ISKCON first arrived in Australia in March 1970, brought to Sydney Australia by American devotees Bali-madana dasa and Upendra dasa.
I first saw the devotees in a 1967 TV documentary about the San Francisco Haight-Asbury "Summer of Love".
The devotee I saw was Upendra dasa above in the middle dancing. I was 15 years old.
George Harrison 1967 San Francisco Haight Ashbury Hippy district (Golden Gate Park)
There were no Hare Krishna devotees in Australia in the 1960s.
The devotees arrived in Australia in March 1970 and the only ISKCON Temple in Australia began in Sydney, by October about 15 devotees were living there.
Also in October 1970, a small group of devotees from Sydney visited Melbourne. It was there I first met the devotees and purchased ''Back to Godhead Magazine number 36'' off a young female devotee.
16 Months later, I moved into the new Melbourne Temple as a Brahmacari monk.
I moved into the Temple on February 18th 1972.
On April 5th 1972, we all went to the Melbourne Airport to meet Srila Prabhupada, the first thing I noticed about him was he had a distinct ''golden aura'' around him that stood out from all others.
His wonderful skin "glowed golden" and caught the attention of everyone in the Airport lounge, there was an amazing air about him that made the senses highly alert and able to see things around me with crystal clear clarity. Srila Prabhupada was so happy to see his disciples.
One congregational devotee yelled out - "Wow, does everyone sense these amazing vibrations coming from Prabhupada?"
Later on I heard Vegavan Prabhu went over and told this young man that a saintly person is judged by what they say, and never by how they look, encouraging him to come and "listen and HEAR" Prabhupada's lectures.
However, it was also a fact that Prabhupada's personal presents WAS unique and very inspiring and DID change everything around us.
I handed him a big red rose, he took the rose off me and with a big smile, then taped me on the head with his cane. I had tears running down my cheeks; it was such a special wonderful moment to see my Spiritual Master.
Later many devotees asked me what it was like to be tapped on the head by Prabhupada with his cane.
What was now happening in Australia was a great historical event and I felt very fortunate to be part of this special pioneering history. For the first time in Australian history, Srila Prabhupada brought with him the Vedic teachings presented by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
In 1965 Srila Prabhupada first came to the Western World during a time of amazing cultural changes. At that time the youth of America were experimenting with psychedelic mind expanding drugs like LSD due to being frustrated with the constant emphasis on materialism that on its own never gave permanent happiness.
Many of these young people were seeking a higher truth by experimenting with LSD, but Prabhupada told those who attended his lectures, that God is not so cheap that He can be found in a tablet.
He strongly preached against the taking of LSD, explaining God can ONLY be found in selfless devotional service (Bhakti).
And by following the basic principles of no meat eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, no intoxication (that includes LSD) and even tea and coffee.
There is also the principle of chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra a minimum of 16 rounds a day that helps one always remember Krishna and is a prayer that translates too-
"Oh my Lord O energies of the Lord, please engage me in your Devotional service"
Attempting to take drugs for spiritual realisations, is like foolishly attempting to go from Kindergarten to University OVERNIGHT!
NO one can quickly know God through any material means which obviously includes intoxicating their material senses and brain substance with a drug.
Attempting to do so will simply lead to being bewildered.
So Prabhupada forbid his followers to take LSD and Marijuana.
Srila Prabhupada's first visited Australia was in May 1971, I was in Sydney at the time and even visited the Paddington Temple before Prabhupada arrived in Sydney, but believed I was not ready at this time to "reach the mountain top" as I called it, and meet Srila Prabhupada at this time.
However, two days after Prabhupada left Australia, I did go to the Darlinghurst Paddington Temple and met Upananda dasa (now Avadhoot Maharaj) and he engaged me in devotional service by getting me to read ''Krsna Book'' to him while he cooked the evening offerings for the new Radha Gopinatha Deities installed by Srila Prabhupada a week before.
I greatly regretted not meeting Prabhupada while he was here, I was taking LSD at that time believing it would help me "reach the mountain top".
NO, I should of went to met him!
Although, the most profound realisation from LSD, was that we have all been here before in many different material bodily vessels.
Very profound realisation about reincarnation.
Today, I believe the most important realisation I got from LSD, was to find a Teacher, a Spiritual Master, a Guru who can show one the proper way to enter Spiritual life.
