ITHACA, NY - Ex-ISKCON guru, John O’Brien, is now also an ex-Ithaca car salesman, closing his doors after a scandal-rocked year. 2007 was “difficult as hell,” claims O’Brien, adding, “What with the cost of gas and the weak dollar, people were just not taking to buying cars.”
The Ithacar Used Carlot in Ithaca, NY opened in spring of 2002, several months after O’Brien stepped down from the post of ISKCON guru due to sexual misconduct and what he calls “financial misunderstandings.”
But it was those “financial misunderstandings” that O’Brien insists gave him the business skills to establish the Ithaca-based business.
“You’d be surprised how similar the two jobs were,” Says O’Brien, whose skills as guru naturally lead him into the used car business.
“In ISKCON I had to convince my disciples that I was some pure and holy guy, ready, willing and able to take them back to Godhead, what they didn’t know was that I was sleeping with my secretary and lying on my expense reports.”
“And as a used car salesman,” he continued, “I had to convince my customers that I was some friendly and honest guy, ready, willing and able to sell that 1987 Ford Fiesta at invoice, taking not a penny of profit, what they didn’t know was that I picked it up at a repo-sale for under a hundred bucks. I was lying on my expense reports there too.”
The business flourished until 2006, the year he was audited by the IRS and taken to court on five separate occasions under New York’s Lemon Law.
“It was surprisingly similar to his experience in ISKCON,” states ISKCON spokesman Balananda dasa, “in both cases, he managed to pass himself off as honest and trustworthy, but in the end, it was his disciples and customers who paid the price.”
There were hints of misconduct at both professions long before termination of either. In 1994, several of O’Brien’s female disciples came forward, claiming to have to have been inappropriately touched and taunted by their, then, guru. This resulted in O’Brien being suspended from initiating new disciples for one full year.
Similarly, in 2003, a disgruntled customer, Jerry Berowitz, accused O’Brien of dishonesty involving a 1989 Mercury Topaz with two different Vehicle Identification Numbers. The lawsuit resulted in the suspension of his Auto Dealer’s License for one year.
“I just didn’t know what to do,” complained Berkowitz, “I trusted this man to be everything he said he was. I put my faith in him and he let me down. I was promised that this Mercury Topaz would take me back to home, but it was all lies.”
In a letter of apology to his customers, modified only slightly from his letter of apology to his disciples, O’Brien states, “Yes, I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I am truly sorry for the pain that I have caused to so many trusting people. But my with my health problems all the service I had to do, I simply couldn’t keep up with my daily duties and practices.”
O’Brien is now banned from giving class in any ISKCON temple as well as selling cars in New York state.
He claims that he will appeal the ruling and be “back in charge in no time at all,” but it was unclear whether he was talking about ISKCON or the Ithacar Used Car Lot.
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22 responses so far ↓
1 Michael // Feb 15, 2008 at 9:38 am
Hehe, we’ll probably see this guy soon. He’ll no doubt end up managing some department at New Vrindavan.
2 phanisvara das // Feb 15, 2008 at 10:13 am
not funny.
for some people, quite a lot, actually, experiences like this are very real, and IMO it’s not something to treat in this way.
the way how ISKCON deals with these matters certainly leaves room for criticism, but i find the form you’re dealing with this inappropriate. to me it comes across like saying: “well, you should have known better than trusting one of these guys.”
this doesn’t take into consideration that some of “these guys” are actually quite nice, and that for some ex-disciples of those who are not, this is a real, painful experience.
just my opinion, of course…
ys phani.
3 Dwija // Feb 15, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Great article.
I’m not sure he would qualify to be a New Vrindaban manager. It would appear that only the lowest of mankind can take part in stripping the resources, er….. I mean ‘managing’ the resources of New Vrindaban. Does his resume include child abuse, pedophile protection and conspiracy to murder? If not, there’s simply no place for him at New Vrindaban, they’re quite strict about these things.
The ability to put on a show of integrity will certainly open a few doors though. A GBC position perhaps providing he can demonstrate the ability to completely disregard the instructions of Iskcon’s founder, Srila Prabhupada, defend his fellow GBC men no matter what they do, and most importantly, demonstrate the technique of ridiculing anyone who might ask awkward questions like “acording to a statement by Ravindra Svarupa, the Direction Of Management, a legal document drafted by Srila Prabhupada, was rescinded as a result of the 1975 GBC meeting, so why is there no record of this being discussed with Srila Prabhupada before or after the meeting? Before the meeting, GBC members asked Srila Prabhupada for his opinion on various topics on the agenda. They range from important issues to some quite trivial. Are we seriously expected to believe that something as important as rescinding the DOM did not merit any clarification? Also, the 1975 GBC resolutions do not mention the DOM by name but simply state that “There will be no elections”.
