Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Three Stories Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Doesn’t Want You to Know Aboutthe Tragic Ending of Three Good People

JKP Tries to Spin-Doctor and Distance Itself from People Who Did Nothing But Give — Their Faith, Their Money, and Their Lives


There are so many sad stories that have come out of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat — stories of young girls being raped, people abandoning their families to join JKP and serve the fake gurus full-time, and people giving up their life savings to Kripalu Maharaj’s insatiable corrupt operation.

Among the never-ending trail of stories of exploitation in JKP, some tragic stories get lost. I’m going to share three of the forgotten stories of JKP devotees who suffered greatly at the hands of this dangerous organization.

These are the stories of people who attempted to commit suicide as a result of the actions of JKP. One successfully killed herself. Another is believed to have been successful. And one was not, but suffered tragically for the rest of her life.

These stories are difficult to tell, because they make you realize how different these people’s lives could have been if they had never gotten involved with JKP. But they are important stories to tell because they show yet another side to this greedy, cold-hearted, self-serving corruption factory, which takes people in, chews them up, and spits them out.

Lesley — The Girl Who Wanted to Be a Preacher


A rare photo of the woman believed to be Lesley, who attempted suicide after being sexually abused by Prakashanand and others in India while studying to be a preacher.

When I joined JKP (called ISDL in the U.S. back then), I heard hushed stories about a girl named Lesley who had become a quadriplegic after leaving Prakashanand Saraswati. Like a few other young Western women in his small band of followers, she had been training to be a preacher. Part of the training included a trip to India to study in Prakash’s ashram. Included in the trip Lesley went on was the woman who came to be called Prabhakari (aka Priya Dasi), and the woman who came to be called Nikhileshwari (aka Hari Dasi).

The rumor coming out of JKP was that Lesley had become sexually involved with young Indian men while in India. Allegedly Prakash had called her father and told him to fly her back home. When she returned, she began indulging in the material world. On a skiing trip she had an accident and became a quadriplegic.

However, that was just the spin-doctored story JKP wanted people to believe. It put fear in several devotees I knew, because they believed that Lesley’s indiscretions and spiritual transgressions led to her horrible accident.

Later, when I left JKP, I learned the truth. While in India studying to be a preacher, two men lured Lesley into their beds: Prakash and the father of one of Kripalu’s preachers. (Note: This was the same trip where Prabhakari was infamously lured into Kripalu’s bed and came out of the experienced in shock. She searched her soul to decide whether she should stay or leave. She decided to stay. Her action resulted in the proverbial “selling her soul to the devil.”)

Lesley was so upset by the sexual experiences that she became anxious and despondent. That’s when Prakash set her home, effectively washing his hands of her. Her depression continued when she returned hom to the point that she attempted to kill herself by driving into a brick wall. But she didn’t die. She lost the use of her legs and arms instead.

The last time anyone I know saw Lesley was when she showed up in a wheelchair at a lecture Prabhakari was giving near her home in Central California. Prabhakari barely acknowledged Lesley’s presence.

If anyone knows how to contact Lesley, please let me know.

Atsimba — The Woman Who Loved God too Much


For a period of time, the preacher known as Nikhileshwari was studying Spanish and planning trips to Mexico to recruit followers. During this time, she met a Spanish woman in California named Atsimba. The woman usually accompanied Nikhileshwari on her trips to Mexico, trips which rarely netted any new blood.

The woman was married to a white man and had no children. She was deeply religious and once she got in deep with JKP through Prakash, she brought her mother and friends to him as well. Her husband was slow to get on board, but eventually did — especially after her death.

Atsimba was one of the people who went on several trips to India. I guessed that she was “in love” with Kripalu from a video I saw, in which she was dancing for him in some prayer hall in India.

She frequently visited Barsana Dham, where I lived full-time. When there, she spent a lot of time with Nikhileshwari.

In the beginning, Atsimba was a very healthy woman who could be described as a little plump. She was by no means fat. But she began to drop weight and soon became extremely thin. One day Prakash asked her what diet she was on. When she told him what she ate, which was mostly just beans, he said jokingly he was going on the same diet.

On one trip to the ashram, I couldn’t help but notice how upset Atsimba was. She seemed to be “wrapped too tight,” as they say about people who see to be extremely mentally troubled. At one point, I was talking to Nikhileshwari in her bedroom and there was knock on the door. It was Atsimba. Her eyes were wide and she couldn’t focus. She was visibly upset and seemed ready to jump out of her skin.

“I have to talk to you,” she blurted to Nikhileshwari.

“Karen, please go. We’ll talk later,” Nikhileshwari said abruptly and ushered me out of the room quickly, closing the door after I left.

I remembered this incident clearly the day Prabhakari gathered the ashram devotees together in Prakash’s sitting room for an important announcement. She proceeded to tell us a convoluted story about how Atsimba had been a troubled woman since childhood, because she was a victim of sex abuse.

