Prabhupada takes many giant steps

In the final month of 1968, Prabhupada takes many giant steps forward in his progressive march to defeat the forces of illusion. ISKCON now becomes firmly established. The first major step is the acquisition of superior temple facilities in both Los Angeles and New York. But while the Watts house is still the only place the devotees can call their own, Prabhupada performs a fire sacrifice there, initiating several devotees. Before the ceremony begins he notices Jayananda. "Jayananda looks like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu," he chuckles. "Yes. He was tall and stout and strong, Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Jayananda is a big man with big shoulders, but he's so naturally humble that he blushes beet red when Prabhupada compliments him.

After weeks without a temple, Dayananda finally locates an empty church at 1975 South La Cienega Boulevard. Prabhupada is eager for a center in Los Angeles, and Dayananda is eager to show him the property and get his approval. Although it is just an old wooden church in dilapidated condition, Prabhupada's eyes immediately light up, recognizing the possibilities for a temple. The building is set back about fifty feet from the street, with a center walkway and unkempt lawns and trees on either side. From the main entrance they enter a large chapel with a high-vaulted ceiling, large expansive windows, and a stage at the far end just perfect for an altar. A second equally large room, without the lofty ceiling, is suitable as a prasadam hall. There are other fairly substantial rooms, two offices, two bathrooms, and a decent kitchen. Touring the premises with Dayananda, Prabhupada becomes convinced. "Yes. I want this for our temple." The rent is $500 per month and may be too expensive for their present budget, but he is willing to take the risk and tells Dayananda to close the deal. There will be enough room to accommodate hundreds of guests as well as to house the devotees comfortably. The building is self-contained, so there won't be any tenants complaining about loud kirtans. With minor modifications this will be ISKCON's most impressive facility. Dayananda negotiates a lease agreement, bringing the rent down to $400 a month for the first year. Prabhupada takes Tamal Krishna around to show him the site. He asks Tamal's opinion about the proposed new temple. Tamal is impressed. This is definitely a step up. "So, how much you will contribute for the rent, from the sankirtana party?" Tamal is taken aback. He wants the sankirtana party to remain independent from the temple. He prefers to maintain their separate existence in the Watts house, considering themselves as Prabhupada's personal traveling party. There were discussions about going to Europe as the World Sankirtan Party, and he has been saving money from the daily collections in a special account for just this purpose. The temple is just a concern for the local devotees and the temple president, Dayananda. "We can only give $100 a month Srila Prabhupada," he answers reluctantly. Accepting that, Prabhupada pledges the difference from his book fund. Understanding the mentality of his neophyte disciples, Prabhupada knows he has to bring them to a higher level of consciousness. A few days later he calls Tamal in for another talk. As they walk around the complex, Prabhupada explains that this new facility offers a great potential for spreading Krishna consciousness in Los Angeles. But it will require expert management. "Why don't you move into this temple and take responsibility? Now is the proper time for you to move in and organize things here with your party. This will be a real challenge." "But Prabhupada, you said that you wanted us to go to Europe and all over the world." Tamal is hesitant. He is unwilling to give up his dream of traveling as Prabhupada's personal entourage. "If we move in here..." "No, no. This will be just for a short time," Prabhupada reassures him. Tamal is left with no other choice but to accept the proposal. The brahmacaris relinquish the Watts house and move into the church. Their first service is to transform the church into a temple.

Tamal Krishna: Now, instead of mrdangas and kartals, we wielded brooms, paint brushes, and hammers. Within days, the building began to take on the atmosphere of a regular ISKCON temple. Every room was given a fresh coat of paint, and in the main chapel an altar was constructed over the stage. The different rooms are allocated and arranged to suit the purposes for which they are intended. Two larger rooms become the brahmacari and brahmacarini quarters, respectively. The three alcoves off the prasadam hall are converted into an art studio for Muralidhara, a sewing room for Silavati, and a work room for Srimati to make dolls and puppets.

