01	Peanuts are nuts and can therefore be eaten on ekadashi.	False
02	Coffee is made from beans: even decaffeinated coffee cannot be taken on ekadashi.	False
03	Chocolate is made from beans and can therefore not be eaten on ekadashi.	False
04	Vanilla is made from beans and can therefore not be used on ekadashi.	False

01	In the 1980s former Harikesa Swami had a secret program in Sweden to build UFOs.	False
02	A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami had all his personal information at the Radha Damodara temple destroyed.	Maybe
03	Satsvarupa das Goswami, the author of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's biography Prabhupada Lilamrita, had all source material for this work destroyed.	Maybe
04	A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami created a panacean toothpaste and handed its secret formula to disciples, claiming that whomever made it into a business would become a millionair.	False

01	The planned Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in ISKCON Mayapur is the adbhuta-mandir predicted by Bhaktivinoda Thakura.	False
02	A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was the first Chaitanya Vaishnava ever to come to the US, create a Vaishnava society there, publish English books and a magazine, and have thousands of western disciples.	False
03	Chocolate has as much caffeine as coffee, or more even, and is therefore an intoxicant.	False
04	Chocolate is an aphrodesiac.	False
05	The bumble bee defies the laws of nature because its wings are too small to carry its body weight.	False
06	You can chant a round of the maha-mantra in under 4 minutes.	False
07	Americans never landed on the Moon.	False

---

Myth: Peanuts are nuts and can therefore be eaten on ekadashi. Status: False. Bottom Line: Peanuts are beans.

The Peanut, or Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico and Central America. It is a bean. Although there is some debate over the exact dating of when Peanuts were introduced in India, it was definitely after the 15th century.

---

Myth: Coffee is made from beans: even decaffeinated coffee cannot be taken on ekadashi. Status: False. Bottom Line: Coffee is made from seeds.

There are several species of Coffee, of which Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (robusta) are the most common. The trees produce red or purple fruits called drupes, cherries, or berries. These fruits contain two seeds that are usually referred to as "coffee beans," although they are not true beans.

---

Myth: Chocolate is made from beans and can therefore not be eaten on ekadashi. Status: False. Bottom Line: Chocolate is made from seeds.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a small (15 to 26 feet tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae), native to the deep tropical region of the Americas, probably originally extending from far southern Mexico, through northern South America and into the Amazon. It is today cultivated throughout the tropics. The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, 4 to 12 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about a pound when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans," although they are not true beans, embedded in a white pulp.

---

Myth: Vanilla is made from beans and can therefore not be used on ekadashi. Status: False. Bottom Line: Vanilla is made from Orchid fruit pods.

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, native to Mexico. It was introduced to the Europe in the 1520s and spread throughout the Old World from there. The primary source is the Flat-leaved Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). Fruit is produced only on mature plants, which are generally over 10 feet long. The fruits are 6 to 9 innch long pods (often incorrectly called beans). They mature after about five months, at which point they are harvested and cured. Curing ferments and dries the pods while minimizing the loss of essential oils.

---

Myth: In the 1980s former Harikesa Swami had a secret program in Sweden to build UFOs. Status: False. Bottom Line: Research into free energy and anti-gravity that never yielded any tangible results, yes. Anything beyond that, no.

Variations on this urban legend hold that there was a UFO landing strip in Korsnäs Gård, the head quarters of the North-European division of the BBT in Sweden, and that Harikesa indeed had one or more crafts there that flew on the principle of anti-gravity. Some even claimed he used them to attend the GBC meetings in Mayapur.

The truth is that Harikesa merely had a great interest in esotherics and pseudo-science, which spawned ideas to research cheap or free sources of energy that could be uitilized in Mayapur. Several of his technically inclined disciples -- a.o. Ekanath, Markandeya Rsi, and Rasamandala -- were entrusted with this research. To this end they set up their initial shop at the Swedish farm in Almviks Gård, researched patents on free energy, anti-gravity and related subjects, and built prototypes of what was deemed credible enough. The endeavor was later moved to Korsnäs Gård.

At one point Sadaputa was consulted on the various patents and ideas, but rejected the matter based on his knowledge of physics. The team built prototypes of Jim Griggs' steam hammer and several magnet-based free energy machines. None worked as promised. It also procured a car with same-side input and output manifolds meant to test a French gizmo that converted water to hydrogen -- a project that was never finalized. In the late eighties, a prototype with magnets spinning at high velocity came apart during a test run, resulting in Ekanath loosing part of a finger. The fallout of this accident ultimately led to the termination of the project.