Therefore, I do not regret taking LSD on now seeing what happened to all my old friends who never took it and therefore NEVER opened their minds to the realm of possibilities.
"Now on the mountain top", I stayed around the Temple and associated with the devotees for a few months and helped them move to their new Temple location in Hereford Street Glebe.
Then with my girl friend Sue, we went to Queensland and stayed on a farm at Mudgeeraba till the end of the year.
I never took LSD again because I knew both Jesus and Srila Prabhupada were now my teachers.
If you're sincere God will find you by sending His bonafide representative, you do not even have to search for him, he WILL find you.
Never stop praying and this WILL happen
However, it was not until February 18th 1972, that I again went back to the Temple, this time in Melbourne.
On February 17th 1972, I was fed up with everything and out of desperation, went to St Paul's Cathedral in the heart of Melbourne as a last resort to find some meaning and purpose to life.
Inside this wonderful Church, I went down on my knees in total helplessness and, with tears in my eyes, prayed to Jesus-
“Please, 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”
I prayed like this for about an hour, then to my surprise, a young Hare Krishna devotee in saffron robes walked into the Church (Shyamananda dasa, a brilliant artist who was admiring the various Christian paintings there).
I was greatly moved by seeing Shyamananda’s simplicity and knew the mumbling I was hearing was like the rosary, he was chanting the names of God, the Hare Krishna mantra.
This association with a devotee brought back memories of reading "Krsna Book" while Upananda cooked for the Deities when I was at the Sydney Temple 6 months previously.
I immediately realised this as a gift and answer to my prayers to Jesus and was totally convinced Jesus was showing me the way to Srila Prabhupada and answering my prayers to be used in His plan.
This was very blissful for me, I could feel the presence of God all around me and that Jesus had revealed to me who God is, what He looks like and even His name and who His pure devotee was.
''Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes and His dear pure servant Srila Prabhupada''.
The Hare Krishna Movement was not new to me, as already explained, I first met the devotees in October 1970 when I purchased ''Back to Godhead Magazine number 36''.
It was only 7 months earlier, in March 1970, that ISKCON first arrived in Australia. In this magnificent St Paul's Cathedral, I had tears in his eyes experiencing this connection to God.
My greatest realisation was one must find a bonafide Spiritual living Teacher and surrender to him.
I suppose this is why the Beatles, including my main influence at that time, George Harrison, All travelled to India a few years before this in 1968.
They were also looking for spiritual guidance.
I never took my eyes off Shyamananda dasa as he walked around the Cathedral with all these thoughts going through my mind.
When the Shyamananda left, I followed him out and then walked to the city square and once again saw another devotee distributing "Back To Godhead Magazines".
This bubbling young girl in her teens approached me in a beautiful sari with a flower in her hair, “Hari Bol'’ she said, then continued.
''I’m with the Hare Krishna Movement and here is our Magazine Back to Godhead, we are having a love feast tomorrow, a very special day, come along and experience the ecstasy of Krishna Consciousness! Hare Krishna!!''
I was was blown away by her sweet presence, as they used to say back then, I was thrilled and truly believed my prayers for a Spiritual Master had been answered.
The most astonishing thing was, when I turned up the next day at the 14 Burnett Street Temple in St Kilda with my 10 year old brother (February 18th 1972); it was Lord Caitanya’s appearance day, one of the most auspicious days in the Krishna Conscious calendar.
Back then, the date was taken from the Book ''The Teachings of Lord Caitanya'', who appeared in this world on February 18th 1486, so that is the day we celebrated Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance.
Later on I discovered the date for the year 1972, according to the Vaishnava calendar, was February 29th (different every year due to astrological charts).
However, the Temple authorities in Melbourne in February 1972 were not aware of this in these early pioneering days.
That night at the Temple I went on to play the part of Hari dasa Thakur in a Drama (because I had a scraggly beard like Hari dasa Thakur had) about Lord Nityananda being 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 me) to go to everyone’s house in Nadia and request them to chant Krishna’s name.
The two great devotees eagerly set forth and began to knock on each and every door with the request, “please chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna and teach others about Krishna.”
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 dasa) and Madhai (Played by and Sanaka dasa Stavros Steve Verges).
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 Brahmins and abusing and having sex with so many different women.
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 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.
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.
Apparently terrified they shouted, “Krishna! Save us!! Govinda!,” and ran. (I remembers clearly Arjita and myself doing this).
