Glories to Srila Jayananda Prabhu
We celebrate the disappearance of Srila Jayananda Prabhu, I share this
glorification of Jayananda Prabhu, this great devotee is the example of the
perfect disciple of Srila Prabhupada, this great devotee will be a great
inspiration for future generations of devotees of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna,
just as I I understand, the essence of this great soul is that all he did was
for Srila Prabhupada to be happy, and he never did anything that displeased
Srila Prabhupada, he was not a politician, I like him, he is my friend, he
falls for me wrong, is my enemy, was humble, tolerant and everyone's friend,
and never criticized anyone, Srila Prabhupada said that I am very proud to have
had a disciple as good as Jayananda prabhu, everyone should follow his example.
This great devotee enjoyed serving Srila Prabhupada and Krishna and the whole
world, and that is the perfection of Krishna consciousness, that can only be
done when one has awakened his great love for Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. As
I understand it, only people who have sacrificed their lives to make Srila
Prabhupada happy can receive the mercy of Krishna, if you want see a video
about Jayananda Prabhu this is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=568&v=f1yfcamhTT0
Sri Jayananda Thakur (1939-1977)
After the series
of previous notes on various aspects of the Jagannatha-lila and the Ratha-yatra
celebrated at this time, I considered it fair to publish something in homage to
our esteemed spiritual brother Sri Jayananda Thakur, a beloved disciple of Srila
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. With his admirable pioneering effort, he
contributed greatly to the celebration of the Ratha-yatra festivals, being
loved by all devotees and recognized by Srila Prabhupada.
The translations that follow, after my introduction of this
document, of some biographical fragments about Jayananda Prabhu, are part of a
couple of books dedicated to his life of service and other references cited
within the context. As a graphic complement of this note in his tribute, they
accompany several special photos that will serve as a visual complement for
readers to appreciate justly, the spiritual dimension of life and the service
rendered by Jayananda Thakur, "the king of Ratha-yatra".
Jayananda Prabhu (Jim Kohr) was a very
dedicated disciple of Srila Prabhupada who helped to introduce the festival of
Ratha-yatra (festival of the floats of Lord Jagannatha) in the West, beginning
in the USA. He pioneered the construction of the Ratha-yatra wagons, whose
first festival was held in San Francisco in 1967 and Jayananda was the one who
built the carriages with a group of devotees who worked under his expert
guidance. Although at that time he was not sannyasi, he was highly respected in
Srila Prabhupada's mission. For his pioneering effort in the Ratha-yatra
festivals in several cities of U.S.A. Jayananda was known as "Mr.
Ratha-yatra. "
His humility was exceptional and even after being recognized by all and
by Srila Prabhupada, he continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the
other devotees, taking out the garbage, and doing whatever was necessary.
Although he had an engineer degree, he gave up that to be a taxi driver because
he could not relate to materialistic society. He was very sober and mature. And
with his work as a taxi driver he maintained the San Francisco temple, being
the president of the temple while working as a taxi driver.
He was tireless, working up to twenty hours a day when necessary. And he
knew how to direct people and occupy them practically. His humility was
exceptional. On one occasion, a devotee (called Sankarsana) saw Jayananda on
the street and offered his obeisances. And Jayananda right there on the street,
prostrated himself and returned his reverences without even knowing him.
Even after being recognized by all and by Srila Prabhupada as a great
example, Jayananda continued to clean the pots and the kitchen for the other
devotees, taking out the garbage and doing everything he could do. To know more
about this great saint it is recommended to read the book Radha-Damodara
Vilasa, written by P. Vaiyasaki Dasa (at the moment, available only in
English). Another book is A day in the life of Jayanada Thakur, from Vishoka
dasa.
Although among the disciples of Srila Prabhupada there are many other
non-praised saints and heroes, the great personality of Jayananda Thakur stands
out as an exemplary disciple, as a pioneer of the Ratha-yatra, for his
dedication to Prabhupada, for his austerity, his humility, for his spiritual
accomplishments and to be loved by all. His place of honor, recognized by
Prabhupada, occupies a very prominent place among his other disciples, some of
whom left this world to meet Srila Prabhupada in his eternal pastimes.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere, Srila Prabhupada
realized that prophecy of Mahaprabhu and also the desire predicted by Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakur, when he said that the day would come when the devotees of
the West and the Bengali devotees would gather in the land of Lord Chaitanya
and everywhere to dance ecstatically and sing together "Hari Bol! Hari
Bol! " This has already been miraculously fulfilled in the manifested
pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, and with unprecedented success, beyond what his
own spiritual brothers and Vaisnavas from all over the world could have assumed.
By masterfully fulfilling the order given to him by his spiritual
master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, establishing the international
mission of Krishna consciousness in only twelve years of uninterrupted pure
service around the globe, Srila Prabhupada consolidated the message of the
previous Vaisnava acharyas that he represented genuinely. Jayananda Prabhu and
many other notable disciples were great factors in establishing that divine
mission of sankirtana.
As Srila Prabhupada said, the Sri Jagannatha is not only Purinatha, the
Lord worshiped in Puri-dhama, but the Lord of the entire Universe, where he is
now known and worshiped by millions of devotees. Despite this desire of
Jagannatha-deva himself to leave Puri for the celebration of His Ratha-yatra
around the world, as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted, in his original
temple of Puri, entry to those who are not "Hindus", despite being
devotees of Jagannatha.
