Jayanandanugas continued

Dear Vishoka Prabhu, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Thank you for sharing this page with all the devotees. It is nice to see positive websites. Hearing the nectar about a devotee who was truly following the message of Srila Prabhupada should be an inspiration. If only we had hundreds of Jayananda Thakuras.....but it's nice to know that there is one. Hare Krishna! your servants, Sudama das and Bhaktin Cristina

I love the website. I am planning to get into the chat and tell a lot of stories that are not there. I was just last week by the Dolores Mission and offered my obeisances to Virgin Mary whom Jayananda used to garland with Srila Prabhupada's Prasadam garland in his japa walk!  -  Kritakarma dasa

Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I have made association of ISKCON and its devotees since 1971, when I was a young teenager, but never had the privilege of meeting Jayananda. There are articles about him and commemoratives hanging in the main hallway of the Brooklyn, NY ISKCON temple, for all to be inspired. He is one of the original and great, all-time Western vaisnavas, and continues to serve as a role model for service, humility and pure bhakti. Jayananda Thakura ki jay! Hari haribol!  Bhakta Ken

Dear Prabhu: I've visited the Jayananda site many times and it is quite impressive. The service of acquainting the world with Jayandanda's greatness is near and dear to Srila Prabhupada. This is a very nice site, the devotion putting it together is commendable. Jayananda used to say "You have to take shelter of your service." I'm sure your are blessed by your service. - Tapan Misra das

From Maharsi dasa-

It is wonderful you have created this site on Jayananda, with his stories when he was amongst us. Jayananda Prabhu has always been, for me, an example of perfect servant of Srila Prabhupada. I often referred to him, here in France, to other devotees, explaining how Jayananda was such exalted devotee, so faithful and dear to Srila Prabhupada. But, as you say, hardly anybody knows about him around the world, despite he is our first Saint. In fact, in France, I am the only one who had the privilege to meet him. Only a few of us in Europe had this rare opportunity. I always remember when you and my brother Jiva-krishna Dasa, and I went to visit him in his room in Los Angeles. At that time he was becoming very weak, but when he saw you, he jumped out of his seat and offered his obeisances to all of us. I’ll always get that image in my heart, such a humble devotee. In fact, anything I have done in connection with Jayananda Prabhu always brings me happiness, such as building the carts with Vatsala Dasa and you, in San Francisco, the cart that Jayananda had conceived, even chanting my round in his red truck in Berkeley, after Jayananda’s disappearance, was for like a tirtha place. I sometimes pray to him to guide us here, in organizing, year after year, the Ratha-yatra. This is so wonderful to glorify Lords Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in the streets of Paris. Actually, I am part of the bureau, here, which organizes that festival each year with my Godbrothers Advaita-candra Dasa, Aristana-sana Prabhu and Nitai-gaura Sundara Prabhu. We keep putting on, with the help of the Paris temple and the Indian congregation, the Ratha-yatra festival. When I help to participate to organize that festival: it always puts me in connection with Jayananda Prabhu, that’s why I chose to do this service, it reminds me of my first years in Krishna Consciousness. Thank you very much, Prabhu; please keep pouring on us stories of Jayananda Prabhu, the world of devotees need it, specially now...every devotee needs to see how Srila Prabhupada and Krishna made such sincere devotee. We have a little journal in which we try to glorify, twice a year, the importance of Ratha-yatra. Having stories of Jayananda Prabhu will really enliven the devotees. Haribol. Jayananda Prabhu ki jai!! Your servant, Maharsi Dasa.

