A Letter Circulated To Jim Kohr's (Jayananda) Classmates

[Gauracandra]

Found this great article on www.utahkrishnas.com

 

 

From- Andrew Hallum

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comSan Marino</st1:country-region>, <st1:place w:st=" /><st1:place w:st="on"></st1:place>

<st1:place w:st="on">Dear</st1:place> Classmates and Friends,

I want to tell you about my Christmas vacation trip to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Durban</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>. This letter is about one of our classmates, Jim Kohr.

 

While in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Durban</st1:place></st1:City> on December 29 and 30, 1989, I attended each day the Hare Krishna Festival of the Chariots being held on the beachfront. To give you an idea of the size of the festival, they fed 52,000 plates of food on the first day. It was vegetarian food and given free to all who wanted it. And it was tasty!

The chariot was 45 feet tall. It carried about a dozen people on it, throwing candies to the crowd. It was being pulled by members of the movement. The first day of the festival opened with a parade along <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Durban</st1:place></st1:City>’s Golden Mile, in front of all the luxury hotels.

On the chariot are painted figures of <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> and his consort, a wax museum model of the man who brought Hare Krishna to the West, and a photo of a man in Hare Krishna robes. The photo was about 2 1/2 by 3 feet. I asked my South African friend who knows a lot about Hare Krishna who the photo was of. He said he didn’t know.

The second day of the festival, my friend drew me into a conversation with a French woman who has lived in South Africa for 20 years and been in the Hare Krishna for 11 years. I told her about my classmate who died in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City> in 1977 while active in Hare Krishna. She asked his name. I told her it was Jim Kohr. She asked me if the previous day I had seen the photo on the front of the chariot. She told me it was Jim Kohr!! They call him by his <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> name of Jayananda but she knew his Jim Kohr name, too. And she knew about his college degree. I was flabbergasted, to say the least.

That day I spoke to about a dozen Hare Krishna members who all know the full story of Jim Kohr, or Jayananda, as they always call him. They all know about his death from leukemia, his strength at the end of his life, and his devotion to the <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> movement. And these people have not been to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> and, probably, joined Hare Krishna after Jim died in 1977. But they know all about him.

Here are some of the stories they told me. Jim took money that Mr. and Mrs. Kohr sent him for pain-killer prescriptions and used it, instead, to design and build bigger and better chariots. Jim is responsible for the development of the Festival of the Chariots, and they hold these festivals worldwide. Once a year they have a day honoring Jim and they fast that day. In San Francisco Jim was responsible for dealing with the outside community. People who didn’t like dealing with Hare Krishna folk did like to deal with Jim. Jim is mentioned in one of the books written by the man who brought Hare Krishna to the West. The book is Nectar of Devotion.

In their South African newsletter that was being passed out at the festival, Jim is quoted telling about the first festival in San Francisco in the 1970’s, saying how primitive that chariot was in comparison to the present chariot (at least in Durban). The chariots are probably even bigger in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Jim started it all. He directed his last festival from his wheelchair.

I have a photo of the front of the chariot showing the photo of Jim. The photo was not taken to show Jim since I didn’t know at that time that it was Jim. And I have newsletter photos of the whole chariot to show the size of it. I’ll bring these to the next OHS reunion in 1992. One of the Hare Krishna devotees, as they call themselves, is going to send me a packet of articles on Jim which have been written in their various newsletters over the years.

During his last days in the hospital, Jim would not or could not eat. To tempt him, the devotees asked him what foods he wanted prepared. He said cauliflower which is dipped in batter and fried. When they brought it to him, he didn’t eat it, but he rolled himself up and down the halls giving it to the other patients.

I had spoken to Mrs. Kohr about six years ago when I came upon a photo of Jim and me at summer camp in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State> in 1951. I sent it to her. Mrs. Kohr told me how the Hare Krishna people in <st1:City w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:City> had taken such good care of Jim and how well treated, respectfully treated, Mr. Kohr and she had been on their trips to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City> to visit Jim at the end. How modest Mrs. Kohr is!

