In August 1988 during the Australian Travelling Temple "Free the Soviet Hare Krishnas" campaign, a young Australian boy Bhakta Andy Goss sadly died while preaching in the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
In a fortunate way, He died at the very end of the Australian Nation wide campaign to gather one million signatures to give to Soviet Premiere Mr Gorbachev to convince him to release all Hare Krishna devotees.
Bhakta Andy was alive to see the wonderful Soviet devotees win their freedom on June 19th 1988.
It was then Soviet Government registered ISKCON as a legal religious institution in the Soviet Union with a request also from the Australian Prime Minister Robert (Bob) Hawke when he visited Moscow in December 1987.
Bhakta Andy would be amazed and in tears of joy today seeing the great Sankirtan parties in 2020 in places like the Ukraine, Russia, Poland etc.
The Australian public greatly support freedom of religion for all Soviet Hare Krishna devotees and our petition books were signed everywhere our Travelling Temple Bus went.
Bhakta Andy Goss was just 24 years of age in August 1988, a very humble hard working devotee who loved Jappa chanting, street Sankirtan, Book distribution and prasadam distribution, whom he enthusiastically did at all the Halls we hired in major Cities and Towns around Australia.
Bhakta Andy came from a very pious Australian family, his father was the Australian Ambassador to Israel.
He sadly died just outside of Brisbane Australia from being hit by a passing car while standing next to the Travelling Bus Temple while talking to Ramai Swami.
He had a glorious funeral attended by all the devotees at Murwillumbah Australia, his material body was wonderfully decorated by Braja Raj Dasa ACBSP and myself according to Vedic rituals.
His life for two years was dedicated to freeing Hare Krishna devotees in Russia and Eastern Europe and his service will never be forgotten in ISKCON history, one of the most important chapters in ISKCON history.
So what does Prabhupada say about a young un-initiated neophyte devotee who leaves his material body suddenly like this?
Harikeśa - "I'm curious about the destination of a neophyte devotee. If a neophyte devotee is with determination endeavoring for purification but he were to meet with death as he is still influenced by the lower modes, although he is seriously trying, then does he take another birth or does he go to Kṛṣṇa?"
Srila Prabhupada - "No, he has to take another birth. If he is not completely purified, he has to suffer another birth. Nobody is allowed to enter into the spiritual world unless he is cent percent pure.
No allowance.
It is said, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41].
He is given chance, another chance, to take birth in a very pure brāhmaṇa family or rich family so that he may take again the chance to become a perfect devotee, then he is allowed to enter. He is given a good chance again. That is his benefit.
So even if you are a failure in this life, still, your next birth as a very first-class human being is guaranteed.
But not for others who are not devotees.
It is only for the yogis (devotees). Therefore it is said that "What is the loss even if he is failure?"
Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi yatra kva va abhadram abhūd amuṣya kim (SB Canto 1 Chapter 5 text 17)
This verse from Srimad Bhagavatam is very important. Even by sentiment one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and discharges the regulative duties, chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, his next life is guaranteed as a human being.
Even if he does it for some time but is not perfect, still, his next life is guaranteed.
But others, there is no such guarantee for non devotees, even if he discharges his so-called duties, material duties, there is no guarantee that he'll become a human being".
Harikeśa - "They let him (Ajamila) stay in that body and then he went to Rṣīkeśa and performed devotional service and then became perfect".
Srila Prabhupāda - "No, he was already perfect, but to increase his desire of how shall I go Vaikuṇṭha, he had to wait sometime and go to Vaikuntha later. He was a perfect; otherwise how could he be saved from the Yamadutas?
Harikeśa - "So if a devotee dies and remembers Kṛṣṇa, although he is not perfect..."
Srila Prabhupāda - "Unless he is perfect, he cannot remember Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not possible. That is theory only. He MUST be perfect.
Somehow or other, he has fallen, so Kṛṣṇa gives him the chance. That is special concession for devotee.
Some way or other, you become devotee. Even if you cannot finish the whole job, if you fall down, still, there is guarantee that you get your birth in a very good society. That is the prerogative." (Morning walk Nairobi, 2nd November 1975)
PHOTO - Bhakta Andy Goss 24 years old standing in front of the Travelling Hare Krishna Temple preaching to guests.
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