Kirtanananda Swami
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Kirtanananda Swami (; September 6, 1937 – October 24, 2011), also known as Bhaktipada (), was a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and the co-founder of
New Vrindaban New Vrindaban is an unincorporated area and an ISKCON (Hare Krishna) intentional community located in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, near Moundsville. The town consists of (of which 0.1 km² is of water), and several buildin ...
, a Hare Krishna community in Marshall County, West Virginia, where he served as spiritual leader from 1968 until 1994. The first
sannyasi ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...
in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), he also served as an initiating guru in ISKCON from 1977 until his expulsion in 1987.


Early life

Kīrtanānanda was born Keith Gordon Ham in Peekskill, New York, in 1937, the youngest of five children of Conservative Baptist minister Francis Gordon Ham and his wife Marjorie. Keith's older brother,
F. Gerald Ham Francis Gerald "Jerry" Ham (April 13, 1930 – June 5, 2021) was an American archivist and educator, and served as state archivist of Wisconsin between 1964 and 1990. Ham also founded the archival education program at the University of Wisconsin- ...
, would go on to fame as an
archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...
. Keith Ham inherited his father's missionary spirit and attempted to convert classmates to his family's faith. Despite an acute case of
poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...
which he contracted around his 17th birthday, he graduated with honors from high school in 1955. He received a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in History from
Maryville College Maryville College is a private liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The college is one of the ...
in Maryville, Tennessee on May 20, 1959, and graduated
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
, first in his class of 117. He received a Woodrow Wilson fellowship to study American history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he remained for three years. There he met Howard Morton Wheeler (1940–1989), an undergraduate English major from
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
who became his lover and lifelong friend. Later Kīrtanānanda acknowledged that, before becoming a Hare Krishna, he had a homosexual relationship with Wheeler for many years, which was documented in the film ''
Holy Cow, Swami Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
'', a 1996 documentary by Jacob Young. Kīrtanānanda later claimed himself being ex-homosexual. The two resigned from the university on February 3, 1961, and left Chapel Hill after being threatened with an investigation over a "sex scandal", and moved to New York City. Ham promoted LSD use and became an LSD guru. He worked as an unemployment claims reviewer. He enrolled at Columbia University in 1961, where he received a Waddell fellowship to study religious history with
Whitney Cross Whitney Rogers Cross (1913–1955), was a mid-20th-century historian, best known as the author of ''The Burned-over District: The Social and Intellectual History of Enthusiastic Religion in Western New York, 1800 – 1850'' (Cornell University ...
, but he quit academic life after several years when he and Wheeler traveled to India in October 1965 in search of a guru. Unsuccessful, they returned to New York after six months.


As Kīrtanānanda

In June 1966, after returning from India, Ham met the
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
Gaudiya Vaishnava guru
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement". Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a repr ...
(then known simply as "Swāmiji" to his disciples), the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), more popularly known in the West as the Hare Krishnas. After attending '' Bhagavad-gita'' classes at the modest storefront temple at 26 Second Avenue in the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
of Manhattan, Ham accepted Swamiji as his spiritual master, receiving initiation as "Kīrtanānanda Dāsa" ("the servant of one who takes pleasure in
kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...
") on September 23, 1966. Swamiji sometimes called him "Kitchen-ānanda" because of his cooking expertise. Howard Wheeler was initiated two weeks earlier on September 9, 1966 and received the name "Hayagriva Dāsa". Kīrtanānanda was among the first of Swāmiji's western disciples to shave his head (apart from the sikha), don robes (traditional Bengali Vaishnava clothing consists of dhoti and kurta), and move into the temple. In March 1967, on the order of Swāmiji, Kīrtanānanda and Janus Dambergs (Janardana Dāsa), a French-speaking university student, established the Montreal Hare Krishna temple. On August 28, 1967, while traveling with Swāmiji in India, Kīrtanānanda Dāsa became Prabhupāda's first disciple to be initiated into the Vaishnava order of renunciation ( sannyasa: a lifelong vow of celibacy in mind, word, and body), and received the name Kīrtanānanda Swāmi. Within weeks, however, he returned to New York City against Prabhupāda's wishes and attempted to add esoteric cultural elements of Christianity to Prabhupāda's devotional
bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
system. Other disciples of Prabhupāda saw this as a takeover attempt. In letters from India, Prabhupāda soundly chastised him and banned him from preaching in ISKCON temples.