I called Mrs. Kohr long distance from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Durban</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>, to ask her, “Do you know who your son is?!” She said yes, she knew. Mr. and Mrs. Kohr (Jim and Jane) live at [___]. Mrs. Kohr explained that their street is called 20 1/2 because it is 20 1/2 miles form the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State> border! I had tracked them down through Sherwin-Williams Paints, where I remembered Mr. Kohr had worked. I talked again with Mr. and Mrs. Kohr just last weekend to tell them what a powerfully moving time I had in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Durban</st1:place></st1:City>. I was a celebrity at the festival because I knew Jim! I was asked all about his family. I was asked what brothers and sisters he had. I was told his must have been a very spiritual family. The founder said Jim was really pure.

Now I hope I explain the next properly. As I understand the Hare Krishna movement, and I may have it all confused, one is reincarnated again and again until he perfects his life enough to go to be with <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>, or God. They believe that Jim has gone directly to <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>’s abode and has no further need to be reincarnated. He doesn’t need anymore perfecting. He has achieved it all.

I was repeatedly asked, “What was Jim like in school?” Well, you know, that was quite a few years ago. I had even forgotten, or just not given a thought to the fact that Jim and I lived in the same cabin in summer camp. I forgot that until I came upon the 1951 camp photo. And the photo of Jim on the front of the chariot is unrecognizable because of the years, the Hare Krishna robes Jim is wearing, and because as they said, the photo is not a good one because it was not taken until Jim was very ill. I told them that Jim was very funny. They said they could believe and understand that from what they had heard about him.

I was told that Jim worked very hard. When Jim cleaned the garbage cans, he cleaned them so well “because they were <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>’s.” New devotees would see his work and think, “If this is how thoroughly the garbage cans have to be cleaned, how must the more important work be done?” One time when Jim was a leader, he returned late at night and saw that a chore had not been done properly. Rather than awaken the offender, Jim did the job over again himself. Jim could run on very little sleep.

A surprise birthday party was given for Jim, but he was truly embarrassed by all this attention being directed at him.

So, now, the next time you see a Hare Krishna devotee on the streets, go up and tell him or her that you went to school with Jayananda. You’ll get red carpet treatment. The story of Jayananda will be known! And, remember, I was in <st1:country-region w:st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region>, which is 11,000 miles from <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:City>. And they all knew!

I must take this opportunity to share other good bits of news that I have. In 1989…

http://www.jayananda.com

[Guest guest]

Jayananda Dasa - A Modern Saint

Written by Bhayahari Dasa

>From Back to Godhead Magazine. May/June 2001.

 

 

0N JANUARY 16,1967, Srila Prabhupada flew from New York to inaugurate the

first Hare Krsna temple in San Francisco. His arrival was covered by the

Channel Four news and by both daily newspapers. While most of San Francisco

may have ignored the story, a young man named Jim Kohr noticed it. Despite

having a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University, he had

been driving a taxi on the streets of San Francisco. Never quite able to fit

into the corporate rat-race or the upperclass crowd, he was often unhappy

and didn't really know why. Though Jim was not a religious person, the

article ignited a ray of hope in him. He resolved to check out the Indian

Swami.

 

Unknowingly, Jim was taking his first step toward fulfilling his destiny.

Though he would live for only another ten years, in that short time he would

witness the culmination of lifetimes of spiritual effort. He would depart

the world leaving behind many valuable lessons to inspire and instruct

present and future generations of Vaisnavas, devotees of the Lord.

 

The following evening, Jim arrived at the temple to find it filled mostly

with hippies. With his short hair, cleancut looks, and well-pressed clothes,

he stood out. And at 28, he was older than most of the others there. But

Jim's misgivings disappeared when he saw the Swami enter. Jim sat through

the lecture and bought a three-volume set of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which Srila

Prabhupada autographed with the inscription "To Sriman Jim Kolr." For the

first time in many years Jim felt peaceful. He had just received the

audience of his eternal spiritual master.