---

Myth: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami had all his personal information at the Radha Damodara temple destroyed. Status: Maybe. Bottom Line: No hard proof yet.

Does anyone have more information on this?

---

Myth: Satsvarupa das Goswami, the author of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's biography Prabhupada Lilamrita, had all source material for this work destroyed. Status: Maybe. Bottom Line: It was apparently meant to be destroyed, in whole or in part, but the bulk of it still exists.

Don't hold your breath. The wheels of time grind steadily, but slowly. I will not entertain any inquiries about this, so don't bother.

---

Myth: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami created a panacean toothpaste and handed its secret formula to disciples, claiming that whomever made it into a business would become a millionair. Status: False. Bottom Line: Old recipe in a new jacket.

The true part seems to be the million dollar business claim, although, despite several attempts in the US and Europe, no one has ever seen that manifest in the last 40 years.

As far as the tooth paste itself is concerned, it is not panacean, nor is its recipe a secret. As a matter of fact, here it is:

• 1 cup glycerine - 280 gr
• 4 oz peppermint oil (or 1½ oz pure oil without alcohol)
• 2 gr thymol
• 2 gr menthol
• 2 small blocks of camphor

Mix with these dry ingredients:

• 1 cup ground black mustard seeds - 170 gr
• 1 cup limestone - 175 gr
• 1 cup salt - 300 gr

This particular combination of ingredients and its usage as a toothpaste verifiably dates back to 17th century Europe. It may very well be much older (some say the British brought it from India, others say they brought it to India). A Dutch book entitled Algemeen Receptenboek (Book of General Recipies), printed in 1812, lists the exact same ingredients under the header Common Whitening Toothpaste. The only difference, of course, is in the measurements. There are dozens of variations on this basic recipe.

The former Harikesa Swami has told the story of how Bhaktivedanta Swami came about making the toothpaste in several lectures, one of which I have attended personally. He was Bhaktivedanta Swami's guinea pig to get the taste right, going through various attempts ranging from mouth-burning to sirupy sweet. He, too, mentioned that the recipe was a common one and that Bhaktivedanta Swami knew it from his days as a pharmacist. It was just a question of fine-tuning the measurements.

As far as the quality goes, it is an abrasive toothpaste. Ground up mustard seeds, limestone and salt effectively grind away enamel and gums over a longer period of use. The oil from the mustard seeds has a blistering effect and can damage gums and palate. Particles of mustard seed skins easily get trapped between teeth and gums, especially when the seeds aren't ground extremely fine, and cause accumulation of bacteria and infection of the gums.

Thymol is a general irritant. It damages healthy living tissue on contact. Its use as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal has been radically curtailed by recent studies showing that it can damage the eyes and upper respiratory system. With ingestion, thymol affects the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and the circulatory system as well (Barton and Wellheiser 1985). Thymol has caused dermatitis in dentists (Schwartz et al. 1957), and, when used in toothpaste, cheilitis and glossitis (Beinhauer 1940).

---

Myth: The planned Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in ISKCON Mayapur is the adbhuta-mandir predicted by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Status: False. Bottom Line: The vision of the Thakura pertains to the birth place of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Yogapith, not to the Mayapur project.

Bhaktivinoda had the vision of the Adbhuta Mandir on two consecutive occasions. In 1896 he wrote to his son Lalita Prasad about the experience and the events that led to the discovery of Mahaprabhu's birth site in Mayapura. That segment of Bhaktivinoda's letter follows:

     "During the Christmas break I took a train to Navadvipa with my wife. Arriving there and seeing the land in all four directions the hair on my body stood on end. Upon crossing the Ganga, and I went to Rani Dharmasala and I made arrangements to cook for Sriman Mahaprabhu. Having taken darsana of the Lord with difficultly I honored prasada at around 1 o'clock. After 45 days [of dieting], I took grains, jackfruit dahl, banana-flour sabji, and soup etc., which were like nectar. Since my very birth I had not eaten such nectarine food. Even Bimal ate everything on his plate, and with great devotion.

     "We had to go to the house at Krsnanagara before evening and thus, buying some cooking pots and utensils, and quickly crossing [the river], we took the train to Krsnanagara. The next day I went to Baro Gosvami's house in Santipura, took prasada, and before evening returned home. At that time I was beginning to become strong. Every Saturday, I went to Navadvipa to search out the places of the lila of the Lord, but I did not find many and I was very unhappy. At the present time the people of Navadvipa only pay heed to their stomach etc. They do not make even a little effort in relation to the places of the lila of the Lord. One night, Kamala and a clerk and I went up on the roof in order to look around.

