Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas

by John Hubner, Chip Dolan (Narrator), Lindsey Gruson

The cult classic that traced how a religion that once embodied the 1960s hopes for peace, love and understanding metamorphozed into a worldwide organized crime ring.

This new edition is being published in conjunction with a new documentary based on the book and contains a new foreword by the authors as well as Krishna images never published before.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Religion, Cults, Crime, History, Cult Classics

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What an avalanche of criminal behavior, ranging from soliciting money under false pretenses to child rape, dope dealing and murder. Really a nice portrait (if "nice" is the right word) of how power corrupts. Very well written; it's a page turner. I was put off at first by the long list of dramatis personae and their fake Hindu names, feeling sure I could not keep track of all these people, but it turned out not to be an issue at all -- it was easy to follow and utterly fascinating.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unusual book to read, because I visit the Hare Krishna temple fairly frequently. Not that I believe in their religion--or any religion, for that matter. Rather, my husband and I just find it a peaceful place to visit and eat delicious Indian food. Hare Krishna farms are also most likely the only source in the Western world for truly ethical dairy.

However, it wasn't all happy cows and vegetable korma back in the 1970s and 80s. Name your crime and it seems that some prominent devotees were involved in one way or another. Monkey on a Stick frightfully catalogs the murder, scamming, abuse, drug running--you name it--that occurs when one person is given absolute power. The majority of my family members still won't step foot in the place.

Some of the passages were darkly humorous, such as those in which a family hires "deprogrammers" to kidnap their adult son and try to get him to renounce his Krishna beliefs. One aspect of "deprogramming" had the men force-feeding their charge Big Macs. Yes, really. As the deprogrammers explain, the Krishnas use vegetarianism for a sinister purpose: "It's to weaken your body. That's how these people work, Gary. When they weaken your body, they weaken your mind." It made me laugh out loud to ponder the 1970s perspective that McDonald's food is essential to a strong body. Uh, yeah, good luck with that.

I will say I did worry a bit about the authors' sources when they report that "spices" are banned from Krishna food. Huh?! While it is true that Krishnas do not use such unassuming foods as onions and garlic, you really don't miss them thanks to the wealth of other exotic flavors. Indian food is some of the most intensely spiced food in the world, and the sheer range of flavors is incredible.

[Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this one wasn't more popular. The story is just insane.

[Koren · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 60's I remember hearing about the Hare Krishnas but I didn't know a lot about them. I remember the Beatles were big on Hare Krishna and George Harrison is mentioned in this book. This book talks about an unsavory element of the Hare Krishna religion. I dont think it speaks for the whole sect, as most books that single out a religion are not representative of the entire religion. There is a lot of shady characters in this book and it held my interest from beginning to end.

[Rama Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ISKCON revolution and the mysteries of New Vrindaban

Many readers think that this book is all about the illegal activities that occurred in 1980s at New Vrindaban in Moundsville, WV: But the authors also dedicate significant part of their discussion on the birth and growth of Hare Krishna movement in the United States.

In 1966, both Keith Ham (Kirtananada) and Howard Wheeler (Hayagriva Dasa) were in graduate school with bright future. Howard Wheeler later became a faculty member at the Ohio State University and Kirtananda could have gone up the academic ranks at a major university, but he chose to lead a movement and later turned it into a criminal enterprise that would have made the godfather of a crime family proud. It is incredible that their drug trafficking into this country did not get them into direct conflict the crime families of New York, let alone FBI. This story has all the elements of murder, mystery, drama, drugs, physical and sexual abuse of women and children, pedophilia, stealing, sankirtan scam, and stockpiling of weapons and ammunitions that worked like a hard-core Christian cult. They forgot everything the movement was founded on and followed Kirtananda's sadistic ambitions. The end justifies the means; this was his motto. Use whatever method you like, legal or illegal, to raise money for building the temples, expand the movement, bring more converts, and enrich personal coffers of Kirtananda. The followers thought when all the karmis (sinners) are converted into the Hare Krishna movement, and then they don't have to do drugs to raise money. Many female devotees thought they are serving the Lord when they were offering sexual favors to their gurus. The leaders at several temples, and members of the governing body council (GBC) were also severe abusers of power and authority. Some episodes are described with a great detail; this is a collection of chilling stories and ruthless men.

