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Is this Madhudvisa that Madhudvisa?

Submitted by jswami on April 28, 2008 - 5:43pm.

You may have seen things on the internet written by “Madhudvisa Dasa.” And you may have wondered, Is this the Madhudvisa, the senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada? Or perhaps you assumed it was.

In fact, there are two Madhudvisas, two entirely different people.

The senior Madhudvisa The junior Madhudvisa
The senior Madhudvisa Dasa The junior Madhudvisa Dasa


  • Age: 61
  • Nationality: American
  • Civil name: Michael Morrissey

  • Initiation: First and second initiation in 1968, both ceremonies performed directly by Srila Prabhupada. First initiation in San Francisco, second in Los Angeles.

  • One of Srila Prabhupada’s intimate disciples. In 1972 Srila Prabhupada personally requested him to become a GBC man. During Srila Prabhupada’s time, he served as one of Srila Prabhupada’s “right-hand men” in America, India, Australasia, and elsewhere.

  • He received about 100 personal letters from Srila Prabhupada.

  • Rousing kirtana leader

  • He stays off the net
  • Age: early 40s
  • Nationality: Australian
  • Civil name: Michael Thompson

  • Initiation: Well, we’re not sure whether he was ever formally initiated. But a senior leader from Australia tells us that Michael received the name “Bhakta Madhudvisa” from Jayadharma Dasa, one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, around 1988.

  • He first came in touch with the Krishna consciousness movement well after Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure and never physically met Srila Prabhupada.

  • Presents himself as “a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,” although in what sense he regards this to be so is unclear.

  • Extremely active on the net

 

As with anyone, much good could surely be said about the junior Madhudvisa. But one thing should be clear: He and the senior Madhudvisa are two different people.

The senior Madhudvisa has several times mentioned how sorry he is that some people, including people who know him, think him the author of the stuff the junior Madhudvisa has written.

May this small article be of some service in setting the record straight.

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