 

Jim started coming to the temple regularly. He especially liked the morning

program, when most of the hippies were still sleeping. Sometimes he would be

the only person in the class. Years later he revealed that he trusted the

Swami and felt confident the Swami wouldn't cheat him. As a four-year old,

Jim had once stood up in church and looked around anxiously. When his

grandmother had asked him what was the matter, he had asked, "Where is God"

Now he felt that Srila Prabhupada was answering this ancient question buried

deep in his consciousness. In February 1967, Prabhupada accepted Jim as his

disciple and initiated him with the name Jayananda Dasa.

 

In Vaisnava scriptures, such as Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's

Madhurya-kadambini, we learn that a conditioned soul progresses through

stages of sadhana-bhakti (devotional practice) before attaining spontaneous

love for God. The new bhaktas (devotees) at the San Francisco temple would

often struggle with their material desires and their daily spiritual

practices, falling in and out of Krsna consciousness. Surprisingly, no one

remembers Jayananda in the role of a "new bhakta". He took to Krsna

consciousness naturally and effortlessly. He relished all aspects of Krsna

consciousness-chanting on his beads, singing in kirtana, eating prasadam,

performing Deity worship, and so on. He would often remark, 'Krsna

consciousness is so sweet".

 

In fact, Jayananda found Krsna consciousness so sweet that he soon lost the

taste for anything else. He gave his life savings to Srila Prabhupada, and

in the Preface to The Nectar of Devotion, Prabhupada publicly thanked him:

"I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the contribution made by my beloved

disciple Sriman Jayananda Brahmacari."

 

PAY1NG THE BILLS

Jayananda became absorbed in practical devotional service. He was constantly

serving the Lord, whether buying supplies, cooking prasadam, cleaning the

kitchen, taking out the trash, or teaching new devotees. He did all this

after a full day of cab driving, by which he'd pay the temple's bills. He

became an expert in anything needed to spread Krsna consciousness. He went

out to sell Prabhupada's Teachings of Lord Caitanya, becoming a pioneer in a

service dear to Prabhupada's heart - the public distribution of hardbound

books on Krsna consciousness.

 

On the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada was very pleased to

see Jayananda spontaneously performing kirtana on the street outside the

temple. Encouraged, Jayananda then started singing regularly on busier

streets with other devotees, laying the foundation for chanting parties that

would soon travel all over the country.

 

Both devotees and others were instinctively attracted by Jayananda's purity.

Once, when he offered a garland to Srila Prabhupada, he apologized for his

greasy clothes.

Srila Prabhupada remarked, "There is absolutely no offence. You [my

disciples] may be dirty, but your hearts are pure."

 

Jayananda touched the hearts of many people, and they usually responded by

doing some service for Kr5na. He would get almost everything for the temple

free or at a steep discount. He was friends with shopkeepers, city

officials, drunks, and derelicts. Everybody loved Jayananda, and he happily

engaged everyone in the service of the Lord. He worked the hardest, but he

praised the service of everyone else. He was humble, tolerant,

compassionate, and renounced. His actions, his words, his life, and his

death all exemplified the process of bhakti, devotional service to the Lord.

 

Srila Prabhupada's instructions especially those encouraging practical

service --became Jayananda's very life. Once, when a devotee asked him how

to make advancement in Krsna consciousness, Jayananda shrugged and said, "I

really don't know. I'm too busy working."

 

So immersed was Jayananda in executing Prabhupada's instructions that he

would rarely get time to meet Srila Prabhupada. Serving in separation, he

understood that association through instructions is more important than

physical association. It is said that one must act in such a way that Krsna

will want to see you; Jayananda exemplified this dictum by his service

attitude.

