The Danger of False Teachers:
Lessons from a Commune Survivor
When driving up the twisting Box Canyon Road, past the Los Angeles county line into Ventura County, you'll find the home of the followers of Master Krishna Venta - the leader, the visionary, the strong man of this commune. He brought a group of individuals together to live as one. The W.K.F.L. (Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Love) Fountain of the World sits on twenty-two acres of rocky ground with dirt paths, a cave for us kids to play in, a hidden waterfall, and wild bushes and flowers. The locals called us bare-footers, but we who followed him called ourselves humanitarians.
As members, we considered him Jesus Christ. He claimed he was born on another planet, Neophrates, and came to earth to populate our world. He lectured across the United States looking for the righteous cities. These lectures were mainly about his history as a master, mental telepathy, happiness, and the secrets of the unseen world. He claimed he was from India and was the Messiah. He said he had lived so long that he met the pope in 100 AD. He even traveled to Europe, and when he landed in England, he told the British people he was there to save them.
But the truth of who Krishna Venta was is Francis Herman Pencovic. Born on March 29, 1911, in San Francisco, California, he was the son of Albert Pencovic from Romania and Maud Busenbark from Utah. In his early adult years, he married and divorced Geneva Lucille Webster, then later married Ruth Alice Britzell. I always heard he had an affair with Ruth, who became known to me as Mother Ruth.
Following his army service during WWII, he turned to lecturing. Initially he lectured under the name Dr. Francis Pencovic, but eventually changed his name to what I know him as - Krishna Venta. He traveled the United States looking for a righteous city and to Europe telling the British people he was there to save them. His lectures consisted of his imaginary history of himself. He claimed he was from India, but at the same time he was from a planet called Neophrates. When someone asked him who he was, he would tell them he was the messiah, the Christ, or Jesus Christ who was here for his second coming. He also said he was nineteen hundred years old and that he met the pope in 100 AD. He had quite an imagination, and he found a mixture of people who would follow him. Some followed because they were looking for hope, some to fulfill dreams, and others for security.
Despite all these contradictions and lies, people still chose to follow him. My own family was among them.
While traveling to Canada, Master Krishna Venta stopped for an overnight stay in Boise, Idaho, where he met my grandparents. He found them living as a traditional family in their two-bedroom home. Just a few weeks earlier, my grandfather had received devastating news - he had terminal cancer. My grandfather thought to find another way to stop the prognosis. He surmised that if Jesus was alive, Jesus would heal him.
He told his wife, and they became discouraged that Jesus did not live in a physical body on earth - there wasn't a place to go to find Jesus for his healing.
On one cold Sunday morning, my grandmother and mother went to their church at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel. They were part of the Church of Religious Science.
As they were waiting for church to begin, a stranger appeared dressed in an unconventional manner. The 20+ people in attendance tried not to stare.
My grandmother stared and wondered at this tall, dark-complected man. The stranger wore a long robe and had long dark hair and a beard.
My grandmother leaned over to my mother and whispered, "Barbie, that man is barefoot! And he looks spiritual to me."
After the service, Krishna introduced himself as the founder of a commune in California called "WKFL Fountain of the World." He was friendly and talked to anyone who had a question.
She had hope in the holy man and told the story of her husband's diagnosis of only six months to live. She dared to ask if he healed. When she asked, he answered in a few words, "I do some healing. Bring your husband to my hotel room."
My grandfather met Krishna the next day and talked. This gave my grandfather much hope for healing. Later, he cried like a baby, believing he found Jesus in that hotel room.
Later that day, a member of the church invited the stranger to speak in his home. My mother told me how he began these informal meetings. He would ask questions, and then use the answers to teach his philosophies. One example: He asked the small group, "Can you briefly share your personal philosophy?" Everyone's answer was along the same lines: to follow Jesus Christ. He then used these openings to preach his own teachings. And when he spoke, he was friendly and engaging, charismatic in fact. Krishna's words captivated and commanded the room. The people believed, and these meetings lasted for a full week.
At the last meeting, my grandmother asked him one more time to tell her who he was. And Master Krishna confirmed he was the Christ.
