Testimonial by Param D.D.



Testimonial by Param Devi Dasi (Chile)

It's not something I want to write about because it's been hard for me to find inspiration to do it, I've also been afraid of reprisals because I have a little baby, but in sorority to my sisters and in honor of justice I'm going to tell my truth. Those who know me can confirm that I sincerely believed in the Vaisnava ideals and that I loved the gurus as a dog loves its owner.

I served for 14 years mainly in Chile, in a certain occasion I sought refuge in GM and he invited me to India, that's where it happened... I'm going to tell you as it is, GM called me to go to his side, I approached to hear him face to face and he very big-eyed with his hands turned me and put his hand on my waist, me, motionless... Then he lowered his hand to my ass and left it there for a long time, pressing. I didn't say anything because I was very embarrassed, I had a hard time understanding what had happened, it's like a mental breakdown, he's the boss and you don't want to be fired for saying it like that and according to the philosophy you have to please him, then here in Chile it happened to me again, but this time it touched my breasts.

I left the Vrinda mission, but I still have faith in the mantra, although now I even doubt a bit of philosophy, or rather I think that it should be used within a context, within margins where the basic norms of respect and human rights cannot be transgressed. My reverences to all beings who try to be good at heart, I hope these revelations do not discourage you from pursuing your full happiness daily, dandavats.


Editor's note:

1. Sexual assault is a crime. It includes unwanted touching, kissing, grabbing and rape.
https://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/files/victim-services/Sexual%20Assault%20Presentation.pdf
2. Some victims already reported the sexual assault to the German Embassy in the U.S. and some South American countries.

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1. Original Spanish text here.


Testimonial by Sita D.D.




Testimonial by Sita Devi Dasi (Ecuador)

Hare Krishna P. Pariksit.

I wanted to send you my most respectful obeisance for having the courage to make audios about the situation that is being experienced in the VRINDA Mission in relation to Guru Maharaj.

I send you this audio with the only desire to validate your words, without the intention of harming anyone, but with the intention of saying that what you have manifested in the audios regarding the inappropriate behavior that Guru Maharaj has had with some matajis is true.

And why can I affirm this? Because Guru Maharaj has had this kind of behavior with me on several occasions. I was very stunned the first time this happened, it was when we returned in a bus from a parikram, he sat next to me, I was wearing a poncho and he put his hand under the poncho and rubbed my leg near the groin. I felt guilty, I told myself, how could I have provoked such a reaction in a pure devotee?

In spite of this, the desire to try to serve Krishna through the service of the pure devotee always prevailed in my heart, in the different programs of the mission, such as The Spoon Revolution, House of Wisdom, Vaishnava Academy, in the office, in the temple, etc.

During that time, I was lucky to meet very nice devotees from all over the world, from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, United States, Hungary, Germany, from whom I learned many things one way or another. And in a short time they became my soul family. But of course, as in all families, there were obviously discrepancies, not because of malice, but with the sole and sincere desire that we could all do a service that made Guru Maharaj proud.

In the end, weren't we all trying to serve Sri Radha Krishna? Wasn't it our duty to offer the best of us so that in the world there would be more Krishna consciousness? For the mission to grow, for Guru Maharaj's ideals to protect Mother Earth, to promote vegetarianism, to clean Vrindavan, to make Oida Therapy known, etc. expand more and more all over the world?

But there was a parallel situation that did not give me peace. I was once told that the relationship we have with the guru is the relationship we have with Krishna, which could be of a brother, sister, friend, father, mother, or a relationship of a wife; so, I wondered, is my relationship with the guru that of a wife? And if so, is this type of behavior of the guru allowed with his disciples? I really had no one to ask because I would look like someone who offends the pure devotee.

Well, and it happened also that on two occasions Gurudeva tried to kiss me, once when I privately complained to him, that why he protected so many devotees that have caused much harm to other devotees within the mission. He approached me and tried to kiss me, I walked away and I left the room right away.