     "It was 10 o'clock, and was very dark and cloudy. Across the Ganga, in a northerly direction, I saw a large building flooded with light. I asked Kamala (if he saw it) and he said he had. I asked the clerk and he said, "I did not see anything." Because of that I was utterly amazed. In the morning I looked carefully at the place [where I saw the building] from the roof of the Rani Dharmasala, and I observed that there was one Tal tree in that location. When I asked others about this place they said that this distant place was known as Ballaldighi and that the remains of the fort etc. of Laksmana Sena were close by. That Monday I returned to Krsnanagara and the following Saturday I went back to Ballaldighi. I saw that wonderful phenomenon in that place again at night, and the next day I went to see the area on foot. Upon inquiring of the elderly people of that place, I was informed that this was the birthplace of Sriman Mahaprabhu. I gradually saw everything (in the area) and ascertained where all the small villages mentioned in the Caitanya-bhagavata and in Narahari Thakura's Bhakti-ratnakara and Parikrama Paddhati were.

     "While staying in Krsnanagara I wrote Sri Navadvipa-Dhama Mahatmya and sent it to Calcutta to be printed. I explained all these matters to Dvarik Babu, an engineer from Krsnanagara, and through the strength of his intellect understood everything. He made a map of the area around Navadvipa for me. That also was printed in a reduced form in Dhama Mahatmya. While I travelled around Navadvipa Dhama and wrote Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya I saw that there was very little opportunity to do more."

---

Myth: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was the first Chaitanya Vaishnava ever to come to the US, create a Vaishnava society there, publish English books and a magazine, and have thousands of western disciples. Status: False. Bottom Line: Not the first, but the most successful.

Surendranath Mukerji (1868-1914), better known as Baba Premananda Bharati, was a Chaitanya Vaisnava who came to New York in 1902, long before Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja even sent his first disciples to England in 1933. He was a student of Swami Brahmanand Bharati and established a society in New York called "The Krishna Samaj" and published a treatise called "Sree Krishna." From 1906 to 1912 he published a periodical much like BTG, called "The Light of India." He is the earliest known Vaisnava to have used the English term "Krishna consciousness." He traveled and lectured extensively.

After his arrival in the US, Bharati relocated to Los Angeles and constructed a Krishna temple there. This is where he had his biggest following. He is said to have had as many as 5,000 disciples in the US alone. Toward the end of 1907, he returned to India with six American disciples and opened a mission in Calcutta, which failed due to lacking financial support, leading him to relocate back to the US in 1910 with his followers. Having returned to India again in 1911, Bharati died in Calcutta in 1914, an event which soon led to the closing of the temple in America. Over the years to come, his mission suffered under oppression from a movement opposed to the growth of Hinduism in America and a general atmosphere of racism and anti-Asian spirit. Elizabeth A. Reed's study of Bharati and other early Indian gurus contributed substantially in gathering public support for the Asian Exclusion Act, passed in 1917.

Since 1880 a series of racist laws singled them out along with other people from Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos), and stripped them of privileges that immigrants from Europe could attain to.

These laws, particularly the Asian Exclusion Act of 1917, restricted Indian immigration, making it illegal for them to enter the country. They were forbidden the right to apply for citizenship. For the Indians this meant that after their sacrifices to buy passage to the United States, they could not send for their families, nor could they return to visit them in India because they would be barred from reentry to the US. Later the US Congress passed the 1965-66 Immigration Act, repealing the Asian Exclusion Act of 1917.

---

Myth: Chocolate has as much caffeine as coffee, or more even, and is therefore an intoxicant. Status: False. Bottom Line: Substitute chocolate for coffee and you will be a diabetic in no time.

The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that coffee wasn't introduced into India until 1670. Likewise, cocao didn't make the journey from the New World to the Old World until after the 15th century. Neither is known to be specifically used as an intoxicant.

There are many things that work as intoxicants depending on the quantity consumed. Intoxication, therefore, also depends on the motivation of the consumer. Some people use Nutmeg (a common kitchen spice) for cooking, others sniff it to get high. Some people take medicinal tinctures for the alcohol.

Chocolate contains small quantities of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide and the cannabinoid breakdown inhibitors N-oleoylethanolamine and N-linolenoylethanolamine. Anandamides are produced naturally by the body, in such a way that their effects are extremely targeted (compared to the broad systemic effects of drugs like tetrahydrocannabinol) and relatively short-lived. In experiments, N-oleoylethanolamine and N-linolenoylethanolamine interfere with the body's natural mechanisms for breaking down endogenous cannabinoids, causing them to last longer. However, noticeable effects of chocolate related to this mechanism in humans have not been demonstrated.