Krishna's visit to Idaho was short, but my grandparents stayed in touch with him. Several months later, on August 14, 1953, my grandparents left their home and their belongings in Boise, Idaho. They moved to California to join the commune, hoping my grandfather would heal from his diseased body.
My grandfather may have come for hope, but when my mother, Sister Barbara, decided to join them, she came with a different need - her need was security. At that time, my mother was going through trials of her own. Her younger sister was getting married, which meant the apartment they shared would be her sister's and her new husband's home. My mother was clueless about how to live on her own.
She read the letter from her father over and over again. In this letter, he wrote of his enjoyment of commune living. He told her of the structure and how he could see purpose in the members fulfilling their daily routines.
There are various train-like looking structures dotting the hillside on the twenty-two-acre property. There was no grass, and members walked barefoot on packed dirt from structure to structure. Through the letter he sent her, she could hear the excitement encouraging her to come. He explained she would love it.
She couldn't imagine. But with nowhere to live, she decided she should consider her father's request. It couldn't hurt to accept her father's invitation, but only to visit! It would be comforting to see her parents again.
And so it goes - what was supposed to be just a visit became permanent. My mother never left the Fountain of the World. She loved the daily structure. Meals were at set times, tasks were assigned, and her curiosity about religious beliefs was satisfied. She loved daily life in a timely manner, and her daily needs were met. Boredom and loneliness were no longer a problem. She gave up clothes, shoes, movies, her favorite songs, but it was worth it. In her eyes, it did not compare. Her father was right!
I have always been curious - should anyone follow a man who claims to be Jesus? Especially a person with few characteristics of the true Jesus Christ. He was born in San Francisco under the name Francis Pencovic.
He divorced after an affair with his secretary, then went to jail for not paying child support. The FOTW was created so he wouldn't have to pay child support. His hobby was gambling, and he could puff a cigarette with the best of them. His rules were for others, not him. He dressed strangely and asked his followers to dress just as strangely as he was.
Narcissistic characteristics showed through his communal rules. His ways of using members' money were more important than their use of it. He took money and enjoyed gambling. He refused to pay for his own children from his first marriage.
The double standards were obvious everywhere. Members celebrated his birthday for a week, while members' birthdays were ignored. His children slept in the same building as he did, but members' children were to live in dormitories.
Families of anyone else were only a second or third thought. The commune was wrapped around his needs, wishes, and his adoration.
Members worshiped him twice a day with concentration. Concentration is a ritual performed in the mornings at six A.M. and nine P.M. Everyone would stand in a circle with palms pointing upward, waist high, chanting. They'd chant "love one" three times, "love all" three times, followed by "love Krishna" three times and finish with "Aum een" three times.
His meetings were also filled with his needs, even though he spoke on Sunday afternoons to accommodate people going to their own home church. Krishna Venta's lectures were an event visitors flocked to see. This event we called lectures and scheduled at three P.M. on Sunday afternoons. He wanted people to attend their own church services. His wife, Mother Ruth, took notes and then transcribed his words. The members called these transcribed lectures "The Voice." After his death, Bishop Nekona read his lectures to keep his teachings and ideals alive.
March 29th of every year was the only holiday we celebrated. We did not celebrate Christmas, Easter, or anyone's birthday, but the Master's. And during the week of March 29th, Master Krishna would marry couples. No other day was anyone allowed to marry. If you decided you wanted to marry on April 1st, then you must wait a whole year before marrying. During the week of his birthday, the week was filled with lectures, prayer, and fasting. At the end of his birthday week, members walked off the property to decide if they wanted to renew their pledge to Master Krishna and his teachings. Once a member stayed with the community of F.O.T.W., everyone enjoyed a celebratory meal.
He preached equality and love for all, except his actions said differently when it came to mixed marriages. My mother and father waited for the correct time to marry. He was black, and she was white. On March 29, 1955, they married. But unbeknownst to them, Master Krishna never signed the marriage certificate.
The leaders did not allow them to live as a married couple. But they found time to sneak off together, and my mother became pregnant.
The policy after a birth was for mother and infant to bond for six weeks at headquarters. The mother must return to her duties and the child put in the hands of the caregivers. But they cut my mother down to one month. My mother became angry and fought to take care of me.