Then she said that Atsimba had died by the ocean near her home in California. Prabhakari said that Prakash said to tell us she “fell off of a cliff.” But the erratic delivery of the information and several strange comments Prabhakari made, led me to only one possible conclusion. Atsimba had jumped off the cliff and killed herself purposely.

After I learned the truth about JKP, the fake gurus, and their obsession with sex, and after I came out of my cult reality-distortion fog, I could easily see the facts for what they were.

Atsimba had been having sex with Kripalu whenever she visited India. She had lost so much weight because all the women involved with Kripalu know that he prefers skinny women. So she lost weight to please him. He may have even called her fat, since this was a common commentary he would make about women who were not rail thin.

Since she was a good person at heart, Atsimba felt extreme guilt about “cheating” on her husband. Nikhileshwari was in charge of trying to calm her down and make her understand that it was not like sex with a worldly man. It was sex with her “divine husband,” Krishna, who appeared on earth as Kripalu.

Shortly after her death, Prakash convinced her husband to move to Barsana Dham, thereby seemingly making an effort to mitigate any future issues if he were to ever learn the truth about the secrets that drove his wife to suicide.

Abe — A Man Who Placed His Faith in Two Conmen Posing as Gurus


(Note: This story was written by Fionn O Grada, an ex-JKP devotee and a long-time friend of Abe’s, with the approval of Abe’s family members.)


Abe Donovan (in striped shirt) and Fionn O Grada. Abe is believed to have killed himself after learning about Prakashanand Saraswati's conviction for child sex abuse.

Abraham Donovan (“Abe”) has been missing since April 18, 2011. Many of us will remember Abe as a kind-natured Irish man who loved music and unfortunately put too much faith in the “gurus” of JKP.

Abe had been a faithful devotee of JKP for over 20 years. He was the kindest, most sincere spiritual seeker you could meet. Abe was not feeling well (mentally) in April 2011, right after Prakash’s trial. There is strong evidence to suggest that he took his own life.

Abe’s family and friends believe that the harm caused by his long association with JKP adversely affected his judgment and ability to make sensible decisions affecting his own safety and interest. Like so many others, Abe’s trusting nature was exploited, and JKP fleeced him of his financial resources. When he disappeared in April 2011, he was virtually penniless and in debt to JKP who continued to make utterly irresponsible financial demands of him.

Abe was a highly accomplished classical guitarist. He taught the guitar in many institutions such as Walton’s School of Music in Dublin and in recent years in The King’s Hospital School in Dublin. Due to his skill, wonderful humour, and unique patience, Abe endeared himself to his many students. Abe devised his own method to teach the guitar. Abe was friends with many other musicians and was a member of the short-lived Guitar Orchestra of Dublin in the 1980s.

His own recitals were a joy to attend due to his musicianship, communication skills, and warmth. Abe admired all great guitarists. He attended concerts by great players such as John Williams and Segovia. Treasured memories of Abe include going with him to two Cooney and Begley concerts in the Harcourt Hotel in Dublin. Abe introduced me to the virtuoso guitar playing of Steve Cooney, which enthralled him, and he was also a great fan of Rory Gallagher.

Abe was 50 in 2011. From his 20s Abe was a committed vegetarian. He made the first of many trips to Barsana Dham U.S.A. in 1996, and from 2004 onwards he made several trips to Mangarh, India. On his last trip to Mangarh in late 2010, instead of giving him practical advice to get his life in order, JKP continued to relieve him of his money and to subject him to intense “love-bombing.”

In Dublin, shortly before he disappeared he told his brother-in-law Glen that a visit to a cyber cafe had greatly upset him. In tears he told Glen that he had discovered on the Internet that a lady devotee of JKP, who had been a friend of his, had taken her own life (note: I am not sure who this person is). In March 2011, shortly before he vanished, Abe had become aware of the criminal conviction of Prakash. He made a few comments to a couple of people that indicated his confused state-of-mind.

Abe’s family regrets deeply that he ever came under the influence of JKP. However, his family knows that their dear Abe was a sincere lover of God who never harmed anyone. They are grateful for all the expressions of solidarity and sympathy following his disappearance. They will continue to draw attention to his missing status and are planning to organise a gathering of family and friends at a future date.

Abe has been officially registered with the Irish Police as a missing person. His family and the Irish Police continue to appeal to anyone who might have information on his whereabouts to telephone Store Street Police Station in Dublin at 353-1-16668000 or to send an e-mail to missing_persons@garda.ie.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

“The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP” on Facebook is Now Defunct— My Blog Will Now Tell the Truth About Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat

RishikaXcult.com Delivers In-Depth and Insightful Coverage of the JKP Cult — As Well As Inspirational Essays About Spiritual and Life Transformation


This Rishikaxcult.com blog, along with my book, are now the main sources for learning the truth about Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. These are more sophisticated information delivery systems than The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP on Facebook (which is now defunct).