The only other chemicals of significance in cacao that may alter one's state of mind are caffeine and theobromine (which is related to caffeine and affects humans in a similar way, but on a much smaller scale).

Researchers have compared the effect of caffeine, theobromine and a placebo in clinical studies. They found that theobromine administered in a dose of 500 mg (equal to that in approximately 11 ounces, or over 300 grams, of milk chocolate consumed in one sitting) did not increase pulse rate significantly more than the placebo. In a double-blind clinical study, subjects ingested measured quantities of caffeine and theobromine, separately and together, at random. Caffeine altered the subjects' own estimates of the time it took to fall asleep, as well as the soundness of sleep, in a dose-dependent fashion. A dose of 300 milligrams of theobromine, however, had no detectable effect on sleep. When administered in combination with caffeine, theobromine neither increased nor decreased the sleep effects of caffeine. In other words, theobromine doesn't do anything in high doses, let alone in the low doses of an average chocolate bar.

That leaves only caffeine, and at 6 milligrams per ounce the amount of caffeine in milk chocolate is usually less than that of decaffeinated coffee. To get somewhat of the same amount of caffeine from chocolate as from one average cup of coffee, you would have to eat about 9 ounces, or 250 grams, of pure dark chocolate (at least 50% cacao), or double that amount of milk chocolate, in one sitting. And you probably won't get the same effect, because coffee is a liquid and the caffeine in it is absorbed much quicker.

In 2008 Indradyumna Swami spoke during a Prabhupada memories evening in Alachua. The topic of chocolate came up and he told the story that he once, personally, brought chocolate to Prabhupada. Prabhupada tried both the milk chocolate and the dark chocolate. He preferred the milk chocolate. Chocolate was later most likely banned because some fanatics pointed out to Prabhupada that chocolate contains caffeine, just like coffee.

---

Myth: Chocolate is an aphrodesiac. Status: False. Bottom Line: Whatever turns you on, turns you on.

The reputed aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are most often associated with the simple sensual pleasure of its consumption. More recently, suggestion has been made that serotonin and other chemicals found in chocolate, most notably phenethylamine, may act as mild sexual stimulants, but there is no firm proof that chocolate is indeed an aphrodisiac.

---

Myth: The bumble bee defies the laws of nature because its wings are too small to carry its body weight. Status: False. Bottom Line: Third party claims always require verification before being used as proof in arguments.

This myth is sometimes used by religionists as an example of scientific inadequacy. According to the folklore, the laws of aerodynamics prove that the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, as it does not have the capacity (in terms of wing size or beat per second) to achieve flight with the degree of wing loading necessary. Not being aware of scientists proving it cannot fly, the bumblebee succeeds. The origin of this myth has been difficult to pin down with any certainty. John McMasters recounted an anecdote about an unnamed Swiss aerodynamicist at a dinner party who performed some rough calculations and concluded, presumably in jest, that according to the equations, bumblebees cannot fly. In later years McMasters has backed away from this origin, suggesting that there could be multiple sources, and that the earliest he has found was a reference in the 1934 French book Le vol des insectes by M. Magnan. Magnan is reported to have written that he and a Mr. Saint-Lague had applied the equations of air resistance to insects and found that their flight was impossible, but that "One shouldn't be surprised that the results of the calculations don't square with reality".

It is believed that the calculations which purported to show that bumblebees cannot fly are based upon a simplified linear treatment of oscillating aerofoils. The method assumes small amplitude oscillations without flow separation. This ignores the effect of dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight. More sophisticated aerodynamic analysis shows that the bumblebee can fly because its wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle.

---

Myth: You can chant a round of the maha-mantra in under 4 minutes. Status: False. Bottom Line: Who are you fooling?

Ever heard of the 3-minute round? Ever seen someone chanting relatively slow and still finish their 16 rounds in one and a half hour?

For the uninitiated (no pun intended), a "round" refers to 108 maha-mantras chanted either out loud or in a murmuring way. Krishna followers keep track of the number of mantras by using what is called a japa-mala, a strand of 108 wooden beads -- somewhat akin to a rosary.

The maha-mantra consists of 16 names, of 2 syllables each:

      hare krishna hare krishna
      krishna krishna hare hare
      hare rama hare rama
      rama rama hare hare

You will find that with some practice you can chant this mantra fairly quickly and still maintain an accurate pronunciation. However, to chant 108 of these mantras in less than 4 minutes would require that you can't take more than 2 seconds per mantra and can't breathe in between mantras. Go ahead, get a stopwatch and try to chant one mantra under 2 seconds. You'll find that this is sheer illusion, especially if you expect to do that 108 times in a row on just one breath of air.