When I had the mercy of traveling to India, the first thing Gurudeva told us when we arrived was that in Vrindavan everything good we do is magnified, becoming good karma and that everything bad we do is also magnified, becoming bad karma. Those words stayed with me, so I tried throughout my stay to control my mind so nothing would disturb me. On that occasion, Guru Maharaj had asked me to help him with a Powerpoint presentation and at the time of reviewing, I sat next to him and he turned around and tried to kiss me. I got red, started sweating, but I kept showing him the presentation and what he had told us about karma came to mind again.

I make this statement in solidarity with my spiritual sisters, with Radha Kunda, with Prisni, whom I know personally, and in solidarity with the other matajis who have lived similar experiences, and who for fear of being branded crazy or of being threatened, they do not have the courage to be transparent about these uncomfortable situations that they have lived with Guru Maharaj. I am sure that the matajis who had the courage to denounce him did not lie or exaggerate. I am very sorry that they have been persecuted by their fanatical spiritual brothers and sisters, who tried to make them look crazy and have threatened them to the point of wanting them to retract, perhaps solely for their personal interests, for the implications that this may have on their preaching or personal businesses related to the mission.

How is it possible that they told a mother not to mention anything, that it is a "blessing" to be "touched" by the guru? This is inconceivable.

Guru Maharj, I beg you, on behalf of all those who have served you selflessly from the heart, to please reconsider your position, listen to your well-wishers, who are not necessarily those who want to force you to stay in the mission. I ask you for total transparency. Please think of the hearts of the people you have touched with your tireless preaching for over 40 years, and who are now confused, hurt, and helpless. Apologize from the heart, amend, since at this time there is no coherence between what you have preached and what is happening. It is not my desire to condemn you, we are human, we make mistakes, but in your position as a guru you cannot please your senses that way with matajis after taking vows of celibacy. Please make the right decision, not only for your disciples, but for you, and for the impact all this has on the lives of thousands of people.

Devotees, my obeisances. I just wanted to share my personal experience regarding Guru Maharaj and the Vrinda family.

Dandavats everyone and forgive my past, present or future offenses.


Editor’s note: 

1. Link to Pariksit's audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V31rTccUS4s
A devotee is currently translating the audio, we will publish it here in the coming days.
2. Sexual assault is a crime. It includes unwanted touching, kissing, grabbing and rape.
3. Some victims already reported the sexual assault to the German Embassy in the U.S. and some South American countries.

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1. Original Yotube Spanish audio here.
2. Original English text here.
3. Original Spanish text here.

Testimonial by Vrindavan Vilasini D.D.



Testimonial by Vrindavan Vilasini Devi Dasi (Peru)

Paramadvaiti Swami (PS) is a pilgrim monk living in the order of sannyas or celibacy for over 30 years. Since then, he travels around the world lecturing at universities and performing festivals of universal love as the leader of the Vrinda mission, which he founded.

When I met him in 1997, he seemed to me to be the most lucid, noble person with the most interesting ideas about spiritual life in the modern world. At that time I was studying at the university and I asked my parents for permission to freeze a year of my university career so that I could live in one of the temples he directed and learn about spiritual life. He gave me initiation that year and became my Guru or spiritual master. I spent one of the most beautiful years of my life, I am happy and grateful to have had that experience.

One night, after one of his lectures during his visit to Santiago de Chile in 2012, his secretary tells me that PS wants to spend the night in my house, that he is tired and prefers to go to a quiet place. He was my spiritual master and I had known him for more than 15 years so I took it as a gesture of trust and ran to prepare an adequate space where I could sleep and to get some food to offer him. At that time, I lived alone in a small apartment in the city.

After 30 minutes of arriving at my apartment, along with other disciples, PS fell asleep sitting on a chair, I offered him my bed in my room to rest. The majority left, only PS, his secretary, another disciple who accompanied me, and myself were left. PS slept in my bed and his secretary accompanied him in the room. Together with the other disciple, I slept on a sofa bed in the living room.