Haribol Vishoka Dasa, so many are bereft of good association with those who have lived only for the glory of the servants of Sri Govinda. I, myself, am missing, too, yet, when you remind me, always, of Sriman Jayananda Thakur, I am reeled back in, knowing fully well of Srila Prabhupada’s influence on his “bona fide” disciples. Jayananda Dasa was content, and HAPPY, as humble servant. He never had desires to be anything else. He hated the fact that his days were numbered, not because he feared death of the body, just that his service would be temporarily disrupted, that he would not get to the 1977 Ratha-yatra, knowing that this was his sweet service to his Guru Maharaja. Sriman Jayananda Thakur, who did not spend much time in erudite discussions or mental speculation, taught nevertheless, by his example. Simple servitude to the desires of his Guru Maharaja, one-tracked purpose, was his example, and this speaks volumes of philosophy that will bring us back home, to him, his Guru, his Gauranga. Haribol, Mahaksa Dasa

Prabhu, Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada! Somehow - I can’t even remember how I did it - I came across your web site and have been reading the nectar pastimes and remembrances of Jayananda Prabhu. Thank you for putting such transcendental subjects on the cyber waves. It’s what they are meant to be used for. What more can I say? Your writings brought tears to my eyes, and believe me, that’s not easy. Your hard-hearted servant, Dhruva Maharaja Dasa

Dear Prabhu, I think this page was really a wonderful nectarian experience. It is rare to find such a perfect devotee save Srila Prabhupada. It is facts like these that the media should be concentrating on to show that this is a bona fide Krishna Consciousness movement rather than dwelling on a few devotees who had strayed from the path. Most publicity I see and hear from the media is usually of the negative kind. Again, thank you for inserting a positive ray of sunshine. I feel, that I have really come to know Sri Jayananda Thakur, and if I can follow even an atomic portion of his life, I will consider myself extremely fortunate. Haribol, Bharat

The Jayananda section...... WOW! MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll endeavor to link to that from my UK Ratha-yatra site (in preparation), your servant, Arjunanatha Dasa

And I’m really looking forward to reading the latest Jayananda essays. I found the one you wrote, about his visiting you in ‘trance’ or dream state very interesting and moving. How wonderful if devotees who leave may return and inspire us, who knows what wonders await devotees, once this movement gets back on track -SS

I do not want to be presumptuous, but I do want you to know that the stories you present concerning Srila Jayananda Thakur has had the effect of introducing him to me, and has given me the understanding that by following in his footsteps of his Christ like humility and desire to be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada, the return to Mahaksa Dasa in this form was not a waste of effort. Today, I do not care if I live or die, an NDE may produce different results, but, somehow or other, I feel that my fixed up fellow disciples, such as the wonderful Jayananda, will again act as my preceptors and speak to Srila Prabhupada on my behalf, not even considering my shortcomings, just as he did that day he stopped working on the cart and going through great effort to make sure that I received a plate of maha-prasadam. Mahaksa Dasa

All Glories To Srila Prabhupada! Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krishna! I am not worthy to even reply. Please forgive me for existing. Keep me informed of your efforts. It is possible that even the lowest of life forms may evolve exponentially thru the contact of a devotee. May all the blessed pastimes of Srila Jayananda be known eternally. Personally, I was the pick up man after the great devotees like Jayananda passed away. Many close Godbrothers and sisters in the Berkeley and San Francisco areas still have much nectar to share. Try contacting Jagannatha Swami Dasa in Berkeley for some real Jayananda nectar. Another source is Harepriya Dasi in Grass Valley @ (916) 432-2173. Hare Krishna, Gopal Dasa

I especially appreciate your inclination to NOTICE that Srila Prabhupada has bona fide disciples, thus authenticating his position as Jagat Guru. In the kanistha rush to find new gurus, many forget to approach his disciples to find his life still intact, as well as the lives of all the acharyas and Vaishnavas still intact. His disciples are often hidden by their Vaishnava qualities and their adherence to the principles given in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Siksastakam. Not chair grabbers, they are content to always remain at his feet, birth after birth. To sing the names, pastimes, and glories of such disciples of Sri Vaishnava Acharya is pure nectarian transcendental activity, and is thoroughly recommended process to instill and maintain MEMORY of the sankirtan Movement. All glories to Sriman Jayananda Prabhu, whose very life is always spent in the service to Vaishnava Thakur. Where would any of us be without the instructions of Sri Siksagurudeva? Haribol, friend, keep the sweetness of your page going, your servant, Mahaksa Dasa