 

Invariably Srila Prabhupada would ask for Jayananda, and someone would have

to go fetch him. For Jayananda, Sri Krsna and Srila Prabhupada were the only

two ultimate truths. Everything else, including his body, was to be engaged

in their service.

 

LAUNCHING RATHAYATRA

One day some devotees got a small deity of Lord Jagannatha (Krsna as "the

Lord of the universe") from an import store. Srila Prabhupada sent them back

to get the other deities of the set-Lord Balarama and Subhadra Devi--and he

started their worship in the temple. Meditating on the deities, Srila

Prabhupada expressed his intense desire to spread their mercy by organizing

a Rathayatra, the chariot festival held in their honour each year in the

holy city of Puri in India. Jayananda dedicated himself to fulfilling this

desire of Prabhupada's. Starting with a flatbed truck, he put together a

"chariot" with whatever help he could get from devotees and anyone else. On

July 9, 1967, the first Rathayatra in San Francisco-the first ever outside

India-took place because of Jayananda's blood, sweat, and toil.

 

Jayananda improved the festival year after year, raising money, getting

permits, doing the publicity, building huge chariots from scratch, and even

baking pies for groups he'd interact with, such as the city police and the

U.S. Park Service. He would live with the chariots while they were being

built, often working with little or no sleep as the festival date

approached. Eventually held in Golden Gate Park, the festival drew bigger

and bigger crowds year after year. Thanks to Jayananda's efforts, thousands

of people received Lord Jagannatha's mercy. The festivals are now held in

cities around the world.

 

Srila Prabhupada often expressed his deep gratitude to Jayananda for the

festivals. When Jayananda passed away, Srila Prabhupada said that his

picture should be carried on one of the chariots at every Rathayatra.

 

DISEASED BODY

While preparing for the New York Rathayatra in 1976, Jayananda found painful

lumps growing on his body. A God brother worried that they might be

cancerous, but Jayananda made him promise not to tell Srila Prabhupada until

after the festival. Jayananda's main concern was that the Rathayatra should

be a success; everything else was secondary.

 

The New York Rathayatra was indeed a great success. Rolling down Fifth

Avenue, the three chariots delighted thousands of people, many becoming

inspired to inquire into and even take up the practices of Krsna

consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was ecstatic. He called it a grand success

and thanked Jayananda for his service.

 

The lumps on Jayananda's body turned out to be cancerous. He was diagnosed

with leukaemia, which gradually reduced his body to a shell. Accepting that

he would die soon, Jayananda continued to express his deep gratitude towards

Srila Prabhupada. His friends were, shocked and saddened to see his

disease-ravaged body, but Jayananda was still too busy, performing

devotional service to give it much concern. Ane, when he did agree to

medical treatment. he used his time in the hospital to tell doctors, nurses,

and patients about Krsna consciousness.

 

Jayananda constantly thought about how to expand Rathayatra to other cities.

In his final months, he helped organize the Los Angeles Rathayatra, making

phone calls, raising money, and guiding devotees. One day, while walking on

Venice Beach, here the festival would be held, he looked down and-as if

visualizing the upcoming festival-said, "What a wonderful Rathayatra!"

 

On May 1, 1977, just a few months before the festival, Jayananda passed from

this world. In a letter written to Jayananda after his passing, Srila

Prabhupada congratulated him on a glorious life and an even more glorious

death, since both in life and at death he had been absorbed in the service

of Krsna. Prabhupada ordained that the disappearance day of Jayananda be

celebrated like those of other Vaisnava saints. As Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura so eloquently said:

 

He reasons ill who says that

Vaisnavas die

When thou art living still in sound!

The Vaisnavas die to live, and

living try

To spread the holy name around.

 

 

As I think about Jayananda, I imagine this scene: Somewhere an ISKCON

Rathayatra is about to start. Conch shell blasts and cries of "Jaya

Jagannatha!" pierce the sky. Looking on from the spiritual world, Jayananda

turns to Srila Prabhupada, who nods and says, "Thank you very much".