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 terrorising the devotees.
Eventually Nityananda and Haridasa went to the Ganges to see Lord Caitanya however, the two brothers again accosted them. On seeing Lord Nityananda, Madhai became furious and struck Him with a broken earthen pot.
When Jagai 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. (I kept repeating my lines for this part of the play and kept repeating Lord Caitanya's name so I 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, who is even more merciful than Lord Caitanya, 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, to hate the sin but NOT the sinners. Thus appeased the Lord who summoned 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, that of 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 I took my 10 year old brother back to the home of my birth and then came back and joined the Temple.
I was immediately shaved up by the Temple President Sanak dasa and eventually become initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10 1972.
To this very day I am thankful to Jesus Christ who directed me to Srila Prabhupada, who in turn continued to teach us all about Krishna’s pastimes.
Five weeks later Srila Prabhupada came to Melbourne on Wednesday April 5th 1972.
Those days were very remarkable. So kind and merciful is Srila Prabhupada, who gives even the most degraded a chance to become Krishna Conscious.
Most of us were just teenage boys and girls back then, very sincere seekers of truth.
I remember the program at the Melbourne Town Hall meeting on April 7th 1972 and the wonderful kirtan Srila Prabhupada led.
It was ecstatic, everyone was totally fixed on hearing Srila Prabhupada chant Jaya Radha Madhava, we all danced in total bliss. Never before or since have I heard such a beautiful kirtan.
When we all returned to the Temple at 14 Burnett Street, St. Kilda. I was assigned to stay out in the front of Prabhupada’s room and even sleep there after the programs we attended.
My service was to bring Prabhupada prasad, clean clothing ready for the next morning and guard his room.
Some amazing conversations went on in Prabhupada’s room. Some nights he would call devotees in and preach to the early hours of the morning.
I was in there with his servant Nanda Kumar prabhu, his secretary Syamasundara prabhu and Hanuman dasa, who was due to take Sannyas in a few days.
There were just 4 of us listening to Srila Prabhupada for hours talk about Krishna's pastimes from the 10th Canto from his ''Krsna Book''
The following night we went to a Franciscan Monastery. As Srila Prabhupada made his way to the monastery, he and the devotees were greeted by the monks and a long table full of different wonderful fruits.
This was all very artistically arranged and Prabhupada was very pleased.
I immediately went and preached to a middle aged monk, however stopped preaching when I saw all the devotees sitting in front of Srila Prabhupada and went and sat down in front of Prabhupada with all the other devotees.
I then saw Prabhupada call over Vegavan Prabhu, who then came and tapped me on the shoulder.
He whispered in my ear -
“Srila Prabhupada wants you to continue preaching to that monk, preaching is more important than even associating with the Spiritual Master Prabhupada told me to to tell you.”
So I went back and preached to the monk.
Back then, Srila Prabhupada did not eat till after coming back from a program. He would then eat a hearty meal of prasadam while listening to a recording of his lecture.
Afterwards Prabhupada would discuss Krishna Consciousness with Syamasundara das, his secretary, Nanda Kumar das, his personal servant and an excellent mridanga player, and Hanuman dasa and as previously explained, I was there too.
Back in these pioneering years, only 15 devotees lived in the Temple, so it was easy to have constant association with Prabhupada.
Shyamananda the artist, the one I saw in St Paul's Cathedral in the City, would come from Torque and speak with Prabhupada for hours.
At this early pioneering period of Australian ISKCON, there was only 15 devotees living in the Temple, so for the entire time Srila Prabhupada was in Melbourne, I was in his room or guarding outside it.
Only about four devotees at a time were in Prabhupada's room at a time. As said, I often stayed in his room listening to many discussions.
I could see Prabhupada often found Prabhupada found Hanuman Dasa a very humorous character.
Hanuman was also very excited about taking sannyas off Srila Prabhupada on the following Sunday.
The next morning, while I was half awake guarding Srila Prabhupada’s room, I noticed two small feet gently walk past me without making even the slightest sound, I sat up immediately and paid my obeisances.
Prabhupada was a little jolted on his way to the bathroom by my obeisances and said softly to me, ‘Hare Krishna not so loud’.
Over the years I guarded his room every year he came until his last visit in 1976.
When Prabhupada came to Sydney in February 1973, he heard I had driven the Hare Krishna Double Decker Temple bus throughout 1972 before it was written off in an accident when Hari Sauri fell asleep while driving.