I traveled with Jayananda for about 6 months in the Radha-Damodar bus. I loved him well. He was like the big brother I never had growing up. He woke me up every morning by touching my feet and singing "jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole" Wake up sleeping soul. Often he sang it very loudly accompanyed by drum,cartals and even a harmonium one time when I was deep in maya. He always displayed deep humility and gratitude towards Srila Praphupada and bestowed upon this young bhakta, great mercy and kindness. Vyasasana dasa

I think often of Jayananda, his pleasing of Srila Prabhupada. In such meditation, I also think of Srila Haridasa Thakur, who requested from Sri Chaitanya to be allowed to leave because he could not bear the separation if the Lord of his life preceded him. Similarly, I firmly believe that Sriman Jayananda could not bear to exist in the absence of Srila Prabhupada, and that his passing was the Divine Grace, and that they are planning maha-festivals as I write this memo. Your servant, Mahaksa Dasa

As you say everyone loved Jayananda. I only met him once. We were on our way to India and were stuck at one of the airports in New York and had to go to the other one. All of a sudden a beat up old truck pulled up in front of all of us (about 10 devotees). The driver asked where we were going to which we replied the other airport. he said hop in I’ll take you there. We got there just in time to get our flight. As he left us off, I asked someone “Who was that man?” The devotee said, “That was Jayananda”!! He also had perfect timing because he was so surrendered. Your servant, Damaghosh Dasa

I just visited your site and savored the experience of your most recent song of praise for Jayananda Prabhu - it is so inspiring to hear a devotee uplift another devotee with such a devotional spirit! Thank you for the ambrosia. Hare Krishna, Celta

From Mahaksa Dasa- Then we think we are better than everyone else, that we have the right to treat others like they should follow us, without any tolerance, filled with false prestige. The gopis are invisible to those above the straw in the street, so why converse publicly on their sweet relationship with the Lord. This is a tribute not to yourself, but to your siksa guru, Sri Jayananda, who I do actually remember. I was an herbed out surfer puke who dropped by the Los Angeles temple in 1971, and he was there, dirty, intensely laboring without anyone helping him, working on a large wooden cart. He stopped long enough to take time to say haribol to me and talk to me as if I mattered. He truly took Sri Siksastakam as his life and soul.

Reply- This was really a great email realization of yours, of the glories of the siska guru, the personification of trinad api, Srila Jayananda Thakur, and I thank you much for the intense realization you came to, and shared, really great, that is, give up the lofty rasa esoterica and perfect Mahaprabhu’s basic eight verses, that is all. As if we can perfect them!! No, we can only grovel in the mud toward the shoreline of Mahaprabhu’s ocean of nutshell instructions! Without cheap imitation, let us beg for the mercy to be the straw in the street, which is not done by any proud effort on our own. And thank you so VERY much to remind me that “Is a tribute not to yourself, but to your siksa guru” that is really what I really need to hear, otherwise I could always become “Proud of my humble writings,” and they are only the life of Jayananda, nothing done by me. As the funny saying goes: “I take great pride in my humility.” Ha, isn’t it true! Actually there is a great verse by Srila Prabhodananda in his Sri Vrindavana-mahimamarta (a great book) where he talks about phony sadhus parading their humility around in the Dhama, looking furtively around for a little recognition.

More from Mahaksa Dasa- Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read first, never get enough of the “real” nectar that Srila Prabhupada has given us, that is, he has given us “devotees”, absolute proof that he is, indeed, touchstone, that he can take a little sincerity of a disciple like Jayananda Thakur and make the candidate into such a saint. This stuff is sorely missing from the writings of the devotees at the millennium change. We seem to get hung up on the dots and dashes of things and miss the real love that cannot be subject to mental analysis. I bring this stuff up as a writer to a writer, do not hold back, brother, feel free to describe the glories of Jayananda Thakur to their fullest extent, not worrying about style, authority, or other nitpicking you may encounter along the way. Thoroughly honest devotees will see through the haze of imperfection that all Kali folks possess to a certain degree, and experience the joy at seeing the touchstone of Prabhupada work on his sincere disciple. Mahaksa Dasa

