The Hare Krsna Movement, the Positive Alternative.

By Gauragopala dasa ACBSP.

This is the story of one young teenager (at the time when he first met the devotees) who eventually became a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna by first going into St Paul's Cathedral in central Melbourne to pray to Jesus in February 1972 for guidance out of this material world and to be used to spread God's message.

When this young man entered the Church as a last resort to find some meaning and purpose to life, he went down on his knees in total helplessness and, with tears in his eyes, prayed to Jesus, 

"Please my Lord, I beg you to please use me in your service, in your plan, my life is now totally useless, it is better you use me in your plan to spread God Consciousness."

He prayed like this for about an hour, then to his surprise, a young Hare Krsna devotee in saffron robes walked in the Church (Shyamananda dasa is a artist who was admiring the various paintings there). 

This young man was very moved by the devotee’s simplicity and knew the mumbling he was hearing must be like the rosary, yes, he was chanting the names of God, the Hare Krsna mantra. 

This young man took this as a gift and message to his prayers from Jesus, who was showing him the way.

He was amazed and without knowing much about Krsna except for his previous association with Upananda dasa (now Avadhoot Maharaj) some eight months earlier at the Sydney Temple in Paddington where he would read KRSNA Book to Upananda while he cooked for the Radha Gopinath Deities who Srila Prabhupada had personally installed on May 10th 1971, a week or so earlier.

He now had tears in his eyes seeing this young artist devotee and remembering his association in Sydney with Upananda.

He never took his eyes off Shyamananda dasa and when he left the Cathedral, the young man followed him out and watched what he thought was one of Gods angles, walk down the street.

The young man then walked no more than ten yards up Swanston st, Melbourne when a bubbling young girl in her mid teens  (possibly Krsnapremi dasi but not sure) approached him in a beautiful sari with flowers in her hair "Hari Bol" she said, then continued. 

"I’m with the Hare Krsna Movement and here is our magazine Back to Godhead, (number 36 BTG Magazine) we are having a love feast tomorrow, it is a special day, (February 18th 1972) the appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, come along and experience the ecstasy of Krsna Consciousness!" 

In those days dates were followed in Prabhupada's Books and in the "Teachings of Lord Caitanya" the appearance day is given as February 18th 1486.

We were not aware back then every year is different because of the constellations.

This young man was blown away, he was thrilled and truly believed Jesus had answered his prayers and sent him to be with Prabhupada and Krsna.

Probably the most astonishing thing was when he turned up the next day (February 18th 1972); it was Lord Caitanya’s appearance day at the Temple, one of the most auspicious days in the Krsna calendar. 

He then was offered to play the part of Hari dasa Thakur in a play (because he had a scraggly beard) where Lord Nityananda was hit on the head with a clay pot.

Lord Caitanya (played by Kurma) instructed Nityananda Prabhu (played by Ajita) and Haridasa Thakur (played by the young man who only the day before was praying in a Catholic Church Cathedral for direction from Jesus) to go to everyone’s house in Nadia and request them to chant Krsna’s name.

The two great devotees eagerly set forth and began to knock on each and every door with the request, 

"Please chant Krsna’s name, worship Krsna and teach others about Krsna." 

They were happily received by the pious people, while the envious would blaspheme them.

Completely unconcerned by favourable or unfavourable reactions they proceeded around the town. 

In Nadia there lived two very sinful brothers called Jagai (played by Upananda) and Madhai (Played by Sanaka) 

Jagai and Madhai were born in pious Brahman families however; due to bad association they had become meat eaters, drunkards, thieves and arsonists.

There was no crime that they had not committed, including the most abominable sin of killing cows and Brahmans. 

The entire town was terrified of these two persons who seemed to be the very personification of all sinful activities.

On the day Nityananda Prabhu (played by Ajita) and Haridasa Thakur (played by the young man) were moving in the town, these two brothers, completely intoxicated were alternatively fighting and embracing each other. 

After observing them for some time Nityananda Prabhu compassionately decided to deliver them and thus approached them.

Despite the warnings of the town people Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakur approached the two drunkards instructing them to chant the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Hearing these words the two sinners looked up and seeing the two saintly figures roared in anger. 

They leapt up and ran to catch the two sannyasis. The two devotees fled at the sight of the attacking brothers, terrified they shouted, 

"Krsna! Save us!! Govinda!" and ran.

The two brothers wandered off in their drunken condition along the banks of the Ganga where Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed. 

Constantly drunk, they started harassing and terrorizing the devotees.

Eventually Nityananda and Haridasa went to the Ganges to see Lord Caitanya (played by Kurma) however the two brothers again accosted them. 

On seeing Lord Nityananda, the drunk Madhai (played by Sanaka) became furious and struck Him with a broken earthen pot.

When Jagai (played by Upananda) saw the blood flowing from the wound, he became compassionate and restrained his brother.

While Nityananda Prabhu patiently stood, looking at the brothers with compassion, tolerating the pain and humiliation, Haridasa ran to tell Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the incident. 

(Yes, the young man kept repeating his lines for this part and kept repeating the name of Lord Caitanya so he would not forget)

Hearing that Nityananda Prabhu had been hurt by the brothers, Caitanya Mahaprabhu ran towards them with the intention to kill them. 

He summoned His chakra which looked like death personified to the two terrified brothers.

However, Nityananda Prabhu quickly intervened and begged Caitanya Mahaprabhu to stop. He reminded Him of His mission to kill the sinners by saturating them with love of Godhead. 

Thus the appeased Lord took back His chakra at the request of Nityananda.  

Nityananda Prabhu told Caitanya Mahaprabhu that it was Jagai who had saved Him from further harm at Madhai’s hand. 

Hearing this Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Jagai, 

"By protecting Nityananda you have purchased Me, you may ask any desire you have in your heart. From today on you will have pure love and devotion for Krsna."

Hearing this Jagai fell at the feet of the two Lords and grasping the feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu wept.

Seeing the wonderful transformation in his brother, a remorseful Madhai begged for the mercy of the Lord. However, since he had committed the worst of all offences, that of attacking a Vaisnava, the Lord did not even consider all his pitiful pleas for mercy.

Only after Madhai grasped the feet of Nityananda Prabhu and received His mercy did Caitanya Mahaprabhu agree to deliver Madhai also.

The young man playing the part of Hari dasa was told Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the most merciful but even with his little experience, he just experienced that Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than Lord Caitanya.

That night the young man who took directions from Jesus the day before, joined the Temple, was shaved up that night by Sanaka and eventually become initiated by Srila Prabhupada a few months later. 

To this very day he is thankful to Jesus who directed him to Srila Prabhupada and the devotees who in turn began teaching him about Krsna’s pastimes.

That young man was me.

Photo of Australia's first ISKCON Travelling Temple in Melbourne during the first Rathayatra festival July 1972, I am fourth in on the left holding pole.***.