mental illness & cults
Date: January 05, 2004 02:59AM
Hey Hope,
I find your post very interesting. Very little is known about SIF, and I've never seen an ex-member before (and I have met many who are or were Krishna devotees). Let me tell you what I know.
I used to live in Hawaii, and I loved going to their health food store Down to Earth (DTE). They have hot vegetarian food there, and very good selection of organic produce. As I was going to their store more and more, however, I would get a distant, "creepy" feeling. I felt that everyone working there was "interconnected" somehow.
SIF Hawaii uses 3 methods to recruit members:
1) DTE employees - If you work at Down to Earth, chances are most of your co-workers are followers of Chris Butler. They will make attempts to recruit you. I've heard the pay is very good there, and that even cult members get paid well. I have some feeling that somehow the money they get paid gets cycled back to SIF, but this is entirely my speculation. If you order an application, it will say you can't attempt to "pick up other employees", and has some sort of restrictions on social interaction.
2) Lifestyle Center - This is the name of the "center" attached to the store. They offer a lot of vegetarian and cooking seminars (this is where your Prabhu das probably wanted you to work). I believe they also try to sneak their brand of meditation in there.
3) Flirtation - SIF has a lot of young people, and many are attractive. I've spoken to others who went to the store, and some felt there was some odd flirtation going on (happened to me too), although outside contact is forbidden. They find some kind of delicate balance though, to tantilize young people, yet keep their OWN young people in check (almost all of them live with senior cult members who watch like a hawk).
I don't know what else to say. I know from very reliable sources that their temple is filled with pictures of Chris Butler, and that during their weekly programs on the beach of Bellow's Air Force Base at Waimanelo, senior members close to Butler wear surgical masks, so there could be a Howard Hughs theme going, as well. He is quite paranoid, and does not come out in public. He also has been known to often shout profanities during lectures, something that he doesn't do during his television show "Jagad Guru Speaks". They also emphasize Christianity, and somehow try to equate their brand of worshipping Krishna with some new brand of new age interfaith Christianity.
You are very fortunate not to have been sucked in, Hope. It's very tempting to get invited to Hawaii. Once you're there, however, Butler and his lieutenants will assume complete control over your actions, career-wise, social-wise, you name it.
I hope it doesn't leave a bad impression about Krishna on you, though. Millions of people in India worship Krishna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and study the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavad Purana. Many are not fanatical members of an institution, and many have rewarding careers and happy family lives.
You just have to be careful with all eastern religions due to the recurring theme of surrendering to the guru. Many gurus are not qualified, and will pull you down to their rut with them.
(I tried posting this before, but I had network problems. If this is a double post, please disregard, thanks)