On May 19, 1934, in the ancient temple of
Lord Alalanatha near Puri, in Orissa, which we visited, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakur, made the following prophetic statement:
"We must take Lord Jagannatha on a
plane to Eastbourne, London. There Alalanatha, Gaudiyanatha and Gopinatha will
appear. We must install the Deity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in all parts of
the world, otherwise there will be nothing auspicious for the human race.
"
This other prophetic vision was fulfilled by his disciple Srila
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master and Founder-Acharya
of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). By order of
his guru, Srila Prabhupada went in 1965 to preach to the West, and arrived in
New York to establish his mission. Two years later, he instituted the first
Ratha-yatra festival in San Francisco, following what he had done early in
Calcutta during his childhood. And Jayananda Prabhu was an essential pillar for
the celebration of all the Ratha-yatra. From the first festival that was held
in San Francisco in 1967, until his last days already prostrate in bed and sick
with Leukemia, Jayananda Thakur was the fundamental axis for the realization of
this great service, until it disappeared on May 1, 1977 .
Jayananda also exemplified that, in order to attain spiritual
perfection, what matters is the sincerity of a disciple and the intensity of
his surrender to the spiritual master. In just 10 years of pure devotional
service serving Prabhupada's instructions without deviation (vani-seva),
Jayananda achieved the success aspired by all devotees. Bhakti is the cradle of
bhakti and, obviously, it must be understood that besides having undoubtedly
received the causeless mercy of the spiritual master (guru-kripa), such
mahatmas are very rare and surely come from the practice of bhakti in previous
lives, or by the Lord's desire, to assist the mission and pastimes of Sri
Gurudeva.
Beyond the limiting bodily concept, alien to the true teachings of Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who wished to flood the entire
world in Kali-yuga with the prema-sankirtana, which began in Srivas-angam, the
full understanding of the Krishna consciousness is beyond all consideration
relative to the body, caste, social condition, color, material status, creed or
religious affiliation, because the Bhagavata-dharma which is the creed of the
Vaisnavas followers of Mahaprabhu, is the eternal occupation (sanatana -dharma)
of the living entities (jivas) as eternal servants of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sri Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe.
That is why Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly expressed in his book
Jaiva-dharma, that the eternal occupation of the jiva is the Vaisnava-dharma,
which is above material considerations relating to the particular body, nation
and / or India, because the Absolute sense of devotional service does not
depend on bodily conceptions. That is the essential message that must be
understood in the transcendental teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
By initiating disciples from all over the world and turning them into
sincere devotees of the Lord, such as Jayananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada showed
his great mercy without cause to the most fallen conditioned souls, both in the
West and everywhere, because even in India, earth of the dharma, from the time
of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, many of
his natives were confused by the influences of the British Empire, which,
despite the efforts of our great acharyas of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries to counteract such It continued to happen even after India won its
"independence," freeing itself from the imperialist yoke by the
efforts of Gandhi and a united people. However, true independence is the
release of attachments, desires, material conceptions, and relative
considerations based on the temporal notions of "patriotism,"
"religion," "socio-economic policies and approaches," etc.,
which they are all factors of material order, which have nothing to do with the
true emancipation of the being or the liberation of the yoke of the illusory
energy.
In pursuing the great work undertaken by predecessor Vaisnava
preceptors, our guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was an
exemplary and revolutionary acharya who was able to adapt without deviations
the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta, according to the time, place and historical
circumstances that he had. face to consolidate its divine mission of preaching
at an international level.
If it had not been for that titanic, incomparable and magnanimous effort
of Srila Prabhupada, no one would currently know Krishna consciousness so well,
nor could he participate in the wonderful Ratha-yatra festivals in many parts
of the world. And it must also be understood that all respectable senior
devotees of India (sannyasis and / or leaders of other missions of the Gaudiya
Math), who have been able to come to the West to preach after Srila
Prabhupada's departure, would not have had the reception nor the the acceptance
of his preaching, if not for the consolidated work of our guru maharaja.
By establishing Krishna consciousness everywhere and sowing in the
hearts of his disciples the seed of bhakti-siddhanta, none of the Vaisnavas who
have traveled outside India, where they only had a few temples, few local
followers, and relatively timid missions and without experience in a great
international preaching, he would have had the acceptance and relative success
that has allowed them to extend some branches in certain parts, publish certain
works and bring together new people attracted by his presence. Although we are
all part of the tree of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which has different branches, and
we are devotees of the Rupanuga-Vaisnava family, without the incomparable
pioneering work of our Srila Prabhupada, who knew how to expertly adjust
Krishna consciousness in the Western countries full of souls falls, no one
could have been able to collect the fruits sown by his divine mission and his
transcendental preaching.
It is my duty as your faithful disciple, to point out all of the above, so
that Srila Prabhupada's position as Visva-acharya (jagad-guru) and
pativa-pavana, the savior of the fallen ones, is sometimes recognized by those
who are not relativized. they know the spiritual indifference of their divine
mission or the transcendental character of Prabhupada as a great acharya,
eternal pure devotee of the Lord. I say this with all respect for other sincere
Vaisnavas.