Haribol! This is a very nice sight for a very nice devotee. Being part of ISKCON, I have heard many a cool story of Jayananda Thakur, the true example of Vaisnava. Although I am too young to have ever met him in this lifetime, he has left a vast impact on me and many other Krishna youth. We love to huddle around on warm summer nights and listen to a senior devotee share nectar on Jayananda Prabhju...there is nothing better that I can think of. My best loved Jayananda story is the one in which he walked out of the store wearing unpaid for pants...that is a riot! If Jayananda was still around, he's certainly be a guru.... and w/o a trace of doubt in my mind, I'd gladly take initiation from him. Long live Jayananda in all our hearts. May his spirit of pure asceticism continue. All glories to Saint Jayananda! Jaya Jayananda! Much blessings to the assembled devotees! Hare Krishna! Bhaktin Prahlad

To please the devotee is even better than pleasing Krishna, because Krishna takes the pleasure of the devotee more seriously than His own. Keep pleasing us lessors, as well as the greaters, Jayananda, Prabhupada, all the way to Lord Brahma. Your thesis on Sriman Jayananda Thakur is the best of the web, I cannot get enough, and the reasons are shared with the writers on this line.

When I write of Jayananda, I do not pretend to represent the personality I knew ever so fleetingly (as in "Howzit, nice cart you’re building there." And "Haribol, Prabhu, go grab some prasadam and stick around for a while.") But, in my three years at this keyboard, everything I have been fortunate to write, hopefully in the service to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, is about the ideal represented by this personification of a bona fide disciple.

"Disciple" is everything we should desire to be, and while some cannot get rid of the dominant desire of being master, emulating and imitating the master, to follow in the footsteps of one whose only desire is to be servant of the servant, this serves our real purpose.

The concept of Jayananda has many things presently missing from the formula, the main point being Srila Prabhupada’s desire that we cooperate, as well as Srila Bhaktivinode’s desire that all the branches of Vaisnavism bury the hatchets of party spirit and come together unified in purpose. Jayananda never experiences joy upon hearing of a "fallen" devotee’s suffering, he does not experience anxiety that one may leave the temple to try to find their own way for a while. As his focus is dovetailed on pleasing Srila Prabhupada, what pleases him is life’s pleasures, and to accept Krishna as one’s life and soul, and secondly, to distribute Krishna prasadam to all you meet.

Very simple, very sublime, and though I knew little of Jayananda Thakur, from first hand accounts of his dear friends, I have heard that he truly is a bona fide disciple of Srila Prabhupada. I may be making something up here, but I will try to emulate (but not imitate) the disciple. Your servant, Mahaksa Dasa

Hari-bol Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. Obviously, it is appropriate for you to glorify Jayananda. Any of us who had the honor and privilege to know him, even slightly, recognize him to be the acharya of surrender. He was the very first devotee I ever spoke with, and his potency is undeniable. I will share an anecdotal remembrance of that very first conversation with him. On my first visit to San Francisco temple, on Valencia, I had the good fortune to assist Jayananda with the garbage detail. We were taking the trash out to a compactor when he explained some of the basics of Krishna consciousness. He said that Krishna satisfied all the desires of His devotees. As an example, he told me that he had always wanted to be a garbage man, and just see, his wish had been fulfilled. I left that day thinking that Jayananda was the temple garbage man. I had no idea of the magnitude of his service, but I thought to myself, “If this is the garbage man, how wonderful must be the other devotees.” Well, I eventually came to know something of Jayananda’s greatness, as I moved into the temple and got his divine association day in and day out for nearly a year before I moved to San Clemente with the then temple president. Bhutatma Dasa (and Kesava Dasa). Even that limited association permitted me a glimpse of the kind of sincerity and devotion, not to mention hard work that set Jayananda apart as a truly great example for us all. I saw Bhutatma Dasa again recently, after many years of separation, and among other things, he told me that he was writing a book about Jayananda and those early years in San Francisco. Hopefully, you will encourage and assist him. I, for one, appreciate your efforts to glorify Jayananda, my original contact with the eternal Vaishnava community. Once, I was asking Bhutama Dasa what he thought about all the controversy and disagreement over the guru issue and he said, “I just think about Jayananda, and remember his greatness.” Good answer. Let us remember and praise the admirable disciples of Srila Prabhupada rather than target others for complaint. Positive thinking, Krishna consciousness. Keep up the good service. Your fallen Godbrother, Vatsara Dasa