The next morning, when it was still early morning, PS woke up, took a bath, and was ready to leave for the trip that morning, leaving Santiago for his next destination. Everything happened super-fast and without realizing it, all were ready to leave when I was just preparing some breakfast to offer them. When I was still in the kitchen, I noticed that PS was asking them to take their suitcases down so they could leave soon. At that very moment he entered the kitchen, I looked at him surprised because he quickly approached me and grabbed me tightly and pushed me to the wall, lifted me in weight with his body and tried to kiss me. In the middle of the shock by the experience I tried to push him but it was not easy, he doubled my weight and imposed himself on mine.

After some time that I can't remember, and realizing my refusal, he stopped pushing me, released me and without saying a word left. I was frozen, trembling, scared, confused; I didn't understand what had just happened. I couldn't find answers, only a great sadness and loneliness for what I had lived and nobody could imagine.

I had to go to work that same morning, so I took courage, wiped my tears and tried to block out my brain so I could get on with what I had to do - I kept doing this blockade in my brain until I found out in 2018 that my teacher had sexually harassed one of his disciples and she decided to tell it publicly after having spoken with the authorities of the mission who besides not helping her, offended and ignored her.

On another occasion, and after some time, I met PS by chance at an airport in Colombia. He had a different destiny than mine and we ran into each other in the boarding area, his secretary was also accompanying him. We went to his boarding gate because my flight left after his and when he said goodbye he quickly approached me, kissed me on the corner of my lips and left immediately. I froze and saw him turn to look at me as he left; again I experienced a terrible feeling similar to the previous experience.

When the case of his female secretary (in late 2018) became public, PS received many communications trying to know the truth directly from his lips, his answer has remained almost unchanged; he says he does not remember what he is accused of.

In the midst of the comeback of the sexual harassment scandal about his female secretary, one morning I received a message from his secretary telling me that PS wants to talk to me. I received his call, which had the objective of knowing if I was accusing him. I told him no, but since we were talking about it, I reminded him of what had happened in 2012 and he told me that I was probably mistaken because he didn't remember anything. I told him that I wasn't wrong and that I remembered everything perfectly well. He told me for sure that he must have tripped and that’s why he fell on me. I felt mocked. Feeling my silence he told me that if it was how I say it was, to forgive him and to please forget it. Unfortunately I have not been able to do it (to forget).

Since that denunciation (of the female secretary), some other cases similar to mine have been revealed. A relationship between him and another of his disciples has also been revealed and some other people have reported that they have witnessed their sexual encounters and other deviations from his sannyas vows.

Unfortunately, the reaction in the VRINDA mission to this scandal borders on fanaticism and the victims who decided to make their testimonies public have been branded as liars, madwomen, buskers and/or guilty of what has happened to them.
I am writing these lines because the attacks, insults and fanatical support for Paramadvaiti Swami affect us doubly. In addition to having been violated by whom we believed to be our spiritual father, by whom we should be protected, by an authority in our lives, the entire community humiliates us, pretending that this whole process is presented in a transparent manner according to the principles of truthfulness.

My feeling in writing is one of disappointment and outrage. Disappointment at the reaction of those who were my spiritual brothers and sisters to the complaints we are making and outrage at the farce that the VRINDA mission continues to promote.

This situation is unacceptable because it normalizes a violent act against a group of women, because it violates our integrity, because it endangers other women, mothers, sisters and daughters and promotes the abuse of institutional power in countries where this mission is present.

I hope that my testimony will serve as proof in the list of more than 15 cases of sexual harassment known so far by Paramadvaiti Swami; I support those who are risking their personal tranquility by publicly speaking out for justice and necessity for our healing process and I fully sympathize with the request for transparency that my spiritual brother Pariksit prabhu is demanding.

It is my hope that this manifesto of truth will contribute to finding the clarity necessary to heal all the well-wishers of PS who are affected by this scandal and deserve to know the truth.