How convenient for the GBC to pass a resolution that makes them GBC for life, even if they abuse their positions. These are the same people who went on to declare themselves zonal acarya’s. Most of them proved to be pale imitations of a real Spiritual Master. How are we supposed to have any faith in these people?
Sorry if this sounds like a rant.
Keep up the good work.
Dwija
4 eric tries to sit properly » Blog Archive » Ex-ISKCON Guru Now Ex-Ithaca Car Salesman // Feb 16, 2008 at 9:01 am
[…] Click here to read more… […]
5 nicci // Feb 16, 2008 at 7:14 pm
nothing brings enlightenment like a little gossip
6 Nanda Sunu // Feb 19, 2008 at 6:06 am
Very funny =).
phanisvara prabhu: this is satire, not a solution.
7 Rati // Feb 22, 2008 at 11:18 am
While I appreciate Phanisvara prabhu’s concern, as someone who has had an “ex-guru” (Kirtananda, one of the worst) I thought the article was great.
The fact is what most people find really frustrating is that this type of thing is too often true. It seems many “leaders” can be involved in all sorts of illegal, immoral scandals and cover-ups and “be back in charge in no time” or even in charge the whole time. (I know of a few myself, and they’re not even “ex” gurus.) It’s refreshing to see it brought out in the open, even if done jokingly.
It may hit a little too close to home for some.
8 phanisvara das // Feb 23, 2008 at 12:16 am
well, rati mataji, your experience with kirtananda must have happened some time ago. would your reaction have been the same right after you realized he was bogus?
my other concern is that this article creates the impression that all gurus in ISKCON are on the car-salesman level, which isn’t true. some of them are quite nice. i’m not able to judge what level of vaisnava they are (uttama/madhyam/kanistha), but they _are_ vaisnavas; so this article comes close to vaisnava aparadha, which isn’t something to joke with.
(i understand that “don’t commit vaisnava aparadha” is being misused to cover many un-vaisnava actions by so-called or very contaminated devotees, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to offend real ones…)
considering all the faults and defects of ISKCON and many of our gurus and leaders, i still think the principle of taking shelter of a (more) advanced devotee, guru, is a valid one; and acticles like this don’t really help with that.
it’s ok on a fringie website perhaps, if the author doesn’t mind to play around with v. aparadha, but this article was the reason i took eric’s feed off namahatta.org, even though i like all the other posts.
ys phani.
9 Priya-darsana // Feb 23, 2008 at 7:55 am
Very funny! Keep it up. Most of us need some humor in our lives.
Hari!
10 Rati // Feb 24, 2008 at 8:21 am
Phanisvara prabhu, in response to your question, I can’t say for sure, but I’m pretty sure I would have had the same reaction.
Anyway, this article isn’t referring to true gurus, just cheaters in general. (I am sorry to see that it’s upset you.)
Closing thought:
There’s nothing offensive about calling a spade a spade.
11 phanisvara das // Feb 24, 2008 at 8:36 am
i’m afraid i was getting a bit carried away, arguing for arguing’s sake, or something like that.
i’m not upset about the article. because i was importing eric’s feed into namahatta.org, a straight-edge ISKCON institution website, i felt this article was going a bit too far–for this particular audience & purpose.
personally it doesn’t upset me at all. i wouldn’t make statements like this because i am scared of adding more offenses to my account which isn’t very good as it is. on the other hand, i’m sure eric means it in the spirit you’re understanding it in.
calling a spade a spade is a good thing, even and especially in an institutional context. i’m just trying to be a bit careful to avoid possible misunderstandings, like creating the impression i’m calling something a spade which really is a spoon …
12 JayaBlissNectar // Feb 27, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Funny piece, Eric, and kudos for highlighting a poignant issue.
In his classic book “Sri Guru and His Grace”, Srila Sridhara Maharaja explains that there are three levels of guru: one who has “both feet” in the spiritual world, one who has one foot in each world, and one who has both feet in this world but whose vision is firmly fixed on the spiritual realm.
Unscrupulous “gurus” who have misled their disciples and ultimately conned them out of money obviously do not fall in any of the above-mentioned three categories. Any institution that, as a means of self-sustenance, promotes such people as genuine spiritual masters is depraved.
13 Haribol magazine // Feb 28, 2008 at 6:36 am
Maybe the ex-guru should look for a job at Rivik Car sales
14 TaruN // Feb 28, 2008 at 11:05 am
I hope Rati is not too bitter about “KSwami”.
