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Devamrta Swami

Devamrita Swami was born on October 16, 1950 in New York City. At the age of seventeen, he received a scholarship to Yale University and graduated in 1972. Upon graduation Devamrita Swami began to study the literary works of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In 1974, Devamrita Swami became an initiated student of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He accepted the renounced order of sanyasa in 1982.

For the past twenty-six years, he has traveled worldwide, presenting the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. Currently he is based in Australia and New Zealand, and frequently travels to India and the Orient on preaching missions . Devamrita Swami is currently the Chairman of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON.

1 Early Years in ISKCON
2 Through ISKCON's Teen Years
3 Present Day
4 Bibliography
5 Filmography
6 Further reading
7 Notes and References
8 External links

[edit] Early Years in ISKCON

Devamrta Swami

After joining ISKCON, Devamrita Swami spent two years as a book distributing, selling the books of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the streets of New York. His health prevented a long career on the streets, and thus he moved to the ISKCON centre in Los Angeles, and began work as an editor for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, a trust set up with the focus of publishing A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's books. By the time of Srila Prabhupada's death, Devamrita was one of the head editors.

In the late 1970's, Devamrita Swami headed to eastern Europe, to try and spread the philosophy of Krsna consciousness behind the iron curtain. Working under Harikesa Swami, he worked as a prominent organiser, giving assistance and guidance to many ISKCON centres throughout communist Europe. He continued in this way into the mid 1980's. He settled in New Vrndavana in 1986, was affiliated with New Vrindaban until 1993.^[1]

[edit] Through ISKCON's Teen Years

During some of the power struggles ISKCON experienced in the late 1980's, Devamrita Swami began to work under Kirtananda Swami. Kirtanananda Swami was excommunicated in 1987 ^[2]. Devamrita was dissatisfied with ISKCON stayed with Kirtanananda. Devamrita, and the rest of Kirtanananda's folowers were excommunicated a year later in 1988. Devamrita functioned in an advisory capacity to the group, spokesman ^[3], as temple president of New Vrindaban^[4], as personal envoy of Kirtanananda overseeing overseas projects ^[5] and was also in charge of the counseling program ^[6]. After Kirtanananda Swami 1993 conspiracy to murder, racketeering and mail fraud charges moved Kirtanananda Swami into jail, ISKCON offered an amnesty to Devamrita, which he accepted.

During Devamrita's interfaith preaching push he and three other sanyasis (one of them female, Param Satya aka Surrender Swami ^[7] travelled to New Zealand. Initially they made no contact with ISKCON, and looked for suitable land to purchase and develop. Their pseudo Christianity, ambitious plans and aggressive style attracted unwanted media attention ^[8]. After frustrating efforts, Devamrita Swami made connections with the ISKCON in 1994, being accepted again within the movement by 1995.

They shaved their beards off, undressed out of their Franciscan cassocks, replacing them with dandas and Sanyasa dress. Devamrita Swami was put on probation by the Governing Body Commission and wasnt allowed to initiate until late 1997.

Throughout 1995 and 1996 preachers established themselves, Devamrita Swami being appointed regional secretary. Preaching increased as the keen swamis, headed by Devamrta Swami, pushed book distribution, rallying devotee support and earning admiration from the Governing Body Commission.

In Mayapur 1997, Devamrita Swami lobbied for authorization to initiate.

[edit] Present Day

his Swami Bhaktipada is, of course, Kirtanananda Swami, one of the original 11 self-authorised “Zonal Gurus” who was recently released from prison after serving 8 years on racketeering charges.