The very first chapter gives the grizzly details of the murder of Chakradara (Charles St. Denis), a New Vrindaban "fringie" and drug dealer who did not share his inherited fortune with Kirtananda. He was murdered and buried at New Vrindaban by his two henchmen, Thomas Drescher (Tirtha Dasa) and Dan Reid (Daruka Dasa). The second and third chapters chronicle the birth and growth of Hare Krishna movement in 1960s. These two chapters are largely influenced by the book "Hare Krishna Explosion" by Hayagriva Dasa (Howard Wheeler). It is an interesting account of how the founder Prabhupada started his mission on the lower east side of Manhattan with humble beginnings and later turned into a major religious force. Many of his early followers included; Beatles, Henry Ford's grandson, Walter Reuther's daughter, Allen Ginsberg, Harvard MBA's and many from reputed medical schools and graduate programs.

Both Kirtananda and Howard Wheeler were homosexual men and the latter had many male partners including young men from Mexico. His eldest son Samba was five or six when Kirtananda started sexually abusing him, and he became his constant companion. What kind of father Howard Wheeler is to sell out his own son? Dharmatma (Denis Gorrick), a polygamous leader of New Vrindaban's women's sankirtan team had sexually and physically abused many female devotees. When Cynthia Hebel was sexually assaulted by three men in New Orleans and badly bruised, when she returned to New Vrindaban Dharmatma said, "hey, I heard you had a party, how come you didn't invite me?" That is the kind of sensitivity the leading men of ISKCON had on female devotees. Sulocana (Steve Bryant), an early ISKCON devotee who challenged the illegal operation at New Vrindaban was killed in 1986 by Kirtananda's enforcers. Jadurani, the first brahmacharani to join ISKCON was also beaten up for questioning Kirtananda's status as a guru. The children at New Vrindaban were living in very filthy conditions and were highly malnourished, while the male leaders were eating like pigs; alcohol included. Larry Garner and Fred DeFrancisco were pedophiles who abused children in the gurukula of New Vrindaban. The latter served time but the former is hiding in India.

Jayathirtha, the London guru was beheaded by his own disciple, Navanticara in 1987. He was confused with the personal life of his guru who had abandoned his wife and taken up with a much younger woman. This disciple believed that his guru was Lord Krishna himself but when he realized that Jayathirtha is only a mortal sinful man, he stabbed repeatedly into death and later severed his head. When London police discovered the scene the next morning, Navanticara was sitting next to the decapitated body cradling the severed head against his chest. His face was streaked with blood and tears. He was muttering, "I have done my work" repeatedly.

In mid-seventies, Joe Davis, Roy Richard and Alex Kulik had smuggled million's dollars worth of hash oil into California and they used that money to build the Los Angles and San Diego temples. Some of the followers got into troubles with local mob and were killed by the mafia. Kulik and others were convicted and served time. Bhagavan, another ISKCON guru was known as Sun King was well known for his extravagance. The faucets in his bathroom were gold plated. He would eat only from gold plates and drink from gold goblets, and he was chauffeured around Europe in Mercedes 500. Hansadatta, a member of GBC and a resident at Berkeley temple had tremendous ego problem who assaulted devotes, sexually abused women and had a large collection of weapons and fascination for mixing rock and roll music with Krishna consciousness.

There are many websites and blogs that details the atrocities committed by the goons of New Vrindaban. Some of the paragraphs are literally reproduced from this book. Notable sites are Krishna.com, Chakra.com and others. You may find this by a simple Google search of an individual.

[Jeffrey Buller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to be suspicious of reviews that say the reader "couldn't put it down," but that's largely how I felt about this book. I began reading it as part of my recent interest in religious cults (see other reviews) and wanted to find out what non-Krishnas had said about the cultish aspects of the Hare Krishna movement. Monkey on a Stick does that, but it's so much more fascinating than the 99th book on Scientology or the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. To begin with, it presents an intriguing account of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's arrival in the US and the start of the ISKCON Movement. It was much more of a "close call" than I knew: If Prabhupada hadn't happened to run into just the right people at just the right time, none of the movement would've even gotten off the ground. Second, about those people being the "right" ones at the right time ... well, that's far murkier. The sheer amount of drug-dealing, scams, child abuse, and cold-blooded murder that the Krishna's were involved in after the death of Prabhupada is positively scarifying (and previously unknown to me).