They said she could take care of her baby in the nursery; she would sleep in the dormitory and keep up with her tasks. They gave the caretaker orders not to feed me or change me. My mother was supposed to take care of me between her duties. She was heartbroken.
They left the commune, and my father took her home to Chicago, where they found out their marriage was illegitimate. They later married at the justice of the peace in Chicago.
One thing about Master Krishna is he always received the disadvantaged, underprivileged, the wanderers, and the abandoned.
Some came seeking redemption from their past. My father was in jail when he asked if Master Krishna would accept him. While in the commune, my father stayed off drugs and quit stealing while he lived there. He came from the ghetto of Chicago and wore the robes, obeyed the rules of the schedules, and did his assigned tasks. My step-father also came because he was in jail and an alcoholic, and the commune accepted him and gave him a chance to redeem himself. He worked his way up to foreman, in charge of the maintenance of our property.
Others came to fulfill their dreams. The one who came to fulfill her dreams was my caretaker. She felt comfortable taking care of herself, but she had a dream to manage an orphanage. She wanted to supervise the care of children, lots of them at once. But in Germany, where she grew up, no one would give her a chance, so she moved to the United States to implement her dream. She felt especially blessed when she discovered the FOTW because Master Krishna taught within her belief system - she followed teachings of Yogananda. And so began her using her desires and strengths as caretaker of the babies, toddlers and preschoolers. My brother and I fit into this dormitory, called the nursery. She would have us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days a year. Her dream was fulfilled in this commune setting.
And some, like my mother, came out of necessity. When mother asked to come back two years later, Master Krishna agreed, but of course on his terms. She had originally left because she had to put her daughter in the nursery. But having her children safe and her family fed was more important than not having her children in the nursery. And so it goes - this was the beginning for our small family. The F.O.T.W. would be our family home for the next fifteen years.
My Conversation About Recognizing False Teachers
Claude: Your experience growing up in the Fountain of the World gives you a unique perspective on false teachers. What do you think are the warning signs people should look for based on what you observed with Krishna Venta?
Karan: I think one of the biggest red flags is inconsistency. The inconsistency of what they say and how they live. Krishna claimed to be Jesus Christ while simultaneously saying he was from another planet and from India. His stories didn't align, but people were so desperate for hope they overlooked the contradictions.
I believe they had blinded eyes like in the Bible states, they didn't use their eyes to see or their ears to hear. They were so self-absorbed in their own pain points that they couldn't see the truth, or didn't want to see the truth.
Claude: That's a fascinating point about people being "blinded" by their own pain points. Could you elaborate on how you saw this happening with followers in the commune? What were some of the pain points that made people vulnerable to Krishna's teachings?
Karan: My grandfather's healing - he was so self-absorbed by his need. My grandmother was afraid of living without him. My mother didn't know where to turn when life threw problems in her path, and my caregiver was so worried about not getting her dream. All allowed themselves to be lied to.
Claude: It sounds like everyone who joined had a vulnerability or deep need that Krishna was able to exploit. Your grandfather was desperate for healing, your grandmother feared losing him, your mother needed direction, and your caregiver was fixated on fulfilling her dream. Would you say that's a common pattern with false teachers - they identify and target specific vulnerabilities?
Karan: Yes, everyone in marketing knows to fix a need. And false teachers know that as well. And the ultimate enemy of ours knows - Satan.
Claude: That's a profound connection - between marketing, false teaching, and spiritual warfare. False teachers operate like skilled marketers who identify needs and promise solutions, but with dangerous spiritual consequences. Do you think there's something particular about religious or spiritual vulnerabilities that makes people especially susceptible compared to other kinds of marketing or influence?
Karan: That's an interesting question. I don't want to say that it's worse or better than another because it is so prevalent. Politics, money scams, relationships, religious groups - all can be hard things to live through. Hitler was political; stealing money from the elderly or families by promising a large investment are money scams; people marrying for money involves relationships; prosperity preachers represent religious groups.
Claude: You're making an important point about how manipulation can happen across all areas of life - politics, finances, relationships, and religion. Each context has its own version of false promises.