The New Vrindaban Community

Kīrtanānanda lived with Wheeler, by then known as Hayagriva Dasa, who was teaching English at a community college in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. In the ''
San Francisco Oracle ''The Oracle of the City of San Francisco'', also known as the ''San Francisco Oracle,'' was an underground newspaper published in 12 issues from September 20, 1966, to February 1968 in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of that city. Allen Cohen (p ...
'' (an underground newspaper), Kīrtanānanda saw a letter from Richard Rose, Jr., who wanted to form an
ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...
on his land in Marshall County, West Virginia. "The conception is one of a non-profit, non-interfering, non-denominational retreat or refuge, where philosophers might come to work communally together, or independently, where a library and other facilities might be developed." On a weekend free of classes (March 30–31, 1968), Kīrtanānanda and Hayagriva visited the two properties owned by Rose. After Hayagriva returned to Wilkes Barre, Kīrtanānanda stayed on in Rose's backwoods farmhouse. In July 1968, after a few months of Kīrtanānanda's living in isolation, he and Hayagriva visited Prabhupada in Montreal. Prabhupāda "forgave his renegade disciples in Montreal with a garland of roses and a shower of tears". When the pair returned to West Virginia, Richard Rose, Jr. and his wife Phyllis gave Hayagriva a 99-year lease on the 132.77-acre property for $4,000, with an option to purchase for $10 when the lease expired. Hayagriva put down a $1,500 deposit. Prabhupāda established the purpose and guided the development of the community in dozens of letters and four personal visits (1969, 1972, 1974 and 1976).
New Vrindaban New Vrindaban is an unincorporated area and an ISKCON (Hare Krishna) intentional community located in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, near Moundsville. The town consists of (of which 0.1 km² is of water), and several buildin ...
would highlight five key elements for ISKCON: # Cow Protection and local agriculture, #Simple living, # Holy pilgrimage, # Spiritual education, # And above all, loving Krishna. Kīrtanānanda eventually established himself as leader and sole authority of the community. In New Vrindaban publications from the late 1970s through the 1980s he was honored as "Founder- Acharya" of New Vrindaban, in imitation of Prabhupada's title of Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. Over time the community expanded, devotees from other ISKCON centers moved in, and cows and land were acquired until New Vrindaban properties consisted of nearly 2,500 acres. New Vrindaban became a favorite ISKCON place of pilgrimage and many ISKCON devotees attended the annual
Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami , also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...
festivals. For some, Kīrtanānanda's previous offenses were forgiven. Many devotees admired him for his austere lifestyle (for a time he lived in an abandoned chicken coop), his preaching skills and devotion to the presiding
deities A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
of New Vrindaban: Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra. For other devotees who had challenged him and thereby encountered his wrath, he was a source of fear.


Palace of Gold

Late in 1972 Kīrtanānanda and sculptor-architect Bhagavatānanda Dāsa decided to build a home for
Prabhupāda Prabhupāda is the honorific used by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to refer to ISKCON founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Etymology ''Prabhupāda'' (প্রভুপাদ) is composed of the words ''Prabhu, ...
. In time, the plans for the house developed into an ornate memorial shrine of marble, gold and carved teak wood, dedicated posthumously during Labor Day weekend, on Sunday, September 2, 1979. The completion of the Palace of Gold catapulted New Vrindaban into mainstream respectability as tens (and eventually hundreds) of thousands of tourists began visiting the Palace each year. A "Land of Krishna" theme park and a granite "Temple of Understanding" in classical South Indian style were designed to make New Vrindaban a "Spiritual Disneyland". The ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed temple on May 31, 1985, was attended by dozens of dignitaries, including a United States congressman from West Virginia. One publication called it "the most significant and memorable day in the history of New Vrindaban." Upon Prabhupāda's death ("disappearance") on November 14, 1977, Kīrtanānanda and ten other high-ranking ISKCON leaders assumed the position of initiating gurus to succeed him. In March 1979, he accepted the honorific title "Bhaktipāda."