By arrangements of the Lord, since Prabhupada left India in 1965 to
fulfill the instruction of his spiritual master, until he left this world in
Vrindavana in 1977, in those twelve years of international preaching we joined
his Divine Grace many disciples we received his mercy without cause. We all
humbly helped in spreading their mission while Prabhupada was present among us.
That is still happening through the survivors that we still have, as
magnanimous extensions of his great mercy without cause. It also manifests
itself through the new generations of devotees, prabhupananugas linked in some
way to their direct disciples, or new followers enlightened by their works and
the preaching of their devotees throughout the world. All this has benefited
even large-scale Vaisnavas, who have left India to continue the preaching of
the sankirtan movement of Sri Chaitanya deva, finding fertile ground thanks to
the mercy of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Jayananda Thakur was
depositary of that kripa, and in translating these the following biographical
fragments, I wanted to pay a humble tribute to this great disciple, sometimes called
"Mr. Ratha-yatra. "
Due to Srila Prabhupada's unjust mercy, Lord Jagannatha is now famous
throughout the world. The Ratha-yatra has become a popular celebration in
almost every major city such as London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Rome, Zurich, Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Denver,
Washington, New Jersey, Detroit , Seattle, Calcutta, Delhi, Mexico, Rio de
Janeiro, Budapest, Guadalajara, Durban, Melbourne, Moscow, et cetera.
Jayananda Thakur was a factor chosen by Krishna to consolidate the
Ratha-yatra festivals in several North American cities. Our debt to him is
great. I consider that, whatever the Vaisnava mission held in the West the
Ratha-yatra, not only in ISKCON, should carry in the car of Lord Jagannatha an
appropriate image of Jayananda Takhur. As a token of appreciation, the nobility
of all envy-free Vaisnava forces us to recognize the pioneering service of our
beloved spiritual brother Sri Jayananda Thakur. That will be good for everyone
and will surely please Lord Jagannatha, because as the Visnu Purana says,
"whoever claims to be My devotee, is not really my devotee. To one who
considers himself a devotee of my devotee, I really recognize him as My
devotee. "
Sri Jagannatha is not only Puri-natha, the Lord of Puri-dhama, his
sacred place, but the Lord (natha) of the entire Universe (jagat). That
sectarian view led Srila Prabhupada to say that if his Western disciples were
not allowed the dharsan of the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in
the Jagannatha-Puri temple, he would not enter there either. By the desire of
His pure devotees, Jagannatha left that temple to be worshiped and celebrate
his Ratha-yatra festival throughout the planet Earth.
In a letter of Srila Prabhupada of May 11, 1977 addressed to Rameshvara,
he expresses the following about his beloved disciple Jayananda:
"Jayananda's death is glorious. It is very good what he said, what
is the use of a useless body, it is better to abandon it. He has left his body
very beautifully and has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a
letter of condolence to be published in Back To Godehead. Everyone should
follow Jayananda's example. I am very proud to have had such a good disciple.
The image of Jayananda should be placed in the Ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in
all the temples it should be placed to celebrate a festival in his honor, just
as we do on the day of the disappearance of other great Vaisnavas ... ".
After suffering the painful leukemia disease that prostrated him and
diminished the great strength of his body, finally being in a wheelchair,
Jayananda disappeared glossingly on May 1, 1977. He joined the Krishna
consciousness movement in 1967, just in its beginnings, and left the planet a
few months before Srila Prabhupada, who departed from Vrindavana to his eternal
pastimes, on November 14, 1977.
As we will see in the following biographical compilations that I have
translated for the knowledge of the Hispanic devotees, that Jayananda left
before Srila Prabhupada, was an arrangement of Krishna so that our beloved
spiritual master could recognize in life his deep gratitude and affection for
his disciple exemplary Jayananda, "the king of the Ratha-yatra," who
in just ten years of untiring dedication to the service of Sri Guru and Sri
Krishna-Jagannatha, attained spiritual perfection, because as Prabhupada said,
Jayananda went to the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and its appearance and
disappearance should be celebrated in the devotional calendar as it is done
with other great Vaisnava saints. In addition, Prabhupada said that Jayananda's
photo should be placed in Jagannatha's car in all the ISKCON Ratha-yatras to be
celebrated anywhere in the world.
_______________________
Jayananda Dasa - A modern saint
Biographical accounts of Kalakantha dasa,
On January 16, 1967, Srila Prabhupada flew from New
York to San Francisco to inaugurate the Hare Krishna temple there. His arrival
was covered by the Four News television channel and local newspapers. While
most of San Francisco may have been unaware of the story, a young man named Jim
Kohr warned her. Despite having a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio
State University, he had been driving a taxi in the streets of San Francisco.
Without ever being able to fit into the conglomerate of the upper class, he was
often unhappy and did not really know why. Although Jim was not a religious
person, the article ignited a ray of hope in him. And he decided to go see the
Swami of India.
Without knowing it, Jim was taking the first step to fulfill his
destiny. Although he would live for only another ten years, in that short time
he would witness the culmination of lives of spiritual effort. He would leave
the world leaving behind many valuable lessons to inspire and instruct the
present and future generations of Vaisnavas, the devotees of the Lord.
The next afternoon, Jim arrived at the temple to find it filled mainly
with hippies. He stood out for his short hair, neat appearance and tight
clothing. And at the age of 28, he was older than most of the others who were
there. But Jim's misgivings disappeared when he saw the Swami enter, Jim sat
down to listen to the lecture and bought a three-volume set of
Srimad-Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada dedicated to him with the inscription
"A Sriman Jim Kohr". For the first time in many years, Jim felt
peaceful. He had received the hearing of his eternal spiritual master.
