AN OPEN LETTER
TO MY ASSASSINS

    The world has a history of killing its spiritual teachers – often on false charges, usually criminal, political, ‘moral’ or ‘religious’.

    Is this also true of India today?

    It seems so.

    I am told that I will be killed if I return to India – and the local police will be paid to turn a ‘blind eye’ - or I will be arrested on false charges.

    What then is my crime?

     I am a teacher of Tantra – and have been for almost forty years – in 14 countries, but I have not experienced such opposition to this 6000 year old spiritual path anywhere in the world as I have during my frequent visits to India – and in the land of its origin at that.

    So far I have been accused of being a ‘spy’, a common thief, an adulterer, and having made millions of dollars from Tantra. My wife has been accused of being a prostitute, the lives of my seven children – the youngest is six months old – have been threatened, if I return to India, and I am told that if I rent accommodation anywhere in India the place will be burned to the ground – and myself and all my devotees with it.

    What is the truth?

     I am 60 years old. I am happily married. I live in a small house, owned by the local council, in the UK. I have no bank account, I have no car. I own nothing. I do not charge money for the spiritual help I give. I am a ‘householder guru’ with few needs and simple requirements, I save every penny I can  - often for months -  to spend just a few weeks with my devotees in India.

    I am a student of sanatana dharma (Hinduism}. I do not come to convert Hindus to Christianity, Buddhism or Islam – I am a krishna-bhakta. I maintain the highest moral standards, both in my own family and among my devotees worldwide.

    I am willing to die for any and all of my devotees, and I am returning to India within the next few weeks knowing that this is a strong possibility.

    However, I intend to deposit with a bank in Delhi a list of names and addresses of those who have threatened to hire others to kill me so that the police will have a place to start their investigations.

    If these people – the son of a senior police officer, a well known business man in Himachal Pradesh, another in Delhi, and  two others in Mumbai – do not withdraw these threats and their intention to have me killed I will publicly name and shame them.

     My concern is for my devotees only.

     If you want to kill me, do it but do no harm to my devotees.

     I am happy to die in India, my spiritual home.

     I refuse to hide.

     I will publicly announce the date and time of my arrival when it is fixed, and publish the address in India where I will be staying when it is arranged.

                                                                                                      Sri Padma Ananda