"Do The Right Thing," Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada Lecture (June 25, 2004)

After serving some eight years in federal prison, Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada was released from the Butner North Carolina Correctional Complex on June 4, 2004. Some of his disciples picked him up in a van and drove him to New York City, to his 25 First Avenue temple, the Interfaith Sanctuary, where he was greeted by about fifty disciples and well wishers, including myself. After visiting for about 24 hours, I returned to my home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On June 19th I wrote my former spiritual master a long letter, encouraging him to admit that he had offended many devotees (his godbrothers, especially Chakradhari and Sulochan who were murdered, and gurukula boys whom he had sexually abused) and should apologize. (See henrydoktorski.com/Gold_Guns_God/Vol10Letter061920…) Apparently my letter had some merit, as he admitted some faults during Srimad-Bhagavatam class on June 25th: “For making mistakes. For criticizing unjustly. For not always being truthful. For not always being a completely pure sannyasi.” During his class Bhaktipada quoted a good portion (but not all) of my letter. The next day Bhaktipada also posted a letter of apology on the Internet at www.bhaktipada.net/ in which he admitted “that I have offended many Vaishnavas, and have even broken the regulative principles.” Reactions to his apology was mixed. As expected, his disciples glorified him for his deep humility, but ISKCON devotees remained skeptical, as they believed he had apologized too little and too late. In addition, he had not fulfilled the requirements given by the Association for the Protection of Vaishnava Children. Did Bhaktipada’s apology have any value? Was it worth anything? To those with Narcissistic Personality Disorder forgiveness is a calculation made when the evidence stacks up so strongly against the narcissist that he begins to lose his narcissistic supply, such as disciples, followers, popular acclaim, etc. When gas lighting (a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in his victims’ minds to gain power and control over others by distorting reality and forcing them to question their own judgment and intuition) no longer works, when apologies are far too long overdue, then and only then will an apology be offered. The apology is calculated to cut losses and is self-serving. However, the apology itself is an act of narcissism. It is a conditional apology, a faux apology, an apology which is barely one in form only, what to speak of substance or humble motivation. Bhaktipada was sorry for “not being perfect.” This is no apology at all. The narcissist believes his apology will be embraced by his disciples and followers, and the idea that it would be received with incredulity or skepticism does not cross his mind. The narcissist is a highly skilled manipulator and is expert at grooming his victims. Grooming is what an abuser does to build a relationship, trust and emotional connection with his victims so he can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. Bhaktipada was expert at grooming gurukula boys in order to abuse them sexually. Bhaktipada groomed his disciples and followers in exactly the same way, in order to procure their loyalty, devotion, money and time. Factually, Bhaktipada’s disciples and followers embraced his apology. They saw not a sociopathic narcissist attempting to cut his losses, but a great soul exhibiting symptoms of true humility. In any case, his apology did not remain for long on his website; it was removed within a few months, as I recall. All this and more will appear in Volume 10 of "Gold, Guns and God." henrydoktorski.com/Gold_Guns_God/Vol10.html The tape speed on my cassette player must be slower than the original recording, as Bhaktipada's voice is deeper and slower than usual. I was unable to figure out how to increase the speed slightly to compensate. Photos of Swami Bhaktipada were taken by me during a March 2008 visit to New York City. For more about Swami Bhaktipada, see Henry Doktorski's 10-volume biography: "Gold, Guns and God--Swami Bhaktipada and the West Virginia Hare Krishnas." www.amazon.com/stores/Henry-Doktorski/author/B07B4…