The book "Killing for Krishna" by Henry Doktorski investigates the murder of Stephen Bryant (also known as Sulochan Das) within the Hare Krishna community in the 1980s. The author explores the complex relationships, spiritual beliefs, and inner conflicts that led to this tragic event. The book delves into the motivations and ideological influences behind the crime, analyzing both the personal and religious dimensions involved.

The reaction of ISKCON gurus and devotees to "Killing for Krishna" by Henric Doctorsky is quite mixed. The book touches on sensitive and painful subjects, such as abuse of power and devotion within ISKCON, as well as internal conflicts that led to tragic outcomes, including murder. Many gurus and senior devotees believe that bringing these events to light is necessary for a truthful reflection on past mistakes, allowing the society of Krishna consciousness to move forward and avoid repeating similar situations. They see this as an opportunity for the organization to purify itself and build more transparent and trusting relationships within the community.

On the other hand, some devotees and leaders in the organization see the book as a threat, believing that it could cast a shadow over ISKCON as a whole and create a negative perception of the organization. These critics argue that the book focuses on isolated incidents that are in the past and might lead to mistrust toward the community, which has since changed and developed.

Some also feel that Doctorsky's book presents a one-sided view of events, offering a subjective perspective that dramatizes the internal conflicts within the movement.

Bhakti Charu Swami’s words are a testament to his discovery of a source of the love that would, in effect, fulfill his search for lost loves in the earlier portions of his life. The relationships with his mother, relatives, friends, caring godbrothers, and ultimately his spiritual master represent phases in our author’s search for love. And thus A Search Fulfilled is an appropriate subtitle for Ocean of Mercy. I would suggest that the author is ultimately led to finding such an ocean in his own heart through the various loves in his life, culminating in the love of his spiritual master, for his search would be comprised of unlimited acts of grace (kṛpā-sindhu).

The book From Milwaukee to Mayapur by Steven J. Rosen is a biography of Jayapataka Swami, one of the prominent spiritual leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It provides an in-depth account of his life, tracing his journey from his early years in Milwaukee, USA, to his spiritual path and significant contributions to the development of the Vaishnava tradition.

The author highlights key events in Jayapataka Swami’s life, including his meeting with Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, his initiation, and his missionary work in India, particularly in Mayapur, where he played a vital role in developing the spiritual center. The book emphasizes not only his leadership qualities but also his profound dedication to the ideals of service to God and humanity.

Special focus is given to Jayapataka Swami’s missionary efforts, his work in spreading Vaishnava philosophy worldwide, and his engagement with devotees from diverse cultures. Through this biography, Steven J. Rosen presents an inspiring example of a life fully devoted to service.

This book is valuable both for Krishna devotees and for a broader audience interested in the lives of extraordinary spiritual leaders, their mission, and their impact on the global spiritual community.

Lord Chaitanya, discovered, was considered an especially confidential and esoteric incarnation of God by the orthodox Gaudiya Vaishnavas, who base their conclusion on prophecies from the ancient Vedic scriptures. These scriptures foretold that God Himself would descend in the current age as a perfect devotee, and that He would start a movement based upon the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The prediction, in fact, came to pass, for Lord Chaitanya spearheaded a spiritual renaissance in sixteenth-century India that had as its foundation the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

🔹To be sure, there have been great religious reformations and spiritual uprisings in the Western world. But to my mind, the depth and profundity of the tradition that was revitalized by Lord Chaitanya is incomparable to anything before or since. And Shrila Prabhupada represented the tenth generation of perfect masters in an esoteric line of disciplic succession (parampara) from the Lord Himself.² (See chart on page xzz.) Enthusiastic if also unqualified to become part of that prestigious disciplic chain, I was initiated by Shrila Prabhupada in July 1975.

🔹As I continued my research, I found that Lord Chaitanya's achievements were not simply abstract or philosophical. Five hundred years before Gandhi, this remarkable personality inaugurated a massive nonviolent civil-disobedience movement against the Islamic occupational government in India. He swept aside many of the stifling restrictions of the hereditary caste system and made it possible for all people to transcend social barriers and achieve the highest platform of spiritual enlightenment.

🔹In doing so, He freed India's religious life from the stranglehold of a proud, intellectual elite. Superseding popular but outmoded rituals and superficial formulas, He introduced a revolutionary spiritual movement based on the world's oldest and most comprehensive religious scriptures, the Vedas. This movement, He taught, would have universal appeal because it was based upon the Absolute Truth, which transcends sectarian notions of race or creed. Lord Chaitanya's theory has today been proven; His movement has been spread to every nation of the world by Shrila Prabhupada and his International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Steven J. Rosen