Jim started going regularly to the temple. He especially liked the
morning show, when most of the hippies were still asleep. Sometimes he would be
the only person in the class. Years later, he revealed that he trusted the
Swami and believed that he would not be deceived. Once, when he was four years
old, Jim had stood in the church and was looking around anxiously. When his
grandmother asked him what was wrong, he asked him: "Where is God?"
Now he felt that Srila Prabhupada was answering that old question buried deep
in his conscience. In February of 1967, Prabhupada accepted Jim as his disciple
and initiated him with the name of Jayananda Dasa.
In the Vaisnava scriptures, such as the Madhurya-kadambini of Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, we learn that before attaining spontaneous love
for God, the conditioned soul progresses through the states of sadhana-bhakti
(devotional practice). The new bhaktas (devotees) in the San Franciso temple
often had problems with their material desires and daily spiritual practices,
falling in and out of Krishna consciousness.
Surprisingly, nobody remembers Jayananda in the role of a "new
bhakta". He naturally and easily took Krishna consciousness. He liked all
aspects of Krishna consciousness-singing his japa rounds, singing in kirtana,
eating prasada, performing the worship of the Deity, and everything else. He
would often comment: "Krishna consciousness is very sweet".
In fact, Jayananda found Krishna consciousness so sweet that he soon
lost the taste for everything else. He gave Srila Prabhupada his life savings,
and in the Prologue to The Nectar of Devotion, Prabhupada publicly thanked him:
"I want to acknowledge, with gratitude, the contribution made by my dear
disciple Sriman Jayananda Brahmacari."
Paying the bills
Jayananda became absorbed in
practical devotional service. He was constantly serving the Lord, either buying
the supplies, cooking the prasada, cleaning the kitchen, taking out the
garbage, or teaching the new devotees. He did all of that after a full day of
work as a taxi driver, where he paid all the bills from the temple. He became
an expert in everything that was needed to spread Krishna consciousness. He
went out to sell The Teachings of Lord Chaitanya of Srila Prabhupada, becoming
a pioneer in an esteemed service by Prabhupada - the public distribution of
pasted books of Krishna consciousness.
On the day of Lord Chaitanya's appearance, Srila Prabhupada was very
happy to see Jayananda spontaneously performing kirtana on the street outside
the temple. Then, encouraged, Jayananda began to sing regularly with other
devotees in the busiest streets, establishing the pillars for the singing
groups that would soon travel throughout the country.
As many devotees as other people were instinctively attracted to
Jayananda's purity. Once, when he offered a garland to Srila Prabhupada, he
apologized for his greasy clothes. Srila Prabhupada commented: "There is
absolutely no offense. You, my disciples, can be dirty, but your hearts are
pure. "
Jayananda touched the hearts of many people, and they usually responded
by doing some service for Krishna. He got almost everything free for the temple
or at a considerable discount. He was friends of the shopkeepers, the city
police, the drunks, the infidels and the destitute marginals. Everyone loved
Jayananda, and he engaged everyone joyfully in the service of the Lord. He
worked harder than anyone, but praised the service of everyone else. He was
humble, tolerant, compassionate, and renunciant. 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 that encouraged
practical service, became Jayananda's very life. Once, when a devotee asked him
how to advance in Krishna consciousness, Jayananda shrugged and said, "I
really do not know. I'm too busy working. "
Jayananda was so immersed in executing Prabhupada's instructions that he
rarely had 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 Krishna wants to
see him; Jayananda exemplified this saying by his attitude of service.
Invariably Srila Prabhupada used to ask about Jayananda, and someone
would have to go look for him. For Jayananda, Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada
were the only two ultimate truths. Everything else, including his body, was
engaged in his service.
Throwing the Ratha-yatra
One day, devotees got a small deity of Lord Jagannatha
(Krishna as "Lord of the universe") in an import store. Srila Prabhupada
told them to return to get the other deities of the game - Lord Balarama and
Subhadra Devi. And so began His worship in the temple. Meditating on the
Deities, Srila Prabhupada expressed his intense desire to extend his mercy by
organizing a Ratha-yatra, the car festival that is celebrated each year in His
honor in the holy city of Puri, in India. Jayananda dedicated himself to
fulfilling that desire of Prabhupada. Starting with a tow truck, he made a
"car" with what he could get from the devotees. On July 9, 1967, the
first Ratha-yatra was celebrated in San Francisco - the first in history
outside of India - all due to blood, sweat and Jayananda's work.
Jayananda improved the festival year after year, getting the money, the
permits, making the publicity, building from the huge big cars digging
everywhere, and even the cakes he cooked for the groups with which he would act
reciprocally, like the police of the City and the US Park Service He would live
with the cars while they were being built, often working almost without sleep,
when the festival date was approaching. Eventually held in Golden Gate Park,
the Ratha-yatra festival year after year attracted more crowds. Thanks to the
efforts of Jayananda, thousands of people received the mercy of Lord Jagannatha.
The festivals are currently held in all 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 image
should be carried in one of the cars in each Ratha-yatra.
