So we have to take care
With so much street sankirtana every day, devotees invariably attract interested people on a regular basis. These are people who are generally disturbed about the situation in America at the height of the Vietnam war. They return with the brahmacaris to Watts after seeing the chanting party with kartals and mrdangas. Even though they know nothing about the movement, they realize that it engenders something that is very attractive. Vishnujana runs the new devotee program, instructing the recruits how to put on a dhoti, how to put on tilak, and how to chant on beads. It's a tough job, but he enjoys it.
Madhudvisha: Vishnujana used to have a squirt bottle, to refresh the devotees when they would nod off on the way to sankirtana. Inevitably, someone would begin to nod off, and Vishnujana would give him a little squirt, "Jayate." He used to say "Jayate." He would make up these songs like, "Keep your eyes on the pure devotee, jayate, jayate." When you look back on it, you can say whatever, but it was celestial. It might not have been scripture, but it was coming from his heart. He had a genuine feeling of love for Prabhupada. He might have had a romantic outlook towards the spiritual world and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but the devotion was there, even if it hadn't taken complete form and siddhanta yet. None of us really had much philosophical depth; we were just into chanting. We read Prabhupada's books, but there weren't that many back then. The brahmacaris live a Spartan life in the Watts house. As the treasurer, Madhudvisha walks to the local bank every day, carrying a strongbox full of coins. With his bead bag on one hand, he constantly chants, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. Many jobless black youths hang out along the street. They see him regularly and check him out, paying particular attention to the strongbox. But they are very suspicious about the bead bag. "Hey man, dig this bald-headed dude, comin' down the street again." "Must be packin' a heater in that bag." "Don' mess with him, man. Gotta be some kinda set up, ya know." Giving Madhudvisha a wide berth, they let him pass by without incident. In her little cottage out back, Srimati begins making dolls and puppets.
Vishnujana had discovered this talent back in Seattle and had inspired her to use it in devotional service. On the road down to Los Angeles they had endless discussions about it in the back of the van. Now Prabhupada has requested her to make a baby Krishna, and she offers him a beautiful Krishna doll. Charmed by Krishna's beauty, he asks Vishnujana to make a daily offering of hot milk for baby Krishna and gives him mantras to chant during the offering. Vishnujana is very eager to offer the milk and swing the cradle that baby Krishna lies in. He becomes very attached to doing this little ceremony in the back cottage, where baby Krishna lives with Srimati. His natural tendency for Deity worship first begins to blossom with this beautiful Krishna doll. Srimati needs supplies to make puppets, and Vishnujana brings whatever she requests. From the secondhand stores he brings back secondhand dolls. Together they begin making puppets. First they take the dolls apart, taking off their heads, hands and feet. Then they fashion bodies made of cloth. Vishnujana designs an ingenious stick maneuver apparatus with attached wires that will become the arms. The hands fit onto the wire arms, and on the top is a spring where the head fits. In this way the head bounces and the arms move up and down.
On Thanksgiving Day, a big event is held in Griffith Park, with groups such as Green Peace distributing free food to the needy. The devotees also go to the park to chant and have their Love Feast. But when the brahmacaris return later in the evening, they find the whole house is empty. Thieves had broken in while they were out and picked the house clean. Everything is stolen, sleeping bags, tape recorders, pots, pans, food. Gone also is Tamal's brand new Olivetti portable typewriter and an expensive sewing machine belonging to Silavati. It's almost as if they have been moved out. Luckily there was no money around the house, so it's not a total disaster. Srila Prabhupada is informed of the theft, and he instructs them to never leave the house unattended. "So we have to take care. What can be done? Now you should be very careful, and somebody must remain there always."