Nara-Narayana: begins to craft a beautiful vyasasana, while a special room is prepared for Srila Prabhupada's personal use. A beautiful sign is put up on the front lawn advertising the Sunday feast. When the renovation is complete, Prabhupada is brought to the temple and taken on a tour. All the devotees follow him around as he inspects every detail. Everything is neat and clean. There are proper brahmacari quarters, brahmacarini quarters, a well-equipped kitchen, a huge temple room, a prasadam dining hall, and his personal darshan room. He is satisfied to see the effort the devotees have made to use the facility properly. Jayananda is very happy moving into the new temple. He begins tidying up the lawns on either side to give the place a beautiful first impression. Then he goes out and gets a donation of 108 rose bushes and four highly fragrant gardenia shrubs. He plants the roses and gardenias along the graceful walkway leading up to the front door. Soon they will provide colorful flowers for offering to Krishna. Assuming the service of custodian, he takes care of the temple and maintains the grounds. He also takes special care of devotees as well. When a young mother arrives with her son, Jayananda ensures that they feel right at home.

Labangalatika devi dasi: I met Jayananda at the Los Angeles temple. I was a new devotee, just a few days in the temple, and we were cooking gulabjamuns for the Sunday feast. I was just rolling them, not cooking. I remember he was a very big person and very friendly. He spoke to me directly just to make me feel at home. He asked me some questions. I was feeling very shy, and he told me that there was another English girl that Prabhupada had initiated, who had gone home to her mother because she was so sensitive. He was very nice. He didn't think that he couldn't speak to me because he was a brahmacari.

Dvarakadisha: I was five years old. My name was Darwin, and Prabhupada used to call me "little boy Darwin." My mother and I had just moved from the Santa Fe temple. Jayananda planted all those rose bushes at the temple, and the ground was all dug up. There were all these little clumps of grass with dried out mud at the root. I remember playing with him, throwing those up in the air like they were demons or something. Vishnujana was kind of like my elder brother or mentor while I was in Los Angeles. He was taking care of me, and he was the first person to shave me up. He was teaching me how to paint, and we went to the store a few times to get paints.

On the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, as Prabhupada is about to begin the program in his newly refurbished La Cienega temple, he notices that Jayananda is absent. All of a sudden, Jayananda comes in and offers his obeisances. "Hare Krishna. Come on. I was thinking, Where is Jayananda?' Now immediately he has come." Everyone turns to see Jayananda, in his usual humble manner, bringing an enormous tiered cake intended for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. The devotees gasp in wonder, and Srila Prabhupada looks very pleased. He instructs Jayananda to offer it directly to his Guru Maharaja, adding, "Take care it may not fall down. All right." This is a special rapport with the spiritual master. Jayananda has imbibed the concept of devotional service so perfectly, and as a result, the devotees observe that Srila Prabhupada is always thinking of him. Everyone is happy, because they know that Jayananda deserves this extra mercy.

Because devotees stay out on sankirtana until late at night, mangala-arati at 4:30 AM has not yet been introduced and the morning program only begins at seven o'clock. Prabhupada comes three nights a week to lead kirtan and give class. Before kirtan everybody crowds into his little room for darshan. During these intimate moments they ask personal questions and establish a closer relationship with their spiritual master. One evening, Prabhupada singles out Tamal Krishna. "What time is it, Tamal?" "It's six o'clock, Srila Prabhupada." "It will never be six o'clock again. This moment has passed. You must take advantage of this opportunity." By his personal association he awakens their appreciation and teaches the devotees everything they need to know to become Vaishnavas, pure devotees of Krishna.

Recognizing Tamal Krishna's organizational ability, Prabhupada spends a lot of time training him in management skills. Tamal begins to think that he is getting special attention beyond that of the other devotees. Whenever the spiritual master detects false pride in a disciple he is always quick to rectify the anartha. Prabhupada brings this up in a gentle way when Tamal brings over Muralidhara's new painting of the Bhagavatam cover for approval. As Prabhupada studies the painting, he begins to point out the different features of the creation for Tamal's consideration. Pointing to Krishna, he describes how the entire creation is simply an expansion of Krishna's energy. The unlimited Vaikuntha planets are self-effulgent and eternal. Pointing to the corner where Maha Vishnu is lying down on the Causal Ocean, Prabhupada explains how millions of universes emanate from His pores during just one breath.

Tamal Krishna: Prabhupada said, "Each universe is filled with unlimited numbers of living entities who inhabit all of the planets and stars. One of these planets is our earth, and on this planet there are many continents. On one continent there is America, and in America there are so many big cities. Here is Los Angeles, and in Los Angeles there is a street, La Cienega Boulevard. On this street, among all of the buildings, is a temple of Lord Krishna. And in this temple there is one Tamal Krishna. He is there, and is thinking that he is very important." Then Prabhupada looked at me and smiled. He was showing me how unimportant I really was. The lesson was clear: no one had the right to become puffed up, no matter how important his position might seem to be.

