Thousands of these documents and emails from the covert Science of Identity political operation have been independently examined by the Washington Post. The content on this website is attributed solely to the site's author.
Chris Butler demands that Hindu organizations rally to defend him and his protege, Tulsi Gabbard. Behind their backs, he mocks even Swami Vivekananda, the monk who introduced Hinduism to America with a message of tolerance.
When any journalist questions Tulsi Gabbard or her guru, "Jagad Guru" Chris Butler, he demands that his network call it "Hinduphobia." Tulsi Gabbard's guru Chris Butler lines up Hindu groups to publicly defend him and Tulsi, using operatives including Sunil Khemaney, Tulsi herself, and the Hindu American Foundation. 1
Meanwhile, Butler privately mocks the very figures who earned Hinduism its respect in the West. This is the fifth in a series on the Hindu paths his network targets. This time the target is Swami Vivekananda, the monk whose message to America was religious tolerance itself.
Butler tells his followers to line up Hindu groups to defend him
In the transcripts, Butler's operation is explicit about wanting respected Hindus and Hindu institutions out front as a shield, including, by name, "Hindus… ISKCON Hawaii, HAF," and others, and Hindu individuals "like Suhag or HAF or whatever." 1
Publicly, Butler's people insist that any scrutiny of him is an attack on all Hindus.
Butler attacked Swami Vivekananda, the monk who introduced Hinduism to America
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was the chief disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission, the worldwide spiritual and humanitarian movement headquartered at Belur Math near Calcutta. He is credited, more than anyone, with raising Hinduism to the stature of a world religion in the West. 2
His moment came at the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He opened with the words "Sisters and brothers of America" and received a two-minute standing ovation. His message was the opposite of bigotry: "I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true." 3
Here is the twist. Chris Butler casts himself as the one true teacher in a sea of frauds, and that means tearing down even the monk who taught the West to respect Hinduism in the first place. In his recorded religious lectures, he ridiculed Vivekananda and his guru Ramakrishna by name.
Vivekananda and his teaching: "nonsense"
Butler dismissed both Vivekananda and Ramakrishna outright, and lumped Vivekananda in with the gurus he brands as frauds.
"Both of these fellows are nonsense."
Chris Butler lecture, "The Faithful Are Fearless," November 9, 1997 (on Ramakrishna and Vivekananda) 4
"Vivekananda, Sai Baba and all these different guys… they say their philosophy, that all sounds… any name will lead you to the Absolute."
Chris Butler lecture, "Real Bhakti and Pseudo Bhakti," January 25, 1998 4
"So-called swami": "Kick his head"
In a 1995 lecture, Butler mocked Vivekananda personally, twisting his teaching into a punchline and inviting his audience to "kick his head."
"Swami Vivekananda, so-called swami, he says it is good fun to have your head kicked. So do it. Kick his head. And it's all good fun."
Chris Butler lecture, "Lord Chaitanya's Appearance Day," March 17, 1995 5
Ramakrishna a "nonsense fool playing as 'avatar'"
Butler reserved special contempt for Vivekananda's beloved guru, Ramakrishna, one of India's most revered modern saints.
"There's this Ramakrishna nonsense fool playing as 'avatar' some time back in India."
Chris Butler lecture, "Qualification for Entering the Kingdom of God" 6
Butler's sickening hypocrisy
The irony could not be sharper. Vivekananda's gift to the world was a plea for tolerance, that we should "accept all religions as true." Butler took the opposite path: he weaponizes the word "Hinduphobia" against critics while privately telling his followers to "kick the head" of the very monk who taught America to respect Hindus.
And he does it from a position of total hypocrisy, having lived in luxury in Kailua, Hawaii, on the free, unpaid labor of hundreds of followers told it was their "spiritual duty" to render "devotional service" to him and his wife, Huilan Zhang (aka Wai Lana). One monk asked the world for tolerance. The other scripts a congresswoman from the shadows and cries "Hinduphobia" the moment a reporter notices.
"Hinduphobia" is simply a calculated attack weapon that Butler and Tulsi Gabbard aim at critics. This is an extreme case of the pot calling the kettle black.