Editor’s note:

1. This testimony by Vrindavan Vilasini d.d. was published yesterday on: 
https://vrindatestimonios.blogspot.com, a website started by the victims themselves. They encourage others to come forward with their case: vrinda.testimonios@gmail.com

2. Sexual assault is a crime. It includes unwanted touching, kissing, grabbing and rape.



3. Some victims already reported the sexual assault to the German Embassy in the U.S. and some South American countries.

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1. Original English text here.
2. Original Spanish text here.

The Markata-Acharya




“If an unfit person sentimentally accepts vairagya or takes sannyasa but at the same time remains attached to women, he is in a very dangerous position. His renunciation is called markata-vairagya, or renunciation like that of a monkey. The monkey lives in the forest, eats fruit and does not even cover itself with a cloth. In this way it resembles a saint, but the monkey always thinks of female monkeys and sometimes keeps dozens of them for sexual intercourse. This is called markata-vairagya. Therefore one who is unfit should not accept the renounced order of life. One who accepts the order of sannyasa but again becomes agitated by sensual disturbances and talks privately with women is called dharma-dhvaji or dharma-kalanka, which means that he brings condemnation upon the religious order. Therefore one should be extremely careful in this connection.”

According to these A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s statement, Mr. Ulrich Harlan is just a mere sentimentalist attached to women and unfit to be sannyasi. Therefore, his acharya status is completely false. He is simply a markata-acharya! Because he has never controlled his sexual desires or impulses and committed many abuses against young Vaishnavis, he has brought condemnation upon the religious order revitalized by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

Ulrich Harlan is an outright curse for the purity of the movement founded by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself.

Please save the dignity of the sannyasa order:




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“Si una persona inepta acepta de manera sentimental el vairagya o toma sannyasa a la vez que permanece apegado a las mujeres, asume una posición muy peligrosa. Su renuncia se llama markata-vairagya o renuncia similar a la del mono. El mono vive en el bosque, come frutas y ni siquiera su cubre con ropas. Esta forma de vida se asemeja a la de un santo, pero el mono siempre piensa en las monas y en ocasiones mantiene a docena de ellas para sus relaciones sexuales. Esto se llama markata-vairagya. Por lo tanto, si alguien es incapaz no debería aceptar la orden de vida de renuncia. Aquel que acepta la orden de sannyasa pero nuevamente se ve agitado por perturbaciones sensuales y habla en privado con mujeres, recibe el nombre de dharma-dhvaji o dharma-kalanka, lo que significa que él trae desgracias sobre la orden religiosa. Por lo tanto, uno debería ser extremadamente cuidadoso con este tema”.

Según estas palabras de A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, el Sr. Ulrich Harlan es un mero sentimentalista apegado a las mujeres e inepto para ser sannyasi. Por lo tanto, su estatus de acharya es completamente falso. Él es simplemente un markata-acharya! Debido a que nunca ha controlado sus deseos ni impulsos sexuales y ha cometido muchos abusos contra jóvenes vaishnavis,  él ha traído condena a la orden religiosa revitalizada por Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

Ulrich Harlan es una absoluta maldición para la pureza del movimiento fundado por el propio Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Por avor, salvemos la dignidad de la orden sannyasa:





The dismissal of the false acharya



PLEASE SIGN UP HERE!

POR FAVOR, FIRMA AQUÍ!




The Sisterhood


The acharya’s personal masseuse



The acharya’s personal masseuse in Gran Canaria

(English and Spanish version)

This is the recent message of two recognized devotees of VRINDA. We appreciate the sincerity and courage that both demonstrate and hope that many other people are encouraged to express the truth. The entire international community just wants to know the truth since victims deserve justice.

If you are a woman and were abused by Mr. Ulrich Harlan, please don’t remain silent.


Bhavani and Krishnadas letter from the Canary Islands.

Dear Gurudeva, we’re very sorry for everything that is happening. We’re very sorry that all this chaos has now originated in your life and your mission; we know that you’re passing the biggest test of your life.