Prabhupada asked me if it was mechanically sound, I told him it had never broken down and explained the Bus could never go any faster than 60 mph due to having a governor on it.
I also said I was not driving the Bus when it crashed, but was in the Temple room area on the Bus with a blanket over my head that protected me from the side window's shattering when the Bus ran into a ditch on the side of the road and overturned.
One morning in Sydney during Prabhupada's 1973 February visit, while all the devotee were out on street Sankirtan, I stayed behind to clean the Temple Room while the Deities slept behind a closed curtain and washed the walls and floor.
There were four paintings on the wall, one of Krishna Balarama, one of Radha and Krishna, one of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada's Spiritual Master, and one of Lord Narasingha deva.
So I took all them from the wall and put them on the step of Prabhupada's Vyasasana, instead of on the floor out of respect and then started washing the walls down.
Then to my surprise, Srila Prabhupada walked into the Temple Room alone, no one else was around, he was chanting japa (Hare Krishna) on his beds
Srila Prabhupada then began laughing and laughing, then said -
"Their Lordships and my Spiritual Master do not go there"
To Prabhupada, it looked like I put them all at his lotus feet because it was his Vyasasana with his photo on it.
Then, in between laughing, Prabhupada said -
"As soon as you can, put them where they belong back on the wall, that is not where they should be".
He seemed to be seeing something more than what I could see, I was just there cleaning the Temple Room walls and moved the paintings to the step of his Vyasasana so I could wash down the walls.
Prabhupada found it humorous seeing the Lord's at his Lotus feet even though not done purposely
He remained in the Temple Room chanting for 15 minutes, and just before he left, he looked over at me and said -
"The present circumstances of this Age is a great opportunity for becoming Krishna Conscious, never forget our goal is to return home, back to Godhead and preach this message to everyone!"
He then payed his obeisances in the Temple Room looking at the photos and left, I also quickly payed Prabhupada my obeisances.
In 1976, as Srila Prabhupada’s Bodyguard again at Melbourne Temple, I again not only stayed out the front of his room, but slept there as well.
At that time, four well shaven suited men, all in their forties, would come by the Temple and harass the devotees with high tech cameras and listening devices and verbal foul mouthed threats
Keep in mind, the average age of a devotee back in 1976 was twenty-five, so these adult men were pretty scary.
They were upset that the younger generation were taking a big interest in the Hare Krishna Movement and saw ISKCON as a threat to the Catholic Church and its youth.
Also they were not happy we purchased the property that was now our Melbourne Radha Krishna Temple. It was previously the Carmen Catholic Boys School.
Often they would follow us on street Sankirtan chanting Hare Krishna, film us and try to intimate the devotee’s distributing books by taking many Books, then ripping them up and throwing the books or magazines in a rubbish bin!
These guys were real heavy and well known in Melbourne's underworld of crime and even murders.
These men were also part of a self appointed fundamentalist Christian deprogramming group with the Catholic Church that dealt with what they considered threats to the Catholic Church’s youth being converted to other faiths especially Hinduism.
One afternoon Pusta Krishna Swami went down to speak to them and one of them, Tom Ericson, in a barrage of abuse, threatened to kill Srila Prabhupada.
Coming back with a stunned look on his face Maharaj said -
“These people are demons! Big demons!!
Pusta Krishna Maharaj was very concerned at what these men had said, and was reluctant to even repeat it however; he did tell a few devotees that Prabhupada’s life had been threatened.
Hari Sauri prabhu, Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant at the time, was appalled and disgusted that a pure devotee of Krishna was threatened in this way and was so concerned we bought a shotgun to protect Prabhupada.
The next day, while also guarding the Temple and hiding out the front of the Temple in a car, these men, about 5 of them, all walked past trying to provoke the devotees and scare us.
I then opened the door of the car suddenly and one of them, again Tom Erickson, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at me.
Erickson was the ringleader and high up in the Catholic Church too, even knighted by the Pope.
He was a well known private detective known and even respected by many as a deprogrammer and was even a rumoured hit man.
Amogha prabhu was at the front gate and saw what had happened, I ran from the car and climbed over the front wall of the Temple, about 7 feet high, so quickly that Amogha was astonished how I went over the fence like lighting.
We then went and told Prabhupada what had happened and he said -
“Then our movement is having some success, these men feel threatened because our movement is having so much success with today’s young people”
We called the police as Prabhupada instructed and they came and spoke with them.