All of which makes me wonder why Monkey on a Stick isn't more popular as a book and makes me believe it would make a fascinating mini-series. (Think Mad Men meets Hair meets Boardwalk Empire.) I know I for one would love to watch it.

It also makes me wish the co-authors would come out with a new edition of the book, bringing the movement up to the present day. I'd definitely want a copy of THAT book.

[Perkimom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the rise and fall of the Hare Krishnas.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN INSIGHTFUL ACCOUNT OF THE DOWNFALL OF THE KRISHNA MOVEMENT

The Prologue to this 1988 book states, “When [A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami] Prabhupada died in … 1977, the International Society of Krishna Consciousness … had over two hundred temples and farms in sixty countries, tens of thousands of followers, and tens of millions of dollars. In the United States alone, ISKCON had fifty-seven temples and farms, more than five thousand devotees, and thousands of uninitiated believers… Even today, there are hundreds of sincere, gentle devotees who are chanting Hare Krishna in countries around the world. The gurus who succeeded Prabhupada theoretically accepted the premise that to find God, the ego must be defeated. And yet with few exceptions they had huge egos… To a large degree, Krishna Consciousness is in shambles because too many gurus did not want to spread Prabhupada’s teachings, they wanted to BE Prabhupda. Because of that, the Hare Krishna movement degenerated into a number of competing cults that have known murder, the abuse of women and children, drug dealing, and swindles that would impress a Maria don. Since 1987, reformers in the movement have worked to purge ISKCON of the horrors portrayed in this book.”

The book’s title is explained: “When Prabhupada … had to kick a devotee out of the movement for doing something especially bad, like embezzling money, he would refer to the Indian parable of the monkey on a stick… When a monkey breaks into a banana plantation in India, the farm’s owners kill the monkey, impale him on a stick, and leave him to rot outside the plantation. Other monkeys see him hanging there and stay away from the bananas.” (Pg. 13)

When a police sergeant named Tom Westfall was investigating Krishna involvement in drugs and murder, “He opened a drawer and pulled out his dog-eared copy of Prabhupada’s nine-hundred page Bhagavad-Gita… he flipped idly through it. He was genuinely puzzled: How come a religion that was supposed to save somebody like Chuck St. Denis had ultimately destroyed him? And how had the Krishnas got into swindling and dealing drugs? More to the point, how had people who started our searching for spiritual truth wound up behaving like hoodlums and common criminals? It seemed like the pattern was always the same… Somehow, the movements of the sixties all ended up becoming the opposite of what they had started out to be.” (Pg. 30)

A rivalry had developed between two different temples in Prabhupada’s lifetime. Kirtanananda was the leader of New Vrindaban temple, and he wrote a letter to Prabhupada, which “made it sound like New Vrindaban was under siege by hordes of bikers… ‘You will take a letter to Kirtanananda,’ Prabhupada told his secretary… and then began dictating the letter: When New Vrindaban has been attacked twice, thrice, why are you not keeping guns? Where violence is, there must be violence. We are not followers of Gandhi’s philosophy. Ours began on the fields of war. If somebody attacks you, you must protect yourselves to your best capacity.’ When Kirtanananda read the letter, he must have smiled.” (Pg. 124-125)

Prabhupada visited the New York temple, run by a man named Balimadan. Prabhupada was aghast at the lavish quarters of Balimadan, and told him, “I am told your devotees eat poorly. I am told they scrounge for vegetables in trash bins behind supermarkets. And you live like this?...A true devotee of Krishna would never live like this… Your devotees spend every day on the street… They raise much money… You do not turn this money over to ISKCON… I want one hundred and fifty thousand dollars… You will bring it to me in the morning.” The next morning, Balimadan delivered the check. (Pg. 148)