Looking at your experience specifically, what do you think helped you eventually see through the deception of Krishna's teachings when so many others remained convinced? Was there a particular moment or realization that broke the spell for you?
Karan: Only the Holy Spirit. I sought truth, and the Holy Spirit worked out a way for me to find truth. It was a long battle. It was a heritage passed down to me to believe false beliefs. So I had to break family ties, and I had to walk past the ones who put me down for looking at different ways to believe. But I did fight the battle. Not just for me, but for my children and their children.
Claude: That's powerful - that your journey to truth wasn't just for yourself but for generations to come. Breaking a cycle of false beliefs that had been passed down through your family must have required tremendous courage and spiritual strength.
When you say the Holy Spirit helped you find truth, how did that guidance manifest in your life? Were there specific moments when you felt that divine intervention helping you discern truth from falsehood? And how do you think seeking truth differs from simply questioning or doubting?
Karan: The first question will have to wait. It's a long story. But the second question is one that needs to be answered. The seeking is a heart matter. It is saying to yourself, “it doesn't matter what the truth is, I just want the truth.” Because we believed Christianity was the worst of the religions. When I first started seeking, I stayed away from looking at Christian works. I looked everywhere else. But I wanted truth more than I wanted to be right. And if you seek in that mindset, you will find the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Claude: That distinction is profound - seeking truth with a willingness to accept it regardless of what it might be, versus questioning just to confirm what you already believe. It sounds like you approached your search with genuine openness, even when it meant considering Christianity despite your upbringing teaching it was "the worst of religions."
That kind of humility - wanting truth more than wanting to be right - seems rare today. Most people approach spiritual questions already convinced they know the answers or with a predetermined idea of what truth should look like.
What advice would you give to someone who's beginning to question teachings they've been raised with? How can they develop that same heart posture of seeking truth above all else, especially when the truth might lead them away from family traditions or community?
Karan: Of course I want to say read a Bible, find a church. But it is so much more than that. It is a posture of your heart. It is looking into yourself and finding what you really want. Do you just want prosperity? Or do you want to get married and find the right one? Or do you just want to be happy? Those are all fine desires, but they aren't going to get you the answer. You need to seek truth. Yes, the truth can bring these things, but they are not the all, be all. Seek truth from your deepest heart. And the Holy Spirit will guide you.
Claude: That's beautiful - that seeking truth has to come from the deepest part of your heart, not just as a means to another end like prosperity, relationships, or happiness. Those things may come, but they can't be the primary motivation.
I'm struck by how you emphasize that this is ultimately a spiritual journey guided by the Holy Spirit rather than just an intellectual exercise. Many people approach truth-seeking as merely gathering information or comparing different viewpoints, but you're describing something much deeper - a heart transformation that requires genuine openness.
Based on your experience, do you think there are practical steps people can take to protect themselves from false teachers while they're on this journey of seeking truth? Are there specific questions they should ask or red flags they should watch for while they're still developing their discernment?
Karan: Research. In my grandparents and mother's time, they didn't have the luxury as we do. They didn't have the internet. Their research would have been just walking slowly and active listening. If my grandparents had been Bible readers, they would have seen Krishna as a false teacher. Him just saying he “heals some” is a red flag. Jesus didn't say, “some.” He healed. They would have seen through the false teaching that didn't match up with Biblical teaching. Even though they met him in a church, and their church accepted him, it's not about what others accept. We all have to walk our own journey.
Conclusion
Karan's story is a powerful reminder that false teachers have operated throughout history, targeting people's vulnerabilities and offering counterfeit solutions to genuine needs. Her journey from growing up in a commune led by a false messiah to finding authentic truth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit offers several important lessons:
Watch for inconsistencies in both teachings and the teacher's life
Be aware of your own vulnerabilities that might blind you to red flags
Research thoroughly rather than accepting claims at face value
Compare teachings with Scripture to test their validity
Seek truth with an open heart, willing to follow wherever it leads
Recognize that discernment is personal - others' acceptance doesn't validate falsehood
Most importantly, approach truth-seeking as a spiritual journey guided by the Holy Spirit rather than merely an intellectual exercise. As Karan reminds us, "Seek truth from your deepest heart. And the Holy Spirit will guide you."