Ugrasrava dasa never stopped giving lip to them, calling them demons and dogs to their faces.
Unfortunately the police did nothing, they knew who he was.
Ugrasrava was not impressed with the cops no action response and just kept calling them "dogs of the Catholic Church" among other things.
At night I would stay out on the balcony of Prabhupada’s House with the shotgun that Hari Sauri had bought, staying awake watching Srila Prabhupada through the window translate his Books late into the night.
Even though the night was freezing cold out on the balcony, watching Srila Prabhupada gave me warmth as he translated.
After his servant Hari Sauri prabhu left the room, Prabhupada would go around to all the windows and doors to make sure they were locked.
For days these men continued to intimidated the devotees and guests, but we were told to ignore them.
We all did this, except for Ugrasrava Prabhu who constantly continued to give them lip.
Actually, there was nothing they could do that could stop our preaching movement because we had Krishna and Prabhupada on our side.
In fact, their arrogant threatening presence only made us more determined to spread the Sankirtan Movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
A week after Srila Prabhupada had left, a drive by shooting occurred and gunshots went through one of the windows - it was Kurma prabhu’s room.
He was there at the time and was fortunately unhurt as the bullets went into the wall above his head.
The next day, it made page two of the Melbourne Sun, the Australian public were outraged that such violence could happen over Religion in Melbourne.
A few months after that, someone attacked our Temple again and threw a small bomb over the back fence exploding on one of the cars.
Only a few hours before that I was resting in that same car while doing guard duty.
This attack also made the first bulletin on the evening TV news in Melbourne.
The outcry of the public, due to the media reports, seemed to stop any further attacks from these Catholic fundamentalist fanatics.
During all these attacks, we remembered what Srila Prabhupada had said -
“Then our movement is having some success, these men feel threatened because our movement is having so much success with today’s young people”
Many years later the main offender from the Catholic Church, Tom Erickson got very sick due to a blood disorder and had his leg amputated.
Then to the surprise of the devotees, apparently rang Balarama dasa Temple President of Melbourne and apologised for what he had done when Srila Prabhupada was here.
And Balarama forgave at least him.
Yes, if a soul is very sincere in seeking forgiveness, the devotees WILL forgive.
Only then will Krishna forgive.
Hari Krishna, All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your fallen servant,
Gauragopala dasa ACBSP
PART 2
Another Pioneering ISKCON Pastime.
The pioneering days of ISKCON in Australia when we were jailed for chanting Hare Krishna on City Streets.
15 years before the Soviet Union world wide campaign for their freedom began, devotees in some Western Countries like Australia, had to fight and also go to jail for their freedom too.
In February 1972, the Melbourne City Council in Australia began a Campaign to try and move the Hare Krishna devotees away from the City streets and out of Melbourne.
This struggle with the Council would continue on for another three years, with devotees constantly jailed and the Temple raided at 3 am to arrest devotees with unpaid fines for chanting Hare Krishna on the streets and selling "Back to Godhead Magazine" (no big books back then).
Not only were the devotees continuously harassed on the streets by Council, now more oftened we were being harassed in our own Temple with middle of the night Police raids looking for devotees who had never paid their fines also for performing drama plays in the Melbourne City square.
Back then we did many plays every day on the streets dipicting Krishna or Lord Caitanya's pastimes.
The Hare Krishna Movement arrived in Australia in March 1970, there were no devotees in Australia or New Zealand in the 1960s.
Upananda Prabhu (Srila Prabhupada’s first initiated disciple in Australia May 1970) now Avadhoot Maharaj was first approached by the Melbourne City council in April of 72 about chanting in the streets and fines placed on our Sankirtan Van; Upananda humbly explained to these gentlemen that everything belongs to Krsna.
He strongly told them, in the mood of Srila Prabhupada, that they should be assisting and allowing the devotees of Lord Krsna to park freely while we perform Kirtan or chanting Hare Krsna on the streets of the City of Melbourne and performing Drama plays in the City square.
The Council officers couldn’t believe what they just heard. With a look of complete bewilderment at Upananda’s totally fearless bold proposal, the Council officers angrily said “Are you on drugs, you must be on something, I’ve never ever heard anything so preposterous!”