Joe Davis, the “most trusted lieutenant” of the Laguna Beach temple, suggested to temple president Roy Christopher Richard, “You and I did drugs for years, right? We didn’t quit till we came to Krishna, right?... Well, suppose we use this filthy habit for Krishna… We get into the business and move a stash from here to the States. It would be a cinch. Customs is a joke. They never look under our dhotis. We could give the money to Prabhupada to build temples. The more temples there are, the more karmis that will come to Krishna. The more karmis that come to Krishna, the less drug users there are. One day, bingo! No more drug users… It’s beautiful! We use drugs to spread the movement. By dealing over the short run, we destroy drugs in the long run.” (Pg. 190)

On his deathbed, Prabhupada “was in effect choosing his successors, handing over the movement… the list grew to eleven names. Prabhupada thought he was selecting eleven bishops. Instead he got eleven popes.” (Pg. 200)

After Prabhupada’s death, two devotees said, “I had nothing before I joined the movement… Prabhupada taught me how to act around people... Everything I know that’s good came from him… In retrospect, you know what’s really weird?... He kept telling us not to be dependent on him because he wouldn’t always be here. He kept saying, ‘Krishna Consciousness is not in my body, Krishna Consciousness is in my books... Read my books.’ And yet, I haven’t really read his books. I don’t think any of us have… I always thought, why bother? Why read the Bible if Jesus Christ is alive? I figured I could always sit at his feet and absorb his wisdom.” (Pg. 207)

A Los Angeles devotee named Steve Bryant came across some photocopied letters, including the letter Prabhupada wrote to Brahmananda after Kirtanananda had betrayed his spiritual master. ‘Kirtananda’s a thief!... He claims he’s Prabhupada’s only true successor and here’s proof he tried to steal the movement right from under Prabhupada’s nose. There’s at least a dozen letters here that condemn him… The gurus all claim that they ascended to their high positions because Prabhupada had absolute faith in them, right?... They’re bogus! Listen to what Prabhupada said about his ‘infallible’ successors: ‘I appointed [Governing Body Commission] to give me relief from management, but on the contrary, complaints and counter-complaints are coming to me. How can my brain be peaceful?... This righting spirit will destroy everything, but what can I do? You American and European boys are trained up in this fighting attitude. Now put it aside and simply work cooperatively for spreading this movement all over the world.’” (Pg. 289-291)

The book concludes with the thoughts of sergeant Westfall, “Those questions inevitably led him back to the big question… How had people who had set out to make peace and love ended up molesting children, running drugs, committing murder? … The need for something to believe in---absolutes---had led tens of thousands of young people to the Krishnas. ‘Simple living, high thinking,’ the police sergeant muttered… ‘Maybe I’ll figure it out one day.’” (Pg. 362)

This is an excellent account of this depressing period in the evolution of the Hare Krishna movement.