 

-------

 

 

The test of a theory is in its implementation. While one can spend a lot of

time analyzing the process of bhakti, faith readily comes when one sees the

theory in action. Jayananda Prabhu is such a devotee who exemplified in an

almost classical manner the process of bhakti from inception to completion.

When he left his body on May 1, 1977, Srila Prabhupada instructed that his

disappearance day should be celebrated as that of a great Vaisnava.

Observing the pastimes of such devotees greatly reaffirms one's faith in the

process of bhakti.

 

The background

**************

Jim Kohr was the all-American boy. Handsome, strong, intelligent born in an

upper middle-class family. A good student, he took a degree in mechanical

engineering from Ohio State University. However despite his outward

trappings of success, he was often unhappy, empty and dissatisfied with the

material conception of life. Jim did not fit into the upper class crowd, so

it was not very surprising that he ended up driving cabs in San Francisco.

Though an introspective person, he was not really religious. His depression

was almost suicidal when in 1967 he happened to read a small article in the

San Francisco paper about an Indian Swami who had come to the Bay area to

propagate the chanting of the names of God. For some reason the article

ignited a ray of hope within him. He resolved to attend the lecture of the

Indian Swami.

 

In the Bhagavad Gita (7.16), Krishna says, 'four kinds of pious men begin

to render devotional service unto Me -- the distressed, the desirer of

wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the

Absolute.' Jim was searching for answers from the material miseries, and in

such a mood took his first step towards his destiny.

 

The beginnings

**************

Jim was instantly attracted to the Indian Swami, who was none other than

Srila Prabhupada, the founder acarya of ISKCON. He had been in the U.S.A for

only a year and was in the process of establishing his mission of bringing

Krishna consciousness to the Western world. Jim began to regularly attend

the morning Bhagvatam lectures of Srila Prabhupada. On some occasions Jim

would be the only guest listening to the morning lecture. Soon he became

very attached to Srila Prabhupada and his teachings. Prabhupada lovingly

reciprocated and would sometimes personally cook prasadam for Jim and serve

him. Soon thereafter Srila Prabhupada accepted Jim as his disciple and

initiated him with the spiritual name Jayananda.

 

In Cc Madhya 19.151 Caitnaya Mahaprabhu says that '. out of many millions

of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity

to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By

the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives

the seed of the creeper of devotional service.' In this way Jayananda

received the seed of devotion, out of the causeless mercy of Srila

Prabhupada. From the instructions and teaching presented by Srila

Prabhupada, he understood his special relationship with Krishna, with Guru,

and that there is an authorized process to establish this relationship.

 

Attraction to Krishna consciousness

***********************************

Jayananda was completely enamored by Krishna consciousness. He would rise

every day morning before four, do a little arati, chant his rounds of japa,

read and cook prasad. Then he would go for his 'incense run' (selling

incense sticks). He never deviated from this, he was completely happy as

long as he was practicing Krishna consciousness.

 

Jayananda worshipped prasadam. When a little prasadam spilled on the floor

he would lick it up. He loved to cook, eat, offer and distribute prasadam in

a big way. He even said 'prasadam' with so much love and devotion that it

made one immediately want to take some.

 

Another example of his attachment to Krishna consciousness was his love for

the holy name. He was always seen chanting and dancing enthusiastically

during kirtans. One day after working hard for ten hours straight, when all

the other devotees were looking forward to some rest, Jayananda

enthusiastically bounced into the temple room for kirtan. His japa was very

intense, very focussed, as he strove to personally associate with each and

every syllable of the mahamantra.

 

In Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami mentions that the process of

sadhna bhakti begins with a little faith (sraddha). This faith then blossoms

into a desire for devotee association (sadhu-sanga) and then into

bhajan-kriya (devotional service).

