Press Release

New Book Tells the Story of One Woman’s Life in a Dangerous
Cult — and Reveals Her Two Former “Gurus’” Dark Secrets

Author Lived in their Cult and Lived to Tell their Secrets in New Memoir — Sex, Lies, and Two
Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned by a Dangerous Cult – And Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets

February 2012, AUSTIN, TEXAS — One year ago, Karen Jonson was sitting in a Texas courtroom praying that her former guru would be found guilty for his crimes against children. Now, she is publishing the story of her 15 years in his Austin, Texas, ashram in a book titled: Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned by a Dangerous Cult—And Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets. The ebook will launch on February 15, 2012.

The book launches on the same day as the inauguration of Jagadaguru Kripalu Parishat’s largest temple and the largest temple in Vrindavan, India, called Prem Mandir. The massive structure of imported materials is estimated to cost $1 billion dollars (U.S.), much of which was donated by people who were told the money was going to build charitable hospitals.

“I specifically chose this publication date for this reason, because it emphasizes the lies JKP tells the public,” says Jonson. “What’s more, this date is close to the one-year anniversary of Prakashanand Saraswati’s criminal trial in Texas and his escape into hiding in Mexico.”

The sole purpose of the new giant temple is to glorify the head guru of the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP)—Kripalu Maharaj (aka Ram Tripathi)—who uses the self-designated title “jagadguru.” He has been arrested for rape twice during his 60-year reign as a Hindu “spiritual leader.” Yet, he has never been held accountable for these crimes or any others, and his true story has not been told—until now in Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus.

Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus reveals many truths about Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat and its gurus:

• Kripalu’s bedroom rituals — under the guise of being “Krishna”
• Offering virgins to Kripalu
• An insider view of Prakashanand’s criminal trial
• Two letters exchanged between the gurus about their spiritual scam
• The mystery surrounding the disappearance of one of the preachers
• A behind-the-scenes view of life in the gurus’ ashrams
• Details of the gurus’ long-running Hindu con game

In her memoir, Jonson tells the harrowing story of being lured into the cult by a clever conman, dedicating her life to the gurus, living in their U.S. ashram as a renounce Hindu devotee, learning their dark secrets, and working to expose the truth about the gurus and their spiritual con game. The story unfolds in seven parts:

1. In the Beginning — For the Love of God
2. In the Ashram — The Razor’s Edge
3. In the Dark — Curiouser and Curiouser
4. In the Cult — Losing My Religion
5. In the World — Divine Intervention
6. In the Trial — Truth and Consequences
7. In Hindsight — Deconstructing the Guru Con Game

Not only did Jonson live this story, she also conducted extensive research for this book. Jonson talked to many ex-devotees, experts on Hinduism, lawyers, the FBI, and others. She also unearthed documentation of the gurus misdeeds, including a newspaper article about Kripalu’s arrest for raping two underage girls in India, a flyer warning people about the deceptive rapist Kripalu, two letters where the gurus discussed their “goal of collecting millions of dollars,” and more. Also, to help propagate the truth about these dangerous cult leaders, Jonson started a Facebook page (The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP) and a blog (www.Rishikaxcult.com). Many people have already been informed and have steered clear of the gurus.

“This book is the culmination of my effort to get this important information out to those who have been conned and who might be conned by the gurus and preachers of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat,” says Jonson. “My hope for this book is to give readers an inside look at how this con game operates, how I was lured in, what the gurus were actually doing behind closed bedroom doors, and why no one has stopped this organization and its fake gurus from raping underage girls, taking people’s money, and ruining people’s lives. I want to keep people, especially children, safe from the greedy clutches of this spiritual con game.”

The audience for Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus is anyone who wants to keep themselves and their family members and friends free of bogus spiritual organizations, and people who want to better understand the inner workings of mind-control organizations, including past and current members of JKP, members of other cults, spiritual seekers, parents, young adults, lawyers, and law enforcement.

The book is published by Rishika Books in English. First edition copies of Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus are available as an ebook at www.Rishikaxcult.com. The 300-page ebook sells for $14.95. The ebook will be available for a limited time at the discounted launch price of $9.99. Future editions will be available on Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

A portion of the sales of Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus will go to charities that help children recover from being raised in cults.