In August 2010, I started a Facebook page called “The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP.” I created this Facebook page to share the truth about JKP, Kripalu Maharaj, and Prakashanand Saraswati. Its purpose was to cut through JKP’s ongoing propaganda and lies — and share what was really going on.

I used the word “Project," because the page was just that: A project to share the truth with those who wanted to know it. The word “project” speaks to a specific task that has a beginning and an end. The beginning of my project was August 2010 and the end was August 2012.

The Truth Project Accomplished Three Significant Results


The two-year project was a huge success — better even that I could have ever predicted when I started it with just a handful of followers. Here is what The Truth Project accomplished in just 24 months:

1. The Truth Project grew beyond my expectations, reaching people around the world who wanted to know the truth about Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. The Facebook page had many likes, but many more people who regularly read it without clicking the “Like” button. Many of the followers contacted me privately with words of thanks, encouragement, and new insights into the truth about JKP.

2. The information I shared on The Truth Project helped many ex-devotees better understand the spiritual con game in which they had been trapped, and it made them feel less alone in the world. That was one of my main goals when I learned the truth about JKP – I wanted to give ex-devotees a sense of solidarity instead of isolation. I’m happy to report that The Truth Project helped accomplish this goal.

3. Thanks to The Truth Project, I made several significant connections with JKP insiders, who had information to share with me. Some of that insider information changed the course of history at JKP for good – including being able to catch Prakashanand in Austin in early October 2011, when his lawyers were telling Hays County prosecutors that he could not fly from India to the U.S. due to illness. (Note: All of my contacts shall forever remain anonymous, unless they wish to reveal themselves.)

“The Truth Project” Reaches the Next Level — in a Book and a Blog


The Truth Project accomplished so much. However, it was a “Project” as the name implied. And now it’s time to take the Project to the next level — in my book and my blog.

For one thing, while Facebook is an acceptable general social media avenue, it has several serious flaws, including the fact that it is not a dependable vehicle to reach people. This flaw became even more pronounced last summer. Simply stated, Facebook only delivers page updates to about 10% of the people who “Like” a page. The reason for this low delivery percentage is that Facebook wants to charge people a fee to reach 100% of the people who “Like” each page. These costs are prohibitive for the average small business and non-profit, like myself.

A better, and much more sophisticated, way to reach 100% of the people who want to receive specific information is through a blog. The people who sign up on blogs will receive the updates 100% of the time (unlike on Facebook).

After contemplating Facebook’s disadvantages, I chose to move The Truth Project to my existing blog. I own this site, so sharing information is now under my control, versus under the control of Facebook.

My Supporters Stand Up for Me — and for The Truth About JKP


Many of the regular readers of The Truth Project were upset when it abruptly disappeared. I had notified the people who “Liked” the page of an upcoming change, but I had no way to notify the people who had never clicked the “Like” button. (At the time, I was mulling over changing the name of the page, since Barsana Dham ashram’s name had been changed to Radha Madhav Dham after Prakashanand escaped. But then I made the decision that my blog would be a more dependable delivery medium.)

After the page went down, I was very touched when so many people reached out to me, worried about what had happened to the original The Truth Project on Facebook. The primary reason for their distress was that JKP had immediately taken over the name and created a fake Facebook page. My supporters were concerned both about me personally and about the future of The Truth Project. I explained to them individually what had happened.

The bogus Facebook page is administered by someone with a fake name — apparently he or she is too ashamed to use his or her real name. There are allegedly many followers to this artificial Facebook page. However, JKP has another Facebook page, which is in support of Prakashanand. That page is administered by a man in Ireland, named David C., who is in his early 20s. Interestingly, the statistics for that Facebook page reported that the greatest concentration of people who “Liked” the page were people from Ireland in their early 20s. What this tells me is that David himself made up a bunch of fake Facebook pages, which he then used to “Like” his page. I assume the same is happening with the bogus Truth Project.

RishikaXcult.com is Already Attracting Many Followers


Already my blog, Rishikaxcult.com, has attracted many people who have signed up to receive regular updates. I’m hoping to expand membership to others who want to know the truth about the JKP cult, better understand cult tactics in general, and gain inspiration after living through a traumatic experience. The essays about transformation will celebrate our journey on this planet as both spiritual and physical beings.

Along with my blog, I have also published a website for my memoir, www.sexliesandtwohindugurus.com. I also maintain two Facebook pages for people who prefer to get updates on that social medium: Rishika Xcult and Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus. I know that those who want to find me will definitely find me — and when they find me, they will find the truht.

That is the whole story of The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP — now and forever a book and a blog!

I hope to hear from you on one of my sites. Also, I’m always available by email at rishikaxcult at gmail dot com.

Best wishes to everyone! Thank you for reading and caring.

Karen (aka Rishika)