Your sick body
While preparing the New York Ratha-yatra in 1976,
Jayananda felt painful lumps growing on his body. A spiritual brother worried
that they might be cancerous, but Jayananda made him promise not to tell Srila
Prabhupada until after the party. Jayananda's main concern was that the
Ratha-yatra should be a success; everything else was secondary.
The Ratha-yatra New York [to which the translator of all this had the
fortune to participate and see Jayananda for the first time] was in fact a
great success. Rolling down Fifth Avenue, the three cars charmed thousands of
people, and many were inspired to ask and even accept the practices of Krishna
consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was ecstatic, he said it was a great success
and he thanked Jayananda for his valuable service.
The bumps on Jayananda's body turned out to be cancerous. He was
diagnosed with leukemia, which gradually reduced his body to a peel. Accepting
that he would die soon, Jayananda continued to express his deep gratitude to
Srila Prabhupada. His friends were frightened and saddened to see his body
desolated by the disease. But Jayananda was still too busy, performing
devotional service to give him much concern. And when he agreed to continue
medical treatment, he used his time in the hospital to preach about Krishna
consciousness to doctors, nurses, and patients.
Jayananda was constantly thinking about how to extend the Ratha-yatra to
other cities. In his last months, he helped organize the Ratha-yatra in Los
Angeles, making the phone calls, getting the money, and guiding the devotees.
One day, while walking on Venice Beach, where the festival would be held, he
looked down and, as if visualizing the next festival, he said: "It will be
a wonderful Ratha-yatra!"
On May 1, 1977, just a few months before the festival, Jayananda left
this world. In a letter written to Jayananda after his departure, Srila
Prabhupada congratulated him for having a glorious life and an even more
glorious death, since in life and death he had been absorbed in Krishna's
service. Srila Prabhupada ordered that the day of Jayananda's disappearance be
celebrated as that of other Vaisnava saints. As eloquently said Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakur:
"Reason wrong who says that the Vaisnavas
die, because they live in their works! Vaisnavas die to live, and living they
try to spread the holy name everywhere. "
When I think about Jayananda, I imagine this scene: Somewhere an ISKCON
Ratha-yatra is about to begin. The sounds of conchshells and the exclamations
of "Jaya Jagannatha!" Penetrate the sky. Seeing from the spiritual
world, Jayananda turns to Srila Prabhupada who nods and says, "Thank you
very much."
Annexed
The test of a theory is its implementation. When one spends
a long time analyzing the process of bhakti, faith emerges quickly when one
sees the theory in action. Jayananda Prabhu is such a devotee, who exemplified
in a very beautiful way the process of bhakti, from the beginning to the
realization. When he left his body on May 1, 1977, Srila Prabhupada instructed
that his disappearance should be celebrated as that of a great Vaisnava.
Observing the pastimes of such devotees, our faith in the process of bhakti is
greatly reaffirmed.
The following is another biographical remembrance of
the transcendental activities of Jayananda Thakur, which appeared in another
reference. Due to its complementary importance, I have also translated this
additional testimony.
The background of Jayananda
Jim Kohr was a typical American boy. Handsome, strong,
intelligent, born in a family of high middle class. Being a good student, he
graduated as a mechanical engineer from Ohio State University. However, despite
his external successes, he was often unhappy, empty and dissatisfied with the
materialistic conception of life. Jim did not fit into the group of high class
people, so it was not surprising that he ended up driving taxis in San
Francisco.
Although he was an introspective person, he was not very religious. His
depression was almost suicidal, when in 1967 he read a small San Francisco
newspaper article about an Indian Swami who had come to the Bay Area to spread
the song of the names of God. For some reason, the article ignited a ray of
hope within him. And he decided to attend the Swami's conference.
In the Bhagavad Gita (7.16), Krishna says: "Four classes of pious
men begin to render me devotional service: the afflicted, the one who desires
riches, the inquirer and the one who seeks knowledge about the Absolute."
Jim was looking for answers to the questions of material miseries, and in that
attitude he took the first step towards his destiny.
Its beginnings
Jim was instantly attracted to the Indian Swami,
who was none other than Srila Prabhupada, the founding acharya of ISKCON. He
had been in U.S.A for only one year and was in the process of establishing his
mission to bring Krishna consciousness to the Western world. Jim began to
attend regularly in the morning to the Bhagavatam class given by Srila
Prabhupada. Sometimes Jim would be the only guest who listened to that
conference. Soon he became very attached to Srila Prabhupada and his teachings.
Prabhupada reciprocated lovingly and sometimes personally cooked the prasadam
for Jim and served it to him. Shortly after, Srila Prabhupada accepted Jim as
his disciple and initiated him with the spiritual name of Jayananda Das.
In the Chaitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 19.151), Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu says that: "... Of the many millions of living entities that
roam the universe, only the one who is very fortunate receives, by the grace of
Krishna, the opportunity to relate to a genuine spiritual master. By the mercy
of Krishna and the spiritual master, that person receives the seed of the vine
of devotional service. "
In this way, Jayananda received the seed of devotion, due to the unjust
mercy of Srila Prabhupada. From the instructions and teachings presented by
Srila Prabhupada, he understood his special relationship with Krishna and the
guru, and that there is an authorized process to establish that relationship.
Your attraction to Krishna consciousness
Jayananda was completely in love with
Krishna consciousness. He got up early every morning before four, did a little
artik, sang his rounds, read and cooked prasada. Then he used to go for his
"incense program", selling incense sticks. He never deviated from
that, and was completely happy practicing Krishna consciousness.