I’d like to be with you and support you, but I can't do it. I thank you very much for these years of sacrifices and because through your devotees you brought Krishna into my life. This has been a greatest gift.

A few days before your visit to the Canary Islands, in 2017, I prayed to Giri to show me who you really are, since you were the most important thing in my life. For me, to serve you was to serve Krishna-Bhagavan. For seven years I did my best at your service, but I had some doubts and that's why I prayed. On that visit, precisely, at midnight I saw that you were with Satvika in your bed. And in that hotel, in Gran Canaria, I heard your groans of placer, etc. It was a great impact for me, but it was necessary since otherwise I would have never believed Radha-Kunda or Prisni Dasi or any other woman.

Subsequently, Krishnadas was in India with you and giving you therapy, and he witnessed everything you later acceptedyour (sexual) touching to matajis and all the strategies that your advisors then made to protect you.

Several months have passed since then and more cases are coming to light. Seeing the behavior of your personal advisers while attacking matajis, I feel that I no longer want to belong to this community; Krishnadas neither.

All this year I was thinking about it, since it is not easy to understand. But I have already decided. I don't want to continue supporting you, I want to serve a reliable guru and that's why I'm leaving your mission. I’d have liked you to be honest and to assume your mistakes. I believe that your most serious fault is not accepting and assuming the consequences of your mistakes, as well as allowing witnesses to be attacked.

People want to know the truth and it is very sad to hear them and see their confusion, because they cannot make a decision and you’re simply ambiguous in your statements.

I could take refuge in one of your sannyasis disciples, but unfortunately they have been your accomplices, so I cannot trust them although I have certain degree of appreciation for some of them. Time will tell who’s who. Maybe many of those who are close to you are sincere. I hope so.

Gurudeva, everything in our life revolved around you. But Krishna was protecting us by revealing this entire situation and that is why in recent months we didn’t follow your instructions. That is why we’re still together as a couple and we’re not ruined. Since we almost accepted your orders—you asked us to keep the center, a farm and another farm, to collect donations and attract more devotees. You were demanding too much, externally rather than internally; that is why we’re exhausted.

Due to all this scandal and against your instructions, we decided to lead a simple life and high thinking. Nothing is more beautiful than that. That is why we hand over the therapy center yesterday and ended the Association of Perennial Psychology and Inbound Yoga. Today is practically the first day we breathe easy after hand over the Alajeró Farm and the center.

We’re calm. We feel that a smokescreen moved away from us and we continue in our service at the La Laja Farm. Later we’ll try to connect with a guru who we can trust and to put this farm at the service of devotion and love.

And with or without you, Gurudeva, we continue in devotional service. Trust Krishna and tell the truth to the devotees, for everyone is in need. Even those who want to protect you need it in order to free themselves and move on with their lives. 

Please no longer perpetuate this situation.

Bhavani DD y Krishnadas Kaviraj Das.




.
Este el reciente mensaje de dos reconocidos devotos de VRINDA. Apreciamos la sinceridad y valor que demuestran y esperamos que muchas otras personas más se animen a expresar la verdad. Toda la comunidad internacional desea saber la verdad pues las víctimas merecen justicia.

Si eres una mujer y sufriste algún tipo de abuso por parte del Sr. Ulrich Harlan, por favor, no guardes silencio.



Carta de Bhavani y Krishnadas, desde Canarias


Querido Gurudeva lament​amos​ mucho todo lo que está pasando. Lament​amos​ mucho que ahora ​haya todo este caos en tu vida y en tu misión, sé que estás pasando la prueba mas grande de tu vida.

Yo quisiera estar contigo apoyándote, pero no puedo, te estoy muy agradecida por estos años de sacrificios​ ​y porque tu a través de tus devotos has traído a ​Krishna a mi vida y eso ha sido el regalo más grande.

