Remembering Srila Prabhupada | Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

“Joining the Hare Krishna Movement”

By Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

Dec 27 2012, Seattle, USA — I got my first Krsna Book from Sura Prabhu in a parking lot in Seattle. He showed me what George Harrison wrote and that made me take the book. I gave him $20 and he also gave me the Sri Isopanisad. When I saw the picture of Lord Visnu on the cover I remembered a dream I had about that same Lord Visnu with lots of incense smoke swirling around Him. I told Sura about that and he said that means I was meant to be a devotee.

I took the book home and started to read it but I stopped because I thought it was too philosophical. A few months later I couldn’t sleep and I started staring at the picture of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna on the cover of the Krsna Book. After about twenty minutes of staring, wondering why Krishna was blue, not even knowing that Krishna is God, all of the sudden Krishna came to life to me flashing His effulgence and smiling. That got me very excited! So I started reading the book and read about a third of it that night. I liked the fact that Krishna played in the forest and I remembered my happy days as a child playing with my brothers and friends in the forests.

When I went out to party with my friends the next night I kept thinking about the Krsna Book. I was tired of sense gratification and the intoxication that was prominent in society. I told my friends, soon to be X, that I was going home early to read a book. They looked at me like I was Crazy! But I didn’t care, I was getting a higher taste.

My parents saw my Krsna Book and warned me not to get involved with it because it was a cult. But when I finished reading the Krsna Book I wanted more books so I went to the Temple as the address was in the book and I bought every book they had. Like $350 worth. Srila Prabhupada always said his books are like timebombs that would work in time and it sure worked for me!

His Holiness Visnujana Swami who was a true modern day saint who really inspired and inspires me in my spiritual life. I remember when I was a new guest at the Seattle temple in 1974. I had gone to the temple to attend the Sunday Love Feast and was gazing out the upstairs window when I heard a deep voice behind me say, “Haribol! I’m Visnujana Swami. I’m on my way to a festival in Vancouver and am stopping by for the Sunday festival. Please accept my humble obeisance’s.” As I turned to look at him I noticed he had a very bright aura. He looked very pure and innocent. I had never offered obeisance’s before and here was a swami offering obeisance’s to me!

I bowed down with him acting like I knew the prayers. Visnujana Swami started an ecstatic Kirtan and more and more devotees started showing up than ever before. People would come out of the woodwork when Visnujana came around. He did devotional bhajans until about midnight. Every time he stopped chanting the devotees begged him to continue.

We were dancing so much Sukadeva Prabhu, the temple president, was looking worried about the floor possibly caving in. What a way that would be to go! I’d never stayed at the temple before, but since it was so late I decided to stay that night. I laid down outside of the door where Visnujana was staying. I couldn’t sleep because I was still excited from all of the chanting. At about 2:30am Visnujana came out of his room and seeing me laying there he said, ‘Haribol’ in his esoteric devotional voice. I was blissed out even more. I laid there thinking about my future as a spirit soul.

The devotees at the temple told me that I should go to San Francisco Rathayatra because Srila Prabhupada would be there. At that time I was attending college and working at Boeing Airplane Company. I decided to take a transcendental ‘vacation’ and headed for San Francisco Rathayatra. When I arrived at the temple on Market Street in San Francisco, I was greeted by Jayananda Prabhu who was serving out prasadam. He asked me if I could help prepare the Rathayatra carts. I happily agreed to help, sensing his sincerity and humility. He would always be singing as he drove us out to the Rathayatra site. He was always working and serving everyone very nice Prasadam, often that he himself cooked. Jayananda was amazing and inspiring for all of us from the karmi’s to the devotees, everyone loved Jayananda Prabhu.

When the day for the festival arrived, it appeared as if it was going to rain. When Srila Prabhupada arrived and got upon his Vyasasana on Lady Subhadra’s cart, the clouds opened up and shined a beam of light on the self-effulgent Acharya. Even though I was new and didn’t know much philosophy, I knew this was an auspicious omen and that Srila Prabhupada must be very special. At that point I accepted Srila Prabhupada as my guru in my heart.

The day before Rathayatra, Visnujana Swami was giving a lecture in the Armenian Hall where most of the visiting devotees were staying. Visnujana Swami said, “Don’t think that these Deities are idols. This is Krishna!.” Just then a rose fell over Lord Damodara’s arm from below His cheek. This really impressed me. I was staring and meditating on the Deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodara at that time. Visnujana Swami always decorated the Deities fabulously with lots of flowers and his unique dressing style. Lord Damodara had a blue light on Him and Radharani had a gold light on Her and They were very attractive and magical and mystical looking. When I saw the rose drop down when Visnujana said the Deity is Krishna, I felt The Lord was communicating this to me personally to inspire me to surrender to Him.

Srila Prabhupada gave a great lecture at the Rathayatra festival. He mentioned that the whole world follows America and if we could make America more Krishna conscious, the world would follow and it would become like Vaikuntha, the spiritual world. The crowd of around 10,000 roared in response.

The feast was also awesome. We were served out as we sat in huge rows. It was an unforgettable event organized mostly by Jayananda Prabhu, with all of the preparations and the expert serving of the devotees.

Hoping this meets you well and Happy in Krishna Consciousness
Your eternal friend and servant
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
\o/ HariboL \o/
Chant and be Happy!
BHAKTI SHAKTI

SupersouL CD now available on iTunes at:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/gauridasapanditadasa

‘All Attractive Lord’

‘Its Krishna’
:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZPdL8CHodI

‘Going Home’

‘THE SWAMI SONG’

Mantra Fusion

Nama Sankirtan Song

MANTRA HOUSE

New 10-15-12
SupersouL \o/

New Oct.11 2012
Swami Prabhupada’s Garden

New Oct. 7th 2012
Swami Prabhupada’s House

New 9-26-12
Vrindavan Kirtans \o/ GPD

Shakti Fest 2012 Highlights \o/

Goverdhan Parikrama 2011 Pt.1

New 7-18-12 Just Released \o/
Krishna Prema

New ~ 7-14-12
It’s Rathayatra Day \o/

~ New from Krsna Book:
Wonderful Krishna\o/