Interfaith era

In 1986 Kīrtanānanda began his so-called interfaith experiment and the community became known as the "New Vrindaban City of God". He attempted to "de-Indianize" Krishna Consciousness to help make it more accessible to westerners, just as he had done previously in 1967. Devotees wore robes instead of dhotis and saris; they chanted in English with western instruments such as the
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
and accordions at instead of chanting in Sanskrit and
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
with mridanga drums and cymbals; male devotees grew hair and beards instead of shaving their heads and faces; female devotees were awarded the sannyasini order and encouraged to preach independently; japa was practiced silently; and an interfaith community was attempted.


Assault and ensuing expulsion from ISKCON

On October 27, 1985, during a New Vrindaban bricklaying marathon, a crazed and distraught devotee bludgeoned Kīrtanānanda on the head with a heavy steel tamping tool. Kīrtanānanda was critically injured and remained in a coma for ten days. Gradually he recovered most of his faculties, although devotees who knew him well said that his personality had changed. Some close associates began leaving the community. On March 16, 1987, during their annual meeting at Mayapur, India, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission expelled Kīrtanānanda from the society for various deviations. They claimed he had defied ISKCON policies and had claimed to be the sole spiritual heir to Prabhupāda's movement. Thirteen members voted for the resolution, two abstained, and one member,
Bhakti Tirtha Swami Bhakti Tirtha Swami (; February 25, 1950 – June 27, 2005), previously called John Favors and Toshombe Abdul and also known by the honorific Krishnapada (), was a guru and governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna C ...
, voted against the resolution. Kīrtanānanda then established his own organization, The Eternal Order of the League of Devotees Worldwide, taking several properties with him. By 1988, New Vrindaban had 13 satellite centers in the United States and Canada, including New Vrindaban. New Vrindaban was excommunicated from ISKCON the same year.