 

Similarly, Jayananda, after receiving the association of Srila Prabhupada

and other devotees at the temple began to execute devotional service as per

the instructions he received from his spiritual master. As he executed his

sadhna sincerely, he became purified of the material impediments to

devotional service(anartha-nivrttih) and began to manifest the

all-attractive qualities of a pure devotee.

 

Humility

********

Humility was certainly Jayananda's most prominent quality. He treated

everyone as his superior, even new devotees. Although his service was

glorious, he never wanted any glory. He avoided praise like the plague.

Devotees got to know that if they wanted to keep Jayananda's association

they would better not praise him. His humility was very natural and he

always found something other than himself that was praiseworthy. Even though

he was a senior devotee, older than most of the people around him and

eminently qualified, he was happy to simply serve.

 

Once a new boy at the temple wanted to do some service and was asked to

help with the trash. The weekly trash run was done by Jayananda, who

cheerfully took the little help the boy gave. Later when the boy became a

devotee, he remembered thinking, 'If the garbage men at this temple can be

so blissful, just imagine what the rest of the devotees are like!'

 

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the third verse of Siksastakam lays down the

qualification for offenseless chanting. 'One can chant the holy name of the

Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the

street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of

false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of

mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.' Jayananda

exemplified this verse. He was so humble that just being in his association

would make one feel ashamed of one's pride. He was very special, yet no one

paid any special attention to him. That was just the way he liked things.

 

Service attitude

****************

Jayananda was an expert at everything: cooking, preaching, Deity worship,

public relations, sankirtan, selling incense, construction, and anything

that it took to spread Krishna consciousness. He was a tireless worker,

first to rise in the morning and last to sleep at night. He was always

running out to get flowers, washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen or taking

out the trash. Whatever service he was given, he would make sure that it was

done, no matter how busy he was or how much personal hardships he had to

endure for it. No matter how hard he was working, he would never stop for a

nap during the day. He seemed inexhaustible.

 

Many times when Jayananda went to Berkley to distribute leftover prasadam,

he would first organize a crew to clean the kitchen, working twice as hard

as anybody else, then he would transfer the prasadam, load it into the van,

drive it to Berkley, organize the distribution there and have kirtan while

all this was going on. Many years later he readily accepted the position of

the driver for the Radha Damodar travelling sankirtan party, working side by

side with brahmacharis scarcely half his age. In spite of his advanced

position and seniority he never asked for anything special and readily

accepted menial position under new devotees.

 

In the Vishnu purana, Sri Krishna informs Arjuna that 'one who claims to be

My devotee is actually not My devotee. One who claims to be the devotee of

my devotees is in actuality My devotee'. Jayananda completely manifested

this quality. He was always striving to be the 'dasanudasa', the

servant-of-the-servant. But there was no artificial humility in him.

Material humility is relative, it is predicated on the qualifications of the

recipients. Jayananda had spiritual humility, it was absolute, without any

consideration of the status or qualities of the recipient. He served every

one and expected no one to serve him.

 

The process of remembering, discussing or enumerating the qualities and

pastimes of the Lord and His devotees is very purifying. This week we

continue the discussion of the qualities of Jayananda Prabhu, who in the

relatively short time he was associated with Krishna consciousness,

perfected his devotional service and left us many instructions by example.

 

Freedom from fault finding

**************************

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Jayananda was that he never

criticized anyone. Even if a devotee did something that warranted criticism,

he would usually not say anything, or else make the mistake appear as

something perfectly natural. He never spoke harsh words or chastised

anybody. Sometimes devotees would come to him with expansive ideas of how to

spread Krishna consciousness. Jayananda would encourage these ideas, however

extraordinary. At the same time he was not a fool. He could always pick up

the right man for the job.

 

In the Nectar of Instruction (Verse 5), Srila Rupa Goswami says, 'one

should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced

in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the

propensity to criticize others.' Jayananda could not even bear to hear the

criticism of another devotee. If such a thing were happening he would simply

leave the room. These are the characteristics of an uttama-adhikari, one who

has reached the highest level of perfection in his sadhana bhakti.