Nara-Narayana has been spending all his time carving and preparing a gorgeous vyasasana since the wonderful new temple deserves an equally wonderful seat for Prabhupada. Everybody wants to offer him a seat worthy of his position as the representative of Krishna. They place it on the stage to the right of the Deity altar. When Prabhupada arrives and is offered this grand seat, he is hesitant to accept it. Never has such an excellent vyasasana been offered to him before. His eyes fill with tears, being visibly moved by his disciples' offering of love. In a voice choked with emotion, he expresses his unworthiness to accept such an exalted seat but will accept on behalf of his Guru Maharaja. The devotees are deeply affected to see this transcendental emotion in their spiritual master.

But even this offering is not glorification enough. The New York devotees have also been looking to expand their facilities. Now they obtain a five-year lease on a grand three-story building on 61 Second Avenue. It was previously a tuxedo rental parlor, so it has many closets and large full-length mirrors which cover the walls. They write Prabhupada that it is like a palace compared to the original storefront. Thus, two substantial temples are acquired within the same month. However, the acquisition of the two temples is just the first of several important steps for ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada that take place this month.

The second major step forward is in book publication. In mid-December a case of books arrives from New York. At the evening class, a devotees hands Prabhupada his newly published Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Holding it up for everyone to see, Prabhupada is pleased that ISKCON finally has its own Gita. A few days later two new BTGs are delivered. The first is issue twenty-one. The second is the first French language edition published by Janardan in Montreal. Prabhupada shows great joy to see this magazine so beautifully produced, fulfilling his ambition to preach all over the world. It will have the potency to purify so many souls trapped within the French language and culture. Prabhupada has already begun translating the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, which will be named Nectar of Devotion.

In response to so many questions about the personality of Krishna, he is also preparing to write a summary study of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It will simply be entitled Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, and will be filled with stories and illustrations of Krishna's pastimes. Now there are several ISKCON artists, and he encourages them to paint the many pictures of Krishna lila that he desires. Teachings of Lord Caitanya is already being printed.

Another major project is the establishment of gurukula, where boys and girls will get a proper Vaishnava education. Prabhupada is encouraged to see the devotee children take to Krishna consciousness so enthusiastically. He requests Hayagriva to take charge of the new gurukula project and set up the school in New Vrindavana.

Important news arrives from Rupanuga. He has been offered an accredited course teaching Krishna consciousness at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Prabhupada considers it a "breakthrough for Lord Caitanya's movement in the West." He hopes the more intelligent students will come forward to take up the mission. He encourages Hayagriva to attempt a similar course at the University of Ohio. If students can learn about Krishna consciousness at the college level, it will be a great success for ISKCON.

In New York another first is that Radha and Krishna make Their divine appearance in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada has been traveling with small Radha-Krishna Deities, but now Radha-Krishna Deities are installed in the new temple on 61 Second Ave. A gorgeous abhisheka ceremony is performed, following detailed instruction from Srila Prabhupada, and the photographs of the entire ritual appear in Back to Godhead, number twenty-two.

Not all the news is bright, however. The San Francisco devotees are being harassed on sankirtana by the police. There have been ongoing problems since Tamal Krishna and Vishnujana left for LA. With the following letter, Prabhupada establishes the standard for the future book distributors, who will travel and distribute literature, separate and distinct from the kirtan party. "Chanting in the street chased by the police is not good at all. The best thing is to invite people in our temple and chant peacefully. If a person can sell from 7 to 12 magazines individually, there is no need of making a procession of chanters and thereby disturbing the police equilibrium. If you can sell Back To Godhead individually as proposed by you, and some copies of our books, like Bhagavad-gita As It Is, that will be a great success. There is no need of leading a procession of chanters for this purpose." (Letter to Cidananda, December 14, 1968)