Criminal conviction and imprisonment

In 1990 the US federal government indicted Kīrtanānanda on five counts of
racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and of ...
, six counts of mail fraud, and conspiracy to murder two of his opponents in the Hare Krishna movement (Stephen Bryant and Charles St. Denis). The government claimed that he had illegally amassed a profit of more than $10.5 million over four years. It also charged that he ordered the killings because the victims had threatened to reveal his sexual abuse of minors.''
Holy Cow, Swami Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
'', a documentary movie by Jacob Young (WVEBA, 1996)
On March 29, 1991, Kīrtanānanda was convicted on nine of the 11 charges (the jury failed to reach a verdict on the murder charges), but the Court of Appeals, convinced by the arguments of defense attorney Alan Morton Dershowitz, threw out the convictions, saying that
child molestation Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (wheth ...
evidence had unfairly prejudiced the jury against Kīrtanānanda, who was not charged with those crimes. On August 16, 1993, he was released from
house arrest In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
in a rented apartment in the Wheeling neighborhood of Warwood, where he had lived for nearly two years, and returned triumphantly to New Vrindaban. Kīrtanānanda lost his iron grip on the community after the September 1993 "Winnebago Incident" during which he was accidentally discovered in a compromising position with a teenage boy in the back of a Winnebago van, and the community split into two camps: those who still supported Kīrtanānanda and those who challenged his leadership. During this time he retired to his rural retreat at "Silent Mountain" near
Littleton, West Virginia Littleton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 198 at the 2010 census. History Some say the community derives its name from William Little, a pioneer settler, while others believe ...
. The challengers eventually ousted Kīrtanānanda and his supporters completely, and ended the "interfaith era" in July 1994 by returning the temple worship services to the standard Indian style advocated by Swami Prabhupada and practiced throughout ISKCON. Most of Kīrtanānanda's followers left New Vrindaban and moved to the Radha Muralidhar Temple in New York City, which remained under Kīrtanānanda's control. New Vrindaban returned to ISKCON in 1998. In 1996, before Kīrtanānanda's retrial was completed, he pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering (mail fraud). He was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released on June 16, 2004, because of poor health. On September 10, 2000, the ISKCON Child Protection Office concluded a 17-month investigation and determined that Kīrtanānanda had molested two boys. He was prohibited from visiting any ISKCON properties for five years and offered conditions for reinstatement within ISKCON: #He must contribute at least $10,000 to an organization dedicated to serving Vaishnava youth, such as Children of Krishna, the Association for the Protection of Vaishnava Children, or a gurukula approved by the APVC. #He must write apology letters to all the victims described in this letter. In these letters he must fully acknowledge his transgressions of child abuse, and he must take full responsibility for those actions. Also, he must express appropriate remorse, and offer to make amends to the victims. These letters should be sent to the APVC, not directly to the victims. #He must undergo a
psychological evaluation Psychological evaluation is a method to assess an individual's behavior, personality, cognitive abilities, and several other domains. A common reason for a psychological evaluation is to identify psychological factors that may be inhibiting a pers ...
by a mental health professional pre-approved by the APVC, and he must comply with recommendations for ongoing therapy described in the evaluation report and by the APVC. #He must fully comply with all governmental investigations into misconduct on his part. Kīrtanānanda never satisfied any of these conditions.


After imprisonment

For four years after his release from prison, Kīrtanānanda (now using a wheelchair) resided at the Radha Murlidhara Temple at 25 First Avenue in New York City, which was purchased in 1990 for $500,000 and maintained by a small number of disciples and followers, although the temple board later attempted to evict him. On March 7, 2008, Kīrtanānanda left the United States for India, where he expected to remain for the rest of his life. "There is no sense in staying where I'm not wanted," he explained, referring to the desertions through the years by most of his American disciples and to the attempts to evict him from the building. At the time of his death Kīrtanānanda still had a significant number of loyal disciples in India and Pakistan, who worshiped him as "guru" and published his last books. He continued preaching a message of interfaith: that the God of the Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Vaishnavas is the same; and that men of faith from each religion should recognize and appreciate the faith of men of other paths. "Fundamentalism is one of the most dangerous belief-systems in the world today. Fundamentalism doesn't promote unity; it causes separatism. It creates enmity between people of faith. Look at the Muslims; Mohammed never intended that his followers should spread their religion by the sword. It is more important today than at any other time to preach about the unity of all religions."


Death

Kīrtanānanda died on October 24, 2011, at a hospital in Thane, near Mumbai, India, aged 74. His brother, Gerald Ham, reported the cause of death to be kidney failure. He named Madhusudan Das (popularly known as ‘Bapuji’), o
Anand Vrindavan Dham
in Ulhasnagar, Mumbai, as his material and spiritual successor.