 

Dear to everyone

****************

Like the six Goswamis, Jayananda was dear to both the gentle and the

ruffians. He was as much at home with the Italians at the produce market as

he was with the Brahmacharis at the temple. Once a devotee was approached by

a staggering drunk in San Francisco, who looked at his robes and asked,

'Hey, where is my old friend Jayananda?'

 

Many devotees who took over Jayananda's old territory would meet people who

would say things like, 'Where is Johnny Ananda?' or 'That man - he's the

nicest and most pure man I've met' or 'I don't know much about your

philosophy, but if Jayananda is into it, it must be all right.'

 

One woman public official on the San Francisco board was famous for giving

the devotees a hard time during Ratha-yatra. One year when the devotees

approached her, she asked, 'where is Jayananda?' On hearing that he had

passed away she broke down and began to cry. The purity in Jayananda's heart

would touch the even most cynical.

 

In BG 5.7, Sri Krishna says that 'One who works in devotion, who is a pure

soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone

is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.' Every

one loved Jayananda, since he had completely transcended the bodily

conception. He would approach a drunk, a hippie or a devotee with the same

compassion and enthusiasm. He spoke to the Supersoul in everyone, and

everyone responded accordingly. Like Maharaja Yudhisthira, Jayananda's enemy

was never born.

 

Expert at engaging everyone

****************************

It is said that though Krishna has nothing to do with non-devotees, His

devotees are even more compassionate than Him and will try and engage them

in the Lord's service. Jayananda was eager to see everyone engaged in

Krishna's service. Whenever a new bhakta would come. Jayananda made him feel

he was engaged in important work. He was older, bigger and stronger than

just about anyone in the temple, and everyone was glad to be working under

him.

 

His preaching style was very simple and direct. He would speak from the

heart to the heart. Once he was preaching to a couple of hippies, while

crawled under an automobile. All that was visible of him was a pair of legs,

yet the two hippies stood there, transfixed by his message. During

Ratha-yatra time he would organize a crew of cynics, hippies, bloopers,

uncooperative personalities and non-devotees off the street to help build

the carts. He would get them to work for ten to fourteen hours a day, always

glorifying them.

 

The Cc Antya 7.11 it is stated, 'The fundamental religious system in the

Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Krishna. Unless empowered by

Krishna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement.' Because of the

genuine compassion in Jayananda, Krishna gave Him the unique ability to make

people want to render devotional service, directly or indirectly.

 

Materially renounced

********************

Jayananda had almost no possessions, even during his years as a

householder. What ever he had, he used for the service of the temple and

Srila Prabhupada. When he was gifted five thousand dollars, he promptly

donated that to Srila Prabhupada. In the introduction of the Nectar of

Devotion, Srila Prabhupada acknowledges this contribution. For many years he

was almost single handedly supporting the temple by driving his cab for

12-14 hours a day. When he was in his last days of his life, he used the

money given to him for his treatment to support the Ratha-yatra in Los

Angeles.

 

He was extremely careful with what he considered to be Srila Prabhupada's

money. When selling incense, he would sleep on park benches in bitter cold

rather than spend money on a motel. He used his considerable charm to get

people to donate almost every thing that was needed. What he could no get

for free, he made sure that he received a good value for the money spent.

 

His final lesson in material detachment came when it was discovered that he

was suffering from cancer of the lymph and blood. Jayananda continued as if

nothing had changed. When his body became frail and weak, he continued

preaching, inspiring and organizing from his bed in the hospital. For him

the body was simply a means to render devotional service to the Lord.

 

In Cc. Madhya 6.254 Caitanya Mahaprabhu summarizes in the phrase

'vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga', which means 'renunciation through the

wisdom that comes from practicing devotional service.' Jayananda was a true

sannyasi, as one who did not just renounce material objects but actually

renounced the desire for these material objects. He was always eager to use

everything for the service of Krishna, however he had no personal desire for

anything material.