Jayananda adored prasada. When a little prasada fell on the ground he
would lick it. He loved to cook, eat, offer and distribute prasada in a big
way. He even said "prasada" with so much love and devotion that it
made one immediately want to drink something.
Another example of his attachment for Krishna consciousness was his love
for the holy name. He was always seen singing and dancing enthusiastically
during the kirtanas. One day, after working hard for ten hours in a row, when
all the other devotees wanted to rest, Jayananada went into the temple room to
do kirtan. His japa was very intense, very concentrated, as if striving to
associate personally with each of the syllables of the maha-mantra.
In the Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami mentions that the
process of sadhana-bhakti begins with a little faith (sraddha). That faith
flourishes in the desire for association with the devotees (sadhu-sanga), and
then in bhajana-kriya (devotional service). Similarly, after receiving the association
of Srila Prabhupada and other devotees in the temple, Jayananda began
performing devotional service by the instructions he received from his
spiritual master. By sincerely executing his sadhana, he purified himself of
the material impediments of devotional service (anartha-nivriti) and began to
manifest the fully attractive qualities of a pure devotee.
His humility
Humility was certainly the most outstanding
quality of Jayananda. He treated everyone as his superior, even the new
devotees. Although his service was glorious, he never wanted any glory. He
avoided praise like the plague. The devotees knew that if they wanted to have
Jayananda's association it was better not to praise him. His humility was very
natural and he always glorifies the service of others. 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 in the temple wanted to do some service and was asked to
help with the trash. Jayananda made the weekly collection of trash cans, and he
cheerfully accepted the boy's little help. Later when the boy became a devotee,
he recalled: "If the garbage men in this temple can be so blessed, imagine
how the other devotees will be!"
In the third verse of the Siksastakam, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
establishes the qualification to sing without offenses: "One should chant
the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower
than the leaf litter in the street. One must be more tolerant than the tree, be
devoid of all sense of false prestige and be willing to offer all respect to
others. In such a state of mind one can constantly chant the holy name of the
Lord. " Jayananda exemplified this verse. He was so humble, that simply
being in his association, one felt ashamed of one's pride. He was very special,
but nobody paid him special attention. That was simply the way he liked things.
Your attitude of service
Jayananda was expert in everything: cooking, preaching, worshiping the
Deity, public relations, sankirtan, selling incense, in the construction of the
ratha yatra wagons and in everything he did to spread Krishna consciousness. He
was a tireless worker; he was the first to get up in the morning and the last
to go to sleep at night. He was always busy getting the flowers, washing the
utensils, cleaning the kitchen or taking the garbage out. Any service that was
given was done expertly, no matter how busy he was or how much personal
difficulty he had to do it. No matter how hard he worked, he never stopped for
a break during the day. He seemed tireless.
Many times, when Jayananda went to Berkeley to distribute surplus
prasada, the former used to organize a crew to clean the kitchen, working twice
as much as anyone else. Then, I transferred the prasada, loaded it in the
truck, drove to Berkeley, organized the distribution there and did kirtan when
it was happening. Many years later, he quickly accepted the position of
conductor of the Radha-Damodara group of traveling sankirtan, working alongside
brahmacharis who were barely half his age. Despite his seniority and his
advanced position, he never asked for anything special and accepted the servant
position of the new devotees.
In the Visnu Purana, Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: "Whoever claims to
be My devotee is not really My devotee. Only one who claims to be the devotee
of My devotee is really My devotee. " Jayananda fully manifested this
quality. But there was no artificial humility. Material humility is relative,
it is in the qualities of its depositaries. But Jayananda had spiritual
humility, it was absolute, without any consideration for the status or
qualities of the depositary. He served everyone and did not expect anyone to
serve him.
The process of remembering, commenting or enumerating the qualities and
pastimes of the Lord and His devotees is very purifying. This week we will
continue the description of the qualities of Jayananda Prabhu, who in a
relatively short time was associated with Krishna consciousness, perfected his
devotional service and left us many exemplary instructions.
He was free to find faults
Perhaps the most definite characteristic of
Jayananda was that he never criticized anyone. Even if a devotee did something
that merited criticism, he usually did not say anything, or made the mistake
seem perfectly natural. In never said harsh words or punished anyone. Sometimes
the devotees used to go to see him with expansive ideas of how to preach
Krishna consciousness, Jayananda encouraged those ideas, extraordinarily. At
the same time, he was not a fool. I always picked the right man for the job.
In The Nectar of Instruction (verse 5), Srila Rupa Goswami says:
"... one should associate and serve faithfully the pure devotee who is
advanced in devotional service performed without deviations, and whose heart is
completely free from the propensity to criticize to others. "
Jayananda could not even hear criticism from another devotee. If it
happened, he would simply leave the place. These are the characteristics of an
uttama-adhikari, one who has attained the highest level of perfection in his
sadhana-bhakti.
Loved by all
Like the six Goswamis, Jayananda was loved
by both the Gentiles and the ruffians. He was both at home with the Italians in
the product market, as he was with the Brahmacharis in the temple. Once a
devotee was approached in San Francisco by a staggering drunk who looked at his
robes and asked, "Hey, where's my old friend Jayananda?"