On December 22, reporters are invited for a Press Conference to announce the opening of the Los Angeles temple. But by 7:00 PM, not a single reporter has arrived. The devotees are dismayed, but Prabhupada ascertains the fault. Due to a lack of experience, they had scheduled the meeting for after working hours, when the reporters were off duty. Everyone is completely embarrassed. But not Srila Prabhupada. Instead, he records his "Manifesto of Krishna Consciousness," which was intended as the press release. After the recording, Tamal Krishna approaches, "We have prepared a very large feast." "That's all right. You eat." Prabhupada humbly declines the invitation. "Prepare a large feast every day and chant every day and eat prasadam every day. This is the inauguration day. Yes. At least make your program, that every day in the evening, from seven to eight, for at least one hour this kirtan will go on. I'm very glad that Vishnujana chants very nicely, and you also, one after another. So every day make chanting at least for one hour in the temple, and do your activities as usual. Don't be disappointed. Krishna will see to His own business. So you have prepared a large feast, you eat." Due to his transcendental vision, Prabhupada turns the failed Press Conference into a blissful kirtan and feast by introducing the evening program of sandhya-arati. He demonstrates the practical application of Krishna consciousness, chant, dance, and feast on Krishna prasadam.

Tamal Krishna, Vishnujana, and Jayananda are developing their spiritual personalities. Tamal is trying to understand everything logically and reasonably. He is approaching through the intellect. Vishnujana is trying to understand how to get the experience and taste of Krishna consciousness. He is approaching through the heart. Jayananda is simply accepting everything as spoken by Srila Prabhupada. He never seems to ask a question. He is approaching through humble submission. While there is clearly overlap in their approaches, this is essentially how these three devotees share the bond of service to Krishna. Through this bond they can completely relate to one another, to understand and express the deep feelings and realizations they share as they progress in spiritual life. On the spiritual platform they have harmony. However, they are as different as any three people can be. If they had met only five years earlier they would have had very little in common. Jayananda was the taxi driver with the engineering degree from the Midwest, who drove aimlessly throughout the streets of San Francisco, taking his passengers to destinations no more important than a temporary stop in a temporary dream. Vishnujana was the mystic, bred in sunny California, where the ocean surf beckons; the gifted musician who dropped out of the system as soon as possible to embrace an alternative lifestyle, exploring his creative energy in music, the occult, and psychedelia. Then there was Tamal Krishna, the philosopher and Jewish intellectual from New York, raised in a godless environment, who wandered the streets of Manhattan seeking out the most sophisticated places to be seen, and debating endlessly in college with religious zealots. They were worlds apart. Nothing in their own sphere of influence could have held any interest for the others. Yet they had one deep attribute in common. Each in his own way had seen through the thin veneer of material life, the illusion of the temporary enjoyment of a technological civilization, with its mirage of unbounded freedom and joy for mankind. Each, in his own way, had escaped the brainwashing of TV, the programming of the educational system, and the indoctrination into the patriotic feeling of "this is my country; this is my home." Rather, they had remained immune and unfettered, choosing not to become a cog in the industrial machine. Thus, each had begun to search for the truth behind the fasade, the meaning beyond the American dream, the promise that lay deeper than the false hopes of temporary sense gratification offered by Madison Avenue and its coterie of followers. This common characteristic led each of them to the shelter of the Lord's pure devotee, who was roaming the earth and picking up lost souls seeking the refuge of a deeper communion with the eternal. By the end of the year there are thirteen centers. La Cienega is the first big temple in the movement. ISKCON has gone from storefronts to grand places of worship. The movement takes off in California through the combined efforts of Vishnujana's enthusiasm for sankirtana, Tamal Krishna's organizational skills, and Jayananda's dedication to humbly take up whatever service is needed. Prabhupada's personal presence, of course, is the galvanizing factor.

Tamal Krishna: On numerous occasions Prabhupada would say to me that the actual start of our movement has to be calculated from 1968. Why? Because this is when all the programs were established that later on became the basis for the Hare Krishna movement. The first time we had the really big Ratha-yatra was in 1968. The first real Deity worship began in San Francisco with Lord Jagannath, and Los Angeles was the first large temple in which Prabhupada standardized many things. Also 1968 was the first time that there was a developed sankirtana party going out daily, first in San Francisco and then Los Angeles. We had it organized. Hansadutta went out occasionally in New York, but we went out every day. We had uniforms. We were selling the magazines. It was a very standard program. It was the start of the real sankirtana boom. The sankirtana movement really took off on the West Coast. It didn't take off on the East Coast. I used to call Brahmananda once a week, and he would just be astonished when I would give him the reports of what we were doing. The Sunday feasts were huge. Hundreds of people were coming. We had large numbers of devotees joining. Nearly a hundred devotees joined. Nothing like this had happened on the East Coast. They didn't have that kind of festive mood. And that festive mood was created especially by Vishnujana.