/an-authentic-life-free-download/>

ISKCON hitmen have killed people, and one of their gurus served time for conspiracy to commit murder. Their goons came for me, but I was warned and escaped. Tulsi is also a military police officer. Do you really want someone still loyal to a cult like this to be your congress person or worse yet—president? Will they be powerful enough then to implement their plan?

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 11th, 2017 at 7:24 pm and is filed under Jungle Dispatch and tagged with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, ISKCON, Prabhupad, Tulsi Gabbard. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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