[Greer Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book every parent should read.. be warned, it's not just drugs you have to be concerned about!
An excellent 'window' into what is alleged to be a cult, so perfectly exposed in this non-fiction book. Their attempt at 'reform' is still wide open to abuse and a lot of 'hot-air' as far as I'm concerned, to try to gloss over their already tarnished reputation. They're also alleged to have amassed a fortune, their main objective apparently, eg they're reputed to be buying up castles all over Europe to convert into 'temples' obviously to attract/impress more followers/victims. It's an extremely lucrative 'business' with a 'pecking' order of note, their dominions, like ant colonies, doing all the work. I know, our son was one of them, recruited, luckily for us, for only three years (some disappear altogether from 6 to 45 years or never return.. it's frightening), and spent time away in an ashram in Mauritius. But the damage was already done and as a family we suffered immeasurably. Thanks to 'Monkey on a Stick' you will be able to enlighten your children and everyone you know for that matter, by learning what to look out for; the 'love-bombing'; how they 'steal' your children, not necessarily physically but mainly by 'high-jacking' their 'brain'; how no one ever 'joins' a cult.. you are almost ALWAYS 'recruited'; how intelligent university students are the most vulnerable although it can happen to anyone at any age; how they are past-masters at 'brainwashing'; how they will extract every last cent from you (all members or 'devotees' eagerly 'donate' large portions of their hard-earned income for the promise to be 'incarnated'/to come back as someone or something better or to even be elevated to a higher plane); how they 'rule' with fear and superstition; how they manipulate, even little children.. the list is endless.
And, by the way, they 'worship' Prabhapada, a really ugly looking Indian with huge wide rubber lips, their leader, who deserted his wife in India whom he 'married' when she was 11 years old (robbed of her childhood, her innocence/she wasn't even allowed to be a little girl), leaving her to bring up all his children while he travelled the world, starting on the innocent 'hippies', easy pliable prey, in the USA. This Krishna society make thousands of fibre-glass moulds, effigies of Prabhapada, that they 'bathe' in 'milk' every evening and drape with smelly marigold garlands.
Oh, and the chanting that all members and devotees are obliged to do every day, some 106 beads/chants (akin to an annoying, incessant, buzzing wasp), God knows how many times, will drive you insane. And that's only the tip of the ice-berg.. read on, there's murder, child molestation, deceit and deception on a grand scale, it's like a thriller.. except it's true. You won't put it down. And thank you to the wonderful authors. I only wish they'd write more to expose these hapless (already brainwashed) skin-head clowns-in-gowns for what they really are (although sadly, it's not their fault as they are the victims and often very sweet boys). You will have seen them, perhaps tried to 'avoid' them, prancing in the streets, jingling their childish tambourines, 'giving' away booklets, then pressing the poor unsuspecting passer-by for a 'donation'! Always (trained) to push for money - tax-free income for the society of course. Cheap labour! Check this out for starters: http://www.prabhupada.org.uk/articles...

[Patrick O'Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never liked the Krishnas when they were around in old days. I found them not only incredibly annoying, but disingenuous, irreverent, and pompous in their zeal. Yet mostly they appeared lost, or shifty, or maybe it was just brainwashed. The endless chanting, and dancing seemed so lame and put on. But I never thought them capable of all the misdeeds and criminal exploits chronicled in John Hubner's Monkey on a Stick.

Drugs deals, murder, con jobs and thievery are just the icing on the cake as feudal top echelon gurus stake their territories, steal each other’s members – and then in their individual quests to be the next king, stock weapons and build massive temples to appease their god. It boggles the mind, or, well, it boggles my mind. I guess I just thought they were bumblers in saffron robes getting in my way at the airport. Not gangster wannabes.

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare – Please, may I talk with you for a second…”

[Aaron the Pink Donut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Before I read this book I thought the Hare Krishna’s only sang, danced, hung out with George Harrison, and sold stuff at the airport! This book shows in all its sensational detail the dark yucky underbelly of the movement. Chronicling what started in the early 60’s as a reasonably pure religious movement spear head by one man (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) that became a multi-nation multi-million dollar organization run by power-hungry maladjusted scumbags. A really fast and engaging read.

[Michael Hildrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehh, it was okay. It reminded me of "Under the Banner of Heaven" in that it recounts the founding (or spreading to America) of a religion that is kind of wacky and cult-like. It was written way before Banner, but I read that first. Also like Banner, it focuses on the juicy stuff. The corruption, and beatings, the murders, which gives the book an obvious slant. I am not an expert on Krishnas (or Fundamentalist Mormons) but I doubt as a group they are all that bad of people. It was interesting however.

[Reade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this back in the day, while I was with VicPol...a good read. As good as any underworld or mafia novel. I remember when I was a child watching and hearing the dancers in Swanson st...now my favourite communal eat is at crossways! Lucky for us the food is vegetarian...no use for the meat grinders that usually appear in crime novels!
an idea for the next edition of underbelly...

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books, period. The true story of the rise and fall of the Hare Krishna movement in North America. I'm fond of telling people that it's like Goodfellas but with Hare Krishnas instead of Italians.

One of the many things I love about this book is the "Section" recommendation for bookstore owners on the back cover. It says to file it under "Religion/True Crime". Perfect.