Upananda in his always-calm layback gentle voice replied “No, we don’t take any drugs, we don’t need that nonsense because we chant Hare Krsna and as I suggested, you should also seriously consider joining us, you can even chant with us if you like during your lunch break”
Hearing what they considered a smart ‘so and so’ answer, they ordered Upananda to immediately get the devotees to cease chanting on the City streets, stop performing drama plays that depicting the wonderful past times of Lord Caitanya and His devotees, and stop parking illegally otherwise we will throw you all in Jail!!
Of course, stopping our street activities never happened. Eventually as the harassment intensified, we nick named the head Council officer ‘Kamsa’ because of his determination to get rid of the Hare Krsna devotees.
He looked really mean to us with his "square jaw" that became a second nick name for him amongst the devotees.
In those days, in-between chanting on the streets, and distributing Back To Godhead Magazine, we would always put on colourful plays in beautiful costumes during lunchtime in the city square or at the Melbourne University.
These Dramas would attract huge crowds, sometimes hundreds of people however; we were always ready for the Council or police to pounce.
One time we had a big fire yajna (sacrifice) in the City Square to perform a devotee marriage in view of the public.
We started the fire, began chanting various mantras, attracting a big crowd then all of a sudden, the police, fire brigade, and Council Officers came from all direction nevertheless, we all got away, including bride Rasarani devi dasi and groom Amogha dasa.
Over the next few months however, many devotees did get caught and went to jail over the Councils so-called illegal street chanting and Dramas that were simply beautifully done to glorify God known as Krishna.
Another time we put on the play Jagai and Madai about two fallen devotees now drunkards who offended Lord Nityananda and Haridas Thakur by throwing a clay pot at Lord Nityananda, that hit Him in the head leaving a cut.
To make this play look real, Sanak dasa Stavros Steve Vergis asked hippies in the crowd to play the part of Jagai and Madai.
However, when the two hippies in the crowd threw the clay pot at the devotee actor, the part of Lord Nityananda, pretending it hit him, two police officers at the back of the crowd thought it was real and the devotees were being assaulted.
Immediately the Police started chasing them with their baton (cops carried batons back then) but then Sanak started chasing the cops yelling out -
"It's only a play, it's only a play!!"
Anyway, as this went on the play contined and the devotee playing Lord Caitanya arrived on seen and was furious that Nityananda was assaulted by the two drunkards however, Lord Nityananda begged mercy for the two drunken rascal.
Seeing the great compassion of Lord Nityananda, Lord Caitanya forgave Jagai and Madai.
Although the actors playing Jagai and Madai were still being chased down by the cops, and Sanak chasing the cops trying to explain to them it is only a play.
Back in the City square, the two drunkards were suppose to fall down at Lord Nityananda's feet due to His great compassion and then showing forgiveness.
The fact is Lord Nityananda is even more compassionate, compassionate and forgiving than Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.
Back in those days devotees were chanting seven or eight hours a day through the city streets, and at the same time other devotees were putting on plays at the Uni or City square.
In both situations, we were always dogging City Council officers and Police although some Police tolerated us and never harrassed us unlike the Council who wanted us gone
Some Police never bothered us as long as we stayed to the side of the walk way as we chanted.
But NEVER the Council, they were determined to get us off Melbourne Streets.
In spite of this, nothing could stop us, we new we had Srila Prabhupada guiding us, we were therefore determined to practise our civil right and publicly glorify God no matter how determined the Council were in trying to stop us.
We had Krsna on our side!
As a further protest, as earlier explained, we also refused to pay any our traffic fines that our Van accumulated everyday.
We would continue doing this until the Council allowed us our ‘human right’ to glorify Krsna on the streets of Melbourne without harassment from the Council Officers and the Police.
It got to the point where EVERY Council officer looked for our Van during the day as depicted in the cartoon below.
So, for the next three years, they just kept giving us traffic tickets that we refused to pay and fines for chanting (Sankirtan) we also refused to pay.
By then even the Police started getting heavier.
So every day they chased us in cat and mouse style pursuit, locking up those they caught for ‘chanting Hare Krsna’ on the streets or performing Dramas or plays.
Eventually we would accumulate $60,000 in traffic fines and thousands of more dollars in ‘chanting on the street’ fines.
On another occasion in October 1972, that for the first time, attracted enormous media coverage, we were caught and arrested for chanting Hare Krsna in the City; I was playing mrdunga drum and Sanak was leading with cartals.