Many devotees who were in the old territory of Jayananda would meet
people who said things like: Where is Johnny Ananda? "Or" He is the
man he is best and the purest I have met ", or" I do not know much
about your philosophy, but if Jayananda is there, it must be good. "
A woman who was a public official on the San Francisco Board was famous
for causing problems to the devotees during the Ratha-yatra. One year, when the
devotees approached her, she asked: "Where is Jayananda?" Upon
learning that he had passed away, she broke down and started crying. The purity
in Jayananda's heart moved even the most cynical.
In the Bhagavad-gita (5.7) Krishna says that: "He who works with
devotion, who is a pure soul and who controls the mind and the senses, is dear
to all, and all are dear to him. Although that person always works, he never
gets tangled up. " Everyone loved Jayananda, because he was completely
transcendental to the bodily conception. He approached the drunk, the hippie or
a devotee, with the same compassion and enthusiasm. He spoke to the Supersoul
in each one, and everyone responded accordingly. As Maharaja Yudhisthira,
Jayananda's enemy was never born.
Expert in occupying everyone
It is said that although Krishna has
nothing to do with those who are not devotees, His devotees are even more
compassionate than He and will try to occupy everyone in the service of the
Lord. Jayananda was eager to see everyone engaged in the service of Krishna.
Whenever a new bhakta Jayananda arrived, it made him feel that he was engaged
in important work. He was older, bigger and stronger than almost anyone in the
temple, and we were all glad to be working under his guidance.
His style of preaching was simple and direct. He spoke from the heart to
the heart. Once, he was preaching to a couple of hippies while crawling under a
car. All that was visible of Jayananda was a pair of legs, but the two hippies
that were left there, transfigured by his message. During the Ratha-yatra he
used to organize out of the street a gang of non-cooperative, cynical, hippie,
foolish, and non-devout personalities, to help him build the cars. He occupied
them working for ten or fourteen hours a day, always glorifying them.
In the Chaitanya-caritamrta (Antya-lila, 7.11) it is said: "The
chanting of the holy name of Krishna is the fundamental religious system in the
age of Kali. Without being endowed with power by Krishna, it is not possible to
propagate the sankirtana movement. " Because of genuine compassion in
Jayananda, Krishna gave him the unique ability to make people want to do
devotional service, directly or indirectly.
Materially waived
Jayananda had almost no possessions, even during his years as a married
man. Everything he had he used for the temple service and Srila Prabhupada.
When he had five thousand dollars, he promptly donated them to Srila
Prabhupada. In the introduction to The Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada is
grateful for that contribution. For many years he maintained the temple on his
own, driving his taxi for 12-14 hours a day. In his last days of life, he used
the money he was given for his treatment to support the Ratha-yatra in Los
Angeles.
For many years he kept the temple driving his taxi 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 the incense, he would sleep on the park
benches in the bitter cold, instead of spending the money in a motel. He used
his considerable charm to get people to donate almost everything that was
needed. What he could not get for free, he made sure to receive a good price
for the money spent.
His last lesson in material detachment was when it was discovered that
he was suffering from lymph and blood cancer, leukemia. Jayananda continued as
if nothing had changed. When her body became frail and weak, she continued to
preach, inspire and organize from her bed in the hospital. For him, the body was
simply a means of rendering devotional service to the Lord.
In the Chaitanya-charitamrta (Madhya-lila, 6.254), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
summarizes in the phrase "vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga", which
means "renunciation through knowledge that comes from practical devotional
service". Jayananda was a true sannyasi, who did not simply renounce
material objects but really gave up the desire for these material objects. He
was always eager to use everything for Krishna's service, however he had no
personal desire for anything material.
Jayananda: the King of Ratha-yatra
For several years, Jayananda was the
backbone of the Bay Area (of San Francisco) of the Ratha-yatra. Behind the
scenes he did everything for the preparation of the festival. I would order food,
flowers, funds - to buy the materials and build the carts. He would get the
permits, organize the kitchen and distribute the prasada. Although things
always went well, he would consistently succeed in fulfilling all those plans
every year. After the festival I would cook a cake or cake for everyone who had
helped in some way at the festival. Because of their efforts, San Francisco Bay
area devotees enjoy an incredibly harmonious relationship with city police.
In his last days, Jayananda was busy organizing the Ratha-yatra from the
hospital bed. He talked on the phone with people, he sent his associates to
interview several people and things miraculously began to materialize. Every
moment of his life was used preciously in the service of Krishna.
The courage of Jayananda
Jayananda was not only great
and powerful in body, he was strong in his faith in Krishna. Therefore, nothing
could frighten him. Once, on Market Street in San Francisco, Jayananda was
playing the mridanga and directing a group of kirtan performing on the street a
huge man appeared. It was at least 7 feet tall and weighed perhaps 300 pounds.
His careless beard and drunken appearance indicated that he was an old veteran
living in bars near his boarding house. Approaching the kirtana group, the
reserve ksatriyas of the temple, Kesava dasa and Guru-kripa dasa, were ready
for a fight.
Very confident, the monster approached Jayananda, turned and began to
shout: "Stop that song!" Jayananda looked him straight in the eyes
and finally said: "Only Hare Krishna sings. Only Hare Krishna sings!
"To everyone's amazement, the drunk simply turned and walked away without
having a fight.
