An Open Letter Of Defense

By Richard Shaw Brown

GROSS INJUSTICE: AN OPEN LETTER OF DEFENSE

Dear Hari bhaktas,

Vande gurun isha bhaktan!

Please allow me to tell the truth about a long term GROSS INJUSTICE within the circle of devotees that has never been properly explained nor rectified. It is not my intention to slander or offend any devotees in any way; rather it is my moral duty to TELL the COMPLETE TRUTH and DEFEND myself from this GROSS INJUSTICE.

Here is the story:

In 1989 two disciples of Srila Prabhupada, Bhakta das and Gurukripa das, attended my first Vedic Jewelry show at a venue in Bangkok.

A week after the show, Bhaktadas came and purchased from our Company (Astral Gemstone Talismans) a large Moon Astral Talisman hand-crafted in 90% (21k) solid gold pendant adorned with a top quality 9 carat "flawless" Moonstone, presented in a special wooden box with a Gemological Certificate of Authenticity and Guarantee. Bhaktadas received a 30% discount off the list price and expressed great satisfaction with his purchase.

Six months later, in 1990, Bhakta das and Gurukripa das came to my Bangkok office and offered to buy jewelry wholesale from me and market the jewelry in the USA. I trusted them because they were devotees, and gave them my research, information, and sales manual to take to the USA.

When they returned Gurukripa das came and told me that they were instead going to copy my business and do it themselves; Gurukripa das also demanded that I sell him ONE pendant at (partner???) wholesale price.

I refused to do any business with Gurukripa das and asked him to leave my office. Gurukripa was enraged and he vowed to take revenge against me.

Gurukripa went and convinced Bhaktadas that he had been cheated by me on his solid gold flawless moonstone pendant. Bhaktadas came under the spell of a vindictive Gurukripa das and complained to me that I had cheated him.

Seeing his displeasure I immediately offered Bhaktadas a full cash refund, but he said that was not possible now because the pendant was stolen from him one night in Pattaya Beach, Thailand.

I then showed him our actual database file for his pendant, which showed that he had paid "keystone" or 100% Gross Profit, the normal "minimum fair retail markup" within the global retail jewelry indursty.

But in spite of my full cash refund offer and showing him the actual details of the transaction, Bhaktadas and Gurukripa proceeded to spread the word wherever they went that I had sold him a moonstone for $720 that was really worth only $12. That is an absolutely outrageous and unheard of 6700% markup, but he managed to persuade many, many devotees that this falsehood was the truth.

In fact, what was sold to him at "keystone" is described above in paragraph four, i.e., a large pendant hand-crafted in 90% (21k) gold, set with a top quality 9 carat "flawless" Moonstone, presented in an exotic wooden box and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Guarantee.

Over the next 5 years Bhaktadas and Gurukripa proceeded to slander me in Mayapur dham, Vrindavan Dham, and anywhere and everywhere they went together or apart. They defamed me and bore false witness against me even within the dham, and their sole purpose was to destroy my reputation within the circle of devotees.

This lie was circulated and believed by many of the devotees, most of whom still think I am dishonest even though 10 years have passed. During the last 10 years I have been accused by many devotees of being an outright thief, all on the basis of how I had "ripped off" Bhaktadas. In all this time Bhaktadas has never apologized (accepted the facts) nor made any attempt to rectify his gross and untrue slander and defamation of my character.

---B U T, Just the other day I received an e-mail from Bhaktadas which said... "Dear [Hrsikesananda] Prabhu, Can you let me know the approximate price now for a 3 or more Karat ruby, good quality? I have been advised to wear such stone to add strength to my sun. Thank you very much. Your servant, ---Bhakta dasa"

My first reaction to Bhaktadas's request was heated, and I told him that he had some nerve asking me for this after slandering me for 10 years everywhere he went and ruining my reputation among the devotees.

But the next day in my follow-up reply to Bhaktadasa I told him that his UNJUST smear campaign against me had ruined my reputation, and that he must somehow, through VNN or any other media, send in a PUBLIC LETTER OF

APOLOGY to the circle of devotees stating his fault and declaring my Innocence I would then gladly forgive Bhaktadas for his decade long UNJUST SMEAR CAMPAIGN. But he refuses to publicly admit to and clear this offense, which leaves me no recourse other than to inform all the devotees myself through VNN.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope the real truth is now clear and the devotees will no longer misunderstand this matter.

NOTE: I have been researching, practicing and promoting the Vedic science of Planetary Gemology since 1975, and have five books already published on this subject' (which combines two of the sixty four Vedic arts, viz., gemology and jewelry). My last book won the PMA's 1996 Benjamin Franklin Award. I have always dealt fairly and ethically with all my customers, and as a result my business has grown to include many satisfied customers around the world.

Y/s,

Hrsikesananda das
(Richard S. Brown, GIA)