Bibliography

Kīrtanānanda Swami authored two dozen published books, some of which were translated and published in Gujarati, German, French and Spanish editions. Some books attributed to him and published in his name were actually written by volunteer ghostwriters. Kīrtanānanda Swami's former disciple, Henry Doktorski, is currently working on a ten-volume biography of his former spiritual master and a history of the New Vrindaban Community. To date, seven volumes have been published. Books by Kīrtanānanda Swāmi: * ''The Song of God: A Summary Study of
Bhagavad-gita As It Is The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (cha ...
'' (1984) * ''Christ and Krishna: The Path of Pure Devotion'' (1985) * ''L'amour de Dieu: Le Christianisme et La Tradition Bhakti'' (1985) French edition * ''Eternal Love: Conversations with the Lord in the Heart'' (1986), based on Thomas à Kempis' '' Imitation of Christ'' * ''The Song of God: A Summary Study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is'' (c. 1986) Gujarati edition *''On His Order'' (1987) * ''The Illustrated Ramayana'' (1987) * ''Lila in the Land of Illusion'' (1987), based on Lewis Carroll's ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' * ''Bhaktipada Bullets'' (1988), compiled by Devamrita Swami * '' A Devotee's Journey to the City of God'' (1988), based on John Bunyan's ''
Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'' * ''Joy of No Sex'' (1988) * ''Excerpts from The Bhaktipada Psalms'' (1988) * ''Le pur amour de Dieu: Christ & Krishna'' (1988), French edition * ''One God: The Essence of All Religions'' (1989), Indian publication * ''Heart of the Gita: Always Think of Me'' (1990) * ''How To Say No To Drugs'' (1990) * ''Spiritual Warfare: How to Gain Victory in the Struggle for Spiritual Perfection'' (1990), a sequel to ''Eternal Love'' * ''How to Love God'' (1992), based on Saint Francis de Sales' ''Treatise on the Love of God'' * ''Sense Grataholics Anonymous: A Twelve Step Meeting Suggested Sharing Format'' (c. 1995) * ''On Becoming Servant of The Servant'' (undated), Indian publication * ''Divine Conversation'' (2004), Indian publication * ''The Answer to Every Problem: Krishna Consciousness'' (2004), Indian publication * ''A Devotee's Handbook for Pure Devotion'' (2004), Indian publication See http://www.kirtananandaswami.org/HandbookforPureDevotion.pdf * ''Humbler than a Blade of Grass'' (2008), Indian publication Articles and poems by, and interviews with Kīrtanānanda Swami published in '' Back to Godhead'' magazine: * 1966, Vol 01, No 01, (untitled poem, no. 1) * 1966, Vol 01, No 01, (untitled poem, no. 2) * 1966, Vol 01, No 01, (untitled poem, no. 3) * 1966, Vol 01, No 02, (untitled poem, no. 4) * 1969, Vol 01, No 29, "Man's Link to God" * 1969, Vol 01, No 31, "Krishna's Light vs. Maya's Night" * 1970, Vol 01, No 32, "Prasadam: Food for the Body, Food for the Soul and Food for God" * 1970, Vol 01, No 33, "Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Part 1" * 1970, Vol 01, No 34, "Contents of the Gita Summarized" * 1970, Vol 01, No 35, "Karma-yoga—Perfection through Action, Part 3: Sankirtana" * 1970, Vol 01, No 37, "Transcendental Knowledge, Part 4: He Is Transcendental" * 1970, Vol 01, No 38, "Karma-yoga—Action in Krishna Consciousness, Part 5: Work in Devotion" * 1970–1973, Vol 01, No 40, "Sankhya-yoga: Absorption in the Supreme" * 1970–1973, Vol 01, No 41, "Knowledge of the Absolute: It Is Not a Cheap Thing" * 1970–1973, Vol 01, No 42, "Attaining the Supreme: What Is Brahman?" * 1974, Vol 01, No 66, "Turning Our Love Toward Krishna" * 1977, Vol 12, No 12, "The Things Christ Had to Keep Secret" * 1986, Vol 21, No 07, "The Heart's Desire: How can we find happiness that is not purchased with our pain?"


References


External links


Website of Kirtanananda

Website of New Vrindaban Community

Website of Palace of Gold


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirtanananda, Swami 1937 births 2011 deaths American Hare Krishnas People convicted of racketeering American fraudsters Former International Society for Krishna Consciousness religious figures Converts to Hinduism People from Peekskill, New York LGBT people from New York (state) Deaths from kidney failure LGBT Hindus Former Baptists American members of the clergy convicted of crimes