[Katy Koivastik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ubiquitous at airports in the 1970s and 80s, I was completely unaware of the turmoil going on in the Krishna sect. This book delves deep into the lives of the gurus, the would-be gurus, the devotees and the power struggles among them.

The book is helpfully indexed and includes a list of the players’ Krishna names and corresponding Western names. A well-written, well-researched, riveting read!

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just randomly picked this up from the library one day. It was...a pretty good book. It showed how crazy the Hare Krishna movement was, and how it became this huge cult, but I think it lost me somewhere along the way.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling! Though billed as an anti-cult book, it is less that as more of an indictment of the leadership of Kirtananda (one of the Iskcon Gurus) and how he was allowed to go so far astray that it lead to murder.

[Kathy Kaylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be true because no one could make this stuff up.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives an intriguing peak into the world of Hare Krishna communes. I am naturally fascinated by American-born religions.

[Jake]

Sober reporting on the Hare Krishna movement that tries hard to uncover the search for spiritual truth amidst all the scandal, without censoring or glossing over the sensational bits.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of the sixties east meets west. An extreme example of the disintegration of some type of idealism cum fascism.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to believe that this story of the Krishna's is true, it reads like a gripping novel.

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking true account of the Hare Krishna movement that began in the 60's. Power, greed, drugs, and corruption took control of a religion and it spiraled out of control.

[Jane Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this. While reading this, I confess developing a crush on Hansadutta!

[Jean Darroch · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book jumped around to much for me so it was confusing in parts to me.however some chapters were really good.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tip when reading this book: make a list of characters with their original and HK names.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to know that Montreal is Headquarters #2 and that the Hare Krishnas are very sexists.

[Kimberle · Rating 3 out of 5]

was an interesting and easy read.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I find cults fascinating and I used to run into Hare Krishnas from time to time in Chicago. They present themselves as gentle vegetarians but, according to this book, they may be vegetarian, but they are anything but gentle.

Basically the Hare Krishnas started when an old Indian dude name Prabhupada came to the U.S. peddling an offshoot of Hinduism he had created. He quickly gained a bunch of white male followers from among the hippy crowd and while I think Prabhupada was probably a decent guy who just believed his own nonsense, after he died the "religion" quickly and predictably devolved into hypocrisy, power grabs and worse. The worse being drug trafficking, murder, violent misogny, and child sexual abuse.

Like I said, I find cults fascinating and I can understand why vulnerable people might be look to these sorts of pre-formed groups for love and belonging when such things are hard to find the in the workaday world. BUT, what I don't understand, is most cults, especially this one, sound so NOT fun - no sex (except for the leader of course), no drinking, and only crappy Krishna music and dancing, rigid lifestyle requirements, spartan diets. I especially don't understand why any woman would join the Hare Krishnas. At least men had the chance of rising to power - the women had only only abuse to look forward to.

But back to the book - this wasn't my favorite true crime novel. It felt very disjointed as it kept jumping back and forth between Krishna enclaves around the world. It was hard to keep everything straight or remember who was who. But if you're into cults, you might give it a shot.

[Christopher Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up out of interest in the Hare Krishnas themselves--their origins, beliefs, and institutional and social structures. There is some of that in here, but only along the way. For the most part, this is a true-crime book, with a completely forensic orientation, covering a series of murders which occurred within and around Hare Krishna communities. These occurred for a variety of reasons, and the case is not made that this kind of violence is part and parcel of the movement, although it is clear that treating individual humans like gods, and also setting up a raft of successors to fight it out as to who gets to be the worshipped deity, will inevitably lead to megalomania and abuse of this kind. The obviousness of this shows how self-absorbed and callous and ego-driven and power- and money-hungry Swami Prabhupada actually was. (By extension, it's hard to forgive George Harrison for his promotion of the movement.) I was also surprised to see the link between the extremist-right-wing prepper and apocalyptic mentality and the waning days of the West Virginia Krishna commune, which was not typical of the mood and ideology in all of them but was always a possible connection to occur. Most frustrating about this book was the narrative novelistic style, which rendered the events in a vivid, cinematic style, with plenty of reconstructed dialogue, at the expense of responsible reportage. But I guess that's the true-crime genre for you.