The final expression of Jayananda's lack of fear came at the end of his
life when he contracted leukemia and cancer of the lymph glands. He wrote from
the hospital: "I was back for a couple of weeks of intensive treatment.
Actually, everything was a true blessing, since it made me understand that
death is there, within reach. I somehow need these important reminders to help
me move forward in Krishna consciousness. While I was in the temple I
appreciated Krishna consciousness more than ever before, therefore it has been
a true blessing. "
Even in his last months in New Dwaraka, Jayananda never succumbed to
fear or grief on his own. When his old friends entered his room and saw him in
his pale form and ghostly appearance, they found it difficult to talk to him
because of his condition. What Jayananda communicated, on the other hand, was
complete disinterest in the whole matter of his health. On the contrary, I was
planning how to celebrate the Ratha-yatra in Los Angeles. Sitting in his
wheelchair, looking like death personified, Jayananda could not stop thinking
and talking about the Ratha-yatra.
Karandhara remembers seeing him from his desk: Jayananda was there, the
personification of Krishna consciousness and the lack of fear of death.
Karandhara was strangely surprised that he did not feel a great pity or remorse
for Jayananda. Then he could understand that if Jayananda was so Krsna
conscious, how could anyone see him and not be Krsna conscious? tatha dehantara
praptir / dhiras tatra namuhyati (Bg 2-13).
Jayananda pushed the Ratha-yatra of Los Angeles until he was so weak
that he could not pick up the phone and call old friends to ask for donations.
In fact, he collected a large amount of Laksmi and planned the means by which
the festival could be realized. The festival directors will immediately admit
that, without Jayananda's presence, the Ratha-yatra festival could not have
taken place in Los Angeles last year. Therefore, he proved that by engaging in
devotional service, one transcends even the fear of death.
Its mystical opulence
It is said that pure devotional service brings a
lot of opulence. Although the devotees never seek it, when they have it they
use it for the service of Krishna.
Apparently, Jayananda could function asleep little or without sleeping
almost nothing. In the last days of Ratha-yatra he slept less than three hours
a day, but he was the most energetic and lively member of the group. His
propensity to consume prasada was amazing. He could eat the halava cubes, the
samosas dishes and potatoes without any collateral effect. When, in his final
days, he was given an intravenous diet, he would still often ask the devotees
to furtively search for him large quantities of samosas and potatoes with
cheese, which he cheerfully consumed without any apparent pain. Sometimes, he
would fall asleep in the Bhagavatam classes because he was very tired, but then
he could quote perfectly from the class or have a deep discussion about its
content.
In the Bhagavad-gita (14.26), Sri Krishna declares: "One who is
fully engaged in devotional service, firm in all circumstances, immediately
transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the plane of
Brahman." In the Narada-pancaratra, devotional service to the Lord is
compared to a Queen assisted by her servants in the form of material opulences,
liberation and mysticism. Jayananda never had any hunger for such things, but
when they came, he used them simply in Krishna's service.
Maxims of Jayananda Prabhu
Jayananda Thakur made his own notes on the cover of his book of Krishna
in the form of a list of points:
"When I began to apply the clearly described principles of the book
of Krishna in my life, I quickly experienced a new realm of mental balance and
experienced inner happiness even in the midst of the most difficult
circumstances. The result of practicing Krishna consciousness is that you will
worry less and enjoy more. Your power of concentration, memory, understanding
and creativity will increase. You will work with more energy, with greater
confidence and efficiency, and you will relate better with people. And you will
succeed more easily in whatever you try to do. At night, you will fall asleep
immediately and in the morning you will wake up fully refreshed with even less
sleep than you normally need. Consequently, you will understand the true
purpose of your life and your unique role in creation. "
Posthumous letter of Srila Prabhupada to his disciple Sriman Jayananda
Dasa
Bombay, May 5, 1977
My dear Jayananda:
Please accept my blessings.
I am feeling your separation very intensely. In 1967 you joined me in
San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krishna. You were the
first man to give me some contribution ($ 5,000) to print my Bhagavad-gita. After
that, you have rendered a very favorable service to Krishna in different ways.
Therefore, I hope that at the time of your death you have been remembering
Krishna, and therefore you have been promoted to His eternal association. If
not, if you have had some small material desire, you will have gone to the
celestial kingdom to live with the demigods for many thousands of years and
enjoy the most opulent life of material existence. From there you can promote
yourself to the spiritual world. But even if one fails to promote oneself to
the spiritual world, at that moment the person returns to the face of this
earth and is born in an aristocratic family, where again there is an
opportunity to revive Krishna consciousness, but because you had been listening
Krishna-kirtana, I'm sure you were directly promoted to Krishnaloka.
janma karma ca divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so'rjuna "
Krishna has done you a great favor by allowing you to continue in your
sick body and has given you a suitable place for your service.
Thank you very much.
Your eternal well-wisher,
Jayananda's death is glorious. What he has said is very good. What is
the use of this useless body? Better leave it. He has left his body very
beautifully, and has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I already sent a letter of
condolence to be published in Back to the Supreme ("Back to
Godhead"). Everyone should follow Jayananda's example. I am very proud to
have had such a good disciple. If possible, the photo of Jayananda should be
hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all our temples a day should be
chosen to make a festival of honor, just as we do on the day of the
disappearance of other great Vaisnavas.
Fragment of a letter from Srila Prabhupada