That’s how he formerly magic-marked his laundry - KSWAMI
PrabhupAd did extract much service from him.
He in turn did inspire many.
Unfortunately, from 1978 0n… he + others became puffed-up feeling they could challenge/offend obviously senior vaisnavas & get away with it unscathed.
What could b further from TRUTH?
————————-
They thought & spoke thus:
I have preached on 7 continents. I have disciples worldwide. What about u???
I have served my guru more than u served yours!!!
External measurement may not reveal WHAT GOES ON within.
Even Ringo Starr’s Rubber Soul can defeat that.
In turn, they deviated with juniors.
Don’t make the mistake of offending kanisthas either.
Everyone is dear to KRSNa, even nondevotees.
jive doya KRSNa nAm…
As for genuine percentages, Srila Sridhar Mhrj stated:
“For each genuine there may b 100 imitations.”
“As connotation increases, denotation decreases.”
Srila NArAyan Mhrj gives further break downs:
kanistha-kanistha, madhyam-kanistha, uttam-kanistha, kanistha-madhyam…
Even at age 97-102, Srila Bhaktipramoda Puri Mhrj stated:
“I am sahajiya. We r all sahajiya. Sahajiya means 2 try 2b like. We r not devotees, yet we r trying to act like, 2b like devotees.
Just don’t become prakRta-sahajiya.
Don’t try to lower/bring that pure thing up there down to your low level way down here.
Then everything will b ruined.”
Similarly, Srila Bhaktivallabha TIrtha Mhrj advised us to b familiar with/to know those 13 sahajiya groupings delineated by “The Judge” Srila Bhaktivinod ThAkur.
Jesus Xrist: “The path is narrow; few there b that find it.”
PrabhupAd: “Don’t b surprised by those that leave, b surprised at those who stay.”
15 Bhakta Godhead // Feb 28, 2008 at 8:44 pm
^
Proof that crack don’t smoke itself.
16 Jaya Vaisnava Thakur // Mar 4, 2008 at 8:21 am
Bhakta Godhead - too funny, LOL!
17 yas // Apr 19, 2008 at 5:57 am
Here we are laughing while others are going to hell.How profound,how funny.Had someone not gotten of their arse and given us a book instead of satirizing around we would have gone to hell too.LOL LOL LOL
18 yas // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:03 am
Hey,I have an idea.Let is joke about raped toddlers and gurukulis.That would be sooooooo funny.Or perhaps about the devotees that committed suicides
because they were sadened with the state of afairs in Prabhupadas movement.This is a great forum for emasculate vagina lickers that have no better business than making fun of others peoples pain.DO YOU THINK SRILA PRABHUPADA WOULD FIND IT FUNNY?
19 yas // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:07 am
Let us kid about all the broken marriages( I could bet my last penny that at least 99% of men on this forum are divorced and ladies too)HAHAHA so funny it just made my day.I suppose when you are divorced there is no better things to do but to hang around and gossip like a bunch of women.LOLOLOLOL
20 phani // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:42 am
see, that’s what i was afraid of. if you have a sense of humor ver. 8 or above, and really try to understand what bh. eric is trying to say, the article is ok. but that’s not always the case, as ‘yas,’ whoever he is, proves.
i find it perfectly fine to joke about 150% fired up ’sankirtan’ devotees, greencard-devotees, and pretty much all the other topics you took up. but things like child molestation, rape, or blooping gurus are perhaps better not treated in this way…
ys phani.
21 yas // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:55 am
Dear Phani
Everything and I mean everything adverse and contrary to SP instructions that happens in “ISKCON” nowadays is adverse for the society in general.”Green card” devotees that you find so amusing are there because TP’s are corrupt.Because TP’s are corrupt books are not going out and people are going to hell.Do you find the consequence amusing.Read about hellish planets and see how “funny” it is to be there just because some crooked TP is using “green card” devotees to make profit.Just because bunch of “vaishnavas” are laughing out loud while their service to suffering souls in neglected.Sorry gotta go to puke now..
22 Bhakta Billy // Apr 20, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I am a newer Bhakta within the movement, and this site actually HELPS me. This type of association can be good as well as HDG Srila Prabhupadas books, since if you search Google for Krsna, your likely to find so much confusion since there are so many silly controversies which misleads potential practitioners and neophytes away from accepting and examining the lilas of Lord Chaitanya’s movement.
This is not blasphemy, because it is presenting opportunities for peace and forgiveness with our culture, instead of fear.
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