"The Hare Krishna Movement, The Positive Alternative."

This is the story of one young teenager who eventually became a devotee of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna by first going into the main Cathedral in the City of Melbourne called St Paul's Cathedral to pray to Jesus.

This was on February 17th 1972 almost 7 months after first going to Sydney Temple at Paddington in May 1971.

When this young man entered the Church as a last resort to try and 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 use me in your service, in your plan, my life is now 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 Krishna devotee in saffron robes walked in the Church.

His name is Syamananda dasa, an artist who was admiring the various paintings in the Cathedral.

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

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

He was amazed and without knowing much about Krishna, except for his previous association with Upananda dasa (now Avadhoot Maharaj) some eight months earlier in Sydney Temple, where he use to read "Ksna Book" to him while he cooked for the Radha Gopinath Deities.

He now had tears in his eyes seeing this devotee in the Cathedral and remembering his association in Sydney.

He never took his eyes off Syamananda dasa as he walked around the Cathedral admiring the many paintings there. 

When Syamananda eventually left the Cathedral, the young man followed him out and then saw what he thought was one of God's angels, walk up the street, a young devotee girl in a beautiful sari with flowers in her hair and handing out Magazines (Back To Godhead).

This young man then walked no more than ten yards up Swanston st when this bubbling young girl in her approached him in a with a “Hari Bol’’ saying

"I’m with the Hare Krishna Movement and we are here in Melbourne to give out our magazine Back to Godhead, we are having a love feast tomorrow, it is a very special day, come along and experience the ecstasy of Krishna Consciousness!''

This young man was blown away by her presence, he was thrilled and truly believed Jesus had answered his prayers and led him to Krishna's devotees.

The most astonishing thing was when he turned up the next day (February 18th 1972); with his 10 year old little brother, it was Lord Caitanya’s appearance day, one of the most auspicious days in the Krishna Conscious calendar.

He appeared on February 18th 1972 1486 AD.

Back in those early pioneering days for important festivals, we often went by the dates in Srila Prabhupada's Books. 

In the ''The Teachings of Lord Caitanya'' Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was Febuary 18th 1486, so that is the date we celebrated His appearance day in 1972.

All this young man new is it was Lord Caitanya's appearance day on the 18th of February because everyone told him this and that he was there on a very auspicious day.

He was asked to play a part in a play and played the part of Haridasa Thakur because he had a scruffy beard. 

Eventually in the play Lord Caitanya's dear associated Lord Nityananda prabhu was hit on the head with a clay pot.

Lord Caitanya (played by Kurma dasa, instructed Nityananda Prabhu (played by Ajita dasa) and Haridasa Thakur (played by the young man, (who only the day before was praying in a Catherdral to Jesus for guidance) to go to everyone’s house in Nadia (Bengal India) and request them to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra.

The two great devotees, Lord Nityananda prabhu and Haridasa Thakur, eagerly set forth and began to knock on every door with the request, “please chant Hare Krishna, please worship Krishna and teach all others about Krishna the Suprem Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.” 

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

Completely unconcerned by favorable or unfavorable reactions, they proceeded around the town telling everyone about Krishna.

Also in Nadia there lived two very sinful brothers called Jagai played by Upananda dasa and Madhai played by Sanak dasa.

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 and Haridasa Thakur 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 try and deliver them and thus approached them.

Despite the warnings of the town people to keep away from these sinful men, Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakur approached the two drunkards instructing them to chant the holy name of the Lord.

Hearing these words the two sinners on seeing the two saintly figures roared in anger. They lept up and ran to catch the two sannyasis. The two devotees fled at the sight of the attacking sinful brothers.

Being terrified Nityananda and Haridasa shouted, “Krishna! Save us!! Govinda! please protect us” and ran. 

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

Being drunk, they continued harassing and terrorizing the devotees.

Eventually Nityananda and Haridasa went to the Ganges to see Lord Caitanya and tell Him of this disturbance however the two brothers again were also there and accosted them. 

On seeing Lord Nityananda, one of the sinful brothers, Madhai became furious and struck Lord Nityananda with a broken earthen pot.

When Jagai saw the blood flowing from the wound, he became compassionate and and tried to retain his brother's violence.

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 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 quickly intervened and begged Caitanya Mahaprabhu to stop and instead show mercy. 

He reminded Lord Caitanya of His mission to kill the sinners by saturating them with love of Godhead (the Hare Krishna maha mantra). Thus appeased the Lord took back His chakra.

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 Krishna” 

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, attacking a Vaishnava, 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.

That night the young man who took directions from Jesus, stayed at the Temple and was shaved up by Sanak dasa and six months was initiated by Srila Prabhupada.

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

That young man was me Gauragopala dasa ACBSP.