By Anuttama Dasa
October 27, 2023 – “Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder.” was released by Peacock via streaming service in the United States on October 24. The documentary, a 3-part, 3-hour mini-series, is an in-depth study of the gradual descent into acts of abuse, violence, and crimes committed by Keith Ham, formerly known as Kirtanananda Swami and his associates. It also carefully showcases, via heart-wrenching interviews with some victims, the culture of secrecy and exploitation that he created at New Vrindavan, the movement’s first farm community located in rural West Virginia.
The series traces Ham’s history from when he first joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) (also known as the Hare Krishna movement) in the early 1960s, his first expulsion from ISKCON in 1967 by the society’s Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, and his return to the movement to lead the New Vrindaban beginning in 1968. It continues by exploring his permanent expulsion from ISKCON in 1987, subsequent jail time, and finally, his death in 2011.
For members of ISKCON who do not know Ham’s history or the extent of his crimes, including child abuse and masterminding the ghastly murders of two disenfranchised New Vrindaban members, the series will be shocking. For all, including those who know the sordid history, the documentary’s graphic portrayals are a frightening reminder of the dangers of unchecked power, ambition, greed, and lust.
Ham was not only the leader of New Vrindaban; he was one of the first gurus within ISKCON after the passing of Srila Prabhupada in 1977. Thus, his influence was vast. The series documents Ham’s hidden deviations from ISKCON’s religious and ethical principles starting from his earliest years as a Krishna devotee.
ISKCON gave its full cooperation to law enforcement officials who prosecuted and eventually jailed Ham. The New Vrindaban community itself was expelled from ISKCON in 1988. Soon after, New Vrindaban expelled Ham and later rejoined the ISKCON global community in 1996.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/official-response-to-the-peacock-documentary-krishnas-gurus-karma-murder/
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