 

Jayananda: king of the Ratha-yatra

***********************************

Jayananda was the backbone of the Bay area Ratha-yatra for several years.

Behind the scene he would do everything for the preparation of the festival.

He would beg food, flowers, funds - buy materials and build the carts. He

would arrange for the permits, organize the cooking and serving of prasad.

Although things always went right down the wire, he would consistently

succeed in fulfilling all this plans every year. After the festival he would

cook a cake or a pie for each and every person who had some how helped in

the festival. Because of his efforts the Bay area devotees to this day enjoy

an amazingly harmonious relationship with the city officials.

 

In his last days Jayananda was busy organizing the Ratha-yatra from the

hospital bed. He would talk to people on the phone, send his associates to

meet various persons and things began to miraculously materialize. Every

moment of his life was preciously used in the service of Krishna.

 

Mystic opulence

*****************

It is said that pure devotional service brings about much opulence. Thought

the devotees never seek them out, once they are there, they are used for the

service of Krishna.

 

Jayananda apparently could function with very little or even no sleep.

Towards the last few days of the Ratha-yatra he would sleep less than three

hours a day, yet he was the most energetic and enlivened member of the crew.

His propensity to consume prasad was astounding. He could consume buckets of

halva, plates of samosas and potatoes without any side effect. When he was

in his last days, he was put on an intravenous diet, yet he would often ask

devotees to sneak in huge quantities of samosas and cheese-potatoes for him,

which he would happily consume without any apparent distress. He would some

times sleep in the Bhagavatam classes, since he was very tired, yet later on

he could perfectly quote from the class or have a deep discussion about its

contents.

 

In BG 4.26, Sri Krishna declares that, 'One who is engaged in full

devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the

modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.' In the

N?rada-pancaratra, devotional service to the Lord is likened unto a queen

attended by her maidservants in the form of material opulences, liberation

and mysticism. Jayananda never had any hankering for these, but when they

came, he simply used them in the service of Krishna.

 

Special relationship with Srila Prabhupada

******************************************

Jayananda has complete faith in Srila Prabhupada. He perfected his devotion

by making the instructions of Srila Prabhupada the very core of his life. He

was advanced enough to realize that real association was through following

the instructions of the spiritual master. Unlike most of the other devotees,

who would go out of their way to get some personal association of Srila

Prabhupada, Jayananda was contend to work in the background, carrying out

his instructions. He exemplified the superiority of association by vani

(instructions) over vapu (personal association). Srila Prabhupada would

invariably call of Jayananda when he was in the temple. Jayananda would

resist saying, 'No, I cannot go. I am too dirty. I am too fallen,' such were

the transcendental exchanges between the spiritual master and his dear

disciple.

 

In Cc. Madhya 19.151, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that, 'Among all the living

entities wandering throughout the universe, one who is most fortunate comes

in contact with a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and

thus gets the opportunity to execute devotional service.' Jayananda was one

of these fortunate souls who came in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord

and under his guidance was able to perfect his devotional life.

 

Conclusion

**********

Jayananda passed away on May 1, 1977. He joined the Krishna consciousness

movement in 1967, just when it is in its beginning, and left the planet a

few months before Srila Prabhupada. In the scriptures it is said that when

the pure devotees of the Lord appear to execute His will, their associates

invariably accompany them. One cannot help but speculate that Jayananda had

only come to serve his eternal spiritual master. The fact that Srila

Prabhupada was on this planet at the time of his passing away is also

significant. It let Srila Prabhupada affirm that 'every one should follow

the example of Jayananda.'

 

We offer our most humble obeisances to Sri Srimad Jayananda Prabhu, the

exemplary teacher of devotional service in Krishna consciousness.

 

(text extracted from salagram.net)