Dear Vishoka Dasa, Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. About 10 years ago I was real good friends with Buddhimanta Dasa. He was “famous” for starting book distribution. something he NEVER took credit for. He was a devotee in San Francisco 1969 president was Keshnava Dasa, the brother of Karandar Dasa. We would talk a bunch. He told me many things. One thing I remember was this- ”I am surprised that Jayananda became so special. He was always driving the cab. He couldn’t read the Sanskrit so good in the verses. He did not know that many verses. He had not even read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. His classes were very simple and about the people he had met in the cab. He would stop at a grocery store and offer a bag of cookies. and give one to every passenger he had in the cab. Our sankirtan van would always break down. and somehow Jayananda would always get there and get us back on the road. I don’t know how he did it. we would call the temple and he would show up and get us going. I never thought he would be someone so special to Srila Prabhupada.” This was told to Pandava-vijaya by Buddhimanta Dasa in 1988-89, Your servant, Pandava-vijaya Dasa

Hare Krishna, Vishoka Prabhu! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! You are quite welcome for the Jayananda katha (anecdote). I have not seen Jayananda’s face since San Francisco, so the photos are most enlivening. These relationships we share with Krishna’s devotees are so powerful. I’ve noticed that Gauridasa Pandita (who I remember as a fresh-faced youth in Hawaii) has chosen to glorify Visnujana Swami, who performed the fire sacrifice at my first (and only) initiation, 1974 San Francisco. Of course, I had much more association (not enough!) with Jayananda, and I am so pleased that you are devoting an Internet page to his illustrious memory. Thanks, as well, for replying. It is very exciting for me to be in touch with Vaishnavas via e-mail, since I live in such a remote and Krishna consciousness part of the planet (Twisp, WA). Where are you living these days? Do you remember Vatsala Dasa? He is my lifelong friend. We joined together. Vaishashika, Yudamanyu, Kritakarma, Jambavan and his brother are a few of the names I remember from those first days. Being restless and adventuresome, I moved from temple to temple like so many others. Bhutatma Dasa would love to hear from another appreciator of Jayananda Prabhu. You are calling him Jayananda Thakur. Wherefrom this name? One of Jayananda’s greatest glories, of course, is his refusal to take sanyasa, when so many were all too eager to ignore Lord Chaitanya’s cautionary advice. So, again I thank you for engaging me in conversation about Krishna’s devotee, and one of my all time heros, Jayananda. When you’ve time, write again. I’ll be visiting your page often. Sincerely, Vatsara Dasa

Haribol, this is Nipuna Dasi. My mother is in Hawaii for a the time being. She doesn’t really know how to access her email from there. I know it’s easy, but that doesn’t help her...so here is all I know. Jayananda used to baby-sit me. In addition to all his service like washing pots and taking out the trash and getting all the local businesses to donate free bhoga like big metal dairy farm containers of milk and lots of sour cream and fresh fruit, and organizing Ratha-yatra, he would baby-sit me while my mother went out on sankirtan. My mother tells me that it’s because of Jayananda Prabhu that I was such a giant baby with huge cheeks. He is the one that made it possible for the temple to be so abundant in milk and yogurt and sour cream and all sorts of fresh fruit. I ate mangoes and sour cream and bananas and sour cream and cantaloupe and sour cream. Hee hee. Well, back to Jayananda...this is how he would watch me. He would put me in those big rectangle shaped flower boxes that we got the loose carnations in and give me candy and I would be content to just watch him work my father was the pujari on the cart at the first big San Francisco Ratha-yatra. His name is Devaprastha Dasa. I’m not sure where he is, but I’m sure he worked with Jayananda Prabhu as well. I’ll get my mother Bhavatarini Dasi to send in stories as well, Haribol, Nipuna.