Kirtanananda started up his own Guru cult in New Vrindaban, West Virginia, where Christian-style robes were worn. He is pictured here being worshipped on his “throne”. After New Vrindaban effectively began to collapse, Devamrta Swami made the career switch of returning to the ISKCON-GBC fold, where he later became a GBC voted-in Guru. Since that time, Devamrta has been developing his own style of “Guruship”. This has included an astonishing public declaration of doubt about the potency and legacy of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In his 2002 Vyasa-Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada, Devamrta Swami offered some shocking suggestions for a “post-Prabhupada’s books” ISKCON. Considering that Srila Prabhupada’s books are destined to be the lawbooks for ISKCON for the next 9500 years, we are amazed that this concept has arisen in ISKCON many thousands of years before it should even warrant consideration! What is particularly shocking is the doubt the Swami casts on the legacy that Srila Prabhupada has left. We quote some extracts from his “offering”: “During your physical presence your books were our be-all and end-all. Now, have we entered, consciously or unconsciously, a new era of ISKCON known as “PPB”—that is, ‘post–Prabhupada’s books’?” “More than a few seasoned devotees and supportive academics opine that indeed it’s time to move on.

Maybe, while maintaining our eternal gratitude to you, our founder-acarya, it’s now necessary to evaluate what you have left us and distill whatever part of that legacy should accompany us into the future of a different world and a different ISKCON.”

“Amidst the burgeoning potpourri of Gaudiya Vaisnavism outside of India, do you still assert that your books are sufficient for bringing us to the zenith of bhakti?” “Can your books withstand time? That is, are the purports and language dated—if not now, then in the future?”

“Is emphasis on distributing your books, by whatever method, outmoded? Isn’t ISKCON without emphasis on mass distribution a breath of fresh air for us?”

“Should our senior devotees take the lead in demonstrating lifelong dependence on your books for their spiritual sustenance and delight? Is there a danger that by doing so they could inhibit their spiritual maturity?”

“Would we gain anything significant and lasting if ISKCON’s leaders, in both word and example, rallied to exalt your books as the main basis of our cultural unity?” (Extracts from H.H. Devamrta Swami's 2002 Vyasa-Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada)

In summary then, we have an ISKCON Guru, and now the worldwide head of the movement, who by definition must be 100% surrendered in mind, body and words to the desires and instructions of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada - asking whether:

   a) Srila Prabhupada’s books can bring us to the highest point of bhakti
   b) Srila Prabhupada’s books are outdated
   c) Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books is an outmoded concept
   d) Dependence on Srila Prabhupada’s books will inhibit one’s spiritual maturity
   e) Srila Prabhupada’s books are the basis for cultural unity within ISKCON.

This faithlessness in Srila Prabhupada’s books is apparently still endemic in ISKCON, for even today the new GBC Chairman’s “urban preaching centre” prefers to discuss fiction such as the bestelling book "The Da Vinci Code": “The Loft - Yoga Lounge - 1st floor, 99 Elizabeth St, City, Brisbane. The Da Vinci Code Discussion Relax in our comfortable lounge and discuss the issues raised by Dan Brown’s run away best-seller “The Da Vinci Code”. Followed by dinner. Suggested Donation: $7”

[edit] Bibliography

Devamrita Swami, Perfect Escape, 1994, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 9-171-49480-4. Commentary on spirituality of modern times
Devamrita Swami, Searching for Vedic India, 2002, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 0-892-13350-3. Contemplating the vast ocean of India's Vedic culture
Harikesa Swami, Varnasrama Manifesto for Social Sanity, 1981, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, ISBN 0-892-13042-3. Edited by Devamrita Swami.
Not That I am Poisoned (Introduction by Devamrita Swami)
How to Love God by Kirtanananda Swami (Introduction by Devamrita Swami) [9]

[edit] Filmography

Holy Cow Swami (TV)[10] (1996) ... interviews with Kirtanananda Swami, Devamrita Swami and several of his followers documenting evidence of kidnapping, child molestation, murder, and massive fraud.

The Complete Prabhupada DVD Set[11] (2005) ... includes newly discovered films of Srila Prabhupada in Germany, Mayapur, Sweden, Detroit and Los Angeles arranged chronologically

[edit] Further reading

John Hubner, Lindsey Gruson, Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas, 1988, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, ISBN 0-151620-86-5. The "chilling" history of the movement documents drug-selling, wife-beating, child sexual abuse, rape and murder by New Vrindaban members. Photos.
Statement Of The Disciples of Srila Prabhupada Who Live At New Vrndavana page 1 page 2