In a surprise show of heavy aggression, the police and City Council Officers swooped on our party of 14 brahmacaris and matajis, devotees ran in all directions but Sanak and myself were slowed down due to protecting the clay mrdunga and carrying large Krsna Books that had recently arrived.
Most of the time I would get away from ‘Square Jaw’ and his Council cronies, as I was very athletic in those days however, on this occasion we got busted and dragged away to Jail. This was my second visit to jail within two months for chanting Hare Krsna.
At Police Headquarters, we were questioned and refused bail and spent the night in the City Watchhouse (jail).
The Police were, for some reason, very annoyed at us and wouldn’t provide bail due to what they called, "not cooperating".
The fact was, we did cooperate. They separated us for an interview and we answered their questions honestly.
The officer who interviewed me, asked my name, I replied “Gauragopala dasa brahmacari”, adding my spiritual Master gave that name in July (1972) a few months earlier.
"That's a long name" the officer said.
I thought to myself, Wow, you think my name was short chuckled under my breath, ‘you’ve heard nothin yet’
He then asked me for my father’s name, “Do you really want to know that “ I answered
“Yes, we haven’t got all day, just give me his name,” the officer demanded.
So slowly, I began to give my fathers name to him so he could write it down as I was spoke,
“Jaya om Vishnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacharya ashtottara-shata
Sri Srimad His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.”
And at the end in a louder voice I shouted “KI JAYA!!”
The officer looked at me with this dumb surprised annoyed look of bewilderment, thinking I was being smart so and so and disrespectful to him however, I kept repeating that this WAS my fathers real name in full.
In the end the officer just gave up and threw us in jail.
The next morning Kurma dasa and myself went to court, we refused to pay the fine, and were sent straight to Pentridge prison for a 10-day sentence.
As we were being taken, away both Sanak prabhu and Cittahari Prabhu (then as Chris prabhu) told us that Madhudvisa Swami said we should make a stand and austerely fast.
So, as a further protest to let the Council know their laws in this case, were unjust, I refused to eat their boga and began a fast.
I also remembered an encouraging quote from the American Civil rights leader Martin Luther King at who was assassinated four years earlier; he was a hero to me before I met Srila Prabhupada, King once said:
“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law’.
Anyway, the prison authorities never separate us and locked us in the same cell.
We chanted with our fingers like the way we do the gayatri mantra because they had confiscated our beads however, they did allowed us to keep our devotee clothing.
I scratched on the wall ‘Krishna’s devotees were here, chant Hare Krishna and be free’
Within an hour, food was pushed through a small opening at the bottom of the door, knowing our vegetarian diet, they presented us with boiled potatoes, peas, beans and pumpkin with an added written note from the prison cook, ‘blessed food’.
We put the food aside and refused to eat it, although Kurma eventually gave in and broke the fast that Madhudvisa Swami was not happy about.
In the meantime, back at the Temple, Cittahari and Sanaka Prabhus were getting phone calls from the media and were told that as long as we are in jail, we would protest by fasting.
The interested media was very supportive; also believing it was unjust to throw us in jail for something we strongly believed in, agreeing with Cittahari that there was no harm to anyone chanting Hare Krsna on the streets.
For the first time, our imprisonment attracted the attention of the public
The next day an article appeared on page three of the Melbourne Sun, a stand out page in all Newspapers with the heading ‘Two Hare Krishna devotee’s fast in Jail for their right to publicly glorify God’
In the meantime, at the jail, we were escorted down for breakfast, which turned out to be a little comical.
Radio talk back had been debating our plight and many prisoners had listened to this on the prison Radio, so, on seeing us, nearly all of them stood up in a tongue in cheek jester of respect, with some saying in a singing mood ‘Hare Hare Krishna Krishna’ with a few imitating our dancing.
Again, I refused to eat breakfast, and offered it to other prisoners with a quick ‘Hare Krsna’ offering before giving it to them.
The food hall full of prisoners then went into a roar with prisoners cheering, some again singing Krishna Krishna.
However, Madhudvisa Swami was annoyed at Kurma for breaking the fast knowing the media would eventually find out about it ending our media attention about fasting.
It maybe hard to believe with hardened criminals, but no one was rude to us or offended or threatened us while we were in prison.
Many letters to the Editors of major newspapers, along with talk back radio shows, had demanded we be allowed to freely practise our religion on the streets of Melbourne.