Let's give it a bit more time, say 2.5 seconds per mantra. That is still pretty fast. And let's throw in some quick breathing time, too. Say 1 second after every 3 mantras (not very liberal, but let's see where that gets us). Now a round will take 108 x 2.5 = 270 seconds, plus 108 / 3 = 36 seconds for breathing. That makes for a solid 5 minutes. If you keep this exact pace up without fail or interruption, and without chanting the customary panca-tattva mantra between each round, you will finish your 16 rounds in one hour and twenty minutes. Hey, that is less than one and a half hour!

On to reality. Most people can't and/or don't chant all their 16 rounds in one sitting, without interruption, breathing only once every 3 mantras and without chanting the panca-tattva mantra in between rounds. Also, at this pace you better concentrate like a yogi, as the margin for errors in pronunciation and the chances for skipping beads or names is more than substantial.

Realistically, a comfortably fast pace sets you at about 3 seconds per mantra, with a slightly more liberal 1.5 second breath after every two mantras. That makes (3 x 108) + (108 / 2 x 1.5) = 6 minutes and 45 seconds for a round. Add 3 seconds between rounds for the panca-tattva mantra and you will chant your 16 rounds in (16 x 3 x 108) + (108 / 2 x 1.5) + (15 x 3) = about an hour and 50 minutes. Here, too, the key is maintaining a sustained pace. Every distraction, extra breath, longer breath, slower mantra, or any other type of delay, adds to the time.

As a personal "reality check," I suggest you sit down with a stopwatch and chant how you normally chant. Once you're up to your normal speed and feel comfortable (probably somewhere after half a round), switch the stopwatch on and off to capture the time it takes you to chant a single mantra. Note that down. Now capture the time it takes you to chant 32 mantras in a row. Divide the time by 32. This would be your raw chanting speed and does not take into account any extras besides your normal breathing pace. There will likely be a difference with the speed for just a single mantra. You can use the table below to figure out how long it should take you to chant all your 16 rounds without interruption:

Raw Speed	16 rounds Appr.	Assessment
1 seconds	½ hour	Lala-land...
2 seconds	1 hour	Sheer illusion.
3 seconds	1½ hour	Keep dreaming.
4 seconds	2 hours	Realistic, fast.
5 seconds	2½ hours	Realistic, relaxed.
6 seconds	3 hours	Realistic, slow.
7 seconds	3½ hours	Too slow.
8 seconds	4 hours	Way too slow.
9 seconds	4½ hours	Spacing out to the max.
10 seconds	5 hours	Anybody home?

Most chanters will range between 4 and 6. If you take more than 3 hours to chant 16 rounds uninterruptedly, chances are that you are not very focused. If you range between 2 and 3, I suggest that you seriously question yourself about the quality of your chanting -- especially in regards to pronunciation and skipping of names or beads.

I have personally seen slow chanters finish a round on their beads faster than fast chanters, and then discovered that when they chant with a clicker (tally counter) they click every half of the mantra, or twice per mantra. I have seen chanters with their beads in open view do the same thing, two beads per mantra. In this way they really only chant 8 rounds, not 16. Needless to say that most do not appreciate it when you point this out. Skipping of names or beads is common and usually the result of poor chanting habits developed early on (often because of the emphasis on quantity over quality).

Since it is indeed very hard to keep the mind focused, these bad habits can go unnoticed for years on end. The good news is that they can be "unlearned". One simply has to take the time to, so to say, start over again. In the beginning, go for quality. Chant at a pace where you can clearly and fully pronounce each and every syllable. Pay attention to the number of names and the entire mantra. There's a flow and a rhythm. Do that for a couple of days and then slowly increase the speed. As soon as you find that the speed affects the quality, slow down again. As with certain martial arts, like Tai-Chi, everything that is learned slowly maintains its accuracy when executed quickly. Muscles trained at slower speeds "remember" better. The tongue is a muscle, too. Practice makes perfect.

---

Myth: Americans never landed on the Moon. Status: False. Bottom Line: More than 40 years without any "confession" of any of the hundreds of thousands of people involved in the Apollo project alone should suffice. If that doesn't do it for you, chances are that neither will the additional thousands of high-resolution images and hours of video material, nor 40 years of non-stop international and cross-generational research into returned lunar material and lunar laser ranging, nor mounting photographic evidence of lunar landing remnants provided by foreign nations. For an in-depth viewpoint you can check out the Moon Landing Hoax Debunked section.