Unos días antes de tu visita en 2017 a Canarias, yo le oré a Giri, que me mostrara quien eres tu, ya que eras la prioridad 1 en mi vida y para mi, servirte era servir a Krishna Bhagavan y llevaba 7 años haciendo mi mejor esfuerzo de servirte, pero tenía unas dudas, por eso oré.  En esa visita precisamente te vi con Satvika a medianoche en tu cama, en un hotel en Gran Canaria, escuche tus jadeos, etc. Fue un golpazo, pero lo necesité porque de otra forma nunca hubiera creído a Radha Kunda, ni a Prisni ni a ninguna.

Luego Krishnadas estuvo en India y haciéndote terapia, fue testigo de todo lo que tu aceptaste de los tocamientos a las madres, y de toda​s​ la​s estrategias que hicieron tus asesores para encubrirte.

Ahora que han pasado varios meses, que salen más casos a la luz, y al ver el comportamiento de tus asesores personales atacando a las madres, siento que ​no ​quiero pertenecer a esto​ ​ni Krishnadas tampoco.

Llevo todo este año dándome el tiempo para pensar, porque no es fácil tener claridad y ya lo tengo decidido.

No quiero seguir apoyándote, quiero servir a un Guru fidedigno, por eso me voy de tu misión. Me hubiera gustado que fueras sincero y que asumieras tus errores. No aceptar y​ no​ asumir las consecuencias de tus errores y​ además​ permitir que se ataquen a los testigos, es el error más grave, en mi opinión.

La gente quiere saber la verdad y es una tristeza escucharlos confundidos, sin poder tomar una decisión y tu​ eres​ simplemente ambiguo en tus ​declaraciones.

Me refugiaría en tus ​discípulos ​sa​n​nyasis, pero lamentablemente ellos te han estado cubriendo la espalda, por eso no puedo confiar en ellos, aunque a algunos les tengo profundo aprecio. El tiempo dirá quién es quién. Seguramente muchos de quienes están cerca tuyo son sinceros, y espero que así sea.

Gurudeva todo en nuestra vida giraba alrededor tuyo y​,​ gracias a Krishna que nos protegió al revelarnos todo esto, estos últimos meses no seguimos tus instrucciones, gracias a eso seguimos juntos como pareja y no nos quedamos en la ruina. Que allá ibamos con tus pedidos, nos pediste que mantuviéramos el centro, una finca, otra finca, donaciones y devotos. Estabas sobre​-​exigiéndonos, mas en lo externo que en lo interno, nos re quemamos. Con todo este escandalo y en contra de tus instrucciones, decidimos: vida simple y pensamiento elevado, nada más bello que eso. Por eso entregamos el centro de terapias ayer, dimos de baja la Asociación de Psicología Perenne y Yoga Inbound, hoy es prácticamente nuestro primer día de respiro al entregar la finca de Alajeró y el centro. 

Est​amos tranquil​os,​ sentimos que una cortina de humo se retiró, seguimos en nuestro servicio en la Finca de La Laja, y ​ya nos encargaremos de conectarnos con un Guru en quién podamos confiar, para poner esta finca al servicio de la devoción y el amor.

Y contigo o sin ti, Gurudeva, nosotros seguimos en el servicio. Confía en Krishna y dile la verdad a los devotos que todos la están necesitando. Incluso quienes quieren encubrirte la necesitan, para que se liberen de esto y hagan sus vidas. Por favor no perpetúes más esto. 

Bhavani DD y Krishnadas Kaviraj Das.


Here is the source of this letter:

http://artepaulabarrera.blogspot.com/


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Father and son?



For now, it's just a rumor... but the truth will come to light!


This is another text taken from Prisni Dasi Maharani's Facebook page.

"The Svami Maharaj from Germany is Paramadvaiti’s son. It’s a secret kept by the elderly mothers of Colombia. This is a post by Jason, who states that Svami Maharaj is the son of Paramadvaiti, my supposed guru. You should find out the truth. Thus many of the community’s secrets would come to an end."








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