Also, there was a public outcry by Television Actors, Musicians and Artists, even a song written about our imprisonment by the famous musician Matt Taylor entitled ‘Krishna Loves You too’ that later went on his ‘Straight As A Die’ Album in 1973.
In this way, the Minister of Prisons, Brain Dixon was compelled to act; he had now personally taken an interest in our case.
He actually came to Pentridge with his secretary and spoke to us, then complained to the Prison Warden that these young boys should not be in this Jail. He immediately ordered our release.
Outside the Jail, there was a blissful kirtan lead by Madhudvisa Swami, and then the guards opened the gates and released us.
I clearly remember Cittahari Prabhu hugging us with tears of ecstasy running down his checks, his ecstatic emotion was very moving and also bought tears to my eyes.
This was only the very pioneering beginning of out struggle with the Melbourne City Council, that would go on for another three dreaded years. Melbourne was a very conservative City back then, tucked away ‘down under’ a long way away from the rest of the World.
Even though the Government Minister Brian Dixon and the majority of the public was on our side, many City Councillors were determined to ban us from the streets.
Keep in mind, back then in Australia in 1972, we still had in place the ‘white Australia policy’, which meant it was very difficult for anyone of colour to take up residency or citizenship here.
And here we were introducing Krsna Consciousness to the conservative Australian public!
When Srila Prabhupada eventually came to Melbourne a year later, the Minister of ‘Prisons and Housing and Sport’ Brian Dixon, came to see him and Srila Prabhupada thanked Mr. Dixon for releasing his Spiritual children from jail.
I remember that Srila Prabhupada preached to him and his lady friend very sturdily about the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness.
So eventually as the years passed, we did eventually win our struggle. The Council wrote off the money in an agreement that included us legally chanting on the streets.
To this very day, we have never been harassed since. Some years ago, the then Mayor of the Melbourne City Council would often have lunch at Gopals Restaurant that is directly across the road from the City Hall.
Also, one final note, many years later, in the mid 1980s, I ran into the Council Officer we humorously called Kamsa and ’square jaw’. He was with his son and had long ago retired.
He was very apologetic explaining that no one back then could work out how we all ticked. He then said he admired the many devotees who stood up for what they believed in, finishing our conversation by saying:
“My Son is a student at RMIT and often visits Gopals Restaurant, I don’t think I’m a bad person, I was just doing my job. You know, I did read some of those books we confiscated and also heard your Spiritual Leader speak at the Melbourne Town Hall.
It took me awhile to understand, but I now see his teaching are giving direction and understanding to so many young people today who follow his example.”
We shook hands, I said Hare Krsna and he replied ‘Hare Krsna’ The mercy of Lord Caitanya can deliver ANYONE, all we have to do is sincerely ask for His mercy.
The cartoon below appeared in the Sun Newspaper, Melbourne Australia’s biggest daily in 1972
Here are the words to Matt Taylor’s song ‘Krishna Loves You Too’ that was released as a single in 1973
“Things are getting bad when you can’t practise your religion, Walk through the streets, giving all the love you can to Krishna.
Elohim, God, or Allah, the name doesn’t matter,
Love is a commodity you can’t put a price on,
People who love life give to one another,
‘Cos God’s in me, God’s in you.
Yes, City Councillors, Krishna loves you too!
When you go to church on Sunday to hear a sermon
They pass round the plate, are you telling me it’s begging? Is God a one-day affair, the next day you don’t care?
Krsna people make the city streets a temple
What’s wrong with living your religion every second
If God’s in me, God’s in you?
Parking attendants, Krishna loves you too.
I remember Christians thrown to the lions,
Because their faith was seen as defiance.
But now I see Centurions in Blue, ain’t nothing new.
Religion’s not exempt when it comes to revolution
Each step along the way is plagued by persecution,
Still, God’s in me, God’s in you.
Mr Policeman, Krishna loves you too.
Salvation Army playing on the corner,
Turned-on our folks in another era, but now I see
God remains the same, forms of God have changed.
Now you’ve heard my story, just forget your fear,
And chant ‘Krishna’ every day
And your world will ’come clear
‘Cos God’s in me, God’s in you.
Yes, every human being, Krishna loves you too. Krishna, Krishna, shine your light on me…..)”
PHOTOS (number 6) - Sanak dasa and Gauragopala dasa and other devotees chanting on the Streets of Melbourne in February 1972.***
